We will get through this year, we will ! Let’s just dig in and do our very best .
Noone is perfect, noone gets it right all the time.It’s ok .
Let’s keep going ….we need some positivity and feel good moments !!
Looking forward to seeing you xx
Wendy

The latest list…you know I never give up on anyone !
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 !!)

PlumpGoose
Russianroulade
DebbieDarko
weebleswobble
nicoles212
Steviep
Zuzuvela
Frog
GreenGal
EachPeach
SusieMac1957
Limes254
Butterlover
PhoenixBurns
Quetzal
Waitaminute
Riccoh
Tulip1 (Clare)
ADD6605(Dawn)
Gyllb
EllieAllegra

Roheryn
AuroraB
Sweetgirl
BlueSkyz
Karenwm
SusieMac1957
Jeremy Fisher
ClemFlo
LR800
Eowyn
Kevlondon and Mrs Kev
Scubado
Lulu16
Shammy
sunshine-girl !!!
Beattie66
2eviltwins
Violinist ( Catherine)
Sarah 1968
Angelsand
Lecurie
Choccybuttons
Sonz
AnnieW
Sixturkeys
Urchin
Delabodge( Clive)
Calliope Swan
O2BSkinny
Ghudugi
PSL68
EclecticRajistani !!!
Lily
Luella
Mumof4in France
GardeningChef
Gill33UKS
Squidge !!
No more banquets
Weightykaty
Petiteketo
Humphrey1
The other me
AMZ !!!!!!!
Gooner
Justjudy
mumofStig
Missamd9
Peanutbutty
Sunnysideup
Stephen J
Fattystar
1960smp
Nhatha 3432 (Nick)
Happyseaswimmer
TJ
Reuby 19
Zoelazer
Rainey
Gordosh
Mifoz
Energisedby800
James3891
SamG67

I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate Verano
1) on her 51st wedding anniversary ! That’s a great innings, V !! May you and hubby have many more happy years together.
2) and her great blood test results ! Well done V, that must be a great relief and just shows your continued determination and commitment despite your occasional self doubt xx
So pleased for you, V
This way of eating has great benefits …it really is worth the effort .

Thank you so much Wendy!!!
Yes I’ve been low carb for over four years now and my practice nurse is ‘gob smacked’, asked me to touch her to pass on the determination!
Thinking about things lately, I know we talk about this as a ‘Way of Life’ but it really is.
I often read posts about ‘diet’ but this is not something to be started and stopped. It makes me think of smoking. I stopped 20 years ago but that was probably my third try. Making ‘life for ever’ changes can be so difficult but if it doesn’t work the first time then try, try and try again. Carbs like cigarettes are addictive !
Low carb life really can change you health …. weight loss is an added extra !!!

Congrats on the anniversary and the good results Verano! It’s our 23rd this weekend, so we have a ways to go yet 😊

Last week ended up pretty good for me, slowed down from the first week’s losses, but still humming along. I’m not hungry anymore so that’s Certainly making things easier.

My MIL and her sister are a bit Christmas mad (in a nice way) so they have just started planning the extended family Christmas get-together in mid November. We are allowed 20 people in a house at the moment, and as there will be 19 I think they’re rushing to get it in, in case the rules change. We usually do an early December celebration so everyone can be there, but this is a new record! Problem for me is, I will be at around week 7 of my 8 weeks. Oh well, I have 5 more weeks to work on my willpower – they go all out with the feast. I am in charge of chickens and potato salad. (Yes this runs like a well oiled machine.). If I get through that ok, I will at least be able to have some treats on the real Christmas Day (which is also my birthday) .

Hope everyone is having a good week so far. The weather here in Newcastle is glorious for walking at the moment, so I’m looking forward to getting out in it every day.

I everyone.Im not giving up .I have had a few more gains and losses and I’m still not consistent in sticking to plan.I know what to do and I know this is a lifestyle not a diet but I am still having a few slices of bread here and there which completely damages my progress.Ive been on utube a lot trying to solve my carb addiction.The challenge remains in turning all the knowledge to action.Have a good week.Best wishes to those of us, living in covid restricted areas.

Hi everyone, I’ve been quite stressed the last few days and feeling overwhelmed and a bit blue as a result. Lots of anxiety-provoking things happening right now. It was a special holiday weekend and I went for dinner at my parents place 2 nights in a row (to help eat leftovers on the second night) and found I was struggling to eat much at all on the first night due to the stress and anxiety. Bit better on the second night though. Lots of good food though with many different types of veg and salmon. My dad came over today and we put weatherstripping around my kitchen door and then picked all the remaining apples and pears off my trees as we are expecting frost in the next week or so. I’m tired of eating the apples so I gave most of them to my dad to take for juice, and then I went and helped him pick over 200lbs off his apple trees. They will all be made into juice on Thursday. So lots of hard work continuing.

Oh, and one other positive thing that happened today was that one of my new neighbours came by to say hi and welcome to the neighbourhood and she gave me a dozen eggs from her own chickens! So nice to get a BSD friendly gift! They will come in handy for some quick meals over the next week.

Thanks for the post Wendy and wow that is some list, great to see and like you I hope some that we havent heard from in a long time pop back in some day.

Congratulations V on the anniversary, thats inspirational. My OH and I just reached 10 years married (19 years together come christmas) and that feels like an achievement – he is a very tolerant man!! We have observed, in our rather sizable immediate family there are not many who havent been divorced….. both sets of parents and new partners, his sister, my late sister….. its a reflection of the times and we are proud to have ridden the storms and come out stronger…..and we are no where near 51years so go you and many congratulations!! Also for being awesome with this way of life…… I just love the mindset I get from coming in here!

Mifoz – dont worry about festive eating just yet…… get closer to it and you will surprise yourself with where your preferences are. Good meat and veggies will always appeal and we can help with ‘treats’ of the right sort if you need it, but relax until then, see how you feel, one day at a time. Enjoy Newcastle walkies….its a lovely city!

Arcticfox – feel for you, anxiety is difficult and I have bouts of feeling blue as well, but chin up and look for the positives, its all we can do. The apples sound amazing, not ideal BSD food but great of nature to be so generous, glad you have found a home for them….though i’d be wanting to have a bash at making cider….. or i suppose apple cider vinegar which is at least super good for you. LOL. Not that i actually make anything more complicated than a crumble with anything i pick…… bramble season here – might need to go extreme brambiling again, oh i did once make bramble gin….def not BSD frinedly!!

Butterlover – i feel ya – carb addiction is difficult and turning all the knowledge in to action is difficult. Please dont beat yourself up over it though – blame the carbs not you, they do things to your body and there is a physical, hormonal, bacterial reason for your cravings, persevere and do the best you can. I’m fighting the same battle.

I’m conscious of having said it before and still struggled to be fully on the waggon, but im in for a rigorous 800 phase for the next 8-10 weeks. I’m been working away, good days and less good days, occasional disaster but pretty much on the 16:8 and med style though calories too high. Odd snaxident involving oats and raisins which needs to be stopped, but no real progress being made. So here we go, ive had 2 good days and I fully intend to keep adding to that total. Even got a plan for Saturday ‘family meal’ to stop me going a bit wayward which is easy to do. Here’s to a good week, plenty of water and veggies and a positive frame of mind – I know this works, I know I am at my happiest when i am eating right and nailing it and living without the guilt associated with eating has to be worth it! I’m sure I have plenty other things to beat myself up over….. !!
Oh and daily meditation – really must commit to making time for that!!

🙂
I know

Hi everyone, thanks Wendy for the weekly check in. Verano, did I miss your results somewhere. Obviously they were good. Told you so. Keep the faith. I’m still up and down but still here and not giving up.

Verano, found your results on the Positive thread. Congrats, well done and keep on keeping on. Just realised I havent had a poo for 2 days so maybe I am doing better than I thought with a small blip. 🙂 🙂

HI everyone
On my second week and was doing well, had no sugar caving’s until now. Been ill and now on antibiotics for the next 7 days and I would kill for some thing sweet. Any ideas please?

Thanks Mifoz and happy anniversary to you too.
Thanks Julz believe me I have no idea how we got to 51! I guess once you get past a certain point it gets easier.
Thanks S-g I really can’t believe how good my results were because while I always stay lowish carb I suffer from calorie creep! Anyway, it has given me a bit of a lift because I really expected my HbA1c to have escalated but I obviously haven’t reached my ‘set point‘ yet ….. must be awfully high! Glad your blip seems to have a cause.
Hello to everyone. I’m going to do my best to post more often this week. Despite the ongoing situation I must admit I don’t feel low. In fact we have been thinking about taking a holiday but to be honest I’m not sure I fancy a holiday with all the restrictions, especially face coverings. So, think we will wait, but just knowing ‘we can’ seems to be enough to lift my spirits.
Hope day 1 of the new week had been a good one for you.

Still keeping going with it, not really been majorly hungry yet.
Got a lot of stress with a legal probate battle just starting.

Bought a small frying pan and using small bowls and plates now to downsize meals. Sometimes think having bigger things to fill pushes you to do so.

Definitely enjoying low carb but without the intense worry of staying in ketosis all the time.
Breathing seems to be getting better the more careful I am.
Have stopped carbonated drinks (even water) until my weight is down as think that bloats and overwhelms me.
Used to like diet soda a lot but that’s out.

Always think it’s fascinating trying to work out what weight will be perfect for me but no way of telling.
I know realistically my end goal will require around 100lbs of fat loss so a long slog.
Have got a blood test machine to see what my sugars are out of interest next few days.

Enjoying the odd glass of red wine for the first time in my life, was a beer man previously really.
My heritage is Maltese so finding the Med diet a natural fit.
Trying to stick to real food but will have a shake sometimes too.
Good to see the NHS is running with the 800 calorie approach at last, could change a lot.
Feels great to at least be trying to improve things. It’ll all be worth it.

Hi V,
Congratulations on your anniversary and results.

It still hits me sometimes about how this WoE becomes a WoL. – I had a rough week in the last week and while in the shops I did look at cakes and swiss rolls with an eye for thinking about comfort eating. – It sort of shocked me thinking about the size of one of the swiss rolls and that I used to manage to consume one as a “treat” with the sunday newspaper on a weekly basis and now I couldn’t face eating that amount.

It was a shock as well to realise that comfort eating didn’t appeal.

Sorry to hear you are feeling stressed ArticFox. it can be hard with the wave of feelings of looking forward to the big life change of taking on a run down rural property and then sitting there in the middle of the to do jobs. – I have recently found the workaway system. The option of exchanging accommodation and meals for help on the property. – As I have to have the holiday let closed I have taken in a few workaways for the winter and am getting a number of jobs done around the farm. – I am finding it a bit stressful after years of having my own cocoon, I am sharing space with not only other people, but people who are nurotypicals and strangers. But am getting there.

Thanks JGwen. It really is weird sometimes when you see old ‘comfort’ foods and realise they actually no longer appeal. Maybe that’s the point that we actually cross from WOE to WOL!
James a great idea. I cook too much and then if there isn’t enough for a whole portion which I could freeze, we tend to eat the ‘extra’ ….. smaller pans would obviously be the way to go!
James …. blood glucose monitoring…. this can be really tricky depending on what you have eaten, when you test etc. and can be way out. May I suggest you ask your GP for an HbA1c if you are concerned that you may have/ be prone to T2. You seem to have taken one exceptional step towards a low carb life ….. switching ‘liquid bread’ for red wine. Enjoy the journey.

Hi Everyone,

James, you are doing all the right things. Let us know how you go.
“I had my first alcoholic drink in 5 weeks last night. A small glass of wine to celebrate our no 3 son’s new job. He has been unemployed since COVID hit.
I’m 7.7 k (17lb) down and I’m at week 5 day 3. That’s with one day off visiting friends. I thought I had done well but got home and worked out I’d had about 1800 cals. We all have to live in the real world. We’re celebrating the birthday of our middle grandaughter on Sunday and I will have a sliver of cake but I’m able to plan ahead which is great.
I am loving the recipe book, too. We’ve had other meals but keep going back to it. We’ve loved them all and can serve them to visitors. We give them a larger portion.
We have settled into this way of eating and for anyone just starting out keep going. I’m feeling so good. The scales are moving very slowly downward but so much else has changed,too. I’m a bit lightheaded sometimes but work around this. I walk 6k every day and do strength training 3 x a week. I am going to bed earlier but sleeping through. One of my biggest problems was waking up in the middle of the night, not being able to get back to sleep and then snacking. Hunks of cheese mainly. I used to feel so bloated going to bed and I think that kept me from sleeping comfortably.
I wore a pair of shorts yesterday I’d bought ages ago and never worn. I can fit into them now. I had a thigh gap. Yay. I’m now just over 89k. 6 more kilo and I’ll be the lightest I’ve been for 20 yrs. A couple of kilos after that and I will go from being obese to overweight.
We have a son and his family in Tasmania. We are in Sydney, Australia and some of our state borders are closed still. If they open the border to NSW my aim is to surprise them with a visit in February and hope to be a healthy weight. I was 70 k when no 2 son was a baby back in 83 so our boys don’t remember me being thin.

Keep up the good work everyone.

I’m a little confused by who wrote what but CONGRATS to that young person who finally got a job after the long Covid draught. That must be a burden and an anxiety eliminated for an entire family! I hope he’ll thrive in it.

This is the day I weigh. Last week I had gained a pound after a couple days of some out of control eating. But today I’m happy to say I was down 5 pounds. I’m sure that happened over a couple weeks but however it was I’m glad to see it. STILL can’t see any change in my body though. I’ve been taking a full on pic of my body and a full length profile every week since I started about this time in August. Except that I’m down a jeans size, I can’t see any change. I’ve lost 20 pounds so I just don’t understand it.

Wishing you all the best in your efforts!

Rainey – if you are down a size in jeans and 20lbs there will for sure be a visible difference…..I’m voting for you just being too close to see it, and well frankly, that realisation that “just” 20lbs loss does not a super model make……! I have to keep reminding myself how far ive come and what ive lost because at the end of the day, I am still just me, I still have wobbly bits and bits i want changes, I still “feel fat” and I still beat myself up about it…… but I AM healthier than i was and I SM slimmer – down a jeans size and comfortable in that size which i have never been!

Rioccoh – you sound like you are doing amazingly!! Impressed with all the exercise, something I’m struggling to get back to…..well I say that….its only been a week since i did a gym class and I have been active in that time…..just not as regularly as in May and June – boooo the winder dark evenings!! I think the change to your sleep is a massive tell, our bodies really appreciate some rest time without processing food so i think it will be a reflection on your WOE. And congrats to your son for finding work, difficult times.

I’ve been on plan, calories probs nearer 1000 than 800 but going in the right direction in terms of consistency. Struggle a bit in the evenings again, I think we might need to embrace going out walking in the cold and dark as a distraction tactic as I really just want to sit and snack. Fighting it. I did learnt this week that i really really love salad and it is the best thing for “satisfying” me. I made a chicken and veg curry on monday night, it was lovely but i just wanted something else…… couldnt work out what, then had some cucumber, tomato and a bit of cheese and I was sorted!
Oh and in terms of changes….my tastes have changed enormously! Main things – used to hate cucumber, now literally cant get enough of it! Black coffee is now totally enjoyable, I’m still keen on omelettes though not progressed to eggs in other ways yet, dark chocolate is amazing stuff where i was always a dairymilk or crunchie kinda gal, I enjoy nuts and seeds previously detested both…..oh and i dont really like red wine anymore – its too sweet!! Strange but good progress i would say. Sure there are other things too but those are what stands out.

Have a good day

Hi all, still keeping on. Not too worried about sticking around the 77kg mark as I am a long term loser so dont expect quick losses. These days it is just to get me slightly slimmer. A few weeks ago I was dithering around 78 and before that 79 so at least I am making progress.

Like Rainey I cant see any difference from when I went on this round 8 weeks ago but I did take photos and there is definitely some improvement – especially when I go back to photos 4 years ago. Other people notice more than I do but now I have been a lower weight for a few years and now only losing small amounts it is not so noticeable. Keep going Rainey you are doing great.

Must stop messing about at weekends so I can slip under the 77 into a 76 something. Even 76.9 would be great. Just need to get on with it.

One thing I will say about the not-being-able-to-see-it thing is it makes very clear why people aren’t falling all over me congratulating me on losing weight. If *I* can’t see it then there’s no reason on earth to expect them to and to be disappointed if they don’t.

Meanwhile, although I can’t see it, I can *definitely* feel it. I’ve lost a waddle in my walk. I can get up from an easy chair without using my hands and arms as leverage and I can do 90 minutes of genuine exercise a day (in separate increments) when I think I started at just 10 or 15.

I”m not complaining really. I’m just mystified.

Hi everyone.Checking in after a busy couple of days sorting appointments for hubby’s hearing device which he is presently testing. At last we can have sensible conversations 😉 He even asked me to turn the TV down last night …result !!!!

SamG67 I wouldn’t advise anything sweet if you really can try to resist as the cravings will ease the longer you hold out. I remember in the early days I used to make chia ‘jam’ with crushed red fruits/berries slightly warmed to which I added chia seeds to thicken.I used to have a spoonful with full fat Greek yoghurt. I bought frozen red fruit berries.

James I think you have the right attitude, accepting that thi will not be a quick fix but that it will enable you to have sustainable results as you set new habits in place. Your approach is spot on .

Hi Riccoh ! Great news on your son’s job..no mean feat these days. So glad that things are working well for you and you are feeling good. Hubby has a daughter in Tasmania too and my boys are in Oz so I understand about border restrictions. We can’t plan to visit any time yet but it would be lovely if you could surprise your son. That is a great motivation.

H Rainey !Don’t be discouraged ! You are definitely making a difference. To be honest I was about 2 stone down before anyone noticed and I certainly didn’t realise my body was changing until one day I looked in the mirror and got bit of a shock as I didn’t quite recognise what I saw. I still wore clothes which were too big. After being overweight for so many years I think it takes time to readjust to a different silhouette. 20 pounds is a substantial discard so there is absolutely no reason to be disillusioned .It will soon show . Do you take measurements too ? You have a good exercise regime going too …and you are adjusting to Fast 800 after a lengthy period of 5 :2 so… .it’s all good.

Julz , you are so hard on yourself ! YES , remember how far you have come. Stop beating yourself up ! We all have wobbly bits .I reckon my belly is here to stay but I can bend down without it getting in the way which is progress ! ;-).. Oh Julz..so pleased to find someone else who has a passion for lettuce..well salad ! I still yearn for that freshness even in the winter. I’m with you on the dark choc too 😉 I have to reign that in…

Articfox..we are always here when you feel a bit blue. You have a lot on your plate right now ( well in terms of the renovations I mean ) and it’s normal to feel a bit overwhelmed. Go easy on yourself.

Mifoz,I’m confused ! I though you were in Australia too …but then you mentioned Newcastle . So it that Newcastle in NSW ?? So with fewer restrictions on family gatheringsthan in the UK …As Julz says, don’t worry about the festive foods. There are lots of delicious low carb celebratory dishes .

Butterlover, as always ..just keep going. If you recognise bread is a trigger than maybe just concentrate on cutting that out for a week so you can begin to tackle the carb addiction. It really is an insiduous thing but you can gradually regain control and as you say ‘The challenge remains in turning all the knowledge to action. »
You can do it Butterlover !

Hi V, JGwen and SG ! You are always the voices of reason on the thread. Noone is shouting from the rooftops about the massive weekly amounts they are discarding but as you all say it is about the long term changes, to health, to cracking the addictions and to feeling better. We all have our own rythms, constraints, stresses etc but what matters is that we all keep going, never giving up whatever the perceived disappointments. We are looking after ourselves while facing tremendous challenges…We should be proud of ourselves .

RE Not being able to see it, —– its really surprising where our bodies manage to loose weight from. I managed to get face changes, collar bones started to emerge, and drop a shoe size before my body started to make inroads into the blubber on my waist and hips.

I have seen my body go through a pattern, I get dimples and gradually the dimples get bigger until they are almost like invisible thumbs pressing into my skin, then suddenly the dimples disappear and thats an inch drop.

With my waist for example, I started to see a crease at the two sides, and gradually that crease got deeper and deeper until it was a hollow. So while my inches didn’t change, there were areas with a gap under the tape measure.

Hi again, yes Wendy Newcastle NSW just north of Sydney. I think the only similarity is the coal mines because we are a bright and sunny place most of the year 😆

I think I’m having a “slow week” this week. Weight staying the same, BUT I am feeling so much lighter in myself if that makes sense. We have been walking to the coffee shop and back early in the morning and husband has noticed that I’m a lot brisker than I was when we started. I even had the greyhound worn out this morning 😆 also the shortness of breath I used to get even while bustling about the house seems to have gone away. Yay! As for the scales and the measuring tape, I’ve just been reminding myself that it’s the numbers in the blood tests that count most, so I’m motivated to keep at it.

Hope everyone has a good weekend. Go the Wallabies in the Bledisloe Cup 😂 if we win (unlikely), you will all hear me yelling from everywhere in the world, I’m a bit of a rugby tragic.

Hi Everyone, thanks for your support.Im feeling good about my progress .Not a lot of discarded on the scales but I’m increasing my portion control and focusing on getting below 50 gms of carbs.the more I research, the more that I realise that I need to be very strict with carbs and fasting .Currently not eating breakfast and have been reducing night snacks.I have had hunger problems which I’m treating with nuts,so I’m above 800cals but my mood is good and my clothes feel looser.making progress .Best wishes to everyone in lockdown.Try to stay positive.

Hi everyone. Talking about differences in our bodies or things we can do after being on the plan. I remember at the start I had a mozzie bite on my ring finger and it started to swell. My rings were tight anyway due to weight. Anyway, I took them off to treat the bite and then realised I couldnt get them back on – again due to weight. It took me about 6 months of weight loss before I got them back on. Then there was the gentle competition between me and another member (still here but wont mention names) I couldnt paint my toenails and she couldnt reach to fasten her shoes – I think it was something like that. Well we are both more than capable of reaching our feet now. And so much healthier regarding diabetes problems.

Still hovering at 77 kg but determined to be 76.8 by Monday. Hubby cooking tonight and is doing fish and chips – WHAT. I have taken out some leftover mince, some kidney beans to mix in and will have some sort of veg. How dare he. In fairness he loves his fish and is deprived as I am not keen although if I can get a nice piece of cod at a reasonable price… I would have unbattered fish and some veg but that would be such a small meal as the fish is nearly all batter. I am happy with leftovers. Have a good weekend everyone. Hoping to win the lottery and go on a fabulous holiday to – oh, cant go anywhere. Just shows how unimportant money is (unless you are a poor soul who has lost their job or half income etc.)

Just a note for S-G. I read an article about research into T2 diabetes (by it appears very solid institutions). It is a very small study so far, but involves passing a small balloon via endoscopy, introducing hot water (to 90 c) which affects some cells in duodenum, then body starts producing its own insulin. The studies were triggered by observations of patients undergoing gastric by-pass, when it was the slight damage to food pipe as a by product to the procedure which seemed to trigger reversal of T2 insulin dependency. Anyway, thought you and others might be interested.

hi everyone,

help! I’ve gone quite a bit off plan this week and consequently have not lost anything, and may even be starting to gain….

It’s probably because I have sunk into a depression (I have bipolar)- I have sought medical help, and am trying to do things I know help my mood, like exercise, and fresh air,

Anyhow…..all tips welcome! I still don’t really have a firm plan now either, as I don’t really want to do 800 cals every day now, being within a stone of my initial goal weight, having already lost over 2 stone- would the 5:2 be a good idea, as I feel a bit directionless just following a med style diet and keeping calories low-ish…well that is what I am supposed to be doing but keep getting distracted by cake and chocolate so something is not working for me!

Love to all,
Clare x

or- would it be a good idea to do another stint of the 800 per day I wonder? It’s been a while and maybe my body needs a kick start….?!

Hi Tulip, sorry you are going through a rough spell, eating well can only help you though.
What I would do, is eat all the foods which are on plan, record all you eat so you know the calories and it keeps you honest, but maybe aim for higher calories, maybe 1200. You could even do say 1500 calories a day and 2 days at 800. Focus on all the good foods you can have, and eat when you are hungry, try not to even look at or dwell on the chocolate and cake which you know wont help you.
Remember how far you have come, 2 stone is amazing, remember how you got here and how you can cope without the chocolate. But most of all, be kind to yourself. give yourself a hug, take a deep breath. IF you are going to be distracted by food….let it be carb free luxuries – add some cream or some cheese, very dark chocolate if you can keep it under control.

I know it can be hard, I sometime have ‘sad days’ where I just feel a bit gloomy and I sometimes ‘blame’ it on not being able to eat freely – but i know that all the food in the world wouldnt actually make me feel any less gloomy, and trust me i have tried and nothing fills the void that i think is there…..try to treat yourself well and have a wee treat in other ways – I have gone with recommendations on here adn a hot bubble bath with a magazine and a cold fizzy water is lovely….I feel far better for that than if i have cake!

Take care
Julz
xx

Julz,
Thank you so much- that is incredibly helpful advice,
Clare xxx

Hi Tulip.

I am sorry to hear you are struggling.

I don’t have bipolar to deal with personally,. However, having been eating this way for some years now, I have found that during the periods where I am really fed up with feeling restricted on eating plans focusing on keeping carbs very low and not counting calories is the solution for me. If you keep carbs low enough to keep your insulin levels low you don’t get into the cycles of craving meals because your body can’t access your fat stores, and don’t cause a rapid regrowth of the bad gut bacteria which feed on sugar and can signal to your brain that you should feed them. Its also more likely that your hormone systems will work so that eating desires will match energy burnt.

The other thing maybe to spend some time focusing on your WHY. Don’t focus on the reading on the scale, focus on activities or other reasons why you want to improve your body condition. I know I say this over and over, but staying low carb is about so much more than the reading on the scales. Its about allowing your body to heal, to improve body condition, enabling us to live a full and active life. For me turning my attention to the 99.9% of the time each day I am not standing on a scale in a drafty bathroom is so much more inspiring than the minute a day looking a reading on a dial that no one else sees.

Sound advice and tips from JGwen and Julz there. Definitely staying low carb would be my recommendation too, Tulip .An increase in calories is fine as long as those calories do not come from sugar laden snacky stuff, cakes, biscuits etc as they will not make you feel good. Think avocados, olive oil , healthy fats. You don’t have far go to target, Tulip/Clare but there is a danger that as you get closer , complacency creeps in and then gain is a risk…. Resisting the carbs /sugar will enable you to maintain as you will have cracked the carb addiction .If you feel low the temptation to reach for cake will be higher but it will set off an infernal cycle.
Sending you a big hug, Clare. Remember how far you have come , that incredible 2 stone achievement . Stay with us xxx

JGwen…just watching the news and the announcements of the Welsh lockdown. I hope you can prepare without too much hassle. Does that mean you can’ t have helpers on the farm ?
The situation is far fom reassuring in France too but no talk of ‘circuit break ‘ lockdown as yet although the major cities are severely restricted. Starting to hear of friends of family members testing positive ….stay safe folks.

I will be back later to set up the new thread xx

thank you all so much- I’ve been really good so far today, on plan- the rest of my life feels like it is falling apart- I broke down at work this morning and have been sent home…..so, I have some work to do to recover, but eating well will help, you are absutely right….

love to all xxxxx

Hi everyone, first of all – Tulip, do you have anyone with you for support. It is so hard for everyone at this time, I know I keep getting very down but know I am not clinically depressed as I have been there and know the difference. I see you are getting medical help and hope that is working for you. Don’t fret over the damn calories, just eat well and healthily. As others have said, stay away from the starchy carbs but dont put yourself under pressure to lose weight or be super good on the plan. Are you able to get out for walks so you have some fresh air and can look at the beauty of nature. One thing I used to do when I was in a severe depression was watch old re-runs of some of my favourtie comedies Dinner Ladies, The Vicar of Dibley, Ab Fab and so on. Laughter can really help. I know this is probably of not much help but you know there are people here who care.

I am still blibing around the 77 kg mark so the sober bit of October doesnt really make any difference. Although my BG is super low. I usually reduce my insulin as the BG goes down and keep it around a steady level but not doing that as I want it to go lower, as long as it is within safe levels. What is the point of reducing the insulin when my BG then rises and I am always at the same numbers. I want to be under 6.0 on my next HbA1c in December. Enough about the diabetic things.

My daughter has fallen off the plan with too many take-aways and trips to the local pub for a cheap meal. Only because they are waiting for everything to shut down (they are in Solihull so Tier 2) so they seem to be making up for what they might miss. Not done her any good as the medical she was losing weight for turned up high cholesterol. I think in the UK the top of normal is 5.0 and she was 5.3. Not dangerously high but needs action. We have yet to have a chat about it. She has decided to set a new goal for Christmas, and this is why I am writing about her, so have I. We seem to do better when we are both cheering each other on. I want to lose 9.5 lbs. Strange amount but that will take me to 11st 7lbs. There are 9.5 weeks to Christmas so 1 lb per week, not too much to ask.

I must start writing a weekly menu plan again. I am living off the same plan each week – Monday a mince dish, Tuesday whatever hubby decides on (within reason) Wednesday a left overs omelette, Thursday something with chicken or meat depending on what I found in the supermarket, Friday we try to have fish. Anyway it is pretty much the same things each week, all within plan but a bit ad hoc. I need some specific recipes and try different meals even if it is with the same products. Will go through the recipe books tomorrow and put something together before we shop.

Been rabbiting on for a bit so I will go now. Have a good week everyone.

Tulip I can only reiterate the great advice you have had from Julz, JGwen, sunshine-girl and Wendy. Carb creep really can throw us all off track so eating low carb foods but not counting calories certainly sounds like the right way to go to me too. Please try not to be too hard on yourself.
S-g glad to hear your BG is super low …. great news. Just wanted to say, know you were a nurse, but in the UK cholesterol high used to be 5.2 but then it was reduced to 4.5 and I think it may even be 4.2 now. Just wanted to say my last cholesterol test a few weeks ago showed an increase from 4.2 to 5.3! But ….. my HDL has gone up and my LDL down and my ratio was 2. Excellent results but just looking at the bald figure of 5.3 didn’t tell the true picture. Maybe your daughter should ask for a breakdown.
Well, this has been a pretty awful week for me. Eaten carbs I wouldn’t normally eat, eaten too much if the good stuff weight went up by 2lbs and was feeling really annoyed with myself and very down.
Not one to be beaten I sat myself down and gave myself a really good talking too. So I am delighted to say I have my mojo back! I have pencilled in a trip we have planned for next July, frightened to write it in ink, may be testing fate! I have written a main meal plan for the week, never ever done that before usually just decide on the day what we fancy.
Anyway, to cut a very long story short I’ve ended this week exactly where I started so no great harm done. Next week will be better …. I promise thus to myself!
Hope everyone has had a good week however you measure.
JGwen sorry to hear about your lockdown just hope it works.

aww thanks everybody- you know what tho, even if nothing else is going well- maybe this is one thing that IS in my control, so I am going to give it a really good go!

100% with the fresh air- went for a field-y walk this afternoon (after watching 3 Grey’s anatomy’s)…and yes, comedy is great- my fave is Fr Ted 🤣……

xxxxx

Verano, the results came as HDL 1.2 LDL 3.1 Total 5.3 with 3 orange flags and a note saying top of range is 5.0. This wasnt done by NHS but was a private insurance company medical. I don’t have a clue about the UK but in France the top lesser than mark is at 5.0. My last test was 4.1 so I am okay even if it was lower. BTW I have never nursed in UK but qualified in Australia and only worked in the UK for a short time as an auxillary while they checked my qualifications. I had just had my daughter and there were no creche facilities covering night shifts back then so I had to give it up.

I am about to set up the new thread everyone….

Hi Wendy, thanks for asking about the effect of lockdown.

I am really fortunate, being in a rural area of Wales life really is not that different in lockdown to not. – I need to plan ahead to buy anything like screws that I will need for the next few weeks before friday. But I have the space of my own land, and all of the local forest and mountain to explore and don”t tend to spend too many evenings in the village pub. We have to wear a mask when going out food shopping so thats no different.

Infection rates are quite low in our area. There was an email from the local council last friday. One town has levels high enough to have put them into the local restrictions level for the last few weeks, but rates are very low in the rest of our county.

There were some plans for some craft events on in the village and they will have to be cancelled, as people can not meet up with other households indoors or out.

People are allowed to travel for work, so the workawayers are fine to stay. They haven’t announced the support yet, but it looks like financially I will be better off in lockdown than in the half measures that in the Covid normal arrangements. With the limits of 6 people staying in holiday lets its not financially viable for me to take bookings for the bunkhouse, but because I could there is no financial support. There will be support because we are being told to close.

Hi sixturkeys
I missed your post. I’m a bit of a research fiend so I might try to track that article down. Thanks for posting it.
Jennie xx

Sunshine-girl sorry to hear about your daughter’s orange flags but hopefully she will be able to get the numbers down. Good to hear how low your cholesterol is though.
See you on the ‘new weekly’ thread.