Good evening.
Sunny really lovely ‘positives’.

My very first positive…..
☀️☀️☀️ We’ve had two days of full sunshine! What more can a girl ask for as the winter comes to an end and spring edges its way in?

☀️☀️☀️ Feeling much lighter (not on the scales) and brighter now that my daffodils are in full bloom. I wake up in the morning open the blinds and see my wonderful daffs around the bottom of a blossom tree that’s just itching to get into full bud.

👁️👁️👁️ New eye is doing really well after cataract surgery. Three weeks yesterday and I have a slight ‘feeling’ now and again but otherwise I can see perfectly with that eye unaided.

Life just feels so much ‘lighter’ and ‘brighter’ at the moment. Amazing what a few sunny days do!
Hope you all have positives too.

V, glad your new eye is working out well. Very impressed with your 30+ a week, pretty certain I’d struggle with that!

I’m back from Turkiye and thought it long past time to post some positives, so here goes …
🌸🌸 happy to see spring blooms and blossoms bursting forth … have lots of mini daffs and dwarf iris putting on show in my garden
🌸🌸 compiled a photo book for youngest DD’s 40th on 17th March, just waiting for I to arrive
🌸🌸 youngest son proposed to his long term girlfriend last Friday and she said yes 🥳🤸‍♀️

Hope there are positives in your world, please let us know about one or two if you have a moment.

Sounds like a good idea Verano, thanks. I’ve let meditation lapse, so this could be a good time to kick start it again.

Congratulations to all those who logged positive results for last month, especially those of you who made sizeable discards. Commiserations to those of you who struggled, but didn’t manage to make the headway hoped for. We’re beginning a new month now though, so a good time to double down, refocus and make a fresh start.

I’m reporting in with a holiday gain of all but half a pound of those I ditched before going. Guess the positive to draw from that, is that if I hadn’t made any effort to discards those pounds previously, I’d be even further from target at this point.

Anyway, I’m back to it and determined to make March a month of scales wins.

Didnt log in yesterday for my weigh in as I could have just repeated what I said a week ago. Still keeping on…

Thanks Cathy, yes it’s frustrating but, as you say, it’s definitely worth me changing plan to see if that helps. I’ve never been much of a breakfast person so would be happy with a cup of tea or herbal tea and will probably have ‘brunch’ around 11. I usually have my evening meal around 5ish so will have to see how it goes as that’s going to be quite a long fast but I will bring my first meal forward a bit if it’s causing me problems.Dawn X

Hi Dawn- it’s so frustrating when the scales don’t reflect our hard work. Maintaining shows thst you’re in the right zone. Changing plan sounds like a good idea and will give you an idea of whether it works for you. I have had success with the keto 800 two meals a day plan. I don’t even think about breakfast anymore. I do “cheat” with a cup of coffee with milk or cream but I am still losing weight so I will keep on with it. I look forward to my cup of coffee every morning. I have realised that I have to go very low calorie to lose weight – it will be interesting to find the sweet spot once I’ve finished the 12 week 800/900 calorie way of eating. Have a good week Dawn.

Hope everyone is having a good Monday. DCT I hope you are enjoying/enjoyed your NYC trip! Becca I hope you found a lovely bathing suit to order. Cathy and Sue well done for ‘discarding’ so much since January. I remember on another thread we always talked about discarding rather than losing😀. Mariet well done for maintaining. Yowzer I’m so pleased you are feeling better after all of your health problems and hope that continues🤞. I had a good week food wise and probably stuck about 95% to the online food plan so was disappointed when I weighed this morning and have stayed the same. Hopefully I will make up for it next Monday🤞. I tried lots of new recipes during the week and can recommend the Tuscan chicken which was delicious. I’m thinking I may switch to two meals a day so am going to try that in the online plan settings now as I will be going food shopping tomorrow so will see which meals it recommends for the week.
Good luck for the week everyone. Dawn X

I’ve had a few emails in the last few days suggesting that March should be a month for Meditation.
I think it’s a great idea.
There are lots of free meditation sessions on YouTube and there are also lots of 30 day free access websites.
Personally, I do meditate, when I remember!
This really isn’t an advert but just an idea to make March more meaningful.

Hi all, yes Becca it is like a job but even more so that I have to do it all in French. Think I have now arranged everything even in June when we go to the cardiologist for both our heart check ups.

Yes, I do often get a response with ‘thank you for reporting’ and sometimes get a note saying something about the post, especially if I have made an amusing comment like to one advertising Viagra. Wont say what came back 🙂

Well my weight is up and down again, I really want to be under 74kgs before I see the doctor on 16th, so still got time. Did get some skinny jeans but had to go up a size (from 44 to 46) but better to be comfortable.

Had a drink last night but first one in 3 weeks, I just get fed up of always being on a diet. Not just for a few weeks to lose weight but for the rest of my life for the diabetes. Something has to give sometime.

Hope you have all had a good weekend, see you next week – tomorrow.

Sorry CCATHY and SUEBLUE, i dont know who CATHYBLUE is meant to be! 🙂🙃 sorry, should have read “ CCATHY “xx

Hola! Here we go with a brand new month offering us 31 days to do our best in!
Progress not perfection! 👍
CCATHY,me too,seem to have spent since my 20s putting weight on,taking it off,regaining it.So tedious!
Btw,I am your Fybogel pal,took some last night!x
MARIET, i too am aiming for some decent results this month!x🙏we can do it!
SUEBLUE,how satisfying to lose so much from your waist and the year is still so young! x
CATHYBLUE,yes,I spent June – Dec 24 shedding weight,happy with the results,then in 2025,planned to maintain,but due to
Shingles,slapped cheek syndrome,and sciatica making me miserable,I ended up piling weight back on.
So here we go again,another six months or whatever it takes,THEN maintain! Defo in the right mindset now and cant wait to low carb,watch the calories at least for a while,and throw in some fasting!
This time I wont let ongoing health problems sabotage things! x
~ Onwards and downwards,folks! 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸~ XX

1st of March and I am 300g less than I was on 1st Feb. not a stellar performance but all least not a gain. I’ll try to knuckle down and greet a better result for this month.

Congratulations to all the discarders😁 it’s great to see so many doing so well.

Good morning everyone & I hope that you will all keep posting your news & progress 🤞🤞I have weighed & lost one of the two pounds I gained from last weekend when away. My knee is much more painful again & I know that I must lose weight to improve my situation & I am going to try to start again tomorrow & focus on losing some meaningful weight throughout March.
I hope you all have a good week.
Margaret xx

Well done Cathy and DCT on your losses and thanks for your inspirational words Yowzer 🙂
Not much of a loss on the scales for me this week – only 500g (about a 1lb) BUT my waist is another 3cm down (so 6cm in 3 weeks). Total weight discarded in Jan and Feb was 5.4kg (11.9lb) so very happy with that 🙂
I’ve changed my meal plan over from the Very Fast 800 Fibre plan over to the Keto one. This is because when I read the description properly for the fibre plan, it’s primarily designed for those on GLP-1 medications, which I’m not.
Anyway I’ll give the Keto plan 2 or 3 weeks and then maybe switch to the standard Fast 800 plan. They are all the same calories, it’s the macros that differ, so I’ll see which one suits me best. In the past I’ve usually followed a bit of a mix!
During the week I have 3 meals, but on the weekends I prefer to have 2. I made a Traybake for breakfast as my husband and I like to have a cooked breakfast on Sundays. We went into the city (Sydney) on Friday to run some errands and ended up walking almost 17,000 steps, so that was my exercise that day!
Now it’s March my goal is to discard another 4kg, which will bring me that bit closer to my goal. Happy Scale is predicting I’ll be at goal at my goal weight at the end of July
Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend 🙂
DCT – enjoy your holiday!

Yowser – thank you for sharing the brilliant quote about losing weight and not wanting the weight back. It is just what I am thinking after years and years or losing and finding it again! So now i shall say i have discarded my weight because I never want it back. I’m tired of the continuous cycle of losing and gaining. More gaining than losing to be perfectly honest.

I know how committed you are Yowser when the time is right and you will know when you are ready. Spring is an ideal time to spring into action. You did brilliantly last year before you became unwell and you lost consistently so I know you have the tools and the mindset and of course your friends on here to cheer you on as you discard! What has worked for me this time is drastically reducing my calorie intake alongside low carb/keto. I’ve cut out breakfast just a coffee (with milk- I can’t enjoy black coffee still) and am managing on 800/900 calories a day, lowering the calories has made a big difference. Low carb wasn’t enough, Even fasting for 24/36/42 hours didn’t have an impact on my weight loss last year. I was so disappointed and disheartened, You know I have tried various formats since my success in 2017 and 800 calories seems to be working at the moment so I am going to do this for 12 weeks and then gradually increase my calories to a level where I stabilise my weight once and for all. I hope you are inspired to come out of hibernation and join in with “the losers”.

Congrats CCATHY and DCT,you have both started off theyear so well! XX
My start to the year has been a damp squib,too much hibernating,too much comfort food and treats,but I am buckling down 1st March,no more excuses.
DCT,enjoy the ‘ city that never sleeps’
I read somewhere,maybe Instagram,someone saying they never say that theyve lost weight – because they dont ever want it back 🙂🙃 xx
Happy weekend everyone x

Yay, Cathy and DCT! Your dedication is paying off!

I’ll weigh again on the 1st of March to see what the loss was for February.

I’m feeling a bit wiped out tonight, like I need to include some more carbs. Not sweets, but a little fruit, more vegetables, and the occasional bits of whole grains, nuts, beans, milk, etc. I think I’ve been overdoing it with the keto thing for many weeks now, and it’s left me not just bored, but a bit flat-feeling, lethargic, etc. For a time I even considered trying to go ZERO carbs. But… no. I need a bit more balance. Looking through my Fast 800 cookbooks today, I’m reminded of that.

I know I had said a few days ago that even a little bit of carb makes me retain water, but maybe that’s actually a sign that I’ve been going too low. Will need to experiment.

If we don’t talk to you before your trip, DCT, have fun! Try to say hi from the Big Apple! I’ve never been there and I live in the states!

Speaking of trips, I am shopping online for a bathing suit for our desert holiday… which is something I NEVER thought I would say again! My granddaughter can get me to do anything. : ) Seriously, though, it’s been DECADES, and I’m still very overweight, so this is a bit of a challenge.

-Becca

Wow CATHY that’s fantastic news! SO pleased for you. Very well done 👏. And I’m sure you’ll get to 149 at least by the end of March.

I’ve met my original target of 152lb for February, and had been lower than that last week. So I’m hoping to be in the 140’s by the end of March too, taking into account my New York trip. Here’s hoping!

BECCA your forthcoming trip sounds fabulous! I’ve been luck enough to visit those areas many years ago and would love to go back someday – they are so beautiful. Plenty of time to shed a few more pounds before then too 😊

Hello to everyone else too. It’s lovely to keep up with all your news on here so keep it coming!

If I don’t post over the weekend I’ll check back in first week in March X

Hello everyone
Just jumping on quickly to post my weight this morning- 153.8 lb – so a loss of 1.8 lb this week. Very happy with that. A total loss of 13 lb since January. My goal was 5lb for January and February so I’m smashing it! My next goal is 149lb for the end of March. We’ve got this.
Looking forward to seeing your progress.
DCT- have a wonderful trip to New York.

Sue, that’s a great idea for how to handle meals on holiday, thanks. I think I’ll try that.
Love that other John Lennon quote! I think I may have heard that one once, but had forgotten it, and it’s wonderful.

– Becca

Becca I can totally identify! And that John Lennon line is one of my favourites to quote (along with “we are all of us lying in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars”)!
With the trip if it was me going, I’d aim to keep my weight stable, or with minimal gain, rather than trying to lose. So maybe have 2 “sensible” meals a day and then one “treat” meal (for want of a better word), where you eat whatever you want/feel like without feeling guilty?
I would love to see that part of America, am very envious!

DCT and Cathy… oh, how I relate to that old feeling of “Well, I’ve blown it now, best to start fresh later.” I would venture to guess that much of the weight I’ve gained over the years was gained while “getting ready” to go back on a diet… like an “eat this while I can” kind of thing. Very foolish, and I should have overcome that silliness a long time ago. I keep coming back to “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans,” or whatever that was that John Lennon said.

So, DCT, you are by no means alone in feeling demoralized from time to time. It’s true of all of us, I’m sure. And Cathy, I like what you say about “chipping away.” That’s a good healthy attitude that can hopefully keep us staying the course.

Hope everyone has a good almost weekend, and I’ll be over here rooting for your next weigh-in, DCT, as you prepare for your trip!
I’m going on a trip with my daughter and granddaughter at the end of March… Grand Canyon, Sedona, other parts of Arizona, ending in Palm Springs… and I’m still working out in my head whether to relax and enjoy some things that I don’t usually allow myself… or whether to try to stay reined in. Still haven’t decided.

Edited to add – I’m loving all the recipe ideas! I’ve had all the cookbooks (even the dessert one!) for such a long time, but get a bit overwhelmed when I look through them as far as what to try, so the recommendations are much appreciated. Kudos to those of you who are sticking with the online programme! I’m watching with interest. : )

–Becca

I am in the same boat with making lots of appointments, S-G. It’s like a part-time job, isn’t it? And somewhat never-ending. Best wishes on good A1c results, and also on finding that perfect pair of jeans.

I agree with you about the rogue posts. It makes the site seem much less safe and comfortable, as well as just being annoying. Thanks for reporting them. By the time I see them, they’ve usually been reported already. When you report them, do you ever get a response? It seems like if they’re going to keep this website open, they’d have someone whose job it was to monitor it.

Becca

Hi all, so many rouge posts that I keep reporting. Make the site a bit of a mess when looking for real information.

Diet going well and going to look for some more jeans tomorrow, will be looking for narrow leg this time. Not really got any news, just busy making appointments – made 6 over the last 2 days – for when we come back plus blood and doctor before we go away. I am seriously hoping my HbA1c is down. Still 3 weeks to go and as you can tell I am counting the days.

reported john234

reported business mind post

Hello everyone
DCT- I had a feeling and hoped it would just be a short blip on the scales and you’ve definitely got time to lose that small gain before heading off to New York. How exciting! I agree with you that when we follow the plan properly and eat properly it doesn’t feel like we are on a “diet”. When I ate 3 apple and cinnamon muffins last week with a cup of coffee for my lunch it felt so indulgent! I couldn’t really believe I could lose weight whilst enjoying such a delicious lunch! The lesson I now have to learn is to be strict (apart from holidays and special occasions). The main lesson I am trying to learn is to remember how hard it has been over the years to lose weight in the first place and so not to take my eye off the ball and put back my hard earned pounds! I do think maintenance when it arrives will take a lot of effort. Anyway, for now we don’t have that to think about. Let’s keep chipping away to discard the excess and we couldn’t be in a better place than here supporting each other.
Lunch today is mushroom and pesto egg muffins. I really do look forward to my meals and appreciate them. I’ll get on my walking pad for half an hour later and I’ll look forward to my weigh in tomorrow to see if my hard work has paid off. Would like to see another pound gone.
Looking forward to seeing how we have all done this week. Next week is week 4 of my 12 week reset. I’m still craving an apple but my crisp addiction is well under control oh and the Fybogel had worked it’s magic!!!
Have a good day everyone .

Thanks CATHY for your wise and kind words yesterday. I always seem to fall into the trap of feeling complacent. Once weight is coming off I seem to think I can ease up a bit. But a bit turns into a bit too much! Something DAWN said really resonated with me, about once you have “blown it” a part of you thinks you might as well write off this week and start again next week. Or some such warped logic 🙀. Anyway, thankfully the scales are heading downwards again this morning so I’ll report back again at the weekend on that one.

BECCA some of the recipes I have enjoyed on the Fast800 programme are:
Spinach and cheese stuffed chicken
Salmon in cream and pepper sauce
Greek yoghurt chicken salad
Chili prawn zoodles

Some of them are so nice it doesn’t feel as if I’m on this WoE or indeed any other kind of special diet. They wouldn’t look out of place on any restaurant menu! If you can’t find any of them just give me a shout and I can give you a quick run down.

DAWN I notice you said you’re in Newcastle. I grew up in Sunderland and my mother lived there until 2023. So I’m very much a northern lass too, even though I’ve been living in London then Hampshire for over 40 years now.

Hope everyone is doing ok. I’ll check in again at the weekend before heading off to the Big Apple!

Eva I can o lu say “you will KNOW” when the time is right. Yes I would definitely wait until after your holiday.

Becca there’s some recipes available online through the Fast 800 website – https://thefast800.com/recipes

Most of the recipes I’ve had so far on the plan seem to be simplified versions/adaptations of ones in the various books 🙂

Thanks, Cathy and Sue! Cathy, I didn’t mean for you to have to type out a whole recipe, but thank you! Was just thinking that maybe those favorite recipes people had tried could be found in my cookbooks? Or maybe the online recipes aren’t in the cookbooks, not sure!

Thanks, Verano. My eye doctor said they were “getting a bit worse,” but left it to me as to whether I was ready to have them removed or not. I didn’t really know how to make that decision, so have been reading about other people’s experiences on reddit (as well as your experience just now). The consensus seems to be that nearly everyone is glad to have done it, and mentions how much brighter the colors are. I’ve got a holiday coming up at the end of March, but I think I’ll see about having it done when I get back.

Thanks SUEBLUE and CCATHY for those meal ideas,they sound yummers and right up my street xx
DCThave a wonderful time in New York! I would love to visit there x
I hope NOKIE and FOXY ( ARCTIC FOX) are ok,seems like a long time since ive seen posts from them
Cant believe its Thursday already tomorrow..feels like only a few hours ago it was Sunday evening
Stay warm and well wrapped up folks!SUEBLUE hope you can keep cool XX!
Only a few days now til March! The meteorological season changes then from winter to spring wooohooo!
They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb …and this year we have an early Easter ( and lots of chocolate…no,no,NOT lots of chocolate,what am I thinking of…well,maybe just a little nibble 🙂🙃 )
💚🌸🌸 “ May the dream of peace take flight across the world “🌸🌸💚

Margaret, that is a very long drive! I’ve rarely driven on the M25 and was very stressed last time I tried! We were going across to Norfolk from Wiltshire and that took a long time…was feeling exhausted after flu as well which didn’t help.

Still enjoying the Fast 800 and weight loss really a bit plateau’d but explicable given extra bits here and there, but still feeling much more energetic with sticking to the right foods so I’ve been steadily increasing various types of exercise as well 🙂 🙂

Hi Becca.
Obviously you need to be guided by your opthalmist/optician.

I’ve had cataracts for quite a number of years and actually had no problem seeing indoors. But, we’ve had a really wet winter with very dull weather so all cars are using headlights during the day and I was finding the glare from the lights and traffic lights was becoming really unpleasant. Instead of seeing ‘round’ lights with defined edges I was seeing ‘star bursts’. It was really unsettling.

Since I’ve had my first eye done, which was the worst of the two, I can really see the difference. My operated eye now sees bright colours whereas my other eye has a brown film over it! When I look through both eyes together everything looks fine.

I was wearing contact lenses in both eyes but now I only need a lense in my un-operated eye. The procedure itself was painless and even after it I didn’t really have any issues. The worst part was having to put drops in my eye every 4 hours for two weeks!

Of course all surgery, no matter how commonplace, carries risks so be guided by the professionals. You will know yourself when the time is right. Best of luck!

Becca I hear you regarding treats! I don’t have much of a sweet tooth usually but sometimes crave sweetness. Last night after dinner I ended up having 3 frozen grapes!
There are some treats in the recipe books. One of my favourites is the Beetroot Chocolate Brownies, from the BSD recipe book I think. I used to make a batch and then freeze them so that I wasn’t tempted to eat more than 1. They are quite rich and satisfying.
The berry chia “jam” recipe in the same book is good as well. I make it when I have left over berries usually, but you can make with frozen ones too. It makes a nice topping for porridge, I used to spoon it over a warm brownie and to me it was (almost) like Black Forest cake, especially with a little bit of whipped cream 🙂
Another sweet treat I used to make was a version of stewed apple – you sauté chunks of apple in butter and cinammon, then when the apple is coated then the heat down and add some water and cook until just soft, but still keeping the chunky shape. I then kept it in the fridge and had it on porridge, or as a “dessert” with yoghurt after a meal.
Other favourites of mine from the BSD recipe book are
– Pecan chia porridge
– Apple and cinnamon porridge
– Roast pumpkin (squash) soup – can’t remember the name but you roast the pumpkin/squash and some red capsicums then make the soup – it’s delicious. I make Haloumi ‘croutons’ to have in it sometime too (just cut into cubes and bake with the capsicum for 10 minutes).
– Red cabbage and beetroot salad

There’s a Beef Rendang recipe, I think it’s in the Fast 800 recipe book that’s really delicious. The vegetarian bolognaise is good too.

I’ll have to dig out my books again as there’s loads more I used to regularly make 🙂

Here is the halloumi fajitas recipe – this is for one portion – 400 calories 25g protein. 12.7 g carbohydrate. 25.9 g fat. Fibre 6.4g
1/4 red onion
1/2 red pepper
1 portobello mushroom sliced
1/2 tsp ground paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
25 g plain full fat Greek Yoghurt
1/4 lime zest and juice
80g Halloumi cheese sliced
1/2 baby cos lettuce

Toss the onion peppers mushrooms in the spices with half the oil and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the vegetables. Cook for 8-10 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking mix together the yoghurt! Lime juice and zest with a pinch of salt.
Remove vegetables from pan and heat the remaining olive oil. Add the Halloumi and cook each side for 1-2 minutes until golden and crispy.
Return the vegetables to the pan and warm through with the halloumi.
Scoop the mix I to the lettuce leaves , top with lime yoghurt and enjoy.

amazing

Ooops, sorry I got you mixed up, Sunny and Dreams! I’m relieved to hear it, though. Hope your holiday is going pleasantly, Sunny, and hope your holiday will be pleasant when you go, Dreams.

You are right about the need for strictness, Cathy. I had one tiny sweet thing last night, and even with still being under 20 total carbs for the day, my weight was up almost a pound today. Just crazy. I feel torn at times between wanting so much to stay disciplined, but also feeling like life is short (especially now that I’m in my 70s), and a little pleasure is called for, too. I know it just comes down to balance, but that balance means the scale tends to go up and down.

Thanks in advance for the recipe recommendations! I’ll look for the mushroom stroganoff and the haloumi fajitas. Not sure I’ve ever seen haloumi in the stores – but will look for it!

Cheers, everyone! Onward and downward. –Becca

Hello everyone
DCT- I was hoping it was the end of this week that you were travelling to New York . That’s fortunate and hopefully the snow will be gone and the sun will be shining . I’ve enjoyed a few sunny but cold trips to New York. I love it!
Don’t be too annoyed with what has happened this week. This is the teaching we all need to learn. This is the teaching that has got us back here time after time because we don’t learn. We really will have to be so strict and disciplined going forwards. It’s going to be tough. It will be water weight and so it will whoosh away quickly and with a few strict days you’ll be back nearer to 150 again. Enjoy your holiday and when you get back you can continue to chip away. I am planning to allow myself holiday time going forward but the lesson is to get back on track straight away and not get back into this situation ever again ( I lost 42lb and put back 32lb)! Your little lesson is teaching us all DCT. I reckon by Friday you will reach your original target of 152. I think smaller goals are more realistic. Anything more is a bonus and a boost.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday.
BECCA- I will post some recipe ideas too later. I’ve particularly enjoyed mushroom stroganoff and Halloumi fajita this week. Mine are vegetarian keto but they’re still really yummy!

Hi BECCA and SUNNY. Yes it’s me going to New York but thankfully not till next week. It looks like the snow will be on its way out by then 🤞

I’m a bit grumpy today as a bit of weight has crept back on over the last couple of days. Totally my fault : I went off piste on Sunday with friends round for lunch and then last night at another event. l got down to 150.6lb by Saturday and my original end Feb target had been 152lb : so I boldly changed that to 150lb but am now nearer 154lb. And yes I know it’s most probably water weight (like you BECCA, it comes back on really quickly) but I’m just annoyed!

Anyway, still 4 days to go so let’s see how we go!

BECCA I will trawl through my online recipes and send you a few that I recommend

Hi to everyone else too and hope you’re all doing ok?

SUNNY enjoy the rest of your holiday X

Thanks for the concern Becca, but think it’s DCT who was going to New York, I’m currently in Turkiye where it’s chilly but no snow thankfully. Hopefully DCT is doing okay despite the weather issues in New York.

I’m back next week and so will be back on the thread properly once I have done my weekly weigh in on Tuesday.

Sunny – so sorry that your vacation coincided with a week of record-breaking snow and blizzard conditions in New York. Hope you are able to have some kind of fun, and safe travels home next week. Thinking of you!

I haven’t posted much lately – did well the first two weeks of February, lost 8 pounds, and then gained the 8 pounds back during the 3rd week, due to Valentine’s Day sweets and daughter’s 40th birthday celebration. I didn’t even eat all that much, but eating carbs piles the water weight back on me with frightening speed. Fortunately, I’ve lost them during this last week of February and have even managed to get down to a new low, though not by much.

Best wishes to everyone, hope you’re all doing well, those on the online program and those on their own! I kind of wish now that I’d signed up if only to have an inexpensive look at it all again, but that’s okay. Would be great if some of you shared the names of your favorite recipes, though, because I have all the recipe books! Nothing like a recommendation from someone who’s already tried out a recipe!

–Becca

PS – Sorry for the misspelling, I meant Cotswolds, of course.

Just want to add… how much I would love to see the beautiful areas that you all seem to live in or visit. I have wanted to go to the UK and France for my whole life, but have never gotten there. Wish I had been more adventurous when I was young. Lots of people seem to get all excited about coming out to the Los Angeles area where I live, but aside from the nice weather and maybe the beach views, it’s really not pretty here. I would love to be where it was greener and more open, with more of a sense of history.

My daughter and her husband and little girl will be going over in June, at the invitation of her husband’s parents. Clearly, they have a lot more money at their disposal than I do. I’m happy for her, though, and asked her to please take lots of pictures. If anyone has any tips on places to visit in the Cotswalds, pass them along — that will be their main visit area, plus a few days in London near Buckingham Palace.

-Becca

Hi, everyone, I have been bad about posting, although I have been here reading! I have been frustrated by the up-and-down of the scale along with some of you. I did well the first two weeks of February, then the third week was gifted Valentine’s chocolates by my daughter which I could not resist (chocolate is my nemesis, no question), plus it was daughter’s 40th birthday that week, and even with moderate eating I put back on what I lost the first two weeks. I know a lot of what I lose and regain is water from when I eat or stop eating carbs, because it goes and comes back so quickly. Anyway, doing better this week, down now to a new low, though not by much.

Verano, I just found out a few days ago that my cataracts have gotten worse, and am trying to decide whether to hold off or just have the procedure done now. Would love to know more about your decision and your experience with that. One thing that might push me to do it sooner is that my eye pressure is up a little bit, and I don’t want to end up with glaucoma.

Thanks for sharing how close we are to the time change! Oh, how I look forward to those longer days of sunlight. : )

Good luck, everyone! –Becca

Hi Stuart, our bodies are a mystery and can go up and down with a glass of water. Sometimes when you have been strict and had good losses your body can hang on to its resources the following week and give a very disappointing loss. Then it can catch up again giving good losses. I hope you dont mind me saying but you do have a lot to lose so you must be doing really well and shedding as would be expected. It will slow down unless you are seriously undereating. What are your calories and carbs per day. BTW if you dont like some of the food then swap it out although it is good to follow the suggestions to start with until you get used to what is what and how it affects you. Eat what you enjoy or you wont stick to it, as long as you avoid the obvious white, starchy carbs.

You dont say if you have any particular problems healthwise. Just keep doing what you have been, it will slow down.

Well I am certainly no angel and had an increase this morning. Thinking about it I had a snack late of a Ryvita with a slice of ham and pickle but I was starving. I went without breakfast on TRE and it always seems to catch up with me. Then I had a very bad night with restless legs and still awake at 3am so I got up and made a comforting mug of low calorie drinking chocolate. So maybe they both gave me a small gain. Hopefully, it will melt away by tomorrow 🙂

Hate to brag but it is 22 degrees here in France but only for a couple of days then it goes back down to 18 / 19 so we are on our way to summer. There is a bird that signals the coming of true Spring in France, called a Grue, they are actually cranes and they fly back to the north as things start to warm up. They came in small skeins of around 10 early on to test the weather then they somehow get messages back to the rest of them and they start coming over in their hundreds, it is a brilliant sight to see and so noisy. They are flying over right now and will for a couple of weeks. Always love to see and hear them.

Had my feet done today so feeling light as air.

Well done s-g ….. keep on keeping on ……. You will go to the ball 10lbs lighter!
Margaret , sorry to hear about your gain, your year is sounding very familiar, mine’s just like being on a roller coaster too!
Anyway, the sun is shining here, the spring flowers are abundant, the days are getting longer and just 32 days before the clocks spring forward! Today I feel re-energised and hope this will help me towards more healthy eating.
Have a good week everyone.