Hi all, not sure what is happening as I have gained 0.4 of a kilo since Thursday. I know Verano will say that is just a poo. I have an appointment with the doctor on Monday 5th and still want to lose a kilo by then so will start weighing and measuring all my foor again. Shoulder still hurting so have missed out on 2 exercise times. Think I will just relax over the weekend and start fresh on Monday although I would still eat non carby food as my menu is all planned.

BG this morning is 4.6 so I am super happy with that.

Have a good weekend everyone and keep on keeping on…

Hi sunshine-girl.

Sorry to hear about your shoulder hopefully it will get better soon.

Not me with poo I think that was Frog!! She was right though!! Don’t panic it will all even itself out. I must admit to not counting this week have just been weighing to give me some idea of the carbs.

Have a good restful weekend.

Hello All
Sorry I’ve not posted since my original but my laptop died and I’ve only just got it back today. Supposed to be working on an OU assignment that I’ve not even started and is due in on Tuesday but couldn’t resist dropping in to see how everyone’s doing first. Great to hear we’re all doing well and the support on this thread is wonderful.
I’ve lived up to my usual unorganised self and forgot to weigh in on Tuesday – doh! However, the good news is that, since I ‘sort of’ started BSDing on 1 November, I’ve lost a whole stone (I’m in shock – I never even usually managed to stick to anything that long!). And the even better news is that I had an appointment with my new GP last night and because I’ve now dropped to below 35 BMI (just), he’s referring me to a consultant to consider my hip replacement. That’s really given me the incentive to keep to this WOE. Was 15st 3lbs according to the GP’s scales so my next target is to get into the 14’s – it’s been about 5 years since the last time I was under 15st.
My BSD recipe book arrived yesterday so I’m finally going to get organised.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Immi x

Fantastic news, immi, keep in touch when you get organised and let us know how it is going. I went over my carbs today by 1 at 41g but only when you take my extra celebratory glass of wine into consideration, so I will regard it as a qualified ‘met target’. I was 914 calories as well with the glass of wine.

At last!
After 7 weeks, 22lbs lost, I’ve had 8 hours of sleep yesterday, 9 hours of sleep last night and woken feeling like I could take on the world. So full of energy!! Off down to the kitchen to make up my soups for the week, then half an hour’s rowing and a deep, hot bath. And all before 9am! Feels amazing. Yippeeeeee!!

DAY 6

Good morning

Glad to hear you sounding so good Maharani!!

Well done immi! When you get your new hip your life will begin over too. Just keep going!

Not a bad day for me yesterday but over the last two days I have crept up by 0.4lbs. Not much but I really don’t want to be on an upward trend yet again!! Will have to try harder. Managed 4 of my 5-a-day yesterday but today I’ll focus and it will be five out of five!

Well just 2 days to the end of week 1 so let’s make them count ….. just one little extra push!

Have a good day.

Maharani kitten – it’s good to hear you are feeling so great and full of energy now.

I am feeling good also and am going to make the roasted broccoli and mature cheddar cheese soup today.

One major stress that I have had over the BSD is what happens afterwards.

Reading posts on this forum has made me realise I am an all or nothing person. So I have found the BSD so easy because I just haven’t had one single mouthful of bad carbs. What I am spectacularly bad at is what happens afterwards.

My very first diet was in 1965 – after a year’s secretarial course and eating in the carb fest that masqueraded as a college canteen I had to go on a strict diet. Then there was the next one and the next one etc etc….. I was so amazingly good at putting all the weight back on in record time.

But reading posts on this forum has really helped to formulate my own personal maintenance plan that that will really work for me.

I keep of all the bad carbs – absolutely off them – not even one single mouthful. That suits my all or nothing personality and I also find it really easy. I cannot do a little bit of bad carbs now and again. I never have ever since 1965 and am not likely to change now.

I will keep recording everything on fat secret and my notebook. I absolutely love doing it (sad I know) and it keeps me on track.

I will keep reading and posting on this forum – again I love doing it and it keeps me on track.

Then I don’t particularly need to watch the calories and can add more nuts (which I absolutely love) and a bigger portion of fage, more cheese some clotted cream on my berries as a treat (it still feels very wicked to eat fat). Just a bit more of all the lovely food that I have discovered on the BSD.

So now no more stress about what happens after I lose my last 3 or 4lbs – I can just relax and enjoy the journey.

KrysiaD- that sounds a good plan!

Your story is so similar to mine: yo-yo dieting over many years (55 in my case😱)

It’s always been so easy to think ‘just one bite won’t hurt’, but that leads to another, and another etc. This time, having lost the taste for those nasty carbs there is no way I want to reawaken those particular tastebuds again.

I think I always realised I need to be in control of what I can and there is only me can control what food I put in my mouth. And, like you, I’m all or nothing. When I started the BSD the kitchen was cleared of all ‘bad’ foods and the fridge stocked with BSD friendly foods. Even on trips (which have been many during the year) I’ve stuck to the BSD principles. It’s created some interesting situations – sitting on a railway station eating the filling from a sandwich and discarding the bread, drinking black coffee while others tuck into amazing looking ice cream concoctions – eating kebab meat in Italy wile friends eat pizza etc. It’s also led to some interesting conversations. Try telling an Italian about our alternative pizza bases!😱 So many people have asked why I don’t eat the carbs in a meal – many of them are diabetics or know diabetics so who knows what (if any) effect seeing my results will have.

After my track record of losing then regaiweight, I was worried too. But the reality is that I still write everything in my notebook. And I’m still losing weight (slowly) even though I’m not being so careful about calories – just carb watching.

Enjoy the maintenance stage of your journey – this is for life 😀

Yes Captainlynne – one bite won’t hurt is exactly what I used to think. Just one bite didn’t hurt but it was the thousands that quickly followed that really did hurt. And they always did follow because once you re-awaken those particular taste buds there is no stopping them.

I have followed exactly what you have done to the letter. Your tip about the black coffee while everyone else tucks into the bad stuff was particularly useful (although as I am ok with cream I do add it if it is available).

It would be rather wonderful if the successes of all of us on this forum start to change how other people – especially people at risk of diabetes – view the bad carbs.

I agree it is for life and a much longer, healthier and active life than we would have had if we had never found the BSD.

Interesting discussion, I am completely different. I never cleared all the cupboards out, I have some small easter eggs I was given in there, and even some chocolate from last Christmas, I have never totally given up the bad carbs, just drastically minimised them, I have also changed the forms in which I have them (small side dish or taste of something particularly nice rather than part of the meal, or day off for Birthday cake etc.), and am the type of person where if I said to myself you cannot ever have something again, it would become an obsession. I regard myself as really lucky in this as I was never pre-diabetic or diabetic and so don’t have to worry too much about the blood sugar response, except in its fat producing mechanism and having come from 5:2 I am very comfortable with the idea of keeping my weight in check using intermittent fasting. For me, looking at my previous yo-yo dieting life, the key will be continuing to weigh myself, and be aware, if not directly tracking, everything that goes into the system. Mindful eating and drinking in other words. These are tools that I am confident will help me when I reach a final stable weight, and I will also carry on reading and posting here, on the weigh-in thread to help me keep my focus.

Hi everyone. After a good weigh in yesterday (down another 1kg), today has been really tough. Probably one of the hardest days in my 7 weeks so far. I was just cold and hungry all day, dreaming about bread and sugar. I haven’t eaten any bad carbs in 7 weeks and really thought I’d be over the craving phase by now. Have been sticking to v low crabs (avg. around 30 a day) and feeling good and today just so hungry ended up going over 50 🙁 At least they were healthy carbs, but still feeling a bit low and sorry for myself right now. Just not sure what’s going on. I’m getting lots of variety and healthy fats with every meal. Just hope tomorrow is better. So scared of undoing all the good work so far.

I have been following the discussion about all or nothing and I cannot decide which I am. I definitely don’t ever want to eat a bad carb again but do not find it tempting to have them around. I have a giant bag of maltesers in my desk just behind where I am sat now (lots of mini bags inside) and I know they are there if I want some but I would never touch them. I also do not like other people touching, my hubby says but they have been there over a year, and I say yes and that is where they will stay until I want one. And that is the point with me, I can just have one. As for all or nothing, I do tend to get obsessive with whatever I am doing and always give it 100% to the point of getting on my husbands nerves at times.

Lara I don’t think you are suffering from carb craving, just the natural thing of wanting something you know you can’t (or shouldn’t) have. I went through I similar phase, I questioned why on earth I was doing this and had a few days off, but I still couldn’t bring myself to eat a naughty carb. Now 5 months in I know why I am doing this, my HBA1c is down to 5.9 after being 8.2 over and over again no matter what I did. Then I started this diet and watched my numbers go down and down. I dont want to risk a return to my old eating habits. You will be fine, just think of the positives.

P.S. Unfortunately, the just having one does not apply to wine…….

Mixnmatch – Perhaps I did it the way I did is because I was diabetic and being threatened with Metformin. Now my blood sugars are in normal – not even pre-diabetic – levels.

But we are all different.

Best wishes for your continuing journey.

Sunshine-girl

It’s great not to be tempted by the chocolate etc. I have some in the cupboard now for when my granddaughters visit. And biscuits for folk at church.

Once upon a time none of the above would have been safe in my house, but now they just don’t appeal to me 😀

Maybe I should fess up, I am not an angel, I just don’t really like sweet things, now a sausage roll or a pork pie and I’m lost. Like you lynne, I am diabetic and know what is best for me. I am cooking a chicken for dinner and had a little thought that I might allow myself some sage and onion stuffing (bread) but on reflection my BG was 4.5 this morning and that tastes better than anything.

Am definitely all or nothing, which I think is why I take even the smallest failure quite so hard. I am very hard on myself and friends always say I’d never speak to anyone else like I do to myself. So that,, with my recent T2D diagnosis, means no bad carbs, ever again. I will add occasional fruit, porridge, a bit more cheese to maintain, but pasta, rice, spuds, bread and fruit juice are no longer on my radar.

Thing is, I knew this. But the medical profession frightened me into eating carbs again (‘you’ll die!! You’ll go blind!!). And they are so, so keen to have you on medication forever, when in fact you can play a big part in healing yourself. But that’s not going to keep the drug companies in private jets, is it….

2 fingers to the drug peddlers. They like to keep us addicted.

Ive got quite a lot of choccy related goodies in the house now to go into xmas stockings but they dont bother me at all. I m not tempted even tho i used to eat quite a lot of choccy,specially while watching tv. However i darent have a loaf of bread,rolls,scones etc in the house as it would drive me wild. I wont keep bready things in my cupboard or even in my freezer ever again as i know i wdnt be able to trust myself to stop at one slice of toast – it would have to be half a loaf!easier for me to have none at all. Ditto pastries and biccies.
When my 24 weeks are up, i plan to re introduce a few root veg occasionally..carrot,turnip,an odd spud here n there,coz they feel manageable and are warming in the winter months. But still keeping apples,oranges and narnas as the big treats theyve now become!
LARA,i empathise,i think we all get a few days like youre experiencing. Even tho i sometimes get a day where i dream of buttered toast,in reality i think now it wd give me a sore tum if i indulged…and i think wd be same for you if youve been doing round 30 g carb a day. Maybe allow yrself extra carb ( tho not in bread/sugar form obvs ). Ive lost weight very well on up to 50 g carb a day..usuallly averages out to 40-45 g per day over a week x

End of week 11 and I woke the carb monster last night. Prosecco found me. So did red wine and a mojito. And a sliver of lemon cheesecake. And five after dinner mints. Feeling crappy this morning both physically and mentally. Have gone right back on it this morning but am disappointed with myself because I really should have been able to resist. But once it’s awake it doesn’t want to leave. Cravings are rough this morning so I’m staying right out of the kitchen

Rant over

Hope the weekend is great for everyone 💋

I have on OH who couldn’t live without bread, chocolates and fruit! So I have to keep all sorts of carby stuff in. He has given up potatoes and only eats rice on the odd occasion we have Indian food. I make do with chicken tikka and salad! I’m not really a great lover of sweet things. Many years of training myself not to eat desserts because I was on a diet!

So for me I just have to be strong when I smell toast but in saying that it hasn’t been overly difficult. I always keep 85% or 90% Lindt in the fridge and my treat each night is two squares. I don’t feel even slightly deprived. After some red wine last night I thought I would have just one after eight, even opened the box, but then decided, no!!!! I didn’t!

So I can’t be an all or nothing girl which is probably why it’s taking me so long to lose weight!

Talking about tastes changing. I had some sprouts last night and they were really sweet. I’ve never noticed that before. Don’t know if they were sweeter than average or whether my taste buds have changed so much that I can even taste sugar in sprouts!!

My daughter works for Cadburys

Isn’t it great that the BSD is so flexible it works for all of us.

For me – it is so easy to resist any temptation from sugar or carbs. But – and it is a huge but – one mouthful and I will be lost.

One memory sticks in my mind. Years ago when the children were about 10 they were given an Easter egg each. They were in a basket surrounded by those tiny solid chocolate eggs that are covered in a hard sugary coating. I had stuck 100% to my rosemary Conley diet regime and was so pleased I had lost virtually all my weight. I thought I could have just one little egg from each basket and it would do no harm. Luckily for the children the little shop down the road sold the little eggs loose because I ate all the little eggs in each basket over and over again. In the end I lost count of how many times I re-filled the baskets – I had let loose the carb monster again and the weight piled back on in record quick time.

Needless to say this pattern happened over and over again over the years. So now – with no bad carbs since 1st May – I absolutely don’t want that 1st mouthful of the bad stuff. I have no wish or desire to eat any bad stuff and because the stakes are really high this time (with diabetes in remission and retinopathy completely gone) I just don’t want to risk it.

I made the roasted broccoli and mature cheddar cheese soup for lunch today – it was the best soup I’ve ever made.

KRYSIA Same thing used to happen to me at Easter.. I’d eat a few of my daughters Easter eggs ( the big ones) and wd replace them on Easter Monday ( at least they had been reduced in price then!)

SUNSHINE yes a little sausage roll or a mini pork pie,crackers,anything salty,nibbly..OMG..i darent have any of those things in because i cant resist them

TOPCAC A lesson learnt ..the Carb Monster is always lurking around a corner,looking for any chance to get back in 🙁
and thanks for sharing coz it helps all of us…brush yrself down and get back on yr horse,clippety clop! X

You know what i used to love? A big oldfashioned Sunday tea! Did anyone have them as children? You dont seem to hear of them these days!With little sandwiches and lots savoury things,,jelly and ice cream,and cakes!

Cadburys dairy milk …. don’t take me there!!!! One of the few things I really can’t resist so it’s never allowed over the door!

Krysia is the broccoli soup recipe in the new recipe book or is it your own?

Hi Verana
Now there is no contest between my 85% dark chocolate and Cadburys. The 85% wins hands down (that is until I take one bite of the Cadburys and all is lost)

The soup is in the recipe section of this forum.

I have copied the link if you can’t find it. it is truly delicious.

https://thebloodsugardiet.com/recipes/roasted-broccoli-cheddar-soup/

and have copied the recipe also:

Roasted Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

Recipe by Maefly

Time needed: 50 mins • Calories per serving: 275 • Servings: 4 • Difficulty: 2

Rating: 5.00 based on 1 review

A creamy soup wit the concentrated flavours of roasted broccoli and mature cheddar.

Ingredients

• 300g Broccoli Florrets
• 100g Mature Cheddar, grated
• 190g Onion, chopped
• 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp Herbs, chopped
• 700mls Chicken Stock
• 240mls Milk, Semi-skimmed
• 1 tbsp Wholegrain Mustard
• 20g Olive Oil
• 70g Bacon, crisped to garnish
Method

Place the Broccoli Floretts on backing tray, spray with olive oil and season. I used 10g of olive oil from my spray. Roast in the oven at 200 deg C for 20-30 mins, until they start to brown.

Crisp the bacon in the microwave for about 2 mins, until brittle. Use the fat from the bacon to fry the onions in.

Chop the onion and fry, in a pan with a lid, using the bacon fat and sprays of olive oil (10g again) for 5mins or so, until softened.

Chop the garlic and herbs and add to the pan and fry off for 1 min.

Add the chicken stock and roasted broccoli to the pan, boil, then cover and simmer for 20 mins.

Add the milk, grated cheese and mustard. Stir until cheese melts. Whizz with a hand blender and serve garnished with broken pieces of bacon.

Yum!

Recipe categories: 250 to 500 • Dinner • Lunch • Low calorie • Low carb
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Review for “Roasted Broccoli & Cheddar Soup”
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review by: GC65
26 Jun 2016 at 17:21
★★★★★
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This is superb and so tasty – Its easy to make for family lunch, posh enough to serve to guests. Only caution- do not to overdo the mustard as it can overpower the flavour, stick to a level tablespoonful.

I didn’t realise that it does show a proper link. Until I pressed submit it didn’t show the picture and proper link just a one line address. so I didn’t need to copy the recipe. I often wondered how people inserted a proper link with a picture.

Thanks Krysia. Sounds lovely but I would make mine vegetarian so maybe slightly different! Have you ever frozen this soup? Have you tried it with Stilton instead of cheddar?

I am interested in the “all-or-nothing-discussion” because I am the total opposite — my motto is “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing badly” 😜😜 so I am a good role model for those BSD’ers who fall off the wagon — I think I restarted a hundred times and many days I only barely kept in “diet” range (very generally speaking) but I got there!! So it works even if you don’t do it well! I really think the difference was that I kept going back to it and it has changed my mindset and how I eat and now that I am on maintenance, it is those new habits that are keeping me healthy. I have mostly lost interest in carbs although now and then I love a draft beer — even chocolate is not really tempting. I do realize however, like a lot of you, that eating the bad carbs is a slippery slope so I try not to even go near that mountain! And KrysiaD, I can totally relate to eating all the chocolate eggs in the kids Easter basket! Or buying another pound of chocolates for the family Christmas because the first one “mysteriously” disappeared!! Now, I just don’t go near the chocolate shop and I avert my eyes from the candy bars in the grocery. Out of site, out of mind. If I go out and garden, I can almost always avoid temptation.

Hi Verano
Today was the first time I made it but I am sure it work really well with stilton. In fact – next time I make it I will try stilton.

I can’t see any reason why it wouldn’t freeze. It made more than enough for 4 so I have just frozen the other half so we can eat it again next Sunday. Have just looked in the freezer and it looks as though it is freezing ok – it hasn’t separated.

Californiagirl – you are setting a really good example. It is not important how many times you falter – the important thing is how many times you ‘get back on the wagon’ and keep on keeping on. It is the new habits that are keeping us healthy.

I am definitely keeping away from the carb mountain – I am not very good on slippery slopes.

CALIFORNIAGIRL ( and TOPCAC)… Nelson Mandela said,”Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
If it was good enough for Mandela,its good enough for us!👍🏻 x

Well said Yowzer!!!!!

Thanks Krysia will give it a try tomorrow with Stilton and let you know!

Hi all , just quickly, if you want to freeze the broccoli soup dont add the cheese or the milk, it might curdle when defrosted. You can add the cheese and milk when you are reheating it.

I like what you are saying Californiagirl and so good to hear your experience still meant you achieved your goals and still do. The ‘all or nothing’ is something I really grapple with constantly. It can be really helpful when I am ‘game on’ as the mindset is so staunch, but it’s what I do with it when I slip up. I want to be like you for the long game if this is to be a new way of living. I have to take on board mentally, like you have shown us, that falling off is not then ‘game over’.

Thanks Yowzer49 for the Nelson Mandela quote. I need to write it here again for my constant reference: ”Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again”.

Thanks yowzer. Feeling ok now. Been on it all day and dumped all the things that derailed me yesterday. Sent our guests home this morning with a bag full of leftovers and anything we wanted to keep has gone in the attic.

It’s definitely all or nothing for me. I’m fine if I abstain totally but one taste and I’ve had it. If I ever wondered if it was a chemical reaction then I wonder no more.

Strange with the alcohol yesterday though. I can really take it or leave it most days and I certainly wouldn’t say it’s my weakness. Maybe it was just a bad day.

Anyway dusted off. New day today. And three weeks till temptation may rear it’s ugly head again. I really hope I’ve hit target by then. That’s all the motivation I’ll need at our work xmas party. Plus I’m driving so ok on the alcohol front.

Thanks for all your positive vibes and comments. This forum is so affirming I’m glad I visited today xxx

topcac fantastic you have done 11 weeks! Not to worry about the slip up. It happens. Feel good about how far you have come. Onwards and upwards xx

Hi all.
KrysiaD – I too am an all or nothing girl. I haven’t swayed from the plan at all although I sure have been tempted! I firmly believe in ‘if a jobs worth doing, it’s worth doing well’ and I can have the will of a mule if I’ve a mind to it. If I’m honest, my sweet tooth hasn’t gone but I’m damned if I’m going to give in and make myself feel guilty. I’m totally worried about Christmas though. My 8 weeks are up on Boxing Day however, I may allow myself a roast potato on Christmas Day. However, after reading other peoples posts about feeling rubbish after having something normally off plan I’m petrified of having anything containing any sugar! I’ve been googling for sugar free Christmas pudding recipes this afternoon but haven’t really found anything suitable. I usually LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Christmas pudding and I’d feel completely deprived if I couldn’t even have a little bit.
My problem in the past though has always been to get to a target and then slip. I’m a long way off target at the moment with 95lbs to lost (17 lost so far in 3 weeks) and as the book says I will stop the 800 calories at the end of the 8 weeks but I’m planning on staying on the same plan but increasing my calorie intake for a couple of weeks and then doing another 8 weeks. It is easier to stick to than I ever thought possible so am not worried about sticking to it. Anyhow, if anyone knows a low sugar, low calories Christmas pudding recipe I’d love to try it. I’m not diabetic but do have insulin resistance.
Weight loss wishes to all.
Nicky x

NickyH43

That may be a tricky one as virtually everything in a Christmas Pudding is high sugar or refined carbs. I had a Google and didn’t see anything suitable either.

I have already decided on my own alternative Christmas pudding. Fage Total yoghurt with some berries and topped with an enormous dollop of clotted cream, followed by a piece of 85% chocolate with my coffee.

Am also treating myself to some smoked salmon for breakfast with scrambled eggs. The salmon and the clotted cream seem so wickedly indulgent that I won’t miss Christmas pudding or cake at all. Luckily husband has dreadful indigestion when he has Christmas pudding so he doesn’t want any either.

Maybe you could look at it another way. Is there anything else that seems indulgent or too expensive to buy ordinarily that you could buy as a special treat. I was thinking BSD friendly food here, but it could be a non-food item. Then you wouldn’t feel that you had missed out because you are still indulging yourself – just not with Christmas pudding.

My non-food treat is some lovely Chanel perfume that I can’t wait to get. Christmas pudding doesn’t stand a chance against that trio of treats.

Chocolate tales of shame! Love it! I’ve also bought and re-bought holiday chocolate. But once (on a diet!) so desperate for that I licked the melted chocolate buttons off my baby grandson’s hands and face. Lol, lol.

How about replacing christmas pudding with Nigellas Clementine Cake. I don’t know how many calories etc. But it is made with ground almond. I made it last year as an alternative for the children and they loved it. Including the adults. Can be eaten with cream.

Perhaps not. I have just checked the recipe and it has 225g sugar! Sorry.

KRYSIA i am deffo having the same xmas day dessert as you..and buttery scrambled eggs for brekky but no smoked salmon,not a fan x
NICKY do you think that delish yoggy scenario could hit the spot for you? You could even add a few crushed nuts to top it …x
My non food treat i havent decided on yet,but one non food treat i know i will be sooo happy about is feeling good on 1st Jan 2017… instead of my usual NY gloomy thoughts on how i need to diet and can i bear to start,after all the fattening treats i have eaten every other christmas! They were lovely but this year i dont need them to make me feel happy.
MK MAHARANI KITTEN you made me laugh out loud! I can identify with feeling that desperate for a chocco hit! X

FAIRYFACE that Nigella cake IS lovely tho..i remember my daughter making it…such a shame about all the sugar! X

This is a fascinating discussion. I’m not sure if I’m better off as all or nothing or trying for moderation, because in the past I’ve failed either way! If I allow a little, it ends up leading to a lot, but if I ban the bad stuff altogether then I feel deprived and panic and eat “all the things”. I have a carb-loving husband and two children so I can’t get rid of all temptations, but I don’t really blame that because I just buy stuff for myself when I’m out anyway and eat it secretly. I’ve been wobbling for a couple of weeks now and I’m still looking for the way to unlock the secrets of my silly brain.

Except after writing all that and reading these forums for months, I think I know at least part of the answer. Allow treats but not the ones that trigger me into carb cravings and a downward slide.

Sunshine …. thanks for the tip about the cheese in the soup just makes sense. I won’t put the milk in anyway. Will let you know how it goes.

Nicky … I have already decided that I’m going to have two small roast potatoes and a small portion of pudding. I don’t see it as an issue. I won’t go OTT because I’ve had a little taste of carbs because for me I’ve built it into my day. Even if I do over indulge a little more it will only be a little. If I don’t build it in I could very well go over the top …. it’s all down to your mindset.

One thing for us all to remember in the new year ….THERE WILL BE ANOTHER CHALLENGE!!!! Probably starting Tuesday January 2nd!!!!

Please let’s just get to the end if this one first. Day 7 of week 1 tomorrow. No matter how your week has been just make tomorrow a good one …. it’s only 1 day!!!

Natalie … try 70% Lindt chocolate or similar. A couple of sqares should do the trick. In a few weeks you will find it too sweet and need to go to 85% and then 90% !!!!

Natalie – that is a brilliant solution to allow treats but not ones that trigger you into carb cravings and a downward slide. You are actually really doing so well by ‘keeping on keeping on’.

I think that is probably what I have done but not realised it. My treats are double cream in my coffee, 85% Chocolate (it was 70% until that became too sweet), Fage Total yoghurt, Clotted Cream which I look at longingly when I go to the supermarket but only allow myself to buy it very occasionally so it has become my really special special treat. Its the same with the luxury and very expensive roasted mixed nuts with cornish sea salt. All of these don’t trigger the carb craving.

Yowzer49 Clementine cake is really nice. I will still make it for the children and whoever wants it. But only a small slice will pass my lips.

Today’s mini carb challenge resulted in 40.0 g of carb, which considering I indulged in a small and very sweet strawberry macaroon with my morning cup of tea I am quite pleased with. I also had a small spoonful of nutty rice salad with my usual green leaves salad at lunch with no ill effects. I am testing myself a little after our discussion, so I know whether I am safe to go in my cupboard again in my maintenance period before Christmas. I just had the one biscuit and left the rest for mum so I am happy for now that I can have a little something I fancy without diving into more.