Hi everyone .Sunny is away in Turkey and will check in when she can .I am going away with hubby for a few days until Sunday. Staying in France , a couple of hours drive from here so I will take my computer and stay in touch as best I can.
This time feels a bit critical. Let’s stay focused and determined . It’s still a very unsettled time but we can just look out for ourselves and our loved ones and do our utmost to stay healthy xxx
I hope you will join me again for this week
Wendy x

It would be so lovely if some more of the lovely people on this list decided to pop in again
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

Hi Everyone – I lost 3lbs this week – my first back on the diet after my 2-week break. That’s a lot less than usual on a week 1 because I had a ‘day-off’ yesterday as I wasn’t feeling well, and put on a couple of extra pounds as a result. Feeling fine today and back on it! Best of all I had no carb-flu this week – the first week 1 have had without it which was a huge relief, and perhaps testament to my body gradually getting used to going on to and off of carbs. On Friday and Saturday I did runs without any issues at all which seems quite odd while being on a low carb diet – great though.

Can I add a huge thank you to everyone on here for keeping this thread going. There’s no doubt in my mind that coming on here and posting each week is keeping me focused and on track.

It’s also great to see how everyone else is doing and share experiences with everyone.

Keep focused this week!

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Progress log:
Cycle 1:
Weeks 1-4: Lost 12.5lb starting at 800 cals per day for the first week and then 1150 cals after that as I was struggling on 800. Regular runs – 5 days a week. Horrendous ‘carb flu’ for the first week and terrible running that turned into walks and got a little more back to normal by the end of the stint.
Weeks 5-7: 3-week break – gained 4.5 lbs eating normally
Total loss: 8lbs

Cycle 2:
Weeks 8-10: Lost 9.5lbs. 1150 cals per day low carb. Again horrible ‘carb-flu’ and terrible running throughout, but kept it up 5 days a week. I did have 2 days off during this 3-week period.
Weeks 11 and 12: Gained 5.5lbs during a 2-week break eating normally. Did not eat in between meals.
Total loss: 12lbs (extra 4lbs lost this cycle)

Cycle 3:
Week 13 (this week): 3lbs lost (total loss = 15lbs). 1150 cals per day. No carb-flu – hooray!

Hi there, my name is Nick, and my wife and I live in Thailand. I am a 66 year old male who has steadily put on weight over the last 12 years or so, and I take medication for high Blood Pressure (BP), Statin and Aspirin. In August I had a medical checkup, the doctor told me, amongst other things, that I was pretty much pre-diabetic (101 mg/). On the strength of that and seeing the 1st episode of “Lose a stone in a month”, with hearing too about the problems that having so much belly fat can bring, and what having a fatty liver can do to you, and how being obese can drastically reduce ones chances of surviving Covid-19, I decided that I must take action! I am well pleased with my progress so far, and so is my wife who has done so much to encourage and support me.
I started the 800 Calorie a day diet on
17th August at 118.6kgs, with a medicated BP 136/77
1st week I lost 6 kgs, = 112.6 kgs (BP 107/69)
2nd week I lost 2 kgs, = 110.6 kgs (BP 114/76)
3rd week I lost 2.3 kgs = 108.3 kgs (BP 116/64)
4th week I lost 2.5 kgs = 105.8 kgs (BP 105/66)
On Thursday 10th September I visited my Cardiologist to report my weight loss and concomitant drop in BP (101/66), he immediately halved my BP medication and opined that within in another month or less that I would be off both BP medication and Statins too.
On Saturday 12th September I tested my Fasting Blood Sugar, it was 88 mg/dl. So, as a result of this diet within the space of less than four weeks, I have lost 10.3 kgs in weight, my BP has been lowered considerably , my medication has been halved, and my Fasting Blood Sugar is normal.

Hi Everyone, I’ve been off plan this week.I took care of my grandson overnight waking up for 2 night feeds left me exhausted.then helping my daughter move house .cleaning up the new house and the old place .Driving for an hour to load my car ,help to move plants and small stuff.Im very tired and aching muscles.Ive been eating rubbish fast food .Im surprised I didn’t gain but no discard.
Hi Nick I’m impressed with your progress. Well done .Ive been to Thailand a few times and I find the food quite sweet.My hubby is from Singapore and I find it hard to not eat rice and noodles when we are in Asia.

Yes, you’re quite right, sugar is just about added to every dish here, even spicy salads. Indeed, a lot of shelve products here like salad cream and mayonnaise are far, far sweeter than they are in the UK, it just reflects the sweet tooth that Thai people have. So I follow a mantra here when I order at a restaurant, in addition to the already “Not so spicy please!” I know add, “Please! No sugar!” As you will have suspected I am steering clear of both rice and noodles while dieting.

Amazing results Nick.

A huge well done and congratulations.

Seeing Nick’s results. I realise that seeing everyone’s results week by week I don’t know how people are doing overall which would be really interesting to know.

Would you mind sharing:
– How long you’ve been dieting or on a low-carb approach
– What progress you’ve made weight-wise
– What progress you’ve made in other ways (e.g. blood pressure/blood sugar)

And if you’ve got the time (but don’t worry if you haven’t).
– What are your goals and why
– What’s your biggest challenge in doing this?

So to start things off my stats are in the post above.
My goal is to get to 11st 13lbs (after allowing a couple of weeks of eating carbs) and stay there long term. That would get me out of the ‘overweight category’ that I’m now in, and be my lowest weight since 2002 and well within the normal BMI range. My reason – I just want to be healthy. My mum died last year and I saw that, at the end, it was the combination of a range of factors that meant she couldn’t cope and the doctors couldn’t help her so my goal is to keep healthy and to avoid the issues she had later in life.

My biggest challenge on the diet is keeping on any diet more than about 3 weeks (my motivation drops) (which is why you’ll notice I’ve resulted to doing it in ‘cycles’. Low-carb is also terrible for my running which I do 4-5 times a week. I also get terrible carb-flu when starting (it really does feel like having the flu for anyone that doesn’t get it).

But an even bigger challenge will come when I reach my target weight. When I eat carbs I have an insatiable desire to eat more. It’s hard to describe. Even when I’m not hungry anymore, I still want more. As a result, I’ve become a yo-yo dieter and feel like keeping my weight down is the biggest challenge I have in life.

Hi all,
@nick – really inspiring to see your progress. Well done and keep it up!
@jeremy – congratulations on not getting the carb-flue this time. Seems like you are enhancing your metabolic flexibility with can only be a good thing. I shall try to put together some statistics over my journey so far too.
I had a really good week last week – up until Sunday, when I went overboard with carbs. My teenage daughters have a new weekend job delivering freshly baked bread and breakfast buns from a local bakery on Sunday morning. Means I have to help out in getting these from the bakery and I also help them pack them up before delivery. Was impossible to resist, so I had bread for breakfast for the first time in a loooong time and then there was no stopping me. Had more carbs the rest of the day, resulting in me feeling very bloated, constipated etc on Monday. It also really brought on an avalanche of hunger that I haven’t felt in a long time. Last night I couldn’t sleep as was so hungry, had to get up and get some full fat yoghurt in the end. To me it shows that bread is a really dangerous thing for me, and that even after more than 8 months eating low carb it is easy to slip up. I take a mental note of the consequences of eating the bread to arm me for coming Sundays…
So my journey so far:
My approach is to not count calories. The reason for this is that I want to learn to eat healthy in a natural way, not always counting and weighing my food. I’ve done this in previous diets and when I stop counting/weighing I also fall off the waggon. So, I’m focusing on keeping my carb intake as low as I can (not strict keto – more like low carb) and to regulate my portion size and listen to my body’s response. Admittedly this is not the fastest way to lose weight – but I hope that it will give me new sustainable habits for the rest of my life.
After the first couple of months, I started to add time restricted eating (TRE). I had already been quite strict on 3 meals a day only since the start – with minimal snacking (as that is a habit I want to ditch), and I started to extend the overnight fasting window with delaying breakfast. I now do 16:8 or 18:6 most days (with skipping breakfast if I do 18:6) and also the occasional 23:1 with one meal a day (OMAD). Am aspiring to do longer fasts but not there mentally yet. Big fan of Dr Jason Fung.
My data looks like this:
Starting weight Jan 1st: 92 kg
Jan: – 5.5 kg to 86.5 kg
Feb: – 2 kg to 84.5 kg
Mar: – 2 kg to 82.5 kg
Apr: – 2 kg to 80.5 kg
May: – 2 kg to 78.5 kg
Jun: – 1.5 kg to 77 kg
Jul/Aug +/- 0 still at 77 kg
Sept (so far) – 1 kg to 76 kg
I’ve also lost 15 cm around my waist, 13 cm from my hips, 4 cm off each arm, 9 cm off each thigh.
My aim is to get down to 67 kg – to put me on the safe side on healthy BMI with some wiggle room. Realistically, this will probably be in first quarter next year.
Medically, I’m not a diabetic, so have not been monitoring BS. I have significantly reduced inflammation and bad hip ache during this time, partly due to the low carb diet, partly to the lost weight taking pressure off the joints but also due to a slow increase of exercise to a level where I now work our with weights a couple of times a week. I have a fit-bit so I keep an eye on my resting pulse and that has been reduced dramatically. I’ve always been a low pulse person with resting pulse around 60, but now it is around 50 and frequently down to 45-50 during the night. I’ve seen this before when cutting carbs (and alcohol) so no surprise. I also link this to better sleep.
Would love to read other peoples progress stories if you would like to share.

Hello everyone
I’m on day 2, second round. I did the first 12 weeks at the beginning of lockdown and lost 2 Stone. Then a (rather long) break for holiday and it has been a bit tricky getting back into the swing of things. I have realised that I am a bit all or nothing, so all it is. Another 8 weeks and I should be just about where I want to be, but one week at a time. Fingers crossed for a good week for everyone!

Hi everyone, just back from the doctors. Everything is great and I have lost 1.5 kg since I was last on his scales, so he was pleased with that. He puts a lot of emphasis on weight but it was him giving me insulin that put my weight on. I actually weighed 65 kg on my very first visit and he said I was 5 kg overweight. Then came the diabetes and insulin injections and 15 kg gain and never actually lost it again.
For Jeremy, I have been on plan for 4 years++ weight progress is continually hampered by insulin injections but have managed to lose around 10 kg in the first 2 rounds. Over the next 3 years I regained 4 kg so right now I am 6 kg lighter than when I started. My main concern is controlling my diabetes which I am doing very well. Reduced insulin from 40 u, to 26 u – reduced glycazide from 90 mg to 60 mg. Totally got rid of statins (from 40 mg) but decided to take a mini dose of 10 mg every other day as I am at risk of stroke and heart disease – but it is my choice. I still take a low dose BP tablet and today my BP was 115/80. My goal is to stay well living with diabetes although I dont think I will ever manage to stop the insulin, that would be a dream but I am used to the nightly injections. Would like to be back to 65 kg (that would be a 12 kg loss). Setting small goals is the best I can do right now. As I have been on this for so long I don’t get big losses any more. Maybe Jeremy has it right by having breaks but I cant do that because of my health.
Challenges are holidays when I lose weight and then regain it over a holiday only to have to start again. Another challenge (on holiday) was daughter not catering for me and saying – for gods sake mother just eat it, it won’t kill you – only it will. She has now discovered this diet, lost 12.5 lbs in 3 weeks and cooks all the things I have been telling her about for 4 years. No holidays planned right now so Covid is a bit of a mixed blessing as far as my weight goes.
I am going out for a meal tomorrow lunchtime and will reset my next goals on Thursday. Straight back on plan, no waiting until the weekend is finished.
Thats me.

Forgot to report that daughters partners daughter (phew!!) had a negative Covid test. Now daughters ex-husbands new partners daughter (phew!!! again) has symptoms so this still impacts on daughter and the rest of the extended / blended family. My grandsons were with their step sister at the weekend. This is going to be a running theme in many families as kids are always sniffing and coughing. This too will pass.

Hi everyone,
I’m back online as my internet was connected yesterday afternoon. I’ve been spending my first few days getting people out for estimates for all the work that needs doing. Had a roofer out yesterday and today was fencing, tomorrow is windows and the carpenter will be coming out later this week. Also got booked in for an MRI on Friday that my neurologist ordered and I thought I would have to go 2 towns away, but actually it turns out I can go to the nearest hospital so that was a pleasant surprise. Only took 3 weeks which is quite fast, and it will be nice to get it over with.
I went completely off track in the last week that I was staying with my family as my mum is such a carb pusher and she wouldn’t stop baking. I really am a carb addict because I could only hold out for so long before caving. So I’m happy to be back in charge of my own meals now. I don’t know how much weight I gained, but the waistband of my jeans is definitely tighter than before I moved out of my flat. I’m hoping that all the extra activity that I’m doing now will pay off, along with eating sensibly again. I made a broccoli and feta frittata last night and managed to get some other local veg for the rest of the week. I just finished weeding one of the raised beds in the garden (it took me all yesterday and half of today) and discovered it is planted almost fully in strawberries. I also have 2 apple trees, 1 plum and 1 pear tree, so I should be fully set for BSD friendly fruit. I started some fall veggies in module trays a couple of weeks ago as well – rocket, spinach, endive, lettuce, etc.

Hi Everyone,
Back to posting again after a busy few weeks. After a couple of false starts I am back and determined. W1D3. 30k to lose.
Does anyone else have a large bust? I’m hoping to lose weight from my bust as my shoulders and neck ache constantly. What is your experience? I have read about varying outcomes. People lose weight in different places.
I have just started using the Fast 800 cookbook. Wow. The recipes are great. I’m about to make a batch the mushroom soup. I am making extra each time I cook and freezing it in portions.
My husband is with me on this for the first time so that will be a big help.
Have a great day😊

Hello, I’m totally new to this. I’m 42, Mum to three small children and really determined to reach a healthy BMI. Ive tried literally every diet going and am quite good at losing weight, terrible at keeping it off. I’m really hoping this could be a lifestyle change. I’ve just started week 3 of the fast800 and lost 6 pounds the first week and 3 in the second. Is it normal to lose fewer pounds the second week? I am also feeling really, really tired as keep waking up at 5am! Any hints or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much everybody xxxx

Hello people……
Happyseaswimmer – welcome, you are doing great and your weightloss sounds as close “normal” as anything – everyone is different, you will discard in your own way in your own time, but a bigger drop in week one is normal. Keep going, you will be rewaeds, you will see the light and realise this is a lifestyle change and it is very empowering.

Riccoh – having your husband on board will help massively. I have certainly dropped a bra size…..to be fair though more the round-the-way size than the bust part but still……I’m now a rather obscene 34F…. not sure thats helping! LOL. I suffer a lot of shoulder pain too, my osteo said its bust plus desk job…..add to that horses and sport and there is a lot of force pulling them forward and down. Look at posture, especially if sitting for long periods keeping your shoulders up, back and relaxed, and look at how you sleep – i now sleep flat on my back like a corpse with just 1 pillow. Keeps me better aligned.

Arcticfox – sounds amazing, so pleased for you. Instant garden envy….really need to get back inot the growing of things and prepare for next year now i guess!

Well yesterday, just before work went a bit mental, i was ready to post all happy and determined having had a good week….. I did a long fast from Wednesday night last week through to Saturday lunchtime, very interesting and felt good for it. Then had a bust productive sober weekend and nailed monday. Yesterday was going fine until i got delayed going to pick up my lunch and ended up with a 10 minute window to eat my salmon salad……I think the anxiety his produced and the grumpiness from not having time to enjoy it pushed some buttons because when i got back from my meeting i pretty much jumped clean off the wagon…. I mean, not just off the wagon but i think i ran in circles round the wagon giving it obscene gestures and basically ate everything i could get my hands on and kept it up all evening. Needless to say I am now quite fed up of myself – i knew fine it was an “emotional event” and that nothing would satisfy me but i just went looking for answers…..oatcakes, butternutsquash chips, naked bars, dark chocolate, 2 yogurts and 2 oat biscuits….. So……. damage limitation now required…… planning a good ‘normal’ day for me today – omelette or shake for lunch and salad for dinner. Black coffee til then. I’m going to do one meal a day tomorrow and friday in the hope the scales forgive me on saturday!
I wont beat myself up over this, I am not a bad human because i ate some biscuits, but i do need to keep working on learning about my relationship with food and what it is that drives these episodes. I know it doesnt make me happy and I know it is stress related. I havent had a week off work since christmas, just a few days here and there, and being a health and safety professional Covid has been a challenge, I think i need a break, but its difficult to plan as husband is in a fairly new job so our usual week at the start of october probably isnt a go for him which means me taking the week off while he works from home – odd. I was supposed to go back to Norway for work but have said i dont want to go, I’d love to travel and see a good friend in England but I’m not sure i should….. ok, feel better for off loading, thank you! New day, new focus and some problem solving to do.
But at the end of the day, I KNOW this way of eating works and it works for me, it has helped me in so many ways other than just discarding weight but there are still issues lurking in the shaddows.

Like Arcticfox and I Jeremy said – I am a carb addict and “When I eat carbs I have an insatiable desire to eat more” – and it is mindless and does not fill m y world with job. Sometimes i feel “hard done too” for example, we havent had pizza since valentines day…… well not the take away version which we used to treat ourselves too and some how yesterday that sort of thing made me feel ‘sad’…… I dont know why. I actually blame marketing, media and culture that tells us that eating this stuff is “normal” and “ok”…. it really isnt, especially for an overweight carb addict, but it is pushed on us all the time. Olive – your bread story totally resonates with me, I have been thinking about crusty baguette with butter, maybe some cheese or jam…… in those “hard done to” moments…. I ahvent had any since April anyway, of not before, and i just know it would be a very dangerous slippery slope….. I am telling myself that i may allow some at christmas, if i want to then, which i think i may not as acutally day to day, going without is no problem at all, its the “threat” of “never again” or “its been so long” that makes me struggle.

Gosh the mind is a complex place – i often tell people they do not want to be inside my overthinking head and quite right, what a messy place it is!! But thats what makes me me and to be honest, working it out and learning about myself is as rewarding as the lifestyle change, more energy, and weigh discard…….

Well sorry for waffling on on a wednesday morning. Thank you for being at the other side of a screen somewhere and being a place for me to reflect.
Julz
🙂

Morning
I did post in the other week thread, and realised you had started a new week. I have lost 6lbs this past week so am chuffed.
Its weds morning and i’ve woke with a full head and headache. This throws me and am drawn to all naughty foods …
I am at the hosp this afternoon for consultation re my carpal tunnel syndrome, so hope that goes ok.
Hope youre having fun Wendy and enjoying good weather as we are here.

1969smp – naughty food will make it worse…..honest. Get lots of fluid in to you thats most likely to help.
Good luck with the carpal tunnel consult – I’ve had both hands operated on, and i remember how awful it was before that, you ahve my sympathy!!

Happyseaswimmer – In the first week you lose a lot of water. It’s not ‘real’ weight loss I’m afraid and will go straight back on (as water gain) when you stop low-carb. I’d bank on about 2lbs of that first week being fat loss. And expect to put 4lbs back on the day you eat lots of carbs. It’s normal and NOT fat gain.

3lbs a week in week 2 is good. Probably all of that is fat loss.

And low energy is perfectly normal at this stage. Personally I feel ‘unwell’ in the first week – it’s what they call carb-flu and start to feel better from about day 9. You’ll start feeling better as your body adjusts to burning fat rather than carbs.

Thank you windy J i am encouraged to keep going…as for hosp, they adding me to list but who knows when that will be lol

Hi all, been out for my meal and really enjoyed it. It was not too bad with a vegetable salad starter, magret de canard with several vegetable and crushed potatoes which I didnt eat then a dessert of something that was supposed to be in the fashion of peach melba which to me is peach, cream or ice cream with a raspberry coulis and flaked nuts. This was nothing like, it was peaches in jelly with a blackberry mousse, cream, blackberry sorbet and some nuts. Much too rich so left most of it. Two glasses of wine and that was it. So not too naughty. No carbs unless you count the wine. Will look at my numbers tomorrow and set a new goal.

Thank you for your replies. Do you guys generally eat carbs as part of your 800 calories or not really? I’ve been having a pitta bread for lunch during the second week, maybe that’s something I should try and change. I’m not eating anything after 6pm until 8 the next day and that might be why I’m waking early. Also do you count every calorie or do a bit of guessing? Thanks so much again for your friendly replies! X

That sounds like a really nice meal out, sunshine-girl! I think it’s important to treat oneself now and then, in a sensible way.

I’m doing ok! Also had a planned exception from diet on Saturday, when I had pastry and broke the 800 calorie limit. Apart from that, this is day 14 of 16:8 and 800 for me. Before that I had three days of 14:10.

I’ve already done a couple of rounds of the 800 fast and even reached a normal BMI, but after this summer I needed to get back on track and decided to do 800 for 14 days.

Results: I have lost 3 kg and 3 cm around my waist since my re-start on Aug 31. As I wasn’t over-weight at the start this time I’m happy with these results. Tomorrow I’ll switch to 5:2 and hopefully continue with slower weight loss. My goal is to get a little more wriggle room before I give maintenance another go.

Happyseaswimmer – me… Low carb – definitely no bread. Mostly meat, diary, nuts and salad. I do weigh some things, but when it’s harder I estimate. I suspect I’m pretty close to my daily target in total.

Hello. I’m new here. Just read the book and wow.
In July my 49yo overweight body type ‘fat controller’ was told he should be tested for diabetes. We put that off a month and hit the books hard, I’m 45 and yo-yo dieted all my life. Atkins works for me but when nobody else is joining in it’s lonely and temptations abound. (Three kids two with autism and food denial issues)
We decided to try south beach, low carb (which I’m used to) but low fat too (which I’m not)
In two months we’ve both lost over 20lbs but the blood test showed his numbers were over the threshold for the diagnosis so he’s officially diabetic. We are hoping we can reverse that, his mother has just been Dx too so we are all embarking on this together.

Differences between low carbing and Mediterranean diet, grains and some fruits are allowed? GI is not a new concept to me but I hate to weigh anything. Hoping we can move from south beach to 8wBSD nice and easily but can’t commit to 800 calories because adore mentioned aversion to weighing/counting.

Hubs works out on building sites all day so what are your best tips for lunches and snacks he can make and take?

Thank you in advance.

Hi Jeremy, I don’t mind answering your questions, some times thinking about the answer to questions spurs you on to think about issues.

Would you mind sharing:
– How long you’ve been dieting or on a low-carb approach
Dieting most of my life, at least since teenage years, so that s more than 40 years, but always calorie counting and gradually living or less and less calories. – I started low carb October 2017? I had a health problem which meant I was on antibiotics for 7 weeks. I bought the gut health book by Dr MM and it was better value to buy a second book on Amazon to take the value of goods over £20 than pay for postage so I bought the BSD book based on the promise of rapid weight loss. – Will have to check when I set up my profile on the forum, I started a few weeks before I joined the forum.

– What progress you’ve made weight-wise
The last time I weigh it was 44.6 kilos, which in old money is 98.121 lbs or just over 7 stone. Prior to starting on the BSD I had spent years in pain from a mismanaged recovery from a broken ankle. a lack of physio meant that I was still in constant pain unable to walk on uneven ground or stand/walk on level ground for more than 30 minutes without high pain levels. I was so miserable with my quality of life and I was eating my misery with a high carb diet and over eating cakes, chocolate, as well as bread with every meal.

– What progress you’ve made in other ways (e.g. blood pressure/blood sugar)
Far more importantly for me is that I am fit and healthy enough to live life to the full, spending the day doing physical activities that I enjoy. – I have taken great pleasure this week in wiping the floor with a self opinionated man half my age when it comes to work. – I will share this story on the positives thread.

And if you’ve got the time (but don’t worry if you haven’t).
– What are your goals and why
I would love to get down another couple of stone. I am down to the size that I have traditionally been most of my adult life, one of the experiences I would really like to have is to spend time in different countries on horse riding experiences. Many of these centers have a weight limit of 14 stone, and I would like to get under that limit. However, that is the only reason I care about what the reading on the scales is. – My target dress size (a 16, because with my frame that;s carrying no surplus fat) and my target fitness levels (being able to compete at equestrian endurance events) are much more important to me than a figure on the scale.

– What’s your biggest challenge in doing this?
Thanks to my fathers genes I have broad shoulders and a big frame. – For me having bones that are not going to be so fragile that I worry when I get older ab out falling and the risk of fracture, and having the muscles to be able to do work around the farm all day is really satisfying. – I know from body scans that I do not have fat around my organs, but I do have fat under my skin. I am sure that if I could discard the fat under my skin (and the loose skin that generates) I would be within my target weight , but that’s a weight I have never been in my adult life. I have only just reached the point of silencing my carb monster, who was nagging me to eat carbs whenever it saw them, I am still Insulin Resistant, and I need to heal that before its even going to be possible to get down on weight.

I don’t weigh myself at present, my bathroom scales need a new battery and I have not fitted one. – Fit of clothes, and ability to work is much more important to me than the reading on a scale that no one else will see. – I know from reading the articles on Dr Fungs website that its not unusual for people to discard inches and at the same time either not have any change on the scales or even increase weight. – I don’t want to get caught up in the cycle of being fixated on a reading on a machine in my bathroom that no one will ever see. If my body composition is right, and my weight is not below the weight limit for the riding holidays I want to take, then I need to look for a different riding experience.

Hi Everyone, JGwen your stats are amazing – 44+ kilos lost.
Had a lovely low carb meal out yesterday and a couple of glasses of wine with a result of a 0.4 kg gain. That will be gone by tomorrow as I am straight back on plan. Not much else to say, sun is shining – 34 degrees in September!!!! Going for a swim soon. Have a good rest of the week and I am facing the weekend with determination. My new goal for 2 weeks is 5 lbs.

Hi everyone ! Well I have finally got a decent WIFI signal in this gite in Bergerac after spending 3 nights in a lovely guesthouse just outside Sarlat.I think it has finally hit home that I am retired ! Today was spent driving through beautiful countryside and visiting charming villages ( Issigeac and Monpazier if you know them sunshine girl ??) Love the markets and stocked up on produce as we are self catering here. I have also enjoyed swimming SG…and as you say we have been incredibly lucky with the temperatures so far .
Tomorrow we go to discover Bergerac …
Enough of my travels ! I have just managed to catch up with the posts and I will answer Jeremy to begin with …

Would you mind sharing:
– How long you’ve been dieting or on a low-carb approach… I have been “dieting” as far back as I can remember …food, comfort eating and in particular sugar has been a constant battle for me. Nothing worked or nothing that I could sustain. Low self esteem as a result of constantly failing, restarting etc etc

– What progress you’ve made weight-wise…30 kilos (5 stone) down from when I started in September 2018 but most of that came off in the first year. I logged every week in my now battered note book. Went from dress size 22 to wearing jeans size 12 ( if some stretch) or size 14. I can actually go into a shop and find something that fits !!!

– What progress you’ve made in other ways (e.g. blood pressure/blood sugar) . I never had a problem with blood sugar or BP according to my medical checks but reckon I was well on the way to being diabetic.I have had other health issues and a much needed hip replacement in 2017 was a massive relief. I take no medication whatsoever . I am not a gym bunny or a runner. Only an exercise bike ( relegated to a lonely place under the stairs ) , regular aquagym, pilates and yoga. Walking should be more frequent now I have finished work.

– What are your goals and why…. To convince everyone this is a sustainable way of eating 😉 Personal goals….to maybe lose another stone but discard is much slower now and I have found a sort of peace…

– What’s your biggest challenge in doing this?
To be aware that after a life time of struggling with my weight that over eating can still be a problem.I have to watch my consumption of nuts, dairy and dark choc.I can over eat healthy foods so portion control is a challenge.

I am totally convinced that to be free of the carb monsters I had to give up carbs once and for all. So I NEVER eat bread, wheat, grains, pasta ,rice or starchy veg . I can’t do the moderation thing and I honestly don’t miss those types of foods so they are not ‘treats’ for me. I don’t drink because I am fearful of headaches ( memories of menopausal misery !!) and so don’t bother.
I am no longer a calorie and carb counter but my foo choices are set in stone and I will not be drawn to eat the copious guest house breakfasts ( croissants, cake ,bread, umpteen varieties of jam) I had eggs, some ham; cheese and yoghurt. I can adjust to eating out ( pretty rare) but found an intersting place in Sarlat and had a big salad with dried magret and then sea bass with veg instead of the pancake thing it came with. I am not a paragon of virtue.I just now what I want, like and what does me good.

So Happyseaswimmer my advice would be to drastically reduce those carbs for sure . Definitely as you start out I would say log everything ( use an app or whatever tool is easiest for you )

Before I end up this post , just want to say it really is worthwile to keep going , keep questioning your relationship with food.It doesn’t have magical powers, you can regain control. Julz you did so well with that extended fast and you most definitely are not a bad human being !! You seem to have a handle on what is happening with the stress and emotional eating .Have you got time in your busy schedule to do some reading ? ( I have recommended Zoe Harcombe in the past ) Carb addiction is real and I sense too that as long as you feel ‘ hard done by’ because you can’t eat bread, pizza etc, they wll remain desirable and ultimately irresistible. …
That always makes me think of what the legendary Esnecca used to say………………this is an old post of hers

Hiya Mel, old timers on this forum will know exactly what I’m about to say because it’s a bit of a refrain of mine, but I can’t help myself. All kinds of foods are pleasurable. Why should sweets, pasta or bread be given a privileged status over smoked salmon or a spinach salad with a tangy blue cheese dressing or deviled eggs with kimchi or a filet mignon with green beans almondine? There’s nothing inherent in cake that makes it “better” than anything else flavor-wise, and its main ingredients are the direct cause of a global pandemic of diabesity so it is very distinctly WORSE by any other possible metric.
Embracing this way of life is so much more mental than anything else. I truly believe that thinking wistfully about certain foods as if they were this wonderful glittering gold treasure instead of a destructive force that puts your body under incalculable stress is one of the biggest obstacles to achieving your health and weight loss goals. You’ve been extremely successful already with time restricted eating. You attacked it head-on and look how quickly one meal a day has become easy for you. A few years ago I’m sure you would have blanched at the thought of not eating three squares plus snacks. Do not underestimate yourself. Do not flinch. Do not avoid. Get out your kitchen scales, weigh, measure and count. Find out what you’re really eating and discard the elements that are too high in carbs. You can do it.

I will be back tomorrow to ‘chat’ to the newcomers to the thread. A massive welcome to
Stephen J
Fattystar
1960smp
Nhatha 3432 (Nick)
Happyseaswimmer
TJ

Wendy x

Wow! Thanks so much for all your support everyone. It’s so great to hear all your advice and recommendations. I have been logging today as suggested on MFP and I was definitely choosing carb heavy foods so will aim to make adjustments to that from now on. I definitely feel deprived if I can’t eat carbs of some sort and I crave chocolate so badly. I’m going to log everything again tomorrow and see how I get on with that. I really want to be able to do this and not go back to my old habits. I feel so much better and more in control when I am making healthy choices. X

Craving chocolate is a hard one. I used to get jumbo chocolate buttons (uk like a coin of chocolate) and keep in the fridge, about 1g carbs each. Let it melt on the tongue. You get the kick of chocolate but not the sugar rush.
Obviously if you’re dieting for diabetes check the sugars effect on your blood. But it worked for me.

Wendy you are about 20km away from me. Hope you are enjoying Bergerac. There are 2 really good restaurants in the centre – L’Imparfait (a play on words meaning old fashioned values in a modern way – French sense of humour) and Le Vin’Quatre (another play on words but it is the 4 Wines). Then their is the Bistro de Malfourat which you can see from Bergerac if you look for the big water tower on the hill. Anyway, whatever you do, enjoy.

Thank you _TJ_ I will give that a go! Not dieting for diabetes just trying to find something that works for me. Something I can stick to and maintain. I already feel empowered by being able to be more in control of what I eat. A few weeks ago I couldn’t have imagined I could not eat from 6pm until 8 the next day so each small thing I achieve keeps me going. (Plus all you guys) x

Wendy – you are my hero!! I will go look into Zoe Harcombe.

Have a lovely day y’all. I’m upbeat – heres hoping i can maintain that feeling into the evening! Made a point of meditating last night and this morning – mental clarity win!!

Hello all, good to my word I have lost the 0.4 kg I put on so 1.36 kg to go for my 2 week goal, or in old money 3 lbs. First time we have had overcast weather and now just hoping for some rain, it has been about 3 month with just a couple of brief storms. Our grass is like scorched earth. Have a good weekend and keep on keeping on…

Well done Sunshine-girl! Great work. Do you do TRE as well as 800 calories a day? Xx

Hi happyseaswimmer – I am a happy pool girl. No I never do TRE. I am diabetic and I need a small BSD friendly snack before bed and after I have done my blood test in the morning I need to eat breakfast fairly quickly. Also, for the same reason, I never fast.

Hi everyone . We had a lovely mooch around Bergerac, SG. Went to Lidl and Grand Frais and a nice bio shop so it felt like home from home ! Yes, we spotted those restaurants which indeed looked very nice but we opted for some swordfish and steak for hubby plus veggies which we will cook in the gite. It’s raining right now so am catching up on emails etc. SG ,tomorrow we are going to the market at Sainte Foy La Grande.Is that anywhere near you ?
I’m with you on the chocolate TJ.I cannot buy anything less than 90% cacao or I can scoff the bar. I even like 100% !
Glad you are having a good day Julz !
You have made a good start Happyseaswimmer ! It’s good to keep questioning and testing.
How is everyone doing ?

Hi Wendy, we are 5 mins from Ste Foy, 7 km. Wouldn’t it be nice to meet for a coffee. Can understand you opting for a homemade treat rather than a restaurant, keeps you on plan. Look for signposts to Le Fleix. Enjoy the rest of your visit.
Edited to say, where is our rain. We have had a bit of a drizzle but nothing much.

Oooh SG that’s great ! Are you planning on going to the market at Sainte Foy ? Where would suit you for a coffee?
If you prefer we can continue this conversation on my mobile so as not to clog up the thread ?
My number is 06!48:71,3ù7$66. I have included the stupid symbols to deter any weird pshing…
We certainly did get a bit of rain here ,nothing spectacular though.

Wendy, will give you a ring in about an hour. Just serving out dinner 🙂 🙂

Hi everyone, I’m feeling rather down today. I had my MRI this morning and had to step on the scales. I hadn’t weighed myself in ages because I packed up my scales weeks ago and haven’t yet unpacked them. Unfortunately I am back up to 95kg. At least it explains why my jeans are so tight at the moment. The technician was quite catty to me too as she said I kept moving and it was ruining the images. I finally told her that the only moving I was doing was breathing and I couldn’t really stop doing that. Amazing how after I felt I had been not well treated my immediate reaction was that I should go find something ‘nice’ to eat. Luckily due to Covid I don’t eat outside the house.
I know stress has a big impact on my weight regardless of how well I eat, and it certainly has been stressful with the move. I’ve been working so hard around the property though, so I thought some of it might have come off. Also I’ve been back on TRE and 2MAD for the last week. I’m not sure I can do any full on fasting at the moment because I’m working so hard and get so hungry by the evening. I guess it is time to unpack the scales and get back to tracking everything because this whole freestyle way of eating does not seem to be working for me at all. I would love to be able to get to the point where I don’t have to count calories and track my weight every day, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
Sorry for being so down in the dumps. I’m sure I’ll bounce back at some point, but just not feeling it at the minute.

Hi arcticfox
Just wanted to pop on to say I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling so low. It sounds like you’ve had a really stressful and hectic time. I remember reading once that moving is one of the most stressful things people can do and it sounds like you’re now working really hard. You will bounce back – your mood and your tracking, weight loss etc – no doubt about it – but meanwhile maybe take things a bit more gently.
Big hug from me
Jennie xxx

Thanks for your comments WindyJulz.
I’m so thrilled this morning. Starting W1D7. I’ve stuck to 800 or less calories, TRE 14:8 and I’m down 4.35k. I know this loss will slow or stall at some stage but that’s fine.
I bough some Renpho scales from Amazon. They are smart scales, bluetooth and record all sorts of stats. They are not expensive and I don’t know how accurate they are but that doesn’t matter.
A tip. I cook double what I need if its a freezer friendly meal. They will be perfect on the days I am rushed or don’t feel like cooking. Many of the recipes in the Fast 800 cookbook can be frozen.
Take Care Everyone.

Arcticfox, I’m sorry that you’re feeling down.
Jennie is right that moving is very stressful. I totally get that you’re disappointed in your weight gain and that your hard work couldn’t stop it. However, I’m sure you’ll turn it around soon now when you are in full control of your diet again! It must have been hard when you stayed with family and had all those temptations.
From what you wrote earlier, your new home sounds amazing! Good luck with the renovations!

Well done, Riccoh!

Were you able to meet up, Wendy and Sunshine-girl? I hope you had a nice time!

See you all in the next weekly thread!

Hi everyone ! Back home after a lovely few days away in the Dordogne. It was a very relaxing break .Lots of pretty villages and markets to discover , brilliant weather and the opportunity to have a swim …and……YES SunnySideUp….Wendleg and SunshineGirl met in a café on a lovely market on Saturday !!!. I had sent a photo of myself and hubby so it wasn’t a totally random encounter 😉 and it was delightful . It really is wonderful to put a face to a name and be able to meet someone I have been ‘chatting’ to on this forum since 2018 !! Our respective hubbies got on very well too ! It is an absolute privilege to be part of a forum which in itself creates tight bonds but to actually meet likeminded people is an unexpected pleasure ! Really happy ! 🙂

Articfox this is a tough time and it was inevitable that as you were less in control of the preparation of food with your family you could not track all the time and that’s ok….don’t panic. You have been working so hard and it’s normal to feel tired.
I totally understand how someone being unkind to you can make you feel you need some form of comforting food …but that didn’t happen and you can celebrate that.
Accept that this is a stressful time and that it will have an effect on your discard . You are physically active and that in itself is a major victory given your serious accident.
You will get through this as work on your property progresses. Cut yourself some slack.You are not resorting to really unhealthy eating. You maybe need to set a bit of time aside for meal planning and prep but until that’s possible just do what you can.As Jennie and SunnySideUp have said you can go back to counting and tracking when the time is right. Be kind to yourself articfox and you know we are always here when you feel a bit down xx

Thanks so much for the kind words and cheerleading, Jennie, SunnySideUp and Wendy. My internet was down yesterday, so just checking back in now that it is up and running again. I am feeling a bit better about things now and trying to strategize to get back on track. I likely was being super hard on myself and feeling stressed because I’ve knocked my pelvis out of line again and that only really happens when I’m under stress. Of course it was precipitated by sowing a 50 foot (15m) row of winter veg all by myself in a 4 hour straight session yesterday. Physio exercises are helping though so hopefully it will come right soon. So glad I got the work done though because it rained overnight and that should help the germination. I have 1 more row to do but it will be for transplants so it can wait a bit and will be a bit easier. I have also ordered garlic which will be my commercial crop for next summer, but even though they shipped it on Friday, it won’t need to go in for several more weeks, and is also easier than sowing seeds.
My dad came over today with his ladder and we stripped the plum tree bare of fruit. I felt a bit bad because he is 79 and I had to let him do the high parts as my balance still isn’t quite what it should be. At least I’m not getting dizzy anymore when I put my head back, so big improvement over this time last year. We have to strip the trees once the fruit comes ripe as there are bears in the area and we don’t want to encourage them to come into the garden! I gave him over 5kg of plums to take home because his 2 trees did not do so well this year, and still had enough fruit to completely fill the drawers in my fridge. I will slice them and freeze them over the coming days so I will have lots for winter.
I was definitely in ketosis for a good part of the day today. I’ve decided to try OMAD, but to make it a more substantial meal than when I’m doing a 24hr fast that I break with just a normal meal. This way I hope to keep my insulin level low for most of the day but still get enough protein and nutrients to keep me going for working the farm. Felt pretty good today. If I don’t eat breakfast I find I can keep going by burning fat for quite some time. I think the need to eat is often more psychological because I clearly have enough fuel to keep me going for months. If I feel really hungry on a particular day I will allow myself to eat another meal, but today I was just fine, although it was a bit of an easier day physically. I had the savoury cheesecake from the recipe section for part of my meal today, which I have enjoyed in the past. This time I made it with roasted broccoli and cauliflower though and it was delicious. Lots left over for tomorrow as well!
Wendy and S-g – so glad you were able to meet in person. How nice to have a BSD friend so close by!

Hi team
Apologies for the radio silence. It’s been a funny week of on-off plan for me, but my OH is away for a few days so I have a good opportunity to get seriously back on track starting NOW!!-I haven’t budged weight wise for weeks now (all my own doing) but grateful not to have seen an increase
arcticfox-I agree with Jenny and SunnySU that moving is SO stressful-we moved frequently when our kids were small and we were renting-SO glad to be done with that!! I’ve been doing the antipodean version of your tasks….preparing and planting all the spring veggie beds-we’ve ha some glorious Spring weather (and some of the usual awful winds) so it’s been great to get into the garden

Wendy and SG-so lovely you got to meet up!
and Wendy-I had meant to respond to your (ages ago)comment on kookaburras here. They are not endemic to Tasmania and coming originally from NSW, I missed their hearty chuckles when we first moved down here. No one knows how they got into Tasmania, but they’re here to stay it seems (apparently they do compete with some native birds, but I don’t think it’s too bad an issue)

JGwen-thanks for sharing your story. AS a child, I always cursed my muscular calves (also from my dad) but I’m so grateful now that they can carry me up hill and down dale for days at a time if needs be….and I still have excellent balance so feel I can head into older age with confidence on that score!

I’ve started including flaxseed (linseed) daily as I read it can be very good for hypertension, but I also came by this on it’s use for weight loss https://nutritionfacts.org/video/benefits-of-flaxseed-meal-for-weight-loss/

See you all on the new thread

Thanks to everyone for sharing your progress stories. It’s been really good finding out about you all. There’s been some amazing progress made.

As this thread comes to the end – I’ll put one final call out to everyone that perhaps didn’t spot my post at the start of the thread where I asked if you’d mind sharing…

“Would you mind sharing:
– How long you’ve been dieting or on a low-carb approach
– What progress you’ve made weight-wise
– What progress you’ve made in other ways (e.g. blood pressure/blood sugar)

And if you’ve got the time (but don’t worry if you haven’t).
– What are your goals and why
– What’s your biggest challenge in doing this?”

Morning all – just checking in as my week 2 has finished. Its not been a bad week although my mood has been low for most of it for other reasons. However, have lost another 1.4 kg which is 3lbs – which I am happy with. Was hoping for 4lbs but your body does loses it as it wants! Hopefully this week, I will feel more upbeat – still feeling incredibly cold all the time – so even though it has been warm here – I’ve been pootling about in my husband’s big walking fleece – which is looking more and more ridiculous on me as I seem to be shrinking more in size than in weight! Hope everyone else has had a good week – I was planning to add fasting in this week but have an exam later so have had some breakfast. I’ll see if I want to add that later this week. 🙂

Jeremy, here’s a bit of my story…..

Would you mind sharing:
– How long you’ve been dieting or on a low-carb approach
I’d been toying with low carb probably from Oct 2018, but i didnt quite get it and i ate plenty of oats and a lot of fruit, I think i did 9
weeks in the run up to christmas that year. I discovered BSD / Fast 800 in April this year and did a good 10 weeks at the start….
– What progress you’ve made weight-wise
From 12st 10 to 11st 2….. would LOVE to see 10st something some day but I’ve been a bit stuck.
– What progress you’ve made in other ways (e.g. blood pressure/blood sugar)
I dont monitor BS or anything but there have been SO MANY other benefits……. I used to love a nap and have felt no need to nap at all since this WOE, I have more energy, I have a better relationship with myself, I have learned and am learning so much about my own psychology (so of which is very difficult but worth doing) I am fitter (I now run and dont hate every step. Only little 5ks, but still, and sorry Jeremy, I dont struggle with fatigue when running the same way as you seem to, but then my distances are modest), and I sleep well, other than often needing to pee – so much water drinking!! LOL

And if you’ve got the time (but don’t worry if you haven’t).
– What are your goals and why
Be healthy – my mum was obese most of her life, developed type 2 (lost weight, never took med, looked fabulous) and then suddenly died aged 67. I also said at the start of this i just wanted to be a “normal” size – I’ve always been the tubby one, always made my mates look small and slim and I just wanted to be normal. I now fit comfortably in a size 12 and that is a whole new thing for me – been a size 14 ever since i started wearing dress sizes I think….so aged 13? I also have a driver in that i ‘rescued’ a wee horse who really was too small for me, and I love him dearly and despite the fact i was never going to keep him (he was too small, I was too fat) he wants to stay and I now look ok on him….. but if i could drop a bit more he would be appreciative I’m sure!

– What’s your biggest challenge in doing this?”
My headspace – I seem to always be at war with myself, and finding some inner peace has been important. And when I have a day or 2 where I struggle I am very hard on myself. I think about food far too much of the time and realise I am a food addict and I need to wrestle that demon to get my head to the right place. In terms of actual struggles with the WOE rather than with myself…… I like a ‘pudding’ even an on plan one, but it becomes habit and takes calories and carbs up; I miss snacking, especially in the evening and especially crunchy salty snacks (god bless the cabbage leaf crisp) and I guess I struggled with keeping the calories low enough after the initial 12 weeks…… got a bit too lax, then felt “hard done to” for a while as husband can eat pretty much anything he likes and is pretty lean; watching other people eat cake / pizza is tough, I manage at the time then feel some kind of relief / release after and sneak off to find on plan to treat myself with and then over eat…. and situations where i have less control over what and when I eat are difficult, recognising my levels of food anxiety are high – struggled working in Norway for a week and struggled a little with a day in a field on Saturday where lunch and cake boxes were provided….knowing it is there and I shouldnt touch it is difficult – thankfully i had prepped adn had some good stuff with me….. made it all the way through until after dinner where I had a brownie from the cake box…… would never have missed it if it hadnt been there – I now know the right answer is “no thank you” when offered cake box, not “thanks i’ll take it home for my husband!”

Wow – thought provoking questions Jeremy – I only meant to post a quick reply….. seems i do like a self-reflective waffly post!