Well October hasn’t been the best of months for me but I am plodding on , and doing my best .I don’t get it right all the time but the basic principles are well established and I know what I SHOULD do !!!

If like me you are not perfect all the time, if like SG you are totally focused, if like some you have lost the plot (!) there is always a place for you !!!

Welcome back Julz , good to see you . I think you had a moment of complacency like me and it’s easy to go into denial mode and let that slide . Stick with us , you always talk sense !

Let’s focus on our health , folks and keep supporting our friendly group xx

Thanks as usual to sunshine girl for her total commitment to BSD and the thread xxx

SunnyB is in Turkey at the moment but will no doubt pop in when she can.

Have a good week everyone

Wendy xx

Hi all, still here……..just.
October has been a complete write-off for us.
Hubby and I had a bad week with Covid, a second week of recovering slowly, and now into our third week still have little stamina and I fear I will have the cough for a while.
Still low-carbing but not considering cals at all, and eating what we feel like when we feel like it, as our appetites are not back to normal and I still have an underlying nausea a lot of the time.
Scrambled eggs and yoghurt (not together) have been my lifeline the past few weeks.
I think hubby has lost weight over this time and I definitely feel like I’ve gained.
Tomorrow I think is 2 years since we started this WOE, so that’s a good milestone 🙂
Anyway, I do feel a bit better every day, and will continue to be inspired by the forum.

Thanks Wendy! Looking forward to this week, still 100% motivated which is a first in a looooong time!! As an indication of how bad i have been the past few weeks…. i weighed myself Sunday morning, scared myself, got my act together and am 5.5lbs down already – thats a lot of carby water out of my system! I’m looking at every days as an “opportunity” – an opportunity to be healthier, make progress, keep control and be the best me i can….. its not a chore, or waiting to for time to tick by til my next meal, or a challenge, or a sufferance…its an opportunity, to make every day count. (gosh who am i?! this Julz has been awol for about 18 months!!)

RubyG, thats a tough October, but you sound like you have done a decent job of sticking to principles and making it through. I’d take that as a win. Covid certainly knocked me for 6 in terms of energy, motivation and fatigue, although i felt “ok” quickly, i fatigued so easily, and was probably just the excuse i needed to not stick to this WOE….that was in Feb this year, took me til August to feel like i could run properly, and until now to feel motivated for health improvements.

Wendy – sounds soft, ive missed you, a lot of what you say always resonates, knowing what you should do, and talking the talk are fab foundations, but sometimes not enough…. although aiming for perfection will never be achievable….. you are amazing and basics most of the time is never bad!

Take care. Looking forward to catching up

Hi everyone, thanks for the new thread Wendy. Great to see you back WindyJulz and you too RubyG (although you have been around).

Dont know what is happening with me. Started a strict BSD 800 cals less than 50g carbs 2 weeks ago and I have lost absolutely nothing. Exactly the same weight. I guess that is better than gaining. I have to have a theory and that is that I am always on the diet to a point so going 800 cals is only a drop of around 100 to 200 cals for me. I am always low carb so not different there. I guess my body doesnt even know it is on a diet. Maybe I should relax at bit but, saying that, it is not in me to give up.

On a positive point my BG is still showing a fasting level of around 80 and I dither between 7 and 8 units of insulin. Maybe staying on insulin would be my best bet. I am used to it, I have no side effects, I can control it so move the units up or down depending on my numbers, exercise and food. Why would I want to go onto another drug that might give me serious problems (I have been researching and none have zero bad effects). Doubt the small amount I am injecting is affecting my weight much so why change. I know that over time insulin can cause some problems but no different from the other drugs. Everything is going so well. My cholesterol is steady, my BP is so low I have had to cut out one of the meds and my BG is stable. Still got time to think about it so not rushing into a decision. Good job really as I am the most indecisive person you could meet.

Have a good week.

Hi SG
Could it be that your body has just got used to the amount of cals/carbs etc and has found a new set point ?
A sort of happy place ?

Sometimes shaking things up can be useful. All your results are good. I understand you are not anxious about it but I always say it’s not just about the numbers on the scale. You have done brilliantly managing your insulin and coping with recent health scares…that is a massive achievement.

Yes, why not relax a bit , and as you say that doesn’t mean giving up .You never would anyway ! xx

Oh RubyG , just concentrate on getting better , take it easy . Being fully recovered is priority .Covid has not gone away .We have booked our 4th booster along with the flu jab.I am not overly keen but the people I hear of around us who have contracted Covid recently have been pretty washed out.
All the best to you and hubby xx

Liking the new motivated Julz !! Definitely liking that health is your priority too. Sorry you too had a rough time regaining your energy post Covid. So happy that you are back with us, I missed you too ! xx

Ruby….Covid is no fun at all….take it easy in recovery!
Hi Wendy, SG, Julz.
Well…..I’ve had a couple of slip ups but overall doing A-ok with the eating despite being down with yet another horrible non-Covid virus….so fed up, everything knocks me flat due to the underlying chtonic fatigue syndrome as well as lingering post-covid issues….and I just feel terribly low in mood because combo of kids/ work has been so stressful…..I’m struggling not to fall down the black hole of depression…..

Sorry all, you probably don’t really want or need to know all of that…..I guess I just want a magic wand to fix how I feel.

Still, on with the healthy eating!!

Love to all xxxxx

Tulip – doing A-ok with the eating is brilliant when you are generally struggling. Good on you. Finding a positive mindset can be so difficult, I feel for you. I generally go on the ‘surround yourself with good people’ and avoiding spending too much time able to dwell on things. No idea if any of that is possible for you, I’m very lucky to have some good friends who are hilarious, so some time in their company can work wonders. Also, have you done any meditation? I find it can be very relaxing, bring a sense of peace which can help let stressful situations wash over me, really helps my busy brain.
Alas though, no magic wands, the stress, feeling down, its all part of being human, you just gotta find what helps you see the bright sides….they are there.

I was on the road a lot of yesterday, 2.5hr drive to first client, then popped in past another on the way home, no snaxidents, and home to my fav halloumi salad and a small bit of dark choc. Pleased with that.
today is a new day and new opportunity…..

Happy hump day

Ironically, my fourth booster was already booked, but I was probably 10 months past my last booster so I guess my immunity had started to wane. We haven’t moved our fourth jabs, as we should just squeak into the 28 days post-infection, and I shall speak to the pharmacist re. the timing of our flu jabs, as they only opened their under-65 bookings last week.
I sympathise Tulip, although I realise your black hole of depression is on a different scale, but I am also fed up of feeling rubbish, with a whole pile of other stuff adding to my stress yet again.
I am trying to keep putting one foot in front of the other, or as SG would say “KOKO”.

Hi all, glad I stuck with it as I have just had a bit of a booster loss.

Talking of boosters RubyG, we had ours in May and was asking if there was going to be another – while the pharmacists of doing our flu jabs – he said not it we have had 4. So hopefully we are fully protected.

Couple of things going on here which I haven’t spoken about, one I have bought new glasses (frames) as my current ones got hair dye on the arms/legs and it wont come off. They were due for a change anyway. Also got a pair of free sunglasses – not prescriptions lenses but I sometimes wear contacts. Will pick them up next week. Next, we are decorating what is now our office. As it is the biggest bedroom and we want to separate the bunks in the other bedroom – they wont fit in there – they will now be put in here as 2 singles. Will have to wait for someone to give us some help as they are very heavy. Anyway, it is looking very nice and just one more wall to paint.

We have just taken the cover off the pool and I told hubby not to tell me the temperature. So I am going in very soon. Our neighbour has a hornets nest in one of his trees and the men are coming to remove it at 5pm so I had better swim before them as they will swarm. We have been told to keep everything shut tight and keep the cats in for at least an hour after the deed is done. Exciting life we lead 🙂

Brrrrr 20 degrees but I feel grreat.

Another small loss and heading down to 72kgs. Still decorating but nearly done. Just need to get one more pot of paint for an end wall. Not swimming today although we have 28 degrees it really doesnt seem very warm – overcast and windy. Still got a few more warm days coming next week before we head into true Autumn weather.

Julz- thank you- yes, I try to tackle it with healthy coping strategies….and it is good to be reminded of some of them!!…….it’s just hard-going at the moment….I know it won’t last forever, which is helpful…..

Ruby….I think all struggles are hard, and I don’t like to think of my depression as any more valid, if you like, than how anyone else is feeling…..we are all different
….
Thank you both, and everyone else for your support

xxx

How are people doing as we head to the weekend? I’m on day 6 of operation ‘back on track’, and feeling good for it. Down just over 7lbs!! Whoop.
I’m sorting a strategy for the weekend, long fast Saturday keeping busy, with a light lunch then a nice meal with hubby and dad. Difficult one for me always….we’ve done Saturday night dinner most weeks since the beginning of covid and its a bit of a challenge….dad is 87, lives “with” us (downstairs but fairly independently), and well…he’s a grumpy old man and can be hard going. I try every day to be kind and patient….now the issue, I am infinitely more fun and better humored with him on a Saturday if i have a glass of wine, or 2….. to be honest I think i’ll have a glass this weekend, despite knowing its not the best strategy, this has got to fit with life, so its maybe my compromise….. I’ll report back on how that goes!! Dont love this situation but….
Anyhoo….motivation to keep on is strong so here’s hoping.

Tulip, things sound tough, but keep at it and, your right, its not forever.

SunshireGirl you sound busy….good busy! Impressed and a bit jealous of the swimming too.

Hi all, WindyJ you are doing great, I wish I had those sort of losses but my body is so used to low cals/carbs and I cant go any lower. I could have a bit of a blow out and eat more but the gains would not be outweighed by any possible jump in losses. Anyway, slowly, slowly does it for me. I look back and see how far I have come and get some satisfaction from that. Even since we came back from our August holiday I have lost just over 7lbs. Not giving up.

Forgot to mention also, anyone who remembers my 2 pairs of jeans that I havent been able to get into since I bought them around 4 years ago, I am now wearing one of them. Nice to have a pair of trousers that dont have a baggy arse! Also, looking at my measurements to see where I was going wrong, turns out I have lost nearly an inch off each thigh and half inch from each upper arm. Put that down to the swimming. Swam again today, water was just 20 degrees. If I can still swim next week it will be the first time I have swum in November in an unheated pool.

Have a good weekend everyone and stay determined and motivated.

Oh sunshinegirl, I’m 100% conscious that the big weight loss is a reflection of how off track I’d been for the few days before standing on the scales. It’s now slowed right down, I feel like my body is now rid of all the rubbish in my system and I’ll be expecting a much slower weekly drop, but I know it works and I will stick at it. Feeling so much better.
Interestingly I’ve been sleeping so well, and body seems to be looking for long sleeps. I’ve gone with it (usually get up at 05:30 3 times a week to run but I sprained my ankle the other week so good opportunity to sort the eating and get the needed sleep).

Fab on the jeans…. I’m very aware I’ve been living in stretchy trousers for far too long…. Can’t wait to get back into my size 12s.
You are inspiring with the swimming…. I’ve been toying with trying to find some pool time, but it’ll be indoors and heated.

Reported above post 🙄

Hi all, WindyJ I dont know how you get up so early. I am a night owl, rarely go to bed before midnight – mainly because I am watching UK TV and hour later i.e. 10 o clock news is 11 o clock here. Looking forward to an extra hour tomorrow morning, however, I have not been sleeping well and was still awake when I heard the dustmen arrive at 4am.

My jeans are a size 14 but very snug fit. I will be seeking out our local swimming pool starting after the school holidays (Wed 9th Nov) when they do the oldies special 9am to noon. Just got out of the pool, it was still 20 degrees which is fine for me but I dont like going in when the weather around me is bad. Today it is sunny and 26. Now forecast for 20’s and high teens with lots of rain. Autumn is here.

Wendy I see you reported the advertising. I’ve just reported one mentioning keto Gummies. Not sure if they are advertising Gummy Bears sweets. I know a story about them. A girl who works with my daughter was getting a flight and was eating gummy bears to stop her ears from popping. She managed to get through a whole bag and suddenly it wasnt her ears she had to worry about. Lets just say they are keto because they contain sorbitel instead of sugar and she pebble dashed the plane toilet and it was off limits for the rest of the flight. Fortunately it was just UK to Europe. :):)

Enjoy your lie in everyone.

Oh I’ve heard a few stories about gummies etc and explosive situations on flights – there was a hilarious online review in relation to this at one time.
Well I made it through the weekend on plan, few calories over but carbs low and planned glass of wine well managed (although this did directly affect my sleep, which was annoying as it was extra hour in bed day!) I’m definitely back in the game, as one again i reviewed the carbs and calories and was alarmed about the carbs in an apple (baked apple was pudding on Saturday, and I’d totally forgotten about the 19g of carbs knowing the numbers up significantly – so happy to be back to a place where i’m annoyed i ate an apple….rather than trying to pretend i did not eat half a box of Lindor!!
I’m already recognising this is a long term thing and planning my low carb christmas dissert and looking forward to challenging myself through festivities!! Sorry – its way to early to mention the C word….and i normally ignore it until December, but as far as initial targets go, christmas is the focus!! And delighted its not a focus with a plan to go off the rails! Whoop for BSD mindset returning!!

Hows everyone else weekend been? Hope those who are struggling are keeping their nose above water and keeping on going… thinking of you.

Lovely to read you are proper back in the game,Julz! Enjoy that glass of wine !

It is a massive boost to feel back in control. I’m back on my fasting schedule too which I had let slip .

I began the week with a zoom yoga session which my sister in Greece does so it makes us feel closer! It felt good to get the body moving.

So sorry about your ongoing fatigue/depression Clare. Just know that you can share with us when you are struggling.

Well done SG as always. No aquagym here until May next year now our season has ended. I have to drive 30mins to the nearest pool so I will just go for a walk instead.

Yes..Christmas is a coming ! I will.set up.the new thread in a while,bearing in mind we are looking at 54 days 😉before the event

Back soon xx

New thread coming up !