Well March is underway and despite the cold, remember Spring is coming with warmer days and gardens bursting with life .I can’t wait !

So onwards into this month with positivity !

Some of us have trips and holidays planned, others just want to maintain or improve their health.Whatever your motivation, please continue to share with us .

While out shopping today I came across something called ZERO RICE , also available as pasta and noodles.It sounded a bit weird but on further investigation it turns out it is Konjac , so carb , fat and sugar free. Basically a filler ? I am going to give it a go in a stir fry or soup .I understand it has to be well rinsed as it pongs a bit when the pack is opened !

I definitely have an issue with carbs now having an adverse effect on me ( acid reflux)

I picked up my first asparagus of the season too !

Wishing everyone a good week !

Wendy , sunshine-girl and SunnyB

I’m in Wendy, so thanks for taking the lead on our weekly thread again. Konjac is okay as a filler, it does pong initially and is actually pretty much tasteless. I’ve used it occasionally as a vehicle to carry a pasta sauce, but it’s not something I’d use regularly. Like you, over the years I’ve got used to living without pasta, rice etc., so don’t really look for substitutes anymore.

My report for the last week… currently I’m still heading in the right direction, though by a very small margin. I ate with GS at lunchtime, so am now on a fast, hoping to push through to Wednesday evening this time.

Looking forward to reading how everyone else is progressing. No matter how the last week has gone though, this is a fresh start for us all, so let’s make the most of it 😀!!

Hi Wendy
I use Konjac/shirataki noodles and rice sometimes as a quick meal – mixed with a sauce or a can of tuna, or in a stirfry.
The trick is to prepare them well.
At the sink pour the contents of the pack into a strainer and rinse well with cold water tap. The smell is not good at the start but this quickly goes away.
Then tip them into a bowl containing warm water and 1/2 tsp vinegar. Leave for 2-3 minutes then drain again.
Heat up a skillet/frying pan – don’t add any oil – and when hot tip in the konjac noodles and stir gently for approximately 3-5 minutes or until water has visibly evaporated (they don’t stick to the pan) and noodles begin to make bit of a ‘scream’/”squeak” as you stir them, being careful not to over cook as they will begin to dehydrate and shrink.
Then they are ready to add to your stirfry or dish. There are lots of prep methods on line – some boil the noodles but I’ve found a bowl of warm water works ok.
They don’t have a taste of their own, but hold a sauce together and add bulk to a meal with no cals or carbs.
Good luck!!

Peeps nose round the door…… helloooo!

So i CHOSE to pour a back coffee this morning….. and that tells me my brain is ready to get back to it. Hurrah!! So here I am…. cant tell you how grateful i am that you are still here, and Wendy Sunshine and Sunny are keeping the thread going.

All has been fine, just had to take some pressure off, allow my brain to go a bit wild, let it make choices without feeling cornered, and let it realise that actually it loves this WOE, and does not appreciate all the things it thinks it does….. hopefully thats sorted and away we go.

Let us know how the rice / noodles go Wendy – i tried them once a long time ago and couldn’t swallow them…. would rather use broccoli or cabbage as a vehicle for sauce (luckily I’m right off pasta and rice – slippery pointless little nuggets!) 😛

It appears to be winter today – we have a good covering of snow and the roads are chaos….. only the little black cat is delighted about it!

Ok, so here’s making today day 1 of many….. glad its Tuesday and new thread day!!

Merry, nice to see you posting. Thanks for the details of you prep method for konjac noodles. As you say they add bulk for now cals and carbs, but like Julz, these days I much prefer to use green veg as a vehicle for a sauce.
Julz welcome back, good to know you’re on track again. It can be so tough getting in the right headspace again … I really struggled to get there myself, after our last trip away and the festive season. Sorry you’ve got another round of winter … so far it hasn’t reached our corner of Somerset, but I’m hibernating just in case! Anyway, I’m looking forward to reading how you get on, both with the winter weather and being back on this WOE.

This morning, my scales showed me on the cusp of slipping into my correct stone bracket again. 🤞🏻 I’ll have achieved and consolidated being there, by this time next week.

Thank you for continuing this thread Wendy. I’m back from our wellness/balance class with only two more weeks to go then I start my class at the physio department pain clinic. I played a rubbish game of short mat bowls yesterday but think overall my balance has improved doing the balance classes. My husband & I are playing in a competitive match representing our bowls club on Saturday so my bowling had better improve or I’m going to feel rather embarrassed 😳
We had a chicken salad for lunch with 100 g of left over roast chicken & I will use the stripped carcass to make broth to use as a base for soup as recommended by Dr Fung😀
I’ve been spending lots of pennies so I assume my body is on the move downwards again or hopefully so!
I hope you all have a good week.
Margaret

Hi all, I am still with you. Don’t know about the Konjac rice/noodle but hubby even refuses to eat ordinary rice or pasta, says it tastes of nothing. So that is really helpful for me. I dont even bother with substitutes and just realised I have a full bag of cauli rice in the freezer, bought on impulse as I hadnt seen it in the French supermarket before – it has been there for ages so I might get round to eating it at some point.

I have an appt with my surgeon tomorrow so will get to know how he thinks it all went. I have a few questions like why the hell have I a 6 inch scar on my neck when it was supposed to be a small incision – not serious but the whole of my face is still affected, numbness, pain, swelling. He will look at it. Two other problems. Since the op I havent been able to pee properly. Small amounts then stops then need to go again within minutes. Feels rather like prolapse symptoms but I think having an anaesthetic can partially affect the bladder nerves. Also have lost some feeling in my left hand, mainly in the finger, even having trouble typing or holding things without dropping them. Something else to ask him about. Nearly forgot, I want to ask if I can start to exercise again, I really miss it.

As far as the diet goes, I have only lost half an pound this week and for no particular reason i.e. no booze at the weekend. Anyway it is still close enough to my goal and still several weeks to my holiday.

Have a good week everyone.

Hi, successful visit to the surgeon this morning. He doesn’t want to see me again although I will have to have regular (annual) dopplers possibly for life to make sure the artery doesn’t close up again. Not a problem, already have a rdv for May and then again in November, then annually. I do have some numbness in my left hand which he doesn’t think is connected to the surgery but is sending me for an MRI – non urgent.

Great news is that I can start exercising again, busy tomorrow and Friday so might leave it until Monday and start a whole new regime.

Have a good week.

Very pleased for you sunshine-girl that your consultation went well 👏👏⭐️
Margaret

Hi everyone ….. sorry but I’ve become a ‘lurker’!
S-g just pleased everything is going in the right direction for you.
I’ve dipped in and out over the last few weeks but not participated because we are ‘resting between trips’! Sorry that sounds awful but we have an unexpected trip to see our son and family in Portugal.
Sooooo …. it just means getting back into a routine is really difficult. One thing I have decided is that I need to swap my ‘late afternoon crisp snack’ for olives. I also need to stop my ‘cheese nibbling’ which has now become ‘sizeable chunk chomping’! I think I might introduce a piece of fruit instead.
Anyway, it’s great to see that the weekly thread is still thriving and I hope to join in 100% again soon.
In the meantime, as sunshine-girl says ….. just keep on keeping on ……………

Hey everyone,
Just a quick check-in. I’ve been quite busy with lots of seed starting these days. I’ve also had 2 manual lymphatic drainage massages in the last week. Had quite good results from the first one. My legs felt a lot lighter for several days. Unfortunately not as good results from the one on Monday for some reason. I have another on Friday, so hopefully that one will be good and will set me up for a busy weekend ahead. I will be pruning fruit trees, doing some yard clean up under the trees where some snow has finally melted and maybe making a quick raised bed in a sunnier part of the garden so I can get some early things planted out before the rest of the snow melts.

Good heavens arcticfox you are so busy & will be using lots of energy👍& good to hear the lymphatic massage is helping you. My main activity at the moment is making decorative knickers to join together to hang on our fence for the village WI campaign Pants to Cancer😀
Margaret

If only we could see pictures Margaret 🤣🤣🤣

Hi all, still hanging on, glad to hear your surgery follow-up was OK S-G.
I’ve just had a quick scan of the recent threads, so this post may actually be in response to some other threads.
Spring – where? Not in the UK this week! It snowed all day yesterday, and today is wet and grey and sleety, and I am tired of winter now. I too want to start, and should have started, sowing some seeds, but I’ll take a risk and start things off later when the weather has improved.
Fasting – I have finished reading The Obesity Code, and am trying to get my head into fasting to try to reset my set-point in a range that is not in the obese category.
So, 16:8 TRE Monday and Tuesday this week, 24hr fast yesterday and one-meal-a-day (OMAD) (i.e. I ate supper on Tuesday and supper yesterday, with just black coffee or water in between), and will do 16:8 TRE again today (i.e. breaking my fast will be lunch today – homemade soup).
JGwen (?) mentioned standing up for herself more when fasting – is that mentally stronger/emboldened or grumpy? Hubby made the mistake of snapping about something last night just after supper – I did not hold back – oops!
I would like to try to push to a 36 -48 hour fast, but realistically don’t want to have the conversation about descending into an eating disorder – hubby doesn’t “get” fasting and is a strictly 3-meals a day kind of person who feels cheated if we have a late Sunday brunch and nothing until supper 🙂 so for now, during the working week I can manage 16:8 for a few days and possibly 1 day of OMAD, with 3 days of what is deemed to be normal eating.
I have been keeping carbs low throughout, and much smaller portion sizes as well, which is all helping – this morning I was back to my pre-Christmas weight, which is still half a stone heavier than where I want to be, but going in the right direction.
Have a good rest of the week and weekend everyone!

Hi all,

I’m new here- first time posting. I have started the BSD diet last week, mostly for weight loss but obviously also for its numerous health benefits, ie. to reduce my blood sugar levels from pre-diabetes to normal. I’m very pleased to have lost 2.75kg in my first week!
Found my first week surprisingly easy, didn’t feel hungry most of the time, and I found cravings really disappeared as soon as I cut out the white stuff!

I am a mum of young children and working long hours (which I finds helps keep me distracted from eating!) but I don’t have loads of time to prep food. Sunshine Girl, I read your blog and felt very inspired by it but I really don’t have so much time to prep meals- so I’m wondering if any of the more experienced BSDers have advice on quick and easy foods to prepare.

I am looking forward to checking in here, as much as I’ll be able to.
Best of luck to everyone else on their journeys!

Hi Ruby, sooo agree about the UK weather, this grey is very trying and depressing.
You are doing well with your eating plan and seeing good results, even if maybe a little slower than you’d like. Half a stone is manageable and I’m sure you’ll get where you want to be soon using our new regime … even just keeping carbs low and small portions will make a difference.
My OH, like yours, used to be very anti fasting, but he is more accepting now, having seen that I don’t keel over as a result of not eating when he does. Though I don’t think he’d be happy if I pushed beyond 52hrs which has been my maximum. He’ll tolerate me not eating for a couple of days now, however this came about purely from my taking a stand and it took me a long time to front it out with him, so can well understand the desire not to rock the boat.

I’m seeing very small steps in the right direction, but am reasonably confident I’ll be able to consolidate being in the right stone bracket, at the start of our next weekly thread.

Hope everyone is having a good week, at least on the BSD front, but if you’re struggling take it one meal at a time and try to make good choices.

Hi Happysnap, welcome aboard! Well done on a great first week, glad it went well and you saw a good result.
My advice re: meal prep, is keep it simple. Plan family meals where you can cook the same for everyone, but leave the carbs off your plate. Meals with a portion of protein and plenty of above ground veggies or salad is quite easy to produce. Make good use of spices and herbs to adjust the flavour and help keep things interesting, so if you have chicken twice a week, it won’t get boring.
My other advice is to make good use of the forum, there’s a wealth of experience based knowledge to tap into here. It’s a great place to seek help, support and encouragement and we love to celebrate all the wins, both on and off the scales, so keep us posted!!

Good morning everyone & I’ve weighed a day early because of a busy weekend with playing in a short mat bowls match tomorrow & going to our sons for lunch on Sunday with an unpredictable menu & no doubt wine & puddings. It will be lovely to see our granddaughters the youngest of whom will be six next week. The gift she wants is skiing lessons & not far away from where they live is a snow centre so a gift voucher has been bought for her.
I’m pleased to say I’ve lost 2lbs in weight so continuing downwards but I’ve also got a suspected uti so will be taking a urine sample to my surgery for testing & to be prescribed antibiotics. Few symptoms but spending lots of pennies that I thought was just losing carb/fat fluid but my GP disagrees. Oh well best to get it checked out but of course antibiotics really disrupt our gut flora so will have to build it up again after the course is finished.
I hope you have all had a good week & welcome to Happysnap & RubyG you are really inspiring me with your fasting & I completed a 24 hour one yesterday & TRE daily at the moment with not eating after supper until lunch the next day.
Elle-Mae if I can work out how to add a photo of the lacy knickers bunting for beating ovarian cancer when it’s finished I will do so😀
I hope you have all had a good week!
Margaret

My GP has confirmed my sample shows no infections & has now agreed with me it’s because I’m losing weight that I’m spending more pennies! so I’m relieved I won’t be having to take any antibiotics 😀

Oh my goodness everyone, I am giddy with excitement !!! My son gave me the best news !! I am going to be a “Mamie/Nanny/Grandma this year !!!!! Those of you who have been on the forum for some time know that I often prattle on about wanting grandkiddies and now it really is going to happen . I am so happy !! The baby is due in October so a trip to Australia will be planned .I am not going to stress about the distance .There are always solutions .

So my WHY has been revived ! I want to be fit and in the best health to welcome my grandchild and this really is the motivation boost I needed . I am totally focused .

The Zero rice and noodles are OK, just OK . Thanks for the cooking tips Merry ( and hi !!) They do work to pad out a sauce but to be honest I too prefer my greens . I made the crustless quiche yestarday as friends popped round for lunch and it went down well.The recipe made loads ( 8 portions in a tart dish ) and was better than a frittata I felt . I even had enough mixture left to fill 3 muffin moulds .

I also tried out an oil free dressing with avocado whizzed in the blender which was nice .I often don’t bother with sald dressing but my avocado was going a bit soft . It was just avocado, white wine vinegar , whole grain mustard and chives ( I only had frozen chives)

I just wanted to say that I am aware that there are women on our thread struggling to conceive , going through IVF etc and I. I don’t want to appear insensitive with my burbling . I am sending you a massive hug XX

Good to see you back Julz !!

We haven’t had snow here but a few days of rain and thunderstorms . We desperately need rain so the farmers will be happy .It has gone a lot milder and we have a few daffodils in bloom . Stay safe and warm if you are in the UK . Spring is coming, honest !

Welcome happysnap ! For quick meals think eggs, omelettes , simple meals with protein ,saldad and green veg .Just continue to cut out the white carbs . Do you have time to batch cook ? Probably not but try not to fall into the trap of grabbing something when you get in late from work .I found it was much easier to fast when I was working as I had no temptations . I never had breakfast , had one meal a day for a long stretch ( but you have to switch it up or your body gets used to it ) I occasionally took a few nuts to work with me and ALWAYS drank loads .

Brilliant news on your follow up appointment SG .You will soon be able to resume your exercise routine without fear .

Oh Portugal sounds lovely, Verano . We had some spectacular grilled fish in Porto in an area with loads of fish restaurants
We have rebooked Paris for the end of June . It should be lovely at that time of year .

Glad you didn’t end up with antibiotics Margaret . I know they are sometimes necessary but they do mess up your good bugs . I too love the idea of the festooned pants ! I have plenty of bloomers !!

You really are busy, articfox .Talking of seeds I have been investigating sprouting seeds .I have had mixed results , great at times, a bit mouldy at others so if anyone has any tips …?

Well done RubyG on getting back to your pre Christmas weight .I never had any problem getting my hubby to accept my fasting . iI talked about it a lot and even now we often eat differently .He enjoys pasta and potatoes ……and crisps !!!! You sound like you are adjusting and finding what works for you without causing a row .

Hi Elle-Mae !

Sunny your trip to Turkiye is edging closer and you are doing well getting to a good place with the numbers on the scales . My problem was taking my eye off the ball and even though I don’t weigh often, I need to be vigilant .

Amz ( orangepandamama)has gone quiet again.I hope you are ok, Amz xx

Have a good weekend everyone xx

Hi all, been lurking, it’s been very hectic at work so not had time to post. Great news on your appointment S-G. Fantastic news on becoming a Nanny Wendy 😁
I am 1 3/4 lbs off where I want to be before going to Tenerife on Wednesday, but have 2 potential eating traps in that time, so 🤞I can do it. If not, well what will be will be.
KOKO x

Well I have had an appointment to have my ear wax micro suctioned out 🤨. It turns out that I have really tiny tubes in my ears! Now why oh why is that the part of me that is tiny? I ask you! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

My hubby has the same problem, Elle-Mae, a very narrow ear canal .He has hearing aids which keep getting blocked !

I have just tried a portion of the Konjac Spaghetti I have here . I followed Merry’s instructions and prepared the spaghetti with a curry sauce hubby made .It was ok !

Hi everyone, happy Sunday

Lovely news from Wendleg – congratulations, what will your grandma name be. I am nan to my boys.
Congrats on the weight loss Wendy1947 – using your full name as you are not the only Wendy.
Welcome to happysnap, thank you for reading my blog – I dont think I am quite as determined as I was then, maybe I should re-read it 🙂 You will very soon get rid of the pre-diabetic label if you stick with us.

Here’s me preaching when my weekend has been a total write off. Starting with Friday at the restaurant. I didn’t much in the way of carbs as the food was soggy and tasteless. Don’t know what has happened to what was one of my favourite places to lunch. Maybe I just made bad choices. Because I was so hungry I just chowed down on the bread baskets offerings. Hubby was out all day Saturday which included a lunch so I did a 16 hr TRE and skipped breakfast. Because he didn’t want a meal in the evening I just dug something out of the freezer which just happened to be nems. Hey ho. They have gone now. Weight gain is just under 1lb so not too bad.

Starting tomorrow I am going to dust off my aerobic DVD’s and have a good session. Might help bump up the weight loss. Also going to find some more yoga/pilates classes on YouTube.

Think we have found a housesitter for Easter – fingers crossed.

Have a good rest of your weekend.

Wonderful news Wendy on your approaching Grandma status! And a trip to Aus too!
S-G – I’m with you on a total blowout this weekend. A family gathering yesterday where I ate way toooo much. I need to re-find my “why” and get focused again.
Yes – the zero noodles are just OK – and cauli rice or zucchini spirals are tastier! Sometimes though I use the zero when I need a quick and filling lunch.
Michael Mosely is touring Aust and NZ at the moment. I didn’t buy a ticket to his show (At over $100 a ticket I will save my pennies 😃) – I think we have a wealth of knowledge on these forums!
Sunny day here – so I will get into the garden.
🌼🌷🌻

Many congratulations Wendy on becoming a grandma👏👏
I have also had an off piste eating weekend with a family lunch & wine & biscuits celebrating a short bowls match win🙀
I’m going to get back on track today eating much less😀Very well done everyone who has lost some weight👍
Margaret

Many thanks for your good granny wishes 😉
SG , my boys called their French grandmother Mamie and their English gradmother was Nana so who knows who I will be .What do Aussies call their grandmothers, Merry ? I am just happy whatever ! I still can’t say anything to my family as my son wants to wait for the 3rd month before he tells them . A couple more weeks to go .

As I said I am totally focused on being in my best health and even though I expect there will be a few meals and invitations to negotiate I will not wander far . SG sorry your special restaurant was a disappointment. I reckon you managed damage limitation really well and all the best for your new exercise routine .

Today has been a glorious sunny day and 23 degrees although it is not expected to last .In fact I am thinking I should set up the new weekly thread a bit earlier than usual as we have thunderstorms forecast this evening .A bit unusual for March but hey ho anything goes these days .

Hi everyone,
Feeling so much better today. Several things. We have finally booked a housesitter. A single parent lady with 2 little boys (10 and 12), she is from the Czech Republic, she speaks excellent English.

Nurse came and took bloods this morning and, to my surprise after being without insulin and other meds for 3 days my HbA1c is 6.5 which is pretty normal for a diabetic. Cholesterol is 3.5 which is the same as last time and again, I was without meds for 3 days.
Did a 30 minute session of yoga this morning – Adriene – Slow and Gentle (for seniors) so just easing myself in.

The restaurant has been resolved. Daughter said not to give a bad review as we have never had a problem before. So I wrote them an email outlining all the problems we had. Within the hour we had a note back from their public relations officer apologising and saying she would raise all issues with the team. She also sent me a voucher for 2 free meals and all drinks – which at their prices is probably with €100. That’s what I call service. I remember once we ordered coffee at the end of a meal and waited and waited. To be fair they had a large group who were running them ragged. We decided to leave without coffee but I pointed it out on the bill that we hadn’t actually had any as they were a long time. The manager ripped up our bill and printed a new one – minus the coffee but also minus our pre-dinner drinks and wine (we only drink by the glass but still around €40 as the aperos were about €10 each). We always know we will be treated fairly, just not by the staff last week. That will pay for me and my daughter for her birthday treat and hubby and grandson can be billed separately – but neither of them drink 🙂

Have a good week. I am trying to decide what exercise to do tomorrow. We have had 23 degrees here today but with a smattering of rain and now the wind is getting up so I decided against a walk but will see tomorrow.

Oh that is a good resolution of the restaurant disappointment, SG .Well done and you can look forward to a special meal later .

Brilliant blood results too !

It has gone very dark here so I am going to set up the new thread now