Okay, no laughing while I seriously start this again today

age 62
height 5’4”
from Florida
weight dressed today after hydrating = 172.4 pounds

Goals:
Lower cholesteral, triglycerides, blood pressure and 20 pounds of weight in 8 weeks. Gain strength

How:
Blood sugar diet – first week already planned and posted
No alcohol – happy hour so hard to skip
I already have increased my steps by over a thousand a day to total 6,000 steps a day (broke ankle last year)
Net carbs goal is 20=40 carbs -20 fiber
Exercise will be walk, bike and strength training
Meditation and prayer daily

Measurements

Neck 15
Bust 40
Waist 35
Waist around belly button 41
Upper thigh I think 21-23
Upper arm 12.5

Also, although I am a breakfast person, I have been skipping breakfast 3-4 times a week and doing 16/8 IF. Hope I said that right. My eating window is 8 hours

Hi Violinist
Can I join you on your 8 week mission?
A little about me – you’ve probably seen me around on the forum.
I am 57 years old and a strict vegetarian and I reached my goal weight last October – 133lb. I started at 175 lbs. I have gradually allowed the weight creep on and so like you I am planning a fresh start because my clothes are getting tight and I don’t like being overweight and feeling out of control, This morning my weight was 141.8.lb. If we do the 8 weeks we could be at or near goal for Christmas Eve. When I initially did eight weeks I lost 17.5 lb. It was a momentous occasion. I am a slow loser and was delighted with that weight loss. It took me 10 months to lose 42 lb and I plodded and plodded til I reached my goal. I have successfully maintained the weight over almost twelve months but have started to be complacent over the last couple of months and hence am drawing a line under it and starting again.
My plan
Stick to low carb! Intermittent fasting. 16:8. Recording what I eat daily. I’ve been shopping this morning and have bought Savoy cabbage, asparagus, cauliflower, courgettes, mushrooms. I do eat eggs and cheese and am going to make the cottage pie with cauliflower mash for my evening meal. I’ve also bought some Brussel Sprouts , they’re delicious roasted.
This way of eating works and is totally doable if we stick to the rules.

Let’s do this Violinist!

I would love that Clarinet Cathy!! I have seen you around the threads. What is cottage pie?

My menus include
mushrooms
swiss
steamed spinach
avocado
romaine, arugula,
cherry tomatoes
salmon, haddock, chicken tenders and thighs, ground turkey and chicken
broccoli, green bean, peas, asparagus,brussell sprouts,zucchini,cauliflower
almonds

Violinist, check out the recipe section for a delicious cottage pie recipe. I make it with meat substitute (minced Quorn) as I am vegetarian, it is a lovely winter recipe and I love it with pickled cabbage or beetroot.

Thank you for letting me share your journey, we can be a little ensemble (violin and clarinet)! Let’s hope there will soon be an orchestra of us on our mission to get to goal.

Great! Do you really play the clarinet? I really play the violin and my first name is really Cathy!

Hi Violinist Cathy. Yes I really do play Clarinet. When I chose my profile name I wanted to be Chatty Cathy but it has already been taken hence I chose Clarinet Cathy. I played piano from being aged 7 and took up playing clarinet aged 50. I am a member of a clarinet choir but only play for pleasure.

I have been playing since 8 years okd and now play in a large acoustic orchestra where at least 30-40 people are playing the dulcimer. We have about 4 violins, 5 guitatists, some hammer dulcimers and a few ukuleles

How wonderful you taught yourself!.

Off to make breakfast – it is 7:45 am here in Florida. Mushrooms, steam spinach and swiss this morning.

I didn’t teach myself Violinist- I have lessons. I have a fabulous teacher. I have a lesson every Wednesday evening. I am currently playing Grade 6 pieces. Because I could read music I had a head start and playing the clarinet is easier than playing the piano because there is only one stave of music to read at a time! I don’t think it would be easy to learn the technique of clarinet playing without a teacher.

Stick with BSD Violinist. We can do this.

Ok, Cathy, if I can just get thru the first week, I know I can do it!

Note to self about first day.

Ok, Violinist, not bad for the first day.

Calories were 1,135 – need to get to 800
Net carbs down to net 59 – need to get to 20
No alcohol
steps 4,317 – goal this week is 6,000 per day
spent afternoon making some awesome chicken soup
spent morning at church

Here I come day 2!!

Focus for today:
Skip breakfast = IF 16/8
Get the net carbs down to 22 – planned
Get the calories down to 800 – planned
Walk 6,000 steps
HIIT 10 minutes on a bike
Meditate and pray and read near 5 pm

Day 2 of my 8 week restart going well so far- feel like I am in the zone. I do feel hungry now that I am home from work. Weight this morning 142.0 which was 0.2 up from yesterday! I don’t understand the science of weight loss!

Breakfast
Black coffee and a large glasses of water

Lunch at 12.30 pm intermittent fasting from 6 pm last night so 18 hours
Two hard boiled eggs/salad and a large glass of water
Greek yoghurt with 4 raspberries and 4 massive blueberries and a tablespoon of chia seeds and four walnut halves

Evening meal later will be
Savoy cabbage cooked in butter
Two quorn sausages
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Coffee and Cream with half a piece of 85% chocolate

I feel like I’ve definitely gone back to basics today and hope the scales will reflect this on Saturday for my weekly weigh in.. Have bought some Ketostix to see when my body kicks into ketosis and hopefully fat burning mode.

Interesting to read how you are doing Violinist. You sound just as focused as me. Well done and good luck for day 3.

Cathy

Morning ClarinetCathy,
Day 2 was

Coffee in am
Bible study
Walk fast 1.4 miles
Lunch of chicken soup (home made) and salad, nuts and cheese
Walk fast 1.4 miles (total 7,774 miles today)
Haddock and green beans

Hello. I’d like to join you guys.
I’m 32, struggled with my weight all my life. I’ve been trying on and off to lose weight, but I’m tired of going it alone. I love all things orange, pandas, and manga.
I’m 181.8 today, but I had gotten down to 174 earlier this month. I keep my calories at 800 and my carbs below 30 grams.
I have set up a menu, goals, rewards, and exercises for myself. Sorry in advance for the long message, but please take care of me from now on.

Menu
Breakfast: 2 eggs, 3 turkey bacon strips, 2 sliced green onions, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Lunch: chicken, spinach, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Dinner: chicken,, mushroom, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Snack: almonds

My reward
$.50 for everyday I stick to my diet and full dollar if I also workout that day. $7 a week, $30/$31 a month, around $360 per year. I will do bonus as well for meeting goals: $5 for the monthly goal, another $5 for the dream goal, another $10 for ultimate goal. $1 for everyday I’m early too. $5 bonus for dieting and exercising every day of the month. $5 for not gaining any lost weight back after one month. All bonuses lost if weight regained.

November Goals (I’ll update this everyday)
Current weight:
Monthly goal: 170 (achieved:
Dream goal: 165 (achieved:
Ultimate goal: 160 (achieved:)
End of first stage goal: 150 (achieved:)
Final overall goal: 125 (achieved:)
Earnings: $
Bonuses:
Current total: $
Number of missed workout days:
Number of diet cheat days:
This month’s motto: Follow through to reach your goals.

Exercise routine
3 sets of 15, 30 second breaks (exceptions marked)
Quarter step-up (step-up, knee lift, step-down, Squat, Calf raise)
25 Jumping jacks
Sumo Squat and shoulder press
Crunches
1 minute Jogging in place
Ski Squat and bicep curl
Sit up
25 Fly jack
Walking Lunges with dumbbells
Bicycle crunch
25 In and out jack
Side lunge and ventral raise
Supine toe touch
25 Long kick left
Chest press and chest fly
Russian twist
25 Front jack
Kicks and Lateral raise
30 second Plank
25 Long kick right
Wall sit with Tricep extension
Push up

Hi GangreneHeart

Welcome!
Violinist and I are trying our best prior to Christmas to get some weight Off and you’re so welcome to come on board with us. I’ve noticed a few of us are thinking along the same lines and there are various pre Christmas threads on the go. I am a bit of an old timer where BSD is concerned as you will read from my profile but I’ve let things slip and have put on 7lbs and need the support of the lovely people on here. The support makes a massive difference on our journeys. I find maintenance is quite difficult. Losing weight wasn’t quick for me but I did It by plodding and plodding and hence I don’t want to go back to being three stone overweight again. I really like your effort/reward scheme! What a great idea.

I am thoroughly disappointed with myself today because at work this afternoon I ate three chocolates! The day was going so well …….
Coffee with cream for breakfast
Lunch was yoghurt and blueberries with chia seeds and a piece of cheddar cheese and some nuts. Then I went to go to a meeting and ate an apple in the car on the way back to work and when I got back to work one of the nursing staff was leaving and had left a box of quality street chocolates in the kitchen and whilst making a cup of coffee I dived in and ate three. I can’t tell you how bad I feel about it. My body had gone into ketosis and so now I’ve scuppered that. For my evening meal I am going to have a mushroom omelette.

This morning my weight was the same as yesterday 142.0. My plan is to get to less than 140 by Saturday. I am so mad with my moment of incredible weakness this afternoon. It has been a tough lesson!

Violinist- you’re doing great. You’re definitely in the zone and inspiring me. I’ve let myself down this afternoon which is something I am very unhappy about but it’s been a good lesson for me and I will dust myself down and learn from it. Off to make my evening meal now, let’s hope the scales are not too cruel tomorrow!

See you both tomorrow for a progress report!

Cathy

Holy cow Gheart! Nice planning!!!

CCathy, forgetsboutit and move ahead!!!!

Ugh! Got off track with an sudden sleepover for my daughter’s friend. Snacks galore. I wish I had thought about making my dinner ahead of time so I didn’t get lazy and flustered. I think I will start prepping my meals in the morning again.

Good Morning All!

Day 3 yesterday,
Breakfast: egg white and swiss
Lunch: chicken thigh and lentil soup
Dinner: Haddock and green beans foil wrapped and on geill – boy was that good!
Activity: acoustic band all morning, desk work in afternoon, day off exercise

Last Wed 4,965 steps
Last Thur 6,505
Last Fri 6,166
Last Sat 5,753
Sun 4,317
Mon 7,774
Tue 2,200

Today is volunteer stuff, eye exam, laundry and vacuming.
After review, what I am not getting in is the hiit and weight lifting. Just haven’t scheduled these in yet

Also haven’t gotten the calories down to 800.

So today is day 4 and will work on these.

Gheart, so hard to focus when you are busy as a mom. I struggle when grand children are here too due to extra snacks in the house.

Okay, today I’m determined to stick to my eating and exercise plan.
I think I’m also going to try intermittent fasting 20:4 this week to see if that helps. I’ll eat between 3-7pm. I think this will help me increase my water intake as well.
Yesterday I was 181.8 and today I was 182.2.
Gaining is frustrating, but if I use this as a starting point, I cab focus on beating that number each day from now on.

Is this Day 4?
I was down 0.2 lb this morning despite the three chocolates I ate yesterday- could have been 0.5 lb had behaved myself. 141.8
Today I’ve eaten
Coffee with cream for breakfast
Lunch was cottage cheese with salad and some nuts
Yoghurt with blueberries and chia seeds
Evening meal is going to be
Steamed asparagus with two eggs baked in the oven with a sprinkling of Wensleydale cheese on top.
Coffee and cream with a few Brazil nuts and half a piece of 85% chocolate.
I always drink a lot of water so am happy with my fluid intake. Just need to kick start the fat burning again and see the scales moving in the right direction.
Hope you’re both sticking to your plans and resolve, it’s not easy but it’s so rewarding when you get to goal. I think it is great when you start to notice the fat going from your body and your clothes feeling looser. It’s also a nice feeling when you’re in control and I think that is why I felt so bad yesterday when I lost control and dipped into the chocolate box! Just off to my clarinet lesson. I am sure I read somewhere on this forum that fat is lost through the breath so I hope to lose some when I am playing later!!

Ccathy, enjoy your lesson!

Gheart, good luck the rest of the day!

My day is going well and have finished the laundry and housekeeping.

So far, do good. I stuck to my four hour eating window and I have drank more water than I usually get through, but honestly, I’m starving today! I don’t usually feel this way. I wonder if it is because my cycle is about to start.

Goal for the night is to work hard to endure and not eat anymore as I’ve already reached 800 calories.

Morning folks!

Day 4 went okay but could not do anything after eye doc due to drops in my eyes.

Day 5 today
Blood work this morning, so IFing. I think I like skipping breakfast and eating later, anyway.
Groceries and volunteer stuff.
Have to get out and get my steps in
Turkey burger and salad tonight
Mushrooms, steamed spinach and avocado for lunch

Weight 141 this morning so creeping down slowly. I’m finding it hard, the effort to reward ratio seems slower to me at the moment but i will take any drop. I’ve learnt from my previous BSD journey that I am the tortoise and not the hare when it comes to losing weight. This morning I had Greek yoghurt with blueberries and chia seeds. I am going to skip lunch as I am off to get my hair done at 1 pm. I will then have an early evening meal which is chickpea and spinach stew with some roasted cauliflower. I will then not eat until lunchtime tomorrow. I am trying to mix up my eating pattern a little to see if it makes any difference.

We are all doing so well sticking to our own little plans and chipping away slowly.

I’ve tried on some Christmas outfits from my wardrobe this morning as an extra incentive. The clothes in my wardrobe are ones I bought last year when I lost 42 lb and they fitted perfectly. I am not spending money on bigger sizes and that’s that!

GHeart- interested in the four hour eating window. Will definitely give that a try.

Keep going everyone. Nobody can do this for us. In my experience, getting to goal weight feels fantastic no matter how long it takes so let’s all keep going until we achieve what we set out to do.

Well done, Violinist, CCathy and GHeart! One day at a time… 🙂

Thanks Kazz!!

Good morning. Today I was 180, down two pounds.

Trying to drink more, water and hot tea. I didn’t give in to the desire to overeat yesterday so yay.
Still doing the four hour window of eating so we will see how today goes.
I haven’t been 150 for ten years so I can’t imagine how I will feel when I reach it. Yesterday I tried on a dress my husband bought me like nine years ago… I couldn’t even fit it then. But it is my goal dress – I could fit into it, but it was so lumpy. X,x so I want to try to keep that image in mind and try that dress on whenever I feel tempted.

Let’s keep going strong!

gHeart- 2lb down is awesome. I am going to try the four hour window next week to see if it suits me. I’ve been good today. I am finding the accountability on here good. Doing this in eight week chunks is so doable. I am going to set a weekly target week by week within the eight weeks. This week me aim is to be 140 lb or less. Two more days to go.

Violinist – has there been any downward movement on your scales yet this week?

Not yet, CCathy!

Good morning.
Today I was 177.8, 2.4 lbs loss. I know this will eventually slow, but I’m happy. My first goal of the month is to be 170 so I am hopeful that I’ll reach that. The four hour window has actually really helped. I was out with my husband yesterday trying to assist my mother in law, but knowing it wasn’t time to eat really strengthened me to resist temptations.

What’s everyone’s biggest challenge right now?
Mine is emotional and late night eating… Stressing out and stuffing my fave when I fight with my husband. I have been trying to curb that habit by drinking unsweetened hot tea and taking my slippers off in the kitchen (I’m really sensitive to the cold so I hate the idea of waking barefoot right now, especially after in already snuggled in the covers.) I also try to remind myself why I’m working so hard and what I want to accomplish.

GHeart- the weight is coming off for you so well done. I think you will achieve your target of 170 in the first month. When I started BSD I had read that people were losing lots of weight doing BSD and some people were losing it quickly. I didn’t lose my 42 lb quickly but it didn’t matter. Just keep plodding. Losing weight is not easy but from some who spwhonhas spent the last thirty years dieting I know that this worked for me. I think we have to believe it will work and just follow the low carb rules. Our bodies are all unique.

when I am “dieting” I am often resentful of seeing the people around me eating what they want. My colleagues at work dip into the biscuits, chocolates and eat massive lunches etc with not a care in the world and enjoy their food. I am mindful of everything I put in my mouth and I sometimes feel it’s not fair that I have to be very strict with what I eat. Having said that, I don’t enjoy being overweight so I have to follow BSD.

It’s lovely when you try your clothes on and they feel comfortable. It’s lovely when someone notices how good you look and comment. It’s lovely to feel confident and in control. These are things I have to keep reminding myself when I say no to a packet of crisps.

CCathy, thanks for the pep talk. I am listening too!

Good morning

When I see people eating what they like at work without a care in the world, I just think to myself, they have no idea what is going on inside their bodies and may well be TOFI! Thin outside, fat inside! I feel relieved that I have this knowledge, that I have the key to a healthy older life. I don’t feel smug, just so relieved to have the key! I have a very large colleague, must be about 20 stone. She’s 42. She already rocks from side to side because of her knees and hips aching under the strain. She goes to slimming world and I see her regularly with her daily jacket potato lunch, no butter but loaded with cheese and baked beans. She’ll comment, looking at my boiled egg, 20g cheese, spinach leaves, 20 g almonds, “I’d be starving if that’s all I had for lunch, Kaz”. When I explain lightly, she just blinks at me like I’m talking gibberish! She’ll say, that’s what’s so good with Slimming world, Kaz, you can eat pasta, potatoes, rice! You should try it! I just have to bite my tongue.

Morning all!

I have been working on low carb menus for 6 months to help some blood work issues. Just had my blood work done.
a1c now down to 5.4 which is out of pre diabetic
triglycerides down to 150 and in the normal range
tsh for thyroid down to 3.1 and in the normal range
glucose 107, down from 116
bp average 131/82

Bad news, cholesteral not so good
Total 229
hdl 45, down from 56 — supposed to be up
ldl 154, from 133 – supposed to be down

See doc next week

Hi Kazz,
I know what you mean. I wonder if I should tell my doc I am doing this BSD. She was the one who suggested taking the carbs down more.

KazzUK- the story of your colleague resonates with me. I see my colleagues doing exactly the same. Massive baked potatoes with cheese and beans or big bowls of savoury They are on the perpetual cycle of “losing weight”. I lost three stone last year and my colleague saw my two hard boiled eggs and spinach and said exactly the same as yours. I lost my weight, she didn’t. I have to admit to feeling slightly smug!

Weight was up this morning to 140.6 so I didn’t achieve the 140 I had hoped for.

Violinist- blood work looking good. Can’t interpret your cholesterol results as in the uk the units are calibrated differently. Keep positive whatever.

Plan for this week is to get to 138 or less by next Saturday, Am very focused.

Very disappointing weigh in this morning- 142.0. This is what happens to me. Up and down and I get so disheartened! I’ve put on 1.5 lb since yesterday. How does that happen? Today I am fasting until 6pm. I seem to remember the first time I did BSD it took me ages to break below 140 lb. it’s just a matter of plodding and believing. I hope the weight gain is because I didn’t drink enough yesterday. I will drink plenty today and hope that tomorrow the scales are kinder. Hope everyone else is doing better than me!

Keep on keeping on! This way of eating works but for me it takes time and patience and resilience and determination. Seven weeks to get to my goal- not looking likely at this rate!

Hi Violinist,

I was reading a book by Dr Phinney recently and there is a section in the book on cholesterol levels when eating Keto. – He mentions that they have now discovered that the body stores some cholesterol in our fat cells, so when you start to burn your own fat you will be releasing cholesterol into your blood stream. – I know that cholesterol is a topic that has cropped up before so I am going to type in a copy of the formula for working out the impact it will have on the Take a look at this thread. – As you mention you have a doc appointment this week I will do it this evening.

Hi Kazz, I also have a friend who is following the WW program. – He keeps on telling me that I should change, because he is allowed a daily curly wurly, and allowed fruit, and artificial sweeteners and can eat anything at all he wants in the 24 hours after their weekly weigh in. – Apparently the whole class head out for a fish and chip supper after their weigh in. :-}

Hi Cathy, I have found that the scales have not provided the best options for tracking progress for me. – At the beginning, a 2 stone weight loss equalled a dress size, more recently I lost a dress size but my weight only changed by 1kg. – I think its down to a whole range of variables. – For example each litre of water we drink weighs a lb. – But also Insulin is not the hormone that comes into play as we work on our changing our macros for our health. – The process of fat burning triggered by low blood sugar levels is regulated by growth hormone. Growth hormone is also responsible for increasing bone density and building muscles. Both of which is going to increase weight. – That’s why measurements are probably more important than the reading on any scales.

Thank you JGwen. The science of weight loss has always fascinated me. I am very ignorant when it comes to knowing how it happens and why. I have never measured myself with a tape measure but my clothes are a great way of knowing if I’ve lost or gained weight. I agree that the scales don’t give a true reflection of what is actually going on. Thank you for taking the time to reassure me. My weight has been increasing slowly since June and I really do want to get back to goal. I am doing all the right things so need to be patient.

Isn’t it funny that we all know someone who is doing WW or SW and telling us stories of how much they can eat! I remember going to SW prior to doing this and it took me 9 months to lose 9lb. Of course what I didn’t know then was that I was eating all the wrong stuff- pasta, rice, baked potatoes all “free food”! Who knew!!!

Thanks JGwen!!

Hello. Just finished a 24 hour day. I wanted to do it because I felt suffocated by my own lack of self control. It wasn’t really difficult. I’m so busy, and I just kept drinking hot tea and water.
Today I was 178. I need to keep reminding myself that only following through on my diet will allow me to see results. Step by step, I want to head to 169.

GHeart- I am inspired by your positive post. Well done for your 24 hour fast. Amazing self control.
You’re so right- only by keeping to this way of eating will we achieve results.

Today I’ve had two eggs with some salad, yoghurt with raspberries, coffee with cream and had cottage pie with buttered courgettes. Today I was 141. My aim is to be 138 by Saturday.

Yesterday I had gained 1.5 lbs when I weighed myself so fasted for 22 hours. I lost 1 lb over night, I am planning a 36 hour fast from teatime on Wednesday to lunchtime on Friday. I think small steps towards our ultimate goal will be achievable.

GGGGGhearrrtt! We are with you! I was 173.4 this evening so I know what you mean! Go C Cathy!!!