Claire – you have a relatively small amount (2st) to lose so I don’t think you should worry about loose skin. If you had 4 or 5 stone to lose then perhaps you should worry.

Mixnmatch – possibly you have age on your side, you don’t say how old you are. If you are the right side of 40 then that is probably why your skin has shrunk back with the weight loss. I lost alot of weight when I was around 42, getting into size 12 jeans, and I was very lucky and my skin snapped back into place. Alas for me now I am 57 now and have to admit that loose skin is going to be a problem. Dr. Mosley does suggest taking a good multi-vitamin each day – Vitamin C promotes elasticity and collagen – so I think that’s a good idea. On all those ‘The Biggest Loser’ TV programmes from America almost always the dramatic weight loss is accompanied by a visit to a surgeon to remove the resulting loose and sagging skin no matter how young the person is. Think it does depend on your age, genetics and the amount of weight loss.

Hey Charlie W – Welcome aboard the BSD ‘fun bus’!

Other have identified issues with the calorie counts on recipes in the book too and have flagged these on the forum before. I have personally never followed these, but have always done my own thing, as many others have too, however, a lot of people use the recipes and meal plans as per the book and still lose weight successfully. It is entirely up to you how you decide to apply the BSD going forward.

I hope whatever you decide to do, you will soon be reporting positive results … Good Luck.

Hi everybody!
Weekly weigh-in last evening at WeightWatchers, lost 2.5lb, so now weigh exactly 16st 0lb (start weight 1st Feb 17st 8lb). Bit disappointed I was hoping for a bit more off and being down in the 15s. Hopefully next week I’ll be 15st something.
Trying to drink more water, been reading about hot weather and weight gain due to fluid retention.
Thai green chicken curry tonight with cauliflower rice.
This time next year I’ll be in size 14 jeans and looking reasonably slim!!!! Lol!
Keep going everybody!
Nancy x

Hi again Claire, I am assuming you are going to do the BSD 800 as you posted in Welcome to the BSD. If you are doing 5;2 or Med you have a little bit more leeway when it comes to ‘good’ carbs.

Theodora, remember that the carbs hang on to water, so those 3lb are probably mainly water retention. I was off piste twice last week and the 3lb I gained, was disposed of in a few days by upping fluid intake to ensure the water retention shifted and extending my overnight fasts. So don’t panic about the apparent reduction in your wriggle room – good margin by the way, hope I can get there in the next couple of months – it’s probable most of that gained 3lb is water.

Has anyone tried making Labneh (a fresh cheese made from yogurt)? This is so easy to do and is yummy.

Use a strained yogurt – a nice thick greek style yogurt is ideal – season well with salt/pepper and add herbs/seeds/petals/citrus zest – whatever flavouring you like. I’ve use nigella seeds, rose petals, caraway (not all at the same time). Then line a colander with cheese cloth/muslin/a piece of clean cotton material and dump the yogurt mix in the middle. Gather up the edges of the cloth and tie to create a ball and then suspend over a bowl to catch the liquid. (I tie mine from a kitchen wall cabinet handle).

It will take about 16 to 24 hrs for the liquid to drip out (depending how wet the yogurt you use is) and for the Labneh to be ready, don’t let it dry out too much though, so it still has some moisture and creaminess. Test by gently squeezing the ball – it should still have some ‘squidge’ and some moisture should still be present when you do this. Once ready, you can remove the cheese from the cloth, put in an appropriate container and store in the fridge. It will last for approx. a week.

CCathy sorry to hear you are going through another plateau, it is hard to stay motivated for such a long period of time. I always think that 800 calories is fine for 8 weeks but extremely difficult to do long term. I have 900-1000 calories per day and it doesn’t seem to make much difference weight loss wise, but I find it easier to stick to.
My weight this week is the same as last week, but as I mentioned in another thread I’ve actually gained and lost almost 3kg this week! Must be fluid retention or something. I had a big loss about 4 weeks ago and went down to a new low…but have put some of that back on since then so trying to get back down again. When I look back over the 6 months though this seems to be a regular pattern for me. I’ll have a big Whoosh followed by a gain and then the weight gradually comes back down again. I’m averaging about 1.5kg loss per month, so I think it could easily be another 12 months before I get down to my goal weight. . Luckily I feel so much better following this WOE that I have no intention of giving up, no matter how slow the weight loss is!

Topcac, I am sorry you are feeling low, but I agree with SunnyB, please don’t punish yourself. Punishment and guilt are not part of this WOE – every day is a fresh start if you need one. I had a full on binge on Monday evening for absolutely no reason at all that I could discern, then felt bloated and nauseous and was up most of the night. Next morning I got up, confessed on here and moved on. I did have a very light eating day yesterday, (549 cals) not as punishment but because I felt so dreadful (physically) after the binge. Feeling fine now and today is a bright fresh day (though actually still very wet here!! Floods just down the road yesterday, and we had terrific thunderstorms and giant hailstones but luckily we are on high ground! Sorry, completely off-topic)

We all have your back, Topcac, and now you’ve confessed so just relax and move on. Hugs coming your way if you need them. x

Oh, and thanks SueBlue – yes we are all human and all slip up sometimes.

I did find the courage to weigh myself this morning and my maintenance wriggle room has been reduced to just 2lbs (down from 5lbs) so my binge did cause some damage. We are hosting a BBQ this evening (despite the horrendous weather😒) with food and wine aplently so I cannot imagine that the scales will be any kinder to me in the morning 🤔

I’m late to the party again this week, but not much to report anyway. I’m exactly the same weight as I was a week ago. That’s not to say the scales haven’t moved – on the weekend I was almost 3kg heavier! I have no idea how it is possible to gain and lose 3kg in a week, but there you go! It was my daughters birthday and we had a lunch out, where I had a few slices of vegetarian pizza, then a family roast lunch the next day with a few glasses of wine. I had one small potato and a mini Yorkshire pudding, some turkey, roast beetroot, roast cauliflower and a sliver of pavlova for dessert. Admittedly I did have another day or 2 where I didn’t keep my eye on the ball – not binge eating as such but eating more than I should.
I’ve been really busy both at work and at home and haven’t had time to do my usual BSD cooking and planning which hasn’t helped.
Anyway lesson learnt and hopefully I can get back on track this week.
Theodora – my first thought was that you are human! You’ve done so well so please don’t feel guilty about your one slip up 🙂
Topcac – hope you have a better week too this week.
It seems there are a few of us who haven’t had a good week – and it doesn’t seem to matter if it’s winter or summer, north or south hemisphere, we all struggle from time to time.

Hi,
I just joined the forum after purchasing the BSD Book and the 8 week BSD Recipe Book.

2 days before I bought the books, I had just made my own humus so know roughly the calories included in a serving so I was interested to see another recipe for Humus on page 71 of the Recipe Book. I thought the calorie count was rather low for the ingredients and quantities listed. It claims 4 servings at 210 Calories per serving.

I checked out the calorie count of the recipe at myfitnesspal.com and it confirmed that the actual calories per serving were 329, not 210.

These were the calories for the ingredients:
Chick Peas (Napolina Tinned), 400 g = 504 Cals
Lemon juice, raw, 3 tbsp(s) = 10 Cals
Sainsbury’s – Olive Oil – Extra Virgin, 6 Tbsp ( 1 Tbsp = 15ML, so 90ml) = 741 Cals
Tahini – Tahini, 4 tsp(s) = 40 Cals
Garlic, raw, 2 cloves = 8 Cals
Ground Cumin, 1 tsp = 7 cals
Spices, paprika, 1 tsp = 6 cals

Total Calories : 1,316
Cals Per Serving : 329

Per serving the 2 main ingredients are Olive Oil and Chick Peas. Chickpeas are 126 Calories per 100gm, Olive Oil is about 124 Calories per Tablespoon (15ml) so 1.5 tablespoons is 186 Calories, added together they far exceed 210.

Is there a typo on the quantities on the ingredient list in the Book?
Is the number of servings wrong?
I would say this recipe makes 6 servings at 220 calories rather than 4 servings at 210, so my advice would be amend the recipe and just eat less of it.

Although I am sure this recipe is fine, it does rather undermine my confidence in the calorie count of all the other recipes in the book, though I haven’t checked any others yet and this may be an exception, but perhaps the authors, editors and publishers of the book would like to take note.

It sounds like you have hit a really rough patch, but please stop beating yourself up Topcac, it’s counter productive and if you push the fasting too hard, there could be a danger of a backlash and things might spiral again. Allow yourself a normal BSD day and then try to stick to that through the rest of the week. Forgive yourself for being human, put the binge behind you and just try to get back on track again.

Lots of positive thoughts coming your way …

Ok so just tried the sauerkraut with a sprinkle of caraway seeds and they certainly lifted it. Although if was an improvement I feel like I’m eating it because ‘it’s good for me’! Has anybody read the ‘Clever Guts book? Does it fit well with BSD?

I was reading an article about bariatric surgery yesterday and the consultant said that no only did diabetes go into remission immediately, before weight loss happened, but that it also improved good gut bacteria. I don’t know if this link will work but it was in yesterday’s Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4704548/How-gastric-bypass-surgery-reversed-one-man-s-diabetes.html.

Hi there Claire, I too suffered from acid reflux and earlier had an hiatus hernia which seems to have cured itself??? I used to take over the counter remedies like gaviscon and Boots own brand containing ranitidine plus a stronger one. I now dont need any unless I slip up on the diet and go overboard of acid producing foods or alcohol.

Your blood sugar levels will not really mean much as you are not diabetic but if you are going to test do it at the same time every day i.e. best time is first thing in the morning before food or drink. There is a chart you can look up on the internet the ranges of blood sugar but these are usually for HbA1c which shows BG over a 3 month period and cannot be done at home, or there are charts where you can do glucose tolerance test by drinking very sweet drinks, measuring then measuring after 2 hours to see if it has gone down, but this is very complicated getting the right amount of fluid, right amount of sweetness etc etc. I am diabetic and prick my finger twice a day, I dont see why you should want to do that. But, by all means do it for, say 4 or 5 days in a row, make a note then, assuming it is okay, do it again in 8 weeks after doing this diet. You can come back on and ask people here what your readings mean but also be aware, home kits (including my own medical provided one) are usually about 10% inaccurate, so dont get too worried or obsessive about it.

Now the chocolate, in the first 8 weeks you are better to avoid any white carbs (flour, bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, cereals etc) and obviously no cake, pastries, processed foods or chocolate. If you find chocolate triggers a craving for more, just dont eat it. It is only 8 weeks. After that, well you could have some very very dark chocolate as a treat.

You can have tea with milk but not 5 or 6 a day, just one or two.

What else, oh you ask about substitues. The first thing is to be very organised. Sit down with the book and do a menu plan for you, try to include things your family will eat like spaghetti bolognaise, you have courgette spirals and give your family the pasta, aren’t you lucky, on this diet you can sprinkle on some cheese. Do a shopping list, shop and have everything you need for the menu. I know time is a problem but some of the things you eat are so quick and easy. Hummus, open a tin of chickpeas, drain, chuck in a whizzer or hand mixer with a clove of garlic, a squirt of lemon (buy a jiff lemon) and a teaspoon of tahini (available in all supermarkets), pour on some olive oil and whizz. There you are, you have hummus which will keep in the fridge for a week. Dont buy ready made crackers, in fact, why are you eating crackers, use veggie sticks to dip, carrots, red pepper, cucumber, courgette, celery.

Saggy skin, with only 2.5 stone to lose you are not likely to suffer from this, it usually happens to people with multiple stones to lose and I am assuming with little ones you are not that old. If you are worried, do some toning exercises for arms, legs or tums and moisturise regularly. I also notice on your profile you talk about aspartame but on this plan you are not allowed low fat, sugar free, sugar replaced with chemicals, fat replaced by grains or whatever trick they use to make you think it is healthy, it is not. Dont have it. I know that is a lot to take in but if you have read the book you will understand there is a science behind this diet and as a weight loss plan it is fast and efficient but it is also good for a lot of ailments so you should feel good after a week or two of doing this. Come back anytime to ask questions or use the search engine at the top of the page.

Good luck.

As a P.S. Claire, if you do buy anything to save time, read the label. If, say the hummus, contains the ingredient I mentioned and only that then buy it, but if it has a list of things you have never heard of or cant pronounce then dont.

Thanks Snoop. I know they do international deliveries, but I rather think I need to be fitted properly again with the upper level changes in the body. I’ll hang (haha) out as long as I can before purchasing new stuff to be sure that a) I won’t go back to the bad old ways and weighs, and b) the size and shape has done most of its changing.

And it’s a good excuse for a trip home, or at least to Hong Kong, the nearest store. Could be my major reward when I reach my goals.

Hi guys, checking back in and a lot of posts to read after my absence. Meanwhile, Crabbycams, M&S do international deliveries… Not sure of the delivery rates to Australia, but usually free if you spend oodles of money (cheaper than a flight to the UK for sure, though).

http://www.marksandspencerlondon.com/au

I’m about 2.5stone overweight. I have acid reflux & take 20mg of Omeprozele. I haven’t been diagnosed with diabetes yet. I have a blood sugar monitor & will take my fasting blood sugar. I’m worried about type 2 diabetes as my mum & sister have it. I love chocolate & i am a foody!

I have read B.S.D book & have recipe book. I have found after starting a new job where i don’t move about that much, i put on 1.5stone. 😔 The diet sounds great. Im wondering as a busy mum can i buy hummus & thin crackers? I also like tea with milk, can i have an odd cuppa? I was worried that losing weight too quickly could cause skin to sag?

All advice appreciated.

Thanks

Claire

Mariet did you say you are planning to increase coconut oil to reduce your cholesterol? Wouldn’t the saturated fat have the opposite effect? I know coconut products have been the big “superfood” for a while but recent studies seem to dispute this. I’d stick to olive oil.

Topcac that sounds like an unpleasant episode. I hope you’re fully recovered now. I haven’t yet worked out how to not binge on junk. I’ll let you know when I devise the magic formula for perfect eating compliance. And you can buy it from me like millions of others – I’ll make a fortune! Nah, I promise all BSD members get the formula for free.

Thanks guys – I’ve not eaten since 5 yesterday afternoon and I know that that is good for my body. Mentally I feel like I’m punishing myself by withdrawing food so I do have some lunch with me and will eat after around 20 hours fasting.

I do seem to be able to ‘reset’ much quicker than I used to but these binges seem to happen every fortnight or so which isn’t helping. Need to get to the bottom of why and mindfulness is definitely the key I think. I have an app. 10 minutes every day – do you think I can find 10 minutes??

Note to self – work harder at finding 10 minutes every morning!!

Good evening (for me) everyone. Love the smaller size clothes ambitions and successes. I found that I had lost inches about my middle within a week or two of starting. I can only think that a lot of it was bloating so perhaps one day my reflux will go away. I have a bunch of pants that are designed to make one look a size smaller. They do help and the trick is that the front pockets are not loose but are connected to their respective side of the zipper. Enough. They stretch and now the 16s I bought a year or two ago look very loose. The new ones are tight. But I do think they might have been wrongly labelled or cheated on the fabric because having lost inches, and I know I have from other clothes, these new ones should not have been so tight.

Anyway, I can’t wear the 18s any more, they are too loose! Hooray.

Onto matters more serious. This is not a blood sugar issue, but is vital for everyone. Please get your skin professionally checked at least once a year for any possible skin cancers. Thanks to an observant colleague I pointed out a particular mole at my recent check only to have it immediately biopsies and yesterday further excised. It was caught very early but can recur in the same place and I will have to have checks every three months for probably the rest of my life.

Given yesterday’s activities, I did rather overdo the calories with sourdough cheese and capsicum X 2 for dinner followed by a hot chocolate. Came in under 1200 cals, but a long way from the 800. But each day I start afresh whatever has gone on the previous day.

Next clothes purchase will have to be new bras. The tits have been washed once too often and have now shrunk. My favourite bras didn’t go up to size 18 so have not been able to get them for some years. Perhaps this time I can buy the 16s. Other favourite place to buy bras is M&S but we don’t have that shop in Australia. Wonder what size I will be by the time I get back to the UK and go shopping there!

Girls and boys, you are all doing so well. Too many individuals to name but as always we push on and win.

Topic, I too know what a real binge is like and sometimes I seem to “test” myself and just keep on eating! The after mouth is awful both physically and mentally and the guilt makes me feel like a failure. Fortunately it is getting less often and usually I can get back on track the next day as opposed to days and days of overeating.
Keep on keeping on!
X B

Oh, topcac, I do feel for you. I so hate that feeling of once started unable to stop. Good that you shared here, no better place. And it does sound as though stresses have been piling up on you so here’s hoping you can resolve that (perhaps utilising Mindfulness strategies?)
Virtual hugs coming your way. 🙅🙅🙅 xx Marilyn

That’s fantastic, congratulations on reaching your half way point!

Hi all

Am pleased to report another 1 lb down. This is slow but the ship is going in the right direction! When I was away visiting relatives I got fed a couple of times and wasn’t able to avoid pasta so I had a little of that as it was served to me. I did keep off the sugar and whenever I eat more calories than I should, and I do do that more than I should according to the strict 800 rules but without bingeing, which is major for me, then I always stick to low carb foods such as nuts or cheese. My mood is excellent and my thought processes are very clear.

I feel very good. Think this is half way through now and 9 lb down.

Confession time – have to do it – apologies in advance

Self sabotage in full flow yesterday. Had no less than 6 bars of chocolate (Snickers and Bounty) a packet of crisps, a 200g bag of Revels, a 200g bag of salted peanuts, a tube of Softmints and a packet of American Hard Gums (which I don’t particularly like). This is what bingeing looks like. It felt like utter crap and I’ve not eaten anything since (not that I would need to for about a fortnight now!) I got the shakes, felt bloated, nauseous – none of which is particularly surprising.

I’ve tried to evaluate why this happened. Bad day at work – check, not had the result on the scales that I wanted – check, ovulating – check, just being bloody minded about always having to eat the right thing – check check check!

Challenge is the right word for sure.

Today is a brand new day – no mistakes so far – trying to keep busy at work but has to share

Have a good day everyone

TC x

Note to self, down 1.3 k this week so far, .7 k to go to reach weekly target on Friday. Which at this stage is doable as I am loosing approx.3 of a kilo a day.
So focus, stick to my daily plan, and ignore tiredness, and any distractions. Keep at it jan

Morning everyone. Amazed to have dropped 3lbs since Monday morning! I know its the first week whoosh but makes the headaches bearable. I think the fog is starting to clear today, so feeling positive for the rest of the week.

I havent felt hungry but this hot weather is really helping!

Have a great day

Thank you Marsie. There seems to be a lot going on here with many struggling with the carb demon. I love your analogy of peeping around the brick wall and am trying to get an image in my head of what my demon looks like.
I am pleased that the weight gain must have been mainly fluid as this morning the scales show the five pounds have gone so now I need to lose the three I gained before I went away and then head off down the slippery slope towards the next half stone.
Keeping the faith O.D.A.T.
X B

Another pound off so 2lbs in 2 days has put me back to where I was 2 weeks ago but still only a total loss in 6 weeks of 2lbs, still better than gaining over that time. Reduced insulin to 20 units and BG was 5.7 – I cringe when I see that figure but have to remember that ‘normal’ is between 4.5 and 6.5 so I am doing well.

Managed 55 mins in the pool yesterday but probably not today as we had a massive storm through the night and it still looks like rain but should be okay tomorrow. Cant expect sunshine every day.

Breakfast, Greek yog with passionfruit and sprinkle of almond flakes, lunch, ploughmans and dinner will be a frittata. Comes in around 700 calories.

Have a good day everyone.

How’s everyone doing?

I’ve had a very bad few days, it was my birthday yesterday so have various meals out, cake etc. Scales told the tail and I’ve not lost any weight or reached my mini goal. I’ve purposely not gone into the office today as I know there is leftover cake by my desk, hoping that gets eaten today but if it’s still there tomorrow I shall relocate it! I really noticed the effects of the cake yesterday, I could of quite happily slept the afternoon away, very sluggish and lethargic for the first time in 3 weeks!

I’ve been working on batch cooking over the last week, I now have a soup, curry, skinny chilli and cottage pie with cauli mash in the freezer. I found some curry kits which made a lovely Goan curry and I’m going to attempt a lasagna of sorts today using aubergine instead of pasta and no white sauce (I don’t like it so no big deal), I’ve done lots of googling and reading through posts to get some ideas so – there’s quite a lot of easy to follow recipes out there when you look!

Hope everyone is having a better week than me 🙂

Morning EC….good luck with the renos….we are hoping to have the bathroom done later this year, dreading it.

Liz, we were told that it would be very unusual for Joe to get the memory problem again, and so far so good, but he is willing to keep on trying. Bless him, what is he like? So noble, brave? What is the word I am looking for lol

It is a beautiful sunny day here, and already a little warm. I do not do well in the heat and find it difficult to exercise etc, so I am going to have a cup of tea and get half an hour in quick before it gets unbearable.

Thank you all for your support and good wishes. Have a great day.

Nonna Mary
xxxx

Well my little veering off the track yesterday didn’t do too much harm weigh in was 10 stone 4.6 so up a little, total calories 1470, still below TDEE by quite a lot and even below BMR, rather than the planned 1250, including cheese and yoghurt both back on the menu. Protein was a little lighter than I have been doing pre reboot at 48g which I guess makes it a true transition day. Today is now aimed at 1700 cals with 90g protein, and back to double badminton so the bulk of the protein in the evening, with my usual shake, and then meatballs in tomato sauce with vegetables planned. I will try to remember to get my healthy egg salad this lunchtime, rather than having to resort to emergency food again. The 1700 cals is over BMR but still below TDEE particularly for my double badminton days, and also isn’t far off what I usually eat on those days.

I started BSD in June last year so am crediting it with the bulk of my success, I have never found another way of eating so easy to follow, as once I had the carb monster locked away I had no problems sticking to it (or at least sticking to it often enough, nobody is perfect).

Tea is fine, herbal, black tea and green tea are all allowed, and green tea and herbal tea can have other nutritional benefits. When you have started the way of eating your taste buds change, and you will probably find like i did that the chocolate craving is satisfied by a touch of the good stuff (dark choc, square or two at more than 70% cocoa, raw cacao powder, cocoa nibs) which are still frequently found in my diet.

Thanks Esnecca that sounds like a good recipe. I’m not really a meat eater, I do eat chicken and fish, but when it comes to cottage pie and Bolognese I do eat meat versions. I certainly think mixing the stuff with herbs or spices will help. At the moment I’m finding it pretty bland maybe because I do like pickled foods, especially herrings and cucumbers, which can be very vinegary.

Anyway, I’ll experiment today although I believe you need to take introducing fermented foods slowly otherwise they can cause problems.

I have almost put last week’s disaster behind me now and am just a smidgeon of a pound over last Tuesday’s weight so it’s onwards for me now. Tonight will be one of my occasional meat meals so it’s steak and vegetables. Not much to say about that really. Hope you all have a good day.

Hello Busybee, welcome back. So glad you enjoyed your stay with your beautiful family. Well done you with the difference between last year and this
Year ☺

I’ve had another little win with 63.1kg weigh-in this morning. That is 1.4kg less after 2 disciplined days. I know that weight loss can be capricious even when you think you are doing everything right, but by golly, I’ll take this reading! As with yesterday, I’m in no way thinking that I have the carb demon kicked but feel that I’m maybe about to go around the end of the wall so that its at my back. Then I keep working so as not to turn around and run into it again.

Just setting up a visual scene for myself ……. Brick wall across my path; evil carb demon sitting on top beckoning to me😈; me stepping back then sideways until I can see clearly that the path continues on the other side of the wall……. hmm, yes, but always was a drama queen 🎭👸!!!

Have fun everyone, one day at a time xx

I’m down south in Georgia, but my family is in Massachusetts. What a cool vocation for the next phase of your career. I’m fascinated by wholistic pedagogical approaches like Waldorf and Reggio that enlist childrens’ imagination and instill a love of learning instead of creating a regimented, dry, standardized testing-obsessed environment that drains any enthusiasm from students and teachers alike. It’s a noble endeavor and I wish you the very best. 🙂

Where are you located? I just spent a wonderful week in Montvale NJ and Chestnut Ridge NY at the Sunbridge Institute — am working to get my Waldorf teacher certificate — I have practiced law for 35 years but I want to do something different in my future — I am planning to open a Waldorf school here in Lake Tahoe, California

Good to know TJ sells it by the case. I found it at an organic market so of course it was very expensive. I checked Costco today on the offchance they carried it and they don’t. Let’s hope my local TJ here on the east coast stocks it.

You’re welcome Esnecca! So happy you liked it! I am personally keeping them in business by drinking 2 liters a day (or more) — we are having a hot summer here in Northern California and Gerolsteiner water has kept me sane. Such a weird year — we had record rain, now such a hot summer — I like to keep it cold in the fridge in the barn and when I feel cranky or thirsty, I just drink straight out of the bottle!
We can buy it here by the case at Trader Joes — I figure that with all the money I save on wine and on food this is just a small expense and worth it.
Can’t tell you how many times I drank sparkling water instead of stuffing my face….. 😜

Hi Verano,
I bought a jar recently that was pretty challenging to eat but mixed a teaspoon of creme fraiche through it and that really helped cut the eye watering vinageriness of this particular one but love Esnecca’s suggestions, a mix perhaps?

good morning everyone!!

GOOD sleep last night so raring to go into a new day……and the sun is returning to our cold little wintry patch…at least can see it hitting the ground across the road!!

The renos continue, and I’m sure that sharing an office with my beloved and washing up in a tiny bathroom sink (oh, dishwasher, I promise endless compliments when you and stove are hooked back into my life!!) will lose its appeal after 3-4 weeks….but like the BSD life we aim for the long-run!!!

Liz….Happy to be a Charlie’s Angel if we don’t have to do the hair!!! (it was a bad look even in the 70s)

Well done on the scales moving southwards Mary, and the shrinking wardrobes all….just think how much fabric we will be saving the planet!

I bought some new PJs when I was away last week…and they’re already a little looser. It was one of those luxe shops that sold pretty underwear as well as sleepwear and I was very tempted by a gorgeous silk cami to motivate me (not a good look with the underarm flab)….but I will hold the picture in my mind and buy it online WHEN it will look good!….considering joining the gym to firm up all the bits but as I work from home, I’m worried that I won’t go…..they do a trial period, so will sign up for that

love the JFTF idea Mixnmatch…If I can get back into my bushwalking pants, that will be a great start..

wishing you all a wonder-filled and cruisy day whenever you’re awake
xx
erin

Hi Maximatch,

That’s a great achievement, well down. Is that all down to B.S.D?
Thanks for reassurance. I love tea, can you take tea on B.S.D. i never carried weight around my middle until i turned 40 but i must admit I’m a chocoholic! Lol

Thanks
Claire

Thanks DUMPTYNOMORE…sounds like you’re right in the zone! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Keep up the good work! So pleased you have dumped Mr Kipling! And the toast etc..the less you have carby stuff,the less you crave it, and then yr carb monster has to admit defeat and run away! XX 😀😀😀

Californiagirl, I finally got around to buying a bottle of Gerolsteiner based on your recommendation and I love it. It was so refreshing when I got back from doing 15,000 steps. All those minerals replenished my electrolytes like nobody’s business. Thank you for the suggestion. 🙂

Hey Nonna Mary, If you an Joe get to doing the dirty and he gets that global memory thing again for Christ’s sake call me, I’ll get on the first Air Canada flight and stand outside the cubicle as you explain 14 ways of Sunday what you were doing. I swear I pissed myself when I read that account. Brilliant!!
Liz

Lee, please don’t be worried. I usually eat around 700 to 900 calories a day. Today I haven’t and I am really quite satiated, so don’t want to eat any more. I do not make a habit of this, but occasionally, it happens. For breakfast tomorrow I intend to have…smoked salmon, watercress and scrambled or poached egg. Then for dinner (I don’t eat lunch) I will probably have Steak and mushrooms, with vegetables. I really do eat healthily. I have to be careful with dairy as I am lactose intolerant, but I try to sneak in a little yogurt and fruit from time to time. I had this yesterday and today I have the shits. I am used to a restrictive diet as I have been on one most of my life, which I why I don’t find this way of life difficult. I used to get my extra calories from wine, but prefer not to now. I promise I am not being silly. Yesterday my calories were 688, and the day before I had Bacon Egg and beans for breakfast, and chilli con carne with veg for dinner. I hope I have put your mind at rest, and that your back is improving. Don’t worry about me, my Jovis makes sure I eat properly and he is eating everything I do, except he doesn’t weigh his to work out the calories.
Stay well.
Nonna Mary
xxx

I wouldn’t worry about it, this way of eating, particularly if you stay really well hydrated, seems to improve the skin’s elasticity in many of us, and I have lost 8 1/2 stone over 2 1/2 years (but most of it since last June) and have very little sag, mainly under my arms, and a little on the stomach and thighs, but improving all the time.

Re the clothes to shrink into, that was a major part of my success I think. On the Hello thread we had several people who had jeans of the future or JOTF, once loved jeans that they could no longer fit in but as the weight came off they got closer and closer until that magic day when you could do them up and still breathe and walk. I didn’t have any smaller jeans left, as I had been big for so long so I headed to the sales and bought myself a pair of skinny jeans in each size down from where I currently was (size 18, I think, having started at size 22) I almost missed the window for my size 16’s and needed a belt almost immediately but the day I got into my size 14’s was one of my best feelings on this journey. The pair of size 12’s I bought at the same time looked crazily tiny at the time, but I now need a belt for them too, and can fit into (if not entirely comfortably) size 8’s that weren’t part of my box of the future in the wardrobe as I never dreamed I’d ever get there. Mini-goals aren’t all about scales, inches and improved health are important too 😀.

Mary, I think your issue is that you are not eating enough. It’s ok to be a bit under the 800 occasionally but not by 400 😱😱😱

My weight didn’t really start to shift until I varied my intake between 600 and 1000, the average remained around 800.

Try some babybel cheese, nuts and an apple every so often. The fage yoghurt is brilliant too. Perhaps have that as a pudding with blueberries or strawberries?

Don’t mean to nag but I’m really worried about you now…..

L xxx

Hey Liz the Perv,
I can indeed eat more than 400 calories, its just that tonight I am full after a humungous salad and cold meats. I don’t eat a lot anyway but can put away a chicken kebab like a navvy!
My Joseph is very happy that we may have meat and two veg tomorrow so long as he doesn’t lose his memory again.
Sleep well.
Love Nonna Mary xxx