I’m here. Meant to post yesterday evening, but ended up with a massive headache. It was my second day of wearing the compression tights and I was losing and losing fluid all day. I didn’t change my diet and my weekend meals were actually a bit higher in the carbs (although still healthy), so I’m pretty sure it was down to the compression and the headache due to the fluid being lost with not enough salt. I haven’t weighed either before or after, so I don’t know how much I lost, but it was all water weight anyway. My compression tights don’t feel as tight today. Wondering if I should have got a size smaller! I wasn’t sure if this would even work for me as many have only a limited result, but it seems that it was what I needed to get things moving again. Interesting to hear, Wendy, that compression is prescribed simply for ‘heavy legs’ in France. After hearing about this and s-g’s experience with the health care there, I may have to look into retiring to France as well! Or maybe I could even get a job teaching English?
Fluid loss slowed down considerably today and I did quite well food wise today with 2MAD. Late breakfast at 11:30 of kimchi, avocado and eggs with a couple of kumquats. Dinner was a veggie curry with kefir to drink and a small satusuma to finish.
I didn’t manage an exercise session yesterday as I had a lot of farm chores and potting up of seedlings to get finished. I’m going to try to fit in a yoga session and some foam rolling tonight.

Tuesday, reporting day!
happy to find that another 0.7kg has gone, and for the first time some shrinkage around my lower belly and hips though sadly not my waist. I’d really like to see some of the fat around my midriff disappear, how I hate it when I sit down and that bulge appears!
The weather here has been warm and very humid, it is quite enervating and I need to spend a lot of time in front of a fan. I take Frankie for a walk a couple of times a day but with a double coat she is feeling the heat as well. Sometimes she gives me a look, like, what are you thinking? and lies down in the shade and won’t move. So not brisk, energetic walks.
Dawn, I know exactly where your mind is! Mine was there throughout the pandemic. In fact, I’ve just gone back over my spreadsheets from 2021 and 2022 and it’s all there in black and white, stalled attempts right and left. I think it’s great that you have worked out some strategies and while you are in that headspace, every little win is amazing! Even maintaining is amazing- I see I from when I started trying again in 2021 to the start of this year I put on 5kg, not the way to go.
Sueblue, your summer dress sounds great and I am sure you will look fabulous in it in no time!
Abdul, what incredible results! Well done you, you must be feeling so good.
Never Give Up, well done on getting back to your preChristmas weight, that’s a real achievement.
Sorry for everyone I’ve missed, keep posting it really helps to see how everyone is doing.

Onward and downward!

Hello everyone and apologies for not posting regularly at the moment.I’ve spent some time today rereading the posts for this journey.SUE as you also mentioned, I just don’t seem to be in the right frame of mind to stick to this woe recently.NOKIE I see you said you are struggling too.It’s great to see some positive results posted,MARIET congratulations on your good loss and I hope your sister is continuing to recover well.CHOCOLATEMONSTER that’s great that you are so near your goal weight (unfortunately my chocolate craving seems to have multiplied tenfold in the last week! ) NEVERGIVEUP congratulations on getting back to your pre Christmas weight and ABDUL that’s a fantastic loss in 17 days🎉BOB your success story is very inspiring, I feel I should reread it weekly to remind myself that this woe does really work when I stick to it.DCT,MARIET,YOWZER and SUE thank you for your words of encouragement.SUE I hope your Mil is settling in well and YOWZER how is your daughter doing now?Apologies if I’ve missed anyone,I’m going to start reading posts daily again.I think I’m in a bit of a bad cycle at the minute, I feel grotty most days so don’t feel like healthy eating yet it’s because I’m not eating healthily that I feel grotty! I need to get back to planning my meals for the week as that has always really helped me.I would be happy to lose any weight on this journey after the last few weeks, my initial goal of 22lbs is unrealistic now!I know I can do this, I just need to get the first few weeks under my belt and then all cravings seem to stop (I then just have to continue and not let things derail me) it all sounds so easy as I’m typing it but, as we all know, it’s not always that simple.Wishing everyone a good week and increased willpower for those of us who need it❤️ Dawn X

Here we are

wendleg
sunshine-girl ( Denise)
SunnyB
caronl
Verano
Elle-Mae
Tulip1( Clare)
WindyJulz
Wendy1947 ( Margaret)
arcticfox
RubyG
Dreamscometrue
Russianroulade
ahntp
JGwen
Al
OrangePandaMomma ( Amz)
BFG2

Well this is Week 5 folks but if you haven’t really got to grips with motivation, then this could be your Week 1, whatever works for you.
January is over , if it has been a struggle, then that’s ok .February is beckoning and you can start to make changes now if it feels right.

I read something the other day about restarting anyything with the benefit of experience .I can’t remember exactly but it sort of means you are not starting from scratch because you have experience to help you as you go forward .

I am not making much sense am I ??? 😉

Just do your best , folks, make small changes which become habits and check in when you can xx

Hello everyone .
Good to see JGwen ,Tulip,BFG2 and Amz ( OrangePandaMomma) checking in despite things being difficult right now.

Well done on the compression tights, arcticfox . They are prescribed here for ‘heavy legs ‘, varicose veins and also post op when mobility is limited to avoid the risk of thrombosis. I liked mine to come up to my bra so they were very warm !!!!

RubyG , Jason Fung was my inspiration in the early days and opened my eyes to the good sense behind low carb eating.I like his “The Complete Guide to Fasting ” too

I have found a solution to make sure I drink enough . I found some concentrated ginger juice in my local bio shop and I drink it in WARM water. A bit like your ginger and lemon tea, Margaret . It’s very tingly and warming .I can’t drink cold water very easily but I have no excuse now.

JGwen , well done on your fasting , especially when you are dealing with ice andd snow !!.I find it challenging in these winter months .The best I can do at the moment is 24 hours because I cannot eat before I go to my Tuesday yoga class and that takes me to early evening .

Amz ( OPM) I am glad you are looking to get support from your doctor and therapist . I can’t see how you can really concentrate on making radical changes to your eating habits without that first step .As SunnyB says, just do your best to make simple changes . Making a conscious decision to avoid junk foood and focusing on healthy, natural foods will help you to feel better . Sugar addiction is real and your daughter is bound to resist any change there , that is normal . In my experience kids don’t necessarily process information on healthy foods .I wouldn’t put too much pressure on her now, to be honest because she is likely to rebel and do the opposite of what you want to achieve. You don’t want to inadvertently sow the seeds of what could develop into an eating disorder while she is also struggling with the trauma of recent events.Maybe when the time is right she could talk to someone also ??

Sunny’s breakfast ideas are good . I would try not to have sugary cereals and biscuits in the house which are easy to reach for but will not keep your daughter full for long and will inevitably lead to a sugar slump . Meals have to be something she enjoys or she will refuse them. Even porridge would be better and you could try using hemp hearts or millet flakes rather than oats .Add some chopped dried fruit or nuts ? Eggs are ideal .but would she eat them ? There are also recipes for low carb pancakes or chaffles. Just try a few options Amz and hopefully you will get some medication to help you sleep better and give you more energy . We are all rooting for you xx

I am going to set up the new thread now xx

OPM … sounds like you are still up against things, so don’t pressure yourself to get your diet spot on, just do what you can to make the best choice possible at each meal time.
Could you perhaps make some egg muffins for your daughter? You can put different things in them …. almost any veg, chicken, sausage, cheese etc. and they can be eaten cold. Frittata/crustless quiche works the same too. A boxed salad is another option or yogurt with portioned toppings. I’m sure others will offer suggestions too.
Well done to everyone who has seen progress this week and ‘hang in there’ to those like me, who continue to struggle. We’re at the start of a new week and a fresh start though, so time to dust ourselves down and refocus.

Apologies for bring missing from the thread for awhile, but huge thanks to everyone who has been contributing.
SG, really pleased your surgery went well and that you’re home recovering. Hope you’ll soon be in full health and taking life by the horns.
V, it is wonderful to see spring flowers beginning to put in an appearance… I discovered a few dwarf iris in bloom on my garden yesterday. Glad you’ve been having a lovely social time with friends and family.
Arctic, I love basil … always think of it as a summer flavour. I’m hopeless at growing from seed, so I admire your success.
Yowser, thanks for sharing that quote … one I certainly want to live by. Was nice to see you posting again.

Okay, so my positives for the last few days …..
🍽🥂 a lovely date night on Friday… food was so-so, but the company was great 💏
🎁 have organised cards and gifts for February birthdays
🌿🌱 gardening with GS yesterday …. very productive and the garden looks so much better for a few hours tidying.

Feels like there should be more to report, but can’t think of anything else specific … glad to say my mood is improving and is more level though, so am taking that as another plus.

Hope to be reading lots more positives from you all afain during this week.

Hello, I’m still around. I’ve not been doing great… nightmares about my husband have cause my terrible insomnia to worsen even more. I’ve already started the process to see a therapist and I’m going to see my doctor to see if I can be put on anxiety medicine temporarily. I’m been really tired because of this, still forcing myself to work on my school, but otherwise lazing about. I’m still trying to adjust my food to be carb-free. My daughter and I are super sweet lovers so since I want to include her in this lifestyle, she is opposing. But I’m aiming for slow changes. I need to sit down and plan a menu… any ideas for a simple breakfast and lunch that doesn’t need to be cooked or can be made ahead of time so my daughter can go ahead and have her meals while I sleep in?

Good luck with your fasting JGwen 👍
I’m back to having ginger & lemon tea when I awake trying to extend mine to mid-morning when I have a coffee with oat milk so from 7 -0 pm overnight until usually 10-30 am so about 15-16 hours. Lunch is usually 1-0pm & supper between 6-7pm. so about a 6.5 hour eating window with a mid-afternoon decaf coffee. I’m not sure if that is the right way having some calories with coffee before supper but it helps me last through preparing it.. I hope it’s helping my arthritis because TRE is said to be anti-inflammatory?
I hope you have a good week👍
Margaret

Hi Everyone,
just calling in to catch up with everyone’s news. I am glad to hear that S-G’s operation has been successful.

Thanks for remembering my birthday Wendy, it was a quiet time as snow had settled over the weekend and then frozen into sheet ice. which lasted for over a week. Fortunately the thaw came just as I was coming to my last container of cream for coffee so I was quite content to wait it out.

I am continuing along the path of following the fasting for long covid program. I made a mistake on Sunday, I had breakfast and was not in the mood to eat in the evening, so thought I would start another fast. – Bad planning, its always the time around 24 to 30 hours that is the hard time, If I had started the fast later in the day then the harder time would have been overnight while asleep.

Well done RubyG every weight loss is a win 👏👏

Morning all,
Not had a bad week BSD-wise, Friday’s weigh-in showed a slight loss, and the weekend was busy enough without resorting to boredom snacking, which can only be a good thing.
I started reading Dr. Jason Fung’s The Obesity Code, not got very far into it yet but I am hoping the refreshed understanding will help me find my lost “why”.
Have a good week everyone

S-g yes you are absolutely right. After a life threatening trauma our focus does alter and being grateful to have come through is just one vital part of the recovery. The clips and stitches will go, and the pain will too. In time the memory fades. These are such early days for you post-op but you will get there.
While I’m here I’ve had a busy weekend …..
☀️💐☀️ On Saturday I saw the first early daffodils in bloom …. Spring is on its way!
👫🍗🫓 Out with friends we had an amazing Sri Lankan meal … I’m hooked!
🧺🧺🧺 Ironing all up to date .. whew!
Just one more…
🎉👦🏻🎉👦🏻 Birthday lunch with our two grandsons born two years and one week apart.
Lots of joy has put a spring in my step.
Have a good week full of positives.

Oh dear ! I have been struggling too. This thread really helps! Thank you every one for being so supportive to each other! I am going for reboot starting tomorrow. I’ve been doing exercise but finding controlling the cravings a real challenge. I’ve also decided to do a yoga class tomorrow to help the refocus. Weight has been stable for 10 days now but at least a it’s not going up….

Hi guys, reading all your comments, omg! It’s super difficult when on periods, even if you slip up a bit, yep! Just be kind to yourself & try & get back on the wagon. I’m 3 rd day into my period, I so wanted to eat everything, however, I self talked & said no! No self sabotage…so instead of stuffing myself & feeling sorry for myself & telling myself it’s ok, you a woman you have your periods so you allowed to eat anything & everything, I said no, no stuffing, so over the 3 days, I ate a piece dark chocolate, a few hazelnuts, drank tea, coffee with a piece of dark chocolate in it, had a few chips, 1 tsp jelly, 1 tsp ice cream, just so I don’t completely go off the wagon. I have a few more days to go now, & all that’s on my mind is I want chocolate, bread & cake, but I’m not going to self sabotage my week of being good on this diet so far. I understand everyone’s pain… don’t give in! We can do this. Ash

Verano, no ones positive or problems are greater than anyone else, just different. I am looking forward to the day I can be without pain, without daily treatments and without the clips and stitches in my neck. My positive for today is just that I am alive and I want to remember to be grateful for that moving forward.

Hiya,
Wendleg- so glad to hear SG is recovering 🙂
I’ve been experimenting a bit with foods, so not strictly BSD.
Love to anyone struggling with the January blues or other difficulties xx

Hi Yasomo.
Yeah, it’s tough. I think you’re right that we need to be kinder to ourselves at times.
I’ll see what happens this time and try to stick to at least the healthier foods, even if it I eat more of them than 800 calories!
Good luck!

Hi Seashellsash.
I’m glad I’m not the only one! I’ve Googled and read all I can online, but I haven’t found anything that seems to hit the mark.
I get so hungry the week before my period and I want to eat everything! I have read that bodies may need extra energy the week before, but I haven’t found anything that tells you how to stop!
Well done for only having a spoonful of jelly and cake. FM

Well done arcticfox & I hope your compression tights very much help you. I had never heard of lipedema before you wrote about it & it sounds as though you have a lot to cope with & the idea of going running to the supermarket or anywhere sounds very impressive! I also love eating avocado & poached eggs which is a good substitute for smashed avocado on toast😀
Margaret

Good morning everyone & I’ve just weighed & found I have lost one pound in weight so I’m very pleased that my scales did move downwards & I’ve now lost 9 lbs since starting three weeks ago. If I can do this everyone can just taking it a day at a time & trying to focus on eating fresh low carb food 👍It’s been a weirdly difficult week diet wise for me not because I was hungry or not able to prepare meals but because my scales weren’t moving which really stupidly affected me after reading in MM’s books the fast weight loss that he records for some people🤔. As you so wisely say Wendy everyone loses weight at different rates! My husband also lost one pound & has been eating much more than me with breakfast, larger portions of supper & more fruit & nuts! He only needs to lose 3-4 lbs of his Christmas gain but is six feet tall 😀
This is the beginning of week 4 for me because I weigh on a Saturday morning. Next Thursday we will be having friends for lunch & they are both vegetarian so I will be carefully planning what to produce that will be a soup, some spicy bean dishes with wild whole grain rice, and that I may not eat, a Greek yoghurt raita, a ratatouille, kalettes which I love eating & baked pears for pudding. Also cheeses & grapes for them & I will have one or two glasses of wine & record what I eat allowing myself to eat to my BMR for one day & try strictly to keep to 800 calories on the days before & one after the lunch.
Sorry about my writing sagas but writing it down makes it “concrete” & more accountable!
I hope all of you find your scales are kind as mine have been this morning 👍🍀
Margaret

Sunny, yes the salad works well with cabbage or shredded kale too. The broccoli slaw is just grated broccoli stalks, I think so would be fairly easy to do as well.
S-g – welcome back and glad your surgery went well.
Just a couple of positives for me today:
1. So far I’m loving my new compression tights. Only the first day with them on but my legs feel less heavy with them on.
2. I have nine little basil seedlings up so far. They are a blend of different varieties. Still waiting on the parsley, but they do tend to take a while to germinate.

Hi everyone,
I am quite pleased to be instantly a size smaller today. Before anyone decides to congratulate me on a discard though, I have to confess that it is only due to the fact that the first pair of compression tights that I ordered finally arrived today. I am still pleased though because they fit really nicely and are very comfortable. These ones are knee length capris and I ordered them hoping that I might be able to wear them even in summer under my lightweight farming overalls, and I think they will work for all but the most stinking hot days as they feel reasonably cool. I have another pair coming that go to mid-calf as I have lipedema tissue on the inside of my knee and my upper calves now too. Tomorrow I will try exercising in them. They have a wavy weave to them that is supposed to help massage the lymph system when you move in them, so we’ll see how that works.
Good day food-wise. I had a late breakfast of avocado and eggs at 11am, lots of lemon water throughout the day and then some salad and cheese for dinner. I felt like running to the supermarket and getting a ‘reward’ meal due to it being Friday and a long week at work, but I resisted and stayed home. I’m making a list and will shop properly tomorrow.

Thank you Wendy and I need to lose at least two & a half stone now & have been trying to do so on & off for the past seven years & did lose three stone for my sons wedding but still didn’t reach my goal weight of ten stone regaining a stone of that. I now weigh twelve stone twelve & a half pounds. As a first stage if I can get to eleven stone I will feel I have made some good progress . I’m 5ft 3inches tall & of petite build so am still in the obese range hoping to firstly get into the just overweight category🤔
I try to take it just one day at a time because if I think of the total amount of weight I need to lose it seems overwhelming & impossible. My husband is a Type 2 diabetic & lost his excess weight following the BSD when I did but unlike me has maintained that loss & I’m very conscious of the low carb diet that best suits him & me . He however now can gain a few pounds & then lose them because he has successfully maintained his goal weight, whilst any change of diet for me such as staying in hotels etc then I can easily gain six to eight pounds such as at Christmas & eating more convenience meals whilst having COVID just before Christmas. Maintaining any previous weight loss has always proved difficult for me because I’ve never had a long enough maintenance period for my body to adjust to & achieve homeostasis. Oh well writing it down I suppose I’m making a public pledge that I will keep going this year & reach my goal weight.😀
I hope next week proves to be a better one for everyone & reading your posts & about some of your health difficulties I have little to moan about and wish you all well!
Margaret

Oh my gosh, I am SO glad you posted. I am on day 1 of my period and my third week of attempting at 800 kcals per day has just gone out of the window. I have managed to do it more or less mon – thursday this week, but totally cracked at 8pm – I’ve had chocolate, crackers, almonds…just gone completely out of the window! I honestly think that we need to be kind to ourselves particularly during this time of the month…I’m going to get back on it tomorrow…I’m strongly considering kicking off doing 800kcals 5 days a week and 2 days low carb med, because something is clearly not working!

As for ideas to curb cravings…before I caved in a bought a really nice bubble bath soap and was just going to sip a mug of highlights low cal hot chocolate in the bath with a candle burning – that usually does the trick when I’m feeling intense stress.

Hi everyone .

Reading through the messages it’s clear that it’s a struggle for lots of us right now .Blinkin heck we are human, it’s January, it’s cold and grey and it’s hard to be totally on the ball all the time .I find fasting difficult right now because I feel so cold . So I adjust and try one meal a day (OMAD) , two meals depending on how I feel .

I honestly think that doing our best to stay as low carb as possible is good enough right now. We are not chomping on junk food , our food choices are healthy . OK that might mean more calories which will slow down weight loss but we are looking at long term improved health,no ??

Margaret , you will see results but everyone has different rates of loss and ‘progress ‘ You don’t say how much weight you want to lose. Generally the greater the weight loss target, the greater the initial loss .BUT it takes time to adjust and the loss is not linear .You will see times when you ‘plateau’ but it doesn’t mean the program is not working .What makes you think you are not in ketosis ?The urine test thingies are notoriously unreliable after a few weeks .
As arcticfox has said , don’t forget to take measurements .Maybe have an item of clothing to use as your guide and see it fitting better, rather than just rely on the numbers on the scale ?

You are making good choices Margaret, enjoying the recipes .That is a victory .Your health is improving , be proud of yourself !

Yes, if it helps to just relax a bit right now as Verano has suggested, that’s ok . SunnyB, just go gently and adjust as best you can during these low spells xx

RubyG, go easy on yourself for now and you will know when it’s the right time to focus more .It’s ok We will be here xx

Elle-Mae , well done on your inspiring menus ! I hope your back pain eases soon and well done for keeping up the exercise despite the difficulties .For anyone else not able to find the motivation, just gentle stretching , a short walk is good enough , it’s ok !!

Wow, RussianRoulade, that is tough and you are very brave .I really feel for you with the endometriosis .A friend of mine suffers with it and really struggles .An emergency blood and iron transfusion is scary . Wishing you a more peaceful time now.

So folks if January has been and continues to be tough, we will soon be in February and inching closer to Spring . Set yourself short term targets if that helps .I see Michael Mosley is starting a 10 day FAST 800 challenge beginning Monday 30th January .I think it is linked to promotion of the new Fast 800 keto recipe book but it might be worth giving it a try as a mini reboot if motivation is waning ?

Just do what feels right , right now !
Take care everyone , and especially those who are not able to check in at the moment xx

S-g so good to see you posting. It’s great to hear your ‘positives’ and let’s hope you have a speedy recovery now. Your calls of gratitude make my positives seem so foolish but here goes anyway ….

Sunny reading about your 27/9 Feng Shui, which I’d forgotten about, prompted me to make a start on my bedside table drawers.
🪡💊🧴🧷So this morning I emptied out my creams/medicines/pedicure bits etc.etc. I tipped away all those spare buttons that come with blouses/shirts that you keep but never use! All the odd bits of ribbon that I thought might come in handy. The odd remnants of creams that I’ll never use.
🙊💄👀 Then I went into the make-up drawer….. oh dear! I finally got rid of all those lipsticks that never really suited, the eyelash curlers that just left a ‘crease’ in my lashes and all those tiny little ‘sample’ tubes that have probably dried up with age.
🧺🧺 Finally I washed my make-up bag. I felt so righteous that I made a healthy salad for lunch!
We have a busy weekend ahead. I hope the weekend is positive for everyone.

Just a quicky,on my way out..just wanted to leave hugs to my bus mates ..have a great weekend everyone xxx
MARIET so pleased for you! 👏👏👏👏
Need to come back and play catch up on all the news XX
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall” ( Marilyn Munroe)
🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

OMG! SUNSHINE GIRL,sooooo glad youre ok! Thank goodness for our marvellous doctors,surgeons,opticians! 💜💕❤️
Phew what an unexpected but amazing start to your New Year xx
My positives…this made me laugh today..I saw a campervan with this logo on the back..
“ Having an adventure before dementia”..have seen it before but had forgotten about it..what a good idea!
Aside from that just grateful for longer days already,spring still to look forward to,,my hairdresser in labour as i type – cant wait to welcome her baby girl into the world!..
off to lunch out now,still havent decided where….life is sweet!
Love n hugs,have a fab weekend everyone! Xx

Just using this post to give out calls of gratitude as well as positivity.

So grateful I went to the opticians and he saw black dots in the back of my eyes and told my doctor.
So grateful I had a doppler within 2 weeks after seeing the optician and he diagnosed a blockage in my carotid artery.
So grateful for the surgeon who operated on me on Monday and removed a large obstruction which was almost to the point of closing off my brains blood supply completely within days.

Positive I will now regain my full health and continue to live a full and happy life.

Thank you Wendy & arcticfox for your encouragement! I’m feeling more positive today because I stood on my scales & they seem to have crept down 4oz which isn’t much but at least not upwards. The sun is shining here & I’m sure I’ve lost some inches & I’m wearing some new size 14 wide leg trousers I found in the M & S sale😀 I know that their sizing is now much more generous than it was when I was younger but it’s cheered me up. I’m pear shaped so most of my excess weight is on my bottom, stomach, legs & thighs which doesn’t help my arthritic knees.
I will be very careful with what I eat today & am back again spending more pennies losing fluid, but drinking more water, so hope my body is on the move again. Lunch will be 50g feta cheese with an avocado & salad before I go out to play Mahjong & supper the Keto Chunky courgette & prawn soup which is delicious. So I hope for a better outcome when I weigh tomorrow! I also like making the Roasted Butternut & cashew nut Fast 800 soup which is more calories but also delicious!
I hope everyone has a positive result this week👍onwards & downwards.🍀🍀
Margaret

Margaret, as Wendy says, don’t despair. That always happens in week 3 or 4. Your body has let go of a lot of fluid and some fat and now it needs some time to catch up. To quote s-g, just keep on keeping on and you will start to see a discard again. It’s a good time to take some measurements too as often at this stage you may not see much movement on the scale, but can often see it in the tape measure.
It is indeed a tough time of year. Things will get brighter though. We’ve had a rainy few days, but it will be cold and sunny again over the weekend.
I bought some cashews yesterday while I was picking up some cat food at the shopping centre near my work. Seemed like a fairly good choice at the time, but I ate too many. I will have to try to find some brazil nuts instead as I seem to be able to ration those better.
I had a late lunch of borscht and rye bread with cheese and alfalfa sprouts, so dinner was fairly light. Crab cakes from the freezer with avocado.

Margaret, please don’t be despondent. It’s late here but I will come back tomorrow to respond. Our internet has been restored.
This is a tough time of year, and very challenging . It’s ok not to be perfect. I understand the disappointment though.

SG is home and recovering with visits from the district nurse. She has an impressive set of staples ! She has been told to take it easy for 3 weeks.

Thank you for setting up this thread Wendy despite the difficulties. I also seem to be having trouble & standing still weight wise this week. It’s the third week for me & I’m trying really hard to keep between 800 – 900 calories following the fast 800 recipes & trying to keep my protein intake up. I’m rather puzzled but my scales show no weight loss so far this week & I’m trying to not become despondent. I will weigh on Saturday.
Margaret

Yes I also drink more water but don’t record my carbs only calories & protein because I’m mostly following the fast 800 or Keto recipes & assume they keep below the 50 grams of carb. But of course I may be eating more calories than I think I’m recording & eat between 800- 900 because I suppose the count may not always be accurate. My clothes do feel looser so I must have lost some inches and I’m still spending more pennies so I suppose I just need to be more patient. But thank you for message.
Margaret

Really appreciating the input on this thread … so good to see more frequent posts from you all.
Glad the horses are doing well, Arctic. Will give that salad dressing a try, although I’ve never seen that broccoli salad where I shop, I’m sure it will work with other options.
Caronl, hope you have a wonderful trip to UK … Will look forward to hearing about it when you’re back.
I too am happy the days are getting noticeably a little longer, V. Your lunch sounds good. Personally, I’d be more than delighted to be packing for sunny weather, but I’ve got awhile to wait yet.

Positives for today are….
😀 lovely social get together at the pub last evening.
🍴🍴 currently doing a feng shui 27/9, so tackled the cutlery draw today. Moved several things on, either to other homes in the kitchen, or disposed of completely. The draw looks wonderfully tidy now.
🧘‍♀️ slowly reestablishing daily meditation, already sleeping better.

Looking forward to seeing more positives posted here, so please join in

You’re far from alone in struggling, Ruby, but we’ll hit our stride as lighter days arrive I’m sure. In the meantime, just do what you can and count maintaining as a positive, even if it is at a higher weight than desired.

Wishing SG a good recovery.
I am here, not in the right headspace, not bothering with excuses either, and I’m the same weight I was after Christmas.
I am really struggling with motivation in the cold, dark, grim weather.
I’ll continue lurking on the forums for now.
I too like Harissa, especially the El Fez one which has a smoky flavour – added to ratatouille or soups it really boosts the flavour.
Last night we had the obligatory haggis, but no neeps or tatties, just a medley of brassicas (savoy cabbage, sprouts and cauli leaves). There would have been some carb in the haggis, but not a huge amount.
Have a good weekend everyone.

Hello – do you know how many grams carb you are averaging daily?
I find drinking a lot (2.5ltr) of water daily helps but I wouldn’t categorically advise that for everyone. It works well for me but sometimes just upping it a little makes a big difference.

I’m very frustrated because I’m keeping to my calorie allowance, am still not in Ketosis & have not lost any more weight!🤔🙁

DCT – wish I could send some warmer weather your way – it’s heading for 37 degrees here today! ☀️ 🌞

Hello there, me I would love some help, I’ve just started the diet, 3 days in, I’m so worried about the cravings too…as I just give in. I feel the cravings starting, as I ate a spoon of jelly & a spoon of cake this evening. Any advice would be great & well appreciated.
Thanks
SA

Hi everyone!

Caron your post reminded me that I must contribute to this thread more regularly.

Well finding positives today has been easier than usual……
🥗🍓👫 Lunch at home with friends. Poached salmon, Greek salad, hummus, tzatziki etc. Good to be able to control the food we eat!
🧺🩳👗 Washing almost up to date. Just need to iron before I start packing next week. I always find it difficult to pack summer clothes when it’s so cold outside.
🌖🌖🌖 Days are really lengthening. Great to get to 5pm before it gets dark so that’s making me feel very much brighter.

Hope the week is being kind to you.

Arctic Fox i shall follow your example and get some seeds planted on my return from the UK! Drying off the horses sounds like a real work-out. V and Sunny-B, so good you are posting despite the grey clouds. They will pass. x
Positives?
1) No further weight loss in last 3 days, BUT my waist and (vaguely) cheekbones are starting to emerge,
2) About to do my music homework for choir tonight. Good to get restarted after the Christmas period.
3) Found a nice scarf for my mother’s birthday by pure chance. Just what I was looking for – and in the local newsagents. Sometimes local shops rather than the internet can be the solution!

Best wishes for Wednesday and coming days. Will not be posting till next week while on my travels to the UK.

Hi everyone

Some great progress on here! Mariet 6lb is amazing, though I’m sorry you were ill, and hope you feel better. And Sue and Nevergiveup, it’s great that you are starting to fit into smaller clothes.

I had to smile both Mariet and Sue at your tummy references as that is my bugbear too. Even when I was down to my lowest weight a couple of years back, I still recall having a bulgy tummy.And I know it’s a postmenopausal thing but still dream of having a flatter tummy again. That’s actually more important to me than numbers on the scales, because there are so many of my clothes that do fit ok but would look and feel a way lot better with less tummy bulge to contain 😂

But it’s good to hear that everyone is moving along in their own way, despite all the stresses and strains of daily life. We’re still less than halfway through this 8 week journey, so plenty of time to see more fabulous results.

I’ve been a bit in a holding pattern for the last week or so; neither gaining nor losing. But things have been given a new impetus this week as my hubby has decided definitely to go gluten free for a while (did toy with it before due to tummy troubles and we bought MM Clever Guts book) so I will join in seeing as much of it overlaps with BSD/Fast 800 anyway. I’m hoping that with having someone else in the house committed to improved diet as well I may see a bit more progress.

My exercise has also plummeted due to the weather. Any excuse I know, but I’ve felt so cold and miserable – also still not fully over the Christmas flu thing – that I’m still in couch potato mode. But there are rumours of milder weather to come, and I’m also beginning to feel better, so I hope to start getting those steps up again over the next week or two.Will report back in due course.

Hope everyone has a good rest of the week.

Hello everyone, trust you are all keeping on keeping on.
SueBlue – that’s so encouraging to be fitting into smaller clothes than you initially look for, well done. Looking forward to that stage 😊 Back in September I was a firm 20/22 and now it’s 18/20 so its small progress.
Today I was finally back to the just marginally below the weight I was pre-Christmas. It took many pints of water to get that to shift! Glad to be back in that space and looking forward to getting stuck in further. Onwards and downwards.

Day 3 – ended up on 1114 cals yesterday but that’s including all green leafy veg as well as everything else. I prefer to count everything so I know where I am. Would kill for a piece of toast right now but won’t – maybe an omlette in a bit if I’m hungry.

Hi everyone,
Very glad to hear SG has come through her surgery alright.
I’ve been struggling a bit over the last few days as well, but not doing too badly today. I had mushroom and barley soup for lunch and dinner was spiralized zuchinni and carrot with pesto, avocado and prawns.
Russian – I have struggled with low iron and anaemia as well and know that feeling of needing carbs and chocolate all too well. I banned chocolate from the house completely for more than a year, but have recently allowed Lindt 100% with orange to be in the house. The fact that it doesn’t have sugar in it keeps me from eating too much at once.

Oooh, SunnyB, gardening! Even with frozen fingers! We had more snow today. It was looking like an early spring for most of January here as it was so mild, but we will be back down to -18 C by the weekend, so a ways to go before it is gardening season here. I have some specialty flowers started under grow lights and will be babying them along for the next 10 weeks or so before they can be planted out.
The broccoli slaw I use is just pre-packaged from the supermarket, with black beans, pepitas, green apple and chopped red pepper added. Then tossed in a dressing made from soy sauce, sesame oi, rice vinegar and ginger. Very simple and makes a quick but nutritious dinner. I always have lots of leftovers for lunches too.
Not many positives to report for today as it was a bit heads down at work, but I have a couple:
1. tending to my little flower seedlings, I found some more germinating after I had written them off. The others look to be growing fairly well at the moment, so fingers crossed that continues.
2. It was warm at noon today so I pulled the horses rugs off, which they really enjoyed, but then it snowed in the afternoon and they stood out in it and got a bit wet. I had to towel them off before putting their rugs back on this evening, but it gave me the opportunity to work on some fun training things that I’m doing with my young, very clever one. He is learning to pick things up and pass them to me, so we worked on that for a bit with the towel. He much prefers picking up my gloves though.