Well folks I sense there was a drop off in contributions last week. How is everyone ? This year has been difficult but there are still a little over 3 months left before we see the end of 2020. Let’s make them count .Don’t give up.
I am back from my break and will be checking in daily, hoping to see as many of you as possible . Sunny will check in as often as she can too.
All the very best everyone. However you are feeling, come and share xx
Wendy x

You know I have to do this …..and I am still worried about absent members.

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

I know this is a no judgment zone, but I still feel ashamed failing over and over. But here I am again, trying to restart.

ABSOLUTELY Amz !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No judgement here.
So happy to see you ! NO WAY are you failing….something is holding you back ….but no matter…you are here Amz. You are brave and resilient and you never give up . Don’t TRY to restart..just do it.You can ! Believe in yourself !
Pledge to check in with us daily so you can have some support with whatever challenges your day brings. We know it’s difficult and you struggle focusing on yourself and your needs but you are so worth it. I think you know what to do ..clear those cupboards of junk, plan ahead and get in the nutritious food that does you good. Just one day at a time.xx
Massive hugs Amz xx

Hi everyone,not sure if anyone has already mentioned this but MM and CB did a Mail+ hour long talk about Fast800 last week and I’ve just watched it on MM Twitter a/c link(which was on bottom right of forum page)It was interesting and they had 2 people on who have been having success following the plan which was good to see too.Food wise I could have had a better weekend but I’m back on track today.Hope everyone is having a good day.Dawn

Hi everyone, the last 3 weeks have been a massive fail for me…I went on holiday for a week, which was great and I actually didn’t do too badly with low carb (although daily calories overall were high). When we came back I’d put on 3 pounds…which I figured was mainly replenished glycogen and not too bad. Two days after we returned my health problems hit with a vengeance and I was incapacitated and in a lot of pain. Cooking and meal planning went out of the window. Several hospital trips has meant a very stressful few days. Thankfully, all is now well. Anyway, enough drama – I’m now trying to get myself back on track. I’m now 7lbs up from where I was and I’m desperate to start going back in the right direction. I’ve started re-reading the BSD book again. Although I don’t have blood sugar issues (yet), I have extensive health problems and a BMI of 40+ … so, definitely time to make some lasting changes. Annoyingly, I’d allowed myself a few carby treats whilst recovering, which has set off lots of cravings that hadn’t bothered me at all when I was eating low carb….lesson learned…it’s easier all round to keep away from processed carbs! Anyway, I’m going to see this week as an adjustment to pave the way back to how I was doing. Hope everyone is doing well and staying safe xx

I’m in too.
Thanks for the thread and shout out Wendy. Oh and massive thanks for the pointer toward Zoe Harcombe, busy reading “Why do you overeat? When all you want is to be slim” Proving very useful!!

Amz, you are here and honest, nothing to judge, got got this!

Thanks for the MM info Dawn, I have always found weekends tough! I seem to work through the week thinking Saturday night will be awesome food wise, usually its a bit of a let down so i feel a bit like i need to find something to satisfy the expectation = over eating and still not satisfied cos actually no food satisfies that itch!

Feel for you EllieAllegra, holidays are tough enough without being followed by illness! Be kind to yourself, and you really know that the best way to be kind is to eat well……and that ‘carby treats’ are so slippery (I’m exactly the same) and lead to feeling the need for more and more. Evil sugar!!

Had a pretty poor saturday, grazed on good stuff through the day (I was stuck on top of a hill cross-country jump judging for a good competition) I kept away from the sandwiches, crisps, chocolate and cake they provide helpers with, and I came home to roast beef cooked by hubby (darling man) and I enjoyed the beef and veggies……then caved and ate a brownie…… and a wee bit of ginger loaf! I really shouldnt have taken the box given to us home with me! Anyhoo…..back on track Sunday and Monday so here we go…..again! Booked in with Personal Trainer tomorrow evening which I’m quite excited about – first time since lockdown, trying not to be too apprehensive about going in to the gym, it will be very quiet and they have loads of controls in place…… and well, I wouldnt be surprised if we get locked down today I its all on hold….hmmm!

Have a good wee folks

Julz

Hi Dawn – Thanks from me too for the tip on MM and CB interview. I’ve brought it up on my computer and will watch today. Jennie xx

Just 1lb lost this week having lost track at the end of last week. I’ve extended my normal 3-weeks on to 4 to make up for it.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
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: 3lbs lost (total loss = 15lbs). 1150 cals per day. No carb-flu – hooray!
Week 14: (this week): 1lb lost (total loss = 16lbs). Lost track at the end of the week.

hello everyone – I’ll try and check-in every few days to keep up the motivation. Week 3 for me and yesterday was probably a little over calories as I had an exam and didn’t want to lose any concentration – as I find the afternoon the hardest and when I’m the hungriest waiting for my evening mail 🙁

Anyway – been to the gym this morning which felt hard – just having a spring clean of the study and kitchen as I’ve been busy over the weekend, and then baked salmon with some celeriac and salad for dinner.

I also have pilates tonight so will be falling asleep by 9pm!

Hope everyone else is keeping well!!

Still hanging in there. Same as last week so not likely to reach target but certainly not taking backward steps. Someone mentioned looking back and what you have achieved and so far as my health is concerned I have a lot to that myself and BSD for doing. I also dont weigh as much as I did 4 years ago and not even the same as 2 months ago. Every day is a new day so I will keep on keeping on…

Hi all,
I’m on a bit of a role during the last week. After a holiday/summer plateau during July and August (with stable weight), the scales and centimetres are now moving down again. Am down a kilo from last week. Last week I managed a 24 h fast, and yesterday until this morning I managed 36 hour fast. Really proud as it was my first. For me it feels like it is really kick-starting weight loss, and it’s also good for recalibrating the headspace.
My smallest pair of jeans are getting loose, but don’t want to buy anything new just yet. Am aiming to look like a bag-lady 🤣.
@arcticfox – I hope you are settling in at your new place. Sounds wonderful with all the gardening/growing. Just a little curious on where you are as you have bears in the vicinity? (you don’t need to answer).
@AMZ – lovely to see you here again! You know that you are always welcome!
@julz – have fun with your PT! I go about once a month to a PT and I can usually not walk in stairs the day after 😅.
@dawn, will try to get a hold of the MM and CB interview. Sounds good.
Has anyone seen the film “Fat Fiction”? Also sounds interesting.
Have a great week!

Hi everyone,Jennie,WindyJ and Olive the MM CB interview is definitely worth a watch,we probably already know most of what they are talking about but it’s always encouraging to hear again how beneficial this woe is🙂
I’ve read a lot about fasting on the forum since I started reading posts last year but have never tried it myself,I worry about getting migraines.However during my Countdown to Christmas I might try a weekly 24 hour one from Thur night to Fri night as I’m thinking this may help me be more careful over weekends after putting such effort in leading up to it if you know what I mean! I’m enjoying reading the posts on all of the forums today,hearing about how everyone is doing.Although we may do things slightly differently we all seem to be aiming for the same thing which is good health🙂 Dawn

Hi everyone,
Dawn, thanks for the tip about the MM and CB interview. I’m watching it now and definitely finding it motivating, especially when they are talking about this being a great time with Covid to get our weight down. I can’t believe that I have to get my waist down below 31.5 inches! I have had a waist that small twice as an adult, but I was extremely slim, once as a result of being starved while working on a farm and more healthily later on when I was doing a bootcamp and doing huge amounts of exercise. Honestly, I am just a very wide person overall, so measurements like this don’t seem to apply very well for me. I would like to get down to 33 inches or so as that would bring me to less than 1/2 my height.
I have been managing well on OMAD so far. Today was my 3rd day. I got caught out a bit this afternoon as I was out with my dad shopping for a new door frame (for the exit from the kitchen as the existing one is completely rotten and needs replacing before winter) and hand rails for my interior stairs and we were gone longer than expected and then stopped back at his house before he dropped me back home. I could have stayed for dinner, but the rest of the family were having spaghetti, so I said no thanks, I have some veggies that need using up and I’m going to cook myself a curry. So once I got home I did just that, but it did mean that I finished eating a bit later than I would have liked. I was going strong all day though and I’m finding that I don’t even have to be so careful with my salt and water intake anymore and I manage just fine. I think I’ve said it before, but my body seems to really like running off fat. My poor dad though is not fat adapted at all and he was very hungry at missing his afternoon tea and biscuits. He needed something to eat before dropping me back home.
Garden is going well. I already have radishes and rocket poking up so that makes it feel worthwhile in spite of putting my pelvis out. I was very lucky and managed to get a physio appointment for tomorrow morning though, so that should feel better soon. Garlic order arrived today – 8 different varieties to try! I ordered a brush cutter today that will be here in a week or so, so I can finally start tackling some of the weedy areas around the property. Definitely need to get well so I can work at building my strength up again. It is going to be a busy autumn!

Hi Dawn,
I’ve just watched the MM & CB interview too. It was good – thanks. It’s always nice to hear people’s success stories. I was thinking after watching the Lose a Stone programmes I must look at CB’s cookbook (I got the 8 week BSD diet recipe book but never looked at it – typical) and the interview’s reminded me so I’ve just found it. Next step – cook something from it! – Oh, and I liked her shoes.
Jennie xx

Hi everyone,I’m pleased people are managing to watch the MM and CB interview,it is inspiring and yes Jennie I liked CB’s shoes too,lovely shade of blue!I too can’t imagine my waist ever being 31.5 inches Articfox.I haven’t worn a belt on anything for as long as I can remember.Not sure I ever will as I don’t know whether my flabby tummy will ever really reduce after a caesarean and hysterectomy, my waist size may go down but I can’t imagine my tummy ever firming up though I would love to think it could!Pouring with rain here this morning but going to have a cosy day in as DD off school as she was feeling a bit rough yesterday and pretty much the same today.Just coldly really(a few of her friends are feeling the same)but we are keeping a close eye as her best friend’s brother tested positive for Covid last week.She doesn’t have to self isolate as hasn’t been in close contact with him but if her friend gets it then she will need to as she had been in close contact with her.Throughout the pandemic we haven’t really heard of many people we know having Covid or someone they know having it but this last week we’ve heard of quite a few,maybe it has something to do with the schools being back for a few weeks now.Going to do food plan for rest of the week today on MFP to try to be organised🙂Hope everyone has a good day.Dawn

Would someone mind posting the link to the interview please.

Hi Jeremy
Here it is
https://www.mailplus.co.uk/events/24289/watch-again-shape-up-britain-replay-our-exclusive-mail-live-event-with-dr-michael-mosley-and-dr-clare-bailey/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic_twitter
Jennie xx

Hi all, I’m new to the BSD (and to writing on forums actually but there we go). I had a baby 10 months ago and the though of being unhealthy for him is my motivation – I want to be the best I can be. I just have a couple of questions if anyone can help?

1. It sounds silly, but I always feel full! Which is obviously great because I dislike feeling hungry. Should I still have 3 meals a day or just eat when I’m hungry?

2. I’m only on day 3, how is everyone else’s plan going?

3. Coffee is OK right? Please be OK!

Thanks in advance, I’m really pleased I found this forum.

Reuby

Wow you ALWAYS feel full. What a dream!

If that’s the case I’d suggest you keep to 2 meals a day and limit food to an 8 hour window. This is known as time restricted eating and it’s very popular and effective. I find it too hard to do though so don’t do it myself.
https://thefast800.com/time-restricted-eating-weight-loss/

Coffee is fine. Best without milk as thats carbs, but a little won’t be the end of the world. Personally, I find caffiene very helpful when I’m dieting – it gives me a boost when I’m feeling a little low from not eating a lot.

Hi I started my 800 a day on 1st of September. I work in kg on my scales and 18th august (back from holiday) was at 93kg. Today I weigh 87kg. This is the first time in years I have not been hungry, not been bothered by no dessert, or sweets or booze.
I have managed to get into Jean’s that didnt get over my thighs in june. So feeling the win right now.
My question is how to sustain the euphoria!

Hi everyone, I’m back from physio and it was a good appointment. Haven’t had anyone other than family lay a hand on me since Covid began though, so it was a little odd feeling, but good by the end.
We’re having a showery afternoon here too, Dawn, so I am not going to do much outside today other than check on my seedlings later. I now live in a semi-arid place though so it doesn’t rain very much even when it does. The area I moved from is slated to get over 100mm of rain from this same storm system, so there is a lot to be grateful for. I did manage to get the kitchen doorframe scraped and sanded before the rain started, so som progress at least on that front.
Jennie, I don’t have any of the cookbooks, but I decided to try the omlete that they showed in the interview as my mum gave me 3 little jalepeno peppers that she grew. I was brave and left the seeds in and it is quite hot! Still edible but brought tears to my eyes.
Had the omlete along with some cottage cheese with cinnamon and apple for my one meal today. Ate it a bit earlier as I was quite hungry today for some reason.

Hello everyone!
Glad your physio went well Articfox. You are getting so much done around your new home and garden – must feel so rewarding to tick things off you list each evening (only to probably add 10 more things on to the list!)
Hi Zoelazer – keep the euphoria by coming here and reading/posting. ⭐ I find reading of everyone’s stories and positives keeps my WHY in my mind. (there have been chats about having a WHY that resonates with you as to why this way of eating is important – health, grandchildren, keeping active, travel etc) SO good that you are not hungry.
Hi Rueby – what a great start. You’ve got this. 🌞 I usually eat two meals a day as Jeremy mentions, as that what works best for me. And try to do 16:8 – but sometimes that is 14:10. Still gives my body a rest.
Lost of inspiration here this week – hi Amz, Jennie, Wendy, Windy, ADD – and Olive with the loose jeans 🌺🌻🌼🌷

I did on online gin tasting on Tuesday evening (Four Pillars), which lead to a couple of martinis 🍸🍸 A passing slip, but the good thing was that they didn’t lead to a snack attack. It was fun and there were folks online from all over. Something to break up the 13th week of stay-at-home. 👩👩

Hi everyone ! Crikey, this week is racing by !
Glad you are finding Zoe Harcombe useful, Julz .She does talk a lot of sense and speaks from personal experience.
I hope you are having a good week EllieAllegra ..and yes those processed carbs can only harm you . I hope your health issues become more manageable as you get back on track. We are always here to support when you need it.

Hope you have a good week too , Jeremy. I wonder how Kev and Mrs Kev are doing ?
Hi fattystar ! Good to see you and all the very best to you.
Great news on kickstarting the discard Olive ! Well done on managing that extened fast.I haven’t yet got back into my fasting routine since being away.
Dawn, a 24hour fast is a good way to start . Let us know how you get on.I used to do it regularly when I was working (easy when being out of the house all day ) but apparently doing OMAD every day is not recommended . I changed my eating times over the weekend. Yes, we definitely are aiming for good health, more important than ever now. We also heard of people testing COVID positive here too although we have not had direct contact with them. We are very cautious and will not be setting foot in Toulouse or any other cities around here any time soon.
Love hearing about the progress on your house and garden, articfox ! You are definitely going to be very busy.
Autumn has most definitely arrived here and we have had rain too which was much needed.
Hi Jennie ! Yes I must check out more recipes too. I just threw some fennel and courgettes into a pan today with fresh parley and it made a very smooth soup .
Hi Reuby19, welcome ! You are on the list now ! You did not mention your target …weight ? Health is definitely priority.I would definitely say only eat when you are hungry. I had the opposite problem of never feeling full because I grazed all day and never satisfiedmy hunger. I basically didn’t know what hunger felt like. I drink coffee , with a splash of cream if I fancy it, green tea and water. Just no sugar. I never eat breakfast so I would not eat before midday which is a natural pattern for me now.
Hi Zoelazer ! That’s a great start ! Yes, stay with us and check in as that will help you feel accountable.
Hi Merry ! Always good to see you ! I am sure your gin tasting was a great way to break up the monotony ! When will it end ?
How are you EC ? Amz ? Are you ok ? We haven’t heard much from Eclectic lately either  Bryla ?
Do we have to accept that Lily and Rosyapple are not coming back ? I hope not .Please come back !
There is still time to check in , folks.
Lots of love….stay positive. We can only manage what we can manage xx

So I went to Pt last night, first time since lockdown…..not sure how thats “ok” where having a know safe human into my home is “not ok” but i felt safe as it was very quite with lots of precautions in place. I have lost some muscle mass since i last went, to be expected as i have done very little weight or resistance training. But my weightloss was apparent and I got quizzed a bit on that. haha.
I’ve been in denial regarding scales so last night was the first I’ve acknowledged my weigh in a while, and its not disastrous but i certainly have been making very little progress…..which to be fair, i knew, I have to work very hard to see a discard and I have been inconsistent, with snack / pudding / “treat” creep happening. I THINK it has flipped a switch and somehow i feel better today. I have made some notes for weekly plans, set out all the options i CAN have so i can focus on that rather than the CANT haves!
This time of day is where I get a bit shaky…..and want snax…… but today I’m on it and just said to OH that he should go ahead and make popcorn if he wants it….it smells lovely but i have no real desire to eat it….this is way better than how i felt on Tuesday. No more wallowing and feeling sorry for myself….. I just have to hope i can keep this feeling as I SO want to get a good few weeks under my belt…… I haven’t managed more that about 5 days in a row in the past probably 6-8 weeks.

So I am posting here to remind myself, say it out loud and feel committed. Please stay here little brain switch!!

As an aside, I joined a facebook community for Fast800 (not gonna lie – I like it here much better – less preachy and I more faith in the advice and support here) but i signed up to a mentoring thing….. its lovely, I have a buddy who is a few weeks in and its nice to message her and chat, share my experience and wisdom (hahaha). It also helps me to cement the stuff i know i know and to feel a little more motivated and accountable. Just thought you all might find it interesting and amusing. I figure if i can encourage someone else to turn their life around then its a great thing.

Hope you are all having a good thursday.

Sad about Rosyapple and Lily…… would love to here from them, even if not on plan, support here is more than just WOE.

Arcticfox – love hearing about your updates….. but built quite a picture in my mind.

Zoelazer – great win!! Ride the euphoria and dont worry about loosing it until you loose it…..if indeed you do!! You got this!

Hi all, feeling a bit disheartened. Been sticking to the plan and gained. Just a little but Monday weight, Tuesday up 0.2 kg, then Wed another 0.1 kg and today another 0.1 kg. so a total of 0.4 in 3 days. No reason and I even thought the diet was kicking in again after a bit of a stuck week as I have been going to the toilet loads (peeing). Anyway, I always stick with it as I know there must be something going on that my body is sorting out. Also, don’t know if we can visit our family at Christmas with all the new rules. My daughter lives in Solihull so they are on a stricter lockdown but the rules say Rule of 6, but if there are 4 in her household (as there are) we can go visit and stay if we are part of her bubble. How do I get into her bubble, can we just go there. If her partners children visit there will then be 9 of us but are children under a certain age still included. So complicated, we are willing to isolate when we are there and so are they but dont know if we are allowed to go. Come on Boris give us some clarity – I have checked the regulations and I still dont understand them.
Anyway, even though it is raining and getting cooler here I am still swimming but certainly not for much longer. Can’t find info on our public baths as their website has not been updated since they moved. Might have to pop round there and have a little look. Nearly at the end of the week, even with the restrictions and not going out except for shopping, time is passing very quickly. Have a good rest of the week and enjoy your weekend.

I’m not in the UK but my husband works with these issues of keeping large groups healthy in a workplace environment.

Can different groups of your family spend some time safely entering the bubble? It’s all a matter of ensuring the negativity (virologically speaking) of new members of the group before they’re integrated. So if one group has more time at their disposal (AND the hosting family can accommodate them for a longer period) the first group could join the household in late Nov or early Dec and become part of the bubble. To do that, they need to be tested, found negative and isolate themselves until they’re in the host household. In the space of 2 weeks it would be clear if the integration was successfully made. Then a second group could follow in time for Christmas, getting tested as before.

Also, if there are campers/caravans available for travel and accommodations this simplifies staying isolated once found negative and the spacial needs of an enlarging group.

I’m not saying this is practical or likely for most extended families but it CAN be done safely if there is respect for the potential of contagion, enough time for visiting individuals to integrate and space in the target household.

Hi Rainey – not sure what you mean about a first group and a second group. It will be my daughter, her partner and 2 children, then we would like to join them, making 6 people (the children are early teens). There wouldnt be another group joining unless you are counting partners children who are 5, 7 and 9 and already part of their ‘bubble’. I guess this excludes us but would love some clarity. We are at risk so it would probably be better not to go.

Hi Sunshine-girl, you may remember that I run a self catering holiday let in the UK, in Wales not England, but I do know the ***** current rules.****** `I would like to highlight these are the current rules, they may change again before christmas.

At present in England up to 6 people can meet indoors. – The rule is in England all people of any age count in the group of 6. – You don’t have to be part of a bubble to meet up. Its 6 people at a time, so one day one group of 6 people could meet, another day, one of that group of 6 could meet up with 5 different people indoors. I believe that your daughters partners children can join them as one group even though it is more than 6 people because there are special exceptions for large families and to enable children to continue contact with both parents. However, in England while your daughters partners children are with them you can not be. –

I think it is relevant to let you know the situation with regard to staying in tourism businesses. I am sharing this for a reason. – If you hire a self catering holiday let the rules that apply in a domestic property also apply. However, if you have multiple holiday lets on one site, or a B&B which lets multiple bedrooms, or a hotel, the rule applies to each unit let. – So there is nothing to stop households who know each other booking holiday cottages on the same site at the same time, or rooms in the same B&B or hotel. – It is advised that the bookings should not all be made by one person, each booking should be made individually. But that option would enable you to be next door to your daughter and all her and her partners children, and you would have to mix and match on who was in which group of 6 at different times.
———————————
Scotland has just announced a change that no one from another household can meet up indoors. Initially they said that this rule did not apply to self catering businesses, but announced today that it does. However, children under 12 do not count in the rule of 6, and the work around of booking multiple units at the same site is allowed.

———————————–

Wales is different, children under the age of 11 do not count when counting numbers, there is the rule of 6 with a restriction that everyone has to be part of an extended household, but quite frankly, there is no system of recording who is in an extended household. I asked the staff in the department in the county council who police this rule how it works for tourism businesses as they don’t have the same rules in England, and was told as long as the guests certify that they are part of an extended household they can all stay together in a large holiday let. – So if you wanted for Christmas you could book a holiday let over the border in Wales which is large enough for you all to stay together including your daughters, partners, children.

But again, all of this is the current rules. – They tend to make an announcement and the rules change a couple of days later.

Hope that helps you think of possible solutions.

Thanks for your replies. I dont want to go on holiday with my daughter, I want to go and stay at her house over Christmas. JGwen the rules for Solihull are stricter than you quote as the Rule of 6 applies to people of the same household so even if they are only 4, no other person not part of that household (ignoring the 3 stepchildren) is allowed in the house. So none of this one person out another person in, they are not allowed anyone at all. Even if we were in a B&B down the street we still wouldn’t be able to even visit them. We are not intending to go for a holiday somewhere else – not many people go visit their daughter and stay somewhere else (or even book a holiday venue for everyone). We accept the situation and, as things stand, know we will not be visiting at Christmas. We are keeping our ferry crossing booking in place for as long as possible in case things change but we are not holding our breath.
Thanks for your concerns, they are appreciated. We will survive.

I just thought you might have extended family in separate households (groups), trying to meet up at a single residence for the holidays.

I hope you can work it out.

The virus is killing tragic numbers of people but, at the same time, people who practice responsible health protocols are avoiding it. My husband and I are both in high risk populations ourselves — over 70 with heart conditions, diabetes and asthma — and yet we get together safely with our daughter who’s an ICU nurse who has been treating the most seriously infected Covid patients on a constant basis since December. Just to draw a fine line, we’re all in Southern California which — thanks to the complete dereliction of Donald Trump — has been one of the hotspots for Covid since April or May. We’ve all stayed healthy by using masks and frequently washing out hands and surfaces we touch despite regular visits between our household and theirs.

Christmas is a long way away.
I’m sure the rules will all be different by then as they seem to change quite regularly depending on circumstance. I suspect we’ll all be locked down fully again by then as the cases are rising so quickly now.

Hi all
Wendy, I’m still here, and while I’ve been reading posts most days, I keep responding in my head, not on the page!!

So here goes!!
Merry M-you’re online gin tasting sounds like just the tonic (pun intended-even though they were martinis! 😉 ) in the Melbourne lockdown (which thanks to you good people is working…..thank goodness!!!)

SG We are also hoping to visit family (in Melb and country Vic) for Christmas, but trying to be realistic about the possibility of it not happening-we have another family milestone in March next year, so if we have to transfer the ferry tickets, that will be disappointing, but OK given the times!
Hello to Reuby19 and Zoelazer ….Reuby, I would be long gone from this WOE if coffee was not OK! 😉

Jeremy, in long-story-short to your query, my whys are to lose the weight (or at least most of it) that “joined me” around menopause and to hopefully manage my familial BP issues (BSLs have always been fine, thankfully) I’m short (164cm or abut 5’5 ) so don’t carry much extra with grace!! I was always under 60kg until my 40s -I’m a little over 70 now but was about 82 at my heaviest-BSD has brought that down happily, but still a way to go (and a lot around the middle, which I NEVER had when younger, even after 5 kids!) The other reason I’d like to be slimmer is to get back to the flexibility I used to have when I did a lot of regular yoga (While I’d love to claim be a runner, and was a sprinter in my youth, I’ll be happy with being able to climb mountains and bushwalk for the next couple of decades!)

Anyhow, I feel I’m back in the groove again after a bit of a furlough – even wore a pair of shorts walking yesterday (over woollen leggings -Spring in Tasmania!!) that used to be snug and are now almost too roomy

Arcticfox, I also planted a lot of seeds last weekend, when we had temperatures in the low 20s, but I may have been a little too enthusiastic as it’s only 12 degrees now and alpine snow forecast for the weekend!

wherever you all are, have a great weekend!

EC – I hope your seeds survive! We are only getting up to the mid-teens during the day at the moment and down to 5 or 6 at night. I’ve only planted hardy greens and they are surviving well. I hope to get them under cover before the frost comes. I spoke too soon about it not raining much because we ended up getting much more rain than forecasted and most of it came in a big downpour about 10pm last night. I was worried my little seedlings might get washed away, but they survived. Which is more than I can say about my roof. I spent the morning on the phone trying to convince someone to at least come take a look at it, if not do an emergency repair for me. I was planning to replace it anyway but so far the only person who has come out to give me a quote is not able to do it until March. Hopefully got a couple better leads today though, and hopefully it won’t rain again like that before something can be done about it!
Also as a result of last night’s rain, I was having to dig a trench for a french drain in order to try to get water running away from the foundation instead of towards it. Luckily my back was feeling a lot better today and I was able to dig. The effort made me very hungry though, I think along with eating my OMAD earlier yesterday. So today I relaxed a bit and had 2 full meals. It might be my imagination, but my jeans were feeling a bit looser today. I will see how I go tomorrow. I have to go into town to meet my new GP in the morning, and then in the afternoon I have a man coming out to give me an estimate on fixing my fascia boards and eavestroughs and my dad is coming over as well and we will try to fix the kitchen door frame. So it will be a busy day which should help.
On a more positive note, I had a very nice social media chat with a friend from Finland today who contacted me to congratulate me on purchasing the farm and was asking me all about it. I haven’t seen her for years but the last time I did see her she was really encouraging me to just go for it and buy a farm. So that was really nice to catch up with her and left me in a good mood for the rest of the day.

Hi everyone, hope you are all going great. First of all, I am fine with the Christmas situation. We are all well, my family all have their jobs, boys back at school and really knuckling down and funnily, realising how important education is having been deprived for so long. There will be other Christmases and holidays and Easters. Counting my blessings.
I have only had 2 Christmases without my daughter in 42 years. Bear with me while I tell a little story about one of them. She had been married 1.5 years (how the heck do you do a half sign – no answers please as I have a French keyboard). Anyway, her and hubby cancelled Christmas 16 years ago to spend the whole of the 25th December in bed, drinking milk, eating crisps and doing what young couples do – they wanted a baby. Well today is my grandsons 15th birthday. Happy birthday Adam. What my daughter wants my daughter gets. Born exactly 9 months to the day.
More good news, I kept on keeping on and have lost the 0.4 kg I gained but more at 0.6 kg. Again, it pays to KOKO. Keeps me well motivated for the weekend ahead.
And now the bad news. Today it is 13 degrees. This time last week it was 33. Goodbye pool (unless we have a sudden heatwave). Take care everyone and have a good a productive weekend.

Hi everyone,well my fast went well,I managed 22 hours as had something to eat a bit later than usual the previous night.It’s certainly made me feel that I don’t want to undo the good work so will be more mindful over the weekend!Reading how everyone else is getting on will also help.Hope everyone has a good weekend,we are still in local lockdown so apart from bringing my mum round for a cup of tea tomorrow,she is in our bubble,plan to have quiet one..Dawn

Happy Saturday, although one day is much like the last. So glad to have double Corrie last night as then I really know it is Friday. Just wish the Geoff thing would get exciting again.
Last night hubby rather strangely for him, said he was going to have a drink – he must have been feeling stressed as he hardly drinks at all. That could have been my opening to say ‘okay, so will I’, but I had different words going round in my head that sounded like ‘I am doing this for me’ over and over….. So no drink for me and today I have lost another 1lb. I am only 0.2kg from another milestone and hope to reach it by Monday if not tomorrow. So it pays to KOKO. So I am with you ADD6605, lets make the weekend count.

Well done S-g and I hope you reach your next milestone by Monday.My first milestone is to get down into next stone and I would love to do it at my next weigh in on Thursday.As you say let’s KOKO 🙂Dawn

Hi all!

It’s been just over a week since I finished 800 calories a day and switched to 5:2 (for me this means 800 calories on Mondays and Tuesdays). I register food intake everyday as it helps me to stay on track. Both my weight and waist are pretty much the same. I will continue for a few weeks to see how it works.

Have a great weekend every-one!

Happy Sunday everyone. Crikey we just got back from a sunshine filled break and frequent dips in a swimming pool to needing socks, tights and heating !! Autumn has definitely arrived here and even the cats refuse to go out. The change of seasons is the order of things though.
I have been making my green soup which is where I just chuck in whatever green veg I have. I make a homemade veg stock with nutritional yeast and herbs and whizz it all up. A friend passed on an unused yoghurt maker and I have been having fun with that. I was amazed that my first batch worked ( I used a recommended ferment ) so will continue for a while. We can get milk from the farm here so I don’t have to venture out to the big supermarkets which I am avoiding right now.
We are resigned to not going anywhere for a good while. I have enough jobs around the house and no excuse.
It’s time to get back into my fasting routine so after my fresh tuna and green beans and broccoli dinner I will switch off food until Tuesday. I too feel the cold when I fast but have warm jumpers at the ready. 3 months until Christmas and even though we don’t really know what Christmas will look like this year it is still priority to be in the best condition we can healthwise.
Keep going everyone xxx

Hi all, like you Wendy we have put on the heating today. Hubby said just to make sure it is working but I think it might be staying on at al low ticking over. We are forecast some early 20’s for next week so we might still get a bit of sunshine.
Not so great on the weight side, I gained 0.4 kg overnight but I think the 0.6 kg loss the day before was a bit of a blip and, as that came straight after another 0.6 kg loss the day before I think my body is balancing itself out. Don’t mind as long as I don’t see a certain number again!!! Enjoy your Sunday and keep on KO…

Hi Wendy – your soup sounds nice. One of my favourite things about moving into winter is having a whole load of soup in my freezer, although I’m definitely more buttoned-up than you as I’ve got to have a recipe! I enjoyed reading the Esnecca quote. I often use her mantra – not one step backwards!
arcticfox – yes, when I watched the Lose a Stone in 21 Days episodes I paused and copied her recipes, too. I’ve never had jalapeno peppers but am definitely using more herbs and spices etc in my cooking a bit more these days, but only to hit the back of the throat, not got to eye-watering just yet!
Reuby, – yes, me too with the coffee (and tea, in fact) – still need it to keep me on track – for me it had to be with a splash of milk but I always calculated it in my daily carbs
Always enjoy reading everyone’s posts xx

Jennie10-

When you use chiles you can eliminate a lot of the assertive heat and retain the flavor by removing all the seeds and cutting away the ribs from the flesh. Any part that doesn’t have the intense color of the outside should be removed. A very sharp paring knife means less contact with the heat-bearing oils.

Another tip about handling them is, once you’ve slit them and removed the seeds and ribs, turn them skin side up to do any additional cutting. Stick to touching the outer skin and you won’t get those volatile oils on your hands. Of course you can use gloves but I find I don’t need to. But be sure to wash your hands before you touch your face or any children. Those oils can burn a lot more on sensitive skin or your eyes or lips than they do in your mouth.

Of course, if you *want* the heat, go for it!

Thanks for all the replies. Its a friendly forum and that’s always a relief.

I did a weigh in today and have lost 7lbs, which I feel is a lot in a week but also shows how poor my diet was. Also no alcohol which my body always appreciates.

Out of interest re: the milk in coffee (or tea), what would you calculate the carbs as and how would you count that in your calories total? Apologies if I’m the dunce poster, I can only blame baby brain, I used to be a genius.

I hope everyone has had a great weekend.

Hi Reuby
7lbs gone, that’s a great start – don’t worry about it being a lot – use it as motivation as it does slow down as you go on (sorry).
As far as the carb count, I use one of the free online food trackers – quite a few people on the forums do. You fill in a food diary by looking up each food and drink you have during the day. It automatically inserts the cals, carbs, protein etc for each meal and it gives you a running total/total for the day. I’m in the UK and I use fatsecret. Here’s the link
https://www.fatsecret.co.uk/. I like it because it has a lot of UK supermarket foods but there are others e.g. myfitnesspal.
Best wishes
jennie xx

Rainey – thanks for the info about chillies. I’ve decided I want to use the next few months of restricted time to be more adventurous – well, adventurous actually – with my cooking so it’s great information, well-timed.
Jennie xx

Hello all,
Sorry I haven’t been around, had a tremendously stressful time after Uluru visit..Uluru was fantastic, I’ll try to figure out how to post photos here eventually..
We left our fur baby at a boarding kennel for 2 nights while we went to Uluru..she came home and after 2 hours she was very ill.
The next day I had to rush her to the vets where she wasn’t given a very good chance if survival..her intestines were so badly inflamed the vet thought they may burst and sepsis would set in it was touch and go for the first night. We were told she might not make it through the night and if she did we might have to decide on whether we should have her put to sleep. I was devastated. Anyway the next morning she had improved slightly and we told the vet that we need to keep helping her fight it so do what you can to help her.. She was pumped full of antibiotics and fluid and she is recovering, thankfully..
She’s home now and being spoiled rotten..
In that time I couldn’t even look at food let alone eat it.
I have weighed myself yesterday and have managed to lose a kilo.. I never want to have to lose weight that way ever again.
. As I said I’ll try to figure out how to do photos so you all can see how magical Uluru is..
Stay safe, happy and healthy. 😊🖐️

I have been away from home. Full report tomorrow.

Hi all,
I lurked last week after starting BSD last Mon (22nd) and mostly found answers using the search function but I couldn’t find an answer to my latest question that way so decided to come out of the shadows.
Last week was fine with only some sleeplessness as an issue but today (start of week 2) I started having terrible heartburn. I have had this in the past while doing TRE and keto and it goes away when I eat. I am following the meal plan directly from BSD book. I know I can take some baking Soda for it but just wondered whether anyone else experienced this? I don’t want it to derail me as I feel like I could sustain this otherwise. Most people seem to indicate the BSD helps rather than initiates their heartburn🤔
Thanks for your help.

Morning/evening everyone !
Well done Reuby ! Great start ! There are no dunce posters on here you daft thing 😉 Yes, most people tracks carbs etc , certainly as they start out . I still like my carb and calorie book which has lots of pictures !
https://www.carbsandcals.com/books/carb-calorie-counter

So sorry Waitaminute …what a traumatic experience. So glad your fur baby is recovering.I bet you will not be using that kennel again. Glad you enjoyed Uluru despite the stress you experienced on your return.
Looking forward to hearing from you , nhatha 3432 (Nick)
Welcome Gordosh . I am lucky in not having suffered from heartburn.I had a look at the dietdoctor website and there was discussion about acid reflux here
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb-can-cure-reflux-disease
I don’t know if that helps.The advice seems to be about highlighting trigger foods( tomatoes, coffee and alcohol are often cited )
It’s still pretty chilly here and I am investigating a few more warming recipes for when I eat again tomorrow.
I hope everyone is feeling positive as this new week begins. I will set up the new thread later on this evening.