ONE WEEK AT A TIME – To Start March 5, 2019

We have not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you are have any health related symptoms or concerns, you should contact your doctor who will be able to give you advice specific to your situation.

  • posted by skittle
    on
    permalink

    OK end of week 7: 2.5kg discarded – finally got off the slow plateau! – and REACHED MY STAGE 1 (8 WEEKS) TARGET OF 2 STONE DISCARD.
    This is what I hoped for in the first 8 weeks in time for my birthday. I have bought some clothes in a size and some 2 sizes smaller and am full of wonder and delight. I don’t LOOK hugely different, but STAGGERED to fit into a size 12 dress (size 12 jeans still some way off – helloooo pear shape! – but whatever!)

    I have lost 30lb/13.5kg, now weigh 13st3lb/83.9kg and am now BMI 25 so right on the top of a healthy weight range (I’m very tall) There is still a way to go to get into the middle of that range but for the first time in my life I have actually stuck with a weight loss programme (and indeed a new WOE).

    A HUGE THANK YOU to all you lovely posters especially the hosts and SunnyB last week for your kind thoughtfulness which I didn’t have time to reply to. It is beautiful that so many of you give of your time and energy to help total strangers. **applause**

    I’m so incredibly proud of myself for keeping going despite some life challenges (even my damn car was stolen this week!) and after a break for some birthday champagne (and fruit -God I miss apples) (and maybe even a little sleep if my baby will allow!) I am feeling ready to take on the next 8 weeks with a forensic focus on macros (it’s all been a bit of guesswork recently due to life stuff) and see where I get to by mid May – hoping for another 2 stone or so, but conscious it may well be slower.

    Anyone feeling dejected and discouraged by slow discards and stalls- KEEP GOING! You can and will do it!

    ps and your tastes will change-in an emergency breakfast situation this morning I had some Heinz baked beans- ugh, like eating a sugary dessert. Strange- but good.

  • posted by Shellbob44
    on
    permalink

    Marbella chicken is a wonderful mix of chicken legs with olives, capers, dates, herbs, garlic etc. The recipe my friend used was the Ottolenghi one (link below) certainly don’t think it would be low cal enough to fit into the 800 easily but its pretty good on carbs, it was a one off treat…..for now. But for all the maintainers out there 😊

    https://ottolenghi.co.uk/roasted-chicken-legs-with-dates-olives-and-capers-shop

  • posted by skittle
    on
    permalink

    ps i should add that while I sound horribly superficial this 7 weeks has been a really intense psychological journey as well, curbing some demons who have always held sway over me – this is a huge deal. ALWAYS before I would give in to whatever was happening, find excuses not to continue. This time I said I AM DOING THIS NO MATTER WHAT. And I honestly believe that is the secret of success. I haven’t been perfect and I know I’ll trip up again in the future but now I KNOW I can do it. Thanks all for this magical outcome and onwards to maintaining it!

  • posted by alliecat
    on
    permalink

    Sixturkeys, Chicken Marbella may have different meanin9s on either side of the pond, but in my neck of the
    woods it is a baked dish prepared with lots of 9arlic and ore9ano, and the other primary in9redients are prunes
    and olives. It is absolutely delicious, and always a bi9 hit when we have summer dinner parties, because it
    can be served at room temperature. I thou9ht that it sounded a little odd until I tasted it..fantastic!

  • posted by sixturkeys
    on
    permalink

    Chicken Marbella does sound good! One of my favourites is the Hairy Bikers (for non UK readers – they are a couple of TV chefs) chicken thighs with onion, preserved lemons and green olives. Which I used to eat with a load of white rice. I am thinking of a batch for Easter (without the rice).

  • posted by Custardcrumble
    on
    permalink

    Skittle you are *awesome* and an inspiration! Congratulations on hitting your target and still aiming for more! I’m almost half way through the 8 weeks and hoping for similar results, followed by more of the same for another 4-8 weeks. Stories like yours keep me on track.
    Keep up the good work – just amazing :o)

  • posted by Ria-tor
    on
    permalink

    Wow Skittles that’s fantastic.

    Cockneylady47 thanks for explaining about the carb ratio. I am very new to this and have no idea what ratios I am eating. I need to investigate further.

    I knew I shouldn’t have had those pancakes, it was 1 banana, 1/2 cup of oats and milk cooked in a little coconut oil. I’ve now worked it out ( I think ) and that came to almost 19g carbs and over 5 g sugar for a third of the pancakes.

    I do need to drink more. I don’t like the taste from the taps (recently moved house) and I keep forgetting to buy more filters so I’m not drinking enough. Think I’ll boil and cool and see if that tastes better.

    This morning I’m down 1/2lb, very happy with that.

  • posted by skittle
    on
    permalink

    Thanks custardcrumble :))
    There have been some times when I have felt v discouraged…and it has been hard…but this WOE does work. I am sure the next stage will be slower but now I KNOW I can do it. As can you! I will keep checking in and let’s cheer each other on as we work through our 8 week chunks (but less chunky…ahem!)
    x

  • posted by avisamuelgrey
    on
    permalink

    Good job, Skittle! Like Custardcrumble, I am really encouraged to read results like yours and it’s one of the main reasons I keep checking back on the forums. I am just coming to the end of Week 4 and plan to continue for longer than the 8 weeks as I have a lot to lose. Well done to everyone who is keeping on in spite of personal struggles too, you are all an inspiration.

  • posted by wendleg
    on
    permalink

    Well done skittle ! You are not superficial at all You are improving your health massively, Nothing superficial about that ! You are taking control over those demons too, that’s a great victory and what I believe will ensure that this woe becomes totally natural for you. ( Sorry about the car theft )

    Keep going CustardCrumble ! You have been doing great ! You will get there too avisamuelgrey. Lots of us have continued much longer than the initial 8 weeks. In fact low carb becomes the way of life in maintenance ( Allie and SunnyB amongst others will confirm) All the best Ria-tor and don’t panic if you don’t show a daily disard. I only weigh once a Week. It can be variable and you don’t want to be setting yourself up for unnecessary disappointment.

    Barbara k …how are you doing ?
    Scottish gal , well done on your 8 week result. Enjoy your time with O/H. Sounds like you have a good plan not to stray too far !
    Lots of people planning holidays ! Make the most of these next few weeks Busybee !
    Is 8 weeks in Marrakech now ?
    You will be fine too Patricia1066. I went to Malaga in my 7th week and managed with lots of fish and sea food.Bread and pasta has no appeal for me now.
    Aloha …let us know how you are getting on ! Cockneylady, well done on your fab 15lbs discard ! I certainly don’t buy picky foods for my hubby either.He squirrels them away in the car 😉
    All the very best Nicola12 . You can do this and just shout out if you need any advice.Lots of lovely people on here to support and encourage .You will feel so much better giving up the c**p ! Think of food as nourishment to do you good and improve your health. Discard all the refined, processed rubbish in the first instance and eat natural foods.
    Shellbob, I understand about being in the 80s on the scales. That was a big moment for me too ! You have a lot of challenges to deal with concerning your daughter and you are doing well to find the time to focus on yourself . That is important. I hope the steroid injection does not cause too much havoc and it eases the elbow pain at least.
    Kafin13, definitely trust the process and don’t get discouraged. This is a life long process with major adaptations and that is what will ensure lasting success.
    Are you feeling better skippingthroughthetulips ? I am very much post menopausal and this woe definitely works for us mature ladies . God that sounds awful ! I am a very young middle aged woman 😉
    MamieP it’s not easy getting family members to agree to change their long established eating habits. My hubby is very supportive but also very stubborn and I have given up ‘nagging’ when he buys mega bags of crisps. He is a an adult and it’s up to him at the end of the day !!
    No pancakes in our house either, sixturkeys ! I know there are lots of recipes using different almond, coconut flours etc but I prefer not to go down that route for the moment.
    Sending a big hug to everyone . Don’t give up ! Remember it’s YOUR life ( Bon Jovi see JGwens post 😉
    Of course not forgetting our lovely regulars : Allie, SunnyB, caronl, Verano..sunshine girl..you know who you are. There are lots of regulars on Kazz’s thread and the Positive’s thread too. I haven’t forgotten you !

    Amz ! Are you ok ? Thinking of you.

  • posted by sunshine-girl
    on
    permalink

    Hi all, looks like cutting the carbs down to 20 ish works. Not only have I lost more weight but last night I reduced my insulin to 24 units and my BG was down to 4.7 this morning. I cut the insulin because I am still getting lows in the afternoon and dont want to cut my other meds further, I prefer them to injections. So still well on track. Blood tests on Monday and doctor on Wednesday so determined to stick this out over the weekend. Have a good day everyone.

  • posted by alliecat
    on
    permalink

    What a warm and inclusive post, Wendy! I missed you last week when you were on holiday, so I’m cheered that
    our “Wallie Act” is back in business this week. Co-hostin9 has a lot to offer all of our new friends, I think…
    Keep postin9, everyone! This may be the week that sends us over the top for participation. Above all else,
    this is a happy and nurturin9 place to be. Every voice matters, and we love to celebrate here 🙂 🙂 🙂

  • posted by Skipping through the tulips
    on
    permalink

    I’m feeling much better today and am trying to drink more. Had an easy morning at my French class ( physically not mentally). Ive lost an unbelievable amount of weight in three days- almost 5kg. After a bit of research it seems that this is mostly water.

    During my surfing i repeatedly read that at soon as i eat one meal with a substantial carb load I´m going to put it all back on in one go. Ho hum! tell me its not true!

    So does this mean i need to adjust my target weight by these 5kg.

    Going to try some cauliflower rice for dinner in a buddha bowl but not sure how thats going to work out the the kids and my husband. any suggestions about the most flavourful way to cook it

    its really great to here of your milestone Skittles, congratulations.

    I too am a very young middle aged woman and hoping to feel like one too.

    thanks for the encouragement. its very motivational

  • posted by SunnyB
    on
    permalink

    Please don’t panic Skipping, you don’t need to worry about this at the moment. You are just starring out and increasing
    your carb intake is a way off yet. When you get there, slowly increasing cals and carbs until weight loss stops is the way to go, so don’t worry about the 5kg, much of that is likely to be discarded while you are easing into maintenance anyway.

    One meal of substantial carbs would not see 5kg gained back, but it is important to remember that eating low carb is a long term life style, not a quick fix so that we can return to old eating patterns. It was how we used to eat that brought us to the BSD and returning to that old pattern, will return us to where we started. Yes we will be able to eat more carbs in maintenance than in weight loss, but never again how we used to eat, if we want to maintain our new found health and wellbeing.

  • posted by TheBudgie
    on
    permalink

    Hi,
    Newly started this week, took me a couple of days to find this recommended thread, struggling getting my head around he food and recopies but hoping I will find my way soon. I’ve always been overweight apart from the year I lost 8 stone, but the older I get the more its getting me down, so time to step up and sort. I know ideally I should weigh half what I do, but all I want is smaller clothes and a steady healthy blood level. So any advice always happily welcomed.

    thanks

  • posted by SunnyB
    on
    permalink

    Hi TheBudgie, welcome aboard. There is a steep learning curve at the beginning and it can feel really daunting, but you’ll get there and we’ll be here to offer support to make sure you do. The keys are low carb, moderate proteins, good fats and good hydration. Be gentle with yourself for the first few days, as ‘carb ‘flu’ is common and you might feel out of sorts in the short term, but you should soon be feeling energised and seeing the pounds/kgs melting away.

    Please keep us posted and join in on any thread that looks of interest to you, as you’ll get a warm welcome for sure. Shout if you have any specific questions or need a virtual ‘helping hand’. Remember to let us know how you progress.

  • posted by Skipping through the tulips
    on
    permalink

    Hi TheBudgie,

    I’m feeling your pain re the food and recipes, its really quite complicated. Ive really gotten lazy about preparing healthy food in the last six months, so all this vegetable chopping is a bit of a shock! but i guess I’m going to find it all easier week by week.

    Thanks SunnyB. I’ve decided to see the discard as just that and not worry about where its come from. This way i’ll be much more motivated. I’m really enjoying the food and trying out new recipes.

  • posted by Barbara k
    on
    permalink

    Barbara k doing ok thanks Wendy, weigh in tomorrow. Downloaded a tracker app which is helping me keep everything accounted for. Interesting as I thought I was drinking plenty of water (as I never drink any) and I need to drink much more. Also looking more in depth at my carb consumption.

  • posted by wendleg
    on
    permalink

    I am a simple kind of girl and I like pictures 😉 I find it really useful to see images of low carb foods and it really helped me in the early days to get my head around the best choices ( veg / berries etc)

    The visual low carb guides are here
    https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods

    Lots of meal plans and recipes also to get you started :
    https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes
    https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/meal-plans
    Hope you find these links useful, Budgie,

    Skipping …here’s a recipe for low carb cauli mash. Check out the recipes thread on the forum too

    https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/low-carb-cauliflower-mash
    Ps Learning French was much easier for me than weight loss but that was in the bad old pre BSD days 😉

    I also have a book called Carb and Calorie Counter by Chris Cheyette and Yello Balolia in the Carbs and Cals series Loads of food photos .I like using a book more than an app but it dépends what works best for you.

  • posted by alliecat
    on
    permalink

    Welcome Welcome, Bud9ie andSkippin9! We’re all happy to see you here 🙂 Share your stories, and we’re
    always happy to share ours! Some of us are real “talkers”, and you can learn a lot here to make your 9oals
    successful. Shout if you need any help, or just want to commiserate. We do this well, and mana9e to
    have a lot of fun in the process. Very best to both of you!

    Allie

  • posted by Kafin13
    on
    permalink

    What a lovely thoughtful message, giving us all a shout out! Thank you – I really appreciated it. And now, I need to bug you all for some input (all advice, opinions and experience welcome). As I mentioned in an earlier post, my weight loss has completely stalled after the first two weeks despite being absolutely rigid with the program (down 0.2lbs and then back up so far this week). I’ve read a lot of everyone’s posts and have taken a good look at my macros. I was under 50g of carbs but am trying to drop it lower to see what impact that might have. I’m also trying to reduce my protein and up my healthy fats (in my head I think I saw it as high protein plan not medium protein and high fat so am readjusting) and am going for 50g fats, 60g protein and max of 30g carbs. But, I’m struggling to get to the 800 cals with this without bumping one or more up higher, if that makes sense? Today’s plan (not that I’ve eaten it all yet) ends up being 67g protein, 38g fat and 19g carbs but that only takes me to 680. I get the majority of my carbs from veggies and so I cut some out but feel a bit like that’s not the way to go?!?!? This is what I’m having today and I would really love someone to take a look and tell me if I’m on the right track:
    Breakfast/lunch: 2 eggs, 11g onion, 41g avocado, 2 tbspns hummus made into an omelette. Cup of tea with 1/4c 1%milk (sorry but I cannot give this up or change to almond milk – I’ve Marie Kondo’d it and it gives me joy!)
    Dinner: 200g ahi tuna steak, tbspn butter, 120g eggplant.
    Does this seem ok? And how can I get the fat up without increasing the protein as I read that too much protein won’t help the weight loss. So you think adding some more vegggies (broccoli, zucchini etc) to my dinner is ok even if it brings my carbs up? Thank you in advance!!!

  • posted by Ria-tor
    on
    permalink

    Hi everyone

    Thanks Wendleg, I’m going to try to abstain from stepping on the scales daily.

    I’m just so impatient to get back to wearing my favourite outfits again and not yoga pants everyday.
    I’m already feeling so much better and less lethargic with this woe.

    Kafin13, I’m also still trying to figure out my daily menus and getting the amount of carbs, protein, fat in the right amounts. It is a bit complicated but I’m sure we’ll get the hang of it soon. Sorry I can’t be helpful, I’m on day 11 and still very new to this.

    Today I’m going to be more mindful of my hydration needs as I still don’t think I’m drinking enough.

  • posted by Fr0d0
    on
    permalink

    I find the free “Libra” App very useful if you want to weigh yourself daily.

    It gives you a true weight averaged over 12 days which allows for fluctuations due to water retention etc..

    It also shows the date that you’re on target to reach your goal weight which I find very motivating.

    I also like that it shows your daily/weekly/monthly calorie loss. Being a lazy man that can’t be bothered with calorie counting this was a god send!! 😁

  • posted by Ria-tor
    on
    permalink

    Thanks, I’ve not heard of that app will check it out.

  • posted by JGwen
    on
    permalink

    Hi Kafin13,
    I know its a complete turn around against what we have been told in the past. – But the secret is to set targets for carbs and protein and make up the rest of your calories from healthy fats. – So when cooking your veg you can melt butter over them.
    If you are struggling to feel satisfied with the meals you are eating then increase the calories from fat in the meal. But its important to remember that you do not have to have 800 calories. – What you are doing is getting your carb levels low so that your body can make up the calorie deficiency from your body fat. – As I understand it the only reason for the 800 calories is because many people would be deterred from following this way of eating if they thought they could only have 500 calories, or thought they couldn’t eat at all some days.
    Our weight fluctuates by up to 3kg during the course of a day depending where we are with input relative to output. Each litre of water weighs 1kg. – Then there is the weight of the food in transit. – If you have all your calories from celery thats a lot more weight than if you take all your calories from a calorie dense food.
    Weight loss isn’t linear. – Your body doesn’t use all the fat up from a single cell at a time, it uses a little fat from a lot of cells replacing the fat with water. This cycle is repeated for days until all of the fat has been used from the cells when the cells collapse releasing the water. Use term “whoosh effect” in the search box on this site.
    Finally, as you keep insulin levels low it allows other hormone systems to function as they should. – This includes the bodies systems for healing, building strong bones and repairing/strengthening muscles in response to exercise. Its more important to measure progress based on improvements of body composition (inch loss) than what the scales say.

  • posted by Barbara k
    on
    permalink

    Weigh in this morning at the end of week 2. This is the best start I have ever done at weight loss, for an older bird it does get harder to shift the older I get. However I have lost a whopping 13.25 lbs in the 2 weeks and I am not only delighted but motivated into week 3. So what has been the difference, I believe it is TRE, not eating after 6pm giving my body time to heal and repair itself. In particular my skin looks great, I really think giving my body time off from digestion is letting it work in other ways it has been denied. Not easy I have to say for a grazer but it’s working so I’m sticking with it.

  • posted by sunshine-girl
    on
    permalink

    Hi everyone and well done. Barbara that is a fantastic starting loss. Thanks for the app tip Fr0d0, hope it works on a tablet as I dont have a mobile phone. Another loss of weight for me today. Amazing as I said I wasn’t aiming for weight loss just lowering my BG. Cutting the carbs down to around 20g has helped with both. Although last night I was having left over chicken, chorizo and beans (DrM recipe) and I looked at it on my plate knowing how many carbs were in it (around 30g) and ate around the beans and threw them in the bin. BG this morning was 5.4 on an insulin dose of 24 units. Remind myself that is down from 38 units at Christmas. Still a bit down on my exercise but did 30 mins this morning giving me daily total average of 20 mins but still can make that up to 30 mins by tomorrow which is my end of week for exercise. Still not had any alcohol which is keeping my calories down and not intending to have any over the weekend. I have to remember I have blood tests on Monday and Doctor on Wednesday. Have a good weekend everyone and keep on keeping on…

  • posted by kittykatnz
    on
    permalink

    I’m having a great first week, I have gone from 92.2kg to 88.8kg so far and there are still 3 days to go.
    I had a really busy and stressful day yesterday. I’m looking to change jobs so I had 2 recruitment interviews and an appointment with the podiatrist to get my biomechanical assessment and video gait analysis done. My boyfriend came round and we went out for dinner which was also stressful as it was the first time I’ve not prepared my own meal so far on the WOE. I think I managed ok, I had an 8oz fillet steak, peppercorn sauce, tenderstem brocolli, a chorizo sausage and a small glass of red wine. That was my only meal all day. And a LOT of water. I resisted the chips, the calamari and beer which would have been my downfall previously. I still lost weight this morning even though I was positive the scales would be up.
    Today however, I’m feeling very flat. There was a massive cake in the kitchen and I managed to resist the first two times I went in there and on the 3rd time I had a small (thumbnail sized crumb) nibble. I regretted it as soon as it was in my mouth.
    I think after all the exciting things and changes going on yesterday, I feel a bit down today being back in a work environment I am incredibly frustrated by. I’m also just feeling generally under the weather.

    I hope others are having a better day!

  • posted by Shellbob44
    on
    permalink

    Hi Everyone,
    Great news on the insulin Sunshine, fabulous work 🙌
    Don’t beat yourself up over a nibble of cake Kitty, remember one day at at time 💜
    My arm is still super sore but ignoring that as I just fit into a UK16 dress 😯 totally delighted

  • posted by Fr0d0
    on
    permalink

    Interesting that you can eat less than 800 calories a day. I didn’t know what to do at all. My daughter had me querying it saying should you be over or under!

    I’m often happy on a less and try to snack up to the limit. Silly me!

    What’s BG please?

  • posted by alliecat
    on
    permalink

    FrOdO, B9 stands for blood 9lucose, somethin9 that our diabetics need to pay close attention to. I
    very much doubt that you are a Neanderthal! More like Cro Ma9non Man, I think 🙂 Some folks here avera9e
    their 800 calories over a week, so there isn’t really a need to be ri9idly precise each day. Basically, this
    WOE is very for9ivin9, as lon9 as you avoid the bad carbs. Bein9 in control of that spells success!

    Allie

  • posted by sunshine-girl
    on
    permalink

    thank you for explaining my shorthand Allie, I sometimes forget that not everyone doing this is diabetic or controlling glucose levels. I must say, it is a bugbear of mine when people use acronyms as I am not down with the kids, so WOE took me a little while, now understand TRE but I dont like slang like BTW (by the way). I even punctuate all my texts.

  • posted by SunnyB
    on
    permalink

    Hope all the men on this thread will excuse me for high-jacking it, to wish all the women here a positive and empowering International Women’s Day. To all those women new to the BSD, I congratulate you for valuing yourself enough to embarking on this path to health and well being. To those who have trod the BSD path alongside me, I say thank you – your support and generosity has been greatly valued and appreciated. To all of you, I wish you all you wish for yourselves.

  • posted by alliecat
    on
    permalink

    Thank you Sunny! Today IS International Women’s Day! I’m holdin9 my hand up to my laptop today,
    touchin9 fin9ertips with each one of you…Onward, and a very happy weekend to all who travel here 🙂

  • posted by Skipping through the tulips
    on
    permalink

    Hi all,
    Barbara K, congratulations on your loss. I only started on Monday but lost nothing yesterday , after losing an unbelievable amount the first 2 days . I guess something’s off somewhere with my calculations. i think i may have got my protein: fat ratio wrong. its really counter intuitive to be eating more fat when on a diet and I’m struggling with that part.
    I had a very lazy day, which i doubt helped. lots of positive stuff on here to help us and support when things are not working out the way we’d like. so thanks to all and have a great weekend.

  • posted by Verano
    on
    permalink

    Sunshine-girl so pleased to hear about your success reducing your insulin. It’s a great achievement. I have just had my “call” to the doctor on March 18th for a review after 8 months. I’m just hoping my HbA1c is still in the normal range. It was 5.6 back in July 2018 but I have been lax gaining weight but losing it again. It will be interesting to see where I am now….. could be a rude awakening!!!
    I really hope all goes well for you next week when you see Doctor-gorgeous! I’m sure he’ll be delighted that you are reducing your dependency on insulin. Good luck and let’s us know how you get on.

  • posted by Fr0d0
    on
    permalink

    Ah Blood Glucose! Thank you.

    I’ve had second bloods taken Monday and see the nurse after the weekend for the verdict. I was mid 50s thingamabobs. I was 47 last year when I was tested and that wasn’t picked up sadly.

    I started Fast800 two weeks before I was diagnosed – a strange coincidence. A good motivator but I’m in it for the long haul no matter what.

    Happy Womens Day female members!

  • posted by wendleg
    on
    permalink

    Happy Women’s Day indeed and we are definitely an international bunch on here…members from the Uk ( that’s me but living in France like sunshine girl) , SunnyB, Verano ,JGwen ,sixturkeys, Nicola12, Scottishgal, CockneyLady47, skittle and Shellbob are from the Uk. Allie ,Amz, Californiagirl from the US , Duckie from Oz. I think we have members from New Zealand too ? Kittykat ?? Not sure about Barbara k, Skipping, Ria-tor, Kafin13, and our male members Custard Crumble and Fr0d0 ?? I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone, forgive me if I have.
    Some very strong women on here who have faced massive life challenges and are coming through. Taking control and deciding to be as healthy as we possibly can is empowering and liberating !
    Well done on some great results,Barbara k, and sunshine girl ! There are a lot of ‘older birds’ on here Barbara but we are very young at heart and managing to discard the weight despite the advancing years. I think I used my post menopausal age 60 as an excuse for not tackling my weight issue for quite some time !!
    Kittykatnz , you could have chomped your way through that cake but you continued to make the right choices, well done you. All the very best for the job interviews so you can be less frustrated and more settled. Beware of giving in to c**p food when you are feeling down.Just shout out when you need support and we will come running. You will gain more energy and enthusiasm as you continue.
    Shellbob, I haven’t been a size 16 for a very long time either so I share that victory ! I can even shop for clothes in LIDL these days 😉 Hope the pain in your arm eases soon.
    Skipping …try to see weight discard over a longer period so you don’t get discouraged on a daily basis. I can have weeks with very little change but it catches up in subsequent weeks.It will happen .
    Hope all goes well for your doctors’ appointments, sunshine and Verano.
    Are you ok Budgie ? It’s early days, shout out if you have any questions.
    I hope everyone is feeling upbeat as the weekend approaches.I am trying not to think about going back to work on Monday but I will wear one of my brightest dresses and go in with a smile!!

  • posted by Kafin13
    on
    permalink

    I’m from New Zealand! But live in Los Angeles so I’m doubling up on internationalism 🙂

  • posted by wendleg
    on
    permalink

    ooh that’s exotic, Kafin13 !! I’m a Brit living in France …not so exotic 😉

  • posted by Shellbob44
    on
    permalink

    A very happy and very international women’s day to everyone even the chaps 😊

  • posted by Alice2B
    on
    permalink

    Hello,
    Into wk2, lost just over 2kg in wk 1. I’ve had my blood tests back – HbA1c is 36 so fine there but the serum cholesterol reading is 6.8 and this is what I want to get down. I am overweight (BMI 27.4) and I know that I need lose some weight and get off my bottom and get moving. I’m having apple cider vinegar with water before lunch and dinner, but any other tips on lowering cholesterol would be very useful.

  • posted by kittykatnz
    on
    permalink

    I’m a Kiwi living in London. 🙂 Keeping the International Kiwis going. For a flightless bird we do like to travel!

  • posted by Kafin13
    on
    permalink

    Thank you so much – this really helped it to click a little better. Typing as I eat my mashed cauliflower with butter and loving it!!

    I do get that it’s not just about the number on the scale and I’m very lucky in that I don’t have blood sugar/diabetic issues to deal with, so for me, it’s about losing the weight and getting to the stage I always skip – maintenance. I hadn’t lost any inches and I record everything faithfully! I’m excited to see how my readjustments are going to play out!

  • posted by Ria-tor
    on
    permalink

    I’m from the uk living in Hong Kong.

  • posted by Barbara k
    on
    permalink

    Barbara k is live and kicking in the uk

  • posted by Scottishgal
    on
    permalink

    Hi all, I’ve been off track and off the forum for a couple of days enjoying a break away. Just slowly catching up on everything but must say a huge well done to sunshine girl. A great achievement on your BG and insulin!
    I fully intended coming off the BSD while away but didn’t want to stray too much. I still avoided the chocolate but had full scottish breakfast with toast (although less toast than I would normally have had) and a couple of mini pastries. Didn’t eat for the rest of the day then in the evening enjoyed the best steak pie ever, with chips! My bg didn’t go above 8 which is a huge improvement. But I’ve gained 5lb. I expected to gain so not going to let it get me down. Back on track today again although I’ve come home with a bad cold and feeling a bit poorly. Adamant there will be no comfort eating though-I’ve had my treats for the week!

  • posted by sunshine-girl
    on
    permalink

    Hello everyone, just to go back to the Womens Day and revealing where we are. I am British and live in France (nearly 14 years). Love my life here especially when the warmer weather comes along – like next month.

    I noticed Alice2B was talking about her high cholesterol so I will give my story briefly. I was diagnosed with high cholesterol some 20 years ago, up around 9.0 and put straight onto statins at 60mg. Nothing brought the cholesterol down and even with meds I stayed around 6 or 7. Moved to France where I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes 10 years later and it was possible that was helping to increase my cholesterol. My doctor here in France refused to give me 60mg statins as he said it was too much and put me on 40mg. Still not much improvement and always around 6.5. Then I found this diet and within 2 months (my blood is checked every 3 months so I know when things change) my cholesterol was down to 5.6, 3 months later 5.2 and it continued to go down. In the meantime I had some side effects from the statins (cramps) and my doctor reduced the dose to 20mg. Still the cholesterol went down. Now I am on 10mg statins and my cholesterol is around 2.8 to 3.2. I only stay on the small dose of statins because I know I am high risk for a stroke or heart attack with diabetes and high blood pressure (by the way, BP is also right down).

    What do I put this massive improvement down to – well it must be this diet. I have done research on cholesterol reducing foods and make sure I have plenty of olive oil, nuts, avocados, olives etc but I also now have full fat cheeses (not much or often), use butter instead of margarine and eat full fat yoghurt. I never, ever eat low fat or low sugar foods. I will be having my blood tested again on Monday and doctor insists I have my cholesterol done every 3 months now instead of annually as he doesn’t quite believe how much it have improved and he is waiting for it to all go wrong. I have had these low numbers now for nearly 2 years so lets hope Monday is no different.

    Have a good weekend everyone.

  • posted by Barbara k
    on
    permalink

    Going to Nando’s tonight, saving 500 cals for it, anyone got any suggestions for what to have. Only having a main course.

  • posted by Alice2B
    on
    permalink

    Thank you sunshine-girl for posting about your cholesterol; I beginning to feel that I can sort out my level by changing diet and exercising more. My GP printed out the standard NHS sheets on low fat diet and talked about statins. I won’t take statins and I’m becoming less and less convinced by the low fat approach to food as it’s never worked for me – if anything my levels have gone up.

    I’m due back to have the level tested in 6 months so I doing BSD – I hope my result will show a marked improvement.

Please log in or register to post a reply.