Welcome Purple Minion, try to say hi daily and let us know how you are getting on or if you need any help. Enjoy.

Hi Purple minion and welcome!
Sorry everyone for the lack of posts – am still playing catch up at work and sleeping poorly due to a midnight trip to the airport to pick up my daughter followed by an early start this morning. I have not yet stepped on the scales and have not had a good day with food choices. Or last night either for that matter – trying to stay awake well past my normal bedtime never bodes well for self control. But I am not throwing in the towel and I am determined to get back on track. I have set the alarm clock for an early start tomorrow (interviewing all morning and 2 meetings in the afternoon means that I won’t get through the backlog otherwise). Expecting to feel more on top of everything after a good night’s sleep and some ticks next to the todo list.
On the plus side I am pleased to report that I managed to do a 5k run after work yesterday – I am absolutely not an evening runner, much preferring early mornings for this. In spite of the heat it did me good mentally and will have served to offset a few of the excess calories! I am sensible during the day, it’s the evenings mostly that have been problematic the last few days. I know that the key is to be less stressed and then I can stay the course. So instead of stressing about the backlog I am going to get rid of as much of it as I can tomorrow and Friday as I know that I am then better at making good decisions both with food and everything else.
Swimming sounds lovely, s-g. I am looking forward to lots when we go on holiday on the 1st.

Hello all, I seem to be back on track and have lost the 1.5lb I regained plus 0.25 lb on top so just under what I was last week. I think I can put it down to the swimming and did 45 mins yesterday. I will try and get 20 mins after lunch then maybe another 30 mins after dinner but there is supposed to be a storm coming so I might only manage the one.

Food today, B – poached egg and grilled mushroom, L – ploughmans, D – pork stirfry.

Enjoy your day, hope it is cooler for you all.

Hi s-g! Ugh, we are melting in California too – forecast over 100 degrees today — good work on getting back on track!

Hi I’d like to join too please. I’ve been doing low carb but want to try low carb and 800 cals. I’ve lost 10lbs in about 5 weeks on low carb but found that if I drink alcohol my weight goes back up so I’m going to try to resist for as long as possible. I promised my self I wouldn’t be fat at 40 but I was but determined not to be fat at 42 which will be October. I started at 9stone 7 biggest I’ve ever been and down to 8lb11 (I’m 4ft11). Got a hen long weekend in Benidorm in 2 weeks so no doubt there will be a blip and on hols end of August but apart from that I’m going to really stick to it and try and eat low carbs when away. Used to be able to lose weight easily but with menopause and under active thyroid strict low carb is the only thing that works now. Good luck and looking forward to hearing about your successes

Hi Mouley, I too am 4’11” but weigh at lot more than you. Welcome and well done with the 10lbs. Yes there will be ups and downs and times when life gets in the way, but my attitude is “this is my life and I have to live it and enjoy it”. My goal is more to do with my blood sugar and improving my diabetes and, hopefully, getting off insulin. Hate injecting every night, my stomach looks like a lumpy dartboard as the needles damage the tissue and leave ridges which I dont think will ever go. Anyway……

Today I weigh the same as yesterday so lost 2.25 lbs since day one. Tonight I am going to a music festival / street party – yes another one, it is the silly season here in France. I am taking my own food although there will be lots of different food vans and restaurants around, the whole town will be closed off and there are different music styles around the town with streets and streets of tables and chairs. So this morning in had yoghurt and grilled apricots, lunch was the avocado and bacon salad and tonight will be lamb and apricot burgers with salad and some pastry-less quiche followed by melon. I will try not to drink (too much) but will dance my feet off for about 3 hours. Fortunately it is a lot cooler here today, around 28 degrees (has been 41) so good for dancing.

Have a good day everyone.

Hi I’m still here!

Sorry not been very helpful on this challenge but hope that everyone is still keeping on keeping on….

I haven’t had great wifi this week but back to normal now.

Well done s-g things are going in the right direction. Well done to everyone else who is still on track.

Hi Mouley and welcome.
S-G well done with the exercise and the loss. I am back on track and had 2 eggs for breakfast plus yoghurt and berries later with green beans plus egg for lunch (eating up leftovers ). Then had prawns and salad with small amount of wholemeal homemade bread this evening. Not a good choice with the bread but we are desperately needing to go shopping and I was ravenous. My brother then helped me to wreck my intentions as I heard unexpectedly that I have passed last Friday’s exam after all. He brought round a bottle of Tattinger… well not every day I get that chance – but between the 6 of us it was less than a glass each and greatly enjoyed! Not good on carbs though – champagne not my usual tipple of choice so unsure of carbs.
However – between the good news that I won’t have to resit after my holiday and the extra hours worked this week to clear the backlog I feel like a huge weight has lifted. Consequently I am going to add to today’s hour long walk by running early tomorrow and then meeting a friend to walk at 9.
Today was breaking myself back in gently, tomorrow is strictly back to serious BSD. I’m back to 150% commitment now. I’ll be posting 1st thing to keep me on track.
Happy weekend to one and all.

Hi everyone…. I’d love to join you all, as I started a third round of the BSD a few days ago, and some mutual encouragement would be very welcome! I’m in Perth, Western Australia, if anyone else is within cooee it would be lovely to meet you 🙂
My brief story so far is… suspected pre-diabetes, had it confirmed, found BSD & lost 12kg first time around (110kg to 98kg, and I’m just under 5’6″), tried 5/2 fast diet for a couple of weeks but gained! Second round of BSD, lost a further 7.5kg, tried not counting calories…gained again! At 93.5kg, started Round 3!
My goal for now is 80kg. I’m 63 and at present can’t exercise, having to ‘rest’ inflamed hip tendons. Weight loss has become sooooo slow now, but as you say, I will “keep on keeping on” because there really is no alternative. I do like the foods in the “Mediterranean” diet, but as we all know, it’s social occasions that can be so difficult 😞
It’s inspiring to read all your stories, well done everyone!
Thanks for letting me ramble on…and have a good weekend 😊

Morning all. S-g hope you enjoyed all the dancing and managed to keep an eye on the wine quantities!
Susie3 welcome! Lots of upper body exercises you can do sat in a chair if you are getting frustrated having to avoid hip tendon pain.
Mouley I am similar age but much heavier and taller than you. Will be 44 in the autumn.
Done my walk and a run awaits once I’ve cut the grass and done the shopping.
Feeling quite virtuous this morning after the difficult week. And full of positivity again. Wishing everyone a successful weekend – they can be tougher than the routine of the week.

Hi all, Welcome to susie3, and hi to verano. Well Julia you wont believe it but we went with a Scottish friend who lives here and her 4 sisters who flew over yesterday. They said they were tired and everywhere we went they said it was too noisy (there were about 30 bands playing all around the town). I think we found the only place to sit without music and they had one glass of wine each and wanted to go back home (not to Scotland of course). We were back home by 10 pm. No music, no dancing. On the plus side we took our own food so had salad with lamb burgers and pastry less quiche.

Weight stuck this morning and the weather is dull and overcast so might not get a swim, although I am sure I will. Slept so late I had a combined breakfast and lunch of cheesy baked beans and grilled mushrooms. Dinner is supposed to be pork goulash but I have run out of pork so trolled through the freezer and found 2 boxes of what looks like bolognaise or chilli, so it will be a surprise when it defrosts.

I reduced my insulin by one point last night getting it back to my pre-cruise amount (was 22, upped to 24 and now 23 units) and my BG this morning was still good at 86 or 4.7.

Have a good weekend everyone

I am just finished on my first 7 weeks but am going to double down again and do it for a further 8 to shift a further 6-10kg. I have let my self get fat and sugary and for this 8 weeks I’ll add 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week to kick my metabolism a bit more and shift some of that ‘visceral’ fat round my internal organs.

My saviour was the omelette. A hot supper with a green salad for 200 calories. what’s not to like.

Hi Ali, great to meet you. With this plan you will soon be under 5.0

Hi Ali and welcome. I’m sure that you will enjoy continued success with your health with the attitude you have.
S-g congrats on your control at the party although the friends’ sisters sound like wet blankets, to be honest! And blood sugar levels good after reducing insulin so well done!
Purple minion how’s things?
Susie3 hope all is well your end too.
Been a good but busy day here and made some spinach and chese crustless quiches for lunch this week.

I am feeling a bit down today, weight up by 0.5 lb but its not that. I had the strangest dream and every time I woke up and went back to sleep it carried on so I couldn’t get out of it and I had to get up. Left me feeling drained but it was only a dream.

Didn’t get a swim yesterday so that probably accounts for the weight. I am just having a coffee and will go in the pool after that and hopefully again tonight as TV is rubbish on a Sunday, only watch The Loch and that isn’t on until 10pm.

Had my usual Sunday brunch of scrambled egg, grilled bacon and tomatoes and canned tomatoes. Dinner tonight will be a very lazy event. I bought a ready cooked chicken and will just have to put it in the oven in its bag and heat it through, then cook loads of veg. Hubby will get a portion of stuffing made in a ramekin so I wont be tempted and because the chicken will only take half an hour there will be no roasties for him.

Julia, I cant be too hard on the girls, they had a delayed flight from Glasgow so missed their flight from Gatwick and spent the night in the airport and only arrived in France at 2pm Friday afternoon, only to be dragged off to a music festival by their sister. But I would rather they hadn’t bothered, spoilt the night for us.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone.

Hope you’re feeling better sunshine -girl. What week are you on? No matter what diet I do I always either gain a little or stay the same on week 3. Then it starts coming off again.

Does anyone know where I can find some good recipes. I’m really struggling and need to try and organise my self better. Im finding that I’m eating exactly the same thing every day.

Good luck all x x

Hi Mouley I am in week 52 as I started the diet on 28th June 2016, but in terms of this challenge it is coming to the end of week 3. Recipes, look on dietdoctor, or on this site and get the recipe book that goes with this diet. There are also recipes in the BSD book. Also look for recipes on line just type low carb recipes, paleo recipes dont use carbs or just use ordinary recipes and adjust them.

Had 30 mins in the pool after breakfast (brunch) and feeling better and also planted out some green beans my grandson plants seeds of when he was here. I will have to send him a photo.

P.S. I have just done a search for low carb recipes. DO NOT USE THOSE WITH Ad next to them, it means it is advertising something and will try and get you to sign up or pay up. Although might not, but will bombard your email and computer sites with ads. About number 5 on the list is dietdoctor, also avoid those that say low carb low fat, we are not low fat. Good luck.

Good to hear from some new folk too. I thought the BSD recipe book was useful for inspiration (as distinct from the BSD diet book).
S-G sounds like the friends might have unwittingly saved you from too much vino in their haste to get to bed so maybe a silver lining to the cloud?
I dared to step on the scales this morning and was shocked to see the number 85 ???? How did that happen in a couple of bad days post exam? Still I have been sensible today after an encounter with some scones yesterday in a weak moment and have every intention of a good loss this week before holiday on Saturday. Suspect partly water but will be extra careful this week so as not to register an increase since starting this challenge. Having a student to cater for means there’s more junk in the house. Dinner for her is haggis and neeps etc but for me some black pudding with broccoli and some salad. Odd combo but trying to get rid of odds and sods.

Just done another 20 mins in the pool, total for today is 50 minutes.

Well done on the swimming. I am going to join you tomorrow running instead of swimming for 50 minutes – if you can do it there where it’s hot then I have no excuse here at a breezy 15 Celsius. Was extra careful at dinner and made it here to bed with no snacking, when OH came home from overtime at half 10 wanting dinner I even sat with him and watched while he put away a large amount of pesto pasta.
Wishing everyone a good night’s sleep / good day depending upon which part of the world you are in!

🙋🏼Well hello there all you inspiring people! Starting the BSD800 for first time tomorrow. Am 5ft 6in & weigh 106kg.
Have only really had weight issues since my late twenties when I first got pregnant. Have had x3 great children & x6 miscarriages in between, never really shook off the weight gained with each. Have tried it all, and weep when I think of all the money, and time, I have spent on books, specialised diets (lighter life etc), group meetings (WW, SW..) & online support programmes…🙆🏼😓
Here’s looking at us…this is our finest hour! Thank you.

Hi vnunny11 and welcome. It was after each of 2 pregnancies that my weight piled on – my metabolism totally changed each time – sluggish to say the least . So sorry ot hear you had miscarriages as well – that is extremely tough. I have lost over 15 kilos on the BSD, but there are others who have lost loads more. I’m 5’8” and currently 83.5 kilos.

So pleased to report that the 85 I couldn’t quite believe yesterday is this morning down to 83.5. I couldn’t believe that a few days of rubbish had done that much damage. Today was quite encouraged, managed a 5k run before work and took in a tub of fage yoghurt and some dried apricots for breakfasts at work this week, and also spinach/parmesan (crustless) quiches/muffins or whatever you want to call them for the next couple of days. They are my go to work lunch with a pile of cherry tomatoes, as I make them in silicon muffin moulds at the weekend and they even freeze if need be. Dinner is smoked gammon and piles of salad at my mums as there is a family get together. But fortunately I don’t have problems eating there as my mum is sensible and doesn’t put stupid stuff on the table anyway, much less press it on me.
I go on holiday on Saturday, cannot wait, and being super good this week. Next week I will make sensible choices – it is far harder for me to make these at home in stressful situations than on holiday where I am relaxed. Emotional eating is my downfall really. Having looked at posts on holiday experiences, the norm seems to be that if sticking to the principles, the exact cals can be loosened without too much damage. I plan to do a walk every morning before breakfast, which will be a run if I can cope with the heat and get up early enough! Otherwise I am prepared for water retention post-flight.
How is everyone getting on? Getting a bit quiet on here! Best wishes to all.

Hi Vnunny11 and welcome. Julia, I just hope I have a similar result but I am not holding my breath.

How many times do I bang on to beginners to be organised in planning, organised in shopping, organised equals success on this diet. So tonight I am having the chicken and mushroom ‘pie’ for dinner. Went shopping this morning and forget the cauliflower, cabbage and leeks and have run out of crème fraiche. So I have chicken and mushroom and yoghurt so might have to cobble together a chicken goulash. I really dont know where my head is just now but i’m really not into it. Even my menu, although done, is scribbled on the back on last weeks menu instead of being neatly typed up. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. Talk about seriously doing the fast 800, more like seriously failing.

Hope I wake up tomorrow in a better frame of mind.

Hey S-G don’t be too hard on yourself, it sounds like you are having the sort of week this week that I had last week. Sometimes life just knocks you about, doesn’t even need to be a concrete reason. Take time out to just be, and to pat yourself on the back for what you are doing well: swimming is going fine, so you are not failing on the exercise front. And just the other day you reduced the insulin successfully. I know how you feel , though, and sympathise – sometimes we just cannot get our heads into gear. I don’t have the way with words that others do, but know that you are not alone and we all extend an encouraging hand to you. Your zillions of steps of progress have inspired me – just keep on going, you ARE getting there, even if not as fast as you would like.

Hi everyone and welcome to our new posters … good luck to you all, this is a great way to eat.

We have a ‘calima’ here, hot dusty weather that blows over from the Sahara. Today is cool just 35c but we’ve had a few 40+ days which have been really uncomfortable. Back to UK soon and I guess I’ll be complaining about the weather but for other reasons!

I’m sure you do have water retention in hot climates. S-g this could definitely be part of your up/down pattern. Could you maybe just weigh once or twice a week? I know how difficult it is for a daily weigher to do that but it may stop you feeling down if the scales move up.

I know it’s your BSD birthday very soon s-g so maybe you should just concentrate on how far you’ve come against all the odds with being on insulin. Looking forward to your annual report. But in the meantime give yourself a huge pat on the back and remember this isn’t a race, for some it may be a sprint, but for many of us it’s a marathon! BSD is the best way of living and you are doing that so well. You fit your life into this way eating whilst maintaining the gains you have made in your BS.

We know that we can’t treat this as a ‘diet’ and revert to our old ways when we reach our goal. If we do our diabetes rears its ugly head again but we’ve both proved you can manage your diabetes and ‘live’ life, albeit without bread, pasta, rice and potatoes, to the full. Life isn’t ‘all or nothing’ it’s just a series of compromises and although we may not be at the top of the weight loss ladder we’ve proved we can control our diabetes …. and that is the name of the game!

Sorry just another sermon to self to keep things in perspective especially in view of the number of returners who lost last year and have regained all they lost. At least they are coming back to try again.

I had water retention last week even in the UK in our little ‘heatwave’. 3 pounds just suddenly arrived, the puffy ankles were back, and the weight and ankles are now mysteriously back to normal again as the temperature has dropped again.

Hi everyone, I am still here and still determined. Thank you for the sermon Verano, just what I needed to make me think about what I want to achieve and, more importantly, what I have achieved. When it comes to food I can be super good but if I have a drink say on a Friday for a party, I tend to continue for the weekend. If I have a drink on a Saturday (again for a party) I will finish off what’s left on Sunday but I wont bother me that I didn’t have a drink on the Friday because there was no reason to. So, I am starting this week with no parties, no dinner invitations, no holidays and no visitors who are on holiday and think I am too (so do I). That is my first problem, so hopefully over the next 6 weeks before my family come out I have no distractions. I can take a drink or leave it, just with having 3 holidays one after another it has crept up as a habit again, so it has to stop.

Next, what did I set out to achieve. This will probably not mean much to non-diabetics but for me the important thing was to reduced my blood sugars – the clue is in the name of the diet, along with reducing my medication and insulin injections with a view to finally being needle free. I also wanted to lose 3 stones in total but not my main aim. So looking back my daily blood sugar readings were around 180 to 190 and made me cry every day. They are now around 80 or 90 and rarely spike. I know I will not stop being diabetic as I have had it for 12 years now but I still live in hope of no injections. To that end I have reduced my insulin from 38 units nightly to 23 units, so nearly halved the amount. I have cut other meds by one-third. I have reduced my blood pressure from 150/90 to 120/70, my cholesterol is down from 6.9 to 3.4 and my triglycerides are right down within normal. I have now lost 21 lbs which is have the weight I set out to lose and I am still going.

In all, I think I have done quite well, especially considering this diet is almost a matter of a good life or a lousy life and I am not giving up on that choice. I have to remember what the alternative is for me, more meds, loss of sight, heart disease, kidney failure, neurological problem like numb hands and feet or worse, gangrene and amputation. The list goes on. So I have given myself a good talking to and now will keep on keeping on….

Sorry if this was depressing and thanks again Verano for reminding me and being there when I needed you.

As for the rest of you desperados. How are you doing, do we have any scale or non-scale successes to report or has the heat got to you all. I had a swim this morning knowing that later it was forecast for storms and here they are flashing and crackling around our house. So glad I swam early.

Just wanted to say, you have achieved so much S-g and you should be proud of how far you have come. You seem to have refocused and hopefully looking back on your successes has given you the boost you need to continue with your quest. You provide so much support and great advise for everyone on the forum, you just need to think on the advise you would pass on to someone in your situation and you’ll know for sure what you need to do.

Best of luck to you for more great success.

See s-g you really have done so well in the last twelve months. Your stats are great in comparison to the old ones. Can you imagine how they would be if you’d not embarked on BSD a year ago!! Maybe you should make a poster of where you are today compared to where you were and look at it whenever you waiver. Anyway here’s to year two of a healthy way of life.

I’m a bit confused not sure if we have had 2 or 3 weeks of the 8. Anyway if it’s 2 I have gained a total of 2.8lbs. But working on mnm’s theory if I have a 3lb water retention gain I’ve lost!!!! Ok I know I’m only fooling myself. It’s still very hot here, high 30’s, but next week l’ll be back sticking to 800/30 like glue. I’m actually missing all that weighing and counting but on the other hand it’s been fun eating with gay abandon but within the principles.

Hope you’ve all had a good week.

Today was the end of week 3 V.

Oh dear!
Make that a gain of an extra 2.4lbs so that’s a total of 5.2lbs!! These holidays are not going me very much good. Just hoping my HbA1c will be ok. Best get myself back to 800/30 next Monday without fail.

Hi everyone, Todays my birthday, todays my birthday, todays my birthday – said with a little dance for anyone who remembers Friends. It is not my actual birthday but one year since I started on the BSD. I wont repeat my achievements as I listed them yesterday and, yes, I am pleased with how far I have come. Okay my mind it set and I am a stubborn little terrier so back on track.

Since starting this 3 weeks ago I have lost 1.75 lbs so at least it is a loss. My BG is stable around 80 to 100 even on reduced insulin so all is well. I checked the pool this morning and one night of storms has dropped the temperature from 28 degrees to just under 25. I would have got in but there are black clouds swiftly moving in and it has gone very dark outside. To replace this I sat watching Lorraine and the ladies on the cruise being put through their exercises – incidentally it is the same cruise I am on next year ending in Dubrovnik. That motivated me to get out the weights and spend that sitting time doing 200 each arm bicep curls and 200 each arm behind the head dips, to keep my arm muscles firm – not much I can do about the bit that hangs down the lower part.

Well V, I gained around 5 lbs on my extended holidays and had the occasional dessert (even a chocolate bomb but it was 80% dark chocolate) and it only increased my HbA1c from 5.4 to 5.6 so get straight back onto it when you get back and you should be okay. What about the rest of you – Julia, Ali, Susie, Moulay, vnunny to name just some of you. How are you all doing, is this working for you, are you struggling. Let us know, we are all here to help each other and you have all helped me.

Keep on keeping on…

🎶Happy birthday, happy birthday to you, happy birthday🎶 in the words if Lionel Richie. At least your not singing 🎶it’s my party and I’ll cry if I wanted cry if I want to🎶!! Well done and here’s to another successful year🥂

It’s all that keeping on keeping on that leads to success…..

Happy BSD birthday, s-g. As Verano says, here’s to another successful year.

Congrats on a year well spent s-g! You have achieved so much in that time and I hope that you will be just as successful in the coming year too.

Hello all, have been so busy I have missed a few days posting, but just thought I’d let you know that despite the busyness I have managed to get down to 82.3 kg this morning. I have packed my running stuff for my holiday, although with the heat it may well end up as long walks rather than runs. I have until Saturday to try and lose some more – won’t be weighing on holiday but I have every intention of keeping up the good work and while unable to measure, will stick with the principles, although I plan to allow myself the odd single scoop of ice cream. I find that if I include this after a fibre filled meal, it doesn’t have the slightest effect on blood sugar, must be the cream? I do avoid sorbet though.

S-G the bigger picture looking at your full year is amazing.

Prawn salad for lunch. The usual predictable breakfast. Not sure what for dinner. Can’t have the pizza the rest of the family are having, although the dough looks amazing – lovely golden khorasan wholemeal flour. Will probably have the tomato and cheese element over a packet of courgetti/cauli rice.

Have a good day all – here in Edinburgh it’s raining stair rods/cats and dogs/buckets – had to drive quite carefully to avoid drenching the pedestrians in the mega puddles that are everywhere!

Thank you all for your support. Julia, only 3.3kg to go to your current goal. Well done. Where are you going on holiday?

I have also had another epiphany thinking about where this diet is taking me. No, I am not too overweight to be worried (about 1.5 stones) and I am concentrating in my blood glucose numbers and bringing them down and further reducing the insulin injections. BUT and it is a big BUT, I am not going to get my BG down much further unless I lose more weight. There is a strong connection between the two in the sense that the less I weigh the less insulin I will need, the less insulin I lose the more weight I can lose. It is a connective circle. So I can keep trying and failing to lose more weight so I will continue to need 23 units of insulin, then because of the insulin will find it even harder to lose weight. I hope you are understanding this as it is a bit confusing but all connected. Weight, insulin, BG.

Julia, I found the cauliflower base for pizza is really good, the secret is you have to pre-bake it before putting on the topping – or it goes soggy and, in fact, you have to over cook it. Okay, when you add the topping and put it back in the oven for 15 mins the ‘crust’ edges might catch and burn a bit but it adds to the flavour. If you dont have the recipe it is just whizzed up cauliflower (uncooked) add a little salt and mix with beaten egg. Press down into a flat circle onto greased paper or on a metal pizza base and cook until it is set and crispy. Voila

Have a good day everyone. Oh by the way it is very very wet here in France so no swimming but I still did arm weights and some leg exercises.

Well I think I’m ‘trained’ at last.

Last night I was in a restaurant that serves a particularly good quesillo, which is a sort of firmer creme caramel, topped with whipped cream and drizzled with dark chocolate. Sorry I know this isn’t what you want to wake up to! Anyway, my friend suggested we share one and for the first time I had absolutely no desire to eat this dessert. Despite her cajoling there was no way I could be tempted and I thought to myself at last I’m getting into the zone. Now I just have to train myself to dislike crisps, my latest go to in times of needing ‘crunch’ in my life!

So another step forward. I realise that I don’t want or need sweet food after a meal but that a couple of squares of 90% would do the trick if necessary. I just need to remember to take them out with me to have with coffee!

S-g I understand that you are in a vicious circle but you didn’t come up with an answer or conclusion, unless I missed it. It’s so very much harder when you are starting from a lower ‘number’. When you BS was very high it was easier to bring it down by altering your eating habits than it is now to reduce it from a more normal level. I guess the only answer is to persevere and in time your weight will drop, then the insulin, then the weight etc. Will there come a point when the insulin can be replaced with another medication that would let you get off the insulin ‘hamster wheel’?

Happy hols Julia. Best of luck keeping to the principles. I’ve managed reasonably well but have put on 5lbs in nearly 4 weeks. My biggest gain was in the first week and since then I’ve maintained pretty well. I’m sure that much of the gain is water retention which I think I will lose pretty quickly after I get home on Sunday. Despite drinking lots of water I know that my body is hoarding it. Maybe I should have been drinking even more! Anyway have a great time and enjoy!

Hope everyone is still keeping on ….

Morning everyone, I have been watching Lorraine again and motivated to do some simple exercises whilst watching TV, 50 squats, 50 leg raises 100 biceps curls each arm and 100 triceps dips each arm. Still raining so no swimming.

Verano, sorry that I rambled on, I knew what I meant and my conclusion is. More weight loss = less need for insulin, less insulin = more weight loss. Therefore I still have to lose more weight and not stick happily where I am just because I look okay (and only okay, could look better).

I appear to be losing as I can see my midriff disappearing but not weighing for a few days so I dont think ‘ah ah I have lost, I can have a treat’ then go and ruin it over the weekend.

Keep on keeping on…

Good morning

Still standing still here. So really pleased that I’ve managed not to put on anymore weight. Home tomorrow and looking forward to getting back to weighing, counting and logging. I think maybe it’s good to have a break from the ‘control’ now and again but to stay within the ‘principles’.

S-g glad you’re still keeping on keeping on. Hope the weighing less is working for you, I’m sure we’ll both get to where we want to be in the end. I’m also very close to my first BSD birthday and am starting to evaluate and think of my aims for the coming year. At this point in time I can’t imagine going back to eating all those carbs again. I think I like my ‘normal’ BS and cholesterol etc. too much to go backwards.

Have a good day.

Well it is still b—–dy raining here, more like a monsoon and the temperature has dropped to 18 and I daren’t look at the pool temperature. Never mind we are set for low 30’s next week.

Weighed this morning and have lost the weight I put back on plus half a pound so lost 2.5 lbs in 3.5 weeks, not good but still a loss. Still no treats over the weekend, only 2 more evenings to go.

Well done S-G you are nailing this. Know how you feel about the rain. Edinburgh has gone from a Spring drought to non stop rain. Depressing after a while. I’ll think of you as I bask in sun and warmth later today!

Enjoy your holiday Julia, where are you going???

A previous post of mine clearly didn’t post, when I was at the airport. Here it is… edited since we have now arrived in Mallorca. At Heathrow between flights I managed to find Pret a Manger Italian chicken salad which was a much better option than the sandwiches the family had. Hoping to do lots of exercise next 2 weeks and stick with the principles and not come back heavier. Those are my aims. We avoid the touristy bits mainly (my OH is from here ) but we have 1 week in middle of the country (good walks) and 1 week by the coast (the promenade is always nice and flat for good early morning runs ). The swimming pool might be an option if I am early enough for a serious swim rather than dodging splashers. Have decided to take the stairs to the 5th floor each time and forgo the lift. Damage limitation…

Count me in too sunshine-girl. I’m trying for 19kg by end September which is birthday and holiday combined. On my second day and approaching 2kg loss. Mind you been painting for 9 hours today so must have a part to play. Liking the Keep on Keeping On. It’s the title of a Northern Soul record by Nolan Porter. The dancing could propel the weight loss. Check it out on You Tube

UURGH ! I’m at a plateau and not sure what else I can do. I’ve stayed the same for the last 2 weeks. I wouldn’t mind but in the last 2 weeks I’ve stuck to low carbs and under 800 cals, given up booze and been going to the gym 4 times a week. Rubbish!! Has any one else ever had plateaus? x

Mouley, don’t despair, it’s so common to have ( multiple!) plateaus. Weight loss, as I have agonisingly slowly discovered, is not linear and if you type ‘plateau’ into the right hand top search box you’ll get a post from just about everyone who’s been on the bsd! Nothing at all to worry about, it’s actually normal. ( see ‘whoosh fairy’ for comforting news)

Hi, welcome to higgy22, enjoy Mallorca Julia, it has been horrible here is southern France but set to get back into the 30’s this week so you should get use of the pool. I agree about the splashers, I like to have a good swim. Moulay the plateau will pass and this is not a time to give up. You will wake up one morning and, whoosh, the weight will be heading down again.

I have nothing to report as I have kept away from the scales although I know I have lost half a pound – fingers crossed as that is an amount that could be a wee or a poo and could be back on in an instant. Weigh in for the end of week 4 is Tuesday so lets all make a big effort and keep on keeping on…

Hi back home again now and the total damage is 5.6lbs. It could have been a lot worse so I’m not too upset. I’m spending the next eight days back on a ‘short, sharp shock’ to get me back into the zone for the last four weeks of this challenge.

This week I will stay with 900/40 to ease myself back into true low carb eating. Then for the last three weeks plan on doing 800/30. So here goes …. I’m keeping on keeping on …..

Hope you are all doing well.

Only just come back to the forums so trying to catch up! Like some of you I did really well last year on the Fast 800 but then relaxed over xmas and ever since! I started back in earnest last week and I can feel a difference already! I’m not weighing just yet as I want to feel really in control before I risk any negativity! I think I have gained some back but hopefully not too much – we’ll see. Hardest think right now is passing up all the gorgeous fruit 🙁 Great start Purple Minion! Have a good week everyone 🙂