It’s all about mouse droppings Allie ;-)) That’s the picture I have to keep in my head to resist the lychees !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a selection of duck patés, confit, fritons, gésiers etc etc ready to parcel up and send off . All made on a local farm, no industrial produce .Yes I can only send conserves /tins, no jars . No vacuum packed saucisson, nothing with dairy in, no chocolate.

This just popped into my inbox. Advice from Megan Ramos on how to manage festive meals. Link here

https://idmprogram.com/how-to-fast-and-feast-for-thanksgiving/

I have copied an interesting part about having apple cider vinegar or psyllium husk in water before a meal , the order in which food is best consumed and what to do in the days after the feast. I shall bear it in mind for Christmas

During the feast

The order in which you eat your foods at meal times can have a dramatic impact on your appetite and give you control over your cravings. Below is the IDM Protocol for Holiday Feasting:
1. If you can, consume 1 cup of water with 1 TBSP of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar or 1 TBSP of psyllium husk 30-minutes before your meal
2. Start off with a salad first and other non-starchy vegetables first
3. Eat your protein
4. Consume any starchy carbs, grains or fruit items last if you’re going to do so

This order is important. By filling your belly up with fibre and fat before any carbs, you’re going to really alter the rate of digestion of those carbs. This will prevent blood sugar and insulin spikes and surges, and keep you in control of your appetite.

After the feast
The more we eat, the more we want to eat. That’s the bottom line. It’s less if you’re eating LCHF, we typically throw our eating windows out the window during the holidays and eat beyond satiation. We do this during holidays despite knowing we shouldn’t eat if we’re not hungry and feeling satiated. Often people feel quite ravenous for a few days post-holiday feast.
It is better for you to focus on eating a ketogenic diet for the first few days following a holiday feast before you resume fasting. Most of us will find that after eating keto for a few days, we don’t really want to eat anymore, and we naturally start to fast again. Fasting after a huge feast can also be a bit problematic if you have eaten a fair amount of carbohydrates.
Your body retains a lot of water when you eat carbs. When you start fasting your body burns through a lot of the excess fuel from the carbs you stored in your liver during the feast. This fuel is stored in the form of glycogen. As you burn this glycogen off, your body will release the water that was stored because of the glycogen. You insulin levels also go down quite dramatically during a fast, which signals to the kidneys to release water as well. If you’re unable to rehydrate sufficiently and replenish lost electrolytes, you’re going to feel unwell. It is better to let the glycogen burn off and the insulin drop by following a keto diet when you’re receiving hydration and electrolytes through the foods. I usually tell people to start fasting again once they have gone back to their pre-feasting weight, because this usually signals that all excess water weight is gone.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Megan Ramos
and Wendy ! xx

Hi Wendy, thank you for this useful post! It dovetails my experience — when I am just famished, I am always reminding myself that just one bite of starter salad will calm me down and already make me feel less famished and it’s so true, so I try to always start with salad and olive oil dressing just to get my brain calm, then protein and then veg.
Also, keto for a few days post feast is good idea too as it sometimes takes a day or two to get those “brakes” connected again!
Happy Thanksgiving to all the US posters!
Julia

Morning all! I hoped for a bit of help or advise on how other people get on …. I really struggle in the mornings. I have to leave quite early for work and it just lends to wanting to eat all morning. I used to try having nothing but a coffee but I still would be ravenously hungry by 9am – at that point I had yoghurt but still by lunchtime my stomach was growling so bad.
Also I cannot concentrate properly if I don’t eat before I leave the house so now I have maybe an egg, and coffee.
I have snacks during the morning at work but still by lunchtime I am just soooooo hungry. Not sure what to do to combat this. It means by the end of the day I have very little calories left to work with.

Jordana, are you having full fat yoghurt? Have you tried having double cream in your coffee rather than milk? Maybe some scrambled egg with cream and some cheese sprinkled on top to fill you up. When I started the BSD I had full fat Greek yoghurt with some blueberries and chia seeds for breakfast. Now I don’t eat breakfast at all but just have a coffee with cream. Pre BSD I always snacked but now I never eat between meals and honestly don’t ever feel the need to. I think we sometimes get into a habit of thinking we need something to eat. I spent the last thirty years being told I had to eat a good breakfast and ate low fat yoghurt which was full of sugar and therefore not satisfying. When you feel hungry have you tried having a glass of water rather than a snack? I am not sure where you are on your BSD journey but it does take time to adjust to a completely new way of eating. I am two years now BSD and am learning all the time. There are lots of experienced BSDers coming and going on the forum so I am sure you will get plenty of advice. I honestly think it takes time to adjust to the low carb, healthy fat way of eating and listening to and understanding the signals of our bodies. My advice would be to try not to snack if possible.

Always full fat yoghurt!
Yep – last two weeks have not even had milk in coffee at all as I prefer cream now.
As for water – it wouldn’t be safe for me to drink any more than I currently do 🙂 🙁
Thank you for the reply. I do appreciate it, although I look a bit difficult in my last few sentences – haha! I must be positive. Putting cheese on top of my egg sounds like a good idea. I will try it. I did try fairly calorific breakfasts for awhile but still didn’t really seem to help. I first started the BSD 2 and half years ago although I fell off the wagon for a year and I’m doing my level best to stay on as it makes me feel better.
Jordana xx

Hi fellow road trippers, I’m still with you all on this trip, am away from home so haven’t been able to weigh myself, I’ll be able to on Sunday morning, then will just weigh myself on Fridays. I must admit it has been great to get away from the daily weigh-in, I don’t miss it and how it makes me feel when I’ve not lost anything, or worse, put on weight.
Cathy, I’ve been thinking of you all week, fingers crossed for tomorrow 🙂 I can only imagine how frustrated you feel. I’m a slow loser too, as you know, but I rarely stick 100% to plan, drink wine etc so to be honest I get the results I deserve! Whereas you are so good, sticking to plan and sticking with it despite being on a plateau for so long!
Jordana, I find having a decent breakfast can keep me going until dinner time, and I can miss lunch. Yesterday I had 2 sausages, an egg and mushrooms and tomato. Yes it was 400 calories but it kept me going until 7pm. The other breakfast that I find very filling is oats – I either make slow cooked apple and cinammon oats (145 calories) or oats and chia Birchers (about 250 calories from memory). I never feel the need to snack before lunch, and if I ever do feel hungry mid morning then a white coffee helps.
My daughter has lost almost 4kg this week! She decided to start a Keto diet plan. I’m amazed as she had such a shocking diet – frozen pizzas, processed foods, McDonalds, KFC, chips, lollies, chocolate and copious quantities of coke, juice and flavoured milk. The only vegetable she used to eat was potato, so it’s been amazing this week to see her eat cauliflower! She still hasn’t quite given up her coke habit but has at least switched to the no sugar one. I’ve lent her my BSD books for some more inspiration, but it is a relief to see her making some healthy changes. The best part is that it hasn’t come from my nagging, I gave that up ages ago, but she has made the decision to eat more healthily herself.
I had a nice NSV today, I saw a pretty summer top but the biggest size was 16. I usually wear 18 (and pre BSD was in a size 20-22). I bought it anyway and was so pleased that it fit 🙂 my size 16 skinny jeans fit again too, so it finally feels I’m starting to get somewhere, and with just over 4 weeks to our Christmas goal date I feel I may be able to lose a few kilos and get close to my goal.

SueBlue- great news about the size 16 skinny jeans and the new top. Isn’t it a lovely feeling when you are able to wear smaller clothes.

I am apprehensive about getting on the scales tomorrow morning, It has been very liberating not getting weighed and not feeling disappointed every morning. I have been very mindful of my food choices this week and really hope that tomorrow I have lost some weight.

Fingers cross for some positive results to all the Friday weighers for tomorrow!

Hi Cathy, I was going to make a suggestion that when you use a tape measure to check on progress you do so looking in the mirror. – I have realised that my body is targeting pockets of fat storage so the changes would not show up without looking in a mirror.

My weight and measurements have not changed either recently, but I realised that I was developing a dimple on either side of my waist, and over the last few weeks that dimple has evolved into a hollow. I still have the central layer of fat, rather than a 6 pack as part of my spare tyre. Which means that my waist measurement hasn’t changed, but increasingly there is a hollow on either side of my waist where the tape measure isn’t touching skin. – If I hadn’t recently been trying to work out how much my spare tyre weighs, so seen the hollows developing in the mirror I would have not realised that changes were happening at my waist.

Weekly weigh in done. Grand total of 0.6 lb lost! So disappointed! Today’s weight 138.6 Good luck fellow Friday weighers! Hope you’ve done better than me! KOKO. X

Cathy try to stay positive. You have so little to lose that every half pound is a victory. Just keep on keeping on ……
Well I’m home, unpacked, mail opened and tried the scales. Just a 4lb gain which is miraculous given I’ve been eating three meals a day, even when not hungry. Lots of the usual holiday ‘treats ‘ although Esnecca would never class them as treats. Nonetheless I think it’s good to have a change now and again and so after my indulgences of the past two weeks I’m ready to set sail again!
I have read Jason Fung’s ‘Obesity Code’ and have decided to shake-up my routine. I’m aiming for 30g of carbs a day, maximum. I am trying 4:3 with the 3 being a minimum of 16:8 and hoping to eventually make a 24. I hadn’t realised just how many and the variety of fluids are allowed in the ‘fasting’ part of the day. So armed with new information and lots of enthusiasm I’m starting the journey to the end of the year. I know that I will still be showing a net gain for 2018 but the plan now is to make that as small as possible.
Will be back next Friday with my first weigh-in but in the meantime I will do my very best to stay away from the scales. Have a good week everyone!

Excellent news, Verano, so good to have you back in the zone! 🙂
Meanwhile… Fess up time – I have gained 5 lbs this week! Completely and utterly lost the plot from Tuesday. No excuse really, I’ve been so busy at work, really stressed to be honest, I came over all defiant and “sod the world” !! Today, I have reined myself back in and am fasting. There is NO WAY I am ever going back to that miserable place. I’m back up to 16.0 stone. I shall be back to 15.9 by next Friday! The chances of getting to 15.0 by Xmas are slim now but I shall get as close as I can.
Cathy – it’s still a loss so good work!
SueBlue – well done on the skinny jeans – I dream of wearing doll’s clothes again! 🙂
Jordanna – could you delay your breakfast until you get to work, gradually stretching it out until mid morning over the course of a couple of weeks? May be take a couple of egg and cheese, muffins that you can pre-bake at the weekend and keep in the freezer. They can be eaten cold and hot.
Four weeks to go…..
Kazzeexx

Verano- thank you for your kind comment. Determination is my middle name. I will keep positive as the scales are s l o w l y moving down. The fact that I am so low carb and losing so slowly means that I can not afford to take my eye off the prize as if I do then there will be a gain. I don’t know why it is proving to be so difficult to lose this time.

Kazz- I feel your disappointment. Congratulations on reigning yourself back in and getting back to basics this week. Here’s to you having a good week and seeing a positive result next Friday. You can do it!

I am going to hope for 1.5 lbs off this week. I don’t know why I am even saying it. I was text book this week and only lost 0.6 lb. It is virtually impossible for me to be back at goal weight 133 lb for Christmas Eve but I will do what you’re doing Kazz and get as near as I can.

How is everyone else doing?

Evening lovely people.

I really feel for you….some friends struggling this Week and yet still showing great detemination. You are absolute stars !

Cathy, don’t give up . I don’t understand what is going on .Did you get any tests done as you mentioned ?

Jordana I agree with the remarks posted. Eggs /protein are the way to keep hunger at bay . I can’t do bacon but apparently that keeps lots of people happy for several hours. Hope you find what works for you .

Sue Blue.I have never owned a pair of skinny jeans. Dolls clothes ?? Nope . Anything low waist is a no no for me with the billowing jelly belly. Would be interesting to see if I could at some point get into a pair of jeans. Well done to your daughter too ! That’s a really positive start.

Great to have you with us Verano .I keep reading and I am learning all the time and this time practising what I read. In the past I could read diet books but change nothing !! Or at least only for a short time. An expert diet reader !!

Kazz you are so brave. You have had the Week from hell and you dared to get on the scales. I would not have had the courage . Right back on track, that’s the way to do it Kazz. Keep going me ole fruit !

I also had a NSV today ! I wear opaque black tights in the winter , often support tights for circulation. Pre hip op they were a nightmare to get on .Not only can I now get them on comfortably as I can bend down more easily but rather than heaving them over my hefty hips, hoping they would stay there and not steadily creep down during the day, they now reach up to my bust 😉 My big pants ( knickers for US friends) are now also reaching well up to my bust . I’m not downsizing though as they keep me warm !! God I’m so sexy 😉 😉 😉

Thinking of Thanksgiving …I am so thankful for discovering this forum and feeling all the support, honesty and genuine kindness on here .
Thank you xx

Cathy I lost a very similar amount to you this week, 250g which my converter tells me is 0.55lb.
I’m actually happy with this result though! I’ve been away from home all week and have had takeaway food, meals out and a few glasses of wine. I did try and stick to on plan foods as much as I could and kept an eye on portion sizes, but didn’t really restrict calories, I probably averaged about 1200 calories per day, but was active, walking 10,000 steps each day.
The references to skinny jeans being dolls clothes made me laugh 🙂 believe me at 95kg I am far from skinny! I do find my jeans quite flattering though. They have an elasticated waist and are really quite forgiving, I just need to wear a top long enough to cover my belly, as everything is squeezed up! But because they are a stretchy denim fabric they are really comfy 🙂
As to Christmas goals, I doubt now that I will be able to lose 5kg in the next 4 weeks, however I’m aiming to get as close to goal as I can. Following BSD in the lead up to Christmas will then help me stay on track in the new year. Last year I was going fine, and reached my lowest weight this time last year. Then Christmas, new year and the summer holidays happened and I never quite got back into gear. Then it was Easter, winter etc and here I am now!
Hope everyone has a good week, I’ll be weighing in on Friday and should have a better result this week as am back home and in control, cooking wise 🙂

KOKO everyone! I gained 2lb. Couldn’t put it on here on Friday as I wasn’t feeling right. Keep going everyone – you are all amazing to be upbeat despite small losses. Kazz – kudos for fasting after your disappointment.

You will soon lose that 2lb Jordana. Keep going. We won’t let you fall off the wagon again…. Are you getting enough fats to keep the hunger at bay ? All the best to you xx.

Hi everyone!

Lovely to read all the posts. But one thing strikes me: quite a few of us are struggling at the moment.

I’m just the same – a combination of a rotten cold and work stress over the last couple of weeks has rather kaiboshed my ambitious pre-Christmas weight loss targets. I’ve been eating too much comfort food and drinking too much wine. Fortunately I’ve managed to maintain but unsurprisingly no more weight has come off.

SO. Tomorrow is 4 weeks to Christmas and I plan (yet again: yawn?!) to really go all out to get some weight off before then. I’m currently 143lb – had hoped to get below 140lb by the end of November but that now seems incredibly unlikely. But desperately want to get safely below 140lb by Christmas: at least down to 138lb would be fab.

Who’s with me?? Lets GO FOR IT!!

I have an added incentive in that I start some new medication tomorrow for a chronic health condition and it is recommended that I cut right back on drink. Given that wine is my downfall I’m hoping this will kickstart me into getting my act together and really start looking after myself!

Hope everyone else is ok and especially Cathy – you are an inspiration and we are all rooting for you for a lovely loss this Friday X

DCT my BSD sister, I was looking out for your post last week and wondering how you were doing so I am so glad to read your post this evening. When we started on this challenge I don’t think that our weight targets were too ambitious. We gave ourselves a realistic amount of time and a realistic weight loss to hopefully achieve for Christmas. I agree with you though, it’s been really really hard to achieve. I am sorry to hear that you’ve been stressed at work and have come down with a cold. As I learned recently stress has a massive impact on our ability to lose any weight. I am very impressed that despite this you’ve maintained even though you’ve not stuck to BSD. That is impressive. With your current determination I know you can do this DCT.

I am totally with you on this mission and am going for it with you as I am sure others on this Christmas Trip will be. I am trying SO hard. I am being text book, Last night I went to a wedding reception and had a glass of sparkling water and ate nothing from the buffet! I am so determined to get to as near as I can to my goal weight of 133. It is impossible for me to get there now as my weekly losses are so poor. I’ve found weighing in once a week is less disappointing. My aim for Friday is to hopefully be in the 137s. I’ve been taking the L Carnitine supplement now for two weeks- the jury is out as to whether it is doing anything but Friday’s weigh in might be an indicator. I can’t tell you how excited I felt last Friday before I got on the scales. Yet again I was disappointed at only losing 0.6 lb but I do think I am looking slimmer!

Tomorrow is a new start- four weeks to go until Christmas Day- Keep strong and keep going. That can be our new motto. Let’s see how we do on Friday and take it day by day and week by week and who knows we could both have a really amazing Christmas surprise. Not plucked up courage to go to the docs to discuss my health concerns as I am ever hopeful that the supplement will do the trick and give me a weight loss whoosh any day soon!

LETS GO FOR IT!

Hi Cathy good to hear from you and thank you as always for all your encouraging words X I do hope for a good loss for you this week – your perseverance and determination is amazing and I really want you to have some reward from it. So hoping for that pleasant surprise for you this Friday, not only from a weight loss point of view but also to allay your health concerns.

Hope everyone else is doing ok too. 4 weeks to Christmas seems like a great time to reboot: I know that’s my aim.

So yes Cathy, let’s adopt that motto “Keep Strong and Keep Going”. I’m 143.6lb this morning and would love to see that dip into – or even below – the 142s by Friday. Here we go …….

Dreamscometrue and Cathy, you are such inspirations. I am going to try and get my goal too if I can. I haven’t been quite as textbook as you Cathy, I strayed on Sunday when with friends but I kept the carbs low and other than that, have counted quite carefully. Cream in my coffee this morning and have some full fat yoghurt at lunchtime – thanks for the reminder wendleg – I love the healthy fats, so often incorporate them.
As for the hunger, not so much of an issue after lunchtime so am keeping any eating after that minimal. Yesterday my colleagues brought in cakes to “cheer up” the Monday. Why is it that you feel unsociable while they all enjoy cake and you don’t eat it? Oh well. For the sake of my health, I felt unsociable 🙂
Yesterday I seemed to be going to the toilet an awful lot. I’m hoping this was getting rid of fat as well and kept swallowing back that water to push it all through.
I have had suspicions for awhile that I have hypothyroidism so this is going to be tested soon.
A new Friday is only three days away now. Go for it everyone.

Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,
my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.
They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,
and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire,
to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.
One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”
But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip,
the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,
and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.
As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now.
Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.

But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.
He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”

But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face
with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”
So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.
“If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!”
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten…
but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.
“There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try?
I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.

“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at all,
for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!
You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”
So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.

They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place,
head high and proud and happy — no falling, no disgrace.
But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
“To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”

And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”

Lovely poem Jordana, thanks for posting 🙂 so timely for some of us right now!

Jordana- just read the poem whilst sat at my desk waiting for my computer to load- there are tears flowing down my face as it resonates with me so much. What a wonderful poem! Thank you for sharing and inspiring us!!!

Thank you Jordana. I shed a few tears too! Really makes you think……

You’re welcome. I find it very inspiring and emotional as it often relates to myself and I need to apply it more.

Oh my goodness Jordana : That is so moving and a fitting reminder for us all to NEVER GIVE UP. So much support on here whether you are running hard to the finishing line, celebrating your win or trundling along at a slower pace.Everyone matters.

I am with you Dreams ! We have the support we need on here but it is down to us whether we succeed or not. Noone can do that for us. We have got to keep going and focus on the wonderful health benefits and zest for life we will have .

Cathy you are a legend .I have read about very long plateaus . Do you think as JGwen has suggested that your body has reached his happy set weight and has adjusted to the way you are eating now ? Let us know how you get on this Week and remember we are all rooting for you.

Allie has asked me to host her weekly thread . I don’ t have anywhere near her experience but I will do my very best to be a supportive host. Feel free to pop in for a chat any time ..;-)
The thread is called ‘Come on everyone let’s do this together.Festive Focus November 26th and ownwards “

Wendeleg, you have plenty of experience and I love your support.

Jordana, love love love the poem. It reminds me of myself

Thanks,
Catherine

Maggiebath – how are you doing?

Morning friends. Have had a few days off from technology. I have a much needed week off this week just at home and the last 2 days I’ve just slept and pottered around the house, recharging my batteries! I feel rejuvenated!
Jordanna, what a lovely poem! Just what I needed to hear!
I’m staying overnight at my aunt’s house Thurs and Fri so will be weighing in Saturday when I get back home this week. I’ve got her on board and am making a chilli with cauli rice on Fri night. She’s making cod mornay with greens on Thursday night. Am doing OMAD this week, planning a longer fast from Fri night through to Sunday morning if I can. I wrote in my journal every day last week and recognise emotional eating took place as well as being disorganised having gone away the weekend before. I now have a well stocked freezer and fridge!
Yes, definitely not giving up! I fell flat on my face but got up, still determined to win!
Cyber hugs and good wishes to all you lovely people! 💕💕

Morning Kazz!

Hi Kazz

Great to read your positive post and I must admit to feeling a little envious of your week off to recharge your batteries. I have been feeling tired out recently. What a lovely idea to be kind to yourself and just potter at home and sleep. Something I know I would really enjoy!

It’s great that so many of us are not giving up and are feeling as determined as ever to keep strong and keep going.

Here’s to a positive weigh in for all this week whether it be Friday or Saturday or whenever we next jump on! I am toying with a fast tomorrow before my Friday morning weigh in!

Well done Kazz You have the right attitude and you really needed that rest after your stressful Week . You recognise the perils of emotional eating that stalks us all if we are not vigilant .

We are all hoping you get a great result this Week Cathy . Any progress on the thyroid testing ? Crikey you are a star for staying strong and detemined. Everything crossed here xx

wendleg- been too nervous to book an appointment! Am hoping with all my heart that the l Carnitine supplement I bought will get the fat metabolising! This is week two. That is why I am staying fully focused on the bsd so that I can do a fair test. Even if I lose a little then I know it’s coming off but if I don’t lose anything then I know i have to get some investigations under way. I am hoping to be in the 137s on Friday. If not then I am definitely booking an appointment to discuss what on earth is going on and I will take my weight chart with me to show the doctor my lack of progress and I will request an opinion from maybe an endocrinologist.

That’s sensible Cathy . You are doing everything right so see what happens this Week. How much have you lost up to now ? How far to go to your target weight ? I am interested to hear how you have progressed until this plateau.

Feeling very sad today. My colleague is diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes 🙁

So sorry Jordana. Bear in mind that your colleague could not have prevented Type 1 diabetes ………it’s not a consequence of wrong choices (nutrition , obesity etc) . It’s unsure what triggers it ..genes ??
I am sure you will be a good friend and offer all the support you can in the treatment .
You, however , must also continue to look after yourself and focus on achieving good health .
We are all here sending you a big hug Jordana , and to your colleague tooxx

Sorry to read you’re sad today Jordana. Very worrying for your colleague and will be a huge change for her coming to terms with diabetes. You will be able to share your knowledge with him/her and be a great support.

I’ve been fasting all day today. Have just made the cream of mushroom soup from the recipe section here. I’ve had it before and it is delicious. The plan is to eat a bowl later and then I will take some to work tomorrow for my lunch. I have been craving soup this last few days. I’ve got another recipe for cauliflower and almond soup so I will try that at weekend.

Feeling excited (!) about tomorrow’s weigh in. It’s make or break tomorrow for me. I have put in 100% commitment this week. If I am in the 137s that will be a great reward. I was 138.6 last Friday.

Wedleg, I started BSD in January 2017 and lost 42 lbs and it took me 11 months of very slow and steady losing. My goal was 133 and I got as low as 131 but couldn’t maintain that weight so I settled for 135 or there about and kept it off until October this year when I started to gradually put on a pound or so each week and I hit 143.2 on 27th October. I should have dealt with the excess sooner! So then I started my pre Christmas mission. My long term aim is always to be at goal at Christmas so that I never have to “go on a diet” in January as I have done for the last thirty years. I was hoping to be back at 133 by Christmas and thought I’d given myself plenty of time to achieve it but like a few of us here the weight hasn’t come off as quickly as I had hoped.

GoIng forward I can definitely say that once a week weigh ins are much better than daily weigh ins!

Good luck fellow Friday weighers! I’ll be jumping on the scales at 6.45 am tomorrow morning!

Good luck Cathy and I hope you get the result you want My immediate reaction on reading your post ( and profile) is that you have had a tremendous loss so far . 42 lbs is some achievement !! That’s 3 stone.You talk of a very slow and steady losing but you have kept off that weight Cathy ! You dealt with the October blip (which was a half stone gain)

You started at 12 stone 7 and are aiming for 9stone 7lbs ? You are so close, at 138.6 lbs ( 9.9 stone) and I think you underestimate your tremendous achievements so far. I am post menopausal 60 and I find it very difficult to imagine myself at 11 stone never mind 9 and a half stone. I honestly cannot remember when I was that weight ?? Teens ??? Twenties ?? Only very briefly…

How do you feel in your body Cathy ? What difference would being 137 lbs make to you ? I bet you look fantastic already .

I am in no way underestimating how important tomorow’s result is for you Cathy but your numbers are pretty incredible . You should be so proud of yourself !

Some very sensible advice there Wendleg, and I had been thinking along the same lines. I read an article a few months ago which basically stated that it’s unrealistic to expect out weights to stay at a certain figure as weight fluctuates all the time. Instead the article said to focus on a weight range, I can’t remember the range exactly now but think it was 2-3kg. It made sense to me at the time anyway!
It’s Friday morning here so I’ve weiged myself. I’ve lost 1.3kg (2.8lb) this week. I’ve been sticking mainly to plan (apart from a small piece of cake at work) and not having any wine in the evening, and this has made a difference I think. Plus being back home and having control over the food I’m cooking, portion sizes etc. This brings me down to needing to lose 4.4kg before reaching my Xmas goal. I’m not getting too excited though as I usually lose on average 0.4kg per week! But it’s good to see some movement in the right direction. Good luck everyone else weighing tomorrow, especially Cathy x

SueBlue wow what an incredible weight loss this week for you! I know that you are a slow loser like me so that is a fantastic loss and I am so happy for you. Great work!

The support on this forum is what helps us achieve our success and I can’t thank you all enough for your support and encouragement. No matter what the scales show tomorrow I am still happy to be part of this lovely, supportive and warm community. We are all in it together to share the highs and lows of our BSD journey.

Wendleg – Thank you for your lovely words. I am proud of my achievement and even more proud of my resilience and determination. I haven’t found maintenance easy but I can’t ever go back to being three stone overweight. The odd pound here or there doesn’t concern me but I know how easily the pounds creep up and so quickly and that is why I always have to stay in control.

Losing weight is something that nobody else can do for us. Its only us that can make this happen. However we are so lucky to have each other on here supporting and encouraging and it makes a massive difference.

Weight loss this week was 0.8 lb and my weight this morning was 137.8. I fasted for 24 hours yesterday hoping that it might boost my loss a little for this week and because I only weigh in on a Friday I don’t know if that did have any impact on my loss this week. Three weeks to go everyone. I’ve got my works Christmas party tomorrow night so will have to dance off my Christmas meal at the disco. I’ll probably fast on Sunday this week.

Looking forward to reading how everyone else did this week. Slow and steady wins the race…………. 24 days til Christmas Eve… we could hopefully all lose 2.5 lb by then……

Cathy that’s great news! Really pleased that you are continuing to move in a downward direction. And, as has already been said, it may simply be that you are so close to your ideal body weight that you have been plateauing and experiencing slow loss. I echo every word that Wendleg has said and hope that you will take it to heart.

Well done SueBlue as well – good to hear from you. Jordana belated thanks for your poem and I’m sure you will be a great support to your colleague: yes Type 1 is not caused by diet but healthy eating is important in looking after yourself once diagnosed so I know you can be an encouragement in that way.

I am pleased to report the scales saying 141.8lb for the last couple of days so some downward shift this week. Would really love to be safely below 140lb by Christmas (then maintain over the festive season) so here’s hoping!

Good luck Kazz and Wendleg and everyone else on here X

It’s all good Cathy ! I think managing one or two fasts is a good idea , if they are comfortable and manageable for you.I can do OMAD easily but longer fasts are only possible for me early in the Week. Much harder later on so I don’t force myself.
Your attitude is great . You can put off any visits to the doc for the moment too . Well done !

Yes I will be with you on the run up to Christmas …and beyond !

You are doing really well too, Dreamscometrue ! You lovely ladies are all so tiny. I am only just hovering in the 13stone bracket so would love to get where you are ! Some way to go yet before I can think about maintenance but I’m in this for the long haul !

Well done SueBlue ! That’s a great loss.

Wishing you all a great weekend ! xx

Well done Cathy that’s great news. So glad you have lost – nearly a pound especially after last weeks disappointment. Great that there is a downward shift for you too, DCT 🙂 We can do this! Tackling Christmas head on. I have a kind of similar result. I lost 2lb 12oz, so with my 2lb gain last week, call it 12oz, which I’m still pleased with.

Absolutely great loss Sue Blue! Chuffed for you.

Thanks everyone for your kind words, Wendleg, Cathy, Dreams, everyone. My colleague is a very sensible person. He has always been fond of homemade cake but is already talking of ditching cake as he wants to be in more control, he’s not overweight (in fact he has lost a stone and a half without trying which initially alarmed him and then his thirst alerted him) but he doesn’t want to let this Type 1 take over his life too much. I was discussing Type 2 with him when he wasn’t feeling well and thinking of being tested, and he felt that cutting out white carbs would be good regardless of the fact his diabetes is irreversible and not diet related, he already only has brown bread so is a helpful start.

Hope you’re doing ok Kazz
Have a great weekend everyone
Jordana xx

Well done Cathy – So glad that you’ve had a loss after your plateau 🙂 Enjoy your Christmas party!

Good morning, friends!
A little late but glad to confirm a loss of 5 lbs which was what I gained the week before after my blip and sod it moment! Great to see everyone’s losses, particularly pleased for you CCathy! 👏👏👏👏👏. Let’s keep at it and burst into the New Year without that horrible, desperate, miserable, dreaded ‘New Year Diet’ resolution, because we’re already well on the way! 😁👍👍👍. Have received an impromptu invitation to afternoon tea at my bro and sis in law’s later today. It’s my niece’s bday. I’m taking my seed crackers! 3 more weeks until I ‘break up’ for Xmas although I’m not planning to stop …. just keep at it. Enjoy your Sunday, my lovelies! 😘😘
Kazzeexx

Great result Kazz. Great that the weight has come right off. We are all particularly focused at the moment and this thread has kept us all on the straight and narrow and was started in good time for us to really make a difference. With three weeks to go to Christmas I reckon that we could all be at least another couple of pounds nearer to our goals by Christmas Eve. The support and friendship has helped me so much to keep strong and keep going, Have a great week everyone.

I won’t swear but that is ………….brilliant Kazz !! Well done . You cracked that wobbly moment and recognised the triggers and now you are back on it ! Fantastic. I love your attitude as we approach Christmas : as you say it’s not just about planning for that time but progressing afterwards .

No NO NO I am not going to have another one of those depressing January moments !! There is not a single Festive Goodie that is worth that horrendous feeling.

Keep going dear friends !

Goodmorning all! Good job Ccathy, Kazz and all! I am doing well and hovering between 169 and 170.
Increasing steps now over 7,000.