Rebecca, so pleased you feel safe enough here to share some of your back story with us. We strive to make everyone feel valued and safe, so It’s heartening to know we are hitting the mark.
My advice would be to try to stick with the 800 everyday in the early weeks, to allow your body to fully adjust. Chopping backwards and forwards will make it more difficult for your body to fully switch into fat burning mode and stay there. However, don’t panic if you have a day when you accidentally go over, we are in this for the long haul and as there will be days when you are a bit under on cals (yes there really will be!) it will all balance out in the long run.

Two stone lost is brilliant, well done!

I lost a stone and a half (10kg) and didn’t really realsie how much that actually was – until I went out into the garage and got one of my old weighlifting weights and realised how much it actually was!
I think it’s a great motivator to think how much difference that loss is making to your body.

Keep it up!

Hi guys,

Just some general thoughts from the recent questions. –

Rosyapple, you say that you can not see where the 4 stone extra could come from. – My experience is that I dropped a shoe size before I dropped a shoe size. Many of us talk about going through the process of our collar bones emerging. Even though I noticed all those changes I still expected that when I had achieved my target weight discard I would also be the dress size / body shape that I wanted to be. – It didn’t happen. I reached my first target weight and still have a spare tyre.

The scales are a really bad way to monitor progress. – Each litre of water we drink weighs 1 kg. As we should be aiming to drink a couple of liters of water a day depending on where we are on the water in / water out cycle of the day that’s a potential fluctuation of 4.4lbs in weight. – Then there is the fluctuation in the weight of the food in your digestive system, if you used your 800 calories up with cheese thats going to be a lot less weight than 800 calories worth of celery.

There are other reasons why weight change will not reflect progress. Raised insulin levels switch off the bodies repair system which builds new muscle and keeps bones strong. – Part of the process if you keep your insulin levels low is your body will take the time to heal, and obviously stronger bones and muscle weigh more than weak muscles and frail bones. So the best advice is to measure progress with the aid of a tape measure and take lots and lots of measurements, not just the waist and hip, and be open to noticing changes like the fit of shoes and clothes and your ability to exercise.

There is also a discussion going on about loose skin. – I am down over 90 lbs from my start point, am in my late 50’s and no loose skin. I have gone through stages where areas change texture. There was a time when I had some floppy areas on my upper arms, and maybe because I have an active lifestyle that resolved itself. I also notice that with large fat areas my body goes through the process of having dimples which get deeper and deeper until they are like invisible thumbs pressing into my skin, and then overnight, the dimples disappear and the inchs measurement changes.

While the whoosh experience is genuine, its widely recognised that people loose weight in steps, and the steps often involve a period of water release. The story that this is as a result of fat cells filling with water is apparently not true. – At one of the big conferences an expert was asked for the reason for the whoosh experience and he suggested that fat cells filling with water as a little bit of of the fat was used until all the fat cell contents were used up and then the water was released and the cell collapsed. Subsequently research has shown that theory isn’t correct but there are lots of websites that have articles still claiming that is what happens. It does seem like a sensible answer, but the reality is no one knows why it happens, it just does.

Another question I know will come up at some point is how long a period of no weight change needs to lass before we consider it a stall. More than 3 weeks with no weight of inch loss. – Just remember that 1lb of fat = 3500 calories when setting your expectations.

Finally, someone was asking about carb to protein and fat rations and was talking about percentages. – Its much more important to measure grams rather than percentages. Remember the secret to maintaining is to continue to stay low carb but increase total calories, by increasing calories from fat eaten instead of using up the calories stored in fat from previously eaten calories So focusing on relative percentages isn’t helpful.

Morning all 🌞 Day 13
Thank you for your replies to my concerns, I’m finding value in them all.
JGwen, your stories of shape changing, dimples and bone and muscle growth are both fascinating and reassuring. I’ve noticed that when I have lost a few pounds my body looks worse, floppier I suppose, which I find quite alarming! I know it will change, it just takes me a while to remember this !?!
Yesterday was a difficult day, I was having cravings for ice cream, cake and pasta for most of the day. I felt low, anxious, woozy, hungry and if I’m honest quite negative about it all. I was ready to crack! I did feel I needed more to eat so I had extra butter and some cheddar and cottage cheese (it did make me feel better) not vast amounts but enough to feel that I wasn’t doing so well. It’s a control/perfection thing, I think…I hope I’m making some sense!
Let’s hope today is a better, calmer day.
Have a good one! I 🌹🍏

Oh roseyapple – well done!! You rode out the storm and even if you had extra calories you had the right type of calories and did not resort to addictive sugary calories. Don’t be hard on yourself, we all have super tough days and you will learn from it and be better prepared to cope next time. Give yourself a pat on the back, reflect and move on. Today’s a new day.
I struggled on Wednesday, felt really tired, I managed not to go wild with the calories, tried listening to my body, did less exercise, and fell asleep in the sofa at 7pm, got up to do horses late check at 10pm and had no problem going back to sleep at 11pm. Turns out I was super tired, just from a busy week and lots of moving. Thankfully I didn’t turn to carbs to help. Amazing how your body will tell you if you listen.

Today is day 19, and I weigh on a Tuesday and Saturday, today showed 12st and half a pound. That’s down 2lbs in the week and 10lbs since I started. So chuffed and so close to being under the 12st barrier which I have never ever managed before. Maybe see the magic 11 next week…..

Lovely to see so many people in this thread, thank you, hello, welcome and loads of support to you all. So many good people here and so much knowledge experience and wisdom…. have a great weekend everyone.

Hi guys,

I just came across a good facebook interview about the emotional issues and why we are addicted to carbs. The person doing the interviewing is a bit irritating because he talks too much without adding benefit. But the Dr Robert Cywes is someone who used to overeat carbs, and understands the reasons that emotions drive us to turn to food and specializes on helping people who are addicted to carbs.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=651659822059167

WindyJulz, thanks for your progress report and the pat on the back, you’re right , I got through it.
As it turns out a lot of what I was feeling yesterday was irritation, literally! I have caught head lice from the little girls I look after, I didn’t know what that rash on my neck and the itchy head was all about!! Thankfully their Mum has some spare treatment for it so I’ll get to it and should be feeling more like myself again soon 😁
Today is a new day and I have started it with a full English so I’m nicely full ang ready for it! 🌹🍏

Oh Roseyapple, I dont know whether to laugh or itch and run away!! I think you are definitely off the hook with not feeling great yesterday, its not the new way of eating at all….its a gazzillian little bloodsuckers! At least there is a treatment hahaha!! You poor thing!

New day for sure – make it a good one!!

Hi guys,

I just came across a good facebook interview about the emotional issues and why we are addicted to carbs. The person doing the interviewing is a bit irritating because he talks too much without adding benefit. But the Dr Robert Cywes is someone who used to overeat carbs, and understands the reasons that emotions drive us to turn to food and specializes on helping people who are addicted to carbs.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=651659822059167

Alternatively, you could search for Dr Robert Cywes on youtube, he has a website full of shortish (up to 20 minutes) videos on each on topics that are relevant to anyone who is or has eaten a high carb diet.

Thank you so very much for this link, JGwen. I have just watched (or rather listened to) the video and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I found it so powerful and entirely relatable. I would really recommend it – well worth listening to the whole thing. Of all the books I have read and podcasts I have listened to since starting this WOE, this is easily in my top 3. I will be listening again. “Every snack is an emotional event” really resonated with me.

Rosy – I hope you are getting the uninvited guests under control. Just reading about it made me want to run for the nit comb😆.

Hi all 💖 Day14, woo hoo!
Feeling good! Just done a couple of hours digging and got paid for it.
Had to make some adjustments these last 2 days but think I’ve done ok, just got to check on calories.
Have next week’s meals planned and ready to shop!
I watched That Sugar Film yesterday which helped drive things home a bit more, also another American film (with cartoons) on the same topic, forgot what it’s called! Both great but sad to see the reality of a bad diet especially in USA. How much happier and healthier we could all be and with so much more potential. I think the biggest rebellion we could all stage is to truly look after ourselves…..🤔
Getting on top of the nits, quite a process!!!
Enjoy your days 🌹🍏

Wow, so much activity and support ! There is not much I can add, really .I learned so much from JGwen..she really knows what she is talking about and her message about finding your WHY has been key to everyone, me included !
I came across Dr Cywes too and I remember very clearly how he insists on carb addiction as the same as being addicted to cigarettes, alcohol, it’s just another drug and in some ways harder to crack . On Instagram ( get me !!!) he is known as carbaddictiondoc
” Telling people to stop using sugar without proper carbaddiction rehab is like telling people to stop using heroin in an opioid epidemic without counselling and rehab”

He really sees carbs as a toxic addiction. It is very real for many of us.I was definitely addicted to sugar but like others on the forum I have managed to control it. It is possible,it is !!
Be aware that Dr Cywes leans very heavily towards carnivore .
Yes, emotional eating is one of the biggest challenges to address because it is a long, long established habit and we often don’t even know how it started. That did mean a massive mind set change for me which took time but I no longer turn to sugar if I sense I am getting stressed . I know it’s not easy.
I have mentioned her before but at the risk of repeating myself 😉 I would recommend any of Zoe Harcombe’s books, especially The Diet Fix.
Here is some info from the net
https://www.getthegloss.com/article/the-diet-myths-not-to-believe-according-to-obesity-expert-dr-zoe-harcombe

Zoe Harcombe isn’t exactly known for sitting on the fence. The nutrition expert, researcher and author has a PhD in public health nutrition and a special interest in obesity, and she’s particularly eminent when it comes to debunking fake health news and going under the hood of sensationalist dietary headlines. Her latest book, The Diet Fix, condenses her 20 years of nutritional analysis and research to dissect the diet lies you’ve been told, explore why conventional diets don’t work and present a ten-step plan to help you to maintain a healthy weight without feeling hungry, deprived or stuck in the familiar yo-yo weight gain and loss cycle. Zoe not only has the academic know-how to back up her approach, but she’s also been there and done that where dieting and disordered eating is concerned.

A former calorie counter and serial dieter, at one point Zoe existed almost solely on apples and cups of black coffee, aiming for a 400 calorie daily intake before entering into a period of bingeing and subsequently resuming starvation again. She describes her late teens as “the worst period of my life” due to her eating disorder, but has now been in recovery for over 20 years and “enjoys food in ways that I could never have imagined”. Her turning point came when she got real about the fact that punishing herself with food wasn’t working from either a weight loss or general wellbeing perspective:

“I realised I couldn’t carry on when I sat back and reflected that, after ten years of trying to eat less in order to lose weight, it wasn’t working and it never had. I stopped attempting to lose weight and prioritised my health instead – I shifted my view to seeing food as a friend and appreciating it for the nutrients and energy it gave me rather than the weight loss it could facilitate. I recognised that food was there to nourish me, help to give me great skin and hair and allow me to do the things I love in life. I concentrated on breaking my “addiction” and quitting my constant cravings, removing weight loss as my “goal”. As a result, I felt better and lost a bit of weight naturally anyway without it being the focus.”

Zoe’s views are totally compatible with our BSD approach and she has some really useful advice to address binge eating

So that is my contribution for this rainy Sunday ! Lockdown is set to be eased from tomorrow in France but I doubt it will make a lot of difference to us as we are not about to raid the shops.I have a hair appointment for 26th May which I am looking forward to ! It will be good not to have to carry a form to justify our movements, though.

Have a good rest of the day/evening everyone , wherever you are.Just remember however hard it feels at times, we have all been there, we know what you are going through .We are in this together !

I will just end with a little quotation from Dr Cywes :
Will it be easy ?
Nope
Worth it ?
Absolutely

oh Rosy, head lice are the pits….I used to get them frequently in my long hair when my kids were small ….schools are a great breeding ground 🙁 …and thanks everyone for all the links
I’ve had a reasonable week…ups and downs with energy and sleeping (and occasionally red wine) but hanging in here
Yesterday was mother’s day in Australia (happy mothers day to any Aussie mum’s here!) and we had dinner at our youngest son’s (two people are allowed to visit family here, currently) so while dinner was pretty BSD friendly, it as more in quantity than appropriate-I also said yes to son’s apple crumble which he made himself (he’s never been one for cooking as his girlfriend is a great cook, so had gone to a huge effort)-straight back on track today, though!. We looked through some old photos which has motivated me even more to regain my slimmer self!!
Well done to all those whose scales and waistlines are heading into lower numbers

I have a really busy work week coming up so may not post much, but I’ll be sticking to plan with y huge online veggie order that I collected yesterday from my local farmers market!

Good morning everyone! Day 15
I’ve lost 9 llbs and 2 inches from my belly 😊
Feeling livelier, more positive and more comfortable- no digestive issues and minimal aches and pains AND I’ve gotten in to my smallest Jeans!
It’s a real milestone for me as I’m at the same weight I was at before I met my (abusive) ex partner, I put on over 2 stone in those 2 +1/2 years. Celebrate!!!
Thanks as always for all your posts and responses, I value them and am finding this forum a great support.
Have a great day 🌹🍏

Woohoo! Well done Rosyapple!! Really chuffed for you!

Plodding on here. Enjoyed the Dr Robert Cywes from JGwen, all the pieces are all slotting together in terms of looking at myself, how I’ve got here and how to manage life and food going forward. Still really positive on day 20 which is unheard of for me.
I had a lax saturday evening meal with hubby and dad, nothing way off plan but too much cheese and wine…. I did not feel good for it, it didnt satisfy any ‘need’ i may have thought i had…. lesson learned, will be in control next week….. I think i said this last week but I have actually convinced myself of it now.
I’ve walked a lot over the weekend, total of 85.1km this month. Definitely using walking as an emotional coping mechanism and an alternative to snacking. I hope i can continue after lockdown, I cant see why not as we do a lot of walking in the evenings. Its so good for the soul.

Have a good monday.

Hi all,
Still here, mostly reading, but I felt I should share my two cents now as well.
The WHY has been really important for me. Yes I’ve had some ‘snaxidents’, with bsd friendly stuff, but usually when I feel I’m about to really fall of the wagon, I repeat my why’s. And ask myself if eating this (whatever this may be, carbs, sugars, cheese, whatever) will contribute to my goal. If it’s worth it. Sometimes it is, I might have a tiny glass of wine, or some extra cheese and allow myself to hit 900 cals that day. But is feels like a decision I’ve made myself. I’m in control. Usually I put it back, or say no. Because I’m keeping my eyes on the ball. I even had a few days of not counting calories, just eating low carb. Still a decision I’ve made myself. I really feel I’m in control, serieusly for the first time in my life.

This forum helped me so, so much, I can’t thank everybody enough.
xxx DD
btw, check my profile for my weekly discards, I liked reading stuff like that when I started. And whoever invented the word snaxident, you put a huge smile on my face 😊

Hi all
Wow – so much has been going on in the past few days. I wish I had logged on sooner. I’ve had a bad week – my weight back up to starting point. I’m just yo yo-ing up and down the same half stone, destined never to get any lower. Not just one day of binging but a week of it. So all the advice is so relevant for me too – thank you. I spent time working out my why, but I lose sight of it – often – so maybe I need to put up posters in the kitchen to remind myself.
I looked up Zoe Harcombe before and she’s very motivating – so I’ll take a look at her latest book. Thanks for the link JGwen, I haven’t come across Dr Robert Cywes before so that should be interesting.
I’m feeling a bit sorry for myself today and my mind is trying to convince me that a big bowl of pasta with lots of cheese is going to make me feel better. But I know that it won’t… Maybe a portion of courgetti with a sprinkling of cheese and a large side salad may be better…

Gattina, dust off at get right back to it. We all stumble, we all fall, what matters is how often you get up and move forward again. You’ve answered your own question about the pasta …. opt for the courgetti and make today the start of something really good.
DD, well done on cracking that all important active decision making when deciding whether or not to consume something. It’s a tough one to get to grips with for many of us and being able to do this, will make things so much easier going forward.
Julz, all that walking is putting me to shame! That’s a great result …. keep going.
Rosie, fantastic! Brilliant progress – you should be very proud! Hope the little critters are now banished 😄
EC, belated Happy Mothers Day, sounds like you had a good time. I find alcohol messes with both sleep and weight loss. Admit it doesn’t stop me from the occasional indulgence though …. conscious decision. Think it’s best avoided whilst actively trying to lose the pounds/kg if you can though.

My week has been another of successful maintenance, with no great fluctuations of the scales. Looking forward to another week of the same and hooe you’ll all be stepping firward for another week too.

Haven’t seen any loss on the scales this week but am feeling very much in control and haven’t eaten anything I shouldn’t, I am back to 16:8 and am sticking to low carb. I have decided to only weigh myself once a week. I get grumpy if I see the scales go up or don’t go down! I’ll weigh myself tomorrow and chart the progress should there be any! I’ll try the jeans on each week and see if they’re any where near to to zipping up. My plan is to keep going for 8 weeks and this week will be week 3. So far I’ve lost 2.6 lb since 24th April which is disappointing. i won’t be giving up because I desperately want those jeans to fit and be comfortable. So, I’ll keep chipping away.

Good to read that many are having great success. Well done on your weight losses,

I watched the link JGwen posted and found it very interesting.

I’ll keep plodding, I’ll weigh myself every Tuesday and rejoin the new week.

CC, things are often slow around week 3, so try not to be disheartened…. I know, easier said than done. Trying the jeans every week will keep you motivated and spur you on. I have every confidence you can get to where you want to be, even if progress is a little slower than you’d like it to be.

Hi all,
I have weigh-in day today, really not good to do on Mondays right after weekend, but I guess it evens out in the long run. Am 0.5 kg down since last week, but bobbed up just over 80 after having seen 79.5 on Friday. I’m not too worried though, I usually drop after Monday to climb up a little over the weekend.
In any case my measurements seem to have taken a little jump down.
Lately I’ve been feeling a little “speeded”, not sure how to explain it. Find it hard to go to sleep even when I’ve been doing tiering things all day and I wake up really early and can’t go back to sleep. Finding it hard to relax, have to keep doing things. Like I’m waiting for something but don’t know what. I’m suspecting it may be the whole Covid19 that is affecting me. I’m not too worried anout Covid but the uncertainty about how things will be in a few weeks, months, a year from now is really wearing on me. When can I see my parents again etc.
Not sure what to do to “exhale”, my normal solutions (nature, walks, gardening) is not helping right now. Suggestions?
Only comfort is that I’m not comfort eating at least. Am doing more 18:6 fasting now and get a little high on the fasting feeling.
Take care all!

Hi Olive, have you thought about some meditation? I didnt think it would be “my thing” but I’ve been doing it once a day for about 5 weeks and I find it really helps. Sometimes i do it in the middle of the day, just for some down time / me time, and sometimes I do it in bed. Either way it helps me relax and let go of ‘stuff’. I’m doing a diet focused one but there are loads out there for free and i think its just about finding one which works for you. Worth a go.

Thanks WindyJulz – a good suggestion. I’ve done meditation occasionally in the past, but could give it a more structured try.
Am doing my 15 min yoga challenge a day, could do some guided meditation after that.
If you or anyone can recommend any free online/app meditation that would be great.

I’ve used David McGraw’s 30 day challenge…… no idea if it is of any use whatsoever but it seems to fit with me and certainly makes me relax and switch off for 30 mins a day. Its free on youtube. Half expect someone to tell me its a pile of rubbish but….

Hi Olive, I’d recommend meditation too. I’m currently doing a chanting meditation, which takes awhile to settle into, but am finding it very powerful now. Julz is right, there’s loads of free meditation material on You Tube, so have a hunt around and find one that gels with you.

Have also been doing some qigong exercise as well, which I’m sure is helping with relaxation. Have certainly been less stressed and sleeping better since establishing my daily meditation and qigong sessions. Hope you find a solution which works for you.

I have really enjoyed reading your posts this week and the spirit of the thread is so uplifting. We really are all looking out for each other .
It’s great when this program brings about the healthy benefits of weight discard but when I read that it has restored self esteem and confidence, that is a massive bonus . Fantastic Rosyapple ! That really is a mile stone for you to have ‘found’ yourself again ! You a re a new woman Rosy !!
Well done DoubleDutch ! You are very focused and committed and your ‘countdown’ profile definitely shows that. Brilliant results !
Julz ! Love your positivity and commitment too. I do believe as you say that we learn such a lot about ourselves on this program.

A few less celebratory posts but it really doesn’t matter. Noone is comparing and JGwen will be pleased to see that you are measuring and not just weighing ! 😉
Olive…yes, meditation, yoga, Qigong, they will all help you. I think lots of us are suffering from disrupted sleep patterns right now . I think it was Verano who recommended the phone app HEADSPACE also ?
I must admit the directives coming out of the UK about the easing of lockdown, visiting relatives etc seems a little confused right now but I do hope you will get to see your parents very soon.

Cathy, don’t worry, you will get there . Stay with us , you will see the results you want. We know you will never give up.

Gattina, you recognise what derailed you this week and you show courage in coming to tell us . Don’t look back, you can’t do anything about last week but you can look forward to this coming week and greet it with a positive and trusting attitude. You CAN do it Gattina . Check in with us frequently and certainly any time you feel a bit wobbly.

It’s time to set up the new weekly thread so I will get on to that now !!

The new thread is up and running, lovely people !
Talking of which , at the last count there were contributions from

SunnyB
Merrymelba
Niamh and Dean ( Neegan)
EC
Caronl
Clarinet cathy
Bryla
Windyjulz

Georgiejeorge
oLive 1
Puddy
Dreamscometrue
Gattina
melH
rosyapple
LovesGroodles

timetochange
Patricia
Articfox
Double Dutch
PTR
Britta
Film24
Rebeccakershaw
JGwen (of course !!)

So we hope everyone will continue to check in !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!