A friendly group for anyone who has weight loss targets and would like a bit of company and support in between now and the time you achieve them. The thread will run for just under 12 weeks from Monday 6th June until Friday 26th August. The timing is to fit in between two major UK Bank Holidays but is also hopefully a do-able time for friends all around the globe to make significant progress in losing weight and fat, and generally getting healthier.

Some of us on the thread have been travelling together for a while, most recently on the Jubilee Journey thread, but everyone is very welcome. It would be lovely to meet new friends – whatever stage you are at – so we can help each other with the ups and downs of our weight loss journeys. Look forward to chatting soon X

Hello all
Thanks for new post I am in the new 🚌 ready for journey
Good luck all
Lv nokie x💕

Hello to anyone reading this. Just wanted to share my own goals for this journey. I started BSD in 2017 at 175lb with a long term target of 133lb. I lost most of the weight I wanted to, and for quite a while I maintained at 137/138lb, with my lowest weight briefly being 135lb. However . . . in the last year or so I have gradually started putting some of the weight back on and am now at 148lb. This is largely due to me slipping back into old habits, particularly wine, snacks and relying too often on carby food like pizza, bread, rice and potatoes. And, to be fair, it is probably also not helped by age (I’m now 63) and medication (eg statins).

So . . . my overall goal for this journey is to get back below 140lb and this time to stay there. Ideally I’d like to aim for 1lb loss each full week, which should take me to 137lb. But I know it doesn’t work that neatly! So my daily goals are:

* To stay within 1000 calories & 50 carbs
* No alcohol or in between meals snacks
* 10000 steps.

Yes there will be some days when I don’t achieve this: life happens! But if I can do it for at least 4-5 days every week, I’ll be happy with that and expect to see results. I am starting tomorrow and will keep you posted as to how it goes.

Good luck everyone X

Hello DCT and Nokie
Im in and Im most definitely in between. My story is the same as yours DCT- started in Jan 2017 at 175 and did actually get as low as 130 but couldn’t maintain it. I did maintain 138 for a long time and that is where I am aiming once again. I am currently hovering around 148 lb.
I lose weight slowly and even 1lb a week can be a big ask but just to see my clothes fitting better and to feel in control is a good feeling. I hope to lose 4lb per month over the next couple of months. I’ll be fasting, low carb, walking and trying my best every day. I do have my birthday, my little mini break and lots of other things in the diary but I am determined to inch closer to my goal every week with you all.

Hello everyone and thank you DCT for setting up this new thread.By the end of this journey I would love to be down to my goal weight.I’m on board now, had a good day yesterday.See you all tomorrow….🚌 Dawn X

Ps.Yowzer thank you for the tips re heartburn, I will try those! Dawn X

Hello everyone on the new 🚌
Well I weighed this morning!!🤣oh dear just as I thought terrible 😢 the scales moaned!!
I am on bus now ready for the next journey and I am not getting off till the end
Good luck all
Nokie xx💕

Hello everyone.
I’m jumping on the bus to put a Reserved sign on one of the seats 🙂
I’ll be officially starting next Monday 13 but am preparing this week by making healthier choices with food, limiting alcohol to the weekend only and walking a minimum of 7500 steps each day. I’m going to plan my meals and do some meal prepping on the weekend too.
My goal for the 12 weeks is to lose 6kg which I think is almost a stone. This will bring me closer to my goal of 80kg (176 lb) by mid October.
I started BSD in January 2017 at 103kg (227 lb) and lost 12kg by October that year. I then had a few up & down and maintenance years, and in 2020 my weight had crept up to 100kg (220 lb) again. I restarted last year and have managed to lose 12kg (26.5 lb) since then and now fit into size 16 clothes which I’m much happier with. In 2017 I was a size 20-22, and I’m now thinking maybe size 14 is within reach.
I do have a few birthdays, outings and short trips away planned during this 12 weeks but I figure if I stick to plan the rest of the time they shouldn’t derail me too much!

Hi Guys,

I have decided to jump on the bus. – It will do me good to have somewhere to come and chat about progress. _

My aims for this road trip are as usual something that may seem slightly off the wall. I have found a new book which is so inspiring I am engrossed. The Power of Habit, Why we do what we do and how to change. by Charles Duhigg.

It explains how brain patterns form, the science of how the AA program works….. all sorts of answers to the questions of why we know what we should do/eat/drink but habits and cravings drive us to do something we know we shouldn’t and that’s only the first third of the book.

JGwen
Great that you’re on the bus with us! I find this group very kind, non judgemental and supportive. Some of us (you included) have been travelling along together for a numbers of years. We are in good company. Its a good place to talk about progress and not always weight related progress. Sometimes Its about being kind to yourself or trying new things and sharing something that made a difference like trying on clothes or measuring or just getting out for a walk or inspiring meals. The book you’re reading sounds very inspiring and could have some answers to why we are all still going around the merry go round! I found a book today whilst having a tidy up and it’s called Never Die Wondering by Wendy Knee. It’s only a small book and I bought it many years ago when I was staying in Glastonbury for a wedding anniversary Its so inspiring regarding things like confidence, going it alone, loving yourself, doubt, dwelling in the past. It would literally only take about an hour to read. I’ve enjoyed reading it today and it has reinforced my sense of self and helped me think positively.

Hope everyone has had a good day. I had two eggs, two quorn sausages and mushrooms for my tea with a few beans and it was delicious! just saying!

Meant to check in this morning but here I am now,bright eyed and bushy tailed,ready to join our happy band!xx 💕💜💚
Thanks again DCT and good luck everyone,beep beep! Xx

Hi everyone and welcome. Good to see you all. A special welcome to JGwen: I will take a look at that book. Thanks for the recommendation.

Slow start this end, with a couple of bad food choices so far, but am feeling motivated and positive. Looking forward to journeying with you all and shedding some excesses along the way.

Please do post favourite recipes here as I’m in need of fresh inspiration and need to keep the carbs down. I’m a very lazy cook, don’t eat red meat, and tend to revert to fish and veg most of the time. I do have a few regulars from the MM books but any new ideas very welcome! X

I’m new to this and, on day 4, I’m down 3 1/2 lbs, feel better than I have in 30 years, and have heaps of energy. I did my first run in 8 months yesterday, and my first resistance (bodyweight) workout in 2 years this morning. I hadn’t realised how poor my musculature is.
This 8 weeks is a gift I’m giving myself.

Hi annieds

Welcome!! What great news about your progress so far. Well done 👏 It’s amazing that this way of eating can make such a difference so quickly. As you say, not just weight loss but also your energy and the way you feel. How exciting!

Welcome on board and do keep posting about how you’re getting on. There are many of us here who can help answer any questions you may have, but also you will be an inspiration to others as well.

As you say, what a gift to yourself! X

Hi Annieds
😘 welcome! Glad you gave joined us on the 🚌
This is a great group especially if you fall off bus sometime which we all do!!
Goodluck on your journey with us
Lv nokie 💕

Hi everyone
I thought I better quickly jump on before the bus is out of sight. I’ve yet to do my report-in on the Jubilee Journey, but just to say I’d love to join everyone on this new journey.
The main targets for me this journey are to increase my physical activity and then re-set an exercise routine. (I’ll set a nutrition goal further in on the journey).
At the end of the last journey I was away for a week (21st -28th May) and my target for that week was to simply go for a walk every day. I managed to do that, but then for the first 2 days after I returned (Sun and Mon) I hardly moved off the couch!
So, over the Jubilee Bank Holiday I set myself a mini-challenge – 10,000 steps a day for the 4 days of the BH. I did this, and have now done 10,000 + steps a day for a week. So, until the end of June I’m simply going to focus on increasing my level of physical activity by continuing to achieve 10,000 + steps a day.
annieds – hi, great start, looking forward to travelling with you, and, JGwen it’s great you’re joining too – at the right time I’ll be picking both your brains on resistance training, building muscle etc
Thanks DCT for setting up the thread.
Hope things are going great this week for everyone else, (SueBlue, including with your prep week)
Jennie xx
Nb I’ve decided to post my steps on here at the end of each week to keep me accountable, so will be posting my first week’s steps tomorrow or maybe Friday.

Good morning all, maybe I should run along behind the bus instead of jumping on – I need the exercise!
Does anyone have ideas for breakfast? I know not everyone here eats breakfast but I do, or else I make bad choices when I get suddenly ravenous mid-morning at work. I was eating yoghurt all summer but it’s very cold now here in Sydney and yoghurt just seems cold and slimy and unappealing in this weather!

Aaaaarh. All my posts have disappeared. Just a quick post.

I’m hopping on the bus just to secure me a seat. Will start in a day or 2 as I have been SO bad these last couple of weeks.

Docs phoned – VERY pleased with both of us. My HbA1c was 38, hubby 44. Both NORMA:L. He told me that I no longer have diabetes & took me off the 1gm of Metformin. (Maybe they are re-thinking Diabetes now as this doc is spot hot on just about everything. NEVER thought I’d be told your not a diabetic any more???) Keeping me on the small dose of Ramipril for BP BUT is aiming to take me off that too IF I continue on this WOE. YAY!
Hubby he’s dropped his 1 diabetes drug BUT is keeping him on the Metformin for the time being as he thinks it may help with all his other problems. We are both over the moon with his remarks etc. & congrats also came from the lovely diabetic doc. whom he also consulted. YAY YAY YAY!! We were both told we’re going to have another review in 6 months – glad they are keeping an eye on us!

I have FINALLY managed to get an appointment to see an NHS dentist & be put on the list next Monday morning!!! YAY! Out of desperation made an appointment a few weeks back for a check-up next Wednesday with a private dentist & had to pre-pay £85 for a check-up with 2 X Rays then the fun begins & the charges. Will see what happens Monday BUT hopefully can be kept on the NHS list even if she/he has to refer me elsewhere. I suspect the £85 is non refundable?

My 3rd positive is I got that 1 jacket on ebay that I absolutely adored (the 1 I bought in a smaller size that I’ll never get into) & it fits me perfectly.

DCT – your lucky daughter! Sam Ryder has a terrific range in his voice, both of us said we’d like to go see him in concert. He also seems to be a really, really nice guy & he just loves singing, full of the joys of life. We sold the hampers we got (hope yr daughter was fortunate enough to get a hamper or 2?) & it paid for us to go to Rhodes for 2 wks, half board + a car. Sold them on ebay & both went to Americans that were in the crowd. Ty Ma’am! We ate the food BUT left the sealed shortbread & the champagne + put in some beer tumblers, we also sent them our programs & a photocopy of the letters & invitations we had. They were over the moon with them. They would only have been gathering dust & we have the memories, which is all we need.

Natalie – a full English breakfast?? Bacon, Egg, Sausage, mushrooms, (tomatoes, black pudding?). Sets you up for the entire day & is very good on carbs. An omelette with whatever you fancy inside? When we were doing 12hr shows we always tried to get a full breakfast as sometimes we had no time to even attempt to get a bite to eat

Hubby wants me to take him clothing shopping tomorrow. EEK! He has wardrobes full of stuff he hasn’t tried on in ages (most of it brand new) & I recently got him a shed-load of lovely jackets & 2 suits & he looks great in them (all brand new on ebay & mostly Brook Taverner or a better brand) BUT he says he needs more formal shirts (he only has about 30! OK some of them are 1″ too big on neck but???) & some more trousers. It’s all MY fault for buying him extra slim trousers, which he realises makes a shed-load of difference. I’m gonna just have to buy him some smaller belts! lol He likes having a load of different colours, to suit his mood. PMSL Oh the joys of having a hubby that likes to dress up! lol. IF we actually went anywhere, it might be nice! The docs/hospital sees him in all his finery. It tickled me when he last saw his male heart consultant (before Covid) they were almost twins except hubby is about 1/2 a foot taller & had a MUCH nicer tie & matching handkerchief. We have the cruise 20th August for 14 nights BUT even so both of us have plenty of clothes to make numerous daily changes. lol

I’ll be posting my weight Friday. hoping I haven’t put on any more after being taken off my water tablets. Let’s just say that I’ve put on a few gallons of water!?? Getting hubby on the scales will be an endeavour!

It’s wonderful to see all of you on the bus again DCT, ADD, SueBlue, CC, Jennie, Natalie & the unbelievably quiet Yowser & also welcome to the newbies Nokie, annieds. Sorry if I missed anyone.

Keep on keeping off everyone! Love Linda XXX

Aaaaarh. All my posts have disappeared. Just a quick post to let you all know – LOG IN & some of your posts might still be there BUT not visible unless you are logged in. I just found 1so am going to repost this epistle. OMG it’s a LONG one! Bad case of writing diarrhoea coming up.

I’m hopping on the bus just to secure me a seat. Will start in a day or 2 as I have been SO bad these last couple of weeks.

Docs phoned – VERY pleased with both of us. My HbA1c was 38, hubby 44. Both NORMA:L. He told me that I no longer have diabetes & took me off the 1gm of Metformin. (Maybe they are re-thinking Diabetes now as this doc is spot hot on just about everything. NEVER thought I’d be told your not a diabetic any more???) Keeping me on the small dose of Ramipril for BP BUT is aiming to take me off that too IF I continue on this WOE. YAY!
Hubby he’s dropped his 1 diabetes drug BUT is keeping him on the Metformin for the time being as he thinks it may help with all his other problems. We are both over the moon with his remarks etc. & congrats also came from the lovely diabetic doc. whom he also consulted. YAY YAY YAY!! We were both told we’re going to have another review in 6 months – glad they are keeping an eye on us!

I have FINALLY managed to get an appointment to see an NHS dentist & be put on the list next Monday morning!!! YAY! Out of desperation made an appointment a few weeks back for a check-up next Wednesday with a private dentist & had to pre-pay £85 for a check-up with 2 X Rays then the fun begins & the charges. Will see what happens Monday BUT hopefully can be kept on the NHS list even if she/he has to refer me elsewhere. I suspect the £85 is non refundable?

My 3rd positive is I got that 1 jacket on ebay that I absolutely adored (the 1 I bought in a smaller size that I’ll never get into) & it fits me perfectly.

DCT – your lucky daughter! Sam Ryder has a terrific range in his voice, both of us said we’d like to go see him in concert. He also seems to be a really, really nice guy & he just loves singing, full of the joys of life. We sold the hampers we got (hope yr daughter was fortunate enough to get a hamper or 2?) & it paid for us to go to Rhodes for 2 wks, half board + a car. Sold them on ebay & both went to Americans that were in the crowd. Ty Ma’am! We ate the food BUT left the sealed shortbread & the champagne + put in some beer tumblers, we also sent them our programs & a photocopy of the letters & invitations we had. They were over the moon with them. They would only have been gathering dust & we have the memories, which is all we need.

Natalie – a full English breakfast?? Bacon, Egg, Sausage, mushrooms, (tomatoes, black pudding?). Sets you up for the entire day & is very good on carbs. An omelette with whatever you fancy inside? When we were doing 12hr shows we always tried to get a full breakfast as sometimes we had no time to even attempt to get a bite to eat

Hubby wants me to take him clothing shopping tomorrow. EEK! He has wardrobes full of stuff he hasn’t tried on in ages (most of it brand new) & I recently got him a shed-load of lovely jackets & 2 suits & he looks great in them (all brand new on ebay & mostly Brook Taverner or a better brand) BUT he says he needs more formal shirts (he only has about 30! OK some of them are 1″ too big on neck but???) & some more trousers. It’s all MY fault for buying him extra slim trousers, which he realises makes a shed-load of difference. I’m gonna just have to buy him some smaller belts! lol He likes having a load of different colours, to suit his mood. PMSL Oh the joys of having a hubby that likes to dress up! lol. IF we actually went anywhere, it might be nice! The docs/hospital sees him in all his finery. It tickled me when he last saw his male heart consultant (before Covid) they were almost twins except hubby is about 1/2 a foot taller & had a MUCH nicer tie & matching handkerchief. We have the cruise 20th August for 14 nights BUT even so both of us have plenty of clothes to make numerous daily changes. lol

I’ll be posting my weight Friday. hoping I haven’t put on any more after being taken off my water tablets. Let’s just say that I’ve put on a few gallons of water!?? Getting hubby on the scales will be an endeavour!

It’s wonderful to see all of you on the bus again DCT, ADD, SueBlue, CC, Jennie, Natalie & the unbelievably quiet Yowser & also welcome to the newbies Nokie, annieds. Sorry if I missed anyone.

Keep on keeping off everyone! Love Linda XXX

Lindaandhubby – congrats to both of you on your results, and your hubby sounds like mine 🙂
He has tons more clothes and shoes than I do, and having lost 7st he has had to completely replace his wardrobe – we found a local hospice charity shop which sells suits for no more than £9 (and if they don’t sell quickly they discount them by a further 50%) so hubby has 2 brand new suits, plus some shirts, shorts, trousers and blazers in various colours and cuts. He has bought some items new when he needed something specific, but we’ve saved a fortune at the charity shop. I bought mostly crew-necked lightweight jumpers, perfect for the office with a pair of black trousers.

Breakfast ideas – full English without the toast, hash browns or fried bread (or whatever carb you would have eaten previously) is a great start to any day, especially if lunch looks doubtful.
We often have a frittata – spinach and feta / spring onion and cheddar / tomato and basil / red onion and bacon bits / peppers / any bendy veg from the fridge that look like they need to be consumed 🙂

Hi Natalie – I’m one of those that don’t eat breakfast, but I remember people on here talking about making low-carb breakfast muffins. If you tap it into the search box a few threads mention them; people put things like bacon in them (or smoked salmon). If I remember rightly people would pre-make some and then just heat one or two up (or have cold) for breakfast or for brunch at work.
Lindaandhubby – that’s great news for you and for your hubby. I’m so thrilled for you both. Sounds like your doctors are really ‘on it’ which is also great to hear. Hope the dental appointments go well. By the way, thanks for the tip about the butter spread posted on the last thread, am keeping my eye out for it.
RubyG and Lindaandhubby – what smart looking men you must have. They sound lovely to me. I’ve always found my husband attractive – still do – but ‘dapper’ he isn’t.
I’m waiting for our food shopping to be delivered, then I’m ‘stepping’ out.
Hope everyone is having a good ‘BSD’ day.
Jennie xx

Linda & Hubby – woohoo! Way to go 🙌 🥳 🎉 that is so awesome! And well deserved comments from your doctors after all of your hard work 🙂

Natalie – breakfast ideas. I have loads! In Winter I like porridge – the cinammon & pear porridge recipe in the Fast 800 book is delicious. I don’t have it everyday, but once or twice a week. If you’re pressed for time you can make it the night before and just reheat in the microwave the next day. I also love slow cooked steel cut oats with apple and cinammon – I make a batch of 4/5 servings and just reheat in the microwave in the morning.
I find eggs are the most filling breakfast. When I’m in a hurry I poach them in the microwave and have with a piece of sour dough or low carb seed bread. Another quick breakfast I haven’t made for a while but is delicious is a cooked breakfast in my pie maker. I put an egg in one hole and cook for a minute, then a piece of hot smoked salmon in another hole, half a tomato and some avocado in the other ones and cook for a couple more minutes – poached egg, hot smoked salmon, roast tomato and avocado all in under 5 minutes – can also do this with haloumi, sausages or bacon for the protein (cut to fit the holes).

If you need a portable breakfast then overnight oats or an egg wrap or frittata? I’ve made the breakfast muffins that Jennie mentioned – they are versatile and delicious 🙂 one way of making is to line the muffin tin with baking paper, then press a piece of bacon in, then fill that with a mix of beaten egg, cheese, tomato, shallots, Spinach, chopped mushroom or whatever you fancy and cook – they only take 15 mins or so.
Another nice recipe is the Cheese and Chive muffins in the Fast 800 Keto book, they are made with almond flour so filling and low carb.
Also in the Keto book is a recipe for almond pancakes. The serving size looks really small but they are filling! Again you can make ahead and just reheat in the microwave – they’re nice warmed up with some berries and yoghurt.
If you like baked beans then some warmed up with Worcestershire sauce and grated cheese is nice and filling.
That’s some of my favourites anyway 🙂

So, Natalie, you can see who are cooks and who isn’t (me) can’t you. Wow, SueBlue, what a great list! I’ll be trying some of those for brunch/lunch for certain.

Great to read everyone’s interesting news today. I’m having a hungry day today. I’ve made the goats cheese frittata from the fast 800 recipe book and it’s delicious! I’m having it cold with baked beans!! Yummy – just what my body is craving! Protein possibly! Anyway, I’ve had a good few days but not so good today. Eaten more than I normally do but I think it’s good to mix it up a bit. Not expecting a loss tomorrow but hopefully next week will see me get to 147. I’m hovering between 148 and 149 but at least I’m under the 150 at long last. Six more weeks Until I see my husband- can’t wait. Going to try for 143 lb but to be honest I’m happy to chip away week by week. I’m out at book club tomorrow night- the first one since before the pandemic so that’s going to be a great night out! It’s my birthday next week and I’m seeing a friend for lunch so I’ll have a feast that day.
Got to keep things real!

I’ll post my weight tomorrow but I am not expecting a loss this week/ seems to take a fortnight for me to shed anything on the scales. I do look thinner in the face and décolleté area! Just saying!

Hi all
Well done linda and hubby you must be so pleased I have someone from a pre diabetes group giving me a talk on Monday for 2 hours!!! On what I should be eating I explained I was on statins now for high cholesterol and also mm sugar free diet not sure if she will tell I am doing the right thing as mm says full fat milk and for cholesterol it’s skimmed!! Oh well we will see 🤣
Natalie
I have omelette for my breakfast as it’s filling sometimes with piece avocado or mushrooms 🍄 on the weekend we have a brunch in page 41
Blood sugar diet bk sardines on avocado mash that’s delicious or page 46 fast 800 book bacon broccoli tomatoes and mushrooms fry up that’s also delicious
Not sure if I have lost anything this week but hey ho let’s keep going
Lv nokie 💕

A question:
6 days in, recording everything I eat, walking for Britain (although quite slowly now), and, having lost 4lb, weightloss seems to have stalled and I am completely out of energy. I expected my initial euphoria to wear off, but I didn’t expect to come to a halt. Will this pass?

Hello annieds😉
Keep going sometimes this happens I think our bodies get used to the diet it happened to me I went a few days and did not loose anything then it started again 👍it seems to want to hold on to the fat !!! Are you eating enough? I know that sounds funny but make sure you are . We are all on this 🚌 together and have a few moans along the journey but we will all get there it’s such a great group👍Also make sure you are drinking water 🚰 it helps fill you up even though It’s a pain keep going to loo !
Good luck
Nokie 💕

Hi everyone.

Linda what fab news about your diabetes!!! I’m so happy for you and hubby. That’s amazing and a real endorsement of this WOE.

Sue fabulous recipe ideas as always. I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I wish I lived in your house and you could just feed me 😀

annieds – oh yes! This is quite normal so persevere. On a low carb diet, a lot of the initial weight loss is water as your insulin reduces This can lead to a fast initial weight loss but then, as Nokie said, your body begins to adjust. This is not bad news, because the next phase is for the fat to come off too. Your body begins to burn fat as energy instead of relying on carbs. It’s called ketosis.

But in this transition you may experience what is known as “carb flu”. Symptoms vary but can include fatigue, buzzy head, tummy troubles, aches and pains or just a general yucky feeling. This may last a few days but push through and you’ll come out of the other side, I promise! One thing that sometimes helps is to put a bit of extra salt in your food as this replaces electrolytes that often also reduce in the early days of low carb.

You’ll probably also find that your weight loss is not linear from this point on. Some days you’ll lose nothing but then others a couple of pounds may suddenly disappear. The thing to do is keep plodding on and you will definitely see progress. Ooh and don’t forget (like I always do!) to measure yourself too. If you’re not good with the tape measure, have a test pair of tight jeans or something, then you can try them on regularly to see how easily they fit. There will be a lot of NSVs (Non Scale Victories) along the way as well as what the scales are saying.

Good luck!!

I weighed this morning and have lost 1.6lb this week so am quite pleased with that. Hope everyone else doing ok? Fingers crossed for you Cathy 🤞

Good Saturday morning to all,
Your responses to my post got me through the bad patch and I’m now back on top, but for a little head-fuzziness, which is reducing daily, and a slower than usual walking pace, which is irritating (I’m a natural strider) but is also improving. I have decided to weigh myself just once a week from tomorrow, which will be my one week milestone.
Today, a longish, slowish (I expect) cycle ride, a bit of aesthetic self-love (manicure, pedicure, facepack), and an early night, in preparation for a garden party gig tomorrow. I already fit well into a gig dress that I bulged in last week, so I’m feeling taller and more gorgeous already!
Here in London the sun is shining and it looks like that will contine for the next few days. Have a lovely Saturday.

Cathy, talking NSVs, every morning I either leap out of bed like a young gazelle, or struggle out of it like I’ve been chained to it (depending on where my fickle head is that day/week/month) and go into the bathroom. Our basin is a lowish one below a tall and wide mirror and I can see from my thighs to well above my head. A change in shape from sturdy wardrobe to elegant double bass is evident. Still big (obvs. I’m not expecting miracles) but very feminine. And that feels good. I was too scared to measure my waist last week, but I will tomorrow.
It’s positive, knowlegeable people like you and the others on this site that make this journey doable. Thank you

Hello everyone
Well done to anyone who has lost weight, feels better, is still trying. I’ve stayed the same this week which I was expecting. I’ve been good all week apart from eating some baked beans which I was craving! I enjoyed the goats cheese frittata I made and I made the halloumi bake which is also delicious. I indulged last night at book club so I’ll be reigning myself in over the weekend. Would love to be 147 next week. My size 12 clothes are fitting better and not bulging and I’m happy with that. I’ve got an interview on Monday at a private hospital for admin work- didn’t really want to go back into hospital work but my vaccination job has ended and so I am looking for part time work. I’ll see what they’re offering. I’ve tried my interview outfit on and it looks good! A few events next week may scupper my 147 target on Friday but with a bit of fasting and healthy choices I hope to get there. It’s six more weeks til my husband comes home so if I get to 144 I would have lost 10 lb since he went away so that would be a noticeable difference. That’s what I’m aiming for and then after they goal my next goal is 138 for my holiday in September. Keep reaching for the starts everyone.

Good morning everyone
I am a happy 🐰 bunny
List 2 pounds this week first time in ages Thankyou for keeping me on the 🚌!!
I have just had brunch delicious 😋 p 41 in the sugar recipe bk avocado mashed up with sardines in tomato sauce I only had mackerel fillets in the tin but really lovely 😊 I also had a poached egg on top I sat in garden with cup of black coffee ☕️ my husband really enjoyed meal he had toast too 🤣
We go on holiday to Italy next Saturday just hope I can stay on track
Have a good weekend everyone
Be in touch soon on the great bus 🚌
Lv nokie 😍

Hello everyone, weigh in day today.I’ve lost 6lbs (and 2 inches off my waist which is unreal in a week, just shows how much water retention bloat I must have!!!!! ) well done all in betweeners on our first week🥳Will catch up on posts more over the next few days.Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.Dawn X

Just jumping on to say Wow to Nokie and Dawn! What a great result. Good work!

Annieds – I’m loving your positivity. Well done for feeling pleased with yourself and for rocking your dress. Being body positive is something i am working on.

Hiiiii busriders! Gahhhh I wish whoever keeps removing my tick to be notified of messages would pack it in! 🤨
Havent been onlinemuch this last week as sister been extremely ill in hosp. Resuscitated at one point.
Which,apart from the first day she took ill I didn’t eat…since then have made many poor choices food wise when visiting hosp and when coming home tired.
Sister has complex probs but has made some progress ( which I must buckle down into doing when it comes to making better food choices)
Great news from you guys DAWN,DCTand NOKIE doing so well already on this trip! Keep up the good work !👏👏👏👏
Good luck CCATHY with yr interview,will be thinking of you,I was wondering when your vax job wd end.
ANNIEDS good luck with the measuring!
SUEBLUE thanks for food suggestions
MARIET how are you?
Love to RUBY,JENNIE,LINDA,NAT and all xxxx🌸💕🌷💕🌻💕🌼💕🌹💕xxxxx

Hello all on the bus 🚌
Sorry your sister has been poorly yowzer49 I hope she improves such a worrying time for you it’s difficult when things go wrong and you are worried 😟 to eat the right things I know 💐
I was silly on the weekend got off the bus !!! Should of stayed on as I fancied bread ( my downfall!!!) ate too much so am not getting on scales today
Hope everyone is ok let’s keep this bus 🚌 chugging along have a good week all
Be in touch on Friday day before I go away on holiday think I gad better have a mm shake each day otherwise my new dress won’t fit 🏖
Love nokie 🌸

Hi everyone – There’s been high winds here the last 3 or 4 days which means our internet drops out so I’ve been struggling to get online.
Yowzer – One of the reasons I wanted to come on was to say how really sorry I was to read about your sister. I’ll be thinking of her and you (and your families) this week. Lots of love and take care xx
annieds – I can’t add anything extra to what everyone else has said, except to say it was my experience too. I remember a few times at the beginning having to take myself off to bed at a very early hour but then after 2 or 3 weeks on the BSD I had so much energy it was brilliant. Good going on your NSVs.
Nokie – reading your posts I realised I was away when you had your GP appointment. I’m so glad it went well. I’ll be interested to hear how the talk goes today. Great going with the 2lbs and yes, forget the weekend and push hard this week. There’s nothing like a new dress is there? Italy is one of my favourite places so I’m really envious.
Dawn – 6lbs is fantastic – and 2 ins off your waist. Wow. That’s a real boost isn’t it. Hope this week goes well too.
Cathy – hope the interview goes well today. Having size 12 clothes that fit – that’s a great NSV. You’ve got some great targets to aim for and you’re well on your way to hitting them. Well done that woman!
DCT – another nice loss – 1.6lbs – Woo-hoo! And yes, if you go live with SueBlue, can I share your room? I’d never be bored with dinner again!
So my goal at the moment is to get back to the lifestyle discipline I used to have when I very first started BSD. I’m starting with increasing my daily levels of physical activity again. So my target to the end of June is to do 10,000 steps a day. So, from the 1st day of the Jubilee Celebrations (Thurs, June 2nd) I’ve hit 10,000 + every day to yesterday. (I started walking everyday again at the end of May but it wasn’t always 10,000 steps so am not counting it). 11 days so far but I’m happy with that and I’m feeling better for doing it. Meanwhile, I’m going to look at what exercise I want to do with the plan of introducing that beginning of July. Bgls and weight still good so happy with those.
Hope everyone else is doing good. Another fresh new week for us. Go well everyone.
Jennie xx

Hello all, just catching up on posts after a busy week.
DCT and Jennie – your comments made me chuckle 🙂 I enjoy cooking which makes it easier I guess.
YOWZER – sorry to hear about your sister, I hope she starts to feel better soon, what a worry this week would have been for you.
CATHY – hope the interview went well, and it’s good that you are focusing on being body positive.
JENNIE – I’m impressed with all of the walking you’ve been doing. I’ve stepped up my walking over the last couple of weeks and manage on average about 7-7,500 steps per day. Sometimes it’s as much as 12-15,000 and other days next to nothing, but I’m achieving at least 50,000 steps per week. On one of my walks with my daughter this week, we took garbage bags and gloves with us and collected rubbish that was laying around in the park – only took maybe 5-10 minutes but it felt good to do something productive, and I’ll definitely make sure I take a bag with me on future walks – I really hate seeing litter (and graffiti!).

I didn’t end up doing much preparing over the past week, I still haven’t got around to making a meal plan! although I guess I feel more mentally prepared. I made a frittata today with some left over veg, so that will be lunch for a few days, and some stewed apple and rhubarb to have with porridge or yoghurt.
I did also sort out my food cupboards and pantry, did a bit of a stock take so I can plan some healthy meals.
I tried on the designer jeans I bought about 5 years ago today. When I bought them I couldn’t get them up over my thighs, and today finally I could zip them all the way up – they fitted 🙂 admittedly they fit a bit too tightly to be able to wear comfortably, but just being able to do them up felt like an achievement!
I have 4 months until my daughters wedding, and another 6-8kg to lose, so I need to stay on track this journey!
I’m trying not to focus too much on the scales. I read a good quote last week, from Rebel Wilson who lost 35kg:

“Don’t be obsessed with how much you actually weigh. It’s more about all the healthy practices, and then the changes to your whole lifestyle.”

It really resonated with me – perhaps because I read it the same day I went for my annual check up at the cancer clinic. My specialist said I was in perfect health! And it made me think, yes I may be overweight still, but all of the changes I’ve made with diet and exercise are having an impact on my health.

Today was Day 1 of this bus journey for me and I felt good. I had my favourite pear and cinnamon porridge for breakfast, frittata and salad for lunch and then some grilled chicken and veggies for dinner. With a couple of teas and coffees my calories came in at 875.
I’m going to weigh Friday so will check in again then – hope everyone else has a food week 🙂

My first week loss was 6lb and I’m quite happy. I had a garden party gig yesterday and, quite against our contract, the band was neither fed nor watered! (5 hour gig!) Although I was (and am) angry about it and I’m dealing with the clients, I didn’t feel hungry at all. I’d had my usual porridge for breakfast at 8am. By the time I ate my omelette and salad 12 hours later I was beginning to be peckish. Before last week, I’d have stopped at a petrol station for a Cornish pasty and a bar of chocolate on the way home.
Have a great week everyone.

ANNIE – wow a 6lb loss, I’d be ecstatic not just quite happy 😊 Well done! And well done too for holding out until you got home to eat instead of stopping off and buying snacks – it’s all those sort of behaviours that add up and make a difference in the long term. I would be angry in your shoes too! How rude of the clients not to provide food and drink for your band!

Just popping in to wish a very Happy Birthday to Clarinet Cathy !!
Have a lovely day Cathy and spoil yourself !!!
Lots of love to everyone on the In Betweeners thread !

Happy birthday Cathy! 💐💐💐
Hope you are having a good day.
It was a beautiful sunny day here today so I went for a walk at lunchtime with my daughter and we managed 10,000 steps. We’ve started to take a few empty bags with us on our walks and pick up any litter we see lying around in the parks and walkways (we wear gloves!) so I’m bending up and down too. We manage to fill a bag each most times! It feels good to be doing something positive.
Food wise I haven’t done too badly – bacon & egg for breakfast, some (fried) fish pieces for lunch from the fish and chip shop – although I had some salad with mine instead of chips, and then beef and lentil bolognaise with some green beans for dinner. I had roasted some veg yesterday (capsicum, carrot, zucchini, mushroom, onion, garlic & celery), so chopped those up and added to the sauce.
Hope everyone is having a good week so far 🙂

Happy birthday 🎂 Cathy have a lovely day
I am doing ok my husband and I walked 10,000 steps along sea front this morning had breakfast on the beach so feeling good 👍
I won’t be answering over the next week I haven’t disappeared! But we go to Italy for a week providing easyJet are flying ✈️
I hope I don’t do too much damage over the week save my seat on the 🚌 for when i return
Have a good weekend and week all be in touch soon
Lv nokie x💕

Just a quicky ..popping in to say HAPPPPPPY BIRTHDAY to CC! 🥳🥳🥳🥳 XXX
Busy with hosp visits..SUE and NOKIE,thanks,sister is doing ok,slowly but surely.
Love to all on the bus,keep on rockin’ ..see you soon! XXXXX

Cathy – Happy, Happy Birthday. Sorry I’m a bit late, I knew it was June but must have missed the date. Hope you are having a lovely day and many happy returns xx
annieds – that’s a great first week loss. I’m also really impressed with your willpower. Early days, I’d have been in that garage shop for certain! (Bars of chocolate and bags of crisps were my weakness although I wouldn’t have turned down that cornish pasty!) Even without the contract that is a pretty mean thing expecting you to play for that long without food or drink. Playing a gig sounds exciting though! Hope this week’s proving to be one full of energy.
Nokie – hope you have a great time in Italy
Yowzer – glad to hear about your sister’s progress
SueBlue – food sounds nice as ever – have started doing roasted veg so I’m pretty chuffed I’m cooking something like you! Great idea about the litter pick. I’ve been on organised litter picks the odd time. I mostly walk through a park and onto a beach now so I’m going to give that a go.
DCT, Natalie, Linda, Ruby and everyone else – hope you’re all going well this week
Wendleg – lovely to see you xx

Well, pride comes before a fall, or in my case a twisted ankle. Pretty much immediately after I posted on Monday, I went out to get more steps up and twisted my ankle. I still managed to do over 10,000 on Monday, but Tuesday I only got in 6,000 and today I had to turn back just yards from the house as my ankle was swollen and painful. So a good lesson for me.
However, the positives: I was able to properly plan my food order, my food plan is based on using up all leftover veg etc, so I’ve saved some money, and I’ve had my feet up much of this afternoon. I’ll give myself a couple of days walking close to the house, and start again at the weekend.
Jennie xx

Hi everyone and happy birthday Cathy,I hope you’ve had a lovely day.Yowzer I was so sorry to hear about your sister, it must be a worrying time but I’m pleased to hear she’s making progress.Jennie sorry to hear about your ankle, hope the swelling goes down soon.My week food wise is going not too badly, I was at a funeral for most of today and have been off plan but will be back on track tomorrow hopefully.The weather here has been gorgeous today, hope it stays nice for the weekend for DD’s two parties! Spending some time now writing lists of things I need to do over next two days to prepare.Dawn X

Jennie – Sorry to hear about your sore ankle 🙁 – but well done on planning your meals around using up foods you already have 🙂 I love the versatility of roast veg – can add to meals to boost the veg content, roast veggies in salad are lovely, but also good in omelettes/frittata etc. I enjoy cooking and like to have a variety, but I’m really quite a simple cook – I prefer to have a recipe to follow, especially when trying new things. I’m certainly no Masterchef! I enjoy the process of cooking from scratch, turning simple, raw ingredients into a tasty, nutritional meal and knowing there’s no hidden nasties is really satisfying. The downside is the washing up (I don’t have a dishwasher). It all takes time though, which is why I try to always “cook once, eat twice” – so it’s the bolognaise sauce again tonight, I’ll make it as a pasta bake for my husband (to stretch it further), and I’m going to have zoodles with mine. Breakfast today was porridge with stewed apple and rhubarb – I added some chia seeds and crumbled walnuts to up the protein/healthy fats. For lunch I’m going to have greek salad today with left over frittata, so I’ll definitely be under 900 calories today.
I don’t know that I’ll get many steps in today as I’m working all day and have an appointment at lunch time, then have to go and visit MIL in the evening. I don’t like walking at night at the moment (too dark and cold!). I may try and do one of the ‘walk at home’ workouts though – haven’t done one for ages, they were a staple for me during the first Covid lockdowns.

Yowzer – glad to hear your sister is improving 🙂

HI everyone . . . can’t believe how quickly this week is speeding by. Just trying to catch up with all the posts . . .

Yowzer how is your sister doing now? Do hope she continues to make good progress and that she will be able to come home soon. And do look after yourself as well, in amongst all the hospital visits. Thinking of you and hope you’re ok.

Cathy I hope you had a wonderful birthday and that you hear some good news from your interview, if it’s a job that you would like.

Jennie sorry about your ankle! Take it easy until it’s completely healed. You could do some floor exercises or something? I also find that exercises involving a lot of arm waving can add more steps even if you’re not actually moving any distance 😄

annied 6lb is amazing, well done! And it’s also really good that you’re already seeing the difference in your daily lifestyle and food choices.

Dawn it sounds like you are very determined at the moment too, well done! Hope you’re ok after the funeral and also that the weekend parties go well.

And Nokie, have a lovely holiday in Italy – sounds wonderful!

Hello to everyone else too, and hope you’re doing well. I’m having a “could do better” week, just seem to be rushing around all over the place and eating for convenience rather than entirely on-plan. But still on the bus and moving forward 🤞

Hello everyone

Yowser, so sorry to hear how poorly your sister is and sending you and her my best wishes for a speedy recovery. What a terrible worry for you and things like this certainly put things into perspective, take time for yourselves whilst you’re busy visiting etc, lots of love to you.

Jennie- hope your ankle soon recovers- I am a master at spraining my ankles and do it regularly. The most recent fall was just before my husband left for Spain and I ended up in A&E with an avulsion fracture. I literally fell over after getting up off the sofa and heard my ankle crack like a twig! I am now consciously walking and moving slowly these days as it only takes a second for me to be down, It’s so incredibly painful too. Hope it recovers quickly. Rest, elevation, Ice. My A&E consultant advised against compression which was new to me! I did wear a tubigrip when I went out for psychological support!

Dawn- it sounds like you’re on a roll! I am so happy that you’re in a good place and on track.
Nokie- – enjoy your holiday. Sounds wonderful!
Wendleg- thank you so much for popping on the bus to wish me a happy birthday, thank you to everyone for your kind birthday wishes too. It meant a lot especially because I am on my own and feeling sorry for myself. My husband will be home in five more weeks. I decided to withdraw from the interview on Monday. I just couldn’t face going back to work in healthcare. I retired after 40 years and the thought of it going back didn’t fill me with happiness. I listened to my heart rather than my head and sent an email. I have decided to have the summer at home and look for something later on. Money will be tight but I feel like I need to give myself some space.

My weight isn’t budging at the moment but I am feeling good about myself and fitting into my summer clothes. I am making sensible choices and I’ve done a lot of walking this week as I am no longer working. I am embracing body positivity and that feels quite liberating. As a 61 year old woman, I am doing alright!! I am learning to love myself more and more and accepting who I am and being kind to myself. I think the book I read recently called Never Die Wondering has had an impact on me.

I am not weighing myself tomorrow as I went to my brothers last night and we had an Indian take away and I also had profiteroles. I will get back in my seat on the bus this week, I’ll keep walking, keep low carb and keep focused. On 26th June I am taking myself away for a two night trip to Lytham St Anne’s and I am nervous of being away by myself but also feeling quite excited about the challenge. I am going to work hard next week to try to lose a couple of pounds before I go. I think my weight feels slightly up this week but I’m hovering up and down the same couple of pounds at the moment.

We can only do our best every day. Keep trying everyone!

Happy Monday all!
Just a quick update from me as I have to start work soon.
I weighed in on Friday and had lost 600g (1.3 lb) in the first 5 days of this current journey (I started a week or so late). I was pleased with that as I hadn’t stuck completely to plan! One thing that I realised was that I need to eat more at breakfast/brunch as there were a few days where I ate a light meal and then was starving during the day so ended up having carb fests! The weather has been quite cold here so I was craving hot chips, toasted sandwiches and the like!
Today I’ve made sure to eat a bigger breakfast – a piece of rye toast with avocado and feta smash and a poached egg on top – delicious 🙂 I also had a couple of spoonfuls of Green yogurt With rhubarb and some seeds, so hoping this will keep me full for the day.
I remembered that old saying “breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper” – maybe there’s something in that, we’ll see 🙂
I’ve been fairly active, averaging 7,500 steps each day.

Cathy – your positivity was bouncing off the page when I read your post – glad you are in a good place right now, and that you had the confidence to withdraw from the job 🙂

Jennie – hope your ankle is healing 🙂

Yowzer, Dawn, DCT and everyone else in the UK hope you are coping well with the heatwave. It made me chuckle as when I looked up the temps for London this week I think the highest was 27 – here with our heatwaves temps can reach 46 degrees, 27 would be a nice summers day 🙂 I find cope best with days under 30 degrees, although it’s always the humidity that affects me worse than the heat.
Anyway summer seems a long way off for us in Australia, we have had the coldest start to winter in decades 🥶 I’m going to make some pumpkin soup this evening, that should help with the hot food cravings.
Have a good week all! Happy travels 🙂