I think I would starve to death if I had to live on what other people consider treats! My husband’s mother was English, so all that side of the family love Christmas pudding, mince pies and trifle. Yuck! Then on here we have suggestions like stinky cheese, oysters and caviar!

Give me rare roast beef with broccoli (ok, and one piece of potato) followed by 70% dark choc (don’t yet have a taste for darker) and I’m happy.

Oh give me strength, I have to go to the markets again and it is mango season. A new level of torture to add to the bedlam that is the markets at this time of year.

Mariet and Sueblue, I reckon you are both champions. I really admire your determination and guts. Mariet, I started at about the same weight as you and can’t imagine reaching the low 60s. Hat’s off to you. You’ll make it that tiny bit further to your goal in the new year, without a doubt.

Sueblue, your success at sticking to a better health/weight loss commitment through thick and thin is stunning. Getting through Decemeber with only a minor gain or staying at a stable weight is totally impressive.

When I rant on about not taking a backward step, not waivering, I’m just trying to bolster myself up. I know I’m such a quitter when it comes my own well being, I am always a hair’s breadth away from saying it is all too hard. I reckon I’ve only got about 2 ‘deviate/splurge followed by reset’ in me, before throwing in the towel – so I have to be rigid.

I do hope my rants are not having a discouraging effect on anyone who is able to succeed with a more flexible approach.

Anyway, I had better go tackle the hoards at the markets.

Warmest best wishes to everyone for a wonderful Christmas break.

Articfox, I really enjoyed reading this recipe. Is this a site you read
regularly and would endorse? I’m ready to expand my horizons into
being more creative with new low carb ideas in the new year! Thanks
in advance for your reply…

Allie

Oh dear! Krysia I tried peanut butter on a square of chocolate and now I’m just hooked on peanut butter again!!!!

Just trying damage limitation at the moment but will report back tomorrow!

What a striking couple you and O/H must make, Theo! You and I share
a Russian link, too… My Mother was 100% Ukrainian, black hair, huge
cornflower blue eyes, and skin with a fair amount of melanin in it.
Tanned in a few hours in the southern climes. Father, stawberry blonde
complexion with red stubble on the rare occasion when he didn’t shave
early in the day, English heritage dating back to the 16th century, if
our geneology research is accurate, and the most unusual shade of
blonde hair (not a trace of yellow in it) that persisted until his death
at the age of 47. When I see anyone in a crowd with this color today,
it always brings me up short, 48 years later 🙂 Oh, and grey eyes…
My 2 sisters and I have our parent’s features in differing proportions,
different skin tones, and wildly different shades of blue eyes. Without
ever seeing Mom and Dad, you’d never believe that we are even related!
Completely different body types too…I’m the banana, and we’ve also
got a pear and an apple. Genetics, as you say, is fascinating! I do
wish that I hadn’t been “gifted” with the pale, pink/white skin that is
allergic to the island heat, however! 🙂
It was so interesting to hear about what you’ve prepared to serve
for the holiday that you will be hosting. I was intrigued by the salmon
and cream cheese gateau, so I looked it up on google and located
a recipe/photo from the BBC. It looks lovely!! I think I would enjoy
plopping some caviar on top. ( how is that for greedy?) Anyway, I
really did enjoy perusing your Menu, so thank you for taking the time
to share it with us 🙂 When my grandmother was alive, she did the
whole salute to her English heritage with a flaming plum pudding,
a standing rib roast with yorkshire pudding, overcooked vegetables,
and some very boozy homemade mincemeat tarts. She did this for 25
people, and she was an excellent cook. I’d really like to try a traditional
roast goose someday! Do the boys get anything special???

Esnecca, safe trip tonight on the road north! Very wise of you
to not wait until friday night. Your Mom-in-law sounds like a complete
dream, having your staples waiting for you 🙂 I’ll reveal the full recipe
for the “Sicilian Seafood Stew” when you return. You’re going to love
City Fish! It’s no frills, with a warehouse vibe, but their product is
excellent, and the counter guys are very knowledgeable. Enjoy this
holiday back in New England! So glad that the gourmet dog treats
turned out great. Chat more when you return….

Only 4 days left, everyone!

Allie

I have been missing having wraps, so yesterday I made these cauliflower tortillas:

https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/cauliflower-tortillas-recipe/

They worked out really well. They hold together nicely thanks to the xanthan gum so that you can make them thin enough to use as a wrap, and they taste quite nice as well.

Hi Lilyrose,
I used to be a night eater and what worked for me was just setting a time in the evening after which I would not eat. If I was hungry after that, too bad, and would have to work harder to manage my eating better the next day so that it wouldn’t happen again. By not eating, I was able to figure out that wanting to eat something was my way of dealing with feeling anxious about something. If I didn’t have food to squelch the feelings down, then I was forced to find another way of dealing with it. Now I usually phone a friend or family member in the evening and talk things through instead.

My advice would be to do this WOE at the very simplest level. No calorie or carb counting, simply cut out anything with added sugar, white (or any) bread, rice, pasta and potatoes for a longish period. This will automatically reduce your carbs without hopefully feeding an obsession, and as your palate changes you will probably find yourself moving towards the Mediterranean way of eating as we all did. After doing this for a while you may well be more comfortable with the idea of introducing fasting into the equation, as many of the cravings will be a thing of the past.

Thanks everyone, your thoughts are really helpful

Hi Sals, I have much compassion for you having to deal with an
eating disorder, past or present. There are many of us here who know
this way of eating backwards and forwards, and have been wildly
successful in making it work for us. However, giving psychological
advice that might might trigger your illness would be very irresponsible,
and none of us are qualified to do that. Would you be able to consult
with the therapist that managed your illness? We would be delighted
to help support you if you decide that this is right for you!

Allie

Hi Sals, you probably could categorize my whole life as one big eating disorder until I started on the BSD.
Even if you simply adopt low carbohydrate and healthy fats it will affect your fat deposits and overall health — the research shows that the BSD way of eating protects your body, your pancreas, your brain — literally literally everything.
Why don’t you give it a try for a few weeks at whatever calorie level you want and see how you feel and how the weight shifts?
The more I followed the diet, the better I was able to do it, some days better than others, but ultimately I reached my goal (lost about 50 pounds) so I KNOW you can do it successfully at a more moderate level.
The critical things are: cut the carbs to 20-60 grams per day, eat healthy fat, get enough protein and try to get the exercise recommended.
You can EASE into this — don’t make it too hard — you are going to amaze yourself and feel so good and sleep like a baby. All the research points this direction — you will benefit from ANY level of this diet.

Hi Sals,

When I had one of these body scans done at the gym a few weeks ago I was told by the trainer that the normal range body fat went up to 36%. As well as speaking to your doctor do you have access to a good (reputable) trainer who could advise you, also.

Best of luck
Marie

This is a good idea! Thankyou

Hi Nick
I am sure you will manage to do this diet. Because of the type of food you are rarely hungry, and as far as drinking water is concerned, that was my issue initially but I was so thirsty that I had to drink so you will be fine.Im coming to the end of my 8 weeks now and I am no cook, i have just kind of managed to wing it really with my own take on stuff but keeping within the 800 cals and about 20/25% carbs. I use my fitbit to monitor it all and thats kept me on track. I plan to have my Christmas dinner then get straight back on it on Boxing day. It does work though. I have lost approx 8 inches off my tummy and nearly 2 stone now in weight, thats how I managed to stay on it because I saw fast results. You will smash it!

Thanks for your post.
For me 800 seemed like a fast ! I normally eat a lot more and am very active so cutting to 800 was a very difficult experience.
I have belly fat so I know I need to lose the fat – it’s hard when you have a history an eating disorder – there doesn’t seem to be a way of addressing excess fat once you’ve recovered. Sure I’m not the only person experiencing this though – I don’t hold out much confidence in my GP 😕

Hi Sals, I’m about 35% fat too but according to the fancy scales at the gym my visceral fat is in the healthy range. So don’t assume it’s that! As SunnyB says check with your Dr xx

Hi Sals – little confused, as the BSD is not a fasting way of eating like the 5:2, when you eat normally on five days and fast on two. Yes, it is low calorie and low carb but I guess it asks a lot, especially of someone with an eating disorder in their history. I don’t feel qualified to advise if the BSD is a wise way for you to go and I would suggest discussing your concerns with your GP, both about the possibility you are a TOFI and if you can safely try the BSD again.

Best of luck in finding the best course of action.

I’m 50 years old and my BMI is 21 and I’m 35% body fat – which is too high. I think I’m a TOFI !
I would like to get rid of my extra internal fat and I did try the 800 fast but only managed 3 days ! I found it really hard. It’s more complicated as I had an eating disorder until I was in my 30s and the fasting made me obsess about food. I know it says not to do this diet if you have had an eating disorder but I also need to lose this fat ! Any advice ?

•marie123. Oh, that scans much better, Marie, thank you. Funny, isn’t it, you look at something for so long you can’t see the woods from the trees.

Lol, Marie, yes it was the Ashes. Interesting to know that our new stadium is spoken of “over there” although Crows Nest hasn’t been commonly used, though I can see why it would attract that name. The Ashes tests in Perth will all be played there now, and I suppose against most other test nations, with the WACA kept for more low attendance matches. Can’t wait to start using it early next year and, as it is primarily a football (Aussie rules) stadium, I’ll be there often for our footie and cricket teams.

You’re doing very well, Marie! Congrats on the 10stone👏👏 and very soon to your BMI goal, such great progress😊

•Mariet, I admire your strength of character and that will carry you through this busy time. Have a wonderful Christmas with your great partner and family x

•Natalie, I have had a sore mouth, ulcers, after a sugar binge … thankfully not for some time. And candy canes, I have usually hung some on our tree but this year I haven’t opened the pkt of canes, despite 9yo grandson begging me to as he was “helping” me dress the tree today. Don’t know why I bought the pkt … on sale/habit. I’m going to throw them out, why keep temptation in the house? And why encourage anyone else to take in that much sugar?

Hi Natalie

It’s Keep On Keeping On – I think sunshine-girl said it first (but could be wrong).

Marie

Allie, funnily enough my family ranges from blue-eyed blondes, brown-eyed blondes, green and brown eyed redheads, blue, green and brown eyed brunettes (not in the same person, obviously😉) and me – black hair (at least til it turned grey) with almost black eyes (eyebrows still black). Mother was brunette (now white) with green eyes, father was gorgeous auburn with dark brown eyes. O/H is blonde (what there is left of it) with intensely pale blue eyes (think Paul Newman😋). One of my sons has inherited my intensely dark colouring, both my other kids are brunettes with a touch of red, both with golden-brown eyes. My sister is a redhead (dark brown eyes), who at the moment – and you will love this Essie – is sporting quite a large emerald green streak to celebrate her 70th, was married to a guy with black hair (dark brown eyes), and all her 3 kids are blonde! So go figure – genetics are a wonderful and peculiar thing😜

Loving the jewellery links, Essie, although I’m not much of a jewellery person myself, love to see other people wearing it, particularly such fun pieces.

Our Christmas dinner is very traditional – starting with a smoked salmon and cream cheese gateau (already made and in the freezer) with watercress, followed by roast goose with all the trimmings for the meat-eaters, and a delicious caramelised vegetable tarte tatin (also already made and in the freezer) for the vegetarians (who are all, thankfully, actually pescetarians so we can all eat the same starter) There will be a choice of puds – Christmas pud obviously (my 92 year old mother’s contribution, which she makes on stir-up Sunday every year and has done since she got married in 1945), a chocolate roulade (made and in the freezer), or fresh berries, all with a choice of Greek yoghurt, double cream, brandy butter, or ice cream (or all 4 for the piggies amongst our guests😆, of which there are myriad – I am the only one in the family who has ever had a weight problem😭) There will follow a cheeseboard for anyone who still has a smidgeon of room left. I will eat pretty much whatever I fancy, apart from the obvious refined carbs, because frankly (1) my appetite is so diminished these days that I know I won’t overeat(half portions are more than enough for me) and (2) I could really do with putting on a couple of pounds!! Who on earth would have thought I’d be saying that a year ago????

Allie, the seafood stew sounds delicious – we are sticking to seafood on Boxing Day. Essie, roast duck is one of my favourites, so enjoy.

Lilyrose, good ideas from Allie. More often than not, what we feel is indeed “mouth hunger” not actual hunger.

These days (I’m 8 months in maintenance) I have weaned myself off “grazing / snacking” almost entirely, although occasionally I still fancy something in my mouth, generally something salty (we need to keep our salts up if we are drinking enough water) so my “go to” favourites on these occasions are one very thin slice of prosciutto or parma ham, which I chew really slowly or (can’t believe I’m admitting to this yet again on a public forum, and please don’t let my o/h know😜) I stick my finger into a jar of marmite and slowly lick the resulting “marmite finger lollipop”.

Just beware of carrots – rather high carb, 100g contains approx 10g carbs so please try to keep them to a minimum. When losing, I tried to keep my daily carb allowance below 20g per day so, you can see that eating carrots would soon use that up! Of course, not everyone is so stringent, most aim for below 50g, in which case the occasional carrot can be accommodated if you really love them.

Good luck.

Thanks, Esnecca — that sounds like great advice. Much appreciated.

Hi again, Lilyrose! As you can no doubt already see, there are a lot of us invested
in your avoiding bariatric surgery. Long term success stories with that option
aren’t spectacular, either! I can certainly relate to certain periods of the day
being more challenging than others. While I was back in the weight loss phase,
I practiced this little mind game with myself. I asked “are you really hungry or
do you just want something in your mouth?” I always kept a bowl of hard
boiled eggs in the refrig. for this purpose. If they appealed to me in the
moment, I knew I was genuinely hungry. If they didn’t, I closed the refrig.
door and instead got another glass of water or a cup of tea. Others here
found it useful to hold back a bit of lunch or dinner each day so they
would have something previously counted when these moments strike.
I’m sure others will be along soon to share their tips and tricks! It’s
really all about the planning when it’s “early days”. Before you know it,
it will all become second nature to you. There is always a learning curve
in throwing out old knowledge about “diets” and replacing it with something
new that works! 🙂

Best,

Allie

Verano – Wonderful that the high carb food you used to delight in, is no longer palatable to you. Like you, my tastes have dramatically changed – crispy roast spuds don’t do it for me any more, crumpets with marmite don’t do it for me any more and pasta carbonara doesn’t to it either – not even tempted.

The low carb brownies were successful, although a little higher in both cals and carbs than I’d perhaps like – 210cals/10gcarbs per piece. As an occasional indulgence now I’m in maintenance, I think it’s allowable though. I have frozen the bulk of the batch, so that I can take out just one or two as and when. The cal/carb count could be pulled lower by using an alternative sweetening agent, but as I have yet to find one that I don’t find objectionable and I can’t taste, so I stuck with using a small amount of light brown sugar.

The recipe in brief:

150g Butter and 300g Dark Chocolate melted together (I used a 74% one from Lidl)
60g Light Brown sugar (or the appropriate amount of your chosen alternative sweetener), beaten together with 4 eggs until mousse-like and quadrupled in volume.
Add the ground seed of 9 cardamom pods and 2tbsp ground chia seed and beat well. (You could use more ground chia it you like)
Beat in 150g of cold, steamed and well mashed Swede / Pumpkin / Butternut Squash – which ever you have / prefer. (I used pumpkin.)
Fold the cooled chocolate/butter mix into the batter mix and when thoroughly combined, pour batter into a lined square baking tin and bake until centre is set and skewer comes out clean.
Cool the brownie in the tin on a wire rack for 10mins and then remove from tin to finish cooling. The brownie is crumbly so hand gently and carefully cut into desired number of pieces (I did 16 approx. 5cm x 5cm). Store in airtight container.

Result is a really soft melt in the mouth brownie, with an intensely rich chocolate flavour. Have decided if I make them again, I will use maple syrup to pull down the cals/carbs a little and might think about adding a different spice – ginger perhaps – although I really love cardamom.

This week has been a bad news week at our house (death of a friend, death of a cousin and OH’s cousin diagnosed with a brain tumour) and I found myself laying awake last night, in reflective mood and counting blessings. There was a small upward blip on the scales this morning, but my positives for today push that very much to a secondary level:
1) Thanks to the BSD, I’m slimmer, fitter and healthier than I have been in way too many years.
2) I have a wonderful OH, am part of a loving and caring family and have some great friends.
3) I’m privileged to have a warm, safe home.
And those are without counting additional blessings, like quality of life and travel.

Still staying calm about the festive season and will be doing a little more prep toward that today, but not knocking myself out. As you say V, it’s just one day!

Enjoy your day everyone and appreciate as much about it as you can.

Thank you Marsie and Marie, I’m feeling better already 🙂 You’re right, I have a busy social calendar though no more than many others I’m sure. A bit of background, my first husband decided that he didn’t want to be a father and left as soon as I became pregnant with our second child. So my 30s and most of my 40s I practically had no social life at all. When family and friends are looking after the kids so you can work you don’t want to ask them for more so that you can go out. Not complaining mind, that’s just how it was and I was happy and busy with the kids and the house & garden. Then 12 years ago I met my current partner and he is an extremely social man! I’ve met so many good friends and had so much fun in this last decade 🙂 The cost was steadily increasing weight, 18kg in 10 years and I wasn’t tiny to start with. I’m so grateful to have found the BSD. I managed to lose the weight while still going out etc, but this month has been really hard with so many events in such a short period. But as you say, determination is the key and I’m damned if I’m going to get so close and give up now!

I like the name for the new challenge! Well done 🙂

What is KOKO? I’ve seen a couple of people use it recently.

I made a terrible “food” choice this evening – a candy cane. 25 grams of sugar mixed with glucose syrup (and a little mint flavour). I did enjoy it but now my tongue is really sore. Does anyone else get that? If I eat too much sugar it’s like my tongue is all scratched and swollen. I’ve had two mugs of home made chicken broth to sooth it. Will not be including candy canes as a treat again!

That is a great idea Theodora, I will do that as soon as I have posted. Last night was good but I found myself wanting to snack later in the evening. I used carrot sticks and some hummus, but I think that this time of day might be a weak spot for me. Any suggestions?

Yes, Verano, “treat” will mean different things to different people. Imagine giving a “trick or treat”er some nut butter, smelly cheese or half a lobster!!
There are myriad wonderful things on this plan, and the expensive ones are my treats, hot smoked salmon for example, or baby vegetables. And of course the smelly cheeses that I have to eat in the garden.
I am going to try the chocolate and nut cuter tonight!

Hi Marsie,

I like it. What about changing it slightly to

“2018, a happy new year
Meeting our goals with great good cheer” 4wk challenge to 23rd Jan

Mariet, I wrote a response to you last night, but lost it as I tried to post so went to bed instead. Like Marsie, I read your profile. You’ve done brilliantly so no need to feel bad – but good idea to tighten up your plan.
Two things also jumped out from your post – ‘five more parties’ – wow, you are one popular woman! and ‘pool parties yesterday’ – that’s a hard one to read from over here!

Marsie – talking about weather – you mentioned in another post about it being so hot in Perth when it was snowing here – I mentioned this to my husband who immediately started talking about the WACA – I’ve since been told about the new cricket stadium ‘the crow’s nest’ ?!? and given a blow by blow account of the Ashes games (was it the Ashes? – anyway, I know you won). I really must be more careful in future…… . Enjoy the meal with number 1 son.

Good news for me again this week. I’ve lost another 3lb – as usual 1lb Mon, 1lb Tues, 1lb Wed. (Mariet, I don’t go anywhere). Stayed the same this morning. This means I’ve reached my target of getting to 10 stone. I’m within a few lbs of reaching my first big weight goal – shifting down into my healthy BMI range. Happy with that.

Oops, got to go – late as ever – will be back later.

I’m at the office each day and i need to take a lot of food with me( cause in cafe we have only junk food
I have a lot of containers and now i’m looking for a special bag for them

Good morning!

I had a revelation last night. I thought I fancied a piece of toast with butter when I found a couple of slices of brown sourdough bread in the freezer!. I took it out, toasted it, buttered it, tasted it and spat it out! It was, as the name suggests, just a lump of ‘dough’!. Nasty. So my revelation and first of my three positives……

1. My taste buds really have changed. It may only be the second time in 17 months that I have eaten, or at least tried to eat, bread but it is no longer for me!
2. I wrapped my presents and filled my grandchildrens’ sacks.
3. I finally sat down and wrote a menu for Boxing day lunch. There will just be four of us so no great panic really. Now just have to shop!

Hope you are all staying calm and relaxed which I know can be difficult at this time of the year but remember ….. it’s just one day! Have a good day.

Mariet, please don’t feel any shame! I admire your courage in posting 🙂 I’m in the same boat as you and have been lurking in the background, reading everyone’s posts but not wanting to post myself! I’m still 1.8kg away from my 4 week goal, and have been putting ON a weight this challenge instead of losing it! I haven’t even been eating or drinking that much really (especially compared to other Christmases), but all of the lunches/drinks/morning teas add up. This week I’ve lost a bit of what I’ve gained, but am still 700g more than I was at the start of the challenge. I think I was optimistic in thinking I could lose a couple of kilos more before Christmas. In retrospect I should have made my goal to just stay the same weight rather than losing more!
I did find a nice drink that is only a couple of calories – Schweppes mineral water with natural lime flavour. It’s 0.3 carbs and no sugars/artificial sweetener. It was very refreshing on the 2 x 40deg days we had this week!
It’s not all bad for me though, I did a health station check at my local Priceline pharmacy and got a good score there. This time last year my “heart age” was 65 and this time is was 52 (my actual age). My weight is also 12kg less than this time last year and blood pressure was normal (107/74 whereas last year it was 134/115!)
Anyway I will KOKO and am going to do a strict 8 week round in Jan – this will coincide with my 1 year BSD anniversary. I’ve decided it will be “18 in ’18” for me next year – that is lose 18kg in 2018 🙂
I won’t be recording my weight on Christmas Day, so wishing everyone a lovely Christmas and New year and see you in the next thread 😀🎅🎄

BTW there is no way I would still be here and posting , and maintaining in my own way, if it hadn’t been for this forum, all the boards and above all, all the ‘friends’ I have here, pushing and pulling each other along in times of need and praising when earned. So a huge thanks to everyone who is still travelling along this path.

LOL! Esnecca you always make me smile, so thank you for that. So often we only see our faults or failings but forget so easily about our achievements. Yes this has been a good year for me but what about you!!!! I know you had a lot of weight to lose and that in itself is a huge achievement but you are ‘maintaining’ in great style and that I think is the real test.

I have just written a post on another thread and it has made me realise that yes, I have actually ‘arrived’. I may have further to travel with a few more dominoes left to fall but I think I have finally ‘made it’, in reality. Until your taste buds change there may always be the temptation to eat cake. BUT, once your taste buds have altered you no longer desire simple carbs like bread, cake and biscuits (cookies), so it’s so much easier to maintain this WOL. Maybe the real secret is to stop all simple carbs until that day arrives then you won’t want them anyway!!!

Flick it just takes time. After so long without simple carbs I now find milk chocolate ‘cloying’ , orange juice too sweet, bread ( which I have only tasted twice in the last 17 months) too ‘doughy to name but a few foods. Your taste buds change eventually, and it makes going back to simple carbs very, very hard. Maybe one of the real ways to achieve long term success with this way of eating. is to stay away from simple carbs as much as possible until your taste buds change and by then you no longer see cakes, bread, potatoes etc. as ‘exciting’. When that day arrives I think you have made the change a ‘lifetime’ one.

That is so true, Verano. You can check your mini-goal off the list and a whole bunch of gigantic ones off the maxi-goal list. The hip replacement alone would have made this a momentous year for you, but it wouldn’t have happened, as least not anywhere near as efficiently as it did, if it hadn’t been for all your other accomplishments. This journey has had so many steps for you, so many dominoes to line up and knock down, all of them challenging and requiring dedication and endurance that I know you didn’t always think you had. I hope rereading this thread can always remind you of how incredibly dogged, tenacious and determined you really are. You pulled 3 rabbits out of a hat this year, and they weren’t tiny little magician bunnies either. More like those crazy pony-sized Flemish ones.

Bravissima!

WOW! Esnecca what a great way to end the year. Again, thank you for reviving this thread especially as I have now looked back at my first goal for the year again, lose 3.5lbs, which of course I did meet. The rest of the year hasn’t been as great as it might have been weight wise but I think maybe now is a good time to count my blessings for the year anyway. It has been a good one for me with my T2 ‘officially’ being in remission, being drug free at 70, a huge goal met, a new hip and, for the moment at least, a pain free life. This WOL has certainly improved my health this year beyond my wildest dreams. What more can one ask for!!!

Verano, that is such a happy place to be.

To treat or not to treat that is the question??

There have been a series of posts on the ‘treat’ question on these boards and I think, in part, some of the angst is due to our interpretation of a ‘treat’. In the UK a treat is …… an item out of the ordinary that gives pleasure but the North American definition is …. a sweet(candy), a biscuit(cookie) or other sweet item, which has completely different connotations. So reading Krysia’s post I started to think that all of our ‘treats’ are really indulgences, when we let ourselves have something enjoyable but sometimes maybe a little too much of it, but still BSD friendly!

I love 90% chocolate and now have a square with my coffee instead of the digestives I used to eat and that feels ‘indulgent’. Flick your seafood Christmas, apart from the oysters for me, sounds super and a BSD friendly ‘indulgence’. Krysia I have never tried a nut butter on chocolate but that really does sound ‘indulgent’!

After reading all the ‘treat’ posts yesterday last night I had a ‘treat’ of a piece of brown sourdough bread toasted. I thought it would be a ‘treat’ but actually it was, as suggested in the name, just a lump of ‘dough’ which I couldn’t swallow. In fact not a ‘treat’ at all. No, my idea of something special now is definitely BSD friendly but something I maybe don’t eat too often.

After I noticed the size 6P skirt I bought for my OH’s office party was a bit loose on me now, I measured my waist, not really expecting to see change because as I said above, my wobbly bits shift in a way fat doesn’t to make way for smaller waists in clothes than the tape measure says I have. It was 29 1/2 inches. And that’s at end of a long day. I am dazed with delight over this tiny little change. It’s the last goal I had. The last in a long line of dreams I dreamed in times gone by but never truly thought would come true. Not only did I finally achieve my dream goal weight of 120lb, I ended up reaching equilibium at ~117lb (went down to 115.9 a couple of times, up to 119 the day after Thanksgiving; everything else has been in the 116s or 117s for weeks). And now this. A waist measurement that begins with 2.

When I recover from feeling I’m in a Twin Peaks-like hallucinatory dreamland, my next mini-goal will be to redouble my efforts with JackieM’s awesome ab exercises (and by awesome I mean effective, because of course they are all monstrous) and see if I can’t squeeze just another wee half-inch off of my waist. It took me months to lose this half-inch, so it might not be so mini a goal in reality. Don’t care. Everything else I’ve done was impossible too. Until it wasn’t.

Batch cooking is where it’s at, y’all. Make a couple of big multi-serving recipes of good stuff the weekend before the first day and fridge it or freeze it in portioned servings. Choose something that you’re already somewhat familiar with and strip all the carbs out of it. That doesn’t mean just no bread or rice or pasta, btw. Fruits and veggies can cross into dangerous numbers as well, as do pulses, oatmeal and legumes. Use an app like MyFitnessPal or Fat Secret to tally up all the calories and carbs and determine proper serving sizes. A lot of folks aim for a top limit of 50 grams of carbs a day. I go way lower than that (less than 20 grams a day) to combat insulin resistance, but whatever you choose, choose something. Picking your carb celing is a good anchor point to help you get a grip on the process.

My first week on the BSD I ate chicken salad — baked chicken breasts, full-fat mayo, a squeeze of lemon juice, a small green onion, fresh parsley, fresh thyme, salt, pepper — on a bed of greens for every lunch. I just scared up a big batch of it on the first day and weighed out 4 oz onto arugula or romaine lettuce until it was gone. The week after I switched it up to tuna and egg salad with roasted red pepper (just half of one because they tend to be sugary), garlic and cumin mayo. Again, something I’d been making for years.

For dinners your easiest bets are soups, broth based, not tomato (also sugary), omelettes and srambles, fish fillets that can be baked in the oven wrapped in foil with assorted veggies, or even smoked fish that doesn’t need cooking at all. Some of my favorite soup options are cauliflower and blue cheese, zucchini with masses of cooking greens like broccoli rabe, chickory, escarole, endive, chard, turnip or mustard greens, and the easiest of them all: miso soup so full of multiple kinds of sprouts (broccoli, alfalfa, pea, sunflower) that you have to eat it with a fork before you can sip the miso-delicious chicken broth.

You do not, I emphasize, do not have to go miles outside of your comfort zone. You just have to replace some of the old ingredients with other ones. Look them up ahead of time to avoid any nasty surprises because innocuous seeming veggies can deliver a shocking carb hit. Onions are hugely high in sugar, for example. It’s not about complexity of cooking. It’s about knowing what you’re eating and how much of it so you stay within your 800-calorie and self-determined carb limit.

Fear nothing. You have a forum full of people here ready to leap into action to help you out if you get stuck. Square your shoulders, heft your gonads over them and face a bright, healthy, empowered future.

We do have one thin line on my father’s side going back to the Mayflower, but it’s distinctly outnumbered by the usual polyglot New England combinations of Irish, German and assorted British wastrels who fled the mother country in suspicious circumstances to carve out a slightly less disreputable life on this side of the pond. That’s just paperwork, though. As you wisely note, we’re totally related in the ways that count. 🙂

You know what you need to set off those skull leggings to perfection, Allie? A little accent of Betsey Johnson jewelry. It’s on sale right now at L&T. Like everything Betsey does, it’s girly and scary in equal measure, which is why I love it. Betsey = happiness to me. Everything, from glitter hearts to skeletons in couture, is sheer joy.

Ring set: http://www.lordandtaylor.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442440122&R=889295260555&P_name=Betsey+Johnson&Ntt=betsey+johnson&N=0&bmUID=m1Sm8se
Charm bracelet: http://www.lordandtaylor.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442427567&R=889295260456&P_name=Betsey+Johnson&Ntt=betsey+johnson&N=0&bmUID=m1Sm8st
Necklace: http://www.lordandtaylor.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442392458&R=889295243367&P_name=Betsey+Johnson&Ntt=betsey+johnson&N=0&bmUID=m1Sm8u_

We’ll be guests this Christmas, but OH’s mother is so incredibly kind and conscientious about my WoE she planned the whole weekend’s menu in advance and ran it by me. She even bought Wildbrine kimchi and sauerkraut so I could have all resources available to me. Christmas Day is going to be a roast duck made by mom-in-law’s sister. It’s her specialty, apparently, and I’m very much looking forward to sampling it. I’ve never had anything but seared duck breasts and things made with duck fat (all delicious). My contribution will be brussels sprouts slaw with grated romano cheese and green onions and steamed asparagus dressed in a miso vinaigrette, both of which I can make before hand to leave room in the small kitchen for duck wrangling.

Your seafood stew sounds fantastic! With the saffron and red pepper it makes me think of a riceless paella. What kind of seafood do you use?

Suggestion for our next rhyming challenge:
“2018, a happy new year,
We’ll meet our goals with great good cheer” 4wk challenge to 23rd Jan.

It’s a bit clunky. Please put on your thinking caps🎓, refine it or make an entirely new suggestion. The more the merrier😆

No shame, Mariet, just determination is the way to go. I just had a peek back at your profile and you’ve come a very long way since your start in 2016. Congrats on that and substitute a few glasses of sparkling mineral water with ice and lemon or lime slices plus mint sprig between the other coldies. Works wonders, looks festive.

Have a wonderful holiday with your loved ones, Busybee, safe travels. Look after yourself.

Lunch out yesterday with longtime friends (Carol & I have been friends since we were 8 yrs old and I moved to the same school), very enjoyable day but not as well controlled as I’d imagined. Allowed bread, potato mash and small glass of bubbles to pass these lips. Don’t think I enjoyed them, it was more a matter of automatically eating whilst chatting. Ordered the chicken dish thinking I wouldn’t eat the potato. Didn’t clean the plate but damage done and I definitely feel the worse for it today, including 500gm increase on the scales. Very basic eating today ….

One more restaurant meal on Christmas Eve with #1 son who is working on Christmas Day. I will definitely be more aware of my eating behaviors between now and Boxing Day.

Mixnmatch, hope you’re in a better place just now xx

Good thoughts being sent to everyone on this fabulous forum xx

Ladies, do you see how relentless I am at ferreting out information? Now I
have additional features to add to my profile of each of you!! The dark hair
did throw me for a loop, Theo, with your scandinavian genes, though! O/h
has already told me on numerous occasions that my shoulder length bob
looks like a great highlighting job, albeit a grey one! Definitely time for
a cut, though! Essie, somehow I just knew that you’d approve of the skull
leggings 🙂 🙂 🙂 I hope that they are restocked soon. Great, great, great to talk
to you today! If your ancestors date back to the Mayflower, we may actually be related. For all intents and purposes though, I think that we already are…
The holiday will soon be upon us. It’s sneaking up very fast, and I’m still
waffling between LTC’s chicken dish or a seafood stew infused with saffron,
orange zest, a pinch of red pepper flakes and white wine. Decisions, decisions…
I think that I will let “the bearded one” make the call. Are either of you cooking,
and if so, what’s on the menu?

It’s great to see someone planning to start this adventure the same day as me. I was reluctant to post anything publically at all because in my mind that binds me to the process. Aaagghh! I’m really not sure why I’m so trepidatious about it since only good is likely to come of it. And 8 weeks is a small commitment to implement the benefial kind of lifestyle changes that others have talked about in the forums. I guess I’m worried about failing, about not having enough time in the day to prepare proper meals (I have a ridiculous commute that is almost as long as the work day). Anyway, here’s to perserverance, new aquaintances and some seriously fantastic health improvements!

Brunette all the way, ladies. With the brief exception of the summer of ’88 when I had a passionate fling with a bottle of peroxide. 😀

Allie, I am so deeply in favor of those skull tights I can’t even cheerlead them enough on my own and will have to borrow Theo’s shocking pink pom-poms.

I agree with Vernon, try to avoid taking Metformin. You can sort this without drugs, just follow the BSD. Good luck.
.

Allie – apologies, I certainly won’t mention my still fairly impressive boobs again 😉😜😛

Seriously, I’m sure what you lack ‘up top’ will more than be compensated for by those gothic skull tights as and when they come back into stock😉 With your long legs being adorned by human skulls, who on earth will be looking at your decolletage anyway?😉 Exhibitionist???? Never😜

Essie, good on you for going with the yellow and purple – like Allie though, yellow is definitely not my colour. Might give purple ones a go though.

Funny how we all have different images of each other. I definitely have always seen Essie as a brunette – now you’ve got me doubting my impressions Allie. My hair used to be almost jet black but now is silver (oh alright, grey😢) but I was in Costas the other day and the lovely young (male) barrista, when handing me my coffee, leant over the counter, took my hand, and asked me where I got it done! “Got what done?” said I. “Your amazing colour,” he said – “you have a wonderful and very talented colourist!!!” Well, for someone who has never coloured her hair in her life, and has moaned for years about going grey, I left Costas with a huge smile plastered to my face (even if he WAS just turning on the charm) which stayed put all day😊 So, I say again, my hair is highlighted silver – and, if I say so myself, cut in quite a sharp little bob.😀 (may not have a colourist but I do have an excellent cutter😀)

So come on, Essie, put us out of our misery and tell us who is right😛