Verano, is this really the woman who has gone medication free due to all her hard work and determination. Sometimes when you reach a goal it leaves you a bit flat and wondering what next, maybe you need time to reassess your future goals. Do keep reading, it helps me (but then I cant help butting in). Also, dont leave it too long and keep an eye on the scales as it is so easy to slip back – tell me about it, dont I know it. You know we are here when you are ready to join in again.

I had a little weigh in this morning and I am pleased to say, since Tuesday I have lost 1kg exactly or 2.2 lbs. There is no alcohol left in the house except hubbys red wine and his whiskey, neither of which I would drink, so here’s to an alcohol free weekend and 100% BDS friendly diet. BG went down again this morning to 116 or 6.4 which is still higher than I like but still within normal range. Determination on an all time high. Have a good weekend everyone.

Hey V, sorry you’ve hit a bit of a wall. Hope you will soon be back, once you have reviewed and renewed – you’ll definitely be missed. Take care of yourself and come back to us soon.

S-G – you certainly sound really focused and determined to have a really successful BSD w/e. I’m hoping to keep control, but OH is talking about a BBQ and they are always a problem for me, as it is too easy to over eat when there is heaps of BBQ’d meats.

Have a good w/e everyone, no matter what you’re doing and I’m looking forward to reading lots of great results on Tuesday.

Bonjour, feeling great. Had 35 mins in the pool yesterday, it is hot here, managed 25 mins this morning so will go in again later and hope to make it a full hour. Weight is down again but BG is steady at 116. Not much more to say except that yes S-B I am well determined to make a big dent in my weight but more importantly get BG back to where it was around 90 to 100. Have a good rest of the weekend everyone.

The exercise bike is coming out of the loft tomorrow and my cycling regime starts on Monday! I have worked out that I have 30 days to lose 6lb and I am determined to do it! Today I am 138.6 lb and I want to get to 133 lb. I will try a combination of exercise, fasting, strict BSD 800 and walking. I reckon my 30 day regime is doable. It feels a bit like when I embarked on the 8 week BSD- I knew I would be able to do it for eight weeks- that was 32 weeks ago! I feel I will be able to commit to hard work for the next 30 days to help me achieve my goal! Hope to be able to report a loss on Tuesday! Have a good bank holiday weekend everyone.

Good luck clarinet! I have done a couple of 36-40 hour fasts this week and dropped 6 lbs so you can totally do it!

Hey Sunday already and not one single slip up. Can report further weight loss but waiting for Tuesday to reveal (unless you peek on another thread). What I can say is that I need to lose exactly 1kg to be the same weight as I was at my doctors appointment 3 months ago. I dont mind weighing the same, just dont want to be any heavier so he can say ‘told you so, not possible to stick to’ – although I know he wont. Anyway it is my BG that is more important and it is down a smidge again today. Lesson, it might only take 2 or 3 days slip ups to increase but can take several weeks to repair. Must not go there again, no chips or burgers, although I was desperate.

Must be on some kind of roll as I have won on the lottery 3 weeks in a row, just wish it was more that €5 each time, still it will pay for next months tickets. Keep on keeping on…

Great job getting under that 140lb stumbling block, CC! I knew you could do it. That old exercise bike won’t know what hit it. 😀

Congratulations on your return to regular losses, sunshine-girl! It’s been a hard few months for you, and I’m so happy for you that the light at the end of the tunnel is getting bigger and bigger. The blood sugar figures will inevitably follow, but wow, what a terrible cautionary tale that a burger and chips can take so long to rectify.

Esnecca they were on 2 separate days, went for a meal and when it arrived it was a piece of duck in a sweet sauce and chips in a basket. I had to eat something and the chips were probably the best I have tasted. On another day we went to a tree climbing park (I think you have GO APE in the UK). I expected it to be child’s play literally until I was 8 meters up in the trees walking across a wire whilst holding onto another wire at head height. The amount of body strength and tension and exertion sent me into almost immediate low sugar even though I had lunch just before arriving. Unfortunately, all they had were paninis and burgers so went for the burger thinking I could eat the meat at cheese but they had been microwaved and were welded to the bread roll, so I ate it all. However I must have burnt around 1300 calories that day but lesson is, if not sure, take some food with me.

Hi there is there anyone out there (there 3 times in one sentence must improve my vocab). Didn’t get a swim yesterday, it was really hot while sat out having brunch and said I would wait until it cooled down around tea time – 5pm sky went black, thunder and lightening, so no swim. Hot again today (37) so had a 25 min swim after shopping this morning, at least it is done and I can fit in another later if the weather holds as there is no forecast for storms.

Anyway my weight stayed the same this morning so I have managed a weekend with no damage and looking forward to tomorrows weigh in. BG slowly going down, 106 this morning (5.8) and booked my appointment for Hb1Ac for 8.30 am on 6th Sept. Hubby will drop me off at the laboratory and he is taking one of our cats for his vaccinations so both of us having needles. Will give him a catty cuddle. Keep on keeping on…

Hi S-G …. yes, I’m here lurking around the forum at the moment. Weight the last couple of days has been okay, but not reporting until tomorrow, as I am worried there might be a bounce back in the morning, which is what happened last week. Confess I have let the weighing/measuring of foods slip over the last couple of days, so if I can weigh-in the same tomorrow as today, I’ll be happy.

Look forward to finding out everyone’s results tomorrow – hope lots of us will be reporting something positive, including the two of us.

Hello everyone. Apologies for my absence, have had a bit over a week of a lot of pleasure, some stress, but it seemed like every waking moment was programmed and it didn’t include being on-line.

Weigh-in this morning was at 64.1kg which is the same as last Tuesday’s non-reported weigh-in and the same as the previous week. Considering a lot of the pleasure and some of the stress involved staying in a ritzy hotel for a conference/reunion and catered breakfasts, lunches, dinners, then add the after-parties, I’m not so displeased with the weigh-in result. Blood pressure up a bit, however, so back to basics right now.

Haven’t had time yet to read all the recent stories, will do that tonight, but best wishes for all today’s weighing in xx

Morning everyone – I am pleased to announce a 1.4 loss this week so unbelievably this challenge I have so far lost 3lb! I am so happy! The exercise bike has been dusted down and I have started my last push (literally) to get the last few pounds off! I think my persistence has paid off, I havent done anything different this month just stuck to it. Hope everyone gets a good result today.

Well done Marsie. Not easy to do in the circumstances.

CC, that is fantastic news, soo pleased for you. Well done on your perseverance and I’m sure the bike will help towards a persistent downward trend.

Sadly I have to confess to an increase – hangs head in shame 😢 I have exceeded my goal weight for the first time since I reached it 17 weeks ago😢 Only by one pound, but feeling disappointed. Mind you, we have eaten out for 4 evenings in a row with my lovely sons – at their insistence and expense. Oh, plus a lunchtime bbq party to negotiate 😱 The boys head off this evening 😢 so I’ll then have a couple of days to pull it back before my daughter’s family arrive! 😁

Hope everyone else has more positive results to report. Good luck for the final week.

Don’t panic Theodora, that pound is probably largely water and I’m sure you will be back at target weight again soon. You have been doing great at keeping things in control, given all the social stuff you’ve had going on you’re doing great. Well done, Marsie – staying at the same weight when there’s lots of uncontrollable circumstances, takes some doing.

CC, you and I are reporting the same amount lost this week – 1.4lb for me too. Was surprised actually, because if you had asked me to tell you off my weight this time last week, off the top of my head I would have said I was the same as today – that’s the value of writing these things down. It brings my loss so far for this challenge to 2lb and given that I’m at the point of trying to build some wriggle room – i.e. am now below target weight – I’m quite happy with that. Hoping to drop a little more during this, the last week of the challenge, as would like to drop a further two pounds if I can.

Hope there will be lots of other great reports coming in – looking forward to reading them all later today. Best wishes to everyone for a successful final week on this challenge. If anyone is interested in having a follow-on challenge, maybe we should start considering what that might be entitled – ideas anyone?

Good morning, another hot but muggy day today so deffo going in the pool after lunch. Managed 25 mins yesterday but then dragged hubby off to the cinema for the early showing of Dunkirk. Not my type of movie but it is his and he would never go if I hadn’t forced him, he is a ‘cant be bothered’ sort of guy and we wouldn’t do anything without me pushing. Anyway, by the time we got back and had dinner it was after 9.30pm so I didn’t go for another swim – Emmerdale and Corrie to catch up on.

I am happy to report I have lost 1.6 kg or 3.5 lbs this week. I cant say it has been easy and I have had moments when I could have slipped but it is well worth the effort to have stuck with it. I am under the 12 stone demon and have passed the 76kg mark at exactly 75kg. Aiming for 2lbs next week which will take me to 74kg and less than I was at last doctors appointment. BG slowly coming down now at 105 but it is very slow. Why am I moaning when the normal range is between 80 and 120 so I am well normal, just used to it being closed to 80 and I have upped my insulin to help bring it down.

Well done on that loss, S-G, that’s quite a drop for one week and you’re under that 12st mark. Good luck with the 2lb for next week’s loss.

Well done everyone on your losses this week 🙂
Cathy I’m pleased that your perseverance paid off – mine has too as I’ve lost 900g (1.98lb) this week. I was also really pleased to see I’ve lost another 6cm off my waist during the past 4 weeks, so feel I’m getting there, even though it is slowly but surely!
I waked 76,900 steps last week and am aiming for 85,000 this week. I managed 19,500 today – being off work means more time for exercise.
Theodora – I wouldn’t worry about a pound – when I eat out for a few days I put on a few kilos! But always goes again within a week when I stick to 800 calories again.
I can’t believe we are going into the final week again, doesn’t seem that long ago when we were trying to think of a name for this thread!

Time flies, SueBlue, time flies… a title for the next one isn’t coming easily to me, hope it does to someone else:)

Well done on perseverance and losses SueBlue, SunnyB, sunshine-girl, ClarinetCathy, and Theodora, your remarks to me would apply equally to your sustained period of eating out….. just 1lb up is admirable and you will undoubtedly be back in your “wriggle room” very soon.

SueBlue, SunnyB and s-g, those are fantastic losses (s-g – yours is amazing in just one week) – well done on your perseverance, so pleased that you are all reaping some rewards.

Thanks for all your encouragement in the face of my gain, guys. I’m not unduly worried as I know that, even if it doesn’t come off before the next influx of guests, I have the tools to get it off quickly once my life returns to it’s more usual even keel at the end of September. I now weigh 120lbs – target was 119lbs (8st 7lbs / 54kg), but I had 5lbs of wriggle room (114lbs) so I have actually gained 6lbs during the past few weeks, not just the one that you’re all congratulating / commiserating with me on – it’s just that I am now one whole pound OVER target!!

The interesting thing is that, even though I have gained weight, my waist still appears to be shrinking!! All the lovely new trousers and jeans I purchased (UK 8s mostly, though I do have a couple of pairs of 10s) now need belts to hold them up! Still fit fine over my hips and bum, so couldn’t take any smaller than an 8 (and wouldn’t want to) but what does one do about an ever-decreasing waist? I can only put it down to all the extra activity of the past 6 weeks – running around doing extra shopping/cooking/laundry/ housework etc because of all our guests, loads more extra walking (averaging 12 – 14 miles a day) and sailing – so I’m guessing all this exercise is just toning me up? Has any other maintainer experienced this?

Another challenge sounds good (though it will be starting on my birthday so will be starting with a meal out!!), we all need to get our thinking caps on! Knowing how creative you lot are, I’m sure someone will come up with an inspirational idea.

I’m hiding behind the curtain though not posting!
Well done to all the regular Challenger’s who have lost, maintained or perhaps gained a very small amount. I will try, yet again, to lock the C Monster away and go for the final push this last week.
X B

Hi everyone! I just returned from a two week hiking trip in Switzerland (with business stops at Dublin and London for husband) and it is great to see everyone positive and achieving goals — so good to read of accomplishments!!
Hiking was great — we were in Murren (Eiger and Jungfrau) and Zermatt (Matterhorn) — absolutely stunning mountains but SO steep! It was either hiking straight uphill or straight downhill — no in between. We managed a lot of miles and I made my husband go UP hill — he wanted to take the trams and hike DOWN hill — so funny, the trail markers give “time estimates” for each trail but they are the downhill version so you can see what most people do — haha!
We ate a lot of lovely Swiss food but I mostly stuck to BSD friendly choices (well, we did have pizza twice and post-hiking beer and a cheese fondue) so pretty much ok — I am glad though to be back home where I can control portions better — restaurants give you so much food.
This morning I woke up still jet-lagged and felt like a salad so I had kale, beans, green beans, hard boiled egg and walnuts salad — it was a very satisfying breakfast — I should do breakfast salad more often.
Returned home to another heat wave — 105 yesterday and more forecast — honestly this summer has just been AWFUL — hot hot hot. I find it hard to stay motivated when I am sweaty and pissed-off by the weather.
Looking forward to fall! Take care all — I missed your stories and it is fun to catch up!

Been giving the title for the next challenge some thought and so far, the best I have been able to come up with is actually attributed to someone else on the forum, sadly I can’t remember who first coined it, but how about simply ‘Keeping on, Keeping on ..’?

The only other things I’ve come up with ‘Our best is yet to come … ‘, or ‘Any Progress is better than No Progress’.

Does anyone else have ideas or thoughts concerning our next four week challenge?

Its me. Keep on keeping on… (you need the dots for emphasis) 🙂

Keep on keeping on… is a great theme/name, especially as so many of us have been persevering for so long 🙂

Definitely the best title – it has been my mantra for some time now.
X B

No loss today and BG is the same so nothing to report. OnetoWatch has her weigh in today so wishing her lots of luck, i’m sure she wont need it.

Hi All

I am well and truly hanging my head in shame with a whopping 5.5lb gain this week. I will admit that I haven’t had the best of weeks but I can, hand on heart, say that I am totally bemused as to where this weight has come from. I’ve certainly had enough ‘good’ days to be totally hacked off with a gain of this magnitude. Saturday and Sunday I was 100% on plan and although we had a BBq on Monday I had two Pimms and a corn on the cob and that was it for the ‘bad stuff’ – the rest was meats, salads, yoghurt and fruit. No, I didn’t stay under 800 calories but I didn’t stray enough to pile on the pounds like I have.

I can’t figure it out and I am now the heaviest I have been for nearly a year, and a stone from my goal weight, which I got to in February. I am so unhappy 🙁 I want to say all the positive things like I’m sure it’s just water weight etc etc but I’m just too fed up to bother.
Sorry …

hi topcac, dont worry, it is only a week and I dont care what anyone says, if you are on a strict diet even the smallest of cheats can stop you in your tracks, a couple of cheats and you gain. No our metabolism isn’t shot, our bodies are just used to less calories. As soon as you get back on BSD you will be on a downward movement. I lost 3.5lbs in the first week of my restart so you can do it. Keep on keeping on…

Oh, TC, don’t worry, it’s going to come right. I feel your frustration, but we all know that we now have the tools to succeed – and you’ve done it before, you’ll do it again. Sometimes our bodies don’t react as we expect and then the scales betray us too, but that doesn’t mean that things are a complete disaster. There will certainly be some water weight there and once you seriously get back on track, those pounds will be dropping again.

We’re all here to encourage and support you topcac, but please don’t waste time with negativity, get your mind set right with a can do attitude and get right back to it. I have every confidence your next report will be one of a decent loss.

Hey Pod, are you still around? Wondering how you’ve been doing, as you haven’t posted for awhile now. Hope everything is fine and that you are keeping a check on the forum, if not actually posting. This challenge finishes next Tuesday, so hopefully we’ll hear from you soon and you’ll be on board with the next challenge.

Topcac- I feel for you. So disappointing to see the weight go on so much quicker than it comes off. I put on 7lb on in one week in June. I’d been good on holiday apart from the odd glass of red wine and didn’t eat any bread, rice, potatoes etc and was devastated but it came off the following week when I went back to basics with BSD. I am sure that your gain will come off very quickly if you, too go back to basics this week. Sending you a big hug 🤗. I really don’t understand the science of weight loss and gain- it is still a mystery to me. You might get on the scales tomorrow and be less- Keep us posted.

Well, I thought I had posted before I was hustled out the door for dinner with No 1 son, but maybe I didn’t give enough time for it to register before I closed down, so I’m starting again….

Yes, to “keep on keeping on…..” good title, SueBlue, and thanks for piggybacking us with this one, s-g.

What a great place for a walking holiday, Californiagirl, stunning countryside, welcome back even if to the extreme heat.

Ouch, topcac, horrible to feel that way. Listen to sunshine-girl, SunnyB, and ClarinetCathy because they are making good sense from personal experience. And from me? Just hang in, it will come right when you resettle.

Seems like ‘ Keep on Keeping on ….. ‘ has the vote for our next challenge and as it’s attributable to you sunshine-girl, will you do the honours please and kick that challenge off for us next week? If not, perhaps you’ll nominate someone to do it for us.

I’m only going to be around for a little under three weeks of the next challenge, so I definitely shouldn’t be the one to start it off. We are going to be off on our travels again from the 24th Sept to 2nd Nov, so I’ll only be around for the first part of the Keeping On challenge, but I’ll be back to join in the whatever challenge is running at the beginning of Nov. Will probably need to get back to the Fast800 PDQ when I get back!

I think my personal record gain for a week was 11 pounds, over Christmas and new year last year, but it must have been mostly water as I never ‘felt’ my clothes tighten (and some of them were quite tight before that) and it was all gone again a week and a half later after returning to my eating plan. Our bodies are truly a mystery, but I have come to believe that the scales are a very blunt measuring device, since so many things other than fat affect them.

Hi everyone, I will start a new thread ‘keep on keeping on…’ on Monday ready for us to jump over after our weigh in on Tuesday. I will make it another 4 week challenge with an end date. See you all there.

Thanks, sunshine-girl, I’ll definitely be on board for the next challenge for sure.

Phew!! Pleased to report that after just 2 days back on 800 (near enough anyway) I have dropped 3lbs, so am back to 117lbs, restoring 2lbs of wriggle room. I must confess that, even though I’d only gone one pound over target, I didn’t like the feeling at all😱 I know it must have been psychological, as a pound over target cannot make that much difference, but I FELT fat 😠 Hopefully this feeling bodes well for future maintenance…..?

Anyway, have more family arriving this evening – my daughter will be celebrating a BIG birthday this weekend 🎂 – so will be strict again today in the hope of achieving another extra pound or 2 wriggle room in anticipation of a little over indulgence over the weekend.

That’s a good result in just a couple of days, Theodora!! Scales are being kind to me, but we are about to go away for a long w/e, so could be ending this challenge on a bit of downer. I’m going to do my best to keep control though and I still have a few weeks in hand before the holiday, so I feel I’m in an okay position at this point. Tuesday might be a different story though.

Hopefully, in a couple of weeks I’ll be looking at maintenance proper, for the very first time. Can imagine that it wasn’t a good feeling to see that extra pound over target and that is something I am already living in dread of, as I haven’t yet got a decent margin of wriggle room – getting there though.

Hope you manage to grab back a couple more pounds of wriggle room before your big w/e, but regardless, have a good time – you know you can fix things afterwards if the scales sneak up a bit.

Dropped 2lbs overnight – cautiously optimistic – sticking to plan like glue!

Be optimistic, TC, this goes to show it’s not all a solid weight gain and I’m confident you’ll be reporting a good loss on Tuesday, if you continue to stick to the plan like glue. Here’s to a good BSD w/e.

Get in TC – Knew you could do it! It will come off quickly! Just been to the hair salon and one of the girls said “have you lost weight, you look really skinny”!! Get in for me too!

Good afternoon all, I have let myself down a bit, gained half a pound due to letting myself get upset and had a couple of martinis. I suddenly got this idea in my head that I didn’t want to live here in France any more. So many things have happened over the last few months. Firstly we are losing around €4,500 a year due to the exchange rate and Brexit, okay we just have to accept it. Plus we dont know what will happen after Brexit. There are lots of other reasons to go back, the isolation from both friends and location, the language barrier (although I speak good French), lack of good entertainment, I cant just go to the cinema or theatre. Family are finding it boring here as 2 boys are growing up and want to be with their friends in the school holidays. Sorry to dump this on you but things have been getting me down more and more and last night I had just decided this isn’t what I want. After a couple of drinks I had a terrible nights sleep, nightmares, hot sweats etc. When we got up this morning we had both decided we want to stay here. Dont know what is going on, maybe it is the aftermath of seeing family and missing them all over again but we are okay now. Was all set to get a valuation on the house today but have decided to sit it out and maybe get out and about a lot more.

Anyway here I am, still feeling shell shocked. Gained half a pound but still determined to have a 2lb loss on Tuesday. Funnily enough my BG is down under 100 (5.5) so that has cheered me up a bit.

Keep on keeping on… or put on a brave face.

Oh dear s-g – sounds like you really had a rough night. If it makes you feel better I voted REMAIN!! This whole Brexit thing is a nightmare and I think we’ve only just touched the tip of it really. Still, from my point of view, your worst day in a villa in the lovely French countryside (making sweeping assumptions here) is pretty much better than any day in dreary old Blighty (more sweeping assumptions lol).

I’m glad you feel better about everything today – it’s never good to have too much of a knee jerk reaction to these things and it probably is caused, as you so rightly said, by missing family, who have visited recently. The boys will go through a stage where they want to spend time with friends but that’s likely to swing back the other way when they get older!

Great news about your BS though – onwards and downwards

Oh, my, s-g, you’ve really had a moment, haven’t you. Isn’t it so great that we have this friendly place where we can unload our thoughts and feelings, BSD-related or not? As well as a feeling person, you seem to me to be a logical person, and here you are, after sleeping on your upset, allowing your natural good sense to shine through. Then, if time changes your thoughts again, you will have had time to work everything out properly. Good wishes and hugs, s-g xx

You certainly had a rough night, s-g, but good to know you are already feeling more positive and comfortable about where you are and what you are doing. Think you are very wise not to react on sudden impulse in this instance, big life decisions are best made with a cool head, rather than one buzzing with emotion and martinis. Hope you’ll keep you positivity over the w/e and be reporting that 2lb loss you’re aiming for on Tuesday.

OH came home with fish and chips tonight, as a treat, because we’ve had air conditioning installers in the house all day. Yes, they were there for a great reason, but what a mess – dust, bits of insulation wool, more dust….. shooed them out after watching their pathetic efforts at cleaning up so I could do it properly ….hence the “treat”. Yes, I ate the f & c, and not a small amount either. Moving on, will make up for it tomorrow and tomorrow and tomo…….

Hi there, thank you all I am feeling much better now, dont know what came over me as I would hate to live in UK. Anyway, I had a look at houses for sale in my daughters area and we would be able to afford a 2 bed semi or cottage or an apartment. Yes topcac your assumption was right, I live in a 4 bed villa with half an acre of land and a 40 ft x 20 ft swimming pool, but have you heard the phrase “bird in a guilded cage” or my favourite analogy Phil Collins song “another lonely day in paradise”. I know when I get back to UK in October is will do the things I miss, cinema, theatre, clothes shopping and stock up on things we cant get here like Marmite, then I will be chomping at the bit to get back to my lovely house and garden. The Brexit bit was not so much a political statement, although I did vote remain for obvious reasons, it was more a statement of fact as to what has happened to the £. Some would say I chose to live here so suck it up, and that is exactly what we are doing.

Anyway, weight the same (still half a pound up) but BG has plummeted to 4.2, will see how it goes over the weekend and wait until after my blood test on Wednesday before I start reducing the insulin (again). I am hoping for a good result as my machine shows a 3 month average of 5.2 but HbA1c is always a bit higher. Fingers crossed.

Never mind Marsie, it was only one meal and it sounds as though you deserve it. Have a good weekend everyone.

Hi all, weight still hanging there so might not have a loss this week but still 3lbs down from last week. BG has gone right down again today to 4.0 so I will reduce insulin, dont want to go dangerously low. Nothing more to report.

HI everyone

Another up and down week for me so far on the scales but am still below the 140 lb mark. Went as low as 137.6 yesterday but today was up to 139.6. I am keeping everything crossed for a 1lb loss on Tuesday and then am looking forward to the next challenge in which my aim will be to get to goal – a BMI of 25. We have all had a few ups and downs during this challenge but we keep on keeping on and are all very resilient and these monthly challenges I feel keep us all focused. Good luck everyone for the final push on what has been a quite challenging challenge for a lot of us- Looking forward to the “scores on the doors” (a Bruce Forsythe quote) on Tuesday.

Sunday morning and all is good here. Had 30 mins swim yesterday and got back to doing arm weight exercises, great just sit in the chair watching telly and do some dips. Weight has dropped back down to the 3.5 lb loss I already had so hoping for at least 1lb by Tuesday. BG steady at 5.0 and that is after dropping insulin back down a bit. Looks a bit cloudy today so might not get a swim but I know from experience that when the air temperature is cool it makes the pool water feel extra warm so might go in anyway. Have a good rest of the weekend and keep on keeping on…