Are you feeling optimistic in October? We are a group of BSDers at varying stages of our journey. Everyone is welcome to join in and share tips, encouragement, ups and downs. We are friendly and supportive. My aim for Optimistic in October is to get to 145 lb or less by end of October. September didn’t quite go to plan! I am optimistic that I can get my weight under control once again. What do you want to achieve in October?

Hi Clarinet Cathy! Thank you for starting this thread.
This will be my second month on the BSD program, I’ve learned an enormous amount and have enjoyed participating on the forum. I had a 3.8kg loss in September to 67.2kgs (if my scales tell the truth) and my goal for October is to get to 65kgs or thereabouts at the end of October – its a stretch but I might as well set the bar high! I also intend to say alcohol free and do more exercise, say at least three classes per week at my gym.
Hope everyone has a great month!

@heiding you are inspiring me to make non-weight related commitment for this month.
This is my ~16th week on this WOL I think and it’s time to focus on a body recomposition. I must be made of ~30% fat at the moment and aim to reach 25%. So I will go 3 times a week to the gym to do Weight lifting. And I will take photo of myself in my undies + tape measure to track my progress. When I manage to put on some muscles my weight on the scale will increase so I’ll stay away from the scales!
Happy October everyone 🙂

Hi Clarinet Cathy I would love to join you and thank you for starting the thread.. I had a Seriously Silent September so I’m in for an optimistic October. My goal is to stay in my healthy BMI and get some wriggle room back!

Thank you Clarinet Cathy for starting this thread. I did Serious September and loved following people’s achievements and challenges. I’ve been on and off BSD since January but started again seriously in September and joined this thread. I lost 3.7 kg like a few others. First 3 weeks I stuck with it cutting alcohol and carbs but gained a little the last week with some treats and a weekend away. I can really see the difference. I definitely recommend taking measurements if you are starting out because it feels great to see the measurements come down. A photo is also good as you’ll be surprised how you forget what you looked like as the weight comes off. There’s nothing like that high when you fit back into a beloved pair of jeans. Let’s help each other this month. I’m away on a Pilates Retreat this month and can’t wait now some clothes for me again for the first time in 3 years! I don’t expect to lose much this month but hope to maintain. I’ve got a week before I go to am going to be super strict to lose a bit before I go! Let’s keep on keeping on everyone !

Hi everyone, I’m in! Thanks Cathy for setting it up. Well done to everyone for various successes in September, and for those who are feeling a bit disappointed October is another month: the chance for a brand new start.

I seriously scuppered September and put on 3lb: started at 138/139lb and ended up 141/142lb. I’m not surprised as it was a busy month with lots of trips and events, and I’m optimistic that I can sort things out in October. I’m actually away (again!) from tomorrow for a week so will be joining in the forum properly after that, but will read your posts via email while I’m away and will be cheering you all on from the sidelines 🙂

My two goals for October are to get firmly back to 138lb and also to get in a regular exercise routine. Once I’m back I will not be away again until Christmas so no more excuses! I want to do 10000 steps a day (which to be fair I am now currently managing most days) but also swim more often and join a regular class, either yoga or pilates or dance.

So onwards into October everyone, and I look forward to enjoying the journey with you all X

Good afternoon all and yes I am here and I would like to lose the 5lbs I have gained by the 1st of November. Fingers crossed. Good luck to you all this month. We can do this as we will KOKO ❤️❤️💪💪🚭🚭😘😘😘 Birdy 💞🦜

Hi,
Thank you for starting the thread CC
I feel like I have reached the point on this journey where its time to recognise that I have a foot in both camps. – I haven’t got down to my dream / beach ready body weight and shape. I have got down to a weight and body which frees me to live the life I want to lead, and by leading that life hopefully over time my body composition will improve. So that raises the question, which path to take.
I am sort of in the mindset that its time to view myself as being more in maintenance but working on body composition than in spending time focusing on weight loss. –

Maybe its because recently I am feeling that this way of eating has become ingrained. But equally I have recently spent time in the company of people who are starting to be in failing health and its reminding me that I want to move on to doing things, going to places, and enjoying the renewed energy that this way of eating has given me.

So I am not going to set any targets that are weight or gym related this month. I am going to set myself targets and aims for things to achieve related to my personal life / work life balance this month. I will still read the posts on the forum picking up on the exchanges of data as new research comes out, and offering a helping hand to those who ask for help, but take more of a back seat for a while.

Good to see a nice bunch of fellow BSDers who are feeling Optimistic for October and great to see that we have a variety of personal goals to achieve,. It’s nice to be able to share our achievements or even just to bounce ideas/tips/encouragement or just have a moan If we need to! . I personally have always felt very supported on the forum and I hope that we all have a successful October. I am fed up of messing about with a few pounds on and a
few pound small on so I mean business this month. I am going to weigh 145 lb on the last day of October FACT!

@louisekangooroo I like that you are also doing the exercise goals. One thing I still haven’t done is taken a photo of myself in my undies in the mirror – not that keen eek. I’m a bit disappointed that I’m not losing much around my waist. I think its one inch but only if I nearly cut my waist in half by pulling the tape measure as tight as possible! Not sure if that counts 🙂 Hope I see a change there this month.
Meanwhile, I had some nice work suits in my wardrobe but put them away a few months ago as I found it depressing to look at them everyday given I couldn’t fit into them. I thought I’d get them out and see how close I was to getting back into them, I’ve sort of gone down a size (if I breathe in haha). Do you think I could find them? I’ve completely lost them – and my house is tiny with very few storage options. So frustrating! I will just have to do what my Mum always says. If you can’t find something start cleaning up. I have to say it works every.single.time. I shall be cleaning everything this weekend!

Hi all, thanks for setting up the thread CC.
Birdy I meant to add a comment in the September thread – well done on giving up smoking 🙂 I read yesterday that after 3 weeks of not smoking a persons risk of dementia decreases by 10% – and I’m sure there’s many more benefits, it’s surprising how quickly some of them happen. I gave up 29 years ago now, best decision I ever made!
My goal for October is to get back under 95kg, then be under 90kg by the end of the year. So far this year the scales have either been going the other way, or staying the same, although I did have a 1.8kg loss in september .
Good luck all – let’s do this 😀

Hi to any members/readers in Melbourne. I have been reading about some cafe’s etc adding some low carb dishes to their menus – but yesterday I tried a relatively new place in Albert Park called Carbless (this is not an ad for them and I am not related to this business!! 😀😀)
The food my friend and I enjoyed was really tasty! I had a falafel salad dish which was yum, and there was enough left over to take home for dinner. It had corn in it which is a bit carby, but overall for the day I was still low.
Does anyone else in Melbourne know of other specifically low carb cafes? Although with the choices of cafes we have I can always find something low carb! We are so lucky to have such a range.

Hi All, and thanks Clarinet Cathy for starting this thread, which I would like to join if I may?
I was a Judiscious July-er, losing 12.5 lbs, and a fairly attentive August-ine, losing 6 lbs, so overall very pleasing. Then I went on holiday for 2 weeks and put 4 lbs back, and the two weeks to the end of September I gained a further 2 lbs, having broken some of those good habits!
So, I weighed in on Monday at 179 lbs, and would like to lose a minimum of 10 lbs in October. So far so good this week.
My ultimate goal would be to get to 154 lbs, or a little lower.
Good luck everyone, I look forward to hearing about everyone’s experience.

Thanks CCathy for setting up this thread. I too, am in! I am going to visit Allie in a couple of weeks, so I know there will be no straying whilst there and meanwhile, I’m endeavoring to get the seat belt on the plane to do up without having to ask for a bright orange extension! That is what I’m aiming for! I would like to see some pounds gone also, but I’m not going to aim for a number!
Good luck to all of us!
Kazzeexx

Am still struggling to get the scales moving in the right direction. We went to Chester Zoo yesterday and despite having a bad back I walked 12,000 painful steps! I can feel myself getting angry in the presence of people eating massive amounts of food who don’t have a weight problem or even worse, those who are overweight and don’t care! I need to have a good look at why things aren’t working! I am doing 16:8 Monday to Friday and mixing it up at weekend. I am following the principles and drinking plenty of water but I think I need to up my exercise which is difficult as I have a back problem and my big toes are very painful when I walk and I have to strap them up. I am getting to the point where my clothes are bulging! I seriously cannot put on 1lb more. I am going to be extra strict with my food next week and go back to 800 cal. My stomach has been rumbling in the office at work which is embarrassing and then I get the unhelpful comments about my WOE. I know this WOE works but I need to have a rethink about what I am eating, I will be relying on eggs and cottage cheese to fill up. I am strict vegetarian. Could it be nuts,cheese, cream. has anyone ever tried going back to low fat for a while to see if anything happens to their weight after following this way of eating for as long as I have-almost 3years. Just wondering why things aren’t going to plan. Ps am still optimistic! !

For Cathy – I haven’t wanted to post on the forum for a while, a bit disillusioned with it and the diet but I follow along and wanted to reassure you that you’re not the only one that has those feelings. I also find myself feeling angry with those that don’t have to count every little thing as well as even those on the forum that frequently post about how easy this is and how easy it was to hit their goals. All power to them but it is not the case for many of us and I hope for those who feel this way, you don’t feel like you’re not good enough or trying hard enough. If you’re like me, you’re doing everything right and yet it’s still an uphill slog. I just try and remind myself that there are probably still reasons why some of us struggle more than others that the scientists and doctors don’t even know yet! As hard as it is, we have to tune out and just focus on ourselves and our own successes, whatever they may be.
I don’t know whether this helps you or not but for me, I have to stick to strictly 800, watching my macros with an eagle eye in order to lose – and when I say lose, I mean tiny little bits that go up and down and eventually solidify into a small loss. Other than the first two weeks, I’ve never experienced the “whoosh”, not have I ever felt energized by eating this way or found that the hunger magically goes away. I try and eat 20:4 but I am always hungry during the day and have to have coffee with cream and sometimes bone broth to hold me over. Despite doing this for months, I still have cravings and I don’t think that this is every going to change. I know for many it has and I think that’s great, I’m just not made that way.
I have had to remove nuts, cheese and cream from my house – I now have to go buy a coffee and ask them to add cream because I found I would just binge on those things as they seemed the only treat-like foods left. For the record, while I firmly believe in the science behind this diet, to me it is still a diet not a WOE – I still have to restrict foods, watch portions and frequently feel deprived when going out or being around others that don’t eat the same way. So while I agree with the science, to me, this still doesn’t address the relationship some of us (me) have with food. We still use terms like “good” and “bad” foods and I would love to get to the point where I can see food as just food – some better for me than others but not labeling certain things as taboo because when I do eat them, it comes with a lot of guilt and feelings of failure. Hence why I don’t use the word “carbage” – and I understand that not everyone doing this has such a contentious relationship with food, this is just my perspective!
In short, Cathy (well quite long really!), I’m glad you’re still optimistic, I’m here with you and my only suggestion is to go back to 800 and stick with it. I tried doing some different things in September because I got frustrated and it didn’t work so I need to actually stick with something (for me, strict 800) for a decent amount of time instead of chopping and changing. And it’s hard! xxx

Cathy and Kafin I read your posts with interest. I thinking it’s really difficult not to become disheartened when you seem to be doing everything right but nothing seems to be happening ….. or if it is, it’s in the wrong direction!
I notice that you do 20:4 and 16:8. I very rarely eat breakfast so I guess I do 14:10 or 15:9 most days. Some days I just have to eat breakfast, so I do and I do find that after those days my scales move down a fraction. I wonder if our bodies really do get used to whichever pattern we follow and even hold onto food knowing there’s going to be a ‘famine’ for the next 15, 16, 20 hours? I know the ‘new science’ doesn’t support that notion but I firmly believe you can’t slot everybody into the same box. I’m sure it really is a case of trial and error and I know how frustrating that can be.
Sorry I guess that’s not really helpful. I wonder if going right back to basics might help. Being honest about how much weight we need or want to lose….. these can often be quite different numbers. Really looking at what we are eating/drinking and going back to weighing and counting for a while. It’s amazing how easily guestimating can lead to larger and larger portions over time. Rediscovering our ‘Why’. Is it for health, vanity a mixture of both it something totally different? Sometimes I think maybe we should just accept the ‘now’ and enjoy rather chasing a ‘dream’ that may just be unattainable.
I hope you both find your way and feel brighter soon. Currently I’m trying to work on my ‘why’ . Let’s hope we can all find renewed enthusiasm for whichever path we choose

I also read and re-read CC and Kafin’s posts. I know that “body set point” has been touched on in the past; I wonder if there is something in that. Kafin, you have been so eloquent on this forum, and I think you show an incredible level of self-insight and a clarity of thought and self-knowledge that is inspiring. I am sure that is something that you can and will continue to draw on. I can understand that it is hard to see some people sailing on – but at the end of the day, that is life. There is no point comparing ourselves to others. I also think that for some, there has been a genuine change (whether down to good gut bugs or something else) in desires for certain types of food – not just “that’s good” or “that’s bad”, but just “I don’t fancy that”, and a change in what is perceived as a treat or a “temptation” to “give in to”. I am not saying I am one of those, although I do know there has been a significant change. I can understand the idea that sometimes thinking something is forbidden, or “wrong”, makes it even more compulsive – and that can lead to a cycle. I don’t feel competent to offer any suggestions – just to say remember that rubber ball. xx

Thanks Kafin/Verano/sixturkeys for your thoughts and comments. My personal plan is to keep going forever! I can’t ever go back to how things were before I embarked on BSD. This worked for me in 2017. I think my body is now used to minimal amounts of food and it seems that I am going to be someone like you Kafin who has to stay at very low calorie and that is why I found maintenance so difficult. Any increase in food showed on the scales. I did slowly lose 42lb in 2017 and then found maintenance so difficult and this year have struggled to keep the weight down. So back to basics for a few weeks, to lose the 15 lbs I have gradually put on and then experiment with maintenance once again. I must be doing something wrong so I will start to write a daily diary of food in and go back to weighing daily. I did become obsessed with daily weighing so stopped but I think it will be worth going back to basics for a few weeks and looking at trying to lose a few pounds each week by monitoring daily.

Hope everyone else is getting results.

Good for you Clarinet Cathy. I think we are pretty much in the same boat. Maybe it is better for the planet (as well as our purses!) that we can manage on far fewer calories than expected. Even if the scales don’t show much progress, we know where we have come from and whither we do not wish to return! KOKO

Caronl- I am planning to take early retirement early next year and have joked with my husband that it will probably help me lose weight as I won’t have enough money to buy food! . It is actually quite shocking to see the amount of food and alcohol that people consume. I know I’ve admitted to getting angry at seeing what people eat and it is because I am extremely envious! I am feeling optimistic that I will have the resilience to continue my battle and achieve a healthy weight once again. My sedentary lifestyle also has an impact but that is something I can’t change due to health issues. Anyway, armed with what we know, low calorie, high fat, low sugar and intermittent fasting we will get there. There are a fair few of us still plodding and I feel lucky to be in such great company.

Hi everyone! I’d like to join for October. I started Fast 800 back in July, and inspired by these forums I have learned SO much. Thank you to all the people who recommended Dr Jason Fung. I’m reading “The Obesity Code” after watching several hours of his presentations on YouTube, and getting lots out of it. I’d like to make a recommendation of my own to anyone researching more, and that’s the work of Dr Gary Fettke (from Australia), Dr Tim Noakes, and Nina Teicholz (Big Fat Surprise) who show up the vested interests in the government dietary guidelines from the 1980s until now. It has been an absolute eye opener. I’m now following Low Carb Healthy Fat (pretty similar to the Fast 800 recipes) and have discovered 16:8 intermittent fasting really works for me. JGwen, thanks for all the times you’ve posted about carbs. All the dots have connected for me. I am one of those who needs to keep them really low to succeed.

For anyone relatively new, I think it takes a while to become really fat adapted (burning fat easily for energy) and this is explained in The Obesity Code, as your body resisting changing your set weight. If you’re a woman, the scales definitely lie. Your body composition can change so much and the scales go up and down with hormones. Clothes, measurements and before/after photos are a much better way to track. If I was starting over, I would have taken more measurements. I can see I’ve lost fat from my arms and legs, hips, butt, even my feet. The area I really want to see flatten out is my tummy, and it has of course, but I’m not finished yet. I think October will be the month though. I started 16:8 on Thursday (after a big carb day on Wednesday) and scales say 2 kg down (includes water loss of course, due to carbs, but also the lowest I have weighed in years, also I know my lean muscle mass is up, as I am now as fit as I have ever been, inspired by the Eat, Fast, Live Longer and Fast 800 book).

#ClarinetCathy. Absolutely. Let’s carry on plodding! I enjoy the company too.

#MelBelle welcome to this thread. I have enjoyed many of their Youtube lectures. I think it’s quite healthy to get angry about all the industry-fuelled misinformation we have been fed over the years. And act on it! Congratulations on your achievements so far.

Hi Melbelle
Thanks for your post. Are you in Melbourne? Did you know about this seminar this week? https://lowcarbdownunder.com.au/events/low-carb-melbourne-2019/
Noakes is very inspirational. I also really like the books What the Fat and What the Fast by Aust/NZ authors.
I agree that body composition and how clothes fit are often so much a better measurement than scales. Weight can jump up and down over a week, but clothes tell the story.
M

@merrymelba about other low carbs option in Melbourne, I know of two:
One cafe in the city called Herbs and Beans
And the other one is a cake place called Ketoworks Australia in Kew

I’ve made some good progress on my exercise goal this month. Did 2 HIIT classes and enjoyed them a lot.
The exercises are very varied and the reps aren’t huge so I don’t get a chance to get bored. And they even got me running again.
I used to be a runner until I got pregnant with my first baby, then never got a chance to get back to it. I kinda assumed I would never be able to run again with all the extra weight. But now that I’m 18kg lighter and building on muscles, I know I can run again! So so so excited
Im still low carbs and doing intermittent fasting rather than extended fast so that it supports my muscle build. I need the proteins 💪💪

@merrymelba I’m in Sydney! I’ll look forward to seeing that talk by Tim Noakes on YouTube. I love the LowCarbDownUnder channel on YouTube. It’s been a massive encouragement. I can’t believe how much information is out there that’s different to what we’ve been told.

@louisekangaroo I’ve started running (jogging really) consistently for the first time in my life. I’m sure the HIIT part of Fast 800 is what’s pushed me to the next level. I used to get to about 1k, but now I can do 5k. I do it once a week at a ParkRun. ParkRun is a great way to get going. Being with other people helps me to keep going.

Louise – how exciting about the running 🙂 I was doing HIT classes this time last year, and really enjoyed it. I used to just go at my own pace (due to health issues) but loved the short runs between exercises. Many years ago, while I was at school, I used to love distance running (1500m, cross country etc), good luck with it 🙂

Cathy – I was reading something in MM’s Fast 800 book (the recipe one) where it said that 800 calories per day should be done for up to 3 months only, and then after that you switch to 5:2, but on the 2 fast days you have 800 calories and the other 5 days you don’t count calories but use portion control and eat the Mediterranean diet foods. It also suggests IF and TRE which I know you’ve done before.
Anyway, I’m no expert but maybe it’s worth changing things up a bit if you’ve been doing 800 calories for a long time?

I’ve had a good day today, after a few ‘off plan’ meals over the long weekend. I feel like I have a renewed energy and interest in BSD. This WOE definitely requires your head to be in the right space (well mine anyway!). I saw one of my specialists last week and mentioned that I felt I wasn’t doing as well recently – I’ve had increased joint pain and fatigue. But then I realised that for the past 2 or 3 months my diet has gone more than a bit awry! So I decided to really focus on healthy eating between now and the end of the year to see if it makes a difference. Another incentive to try and stay on track anyway! I always used to say that with this WOE weight loss is a bonus – it was all the other health benefits I got a kick out of!

Morning All!
Back on the BSD as of Monday 30th September after a 6 week break which included a two week vacation. I had lost 19lbs in July and August but put 6.5 lbs back on (4 lbs on holiday). I have been able to shed 5.5lbs in my first week back and am continuing with a good routine midway through this 2nd week. I know the losses will slow down now after the first big week, but my goal would be to lose the 5.5 lbs that would take me to 12 Stone (168 lbs) by the end of October as a minimum. I would then probably do another couple of weeks in November and up the calories a bit after that in the run up to Christmas.
Having first ventured out on the BSD 1st January 2017 (eventually losing 35 lbs on that occasion) I now find it straightforward settling into the BSD routine. It helps if I prepare my own evening meals completely separately from the family, with just an odd occasion where we overlap and eat the same thing.

Thanks for setting up this post CC. I have been coming to terms with my T2 diagnosis since June and have been trying hard to embed MM 800/ BSD. I’ve lost 22lbs in total so far with more than double that still to go. It’s all a bit overwhelming and hard to know what direction to take when weight loss slows down. Sept was a very slow month but I’m hoping to put things back on track in October with the help from this forum.

Hi everyone
Thanks from me too, CC. I’d like to join if I may.
I’m currently back to a healthy BMI after losing a lot of weight (6st), re-gaining some (2st) and losing it again. My Type II diabetes remains in remission (3 years + – always my number one priority). All good? – not quite. The problem is my commitment/enthusiasm etc for the lifestyle changes I’ve made is waning. Being low carb isn’t a problem but I’ve started eating the same thing over and over for quickness so I’m getting a bit bored, and I’m having bigger portions. I’ve also stopped testing my bgls (always a motivator for me), and my exercising has become hit and miss. Basically, I feel like I’m beginning to backslide on all those lifestyle changes I made in 2016 – and that made me feel fantastic! Why? Hmm, not sure. Sabotaging myself? Fed up of making the effort? Who knows. But while I’m trying to work that one out I’ve decided to go right back to basics – and the things I was doing at the beginning.
So, for this month (and up to you know when …) my aim is to go back to weighing, counting calories, cooking a variety of nutrient-dense meals, walking and exercising. Not going to think about it.. just going to do it.

Crosie – that’s a brilliant weight loss. You’ll know about the importance of lowering your carbs as well as your calories, but for added info, my blood sugar levels started dropping fairly quickly i.e. within days/weeks, once I started BSD and reduced my carbs (I did 800 cals and 20g carbs). They were back into a normal range (from being very high on diagnosis) long before I’d lost all of my weight. From a lot of reading, that’s typical of a lot of people with Type II who go low carb. Keep posting and let us know how you go.

Jennie xx

Hi Jennie I sympathise and empathise!
I think it just gets difficult after a few years to keep up the same level of enthusiasm but maybe that’s true of any eating plan. The important thing is that you say low carb isn’t a problem which is great . Sounds like you just need some new ideas for food. I’m sure you know of dietdoctor which has some great recipes. I’ve made five different soups over the last few days so have a freezer full of quick to go to meals. I know exactly what you say when you talk about being ‘bored’. I think you are doing exactly the right thing by going back to basics for a while.
The most important thing is that you have recognised the problem and are doing something about it. Keep on keeping on ………. as sunshine-girl says!

Jennie – maintenance is something I wonder about. I’m getting closer now, about 2 kgs away from my goal weight (although it’s more about the shape than the scales, or even the body fat % I think, I have a number I’m shooting for at least).

I’m planning to make a menu for a month that is interesting and low carb, and can be adjusted for maintenance from the Fast 800 cookbook and (thanks for the reminder Verano!) dietdoctor.

Shifting this week to 16:8 intermittent fasting TMAD has really helped me see results, but I’m wondering whether to keep it up for another week or mix it up with some non-fast days already. Anyone who’s been doing this for a while got any thoughts? I notice this morning I’ve got cold hands and a really low resting HR so thinking my body is trying to conserve energy.

@melbelle I’m in maintenance now that I’ve reached that magic number (61kg) and working on body composition. Depending on the scans it says that I’m about 25-30% fat and would like this to be a little lower.
Anyhow, my game plan for maintenance is to keep intermittent fasting for like with some extended fasting thrown in there depending on what is going on in my life. I stay very low carbs (20gr) during the week and relax a little over the week end. It’s working well for now but it’s only been 2 weeks 😬 I feel like I could keep this up forever though which is key, find a WOE that makes us happy now and keep at it forever!

Ten days into this challenge – how is everyone going?
I stepped on the scales yesterday for my weekly weigh in and was very happy to have discarded 2.2kg 🙂
I still have a LONG way to go to get to my goal weight (at least 17kg), but at least now I’m back to the weight I was at the end of April.
What has been different for me this week? I’ve been weighing and measuring foods (instead of guesstimating!) and planning & preparing meals ahead of time.
Also no eating between meals and no wine! I didn’t always eat between meals but if there was cake offered at work I would have a small piece, or I’d snack on cheese or nuts while making dinner, small things but they add up. The other thing I’ve been doing is TRE. Not 16:8 every day but at least 14:10.
What motivated me was that I saw one of my specialists last week and she looked at me asked me if I had put on weight since the last visit 3 months before. I had put on 3kg which I didn’t think showed that much but obviously it did! Also I hadn’t been feeling well for weeks, joint pain, headaches, fatigue, upset stomach etc, and when I thought about it I realised my diet has been less than perfect over the last few months.
So I decided to put 100% effort into this October challenge (and the next ones) so that when I see my specialist in the new year she’ll be remarking on my weight LOSS instead!
Hope everyone else is doing well 🙂

SueBlue Congratulations on 2.2kg! And thank you for posting. Your progress has spurred me on. I have got out the scales as well….. Still two thirds of the month to really make a difference.

Sueblue- wow, you’re really in the zone. Just proves what can be done when we give this 100%. Thank you so much for your inspiring post. Because so many of us have been doing this for a long time I think we definitely don’t always give it the 100% commitment we did when we first embarked on BSD. I am weighing myself every morning this week and enjoying seeing the scales going down by a few points day by day. That is keeping me on track. I really do want to get back into a healthy weight zone. I am going to commit to 100% in October and hope to weigh less than 145 by the end of the month. I’ll set myself another target for November once I’ve seen how well I do in October. My weight loss isn’t really very predictable! Great work Sue and not only have you lost a significant amount of weight, you’ve inspired us so much so thank you for that!

Caronl- we can do this!

Stay optimistic everyone- we can achieve our goal if we commit to it and don’t give up!

Verano – thanks for the support. I think part of my problem is I’ve spent a large part of my life not interested in cooking (I worked long hours so my OH used to do most of the family cooking) and there are points, like now, when I slip back into that default position so end up grabbing at things and eating the same things over and over – then, as you say, I get bored. I need to keep reminding myself that in order to eat a variety of meals I need to put some time and energy into being in the kitchen. I’m getting better but it’s definitely a work in progress! Two positives: I do really like low carb food and soups are one of my favourite things about Autumn/Winter – there’s something about throwing everything into a pot.

MelBelle – maintenance is definitely my weakness. When I first reached maintenance I did the reverse calorie thing where I increased them slowly week by week to the point where I was able to maintain my weight. That worked well at the time. I think it’s a great idea to mix things up a bit and your month’s food plan is a great idea. I’m away now for a few days but will plan something similar when I get back. You can call me out on it if I don’t!

Louise – brilliant that you’ve reached maintenance and things are going well

SueBlue – I’m with you – back to planning, weighing, measuring for me too. It’s great to see it’s working for you.

CC – I’m definitely going to commit to staying optimistic

Hope everyone else has a good weekend and catch up next week.
Jennie xx

Hi all
A bit quiet here today. I hope that just means you are all busy enjoying your day.
I am trying to keep to Optimistic October and there is still 20 days to go. I am trying to keep focused and keep to 16:8 or 14:10, and manage carb intake. Not always successful!
KOKO everyone 🌺🌷🐕🎈
MM

Hello everyone

I’m back from my travels now for a while. Have managed to follow the posts via email over the last couple of weeks. Well done to all the successes and sending commiserations to anyone who is frustrated or struggling. We’ve all been there and I hope that this forum will continue to provide the help and support that we all need to keep going.

Nothing much to report this end. I’ve managed to maintain while I’ve been away but by the end of October I want to lose the 4lb that have crept on over the summer. I’m hoping that because it’s relatively recent weight regain that I can lose it again quickly but who knows?! I have a family celebration today, but over the weekend intend to do some fasting and meal planning for next week. On Monday I want to start another 8 week Fast 800: in my mind it’s my “Christmas Countdown” as it will take me to early December. So I will definitely be here for the October and November threads, and most probably into December too.

SueBlue I’m going to follow your example and be really careful about weights and measures. Like many have said, we can get so used to this WOE that we start estimating and I want to try and do this properly again. Those that know me on here will realise that my hopes and plans are more robust than the outworking of them!! But I plan to give it another go. I’ll also mix up the patterns a bit. In my original two runs of BSD I had three small meals a day and it worked really well. But more recently some form of TRE has been more effective. So I think I’ll try alternating a few days of each to see how that goes. Will report back in due course.

Good luck everyone, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend X

Hi @merrymelba,
I’m just KOKO :-). Have just completed a week of 16:8/17:9, TMAD with a snack mid afternoon (cheese or nuts). Listening to loads of presentations on the YouTube channel LowCarbDownUnder and learning sooo much.

Welcome back @dreamscometrue! I love that about Fast 800, that it feels like a diet that it’s okay if you need to restart. It’s not a disaster. I’ve never felt like that about a diet before. I’ve felt if I had a bad day, I may as well give up.

Thanks all for the encouragement about maintenance. I guess I’ll see if I can get to my goal this month and then drop down to 5:2. 16:8 is a little hard for me. I find there’s a whole hour to 90 minutes where it’s hard not to think about food! But I know I could have breakfast and still have that feeling around 10:30, so there’s no real need to have breakfast!

MelBelle – I find 16:8 hard sometimes too, so I try for as close as possible, 15:9 or 14:10, it’s still giving my body a good break before eating again. I’ve gradually got used to having breakfast later, it just means on work days I have to eat it at my desk. I find having a cup or 2 of white coffee helps if I feel hungry before then. Having breakfast later means I’m not as hungry at lunch, and I sometimes skip it and just have 2 meals a day.
DCT – welcome back! Good to have you back on board again.
Cathy and everyone else who commented on my last post – thanks for the encouragement 🙂
Yesterday I did fall off the wagon a bit – an unplanned dinner out with my partner. We had Thai, so I just had a couple of spoonfuls of rice with my satay chicken and veggies, but I also had a glass of wine (or 3… so much for my plan to have a Sober October!)
My next weigh in day is Wednesday so I’ve got a few days to redress the balance.
This morning I waited till 11am to have breakfast (it will most likely be brunch). Hot smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, avocado and some cherry tomatoes – very filling.
I’m going to plan some meals for the week now, I’m using the Fast 800 book which is a bit more lenient (in that you can have small amounts of brown rice, or seed/dark rye bread) on non-fast days.
Speaking of bread – I’ve found a lovely one in Aldi. It’s 85% less carbs and higher protein than “normal” bread. At 2.5g carbs per slice I find it’s nice to have now and then when I really feel like a piece of toast. The calories are about 120 per slice I think and it’s packed with seeds. My husband loves it!

MelBelle – ignore what I said about the white coffee! I was just re-reading MM’s book and drinks should be calorie free during the fasting period (I was having a white coffee in the morning and delaying breakfast, but I’ll have to drink it black to count towards the 16:8).

@sueblue if you like the Aldi bread, give the woolies one a go. I think it’s even nicer and lower carbs too. It’s from the Macro range.

Thanks @sueblue! And I second what @LouiseKangaroo said about the Woolies Macro range Low Carb bread. The ingredients list is nicer than the Aldi one. 4.1g carb per two slices. I’m very impressed.

Good morning all💞

I am still here and still putting on weight🤣🤣😳. It has been a while since I have been on and I think it may not have helped me!, if it wasn’t for you guys within this forum I know I wouldn’t have lost the 4 stone! So I am coming back and I am going to be posting on a daily basis again!

I have gained 7lbs and I have been craving carbs😢😢😢, so I have been beef and butter fasting for the last two days and have two more days to do. It is supposed to help you get away from the carb craving and some do discard from it too! It is more of an experiment as I really need to get back on track! I still want to try and get down to 12 stone 9 so this is much needed! On a brighter note it is now 1 month and three days since my last cigarette 🚬🥰🥰🥰🥰. I have been ill though for three weeks now and I have read that this is normal as my body dispels all the crap I have been breathing in since I started smoking!! I am taking a high strength vitamin C and that seems to be helping, plus when I go back to eating normally I will be eating lots of green leafy veggies😀. I love winter veggies especially sprouts yum yum 😋.

MM you will do it hun as all of us will. Glad to see we are KOKO🌼🌞💞🦜 Birdy

Good to see you Birdy! 🐥🐥🐥 SUPER well done on your one month and three days. A wonderful achievement and a great show of your strength and resilience. Pah! to the 7 lbs. A minor blip and one you can tackle when you are ready. Overcoming the smoking urges has priority. And all the $$$ you’ve saved!
Such good news with your son too, coming off his meds. Do you think that changes in his diet have had an positive impact on him?
I agree with the sprouts! As a kid I couldn’t stand them, because they were served after being boiled for 20 minutes. Ugg! Now I love them, fresh steamed with some butter. Even the frozen ones just quickly steamed are ok, or added to stir fries.
I’ve been out for 2 meals today and am way too full. Lots on at the moment, but am keeping mindful on non event days. 🌺🌺

Hi, I’m a first-time member as I just started the 800 6 days ago! Love the positive encouragement on this forum!!
I’m finding the lack of food a bit tricky, but also having to still make meals for my kids and husband! Can you ingest carbs by inhaling near a plate of wedges?? Haha! Does anyone have any tips on how to stay positive when your family are still eating “normally”?? Thanks!

Hi shoegirl and welcome! Great that you are on here with us and all the best for your journey. One thing you want might to try re the family is to give everyone mostly the same food – there are some lovely recipes in the BSD and Fast 800 books – but supplement theirs with additional carbs e.g. potatoes, rice or pasta. That way you only have one meal to cook and won’t be tempted to snack on theirs if they are having something different.

Birdy you are doing so well with the smoking, well done! Just keep on here and we’ll help you get back on track. I’ve not heard of the beef and butter fast before so let us know how it goes! Then maybe try doing Fast800 alternate days for now or something, just to ease you back into the groove?

SueBlue sounds like you are doing great! I love the sound of your food as well. It’s like Jennie said, we can just get into the same boring routines with food but yours always sounds so creative and I’m going to borrow some of your ideas!

Hello to everyone else and let’s hope this week is a good one for all of us. I want to start another 8 week Fast 800 tomorrow so will report back in due course. Still more than half of October still to go so let’s keep being optimistic X

Hi Birdy, I also wanted to say well done on your achievement of cutting out the cancer sticks. – You know how to tackle the small weight gain, and will get that down again when you are ready.