Morning everyone and thank you for all your support and congratulations 🥳 I am so chuffed to have done it and long may it be this way. I have had a few wobbles but not smoked. The hardest is when we are out with friends and drink is involved! But what I have done is got some vape that has no nicotine in it and knowing I have that if I do crack is a good thing. I only take it out with me and as of yet not used it. The main reason for that is I went to the loo on quiz night and the doors were open and there was a load of people smoking and it stank!!!!🚭🚭🚭. (The toilets are off of the corridor to the front doors😂) OMG it was nasty! So hence I won’t go out and vape as I don’t want to passive smoke the crap! Don’t get me wrong if there is the odd person smoking near me it smells ok but when you have about 10 doing it at once it is disgusting 😂😂. Jgwen I love that you called them cancer sticks😂. I would have not liked it if I was a smoker still😂❤️ But now I am an fresh air breather I think it is very funny indeed and thank you for congratulations. MM how you doing? DCT thank you and hope you are doing well? Sueblue thank you and it is great to know I have got rid of some of the chance of getting dementia❤️ I have a smoke free app and it tells me all the risks I have halved or quartered and how much money I am saving. I must admit I have had a massive spend up over the last month😂😂 and now I want to start saving it. Skiing holiday in February ❤️❤️. Welcome shoegirl we are here to help you and guide you the best we can, no question is a silly one hun so please don’t hesitate to ask and join in. Cc how are you? V? I hope you are all well on this drizzly day in Blighty. I will weigh in tomorrow and see if I have discarded. See you all later Birdy💞🦜

Hi @shoegirl, I have four kids and a husband. My husband needs to lose weight so is happy to have delicious low carb food served up. I suppose it depends what your family is used to having, as to how well you can make the recipes work for everybody. I’ve had success with extending stir fries, curry or tagine and giving the non-dieters rice (in addition or instead of cauli rice), or soup and non-dieters get toast. The recipes are all really healthy ways to eat for everybody. Some are more economical than others. It’s been great to educate my kids about low carb. They’ve happily had carrot mash, cauliflower mash, more beans in their diet than ever before. And I’ve been a bit more strict on “I don’t like this” because I know it’s nutritionally 5 stars (Tuna Nicoise Salad being the least favourite thing I’ve served up.)

Thanks MelBelle, some good advice here. Love that you are teaching your kids about good nutrition too. Well done!

Thanks for your welcome, Dreamscometrue, I’ll give the ‘same but with carbs’ a go and let you know how it works out!

Thanks Birdy76, look forward to the journey with you all. Well done on all of your positive life changes, sounds like you have a great focus. Good luck with the weigh in, I’ll be doing my first check up weigh in tomorrow as I’ll be 1 week into the 800 cal challenge!

@birdy76 skiing in February! Lucky you. I find skiing enormously motivating for losing weight and getting fit. The ski season in Australia just closed. I’m going to try not to backslide between ski seasons this time, stay fit, stay slim…

Thanks for the suggestion about the woolies low carb bread LouiseKangaroo and MelBelle. I tried to get some this week but each time they have sold out! It must be popular.
My weight loss has predictably slowed down this week, but I still managed to discard 1/2kg so happy with that.
Unfortunately I have a bit of a stressful situation going on at work, but trying not to stress eat (or drink!).
Hope everyone else is travelling well 🙂

Hi all!!
I feel like I haven’t checked in in a long while.
My maintenance and body recomposition adventures are quite tumultuous. I have changed everything about what has worked in shaving 40lbs of my body and that wasn’t a great idea.
I started exercising quite intensively 3-4 times a week, I stopped my extended fasting regimen as I wanted to be able to eat on weight lifting days to support muscle build, and I slowly reintroduced non processed carbs and some bread now and then.
I have also stopped weighing myself and using clothes/tapes and mirror as a check.

While plan was good on paper, it didn’t eventuate as there was a little too much partying on the wkd and too much wine. Also I am ravenous on weight lifting days after burning 500+ calories and eating too much those days.
I feel bloated and uncomfortable so I’m back to what I know works and what got me in my zone and happy place 😅 and wine is of the menu until the bloating is gone!
KOKO everyone

Hello everyone, Am still plodding two steps forward and three steps backwards. Am going to make a MASSIVE effort to eat less because I am very unhappy at my current weight and finding it very difficult to lose. I am of course low carb, but next week I am going to try a 36 hour fast day, a one meal a day, day, a 16:8 day, a three meal day, an 800 day, an egg day! and see if I can lose a few pounds by mixing things up and confusing my body. So this is my plan:

Sunday – fasting from Saturday evening 36 hours
Monday- 800 calories
Tuesday – 16:8
Wednesday Egg day
Thursday – one meal a day
Friday – 16:8
Saturday- three meals
Sunday – weigh day! Let’s see if I’ve lost anything
I am looking forward to getting my body back into weight loss mode. My back is getting better and I am going to start doing the walking at home videos I enjoy doing on YouTube to get me into fat burning. Due to the problem with my big toes and my backache I’ve not been doing any exercise and that is making it more and more difficult to shed the excess. I am very unhappy at my current weight and my clothes are uncomfortable and I won’t buy bigger sizes but I feel optimistic that with some mindfulness I can get myself back on track. This year hasn’t been great but I am determined to get into a healthy weight before New Year. My long term goal is never to have to say I am going on a diet as a New Year Resolution. I spent the last 30 years saying it!

Good luck everyone- hopefully we can all report some loss, however small by the end of a October. That is my plan.

Hi all. Just wanted to say hi to Kafin13 if you are still about. I miss your posts! I hope all is well with you in California.
MM

Hi Merry – I’m still around, following along. Just haven’t felt much like posting xx

I haven’t felt much like posting. I’m finding that I hit the goal number of the scales that I thought I was aiming for, but discovered that I probably need to keep going a bit longer, maybe another two kilos.

Skipping breakfast and waiting until lunch really works for me now. Today I wasn’t even really hungry until about 1:30. Sunday is a busy day with church for my family. I had an extended lunch, then a break until dinner at 5:30. I’ve been trying to reduce my eating window since July, so I thought that might help others to know. Your body does adjust! It takes time though. I started with the 12 hour window, and gradually, gradually I’m starting to see that one day I might try an OMAD day alternated with a feast day, to mix it up, so my body doesn’t get too used to 16:8.

I’ve also discovered the importance of fat in the diet for satiety. Early on I wasn’t having enough fat and I was hungry a lot. Now I’m having giant chunks of cheese for afternoon tea when my eating window is smaller.

* my real goal is particular clothes. I thought they’d fit when I got to the goal number on the scales, but my tummy is still sticking out too much!

It seems like a lot of us have lost the optimism we started with in October. I am keeping away from the scales at the moment (my clothes are the best indicator of my weight at the moment – TIGHT) but as per my post earlier in the week am starting a strict daily regime. Today I am fasting. I ate last night at 8 pm and will next be eating at lunchtime tomorrow. I reckon it will be an approximately 40 hour fast. Today it is black coffee, red bush tea and water only for me. Actually I am looking forward to this experiment to see if the excess starts moving. I have just done a 20 minute fat burning walk at home and I have to say that if this regime fails to kick start some loss then I am all out of ideas! Maybe I am expecting too much. My original goal was 133 and I did achieve that but couldn’t maintain it. I seemed to settle at 138 for a long time and then gradually I have crept up and up and up. My current target is to get to under 140 before Christmas, I’m guessing I am currently around 150 and am very unhappy about letting things get out of control and do not seem to be able to gain back that control.

I am sorry to see that the thread has gone a little quiet and I guess that like me, some of you are not happy with the way things are working out. I can only assume that our bodies are used to low calorie and low carb. I am 58 years old and don’t have energy or health for exercise so it’s down to what goes in my mouth.

Lots of people have had long term success with BSD maintenance and I am in awe of how they do it. I think it is hard to keep strong when it’s an uphill struggle. When I started BSD in 2017 I did lose weight slowly but the challenge I currently face is getting the scales to budge at all. It’s one off, one on, two off, two on. I really hope that this week I can kickstart my body into a response. It feels like I hardly eat compared to my colleagues, that can’t be right.

It would be lovely to hear how everyone is doing… please don’t give up! . #staystrong. #keepplodding

Hi Cathy

I’m with you! I share your frustration but am still optimistic that you will see results.

I’m a bit despondent at the moment as I know I’ve been putting weight back on. Not weighed myself for a few days but it feels like there has been an upward trend. So on the one hand I’m cross with myself, as a lot of it can be explained by my relaxing back on the diet and taking my eye off the ball. On the other hand – a little like Verano posted some time ago – I’ve needed some time just to relax and be “normal”. And also to question the “why” I’m doing this. And I do know why: I know that I look and feel better when I am lighter. I tend to carry weight round my stomach and as I’m not that tall I look chunky very easily once I have a bit of weight round the middle. As I have just turned 60 that’s a trend I want to nip in the bud. More importantly, I also feel so much better when I’m eating carefully – and am less bloated and sluggish.

However. I’m going through some major lifestyle changes and have recently been taking time off the hamster wheel of life in various ways. Lots of short breaks and trips and celebratory meals with family and friends. And a bit of a break from the old working life before I need to get into something new.

So – despite what I said earlier – I’ve deliberately let things go a bit and just allowed myself to enjoy life: which for me very much includes socialising and eating and drinking. It’s been great, but I know I am reaping the consequences! I’d planned to really get back into Fast 800 as from last Monday but then various events came up this week that got in the way. So I ended up having a meal out for my partner’s birthday celebration, a curry night with friends, a private house gig with (lots of) food provided, and today a family pub lunch. I do feel I’m always making excuses, but also really want to enjoy this new season of living life more spontaneously.

But but but. I’m now feeling flabby and grumpy, so am going to do my best to relaunch my Christmas Countdown for 8 weeks starting tomorrow. Back on BSD and no alcohol. 8 weeks should take me to the week of 9th December. Until recently I’d been maintaining at around 138/139lb but reckon I’m at least 4lb above that now. I will try not to weigh myself until the end of October. I had been hoping to get back to 138/139lb by then but think that may now be too much to expect. But – being optimistic – it is still 11 days away so here’s hoping!

Good luck to all of you on this thread. Whatever your goals are – and however successful or otherwise you have been so far this month – we still have 33% of October to go so let’s be optimistic and see how far we can get in the time we have remaining X

I read a few different sites to gain information, one of which is a facebook group for ketogenic athlete. – The following post caught my eye a few days ago. – As it happens I have had a similar experience the day before this post came up. ——- I went in for part of my final MOT as part of the weight training experiment I have been a guinea pig on. – Over the summer I have focused on living life to the full, so busy with physical work and not counting calories, and haven’t worked out with weights. As I walked into the room both the researchers commented on the amount of weight I had lost. However, my weight is virtually the same as it had been 12 weeks before. I have dropped an inch off my waist, as well as shape changes on my legs during the summer. The body composition scales they use show a loss of just over a lb of fat, and the gain of just under a lb of muscle.

——————————————-

“One of the many things I’ve learned over the past 5 + years of this (keto) lifestyle is that it’s okay to experiment. I just recently completed a 12 week experiment with calorie consumption. I have always had a hard time trusting myself enough to up my calories. Maybe its been the 30 years of hearing how you need a deficit to lose weight. I was just completely horrified to try and add anything back in. I have been consuming between 2200 and 2400 calories a day ever since I hit my goal weight a little over 3 years ago. Back in in July I went to get a DXA scan. In the results was a section with my RMR. I was very surprised to see that I was barely consuming more than my RMR.. I’m a pretty active person. I lift heavy 6 days a week, run, cycle, swim, and take 6-8 Jiu Jitsu classes every week, so at this point I knew my TDEE had to be more than 2400. This got me very curious as to what would happen if I upped my calorie consumption significantly. So, for the past 12 weeks I have added roughly 1000 calories a day to boost my consumption up to between 3200 and 3400 calories a day with the goal of gaining as much lean mass as possible while maintaining the same body weight. (I’m really horrified of weight gain after losing so much.) I completed my experiment this past weekend, when I went back for a follow up scan. I have managed to gain 2.4 lbs of lean mass while losing 2 lbs of fat. All while eating 1000 calories a day more than I have in the past 5 years! What I am trying to hint at is that 1. Don’t be afraid of calories (I must see 10 posts a day with people nearly starving themselves) and 2. Don’t be afraid to experiment to find what works best for you. Try something new and give it time to work before you decide to get rid of it. Test, track, and make informed decisions based on your results. Don’t be afraid to have some fun with it!”

———————

The ketogenic athlete facebook group repeatedly say that research suggests that you need to eat to your TDEE, but stick to keto, and your body will convert body fat to muscle. – Personally, having gone through the list of research papers and articles they quote, (which include Dr Fungs work) – I can see that the usual problem of the lack of research into what causes our bodies to reduce/increase metabolism apply. – There continues to be the problem that there is research into the impact of calorie counting and weight loss / impact on metabolism. But there simply isn’t the research into calorie counting when keto and impact on metabolism. However, I thought it was worth raising awareness of this approach when thinking about maintenance or shaking things up.

Thanks @jgwen, and that’s so cool about your body composition. I read in “The Obesity Code” that it’s important to have feast and famine, not to fast and fast and fast, because your body adjusts to that. I think I’m slowly coming to the view that as a woman still in my fertile years, there’s a natural rhythm to when I can do more restrictive eating and when to relax and not agonise so much, that goes with my menstrual cycle. I’m heading into that phase now, and this month hoping to stay away from sugar/carbs, keep to at least 14:10, and if what that means in reality is a dozen extra spoonfuls of beautiful roasted peanut butter, cheese and 90% chocolate and handfuls of cashews, I’m going to embrace that.

Hi All!
I’ve not posted for a couple of weeks. I lost 5.6 lbs in my first week, then 1.4 lbs week 2. Last week (week 3) I lost some focus, with work pressures/commitments and less time to properly plan my meals, particularly lunchtime, I was fully expecting a weight gain of 1 – 2 lbs this morning…however I actually lost 1.2 lbs, giving a total loss so far in October of 8.2 lbs, and a total loss since 1st July of 22.2 lbs (most of September was spent off of the diet what with a 2 week holiday, so I gained about 4.5 lbs in that month.
I am hoping to regain my focus this week, and feel I have had a lucky break with this week’s loss in spite of the lapses. However I think my regime going forward will be 2 weeks on BSD followed by 1 week off/maintenance, and carry on until I reach my goal weight, which is another 16 lbs.
Keep going everyone!

That’s a great report Chunkyd. You seem to have balanced things well, so I am sure you can refocus for the last 10 days of the month. 🎃

Hi JGwen. Your change in body composition is inspiring. Since reading of your weight/resistance work with the research group you have inspired me to keep going to the gym. I only get there twice a week, but always try and follow the type of program they set you, and to push myself a bit harder.
Thank you for your informative post, something to really think about in how our body and metabolism works.

Really enjoyed reading some October updates today. JGwen- fascinating that you are eating as many calories as you are and losing fat! Very interesting, I know you are a very physically active person. I do a sedentary job and little exercise due to health problems but I am very interested in mixing things up. I completed a 40 hour water only fast today at lunchtime. This week’s regime is going to give my body a jolt!

ChunkyD- amazing weight loss so far this month! Very well done – tremendous effort and reward!

Dreamscometrue- lovely to hear that you’re enjoying your new found freedom and enjoying the start of your retirement. You’ve done so well to maintain. I am very impressed. Like you, I feel fed up when I’m am overweight, I am short in stature so every little extra weight makes me look fat and I actually enjoy being in control of myself. Hope you’ve started your 8 week Christmas countdown today- I reckon you could achieve the elusive 133 by Christmas. You’re not that far off.

10 more October days to make a difference. I am desperately trying to achieve 145 by the end of the month. It’s a long shot but I am giving it 100%.

Hi Guys. I’ve been absent too, mostly because I lost my rhythm and determination. I’m in Connecticut at Allie’s and over the last 5 days, eating her way, I’ve noticed a difference in my belly bloat! Diminished somewhat and the achey hips have gone also, so am now newly refreshed to continue when I get back home! Very interesting post, thanks JGwen. Having a wonderful time over here and the New England in the Fall colours are spectacular!
Hope everyone else is ok?
Kazzeexx

Hi everyone
Like a few of us, I’ve not managed to post for a while. Basically, I went off to help one of my children with a house move, came back home for a few days, but having picked up a bug, spent that time laid low. Last weekend I went back to finish off the house move, finding a home for unwanted furniture, cleaning etc, and got home last night.
During my time away I’ve had no internet, no scales, – at one point no pans, plates etc (did keep the kettle and one mug back for my cups of tea, though!) so haven’t really kept to my goals for this month – weighing everything, recording everything etc.

However, I have reasons to be optimistic
– I managed to lose a few lbs when I was poorly – I’m now 9st 2lbs – not necessarily the best way of losing weight, but I’ll take it, thank you very much!
– apart from maybe one or two weekends away before Christmas, I’m home now – I’m so happy about that. I’ve spent a lot of time this year away staying with family for various reasons. While I can stick with BSD and exercise routines pretty well at home and I’ve got my strategies which work when on holiday, over the year I’ve struggled more and more with sticking to things while I’ve been staying with family – even though they’re all lovely. So, I’m just so happy to be home and keen to get back into the BSD groove.

I’ll spend some time later catching up with everyone’s posts, but Kazz it’s lovely to hear how much you’re enjoying your time with Allie – I bet it’s beautiful n New England with all those Autumn colours, and great that being at Allie’s has helped you find your motivation again. It would be nice to see Allie posting again too. xx
Jennie xx

Hi Jennie and what a great weight you are 9st 2lb! Wow! Good to see you back on the thread. I reckon as we get nearer to Christmas/New Year more of us will feel inclined to stick to what we know works. I always like to have a week off plan over Christmas which I know can be quite controversial but we have to do what works for us and that is why I am going to be quite strict in the run down to Christmas so that I can enjoy my week off!

I have been enjoying my daily mix up this week. So far I’ve done a 40 hour fast, 16:8, egg day and today is OMAD. I have exercised quite a lot of self control and am feeling optimistic that the scales will show a small loss on Monday morning next week. I know in my heart that if there is no weight loss then it is not down to over eating. After doing low carb for such a long time I am enjoying trying something different every day and I am hoping that by mixing things up I will confuse my metabolism. With just over eight weeks until Christmas I have got time to make a difference and I think I will keep this mix up in my routine for the next few weeks.

One week left in Optimistic October.
Keep plodding everyone.

I’ve just been catching up on all of the posts – I usually get updates via email
But for some reason haven’t lately – I thought the thread had gone quiet 🙂
I’m still plodding along – a 1/2kg loss this week, so getting there, slowly.

I’ve hit my goal weight and been fluctuating around it by around 0.5 kg above and below. It’s the luteal phase of my cycle and I was expecting this. I’ve been roughly staying on track and am optimistic (!) that I am going to keep up the good work. I’ve had one day when I had a big binge on peanut butter and cashews but that was a few days ago and I haven’t repeated it. On the other hand I’ve done my first OMAD day. Today is my second. I’m not doing them back to back, but rather doing “feast” days in between.

For any newbies lurking, it’s been a long time coming to the point where OMAD didn’t feel difficult. I have a big meal at lunch time and then just keep busy through to bedtime. The journey to being able to do OMAD started with skipping breakfast (TMAD). One day I had an especially big lunch (salad with avocado + bocconcini) and two lamb loin chops with the fat on, followed by low carb brownie with whipped cream and blueberries, and discovered I wasn’t really hungry at dinner and skipped it. So today I’ve fed myself a larger lunch then I would normally have (Mad Mex regular burrito bowl with extra meat, avocado, cheese, all the salad, beans, no rice), and I’m going to power through on ketones (if I didn’t have too many beans!) to breakfast.

Congratulations caronl on your 2 Year anniversary. ⭐️🎈🎉. You are inspiring to me, and provide so much helpful, and supportive advice. 🌺
How are you going Birdy🐥🐥, dreamscometrue 💫, shoegirl 👠 sueblue🥏 melbelle and Louise ?
We’re into our last week of October so stay Optimistic!
So far I have managed to maintain within a pound or so, so happy with that as I have been eating out a bit lately.

Hey thanks MerryMelba. Sweet of you on this special day. I was beginning to wonder if my welcome posts were appearing – the last three newcomers I have welcomed seem to have vanished into the ether! Anyway, it’s good to give back some of the support I received from two years ago today!

Caron just noticed you’re celebrating your second birthday …. ‘Congratulations ‘… well done. Here’s to year three!
The only thing that’s “optimistic “ for me about October is that there are only just over three days left!
Roll on November!!!

Hello all, I have just come back from five lovely days at the south coast NSW (Oz) with my bestie and another good friend. Was so nice to get away from work and everything. I just love being on the beach – we were even able to have a swim! It was 32 degrees on Thursday (much too hot for me, but happier when I can pop into the ocean). Unfortunately…. having almost reached my October goal last Tuesday, I seemed to have turned into an eating carb and junk monster machine on holiday! It’s like my brain gave my body a pass and I ate everything in sight. A weekend maybe I could have understood, but not five days. I even had three glasses of wine on Saturday afternoon/night after having none for two months! I’d been doing so well, I’m extremely disappointed with myself.
I must hope and try and try to get back to my great eating today. I am not concerned about drinking as I felt so crap the next day – I still have a headache. I have to take my dad to hospital in Sydney next week on Wednesday, probably get him back to Bateman’s Bay (seven hours drive – but we will fly) on Friday, but I can’t get back to Canberra until Saturday as I have to rely on the bus. Then I’m due to fly out on an overseas holiday on Sunday. Talk about cutting it fine! I could easily miss my flight if anything goes wrong. I want to return to my 800 for these two weeks and get back to where I was last Tuesday. I was so happy when I got on the scales that day! I’m too scared to try them today. I’ll give it until Friday I think.
Anyone else completely gone off the rails on holiday? last week was week 8 for me, so close – I was only 2.5kg off my first goal! I definitely self-sabotaged. I still can’t believe what I ate, and that even after 8 weeks I have no self control. I’m not going to give up – back to normal today.
Hope everyone else has had a more successful October!

Hello folks, I haven’t really managed October well at all. Heiding I’m like you, October was not at all successful for me. I’m afraid I’m completely with Verano in saying that the month can’t end soon enough, from a WOE perspective.

However, November will surely be better <dusts hands together and looks determined>.

ClarinetCathy, I like your idea that as we get nearer to Christmas it will provide more incentive to stick with what works.

Is there a thread planned for November? Has anyone come up with a good name? Apologies if this has all been discussed already, I haven’t managed to catch up on the discussions properly yet. And I know I should be suggesting good November names, but my mind has gone blank, I honestly can’t think of a single thing!

Hopefully others are feeling much more creative, Elky

How about No Nonsense November?! It feels like a few of us need a bit of a kick in the right direction. I’ve really not done well so far in October. Keep stopping and starting, but basically quite a bit of self-sabotage just like you describe heiding.

I hope to get my act together for the last 4 days of October and hit the ground running in November.

Cathy I hope you’re doing well and that the scales reward all your effort. Well done to everyone on here who has behaved better than me this month 🙀

Dreamscometrue that sounds like a brilliant title for November!

Ooooh Dreamscometrue, yes! That’s a great title, definitely captures the ‘pulling our socks up’ vibe that I need. It gets another vote from me.

I agree, that title would be great and would suit me to a T.
October was pretty average so far although I did kee my commitment of doing HIIT 3 times a week so that’s something. I’m sure my next DEXA scan will show some increased muscle mass. Might show increased fat mass too if I’m not careful 🤣😛

Hello everyone, I’m starting the 8 week BSD again today. Really need to do this!

I like the suggested title for November as well.
I feel like my body has been urging me to eat this month. – Perhaps its part of our natural cycle for the year, like animals – our body aims to go into winter with fat stores to help us survive the period of limited food of winter. – So maybe our bodies are programmed to make fasting easier in winter, 🙂 – Perhaps its part of my body trying to tell me it needed trace elements to help fight the cold.

I came across an interesting book by Dr Atkins last week. – I knew that he was one of the first Dr’s to recommend the keto diet, I didn’t know that he had a successful clinic where he was treating diabetics using a low carb diet. Or that his clinic was focused on using vitamins and nutrition to treat ailments rather than drugs. – There is an interesting section where he describes how unexpected it was when a panel of doctors in the US ignored all the research at that time in the benefits of a low carb diet for T2 and came out with a recommendation to include carbs and drugs as the gold standard for “treatment” of T2. He also mentions some interesting stories on how vitamin and mineral suppliments which had been successfully used for different conditions for decades were classified as dangerous and that drugs should be used instead to “treat” the conditions.

His view is that it is impossible to achieve therapeutic levels of vitamins and minerals from our diet for conditions. – He has chapters in the book for all sorts of situations, such as reversing high cholesterol without statins. – digesting fat when you don’t have a gall bladder, preventing gall stones. – All sorts of topics that come up on the forum. – The book includes details of what they know about why vitamins and minerals work including studies. So rather than my just quoting the lists of essential and recommended, vitamins and minerals and their levels I would suggest that its a book that people may like to order a copy from the library or buy a copy for themselves. – Dr Atkins, Vita-Nutrient Solution. Nature’s answer to drugs.

Looking at the lists recommended, it looks expensive to take all the supplements it recommends to reverse insulin resistance. – But I would guess that buying a bottle of each one would give you a couple of months supply, and that could be enough to assist in “opening up blocked metabolic pathways”

I too am looking forward to getting on with the job during November as there are only 8 weeks left before we go away for Christmas.
I’m quite pleased that after our holiday in Spain and then a week away visiting family last week to find I didn’t gain any weight! My change of diet seems to suit me and, although I have a long way to go, I feel more in control at the moment.
So ‘no nonsense November’ sounds like a very good incentive for us all.
Keeping on low curbing
X B

Just wanted to update everyone on my “mix up” week – got on the scales this morning and drum roll please …….2lb ON! What a load of rubbish! So disappointed! Apart from Saturday which was my “Eat normal” day I followed my plan to the letter.

Today I’ve eaten cream of mushroom soup from the recipe section on the forum and Greek yoghurt and raspberries. I am going out this evening with a couple of girls I met years ago at weightwatchers. We have remained friends and still continue to “diet” I don’t know what’s on the menu tonight but I think I’ll eat whatever I want to!

DCT- I am in for the No Nonsense November thread. Would you mind setting it up for us all? Great title by the way!

Will have a night off tonight and then make another plan- the mix up plan didn’t work! Clothes getting tighter and tighter and resolve getting weaker and weaker!

Oh Cathy I’m so sorry – that’s awful for you after all your effort. Huge commiserations. Who knows what’s going on?! Really hope for a turnaround for you soon X

I’m piling on the pounds at the moment but have not been sticking to plan so am not surprised. I also wonder if the statins are making a difference. And also – as JGwen mentioned – I’m feeling the need to eat more at the moment. Changing of the clocks! But I do know I am really overdoing the carbs. I can’t seem to do my TRE any more whereas I used to find it really easy. But now I just seem to be hungry all the time and feel weak and shaky if I don’t eat, which is completely new to me. And then I go and eat all the wrong things because I’m ravenous. So I really think I need to go back to basics again and start eating 3 small meals a day, but really BSD-friendly ones and NO snacking.

KOKO everyone ……

PS Yes am happy to set up the November thread and will do that later this week X

I am reassured that I am not the only one to have had a less than stellar October; in fact a few random pastries/sarnies later, I put on 2kgs…I do think it may be linked to the change in seasons, but don’t know why! I started on low carb in January – cold, short days then, so why it is different now? Anyway, I am hoping being a more regular contributor here will get me back on track… I have had the satisfaction of getting back into some Prince of Wales check wool trousers I last wore abt 6 years ago, and rediscovered in dry cleaning shroud at the back of a wardrobe, but the sporran has expanded – in fact seemingly exponentially beyond what you would have thought 2 kgs would look like. Minute on the lips, straight to fat belly in my case…At least I can be under no illusion. But I did enjoy the Portugese custard tarts and the cinnamon danish, no getting away from that in all honesty. Looking forward to the November thread!

Goodness, it sounds as if almost everyone has had the same challenges in October. Hopefully that provides us all with great incentive and determination for November.

JGwen, thank you for the recommendation on the Atkins book, that definitely sounds like it’s worth getting a hold of a copy.

Cheers, Elky

Cathy – so sorry to hear that your plans and discipline didn’t work out – how frustrating!
DCT – love your suggestion for the November thread – I’ll definitely be in it.
Heiding – I can sympathise – I did exactly the same thing in 2017 after my R1. I was on holiday and so ate pizza, donuts, toast, drank beer etc – all the things I had “‘missed’. I paid for it though! Had shocking inflammation and joint pain to the point where I had difficulty walking.
And I put on a few kilos. Luckily it disappeared quickly after going back on plan.
I think I mentioned before I have a stressful situation going on at work and so I’m looking for another job, not easy when you are on the ‘wrong’ side of 50!, but not old enough to retire! I’m so preoccupied with that it means diet has gone out the window – I’ve had toast for breakfast, lunch and dinner today, have been feeling sick in the stomach and don’t feel like cooking and eating. I’m hoping that when I weigh in at the end of the month I’ll still have a loss though, my clothes feel looser.

I have found a downside to this way of eating. – Combine bouncy young collie who tends to jump up and isn’t too good at considering what may be in his way as well as having a hard skull, with my bending over and now have less padding over my cheek bones = a big bruise on my face.

Well I haven’t posted since 9th October but be assured I’ve been keeping up to date with you all. It’s nice knowing I’m not alone in this struggle. I started October very optimistic after having a slow September but unfortunately my optimism didnt show on the scales. 2lbs off 2lbs on. Back and forth all month. One big positive is the scales showed the 1st number as 11stone (2nd was 13🙄) for the1st time in 20years. Although the scales keep teetering back and forth to 12st1 I know I will get there. The best news came last week when I had blood results showing my HBa1c level had dropped from 8.7 in May when I was diagnosed with T2 to 5.9! I’m absolutely delighted and it motivates me to keep going to eventually see the scales move again and get off medication!
Bring on No Nonsense November – great name for next month!
Thank you everyone on here for your inspiring stories!
Crosie x

Ouch JGwen! Best wishes for a quick recovery!

Thanks @sueblue – its good to know that others have had the same issues and still got passed it! I’ve been back on plan for last two days, weighed myself this morning and I’m 1.3kgs up from last Tuesday :/ Still, it could have been worse. It will motivate me.
One issue I have is dinner out tonight, dinner at a dumpling place on Thursday, brunch on Saturday and Sunday, lunch and dinner out on Saturday and potentially a birthday party on Sunday arvo – I’m also travelling to Sydney next Wednesday to Friday (or Saturday) staying in a hotel and eating out, I guess D: The good news is that in Sydney there is a gym and a pool at the hotel, so I will have something to focus on, as well as fun long walks around checking out the city. I can eat light.
I normally just have a couple of things happening on weekends, but it just happens that these past weeks have been busier than usual. I’m not complaining, but it feels like I’m being tested! I guess this is dealing with normal life.
Anyone with good ideas for eating out and still staying on plan? I think brunch will be okay, eggs and avocado or somesuch, but the others I’m not so sure..particularly the dumpling house !

Good luck Heiding and enjoy your trip 🙂 when I’m away I just try to make the best choices I can and stick to the Mediterranean principles. I’ve never eaten at a dumpling house, but when we have Chinese or Thai I share an entree with my husband then have a stir fry with just a little rice.
I had my final weigh in for the month (I weigh on Wednesdays) and had a small loss. My total loss for the month was 2.1kg, so an average of 1/2kg per week, or I guess roughly a pound per week.
I’m happy with that …. now if I could just keep it up! At this rate it would probably take about 10 months to a year to get to goal, but as long as it stayed off I wouldn’t mind.

Hi everyone,
I am so thankful for this group, and everyone’s honesty. I’m not sure what happened to me but I’ve been a real victim to cravings the last 2 days. It might be hormones. Or my body trying to defend its set weight, several kgs above my goal. No idea. I think I need to plan tomorrow ahead of time and make myself really busy.
Love the title for November. Bring it on.

I started to have cravings and a few days later came down with a cold. – As we go along this path in time we start to be able to hear our bodies when they are telling us they need the fuel to fight an infection.

I started to have cravings and a few days later came down with a cold. – As we go along this path in time we start to be able to hear our bodies when they are telling us they need the fuel to fight an infection. – Interestingly a week after the runny nose and cough had passed and I felt like getting back to being physically active I also felt like I was stuffed and lost my appetite. So everything balanced out.