Thanks Janet and Trees.

Trees, Happy birthday for Monday. What works for me when eating out? If possible check out the menu options beforehand so you can work out low-carb choices.
Despite what we were taught while growing up, it is ok to leave food on the plate. If a meal arrives with carbs on it, it us ok to leave them. (On holiday the meal came with bread and dumplings, they stayed on the plate. At a set meal earlier this year the Yorkshire pudding stayed on the plate and was used to bury mashed potato under!). If bread is left on the table, make sure it isn’t near you. Avoid dessert!

If you let us know where you’ll be eating out, we may be able yo be more specific.

Half way there. End of week 4 and hubby and I have lost eight kgs! My bloods are in the fives now! (Started with a scarey 17!)
Thanks so much Cherrianne, Bill, hashimoto, Shadow, and all for your encouraging examples and words. I feel at my elderly grandma age like I am starting a new life!
Easter will be no problem. We are into coloured eggs not chocolate.And lovely sockeye salmon, although paleo son has bought a huge free range, organic, happy in the service (HA) leg of ham. So good that he is into no carbs too.
(I have asked local greengrocer/deli to see if they can get the Herman Brot bread, Cherrianne (?). Hubby does like his toast in the morning.)
The neuropathy in the toes will take the longest to begin healing, but I am now hopeful.
So Happy Easter all! A time of rebirth!

Hi Cherrianne,
thanks for the tip with the Herman Brot… I found it and once the online ordering is up and running again ( not available over Easter until 30/03), I will order the bread and some pasta! Just a question: Have you ordered online and if yes, does tge bread still taste good after a day or so? To make it worthwhile, I might have to buy in bulk, but I am worried about it getting mouldy. Normal bread does it here in a few days. … and I only have a small freezer part… Not a fan of frozen foods! Any advise on this?

Thanks, Time4Change… no problem about your rant… I tend to do that too. You are right, no use to “change” things without adjusting your attitude and mindset…. Your comments brought things into perspective again :-).

It is really encouraging that so many of you still get to where you want to be, even after falling of the wagon…. and the best thing about this group is, that Infeel that everyone genuinely shares in everyone’s success! I really like the congratulary responses from everyone to anyone here, even if it is “only” a small loss. For me, ANY loss, means I am getting closer to a fitter and healthier new me… Is there an easy way to calculate the BMI? Have not really determined mine…. I know that I am in the obese range…. maybe its time to monitor the progress there as well…. Would love to see me in the healthy range, probably for the first time, since before having my children and thats 35 years ago! Thanks again all! See, Time4Change, you are really not the only one with “longer” posts. Love reading from you all 🙂 So grwat to be able to ctalk to you all no matter where you are in the world…

Hi Inka and Georgia Rose,
You may not need to order the bread online if you have a larger IGA/Foodland nearby. I am in SA and have found it in all the Foodlands I’ve looked in.
My brother is in country Victoria and his health food store will order it in for him.
There is a button called ‘where to buy’ just under the logo on the left side of the site. This should tell you where the nearest store to you is.
I usually buy mine from the reduced bread rack when it’s half price and have never had a problem with it. I put it straight in the freezer and use it straight from there. The slices don’t stick together when frozen so it’s ok to do this.
I’m going to try the pasta too when I get a chance. I’ve tried the Slendier no carb noodles but wasn’t impressed.

Cherianne, thanks. There are IGAs around here and a number of healthfood stores. Good thinking, 99 :-), I will have a look tomorrow, and yes, it would be much better to be able to just buy one loaf of bread and one packet of noodles, in case I dont like it. Never thought to look in health food stores…. Let you know how I went … including me hopefully new weight tomorrow ….. 🙂

Hi inka you can work out your bmi with a calculation but I take the easy option and use an online bmi calcularor. Here in the uk I use the NHS one, you can probably get it in Australia if you google it. 🙂

I check mine like that with every slight weight loss and record it on an excel spreadsheet along with my weight, steps walked and calories eaten. I started filling the bmi columns in red (too high) then dull orange when my bmi began to get close to healthy and now green as I am now in the healthy range.
It makes an easy set of data to take to your doctor or diabetes nurse and colour coding it makes it easy to see results at a quick glance.

Keep up the good work Inka, you sound like you are very organized 🙂

Georgiarose, at 63 I know exactly what you mean about starting a new life at a grandma age.

Readings dropping from a scary 17 to 5 is wonderful, you must be so happy. Congratulations to you and hubby on your weight loss so far 🙂

Hi Trees, I have got to the point where I say it straight when ordering – ‘I can’t eat any carbs so ..’ I would like my curry serving without any rice or breads, my steak serving without any chips etc. I haven’t had a single negative reaction. Usually it is ‘can I get you something different to go with it?’, side salad, veg etc. I have always managed to find something I can have and reject the carbs.

Have a great birthday on Monday and Happy Easter 🙂

Happy Easter Georgiarose and Judith.

Here’s another grandma starting a new life (at 65!).

Judith – I must try that at the residential conference coming up in April. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style, but evening meal is pre-ordered and table-service. Must say I’d not thought about doing that, normally just take the meal as it comes and leave the carbs on the plate. Thanks for the tip 😃

Hi Lynne, happy easter to you too. I realised I was causing concern to the waiters when I left all those carbs on the plate, the assumption was that I didn’t like the meal and I usually ended up explaining why I hadn’t eaten certain foods. I decided it was just easier to explain while I was ordering. I have been surprised how nice people have been about it. One even asked the name of the diet!! Another way of spreading the word! 🙂

HI all – not having eaten bread for a month now I am salivating at thought of Herman Brot and resisting yorkshire pudding deserves a medal or at least another 1lb loss, very well done! My week has not been a good one on the weight loss front – wasnt going to weigh myself again until tomorrow but husband who is also doing the low carb with me was keen to so we did. Alas, his loss was my gain – which whilst only fractional up to 64.5kg from 64.3kg is disheartening as I have been sooo good for weeks, no lapses, keeping within the calorie/carb ranges I’ve set. Would be interesting to know if slight gain is ‘normal’ for any other forum members, at the 3 – 4 week stage…..
I will not be beaten, in fact has spurred me on in a weird way, did a 50 minute treadmill work out on an incline and 20 minute easy swimming,making the most of the facilities we are staying at here in Thailand, was doing the steepest of steepest hill walks just outside our apartment but in 37+ degrees humid heat it really was too much for a fitness beginner such as myself.
Remaining optimistic for weight loss next week.

Hi Monkeyescapade,
Weight aside, it sounds like you are having a wonderful time! I can sympathise with the heat and humidity issues. We were suffering through that here a couple of weeks ago, although tonight we have the wood fire going it’s so cold.
Being in Thailand with all that fruit, could you have been overindulging with that? If you can give the rice and noodles a miss, usually Thai food is pretty low carb but they do use sugar in various forms, in lots of their sauces. Also anything fried in palm oil is not too healthy.
Are you noticing any changes in body measurements or looser clothes that might mean there are changes other than weight loss happening? Stick with it though, lots of people post about their weight plateauing somewhere between weeks 2&4. You will get there too, meanwhile you are in a beautiful place with lovely food. Now I really want a nice hot vegetarian laksa with tofu lol. 🙂

Ah thanx Cherianne, appreciate the words of comfort and wisdom. I hadn’t thought about the sugar in the stir fry sauces, good to be mindful of that and of course as you say palm oil. Have been sticking to apples only for fruit, refusing to look at mango and sticky rice, how tough is that. Oooh, laksa, delish, and healthy. All those things aside feeling very lucky to be here, it is such a wonderful country and on the diet front, doing what we can to be healthy, there are plenty of low carb choices. Body measurements also went into plateau, on the waist front, but I will be measuring again in few weeks time, dont want to do too soon in case no change.
As I’ve been travelling for a while I’ve only got my comfy clothes with me but when I get home to the UK I am looking forward to trying on those clothes that I bought a year or so ago in the hope that they now fit me comfortably rather than overstretched and confined to the back of the wardrobe. I will keep you all posted on that.

Hi monkeyescapade, as well as those hidden sugars and palm oil could you just be storing excess water at the moment as well? A few people have experienced some weight increase which rapidly disappeared a few days later – and more weight besides with it.

I wish we had some warmth here too, strong winds and lashing rain at the moment! 🙂

Hi All, this morning was my weigh-in day and also the beginning of week 4! I have lost another 1.5kg and finally finally my waistline woosh occurred: 2 inch off! I am really happy, success despite going out for dinner, having wheat bread with butter and a couple of wines during this week. I am hoping that week 4 will be just as good, but I am mindful of what everyone is saying. Week 4 could turn into a plateau week. Never mind, I will take as it comes, do my very best and deal with what ever the result will be next Monday. Hope you all had a nice Easter break so far. Dont forget to listen to M M’s radio interview on the Aussie ABC tonight …. Long live success and health to all!!!!! 🙂 🙂

Just have another wuestion, mostly to all who have travelled recently: How do you manage the airline food? I am flying to Germany in a few weeks to visit my family. Its a long way from OZ. I will have a stopover in HK, I think I can handle the food there, but what do you do if you are stuck in a plane for 12-14 hiurs without having a choice what kind of food is given to you. Its usually full of carbs with the intension to fill people up with very little food, not to mention nutrition! One leg is an overnight flight, so there will be little food avaibke for most of the time, but the day-leg and the wait times in lounges are different, not sure how to tackle that. Should I tell the airline that I have special dietery needs? What did you do and can I prepare for the flights somehow? Being in Germany will also be a challenge! I will be away for 8 weeks and will be surrounded by all the yummy foods I grew up with and haven’t eaten for ages! Not to mention all the tasty cool beers served in the beer gardens! I will have to be sooooo strong.
Looking forward to you advice!

Hi Inka,
Ask the airline for vegetarian food but check they’ve booked it for each leg of the flight. It’s usually less carb heavy than normal. Just eat the low carb items and leave the rest. Sometimes fruit and cheese are available. Ask what food you can take on board. Often as long as you eat it in flight and don’t try and take it into the country you are visiting you will be ok.
Take a few sachets of low carb meal replacement drinks for emergencies maybe? Can’t think of anything else but someone else will. The main thing is to enjoy your holiday, catch up with family and don’t stress about the food. I bet if you tasted it you’d find it doesn’t hold the appeal in reality that it does in your memory! Have a great time 🙂

Thanx Hashimoto, yes, I have wondered/hoped it’s water retention so fingers crossed for the next weigh in, will keep you posted.
Inka – I recently travelled from Melbourne to Thailand, fairly long haul, first flight was about 9 hours to KL and we were with Air Asia, no food provided. This I think was a blessing from a low carb perspective – to eat on the journey we took with us packets of almonds and some cereal bars, now I know some of the latter are lethal but I was able to find some in a Woolworths supermarket that were actually low carb, main ingredients were nuts and were tasty. This was sufficient to last us for the journey to KL but I have to confess at the airport whilst waiting for flight to Thailand – about 4 hours – we did give in to a burger – terrible I know – but on the ‘plus’ side we didn’t have any side order of chips or milkshakes which was progress for us. The burger was still within our calorie count for the day. I did see that Michael M had answered a similar question on Twitter, his suggestion was along the lines of using the flight time as a fasting opportunity so that might be an option although when I fly home to the UK am not sure I will be able to fast for whole journey but I like suggestion of requesting vegetarian on airline. I would leave a good few days before weighing yourself in your destination because of the water retention. Have a fab trip, I love Germany – on the beer front, my husband is able to accommodate a large bottle of chilled Chang each day within his calorie/carb restriction on the Low Carb Diet.

Start week 4 today. Resisted all temptations Easter Sunday – perhaps overdosed on strawberries though! Today’s weight is 13st – pleased is an understatement!! (Almost a stone gone in 3 weeks).

End of Week 8 for me.
Really pleased to have lost Ist 4lbs (18lbs) or around 8 kg.
BMI 29 not 32.5. Now overweight not obese!
Just over 8 weeks ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, Hypothyroidism and High Blood Pressure.
Wake up call.
High spike blood pressure taken at surgery due to a particularly stressful moment 203/94.This morning 121/62.
HbA1c 9.6% . This morning my blood sugar reading was 6.1.
Feel very enthusiastic about the benefits of this diet and plan to continue for another 8 weeks. Hope sharing results motivates
others. We are the only ones who can make changes for ourselves. Best of luck to everyone.

Ay caramba, that is fantastic news!!! That is an incredible change in your BP and blood sugars. No wonder you are very enthusiastic about this diet! To get out of the obese range and to have lost 1st 4lbs is also something to be celebrated!

Welcome to the veterans – there is a thread started by captainlynne ‘the 8 week line and over’ – you should post your good news on that thread too!

Talking about other threads, if you live in the UK, we have a thread called ‘Please sign our petition’. We are asking for the NHS to encourage people to follow this diet. There is a link to the petition on that thread, you can also facebook it.

Good luck on the rest of your BSD journey 🙂

I can’t believe it ! 8.3 kg in three weeks I can’t believe it, oops said that already 🙃 So pleased and excited for the end of 8 weeks to see where my bloods will be. 😎

Purplepenguin!! Shout it from the roof tops! You have done something amazing – and if you are like me- something you didn’t really think would happen!!! 🙂

Leeanne, a big pat on the back for avoiding temptation! A stone in three weeks! I bet that was a big motivating factor in keeping away from the chocolate!!
What will you have lost by 8 weeks – I can’t wait to see!! 🙂

Hi monkeyescapade, this won’t help you in Thailand ( I think) but aldi do slim packets of nuts and seeds for 32p a packet. 153 calories, 2.7 grams carbs. Could be an emergency food for air travel in the future though. I find them pretty filling with a few berries. 🙂
You could always request a carb free meal on the flight and suggest suitable meal alternatives to give them an idea of what you need

I’ve done that before 🙂

Wow – people are doing well. Keep it up (or maybe I should say keep it off?)

End of week 1 for me. Lost 4lb and 1/2 inch of waist.

Apart from two small glasses of wine (different nights) I’ve resisted all carbs. (Does wine count as carbs? I know we’re not supposed to drink it in the 8 weeks, but maybe it’s more because of the calorie count). I’ve tried to keep calorie intake low, but haven’t been weighing and adding everything up so expect I’ve gone over 800, but it’s all been veg, yoghurt, eggs, nuts, olive oil etc – no junk.

4lb didn’t sound a lot to me until I worked out how much it would be if I did the same over the next 7 weeks. I’d reach my ideal weight!

Hi Patsy wine has a lot of sugar so can derail your efforts 🙁

4lbs in a week is a great result – think of 8 half pound blocks of lard, that will help you see your achievement! 🙂

I was counting on it all having turned to alcohol! Kidding myself a bit there though. It’s definitely something I need to be careful with as it’s very easy for one glass to turn into two or more and then to snack when resisence is low.

Like the lard idea – that is what we’re losing, isn’t it? I have some in the fridge. Not something we eat, but I make birdfood with it. I’m going to keep a tiny corner of it when I make the last batch as a reminder. Thanks.

Patsy, we’re both losing at the same rate 🙂

First week done and I have lost 2 kg (around 4lb.) No diabetes.

I have been closer to 1000 calories a day than 800. According to my Fitnesspal, carbs have varied from 20 g to 80 g a day. I did a few 16-18 hour fasts over the week also. I had glass of red and few squares of dark chocolate but otherwise have been eating clean.

Looking forward to my friend’s wedding in May and fitting into a nice dress. Gives me motivation 🙂
Keep on going everyone!

Thanks Hashimoto
Yes didn’t believe it and apart from the odd moment it has not been that hellish which is great. Keep meaning to ask has it affected any of your thyroid probs and improved them? 😎

We’re carbless twins, Omega!

Chocolate? You ate chocolate when I resisted? Right, there’s no way I’m going to let you beat me. If you’re going to look fab by May then so am I!

Hi purplepenguin, hypothyroidism isn’t curable but I am having blood tests done on my fbs, thyroid function and cholesterol, the latter because my doctor was alarmed when I mentioned full fat!!

Because I have lost so much weight I may not need so much levothyroxine medication.

I’m looking forwards to the results. I did notice Bill’s cholesterol count has reduced while on this diet despite eating full fat! Hypothyroidism and diabetes both cause rises in your cholesterol count so this is going to be fascinating. 🙂

Wow paddy 23lbs in 3 weeks is incredible! Well done.

I never thought I’d say this but I’m actually looking forward to weighing in – my scales say at least 4lbs loss for my first week, and considering a few lapses happened that’s pretty good. My local slimming world usually holds a group on bank holidays so I’m hoping they’ll be there so I can get a reading from their scales (I am still going to SW for the moment).

Have been out of the loop and ‘off-piste’ for a few days, due to a wedding and Easter with family. I foolishly thought I had a handle on this whole thing and although I stuck to the principle of the diet, my main transgression was three small glasses of red, a small glass of prosecco and a few sips of a sparkling wine. Was devastated to find 1.5lb gained between weighing myself on Thursday morning and Sunday morning!!!!
Pleased to report that on weighing myself this morning, I had dropped 0.6lb, so finished week 5 with a lose of 0.6lb – but it could have been almost 2lb, if I hadn’t screwed up. So I’m starting week 6 rather irritated with myself, but even more than that, I now find myself wondering how I am going to manage being away for almost three months, driving to our apartment in Turkey, extended stay and driving back, without heaping on the weight again. Rather panic stricken actually!! I don’t want all this effort to have been just for me to pile on the pounds again while I’m away.
So, little despondent right now and seriously worried about the near future, with regard to my weight.

You slipped up, SunnyB – but that’s in the past now and you still lost a little weight – don’t beat yourself up over it.

You’ll cope with the trip to Turkey by following the diet when you’re there. The travelling will be tricky as low carb options when eating out are scarce, but once in your apartment it should be possible to buy and prepare low carb food. With a bit of planning, you can do this.

SunnyB, you are already making inroads into your ‘slip’, it is bound to throw you….but you have done so well. I know how tough it is as someone who has bounced up and down on the scales like a damn kangaroo…..but this way of eating can and will adapt to your stay in Turkey if you want it to. Even if you go outside the 800 and stick to the Mediterranean way of eating with reduced carbs you can do it!

I have stalled out all week, 3, but instead of it breaking me, because of all the ‘pioneer posters’ on here I knew it might happen and have not gone off plan, even over Easter with family. It was tough, my daughter cooked a fab meal….but, I was able to enjoy lamb, cauliflower cheese and broccoli and weirdly didn’t feel hard done by when the deserts can out…..I admit the salted caramel macarons did call my name rather loudly but I put my fingers in my ears and had a peppermint tea!!!! Victory!!

On the victory front, I am sleeping better, my joints are not as creaky and I am still 14lbs down from the start so what is not to love about it….week four will be what it will be but I will complete this, reset my body and carry on to 4:3 or something similar.

How is everyone doing this week? 😃

Hi Sunnyb,
I was wondering how the wedding had gone for you. I bet you looked and felt great that day.

When we are on a weight loss journey like this, we tend to micro-manage everything, don’t we. We avoid the tiniest slip up, we worry about the slight thing that might upset our weight loss, we celebrate the smallest weight loss (rightly so) and we regret the smallest weight gain. Its normally fine for the short period of time spent in ‘weight loss mode’ but it doesn’t do our mental health much good long term.

For the first time ever, we have a program here that is not about just a few weeks (even though its an 8week programme!) This is a completely sustainable lifelong new set of habits for us and it has to be seen as such. There will always be events in life which make us shift a few pounds up but returning to the bsd principles will ALWAYS correct that.

Your holiday in Turkey is going to be wonderful. Hopefully, you won’t have any scales out there so you won’t be able to micro-manage or micro-panic about any small changes. You will probably be quite active as you will have the time to walk a lot. I would suggest just keeping things very simple – avoid all the carbs you can with no exceptions, only drink alcohol after 8pm and after you have eaten, stay away from the desserts which can be very sugary in Turkey but have full fat yoghurt with fruit and nuts if you can get it. You might just surprise yourself how little you put on while you are away. Some of us, I believe, are more prone to gaining water weight than others. I am certainly one of them, so weight fluctuations will always be a part of my life. But I now know how to stop a fluctuation of a couple of pounds from turning into an upward trajectory of half a stone or more. And you know that too Sunnyb.

Try not to see it as screwing up, its just life that gets in the way sometimes. Look back at where you started from, you’ve already come such a long way in such a short space of time. I know you can enjoy Turkey and yet still look after your body. You’ve got this!

Hi Janet1973

Yes, I confess I was pleased with how I looked at the wedding. My dress fitted nicely and flattered – my husband was very complimentary!

Thank you for the kind words about the slip up/blip over the w/e and our extended Turkish visit. I was planning to buy bathroom scales when in Turkey, as the idea of being without that info for over two months was freaking me out – now I’m not sure. When we leave the UK I will be almost at the end of week 7, but then we have five days on the road, staying at hotels and an overnight ferry, before we get to our second home and I can really control the menus again – at least on days we aren’t eating out, which will be a couple of times a week I guess.

You are right of course. By reverting to the 800cal format, the weight will fall again, so I’m thinking maybe try to stick with it for as many days as I can while we are away and not worry about the days I can’t, but to eat low carb med style on those days where ever possible. I had already decided that alcohol is going to have to be watched closely – will limit myself to a drink when we are dining out I think.

Hope you are still doing well and had positive results this week.

Hi Col and Patsy
Thank you both for the encouragement and kind words. It’s so good to have people willing to support and bolster when some of us falter.
Hope you are both making good progress.

Hi SunnyB – how wonderful to be spending all that time in Turkey, I love that country and sound advice already given on maintaining the diet/lifestyle. When I went travelling last year, shock horror, I actually gave up alcohol for 4 months – I love white wine, G&Ts and cocktails but felt I needed to exert discipline, all or nothing approach, I’m not an alcoholic by any means but I felt that my weight/will power would go way of of control if I treated months of travel like a holiday. Anyway, I surprised myself in that cutting the booze out completely wasn’t actually so hard, it felt good to cleanse my body but have to say when I eventually did have a glass of chilled wine it sure did taste good and one wasn’t enough! But since that 4 month abstinence I’ve found I do drink less. It was good to prove to myself that I could do it.
I love Turkish food, I know a lot can be high carb but there are also some fab salads, tasty grilled meats, I’m confident there will be choices and just as you say, do what you can when you can. We can only do our best. Most of all, live, love and enjoy every moment.

Thanks Moneyescapade (great name by the way!)
I don’t really drink at home anymore – the odd tot of whisky maybe – so I have decide to do the same when in Turkey, only drinking when we dine out or when we are taking mini-holidays while we are there – i.e. going to Cappadocia for a few days. Most of our Turkish friends don’t drink, so visiting them will not be an issue as far as alcohol is concerned.
We tend to eat out at a select few restaurants and they are happy to tailor meals/dishes to suit, so I’m happy that I’ll be able to get grilled or pan-fried fish/meats with a fresh salad, etc. Beautiful thick yogurt is plentiful in Turkey and can be bought by the kilo in the food markets, so I will be making the most of that, with fresh strawbs and seeds. As a destination for eating the med diet, it couldn’t be much better – it’s the breads that will be difficult to resist for the duration of the stay though!
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to boost my confidence for the trip – much appreciated. Hope you have some good results – let us all know how you get on.

Hi Hashimoto
Completely aware about not curing it I just wondered if you felt that it had possibly alleviated any of the symptoms. When I went to see an endocrinologist about it she just kept on about my weight so was interested to know if it had affected you in any way with all that fab weight loss you have had 🙃

Hi Inka
I got back from india on Saturday. Flew with Qatar. Really it wasn’t easy, as I’m dairy intolerant and though there are loads of different diet choices there wasn’t dairy or wheat free. I need both! My partner opted for vegan while buying the tickets- bad mistake- all food strictly carb! Would have been better with normal food and ignored wheat n dairy. ( though the breakfasts tend to be yogurt and croissants. )
Luckily I thought to take some hard boiled eggs which saved me, and the hotel made us some for the return journey. You just have to ignore all the rolls and croissant and potato cakes and so on that they give you and eat your boiled egg and maybe pieces of cheese if you can eat it. Water freely available so have lots. Plus in the airport where we changed planes ( Dohar, where it was raining !!??) could get ok food, eggs, chicken, burgers, meat curry etc.
Re being in Germany – sounds difficult. I think all the usual advice applies, to think what you ve achieved etc. Plus I would say avoid temptation wherever possible!
Hope your trip goes ok.
Penny

Hi Sunnyb
I think put that in the past now.
Re your trip – recently in india all meals were ‘out’ and I just asked for no rice, no bread, no potatoes and extra green veg. It was fine. I wasn’t able to calorie count but managed to lose 1 lb following this regime. ( Would have been more but they had a heatwave due to the equinox so I had to have rehydration salts which are mostly sugar. )
So I’m sure you can do it by just asking.
Good luck and have a good holiday
Penny

Well done that’s a fabulous start hopefully I will be able to say the same next week! Starting tomorrow 🙂

I don’t normally like to be too pushy with my suggestions on here (she laughs!) but sunnyb, I really do think you would do better without the scales in Turkey. They will only encourage you to worry about your weight instead of enjoying your time out there. Ignorance is bliss and all that. You will know how you are doing by how your clothes feel. As you’ve said above, you have got a good game plan already worked out.

In other news, I got to my first stone weight loss last Thursday so I’m very happy with that. I kinda gave myself the day off yesterday but am back on plan today. I have given blood today and had the best haemoglobin test I have ever had so I am confident that my new way of eating is far healthier than the old one. I did, of course have to eat the obligatory mint chocolate club afterwards (gorgeous!) to satisfy the nurses but in the past, that would have set me off wanting more chocolate and today I feel like I can just carry on ignoring it.

I will soon be digging out my treadmill from under all the work kit I have been storing in our spare bedroom. I used to like doing the odd half hour of jogging with the radio on, I’m thinking it will be a good way to rattle of those 10,000 steps every day. Its not often I talk about doing exercise!

You made me smile Janet1973! Okay, I’ll go to Turkey and try to manage without scales, but if I feel I’m starting to gain too much weight, I’ll buy some then – would that be okay? Thought I had a good game plan, but experience this w/e has shaken my surety a bit. Hopefully when I get to Friday 8th April when we leave, I’ll feel more secure in my confidence to be away from home and keeping control of my weight!

Well done you on hitting the first stone lost!! I am hoping to get there by the time I leave the UK – have 4.2lb to go to get there, so wish me luck. Also well done on resisting more chocolate and for the haemoglobin readings. You must be really happy with progress so far – keep up the good work! Hope to hear good results from you at the end of the week.

Hi purplepenguin all i can say is i feel better than i have for ten years. This diet is amazing 🙂

Sunnyb why don’t you just take a tapemeasure and some ketostix? They should tell you all you need to know.

I’m envious – warm sun, lovely fresh spices and veg 🙂

My first week weigh in – I lost 6lbs! I started last weekend so it’s just over a week really but I’ll weigh regularly on Mondays. I am really happy with the weight loss but still a little worried that I can’t make it through a full week without lapses. That kind of weight loss is so motivating though, maybe this week will be my week to manage without lapsing at all!