No problem JackieMac, thanks for the good wishes.
How is your diet going ?

You are most welcome, you deserve a medal for the support and motivation you provide people on here, particularly with the worries you have had!!

I have now maintained my weight for about 4 weeks. Lost 22lbs total but need to get another 2 or 3 stones off. I have been having the odd cake and scone though and not exercising much which I think is what is stopping me. My metabolism is a bit slow I think, I have an underactive thyroid, but maybe that’s just a good excuse! I stick more or less to the recipes but I think the 800 is maybe closer to 900 or 1000 depending on some of the recipes.

I am trying to be better today and not eat anything sweet. Had a hectic weekend and had a few drinks/food that I shouldn’t have but I need to be realistic as its for life not just for 8 weeks !!

x

Very true, it is
22lbs weight loss is a great achievment though, if you are happy with it you can stay on the fast 800 another few weeks or go on to the 5:2. The restricted carbs even on that should help you towards your target.
Keep in touch, just because you have done the first 8 weeks doesn’t mean we don’t want to know how you do as you progress further.
It’s a dark and unknown path for most of us.

I was planning on sticking with the 800 calories until I had lost at least another stone. Hoping that is OK as I am sure I read it somewhere in the book!

I am surprised when I have thiings, like a white wine or a gin and tonic at how little I am now enjoying them. Doesn’t mean I don’t keep trying though!!

Thanks for your support, appreciated, I am trying harder now 🙂 x

JackieMac, The team said it was ok to stay on this for a few weeks then go to 5:2, but like some others on here I’m staying on 800 calories longer term as I still have a lot more weight to lose. I’m in my 14th week and today I’ve lost 3 stone.

3 stone in a day, that’s amazing captainlynne! Only joking! Thats a great achievement well done xx

LOL Janet. I’ve lost 3 pounds since Saturday. Couldn’t believe it, becaus I lost 2 pound between yesterday and today😳😃

Lol, wow, just goes to show there’s no truth in weight loss slowing down, doesn’t it. No wonder you’re chuffed!

Captainlynne well done – when can I move in??

Don’t think you could put up with me Jackie LOL. I eat very strange combinations – but it works for me!

☺

I need some help with something, have been catching up with the posts as have been busy for a couple of days, can you please tell me what ‘fage’ yogurt is and where do I get it?

Its a brand name of a real Greek yoghurt rather than a greek-style yoghurt so its even lovelier. Ican get it in Asda so I’d say the other biggies will have it. Be careful to get the full fat and not the 0%.

Oh, the carton says ‘fage total’ on it for both varieties

Just looked up for my groceries list and fage is the brand name on total Greek yoghurt. Been buying it for years and I never noticed. Got to buy full fat now though. Seems so wrong.

Fch it does seem so wrong – but so good.:)

Ordered the full fat version for delivery tomorrow, along with some frozen summer berries and will try as alternative breakfast one day.

Hi Fch53
It does seem wrong at first but you get used to it. After 8 weeks and 2 days I now accept that Fat is My Friend!
We ve been subjected to such a lot of propaganda but we re fighting back!
Good luck
Penny

How does one go straight to a particular thread?
I wanted to catch up on this one, and had to page through over 500 postings on “Latest Forum Posts” to find a “This has to work for me”
The community must be getting huge – 500+ postings in under 2 days!
It’s a shame there can’t be some rationalisation, similar conversations are going on on so many different threads. Miss a day and you’re out of it.
I suppose it would have been a bit quicker to go through “All recent topics” but even that is not exactly direct.

Find your thread, click on the last comment or the time of the last comment which is shown as a preview. That will take you to that comment. As you say, very useful when there are hundreds of posts.

The other way I do it is when I am reading comments in my emails and I want to respond, the link just above the comment takes you to the thread

Janet, when you say “find your thread” is there a direct way of doing this?
John

Janet,
I’m an idiot, I’ve just discovered the “search” box at the top RH corner of the home page – takes you straight there (as long as you can remember the exact name of the thread).
Doooh
You probably assumed I already knew that and wondered why I was being so dense.
Sorry
Just of to look for some “Fage” Yoghurt – sounds yummy.
John

Stringbreaker you are not alone, I spent ages searching for first salvo fired.

I think we do need some rationalization. One would like to welcome and support new starters but with so many new threads starting they are very easy to miss 🙁

Not at all John, I only find things out on this website by prodding stuff and seeing what happens! Any of the main supermarkets should have your fage yoghurt. Also has ‘total’ on carton. Make sure you get full fat one and not 0%

Judith, have you tried using the ‘latest form posts’ button? Its under the forums tab at the top of the website and it shows you all posts made in the last few minutes, regardless of which thread they are on. Might help you keep up with the newbies!

Yeh, janet, i use that every day but if you haven’t been on line for several hours you would have a few pages to trawl through. You can’t receive emails without posting and pressing the let me know about future emails at the same time. It makes it difficult to prioritize. I respond to received emails and check latest posts. This is the first and only forum I have used so I am a bit surprised by the sheer quantity of different threads. I would love to have it rationalized.

Threads for different nationalities makes perfect sense, same for 8 weeks and after,weigh in thread, petition (of course!), fasting bloods, just starting bsd, this has to work for me, first salvo fired and what I have eaten today – that’s all in the bsd category, I. Haven’t looked much at the others. Apologies if I have missed any others – i didn’t check all the threads first, there are so many lol

Re toothpaste.
Just read the back of kingfisher. No sugar or sweeteners. Pretty sure toms is the same.
Penny

We certainly do generate a lot of chatter don’t we? Apart from my favourite threads which I am plugged into and which flood my email account constantly (!) I usually have a quick scan of the ‘latest topics’ to see what has got people going. It also means I can see how many posts are on each thread. If there is a new one that hasn’t had any response I can then add something encouraging, even if I don’t know the answer. As you say Judith, its nice to let the newbies know people are interested in them.

A week late and posted elsewhere, but this was my diary thread so just a quick resume.
Started week 1 at 16 stone 9 pounds (typo on my original post said 16:5 but my diary noted at the scales is 16:9
Week 9 weigh in shows me at 14 stone 9 pounds ! a whole 2 stone gone.
FSB on day 1, 9.8 this morning 6.4
Pre meal readings into the 4’s This is after stopping the Exanatide injections and cutting the Metformin dose in half
Reclassified as pre diabetic based on blood tests taken just 4 weeks in.
Retinal blood vessels looking good with no sign of inflammation (Major unexpected bonus)
Cholesterol normal, sleeping much better and feeling better than I have for years.
Future intentions are to stay with the fast 800 until I hit my first weight target of 13.5 stones then the 5:2 to take me to 12 stones (Ishould be 11 stones to get out of the over weight category but to be honest that was the weight I was at when I was 18 and training 3 times a week and playing rugby on a Saturday so maybe a bit OTT for me at 62)
I have every intention of being totally med free by the time my next blood tests come around in September.

When I titled this thread, I was in that frame of mind, It HAD to work for me as nothing else was and I was on a very slippery slope so this really was the last chance saloon! I was sort of confident but not entirely until those week 1 results hit and then I knew I could do this.
With all the wonderful help and support I have had from all the brilliant folk on these forums (more than most due to personal issues) and the absolute good, common sense that floods out of Michaels book, I have managed to get where I am today knowing that my future is now in my own hands.
So “THIS HAS TO WORK FOR ME”
Did it ????
With a bullet it did 😀
I will spend the rest of my days grateful to Michael and Professor Taylor and I will recommend my new lifestyle to anyone who is prepared to listen.
I sincerely hope that everyone who embarks on this journey has as much or more success as I have had, and one last thing folks

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS.

Hello Bill, thank you so much for being there on these forums, you have set a really great example to all of us and are a font of helpful, considered advice.

Very well done with getting as far as you have & good luck with taking it to the next stage, I am with you on BMI by the way, designed by insurance companies in the USA (was it in the 1930’s) this is not a good way to motivate anyone, health matters too & your health achievements to date are brilliant, you really socked it to us, it did work for you!

Brilliant achievement Bill! It just goes to show what damage sugar is causing to some folks. I have to admit I am now having a small piece of chocolate and maybe a few fruit sweets in the evening. I guess I should wean myself off totally but struggling to think of a replacement – I guess fruit maybe.

Anyhow great news on diabetes front,the main thing about sticking to the plan is the health benefits which you are seeing.

Stick with it, I’m trying to be good! Lost another kilo this week 😀 so that’s just over 24 pounds for me in 12 weeks. I actually feel it’s been much longer than that for some reason, probably the 4 weeks with hardly any weight loss.

Next thing is upping the exercise – not easy here in Bonnie Scotland where it is raining yet again. Still I won’t shrink (or maybe I will) if I get wet!

Keep up the good work, and updating us 😚

Well done Bill!

You are an inspiration to me and to anyone else who reads these boards. I know that your journey has motivated me to stick with it and get my own health back.

Thank you.

Deb

Bill, so glad you posted your ‘story’ like that, there are so many people joining the forums who need to hear it for inspiration! 🙂

Thanks for sharing your story Bill. You are an inspiration to us all.

Hello Bill I have been following a lot of your posts, and was so very pleased for the out come of your daughters health scare. I have to say I did send out prays at the time for you all.
But now what lovely news, you have done so well, you do inspire me to keep at this way of eating, thank you for sharing your journey with us all.
All the best to you Bill, from Gail

Hi Bill1954

The first thing I said to you on 2.2.16 was ‘hang in there’. I was a week behind you & on hol at the time. Your post resonated with me & 8 weeks seemed a lifetime away!

Well hang in there you did. And look at you now! Despite setbacks & family stress ( so pleased for your daughter) you are king of the heap!! You have enough knowledge now about diabetes & how it affects you, that you can pass it on to help others. You should seriously think about being an expert patient. Wouldn’t you have liked that ear to talk to at one time? You have done so well, congratulations
Think about it
Eureka

Well put, eureka 🙂

Congratulations Bill, your posts and advice have been invaluable to me as a newbie. My first week weigh in today and results are great. As you say “onwards and upwards”…… but not “outwards”. Looking forward to continuing the journey with you as a mentor. Dx

Thanks for the comments folks
Eureka, how well I remember that first post from you, it gave me that initial encouragement to get stuck in and was just a foretaste of the marvellous support available on the forums.
King of the heap ? Never. There are people who have lost a lot more weight than me and at least one who has reversed their diabetes but thanks for the compliment, I don’t get a lot these days.
The OH commented that when my six pack starts showing, it’s going to be rusty and made up of Harp lager cans (remember that?)
DJDAussie that’s what we do 🙂 I think everyone here has a real interest in helping each other through the journey and I know there have been times when only the support from here has kept another poster on the right track.
Gail thank you, it’s much appreciated. I really hope to see all of you get to where you want to be, and I know that this lifestyle can get you there.

Rusty six packs? Bill your OH has a way with words!!!! Sorry but I had to chuckle. I saw you as the Iron Man for a moment lol 🙂

Yeah Judith, you get sexy new dressses and cardies, I get a rusty six pack
BUT
We’re both going to look great 😀

Too right bill, too right!! We are both looking great already!!!!!! 🙂

Bill, 2 stone!!!

Totally awesome.

Bill and Judith you both look great and I finally got someone commenting on how much weight I’ve lost and saying I look good 😃 – together with the comment about not losing too much! She doesn’t realise I’ve got roughly the same amount to lose again😱 Well, if I go by BMI and what the medics have always said! Is 9st 7lbs too low for 5ft 2ins at age 65 soon to be 66?

Oh Captainlynne
You are aiming for exactly where I want to be. I’m 5ft 2ins and soon to be 68. Got a fair way to go still but I’m hanging in there. Keep on keeping on and glory in all the good comments you will receive, along with how much better you feel in yourself. Go girl.
Janice

Depends on what you are comfortable with Lynne
The BMI calculator says I should be between something like 10 and 11 stones
Not gonna happen, I’lll be happy at 12 if I can get there.

Bill, Lynne, Hashimoto – I don’t know how to contact you personally, sorry – it’s about the petition!

Having totted up the number of streams in all the forums we have a total of 830 streams going on, with just over 115 signatures on the petition so far (last looked yesterday).

I was wondering if we might post the petition into each forum, as with so many to trawl through, I am wondering if all posters & ‘lurkers’ have actually even seen it?

I sent it to a mate who posted it on Mumsnet & several have signed from there but I am keen, as I am sure you are too (!!) to get this signed by absolutely everyone possible.

As Hashimoto (?) mentioned last week, the forums aren’t the most intuitive, they are a wee bit clunky – so I was trying to think how we could maximise the visibility of the petition.

Sorry if you have already done this, I’m not on all the forums obviously!

Hi Ficip It’s a good idea! I am waiting for the tech team to make a decision on making it sticky.

Part of the problem is only Uk residents can sign. A lot of people on the forums do not live in the uk and the number of threads does not equate to the number of individuals posting. Though as you say there will be ‘lurkers’ in the shadows.

We all want this to reach as many people as possible 🙂

Hi lynne so glad you finally got that deserved compliment.

Bill is right it depends what you are happy with.

I am 5’4“, 63 years old and bang on 9 stones. My GP is happy with my weight and BMI of 21.6. Her words were ‘thats good you are in the healthy weight /bmi range’. She knows I am still following the diet and doesn’t have a problem with it. 7 stones 6lb would be the lowest end of my healthy weight range.

I started out hoping to drop to 11 stone. Revised it to 10 stones. Revised it to nine and a half stones, then 9 stones.
Now i am aiming for 8 stones 12 lbs. I. Will be happy with that. Don’t want to be seven and a half like I was in my younger days. But alower weight will protect my damaged leg.

So short answer, lynne, is what you personally will be happy with. I never dreamed I could get down to 9 stones. I think Bill still sees 12 stones as a dream weight!

The only sure thing is – we are all doing splendidly :). 🙂