Dreamscometrue, you’re quite right about how achievable 1lb a week sounds. To me, I have to have achievable goals or when I don’t accomplish them, I am too disheartened. At the same time it has to be a worthy goal or it’s not motivating enough. But to me, to be a stone lighter by Christmas, would be amazing.
Perhaps KazzUK and Verano and Allie and all of us can bring in lots of “roadtrip” analogies along the way to keep us laughing, inspired and losing!
Where can we go, drivers? I’m quite well-travelled but there’s plenty of places I want to see yet – and I haven’t been to New York! shock horror! Please can you take us on a drive by the Hudson River and shed the unwanted luggage along the way to lighten our load?

Great idea Jordana,
Can I add a visit to Mardi Gras on our road trip, combined with the traditional dance around the kitchen to records of our choice. I can’t remember who started that habit to celebrate an achievement on the forum, but it seems appropriate to this thread.

I’m afraid that I have to plead guilty to the kitchen dance routine, CD player blasting, as well as the celebratory
virtual cartwheels and the transatlantic sonic boom, JGwen! Possibly putting us on motorcycles as well?
Oh yes, the “age inappropriate” hair too, with many wonderful assists from other members of the community! You
are all so dear for humoring me 🙂 It would be my extreme pleasure to host you all on the U.S. leg of our road trip!
We’ll have to wait til Spring for Mardi Gras. I like the way you think, though! Now, THAT’S a party 🙂 🙂 🙂

Stay on the road today!

Allie

Hi Allie, we don’t have to wait for spring for the forum mardi gras, I would guess that there is a festival somewhere in the world most weekends, so we can have our virtual festival whenever we want.
Spectators at the Somerset Carnivals which run for a fortnight after bonfire night in November don’t tend to join in the dancing that happens on the carts, but some of the carts play music that you can’t help wanting to dance to and they do describe themselves as the largest illuminated carnival in the world.

Allie yes please do host our US leg of the road trip! I have enjoyed some amazing driving holidays in the western US states – including Highway 1 – in the past and my retirement dream is to drive Route 66. An extra incentive to shift that stubborn weight and enjoy a whole new holiday wardrobe 🙂

Dreamscometrue, I’m rushing off to get the evening meal on the table, so I have to make this QUICK! I
just remembered the Nat King Cole song entitled “Route 66”. I’m sure that you’ll be able to use google to
find the lyrics, though. Have fun 🙂 🙂 🙂

Allie

Yay thanks Allie! Maybe we should write our own version of the lyrics for this special BSD road trip?!

I had heard the song before, but reading the lyrics again inspired me. Let’s do this! If I can get that stone off before Christmas then I’ll start planning my trip as a reward. I’m currently approaching the time when decisions need to be made about whether to stay in my current employment for the foreseeable future or retire next summer and do something completely different. I’m a creative person and have various dreams that I’d love to pursue given more time: hence the Dreamscometrue username 🙂 When I started the BSD journey I didn’t really believe I would stick to it and lose weight but 2 stone came off, which really did feel like a dream come true after so many previous false starts.

Whichever employment decision I do make, there is also likely to be a house move – long story/complicated reasons but maybe to a different area together if I’m not tied to my job here. So I’m definitely approaching a time of change: just want to go into whatever the future holds without carrying the remnant of the extra weight that has crept up and hung around for too many years now!

Happy weekend everyone and good luck with your BSD goals X

Hi! Allie when you mention Route 66 I can only think of the ‘Stones’, and as much as I’d love to travel with their voices ringing in my ears, I can’t make the trip at the moment. Sorry to opt out but I just need a little time to myself to reasses, review and renew. I’m in a small ‘black hole ‘ at the moment but am finding my way back with the new version of Fatsecret. Will look in now and again to see how far you have all travelled. Enjoy the journey!

Hi Verano – hope you are ok? We all need black holes from time to time but do remember we are here for you X.

You have done so incredibly well so far and your 6-week goal blocks look good – even if they get back put back a couple of weeks or so while you regroup and sort out whatever it is that need sorting. To me, that’s the beauty of the BSD: we can go off plan for a while – for good reasons or bad (in my case like just being greedy!) – and then climb back on board when we feel ready.

See you on the other side X

Just to say I am thinking of you Verano. We are here when you feel like sharing but it’s fine to take time out if that’s what you need right now.
You are such a great support to everyone on here

take care xx

Take care Verano and I hope you find what you are searching for 😊
I feel a bit buoyed today, was out and about and so busy but managed to stick to BSD options and about 40g carb – higher than normal but still pretty good really and hopefully on track.
Get your kicks on Route 66!

Jordana, you DO make me laugh! I should no longer be surprised that you all are so familiar with
(sick) American culture, but it continues to amaze me. Yes, rte 66! I did actually travel that Rte. in
the early 70’s en route to San Francisco, where we were to live for 2 years. I remember traveling
from Amarillo, Texas to Gallup, New Mexico, and witnessing an altogether shocking site…a police
officer was chasing a “suspect” down the median on the highway with a rifle!!! Something we
would never see in New England 🙂

V., your friends here feel for you. I am so so sorry that you’re struggling. Please know WITHOUT
question that you’re dear to our hearts, and we all hope that you come to terms with whatever is
standing in your way. The human brain is the “last frontier”, and it’s a difficult task for most
people to contemplate what’s going on there. I always have a clear and intuitive “read” on other
people…not so much when it comes to myself! Treat yourself with kindness, my friend 🙂 In
you own time and at your own pace, you will work through this. And then you WILL BE BACK!
xoxo

Allie

Thanks for the kind thoughts girls. See you soon!

Verano, take the time you need. You can cosy down into my sidecar whilst you revalue. 😁
Roadsters, I just had to take Friday off from work and go to ground to recharge my batteries! After my late night (4am) last weekend when the girlies came, by Weds, I was on my knees with tiredness and feeling irritable and grumpy! Plus I also realised why I felt so drained was probably because I was going through a bit of carb flu as I only got properly back on the wagon the Thursday before. I feel so much better now! Lots of sleep. I’ve also managed two 24 hour fasts, Friday and yesterday although yesterday wasn’t planned. My low carb beef stew last night was ruined when I added too much psyllium husk powder to thicken it. Turned it into a finely set jelly! (Jello – Allie). I wasn’t particularly hungry anyway so turned it into a positive! I’m now contemplating a sunny Sunday and looking forward to going over to Alcester to see my mum and have a mooch around her garden and nip out for a coffee.
As far as music goes, Driving home for Christmas, by Chris Rea comes to mind right now! But I’m not ready for Xmas songs just yet!
Have a lovely Sunday everyone…. 🏍🛵😁

Have a great day Kazz. Glad you recovered from your girly weekend. It was worth it !

Hubby is from Wellesbourne and his son lives in Stratford upon Avon…small world again !

I love those coffee shops. They are a real treat. They wouldn’t work in France as people only really drink black coffee /espressos. Milky coffee is seen as a breakfast drink and frowned upon after a meal. I don’t like the taste of the UHT milk they use in café au lait so I stick to my espresso or green tea and hunt out the coffee shops when we go on holiday 😉

It has finally rained here and the ground is smiling. Wow it has been so dry. Everything has perked up a bit.

I am psyching myself up for a late parents evening this week ( Thursday) and contemplating an extended fast as I won’t be home till 9pm. I might give it a go and miss my evening meal. I will be so tired I will go straight to bed

I saw that Michael Moseley has given the green light for multiple rounds of BSD saying some people do 20 weeks. He answered a query from Lynette, author of the Slimspiational recipe book ( it’s in the Twitter feed on this page) I already knew that though from Allie’s experience 🙂
Have a great day everyone, whatever you are doing xx

Allie, despite being glad I made you laugh I am very ashamed to admit I have not been to the States. Unless you count sailing beside the American Falls! I love travel though and find cultures so interesting, so I like to know what I can about them and link on where I can! I have been around Canada a bit and America is the top of my bucket list at the moment. Have to save – your internal flights are so expensive! As long as you can guarantee I don’t have to witness such a scary cop chase.
Still on track today roadsters although probably won’t weigh before mid next week. There goes another song in my head is it more eastern America?
I’m a little overweight but my log books way behind
But nothing bothers me tonight
I can dodge all the scales alright
Six WEEKS on the road and I’m gonna make it home tonight.
Keep going everyone. Well done on the fasts Kazz! That is something I really struggle with, so I don’t worry quite so much to fast although I know it can prove good health benefits.

I really must join in on this! I don’t really need to lose any more according to my BMI but I’m an apple and any weight is on my middle so I think I’ll just go for it and I’ll know when I get there 😊
I spent a summer hitching through North America and Mexico, some amazing and terrifying moments – I’d love to relive the amazing ones. That’s when I fell in love with San Francisco; by an odd coincidence both daughters are professionally linked to California- one works for Benefit who are based in SF and is going to the annual conference next week and the other has been working for Thomas Keller, training in Napa Valley and maitre d’ of his Seabourn restaurants. I particularly remember the spectacular shooting star displays in the desert and the kindness of strangers to a couple of young hippies. I suppose my transport of choice just has to be a Harley!

That’s a bold choice, Maggie, and altogether suited to you, I think!!! Northern Cali is god’s country,
and my 2 years there were a dream. Low humidity, constant temps, and absolutely no rain for 8-9
months of the year. No need to ever look at a weather report before heading out to a misty beach,
or a plan to hike in the redwood forests, or point the car in the direction of the Napa Valley wineries
for a picnic on the weekends! Heavenly…Dungeness Crabs, and the world famous sourdough….
Maybe we have a bit of the hippy still in our soul? I definitely wasn’t one then, but it does have a
certain appeal at this stage of my life 🙂

San Francisco must have been bliss back in the 70’s Allie, I’m seriously envious of your time spent there 😍 There’s more than a touch of the old hippy in my soul, my new Kickers are red – I’m not going to get old without a fight!

I’m assuming you meant “knickers, Maggie? I can’t quite do the “thong” thing, but I’m open to
all other options…red resonates with me 🙂 There is a car license plate here for the state of New
Hampshire, that reads “live free or die”. I’m definitely down with that 🙂 Pink hair, or red underwear,
we need to embrace it all 🙂 🙂 🙂 Hahaa

Hi Verano, Wendy, MnM, Jordanna, Violinist, Dreams, Maggie, Allie, JGwen, Suepy and anyone else I’ve not mentioned. Just posting another 3 lbs loss, down to 16.3.8. Phew, relief! Still fired up! Particularly as all the gut rumbling and internal flatulence has stopped thank heavens!
Wendy – that is a small world! Wellsbourne is only just up the road. Which area are you living now?
I’ll see you all later today. Have a good one!

Allie – I suppose Maggie may well have meant knickers but Kickers in UK is a “hippy”? shoe? Google on red kickers and see what she might have on her feet – lol thanks for the laugh both of you 🙂

Well done Kazz! Here’s to another 3 this week!

Absolutely right Jordana, though I’m now thinking I really must buy some red knickers!
Congratulations Kazz, there’s nothing more energising than a good loss; have a good week 😁

Hahaa, Jordana! I DID have a google..What a dunce I am 🙂 I thought that I’d grown fairly conversant
in “British speak”, but I seem to be in need of additional education! What truly amuses me is that British
expressions are finding their way into my everyday speech…My husband often looks at me with
a quizzical expression on his face when I tell him something is “brilliant”! It’s all great fun…For
the life of me I couldn’t figure out what a trip to the tip was all about! On one occasion when I was
speaking to californiagirl I used an American baseball expression, and Verano jumped in to ask
“WHAT on earth are you talking about, Allie?” I’m sure that it was complete gibberish to her!
Kickers or knickers..anything in red sounds bold and great to me! It could become our signature
color for this road trip! I just varnished my nails red, in fact 🙂

I just love those transatlantic translation howlers! Allie! Very funny, but how would you know?! Anyway, I agree, Maggie – we should ALL treat ourselves to red knickknacks/bloomers!

To avoid confusion I didn’t call knickers pants (which is what I call them) because that way lay even more confusion !

Just checking in and it’s all about knickers today ! I am with you on the red Kickers Maggiebath. Love red shoes but they must be trainer type, can’ t do heels : I just fall over. I’ve mentioned my coral dress before. .I’ve got another red one too .I love bright colours . They make me smile. I could buy some fancy red undies when I hit target ?? No I can’t do thongs either Allie. I need full briefs !! I have to stock up in Marks and Spencer when I go home to the UK.

Well done on your 3lb loss Kazz ! Brilliant ! ( that’s for Allie ;-)) Hope I get a more significant loss this Week.
Kazz I am originally from the Midlands ( Nuneaton) but have been living in France since 1990. Hubby is from Wellesbourne and he moved here over 10 years ago. I still consider us as newly weds as I got married for the first time aged 51. It will be 10 years next May.

All the best you crazy ladies ( love it !!) xx

Loving this thread and all the differing transatlantic interpretations: kickers, knickers, pants – and let’s not even mention fannies 😉

Have lost 2lb this week but not that exciting as it’s 2 of the 3lb I lost recently which had sneakily crept back on again. But am now heading in the right direction again. So better get my foot on the gas and get moving! Continuing the aging hippy theme my vehicle of choice would be a VW camper van btw!

Keep smiling everyone X

Good morning!
Well done, Dreams! 🙂 Oh yes, a camper van! Just wonderful!
Wendy – how lovely, getting married at 51 for the first time and living in France. A romantic story to be told by the sound of it. 🙂 I’ve never married, 56 now. But you never know – never say never…. !
See you all a bit later…. 🙂

Wendy that is so romantic – feeling like a newly wed at 60’ish must be wonderful ! Dreams, a VW camper is ideal tho it would be so tiny next to one of those monster RV’s 😄
Well done on the weight loss as well, this is such a good place for motivation.
A perfect day here so more bulb planting and cyclamen, violas and primroses. The great thing about just gardening on a terrace is you can create a real impact – let’s hope we don’t get another bad winter.
Have a lovely day everyone x

I’m hoping to get a peek at your terrace garden in the Spring, Maggie! (I can dream)
Wendleg, I consider being called “crazy” as the ultimate compliment 🙂 I do enjoy spreading a bit
of it from thread to thread!
DCT, an old hippie van is just what we need to haul all of our bottled water..Lead the way! We will
follow 🙂

Aaaaw thanks guys.

I am grieving.

I just watched Gary Fettke’s video ‘Is fruit good or bad for us ?’

He calls it ‘ Confectionery on a Tree ‘ and concludes that fruit is not essential. Leafy green veg are much better for us. It’s pretty clear that for a long long time I had been feeding my body tons of fructose as I was seriously hooked on fruit and believed it to be doing me good. Storing the excess as fat.

Wake up call.

I have to get my head around fruit being a form of ‘processed food’, and the stuff that is so readily available in our supermarkets not necessarily the best. As Gary Fettke says, food used to be available rarely,and only seasonally.Eating fruit causes you to binge on more ( definitely true in my case)

So I have to have a serious re think. I am still enjoying my Greek yoghurt with Berry chia jam. Maybe I will have to forego the berries.

I have a very long day tomorrow and won’ t be home before 9pm. I am very tempted to try an extended fast as I will be so tired when I get in I might just go to bed. I will see how I feel. I will let you know how I get on when I post again on Friday !

Keep doing crazy Allie ! I love your attitude ! Keep going everyone ! xx

Oh Wendy, sorry you’re sad! So much to learn and unlearn 😕 I think it was David Unwin who said he’d like to see a virus wipe out bananas! He said all overweight people eat them, which at 6 teaspoons of sugar each isn’t good.
Good luck tomorrow!

The truth about fruit is really illuminating, isn’t it?! I’ve always been able to get away with 8-10 raspberries
with my morning yogurt during the many months of strict 800/20, but had to restrict all other choices.
Grieving the olden days sounds like the healthiest of responses, wendleg 🙂 You have all the right
instincts, and I see you well on the way to achieving each one of your goals. I plan to be here to
celebrate them with you!!! When I reached my target and then exceeded it, the sonic boom could be
heard on your side of the pond. Having the right mindset and participating on the forums on a
regular basis makes all the difference, wherever we are on this journey. I still occasionally do
something mindless, like eating too many sundried tomatoes one summer week, and the scales
pointed this out to me in short order. How did I temporarily forget that a tomato is a fruit??? I’ve
done weight loss alone, and maintenance with the community, and there is absolutely no way
to compare the 2 experiences. I still learn something new every day 🙂 You are in exactly the
right place to conquer any and all holiday challenges..So am I!!!

You have all made me chuckle this evening with your wanderings so thank you.
Well done to those of you who notched up a loss this week – hold on to that wonderful feeling (even if it was a loss of a gain it’s still a loss). My Vespa led me up a couple of dodgy paths last week and then failed it’s MOT (or perhaps I did) but I leapt back on at the weekend and am delighted to be joining your merry band once again.
Interesting listening to you talk about fruit – last time I followed this way of eating I cut out fruit almost completely (just a few berries in the morning) and I lost every week. Leafy greens, and green veg generally, kept me going as I also cut out carrots and tomatoes and root veg. In the end it wasn’t as hard as it sounds once I got over my carb cravings. We can do this! Have a good week you amazing adventurers. X

Top of the morning to you all!
I always felt so guilty not particularly liking fruit other than nectarines and bananas! My fruit bowl these days just contains lemons!
See you all later!
Kazzeexx

Good morning, Roadsters
How’s everyone getting on? Apologies for being so quiet over the weekend but sometimes you have to take a bit of a break I find.
Am very much on track, the digestive issues and internal flatulence has quietened down for now at least and am feeling much better!
Wishing you all a good day and hopefully see you a bit later.
Time to drag myself upstairs to get ready for work – gosh it’s completely dark outside! Horrible!
Kazzeexxx

Hi Kazzee, and other travellers, so pleased to hear you are still very much on track. I’m still hiding in your sidecar but will be ‘popping out’ occasionally to say ‘hello’. Keep on keeping on ………

Good morning travellers, I have been relatively quiet for a while simply because sometimes I need to take a little time to myself to recharge batteries.
The scales are showing a downwards trend but my focus on this stage of the trip is on body shape and its early days in that journey.
I live in the area which has been the eye of the named storm that hit the UK over the weekend. Apparently there was more than 1.5 months of rain in 48 hours. All the local rivers have burst their banks in quite spectacular ways. But fortunately there has only been one fatality from a landslide. I have contacts who’s homes have been flooded, but I am higher up and the streams that run though my land emerge from the ground below my house, so no problems for the house. – The ground will hopefully have dried out enough for me to get to the areas of my land where streams exit to check the fencing, and to see what damage has been done to trees later today.

I got on the scale this morning to find a kilogram gain that I didn’t expect, then realised that my husband had moved the scale a little bit. I put it back on the correct tile and immediately lost the kilogram. I told Tim he should weigh himself again – he lost a kilogram too! Amazing what a difference a few centimetres can make on an uneven floor. Of course I don’t know which weight is correct, if either is, but it’s the pattern of gain/loss that matters.

I’ve signed up for a five day free pass at my local gym, starting tomorrow with a Zumba class. I’ve done it before, but not for a few years. Wish me luck! I got the pass via email on the weekend, and someone from the gym called me today to ask when I was coming in! Very proactive. So now I feel like I really have to go in tomorrow.

This extra time to go the gym is rather unexpected. I was supposed to start work at a new job today, after recently retraining as a LibraryTechnician. About three weeks ago I found out there has been a recruitment freeze and they didn’t know if they could hire me. They still want me, but for the moment they have said I should look for other work in the meantime as they don’t know what is going to happen. It’s disappointing, but I am going to make the most of this extended holiday. Exercise, and writing. I wrote a fantasy fiction (dragons and magic etc) novel a few years ago, unpublished but I am very proud of that achievement. I feel I have learned from it and I’m ready to write an even better story, and now I have the time!

Hi everyone
Thinking of you all .Take care in this very unstable weather . Heavy rain in SW France too. Driving to work this morning was horrendous but it has been much worse in other areas ( around Carcassonne). Makes you feel very vulnerable.

Starting Week 6 here and I have an extended fast planned from this evening until Wednesday lunchtime as it fits in with long days /late meetings.
Good to hear lots of positive thoughts pervading the posts today.
Has Allie got her togs sorted ? 😉

xxx

Good morning, travellers
Nathalie, I’ve noticed that when the scale isn’t on it’s usual tile! 🙂 Well done on signing up for the gym. I need to get some exercise too. I prefer yoga and walking though and don’t do either at the moment.
Wendy – good luck with the fast! I’ve been adding a bit of 20/4 and 24 hr this last week.
Just stepped on the scales and am 16.1.8. 2 lbs down from last week. Very pleased! I’m not going to jinx myself by saying anything about the 15s by next Tuesday!
V – glad you’re still snuggled in my sidecar! 🙂
Have a good day everyone!
Kazzeexx

Revised after a bathroom visit which is when I usually weigh in – 16.1.4. So 2.4 lbs lost! Who’d have thought it would make such a difference?! xx

Well done on your weight loss Kazz!
I did giggle to myself about the ‘uneven tile’ issue. Anyone else slide their scales around to find a better result? It amuses me that I can clearly remember the tiles that add pounds and those that don’t but I can’t always remember the day of the week!
Have a good week. X

I discovered at one point that a stray coin had rolled under the scales and was distorting the reading. – Then of course is monitoring the difference the weather conditions (and when the shower was last used) makes on the reading. – Sadly in an old welsh cottage, if its raining outside it has the same impact on scales as the atmosphere in the bathroom after having had a shower !!!!

I hold my hand up as well to having gone through the “jumping on the scales after each visit to the toilet” stage.

Thanks OiMadam! Very funny, JGwen! 🙂

This must be very basic human nature, JGwen. Throughout the weight loss period I only
weighed myself on days devoid of “transit issues”! Those scales can be harsh task masters…

I’ve always loathed shopping for clothes in the past 2 decades also, but you must secure
“the dress”. And practice in your new heels! I’d hate for you to twist an ankle after so
many years of being partially disabled by same. It comes back quickly, surprisingly,
and it only took me a short period of time to stop lurching around in my pointy toed high heeled
boots. I haven’t worn heels in close to 20 years…I’m sure that it will be the same for you, too!

Hi folks
Can I please jump in on the road trip to Christmas? With 10 weeks to go to Christmas I’ve just tried on the Christmas outfits that I bought last year when I had reached goal. It’s safe to say they still fit but are all a little snug hence me wanting to join in with you all. My aim is to lose at least 10lb between now and Christmas so they feel comfortable and so that I feel back in control. My aim is to get to 130lb. One of my plans since reaching goal weight is to always be back at target weight before New Year’s Day. I spent the last thirty odd years pre getting to goal doing BSD always starting the New Year “on a diet” and I never want to have to do that ever again. By getting back to goal pre Christmas I hope to start the New Year feeling positive.

Of course, Cathy. 😁👍👏👏 You are most welcome! I love your thinking! How right you are! Its totally depressing to think every New Year is to start a new diet! Hopefully by Xmas 2019 I will reach my goal with wriggle room! Which is your preferred mode of transport? 😁 xx