Thank you both for your replies. You’re right, it’s an emotional rather than physical hunger. Which is harder to satisfy I think.

A 200lb weight loss! Wow – I’m speechless! Congratulations.

Mariet that’s rough. You expect results when you’ve been so good! I hope the whoosh fairy visits soon. You are so close to goal though, maybe your body has decided you are already there?

Milalin I hope everything goes well.

Shanshu, it’s been an eye opener that’s for sure! I weighed my yogurt this morning and realised that even though I thought I’d been eating a tiny amount ‘by eye’ I was waaay over! So am now going to be militant.
As for dark chocolate I also couldn’t eat it, as a huge milk and white chocolate fan I despaired of ever being able to like the dark stuff but I have to tell you, I really love it now! I think it’s partly because if that’s all I’ve got then I’ve had to learn to love it if I want a treat. It’s great with coffee which helped but I started with 70% with mint bits in it and that was so delicious I gradually worked up to 86%. it was largely thanks to Esnecca’s decadent descriptions of pressing sea salt into slightly melted dark chocolate that did it for me!!
You sound like you’re in a very positive place and really motivated, I’m so glad for you, I remember yours and also JulesMaigret’s names from last time too, I look forward to hearing of your successes in the next 4 weeks!

Woohoo Natalie! Great result!

Congratulations Flick!

Thanks Mariet and don’t be disheartened it will happen! I’ve been doing everything to get ready but I try not to think too much about what’s ahead. All the wonderful wishes here and messages and visits from friends over the last couple of weeks has helped my confidence. It’s just got to be done and is a huge step towards my new life. I’m really looking forward to getting into the next challenge, though I might be a bit slow to start. Best wishes to you and everyone for tomorrow.

Hi Marsie and thanks again. Yes time is flying now. Weight wise I’m sure I’m up a bit with all that’s going on but I know I’ve been eating well and I’m a lot healthier from following this WOE.
I had bloods done again yesterday and it’s reflected successfully there. A few more kilos would have been nice but I look forward to achieving that before the transplant! Other than that I know I’ve stuck to high protein n good fats. I’m not perfect but I’ve seldom strayed into carbs I shouldn’t have. When I have my BSL has risen so I know this works for me.
Hoping everyone has successful results tomorrow, even if it’s not reflected in weight we have the group, the next challenge with Topcac’s catchy name and I’m sure just by attempting this, better health physically and psychologically. KOKO We will get there! Idk what all the other letters are as my short term memory is a bit affected atm and I’m too lazy to look back.

Well said Theodora. I think the best thing about the NHS is the total lack of crippling bills. Sorry I took offence alliecat, but you sounded as if you thought we existed in a state of primitive, ineffective healthcare purgatory.

I am a great fan of konjac noodles. They do some transparent ones which are great in Chinese style stir fries. The Chinese supermarket here sells frozen squid tentacles which are good in stir fries – I’m afraid I take the idle option and buy them ready prepared in M&S. So, chopped veg, seafood and glorious calorie free noodles makes a seriously filling meal.

I know exactly what you mean about “something nice”. I try and console myself with the thought that this is just mouth hunger. It’s hard sometimes, but I’m sure you will find the results of your endeavours encouraging. Good luck.

What does “something nice” mean to you? What’s nice about it, exactly? Obviously it’s not nice to your body. The opposite is true. The “nice” stuff brutalizes it, so it must be something emotional/mental, and that means you can change it. You can break out of this prison, I promise you.

I weighed more than 300 lb when I started the Fast 800 in August 2016. I can’t tell you the exact figure because unlike you, I didn’t have the ovarian fortitude to weigh myself until the 4th week. Fourteen months later I’d said goodbye to 200 of the pounds, and am a fervent evangelist of the BSD way of eating.

Good for you for facing the nightmare of the scale with honesty and forthrightness. That’s a scary thing for people who have lived in avoidance and denial for so long. The fact that you did it and posted the hard truth here attests to the strength inside of you. Cling to that. Don’t paint yourself as a weakling beholden to old patterns. Cut the carbs, punch self-defeating thoughts in the face, and move forward into liberation and light.

Welcome to the forum, MamaTri. You’ll always find support and help here whenever you need it. 🙂

It’s day one. I’m not starving but I just “fancy something nice” which is my eternal downfall. But I really need to get my arse in gear. I’m the heaviest non-pregnant weight I’ve ever been. 218.6lbs. I can barely even bring myself to write it down. But memorialize it, I must.

How often do people weigh in? I’m thinking twice a week.

This has to work.

Theo, your wish is my command.

https://s13.postimg.org/qzr6jdpw7/shirt.jpg

Fiber and fat is the winning combination. The food you ate on day one barely has any of either of them (except for the linseed and yogurt). Chia seeds and coconut cream pudding will fill you up for hours, as will nuts (the best ones are Brazil nuts, pecans and macadamias), cacao nibs, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, avocadoes and greens with fibrous ribs or stalks. Broccoli rabe/rapini are my favorites. Close on their heels come turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, chard, escarole and chickory. Another option is konjac noodles. They’re all fiber so the carbs net out to zero and the calories are so low you could eat a whole bag without making a dent in the 800-cal limit. You won’t eat a whole bag, though, because you will be fit to bursting halfway through. Top with sauteed zucchini, scallions, cream cheese or creme fraiche and a little chicken broth to thin it out plus a grating of parmesan on top and it makes a heavenly pasta with barely any carbs.

I’m not clear on what you mean when you say “this 800 version” and “I’ve done this diet before.” Do you mean you’ve done the 5:2 before but this is your first attempt at the Fast 800? Or you’ve done some other iteration of the BSD but not sticking to the 800 calorie limit?

Why does that scare you? Olive oil, avocado, nuts, yogurt, seeds, grass-fed meats and line caught wild fish, these are healthy fats. They are necessary for your body to function (unlike carbs) and help keep you satiated and full, all the more important on a very low calorie diet.

As far as fasting is concerned, the BSD is fully compatible with it. Feel free to have 1, 2 or 3 meals a day. Whatever suits you. I never eat breakfast, for example, and every couple of months I do an extended 3-day fast. This month it was 4 days and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I am insulin resistant so I don’t eat starchy carbs of any kind. I eat fewer than 20 grams of carbs a day, almost always fewer than 10. I avoid fruit, with the exception of the occasional raspberry or blueberry, and vegetables that are high in sugar like beets, onions and tomatoes. Nor do I eat beans, pulses or cereals, including so-called healthy ones like quinoa and oats. I eat plenty of protein and never get constipated, largely because I make sure to include high fiber foods in my daily regimen. Have you tracked your fiber intake? It should be at least 25 grams a day, but most people don’t get close to that figure.

I lost 200 pounds in 14 months on the Fast 800 and I’ve kept it off for 4 months, even losing a few more pounds as I reversed out of the 800 calorie ceiling. This system works. You don’t have to do it as strictly as I have. Plenty of people on this forum eat vegetables, fruit and beans I wouldn’t even be in the same room with. 😀

Good luck!

Thank you for your thoughts.
When I have done a similar diet, I am usually between 45-60 g carbs but the fat percentage seems REALLY high to where it scares me. I use FitDay to log my food and when I have been on a similar diet, it seems like
the fat percentage is too high. For example, if I have a 1/2 TBL of olive oil and a 1/2 avocado, my fat percentage goes way up for that day of 600-800 calories.

My god this 800 version is hard going! Gave up after dinner on the first day 🙁 I’ve done this diet before and was never hungry! Only consolation is I didn’t have carbs, I just ended up eating more than 800 cals. Any advice for filling foods for this version??
I had Greek yoghurt with raspberries and linseed for breakfast, soup and cloud bread for lunch and chicken green beans and brocolli for dinner 🙁 TIA X

Signing up again, the end of this four week stint I will be on holiday, but until then I am determined to keep my focus and get my head back in the game. My continued tenure in the 100 club isn’t quite at risk yet, but I really need to be focused for the next few weeks, to get back down at least close to BMI 25, with my level of musculature I don’t expect to be far under it and don’t mind crossing the line occasionally with daily fluctuations but that ‘overweight’ label I am currently giving myself does annoy me, and besides, a couple of my tighter pairs of trousers have started feeling tighter still.

Inka13 – if I don’t weigh and track then I find everything goes to pot. And I find it all too easy not to weigh and track the second I give up to temptation.

Natalie – I’m trying desperately hard to like dark chocolate so I can substitute this but it just doesn’t compare.

JulesMaigret – you were one of my inspirations last time. To hear that you’ve largely maintained the loss is reassuring – I worry that I’ll lose the weight and gain again like I did last time. Definitely have to work on my head to get past the temptation.

Mariet – keeping my fingers crossed for you. They say it’s always hardest to shift the last few pounds. Your persistence is impressive 🙂

Yes, Allie, our health service is great, particularly in an emergency. And no one is ever refused treatment or charged at point of contact. Of course it is underfunded – how could it not be with people living so much longer, and wonderful new innovative treatments for diseases and conditions that just a few short years ago would have been a death sentence. Naturally there are waiting lists, and there will come a time in the not too distant future when a choice will have to be made over what treatments can be given and to whom – in fact it is already happening in places…..what is called here “a postcode lottery” as some areas provide better care than others. But, on the whole, in an emergency you would struggle to get better treatment anywhere.
But our NHS would grind to a halt without immigration and the free movement of labour. My daughter in law is a GP, a partner in a very large practice and works all the hours God sends to give her patients the best possible care, most of her practice nurses are immigrants. My son in law is a consultant heart /lung specialist and clinical director at a large teaching hospital, working in excess of 60 -70 hours a week for the NHS, inc. most weekends, although he’s not officially supposed to, but he does it because he believes in it. Most of his team are immigrants. It leaves him little time for his family, let alone private practice – he certainly doesn’t have time for that. Of course not all NHS workers are quite so diligent, but the vast majority of them are. Of course it has it’s failings, “too many Chiefs and not enough Indians” (old phrase, not meant to be political or offensive) for one, underfunding for another and people taking it too much for granted and taking the p**s for a third. But on the whole it is a good system which works most of the time. I, for one, can’t knock it. Sorry, off my soapbox now – it’s just something I feel passionate about.

I am hoping to sign off tomorrow with a slight loss over this 4 weeks, but it feels a little like cheating as only on this last day did I manage to actually stick properly to a planned fast day! This morning I was a pound up from boxing day, and I have spent almost a week above my new higher trigger weight before finally getting my brain in gear today. In 4 weeks time I am on holiday so am going to concentrate on getting my Christmas weight off before I go, and this time will keep weighing and logging until I go, see you on the next challenge thread, and here’s hoping for a loss for tomorrow’s weigh in.

So today was much more disciplined. Probably because I didn’t have time for breakfast and so didn’t really eat before 1. Good for fasting I guess.

Lunch was an experimentation that I will share once perfected but under 200 calories and dinner was the remains of the chicken and mushroom ‘pie’ I made on Sat from the menu that wasn’t overly exciting then and wasn’t any better two days later.

Calories: 730
Carbs: 27g
Water: At least 2L (haven’t been tracking this properly and need to start)
Steps: Less than 6000. No excuse really.

Tomorrow I am in the office so steps will be up. Food tomorrow is fully planned and prepped pretty much so hopefully I should be able to stick with it.

Hi all, signing up again, hope on hope ever.

Goals are to keep recording everything, keep carbs low (under 30) and keep active- difficult in the current heat and humidity but must try harder!

My pathetic hope is that THIS is the month when that last 800g goes and I get to target. Has to happen sooner or later if I keep plugging away 🙂

Last day of the challenge today and I admit I am feeling defeated. I looked back over my records and since buckling down and going back to basics a month go I have averaged 770cal/23carbs a day and 3 litres of water a day. I had one single blow out- one day I had a slice of passion fruit cheesecake and a slice of garlic pizza. Nothing else off plan throughout the month but the scales have swung around by half to one kilo each day and I end the challenge 200g lighter than I started. Still 800g away from my final goal, which I feel is mocking me each time I get onto the scales. Sigh.

Milalin, all the best for your surgery. You sound so very well prepared, I really hope it goes well and will be looking for you when you feel well enough to post.

Congratulations to all who’ve had good results and commiserations to others- how I know what you are feeling!

See you on the new challenge- great name!

Lisa different people approach this diet different ways, some have one meal a day, some two or three. Many people fast regularly. Most stick to low carbs (under 50 g, or even under 20 g if they have blood sugar issues) but I’ve found I need a bit more than that for my mental health and possibly to avoid mouth ulcers. I think you can be successful as long as you stick to the general principles, you might need to experiment to find your optimal way of eating.

Thanks, Sunny! One could get creative with this in a number of
ways. Do you think I would be successful by using a whole eggplant
and doubling the mushrooms, adding a few things, and baking
it in advance, then take it out of the frig. ahead of time, reheat in oven
then add the egg and cheese for individual portions each day?
I like the idea of a hot lunch for 1 on a cold winter’s day 🙂

Thanks all. Sunshine-girl the Duromine was my first thought as a culprit but it didn’t make sense that I would get depressed now after so long. And I felt better within 48 hours of increasing carbs a bit so that seemed a strong indication to me. And low carb has made me miserable before. Of course it’s possible that I missing some essential vitamin/mineral by eating a restrictive diet rather than carbs themselves. I will continue to experiment (for the rest of my life, no doubt!) with various food combinations and calorie/carb levels. But I feel great today!

Only a couple of people have noticed that I’ve lost more than 10 kg. On Sunday night at dinner, someone I see every week noticed I wasn’t eating dessert (as I haven’t for most of the past five months or so except for Christmas!) and asked if I was on a diet. I said yes. Later as she was leaving she wished me good luck with the diet. Sigh. I mean, yes, thanks, but can’t you see how skinny I am (relatively) already!!!!!

Natalie,you’re so right, no wonder it tastes so sumptuous! I keep buying the tiny jars so I can further kid myself it can’t be too bad…! BUT I think I’ll actually use up the latest jar making the satay sauce tonight and everyone else can have the skewers and I’ll just have it on braised cabbage, yum! Then I’ll be safe!!
Btw I think your adjustment sounds very sensible and I reckon the weight will still melt away nicely, just beware those valentine booby-traps!

Thought I’d share this, which I made as lunch today:

Diced half a small aubergine and two medium mushrooms, put these in an small ovenproof dish, added some lardons andmixed together with a little butter (olive oil would work fine too). Put in the oven and stirred occasionally until softened, then added some crumbed feta, made a well in the mixture and filled with an egg. Baked until the egg was cooked and served with a good dash of chilli sauce.

All sorts of tweaks could be made to this basic recipe – I’m thinking stilton instead of feta next time for instance. Of course, things like onion, garlic, herbs and spices could be used to ring the changes. By the way, I made the diced aubergine and mushroom quite small, so that it wouldn’t take too long to cook.

Not offering any cals or carbs, as I admit I didn’t calculate these today, but don’t think it would be disastrous.

I’ve been getting mouth ulcers too, I’ve just started increasing fruit and veges a bit so I’ll let you know if that helps! I have no problem with cutting out bread/pasta etc but I do worry about getting enough vitamins from a wide variety of fruit and veges all the colours of the rainbow.

As part of my New Year’s Resolution I have ditched the cartridge razor for a more traditional safety razor. Shaving now takes about three times as long (10-15 mins every morning) but it is a relaxing ritual, involving pre-shave, slow careful saving then moisturising.

I get some time to myself, a close shave and save money – what’s not to like?

Hi Shansu,
I think that you’re right to focus on a time-frame that you’re comfortable with. You have the discipline and the experience to know this works for you.

Like you I had the triple whammy of T2D, High cholesterol and high BP, but also Fatty Liver Disease. Again like you I got them all into normal after losing just over 110lb in about eight months but slipped a bit over the last few months on maintenance and gained/lost the same 5lbs or so, so these four-week challenges are coming at the right time. I’ve just had my diabetic review and all three are still in normal – HBA1c at 35 is the same as last year, so I’m motivated to restart and go for another stone or so over the next six months.

If it’s any consolation, my average intake was around 1000 calories a day when I was on full-blown BSD although I aimed for around 40g of carbs.

Just wondering whether any of you incorporated anything from the Clever Guts book in your diet?

I read it for the first time yesterday – primarily for my OH as due to a lot of antibiotic use I think his gut bacteria is probably not as healthy as it could be.

Obviously there’s things that don’t work with this diet but is it worth incorporating the bits that do?

Inka peanut butter is one of those things where you wonder how they fit so many calories in one spoonful! I don’t eat it much but I do make satay sauce and the calorie count means I can basically only afford to put it on veges, can’t have chicken as well.

I’ll be eating a few more carbs than the rest of you (I’m aiming for 75) but still sticking to BSD low calories and Med diet principles. I’m a big fan of chocolate so I definitely need to keep a tight rein over Valentines Day.

Great title ladies, definitely joining this one! Although I lost the couple of kilos I put on over Christmas on the last challenge, it quickly slowed and yesterday I decided I HAD to start weighing and logging everything as I’m basically unchanged weight wise from 16 months on the bsd! I have been kidding myself that I can guesstimate fairly accurately but boy have I been delusional!! So being brutally honest on FatSecret yesterday I discovered that I’m up around 1600 calories a day! I feel SO stupid. Whilst staying pretty low carb I’ve been chowing down on tablespoons of peanut butter and this coupled with a glass of wine or two most nights has me at DOUBLE, 800 cals- no wonder I haven’t been losing!
I’m coming completely clean on this lovely new thread to stay accountable as I hurl my peanut butter in the bin and get back to basics!
Good luck everyone and I look forward to reading of all your successes in the weeks ahead!

Thanks Jackie & Sunny. I’m happy to hear that the citizens in
the UK have a favorable opinion of how the NHS serves the
population. Those in the US that have private health insurance
receive it through their employers as well. It’s considered a
benefit. The tricky bit is that the reimbursement is usually about
80% of what insurance companies decide are “usual and customary
fees” for services, and that can vary considerably from dr. to dr.,
or regionally. This past year o/h had major surgery for colon
cancer, followed by several life threatening complications that
extended his confinement from 5 to 23 days. The maze of medical
bills are still under consideration, so a “better system” does play
heavily in my thoughts. I always think the UK is light years ahead
of us in terms of the BSD. It’s virtually unknown here, mores the
pity 🙂
You guys are great. Thanks. I’ve learned something today!

Allie

Hi Izzy – thank you for your post. I’ll give it a couple of months of loss and then get tested. I feel really motivated this time (unlike Oct) so I’m confident I will be able to get back to what I was last time I finished the BSD and hopefully further.

Dropping a size or two will be very welcome!

Eat lots of veg, just not lots of root veg (measure carbs on root veg, and control portions). I limited my veg too much and if you go too low fibre it can mess with your bowel movements and your cholesterol.

Hi Sheila. I know how you feel. I could have written your post. Happy to be on board with you. Best of luck. A

Hi all. Yes. I had the tuna salad for Lunch and a snack and mince for tea. It’s missing something but it did. I’ve been very tired lately so I’m hoping to get some energy back. I also haf a couple of cups of tea, one green, no milk and a coffee today. I added some fresh broccoli and cauliflower to dinner. Is thst Ok? I’m not quite sure if I’m allowed veg or not.

An honest question, about your healthcare system, as the issue
is being hotly debated in our country, as well. Please DO refrain
from comment! I’ve seen others you have posted that are consistent
with this one.

I’m really interested in the opinions of friends here. Costs are
escalating out of control in my country. I know that some of you are
healthcare providers and nurses. I’d love to hear what you think about
the demands on our healthcare systems. Your country has seen an
increase in immigration, as has mine. Sometimes it’s hard to
separate fact from fiction. Thanks, all 🙂
Have a great evening,
Allie

There is private insurance here, Allie. You generally access the same care but have greater choice of venue and timing and it can be quicker. So I had a shoulder operation privately which meant I could have it when it was convenient but the same surgeon would have done it on the NHS as well, I would have been allocated a date and put on a waiting list.

There are some things the NHS doesn’t do which you can pay for (if you can afford it), there are National guidelines that they set about what treatments are covered. It’s really very comprehensive though (which is why it costs so much to run/takes a lot of our taxes). How/when they cut off what they provide is very political and can be contentious. However, it is more than possible to go through life in the UK without private insurance and not have to worry about it. I have had life saving treatment various times in my life on the NHS and both my children were born using NHS services.

To an extent it depends on where you live. Where I am the NHS works very efficiently.

Many have private health care insurance in the UK, but then of course, you are limited by the amount of cover you have, so it’s not as simple as just selecting the best surgeon there is and expecting the insurance to cover all the costs. Having said that, for many the cost of private care would be prohibitive, especially for younger people and those in lower paid jobs and pensioners, who live on limited funds. I would say that in the UK most of those who have private health insurance, have it as a company benefit.

In defence of the NHS, by and large the care it offers is good and on occasions spectacular. It is certainly good enough for some outside the country to come here as health tourists, visiting solely to get sound free health care, having never paid anything towards it. In answer to the medications question, yes, there are occasions when the costs preclude the NHS providing them, but the individual does have the option of funding it themselves – assuming they are able to cover such costs. Again though, all health insurance policies have their limitations, so indefinite funding for medications may not always be an option there either.

Lastly,, I’m not sure any government is yet promoting the low carb route to defeating the obesity epidemic sweeping the western world, so the UK guidelines are pretty much in step with the rest, even if those of us here find it hugely frustrating.

On the other hand, nobody’s family is bankrupted by, say, the bill for cancer treatment when insurance runs out. I will refrain from further comment.

Hi all,

Masie thanks for taking care of this three and starting the new February challenge. They re such a great way to stay focussed and in touch.

Here is my challenge wrap up.

Starting weight 70.1kg (at the start I wrote 70.4kg but my record here say .1 so I’ll stick with that) and my target was to lose 4kg

Week 4 my weight 65.8kg (I can hardly believe I’m in the 65s) taking my loss to 4.3kg. Yippee. After a very strange week last week, which finished with a .7kg weight gain in a day, this week has been a big relief, although I do still feel a bit insecure. Still 65.8 also puts in nicely into the healthy BMI range at 24.6. I have been this weight for two days and am quite happy about that.

My back injury is still restricting activities, but I am now more consistent with long daily walks and if it took a weight gain to get me outside enjoying the early mornings with my lovely dog, then so be it.

All the best to everyone else. See you on the Feb thread.

It IS sad, Izzy! Very cynical, too. As an American, I’ve been
learning here what socialized medicine looks like, rationed
care, etc. I’m very grateful to have private insurance, and the
freedom to select any specialists and top hospitals of my
own choosing. If I have any tests done, I receive a phone call
with the results within 24 hours from my personal physician.
I would find it hard to imagine waiting 2 weeks to have a phone
conversation with my doctor. I’m very curious though, are there
those in the UK who do have private insurance? I understand
that for elective surgery such as a hip or knee replacement, it
can take months on NHS? Do I have that right? Do the cost
of some medications preclude you from having access to them?
I’ve always wondered about this!

They sound like a great solution for everyday use. I was thinking I would add bras to my ‘at target shopping spree’. It might be more sensible to try to find at least a couple of comfortable sports bra options for the next month or two … I’ll report back.

My bff gave me a couple of very cleverly designed sports bras she had bought in a Kickstarter that turned out to be too small. She followed the sizing guidelines, but as so often happens, the guidelines were crap. She never got around to returning them so now they’re mine and I absolutely adore them. No squishboob! Proper cups, reversible, no underwire or padding, no endlessly slipping straps, don’t-even-know-it’s-there comfort whether I’m exercising or loafing around. The band is very stretchy and there are 5, count ’em, 5 rows of hooks to ensure you get just the right fit. Maybe something like that could work for you, Flick. They’re not pretty in the sense of lace and silky bits, but they have great colors and make your rack look awesome. My OH, who remains my ends of the earth guy after almost 25 years, had a very pronounced positive reaction which I assure you he does not have to my chest-flattening sports bras. 😀

Hello all, I was woken up my a mosquito (bloody annoying things) at 4.30 this morning. It is now 6am here and I’v been awake since then so thought I’d quickly add my two week report before heading off for a walk.

So Round 2, Week two

Starting weight 67.5kg
Week 1 67.3kg (that was such a disappointing and unsettling result)
Week 2 65.8 -1.5kg 🤸‍♀️
BMI 24.6 🌟🌟🌟

What a relief.This is my second morning at this weight so hopefully it will ‘not take a single step backwards!’. That .7kg jump up last week still haunts me. On the bright side it spurred me on to be more consistent with long walks which, though not necessarily making a difference to the weight loss, are certainly adding pleasure and happiness to my days.

Very happy news to report on the measurement front. No change to my waist, but 2cm off my hips and 2cm from my thighs! I am very excited about this.

There have been many NSVs as well. Most interestingly, I am finding the heat of summer much more manageable. Previously I would be sweating and cursing, now I often find myself breathing deeply and enjoying the way hot air relaxes muscles. Of course I still hide away safely indoors from extreme heat and moan about very hot nights.

Now to get my tired old bones out the door for a walk in he lovely cool summer morning air.

Hi Squidge – why not make your own, using almond flour and an egg, plus any flavourings and/or seasonings you might like to add. Roll the dough out thinly between sheets of baking parchment, score into the size of crisp bread you require and bake. They really couldn’t be simpler. I use this method to make very thin small crackers, but see no reason it won’t work just as well for a crisp bread. By making them yourself, you know what is in them and can calculate the cals and carbs according to how many pieces you make.