The monthly thread moving into September 2025. Here to help new dieters, returners and anyone who needs support!

Thanks for setting this thread up Pootle. Sorry you’ve been feeling down. I guess we all get spells like that. The good thing is that you are still maintaining well.

‘Spectacular’ would be a great way to describe September. I’d be happy with a ‘little progress’! I just don’t seem to be able get back into a ‘continuous’ routine. I feel like I’m on a see-saw at the moment and so actually going nowhere!

Anyway, hoping September turns out to be ‘Spectacular’ for everyone.

Thank you for setting this up Pootle. Please shout out if you need help but I also totally forgot we had reached September.

Inevitable weight gain from booze at last nights quiz. Good news is we won, we were asked to join a team of 4 to make it 6 (most allowed) and we scored 28 out of 32. So one wrong in each of the 4 rounds. Prize is 6 bottles of wine so we got 2. They are red so they will be left for hubby to drink.

My main concern right now is getting my BG back down to my ‘normal’ of between 5.8 and 6.2 and I am being tested on Thursday morning when nurse comes to take my bloods. I will let you know my results as soon as I get them, then it is doctor next week.

Have a really spectacular September.

I am beginning to worry about one working week (6 days) in September. I will be staying in a Premier Inn and starting at 6am on 3 days, not finishing until about 7pm. The other 3 days are slightly more civilised…with an 8am start. I know it is going to be difficult to continue to avoid bread, pasta, rice and potatoes as all food will be ‘grab, eat run’! I will take the first day’s packed lunch with me…broccoli bread with a bit of cheese and avocado with sardines, but what to do after….we are getting a ‘breakfast box’ each morning, which I know will be bread or croissant based. I really do not want to get sucked into the carb cycle again….the withdrawal is so difficult, but I also cannot go without food as it will be very long days and quite physical work. Does anyone know if Premier Inn have a fridge in the room? If so, I can take greek yoghurt, broccoli bread, cheese, avocados, cooked meats etc so I can snack on those rather than eating the carbs.
I have come this far, I really don’t want to mess it up now!
🤞
Hope we can all have a ‘spectacular September!”

Pootle that’s a difficult one. Ring the hotel and ask the question about a fridge. Then if there isn’t one it may be a bit of a struggle … but … maybe you can take some crispbreads, canned sardines, tuna, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, blueberries and a sharp knife! Not ideal but at least it might get you through some of the worst carb horrors. It might not be as bad as you’re anticipating and if the worst coned to worst and it is, then don’t just don’t give into the idea that ‘I’ve eaten one so might as well eat more’. Just eat as much as you need . You can get back on track as soon as you get home.

Hi Pootle. The Premier Inn sounds a challenge! I find savoury egg muffins are good for journeys/overnight stays. Perhaps you could take a cool bag with you? Fingers crossed you have a fridge. X

Hi Pootle,
I was in this situation once. I did have a fridge in the room, but made sure of it ahead of time. I took a chia and hemp seed mix to mix with the Greek yogurt, although if you know there will be milk available, you could just mix it with that. I also took the broccoli sandwich bread with me and that lasted me for the first 2 days, and after that, I fasted through breakfast. We had salad available at lunch, so I had that and supplemented with the Greek yogurt for protein. Also, I had nuts and olives with me for snacks or to bulk up meals. It wasn’t a physically hard work week, just sitting around tables in meetings, but it was challenging because the meeting organizers had put tons of hard candy and jars of jelly beans on each table. I’ve never been a big fan of those things, so not normally tempted by them, but very hard at first to see everyone grabbing handfuls of jelly beans regularly, then after a while, I just became disgusted by it. Best of luck with it. I’m sure you will manage brilliantly as you’ve come so far already.

Thank you for setting up the thread Pootle. I don’t think Premier Inns do have a fridge in their usual rooms but there are some upgraded rooms that I think might? It certainly is worth asking & could your take a cool bag with you with ice packs that could last for a couple of days? I wonder if the restaurant attached to the Premier Inns might be prepared to refreeze your ice packs? I know it would be an unusual request but it wouldn’t cost them anything!
I had a final hospital check yesterday & my knee recovery seems to be on the usual projectory . I have been prescribed a med to help nerve pain to help me sleep & it worked brilliantly last night because I have been only sleeping one to three hours for the last two weeks so rather worried & exhausted not getting any much needed deep sleep. Apparently usual progress to walk normally can be six months so after Christmas for me but I feel better having a time frame. I have been given a couple more exercises & to discontinue some because my knee bend is very good but I must build thigh muscle strength after limping with a stick for three years. I was amused to learn I must also walk in my hall forwards then backwards which stops limping because it gradually confuses the brain because you can’t limp backwards! Who knew that 😀
Congratulations on your quiz win S-G 👏👏⭐️
Margaret xx

Hello All
Good luck Pootle at the Premier Inn. Good news Wendy on the knee front.. coincidentally, I saw Julia Bradbury talking about the benefits of walking backwards today on TV. It seems to help with all sorts of leg and back issues so welk worth a try. I was listening to a podcast ( DOAC) with Alan Goldhamer who spoke very convincingly about water fasting… I am going to try a longer fast – I’ve done 3 days a few times but will try 5 next time. I definitely need to rereboot this September as I faffed about a bit in August after a cracking start and fell off the wagon! Well done on the quiz win SG.

Hi all,
Margaret, so glad to hear that things seem to be improving with your knee, sleep etc.
Good luck for your blood test, S-G.
And Pootle, I really feel for you. I doubt I could resist that sort of temptation in front of me every day, especially as you’ll be busy and physically tired. If the motel has little in the way of fridge facilities, maybe take filling snacks with you – nuts, pork scratchings, babybel cheese etc. Just trying to think of high protein things that aren’t going to give you a carb hit. Look for keto stuff – the calories are high, but they have few if any carbs. Because I know exactly what you mean – if I give in to temptation and eat something carby, I just want more of it and find I suddenly feel very hungry. I find protein bars and very-low-carb diet shakes very helpful in that regard too. I know real food is preferable, but short term I don’t think they would do too much harm.
How did you find the 3 day water fast, Antigone? I’ve done 36 hours but that’s the longest I’ve gone.
Take care of yourselves,
Lacy xx

Good morning all,

Thanks for all your ideas… I have to admit I hadn’t thought about taking tinned foods or asking the staff to refreeze my cold blocks! So I am now going to take a little larder with me, plus a plate and cutlery to be able to eat in the room! 😉 and have pockets full of nuts etc with me at all times!! I am less worried about calories so can look for low carb!
I have never done a long fast… 15 hours max, but I don’t think this would be the time to try it! 🫣

S-G hope your test results are positive and the GP is supportive! Also hope you have had more viewings and have kept your husband out of the way!
Antigone, hope the fast goes well.
Margaret, good news about your knee, keep it up!
To everyone on this thread, keep on going and thanks for all the support!
K xxx

Hi everyone, I am sat here waiting for my results from the blood tests – about 15 different things – we call it my MOT for the year. The fact there are so many might be taking longer. Nurse had a problem with my inner arm vessels and had to take blood from the back of my hand. All power to her she hardly left a bruise in either place.

Just put the price of our house down. As I have said before I think the agent misadvised us regarding the state of the market and what we could get. You can put people off even looking as they are not so keen on making offers in France. The people who viewed said our living area was too small but failed to see (we are open plan), if you switched it round and had the dining room where we sit it would give a much bigger living room. We just like it cosy and being able to see out the front of the house. They also said they thought we lived in an unsafe area because we need an alarm. Stupid people. An alarm makes it much safer, even just having the sign on the gate.

Pootle, my experience of Premier Inn is no better that others. We stayed in one about 10 years ago and they gave us vouchers for breakfast in the nearby McDonalds. However, the next time we stayed in one, the nearby restaurant was something like a Harvester and they did lovely food. However, my evening meals were usually made up of 2 starters instead of a starter and a main and they were very good about it. Glad you have some ideas for keeping on track but dont let a few errors make it all or nothing for you.

Results are in so I am going to have a look and print them out. Will report back soon if I dare.

Slight delay as daughter rang me and we had a lot to chat about. Grandson had been to visit Glasgow Uni to see if he liked it. He liked the course (microbiology with a specialism in paracytology – ug, worms and germs) but he didnt like the city.

Results are in a although not ideal I am back down 6.7 from 7.3 -usually around 6.3 but heading in the right direction. Cholesterol 2.5 and triglycerides 1.3, so all good. Seeing doctor next week. Bye for now.

Just popping in to “Hello”.

S-g your BS might not be as good as you had hoped but yes, as you say, going the right direction.

I think we all have to always remember these ‘numbers’ are arbitrary. A ‘bit ‘ higher a ‘bit’ lower and we’re still OK.

Anyway hope everyone has a good weekend.

Very good cholesterol numbers SG and positive movement on the BG. I’m 46 hours into a long hard fast..felt a bit tired and grumpy earlier so had some caffeine which did the trick ( normally only drink decaf coffee). Not sure how long I’ll go on for yet. For me its easier to eat nothing than limit meals..see how it goes.
Have a good weekend all.

Hi S-G….good news that your BG is going the right way! And your Cholesterol is excellent!!

Good luck with the fast Antigone…I hope you have a positive result!

Have a brilliant weekend everyone..
K.xx

Good morning everyone!
Finally seeing some sun here in Melbourne – still very cold though!
Sorry your BG numbers weren’t ideal, S-G. But they are down, and your lipids are excellent, so take the win! 🎉
It’s Father’s Day this Sunday in our part of the world, and the family are getting together at a bistro to celebrate. I’ve had a look at the menu online and my low carb options don’t look promising – grilled fish and steamed veg yet again 🤣. Oh well, it is what it is! Last time we went out to eat with friends, it was to a Korean BBQ restaurant, which was brilliant for low-carb/keto as it turns out. Lean meat, seafood, zucchini, eggplant and king oyster mushroom slices, all unmarinated, which you could cook on the table bbq, and plenty of cos lettuce leaves to wrap it all in. Absolutely delicious and didn’t blow my diet! Definitely recommend it!
Anyway, have a fantastic weekend everyone!
Lacy xx

I am glad that your results are going in the right direction S-G & wow Antigone I hope your fast went well? I haven’t tried one that long. Good luck Pootle with your Premier Inn stay all you can do is your best but even a few days having to go off track won’t derail for long & you can get back to low carb eating when you get home. I must admit when I am eating out its vegetables I miss because restaurants or caterers seem to offer such small portions but chips with everything that I no longer try regard as a vegetable 😀
I have been signed off by my hospital with a review in a year to look at my left knee which when looking at the X-ray is also becoming misaligned with arthritis & the hint of a bone spur🤔🙁. I really don’t want to have to go through another knee replacement op & recovery. Oh well I am on the mend with my right knee & will have finished my fourth course of antibiotics tomorrow & can then try to get my gut biome back into good order. I’m doing more in the kitchen & gradually getting back to preparing low carb meals from scratch🤞🤞I do need to start again losing weight & weighed today gaining 1.25 lbs which puts me back to the weight I was before my op in July. It feels as though I’m still taking baby steps & was advised I probably won’t be able to short mat bowl again until after Christmas 🙁. I know I am a most impatient patient😂
Oh can anyone recommend a good website for me to easily record weight loss & calorie intake ? My online slimming club that I have used for years is closing down this month! The Fitbit one I couldn’t understand at all & in any case looks like I would have to pay for an upgrade.
Keep going everyone you are all doing brilliantly 👍
Margaret xx

Hi all, another week over but not weighing until tomorrow and I also have a doctors appt tomorrow.

Margaret have you tried myfitnesspas. At first you have to enter your foods but after a while they are logged in a list and you can just click on them to enter into your daily food diary. Also counts carbs, proteins etc. Also you can ‘check-in’ and register your weight, measurements, water consumptions, exercise, lots of things. Although these other things have to be put in by you unless you have a smart watch that for example, logs your exercise. Mine used to but I have to put it in manually now. You will soon get used to it and I think a lot of us use it. Glad your recovery is going well and looking forward to getting back to normal life and activity.

Got to get on with cleaning the house now for our sitter although it is very clean already as it is always viewing ready, so just the bathroom, toilet and kitchen to do.

Morning all,

The countdown to my week working away has begun… Clothes for the week were washed and pressed about 3 weeks ago…so now I have to rethink, as I was in ‘hot, dry’ mode and am now in ‘cool, wet’ weather with hot spells!! 😂 So the ‘working’ jeans and t-shirts have been supplemented with sweatshirts and waterproofs and the smart ‘presentation’ gear has been swapped out for more autumnal attire! 🤣
I am armed with frozen broccoli bread for the first couple of days, plus tinned artichoke hearts, tinned sardines, tinned salmon and nuts for snacks. I will be buying avocado, Greek Yoghurt and cooked meats the day before I travel! So I am all set! 🤞
Now have to clean the house and prepare for my GS to visit Husband whilst I am away!

Margaret, great that your right knee is well on the way to recovery…fingers crossed that the left knee stabilises and you don’t need to replace that one!

S-G hope all goes well for your weigh in and Dr appointment today!

Lacy the Korean BBQ sounds fascinating…cooking yourself at the table… Hope Fathers day at the bistro was a brilliant family get together.

Hope you are all having a good week.
K.x

Hi all,
Hope the fast is going well, Antigone (or went well if you’ve finished!)
Good to hear things are getting back to normal for you, Margaret. You’ll be back in the swing of things in no time, I’m sure!
🤞for the medical appointment today, S-G.
And it looks like you’re all ready for your week away, Pootle – sounds as though a huge amount of organising was involved, but you’ve aced it!
The Father’s Day get-together was very enjoyable – the food was predictably ordinary (dry/overcook barramundi and soggy steamed veg) but catching up with the family (all from my OH’s side – my lot are in the UK) was great, as I haven’t seen some of them for months. And yes, Korean BBQ is fun, and very much an ‘audience participation’ dining experience 🤣. It’s very popular here, and definitely worth a try if there’s one near you.
Anyway, have a great week everyone!
Lacy xx

Hi all, just back from the doctors and I am still on insulin. We had a long chat about semaglutide and I asked him to give me good reason not to go on it. He talked about urinary tract infection and yeast infections and diahorrhea, told him I live with those as I am diabetic, he mentioned pancreatitis. Finally, he went through the criteria which allows him to prescribe it and I am way under on BMI. I have a BMI of 31 and the cut off level is 40 and above. He says it is dangerous for me at 72 to lose too much weight and muscle and he cannot prescribe as I am not obese enough. I think this is the same criteria that I would have to meet if I lived in the UK so I will go along with what he says. Now I have to try even harder to get my insulin down. I also told him I wasnt happy with the other doctor who talked down to me like a child for eating and drinking on a cruise. My doctor would have just laughed at that. I did conceed that we had trouble understanding each other so that could have been the problem. I will make sure I see my own doctor in future.

Finally he said I should stop worrying about my weight so much and just try to keep my BG down. Bit of a catch there as they are connected.

He forgot to give my a new prescription of my 3 monthly blood test but I think it was because I kept him talking for nearly 40 minutes. He is still very nice.

Hope everyone else is doing well, hope your trip goes well Pootle. Not sure what a Korean BBQ is Lace but I dont eat fish or seafood so I guess it wouldnt be good for me.

Afternoon All, not what you were hoping for SG but really good that your doctor gave you all that time to discuss it with you – my (french) doctor allows 5 mins per person! Pootle – organisation is your superpower! Congrats for surviving the food ordeal Lacey 😉 Great news on the knee Wendy/Margaret. My fast is over – went well but I should have broken it more gently! We had some free range (proper) bacon ( not so easy to source in France) and I think I overwhelmed my organs after 4 days of nada – lesson learned. I’ve been super good since and although the scales aren’t quite where I’d hoped, I really feel well and can see less of myself. I have 1.4 kilos to reach my first goal.🤞Seems like September is looking better than August for everyone so that’s a positive. Bon courage…

Hello everyone.

Good news Wendy. Glad all is as it should be at this stage and going in the right direction.

S-g yes you’re right. Here you need a BMI of 40+ and four ‘conditions’! These include diabetes and high blood pressure but not sure what the others are. Just be thankful you don’t qualify!! Listen to Dr gorgeous and don’t worry too much about the number on the scale!

Well, I’ve been really busy lately. We had a dinner party for 8 on Saturday and I made Thai. I always thought Thai was pretty healthy but I actually followed recipes and wow, so much sugar! I always adapt recipes. I make a salmon red curry which has three tablespoons of sugar in the recipe but I only add a scant teaspoon which seems to do the trick.

I’m on hold diet wise at the moment. We are out tomorrow with a fixed menu so for me it will be salmon, undoubtedly it will be overcooked, with fruit salad before and after! Not much to look forward to really but at least it should be a good evening despite the food!

Thursday we are out for a Thai meal with friends. I’m more prepared now! Then Sunday we have family here for lunch which of course I’ll be in control of. So a more difficult, but not impossible, time for staying lower calorie.

Hope you manage during your week away Pootle. You sound really well organised.

Antigone …. 4 days!!! Don’t know how you could do that. I must admit the best I can do is one meal a day and I don’t really enjoy that!

Lacy I wonder why it is that fish is nearly always overcooked? I love fish. A while ago we had friends for lunch and I made salmon and they wanted to know where I buy my fish. I wanted to say, but didn’t , it’s not the fish it’s the way it’s cooked!! I have a foolproof recipe: salmon fillets, skin side up on a baking tray with baking paper, tiny bit of olive oil rubbed on the skin, squeeze of lemon, cook at 180c fan for 10 minutes. Always perfect flaky succulent fish!

We are off to see our son next week for a couple of weeks so it’s ’beat the clock’ here at the moment.

Have a good week everyone!

Hi all,
Wow, 4 days, Antigone! 40 hours is my longest – I can’t imagine tacking on another couple of days to that. I’m impressed! And good luck with your first goal!
Sorry things didn’t go the way you’d hoped at the doc’s, S-G, but it sounds like you had a very useful discussion. And sometimes that’s all you can hope for. I know where your doctor is coming from, weight-wise. I know they recommend a BMI of 25-27 once you’re 65, but at a BMI of 27 I was pre-diabetic and on BP medication. So it’s a nice idea, but not practical in real life for some of us.
Verano – I love Thai and Vietnamese food, but you’re right – so much sugar in them! And I’ll give your way of cooking salmon a go next time, I do love crispy skin salmon, but it’s often too dry. I think people over-estimate how long fish takes to cook. At the bistro, mine was the last meal out. People had steaks that came out before my fish lol!
When are you heading off for your business trip, Pootle?
Lacy xx

Lacy sorry to disappoint but the skin doesn’t crisp! The flesh is lovely and soft and succulent though!

Ok, so I slipped yesterday… and my BG showed it this morning! 🫣
Having been so concerned about food on my trip next week, I didn’t see the biggest risk looming!
Yesterday we had to take the most difficult decision to ensure that our 14 year old dog didn’t suffer! He was the gentlest, most polite, well behaved character. He could be mischievous, he followed me everywhere, sitting patiently outside the bathroom and I have loved him greatly!
So I ate my comfort food, tea and toast, then had a ready meal, followed by a chocolate brownie. I nearly always cook from scratch!
As I keep breaking down in tears, and have to pull myself together for work this evening, I am trying very hard not to pick at entirely the wrong food today as well!
At least I am prepared for the trip but knowing husband will be on his own for a lot of the week is a worry in itself!

🤞back on track! K xx

Oh Pootle so sorry to read your post. We lost our old lab in July so I know how you feel..big virtual hugs to you both.

So sorry to hear your news, Pootle. I know how hard it can hit you. Take care of yourself. xx

Pootle I am so sorry to hear about you losing your dog I know it really hurts & feels like losing a friend & one of the family. I’m sure that he very much enjoyed his life with you & your family. Take care of yourself & enjoy your holiday.
Margaret xxx

So sorry to hear your sad news Pootle.

I think we all need some good news ( especially Pootle)…anyone?

I’ll try!
Having daughter, her husband and grandsons for lunch on Sunday. My shout so Greek mezze with lots of ‘healthy’ stuff.

Have to admit to lots of ‘easy’ food over the summer like dusted cod etc. It’s become so easy to take ‘something out of the freezer’ and add a few vegetables. In some ways I’m pleased autumn is around the corner because I can go back to cooking from scratch…. soups, casseroles, meat loaf, meat balls as well as my beloved fish.

Just a few more days before we jet off to see our son and family and celebrate two birthdays all together… a rare treat. And the added bonus of good weather!

Have a good weekend !

That sounds super Verano. Where are you jetting off to? I think we’ve got unsettled weather over the weekend…youve reminded me I need to send a birthday card! Wishing you all a good weekend 🙂

Have a relaxing time catching up with family, Verano – and good weather always helps!
Hope everyone is at least getting time to catch their breath this weekend.
xx

Morning all,
I think I have proven that BG readings go up with stress/distress! I have been very strictly sticking to the diet, but fasting readings have been up since Tuesday!

Well, my week of ‘winging it’ starts today… I know I will get loads of exercise and I have packed a variety of foods that are low carb.. so watch this space! It will be a stressful week but not distressing.. so I will be interested to see the outcome next week!
I weigh every day, so am going to get withdrawal from that… I am not taking scales!!

Hope you all have a good week.
K xxx

Hi All- so sorry to hear about your dog, Pootle x
Another month- I will try to get back on track. Love to all x

Hello everyone & I know I haven’t messaged much recently. I have mixed news my knee is improving & I know I am regaining feeling on one side although it’s still numb on the other & some continuing pain as it heals. I’m sleeping better & have stopped having to take most hospital meds apart from my helpful nerve pain one! However I’m still having an upset stomach & disappointingly have gained some weight despite my trots to the loo.
My good news is all my family are coming to lunch next Saturday including our grandson that we don’t see very often who I am sure will enjoy playing with his two female cousins. I am making a spaghetti bolognese because it’s easy & everyone likes it & will also do some courgetti spaghetti. I am able to stand longer & spending more time in the kitchen now trying to get us back on track eating more normally with fewer carbs & more fresh vegetables & fish.
Keep on going everyone despite ups & downs 👍🤞🤞
Margaret xx

Mainly bumping the thread above the advertising again, but s-g, I now have yerba mate in my cart too. Do let us know if you see any effect. After figuring out that even when I get my insulin levels down through the fasting, my liver is still releasing a ton of glucose into my system and driving a huge dawn phenomenon, I think I need to try it too!

Your week is nearly over Pootle..hang in there! How lovely to have your family altogether Wendy. Looked up Yerba Tea..the caffeine would be an issue for me but I wouldn’t mind the ‘bliss’ hormone! Starting a fast today (or tomoz), 3 days this time, 4 is too long I think. I’m very interested in keto dieting for all the side benefits but it takes me around 48 hours fasting to enter ketosis..so some experimenting to do there. Thoughts?

Hello everyone & it was a lovely day yesterday seeing all our family. My daughter in law brought the spaghetti Bol so I didn’t have to cook that although I provided nibbles of prawns, vegetable samosas & an M & S Mexican dip with sweet potato tortillas that all was appreciated & quickly disappeared. I didn’t eat any of that because of my iffy tummy but did have wine & a small portion of spaghetti Bol & a small piece of chocolate torte. I felt that I still had to avoid the cheeses but ate a couple of cheese biscuits. For breakfast today, which I don’t usually eat, I had one weetabix with oat milk & some kefir plus an Optibac prebiotic because I am seeing how I tolerate that all! Because of my four weeks of antibiotics I am having difficulty trying to help my gut recover but trying different foodstuffs 🤔😀. I weighed yesterday & have lost one pound so trying to get back on track & this morning I managed to climb a few stairs with my new knee so I am feeling very pleased with myself😀.
My new village knit & natter project is knitting bats to be sold at a bat talk on saving them in a couple of months! It keeps me busy!
Keep on going everyone I love hearing your news & I will look at the fitnesspas thank you S-G.
Margaret xx