Yowser, I’m really liking the 27/9 decluttering idea and I’m certain I could find 27 items a day to move on, so think I’ll give it a go …. decluttering is certainly needed here!

hello everyone
Linda- I hope you are OK. What a worry for you. I hope you are able to seek some professional help regarding your memory and perhaps an assessment to put your mind at ease but you might be right that the stress of the last couple of years has contributed to your forgetfulness.
SueBlue – sorry to see you too have been having some stress. You’re doing the right thing taking things slowly and being kind to yourself.
I honestly believe that the last two Covid years have taken more of a toll on us than we are aware of. We have all had to live through an extremely difficult time. The fact that we are still here helping each other is amazing.
I still haven’t yet knuckled down! I have been asked to go into work tomorrow and Friday and have taken some soup out of the freezer for tomorrow so that is a start to being sensible! . I am fighting with myself most of the day. I want to get my weight down but I keep making wrong and bad choices. I have just come home from seeing my son where I ate two absolutely delicious lemon shortbread biscuits! Why did I do it? I wanted to eat them. This may seem weird but I want to feel “normal” instead of always thinking about what I can’t eat and what I can eat. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to be able to eat whatever we wanted to without having to feel bad or guilty. I know I am happier when my clothes feel comfortable but this last week I’ve not cared too much about being sensible. I think one of the reasons could be that I keep thinking a lot about about my friend who some of you may remember was diagnosed with a stage 4 brain tumour after our holiday together last year who doesn’t have a good prognosis and it is also coming up to the anniversary of my friends daughter who sadly died of Covid this time last year. Last year was a terrible year for me and It made me think about how precious life is and how short it can be and I sometimes find it tiresome to be strict. I am not making excuses but just saying how I sometimes feel and I think this is why I am struggling at the moment.

As SueBlue said, tomorrow is another day. I will try and knuckle down. I really do want to weigh 138 lb at Easter and there is only one way I can be 138 lb and that is by not eating lemon shortbread biscuits and all the other foods I’ve eaten this weekend. So it’s a kale and bean and pesto soup tomorrow for lunch.

DCT – I hope to be rebooting with you tomorrow. I don’t think it would be possible for me to lose 9lb in 12 days but I am going to give it a jolly good try! It would be a great experiment for us to try it out, Let’s see how we do! I will weigh myself tomorrow and again on day 12. I reckon I’ll lose 2lb. I think this is a great mini challenge.

Hi everybody ! Wow there’s a lot to digest here! This thread goes from strength to strength and we seem to share more and more with each challenge,and we support each other so well..so..high five us!! XXXX we rock!
Just want to send extra special wishes for the week to LINDA and her OH and to ARCTIC FOX XXX
I’m perched on the very edge of my seat!..my Carb Monsters taking up most of the space! She’s short and fat,looks like a little gorilla,and wears a flouncy dress,so she takes up a lot of room..🙄
anyway I’ve shoved her off my seat now,and she’s dancing with rage and shaking her fists..but as the bus drives away,she’s becoming a smaller and smaller dot in the distance! Bye bye Carb Monster! 🙂🙃
Here’s to a very good week for all of us! CCATHY enjoy having some ME time this week. XX
DCT YEs,wasn’t it hearten8ng to read that MM lost 9 + lbs in 12 days!Xx

Hi positive peeps! Lovely to read so many nice things going on and getting us through January!
VERANO I’m glad you and OH had a nice break! After my own post Xmas break away, I’m of the opinion that it’s an ideal time to do so,and I hope to make it a yearly tradition. X
SUNNY I’m glad the Date Nights are continuing into 2022! X
GREENBEAN good to see you here X!
My pozzys…
*~ Nice avvo out yday…cold and dull but was very cheery and bustly in the park
*~ Went to one of our favourite eating places,waited til after the lunch time rush. So nice to see the place again after a two year absence,to see the staff and sample some of their food and bring some home
*~ Decluttering like crazy! I’m doing a Feng Shui ritual where you have to throw away/ give away 27 items a day for 9 consecutive days. No idea why 27/9 ..I’ve only got two days left to go. It’s easier than I thought..as a regular declutterer I wondered if I could manage it,but yes ,I can,and it’s making me feel good to give away stuff that I no longer really want or need ( but was keeping ‘ just in case’) and throwing away things that are no longer useful,chipped, etc. You can delete old emails and photos on yr device,cancel apps you don’t use,end subscriptions you re paying for that you don’t much make use of. It all adds up!The idea is it makes space for newer fresher things to come into yr life.
🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷

Verano, your time away sounds idyllic. Glad you had a wonderful time.
Greenbean, wonderful to have you posting positives. Great to catch up with special friends.

My positives right now are …..
🍲 had a lovely date night on Friday …. enjoyed planning the meal and presenting OH with something a little bit special. Plenty of dancing in the living room. All of this is a positive, because it was a great reconnect with OH after a busy week.
🧺 reduced the ironing in the laundry basket today. This is a positive, because it’s one thing partially ticked off the To Do list. Might not get around to doing the rest for awhile, but at least OH has a bigger choice of shirts now!
🙂 made arrangements to visit with eldest daughter first weekend of Feb. It’s always a positive to catch up with family.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and wishing you all a good week ahead.

Hello and welcome Greenbean.
Hi to everyone.
I was reading, yet again, today that one of the best ways to improve mood is to keep a journal recording three positives each day and why they’re ‘positive’.
Sorry I’ve not been around lately but we’ve just had a weekend away for the first time since September. So to my positives …..
🚘🏡🛏 Spent two lovely nights in a lovely Country House Hotel in West Yorkshire. Positive because the room was beautiful and I didn’t have to make the bed and we sampled ‘normality’ again!
🫒🍤 🍸Wonderful food in a lovely 2 rosette restaurant. Positive because the food was great and no cooking for me!
🍳🧀🥦 Still on the theme of food … sorry … had ‘treats’ of martini, wine and cheese and crackers which were lovely. Positive I didn’t eat ‘everything’ because I’d had one item ‘off plan’.
I think we have cracked this WOL when we can eat /drink somethings we wouldn’t normally eat but not use that as an ‘excuse’ to abandon this way of eating even temporarily on the pretext we can start again tomorrow. Reminds me of the car running red lights ……

Hi everyone and welcome back to Merry.

Not much to report. Took delivery of our new mattress and had a good nights sleep. Not sure if it was the mattress or feeling a bid less stressed. Still keeping on with the dry January although I am counting the days to February. Just booked restaurant for my birthday, it is the same restaurant we were at exactly 2 years ago to the day, just before France went into lockdown. The menu is amazing and not a carb in sight except for the dessert but even that I can choose a fruit based one or cheese.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Hi everyone and happy weekend. Just a quick post to say hello, especially to Sue and Linda. Sue I hope you’re ok and manage to get some time for yourself in amongst all the demands placed on you. Same for you Linda; it sounds to me as if stress and frustration are the main issues for you right now too. Sending love and moral support to you both.

I also wanted to say that there was a big feature on Michael in yesterday’s Daily Mail. A condensed version of his new book plus some of the recipes. But what I find exciting is that he said he personally lost 9lb/4kg in 12 days just before Christmas on the plan. And to me, he doesn’t look like he had that much to lose anyway.

So I’m feeling freshly inspired to reboot tomorrow and be really strict for at least 12 days. Surely even I’m capable of doing that 🙀 Jax61 in this thread is also an inspiration. I just seem to have got into some really bad habits recently so need to turn things round. Will report back in due course ….

Well done for resisting temptation, and the positive outcome.

When I started I was 3 or 4 weeks in. Still sticking to the 800 cals and I had a monthly work meeting. The leader had a habit of bringing bags of rubbish, biscuits cakes all that stuff. I remember all my colleagues watching me probably thinking I would crack – which I didn’t.

For me it’s a mindset thing. I try to enjoy what I choose to eat (not what I’m allowed, what I choose) and not miss the stuff I used to eat that’s off plan.

As for chocolate, as your tastes change you’ll lose that craving for sweet stuff. For me during the 800 cal phase a little treat was (and still is) – a square of dark chocolate. So much nicer than that sweet milk stuff.

You’re doing well.

thanks Merry 😊

Soooo, the fizz on Friday was delish…..I will say tho, that my head was so unusually clear last weekend when I had no alcohol! I guess that’s no surprise 😂…..and also it did make it harder yesterday….all sorts of naughty ideas in my head about at dinner time about red wine and coffee ice cream for pudding!!! 😂….which I had to ignore, so quite proud of myself for that! Weight loss now at – 8 lbs over the 2.5 weeks so it does make me re-remember that persistence, commitment and consistency through the weekends as well as during the week is what actually shifts my weight!

Love to all, Tulip xxx

Celebrate! I ate the chocolate.

Of course there’s more to it than that.
I was at a Selection day yesterday, and the Oh generous hospitality. No plain biscuits, various chocolate ones, boiled sweets, the works. It’s a stressful day, in and out of interviews and the candidate’s lounge was full of temptation.
I know what I’m like, once I give in once, I’m gone. I set myself the target to hold out as long as I could and actually managed to stick to the food I’d brought.

Having got home and received the phone call with a positive outcome, I celebrated with a single segment of Chocolate orange (from christmas). I’m utterly chuffed with myself. It may not ever happen again, but I’ll celebrate that small win.

2 1/2 weeks in and I’ve lost 7lbs since I started.

Thank You Tulip.
So good to read that your daughter’s health is improving. I hope you savoured and enjoyed your glass of fizz 🍾.
Day 1 ticked off – eggs and bacon for brunch and steak with broccoli and carrot (yes carrot – good fibre for me and not much of it). Berries and yogurt. 20g carb for the day.
Out today to see West Side Story movie – with a meal afterwards – so I will have a simple stirfry.
Interesting to read your post last week about inflammation. I know that low carb really helps reduce my inflammation (arthritis etc) so that is another motivation for me to get re-serious! 😀 Glad to hear that it helps with your fatigue too.

JAX – well done! Losing almost 10lb in 2 weeks is fantastic! And glad your headaches have eased,

DCT – thanks for the quote – I needed to read those words!

I haven’t had a good week at all this week, weight and mood wise, I’ve gained 1/2kg (1lb), which brings my overall loss since the beginning of Jan down to 1.5kg.

There’s a couple of reasons/things going on, nothing major but I guess they all contribute. When I read MM’s new Keto book I felt inspired and determined to stick to it, so I planned all of my meals and then ordered the groceries online. Well this week I’d say at least 30-35% of what I ordered didn’t turn up – a mix of out of stock items and also a large amount of missing items, about $70 worth! It just means I’ll have to wait another week for those foods and improvise with my plan!

I also have some family tensions going on, our house is very small and it’s hard at times having 4 adults virtually living on top of one another,
Then there’s the situation with my MIL who’s becoming increasingly dependant on me to help her day to day, and she can be demanding at time’s…And to top it all off, work stress is contributing to my lower state of mind too!
So with having a low mood its been easier this week to reach for a glass (or 4!) of wine, say yes when I’m offered a biscuit, heat a frozen pizza instead of preparing a healthy meal, and to roll over and go back to sleep instead of getting up early and walking!! Resulting in a gain instead of a loss unsurprisingly!

Yesterday though I drew a line in the sand and forced myself to go for a walk in the morning even though I didn’t feel like it. I made the smoked cod chowder from the new book, didn’t like it tbh but then I’m not a big fish eater. I drained the fish and veg from the liquid and mixed it with some left over pumpkin and some chia seeds and made fish cakes in my air fryer – going to have those today (waste nor want not and all that!). For dinner I made the pizza from the Fast 800 book.
I watched tv in the evening then had an early night so I wouldn’t be tempted to eat or drink anything. Today is another new day and although I don’t feel full of energy & optimism I’m going to take one small step at a time and keep moving forward!

Hi Merry, great to see you back 🙂

Hi Linda, the reason that cheap breathalysers work as ketone monitors is that the method used to test for alcohol also accidentally picks up on the byproduct of burning ketones for fuel. The breathalysers used by the police to check for drink driving use a different method of testing for alcohol in the breath so you will not get a false positive if in ketosis if stopped by the police.

I understand that the expensive ketone breathalysers use the same technique as the cheap breathalysers. Is it possible that when you eat the sweet stuff you are also have alcohol, so the reading is coming from drink?

Thank you for your help x

Linda – I have lost the ability to think of words before, but it was related to living in Norway and speaking a different language and anyone I was speaking English with was not a native speaker, so I was using my ‘international English’. Even after I got home, it took a while to get back to normal. So quite possible if you aren’t speaking a lot with people that your vocabulary might be shrinking. Could be good to get checked out though. Is there anyone that you can have phone conversations with, or over zoom maybe? That could be helpful as well. I’m sure stress can contribute. I think if you are in ketosis, that will hopefully help stave off any dementia as well. Some people are calling it type 3 diabetes, so your good sugar levels may be helping your brain too.
I completely understand the house stress. I just went through a few weeks of sub -20 weather (as cold as -34 some nights!) in a house with no insulation in the walls. I couldn’t run my fireplace or wood burner because starlings nested in the chimney in the summer and I haven’t been able to get anyone out to clean it yet. The electric baseboard heaters were completely inadequate and couldn’t keep up. So my house was sitting at 11 C most of the time. So happy it has now warmed up to around 0 C most days and I am warm again. But wow, it made me realize how much work needs to be done on the house and fairly urgently so I don’t have to go through this again. Luckily I can start in the basement and insulate that which should help a lot. Unfortunately the whole of the upstairs is likely to need asbestos abatement which I think is incredibly expensive, and I don’t even know where to begin with that. I’m beginning to think that I just need to gut the whole thing and start over. But basement first. Need to stay focused on that!

Hi All.
Just a very quick post from me & sorry but I’m losing the ability to remember what everyone says in the posts at the moment as I think I’m a little too stressed. Hubby thinks I may be developing Alzheimers as I keep forgetting nouns & he says it’s been going on for a few months now. I KNOW I’m doing that & also my mental arithmetic abilities (which I was really spot on quick with) has diminished badly & I tend now to use a calculator. He thinks I need to see a doctor BUT I think it could be from being stuck in the house 24/7 for nearly 2 years. not having anyone to talk to, except for him & he keeps his headphones on 80% of the time when we’re up on the computer, which is a large part of the day.

There is also SO much that needs doing to this house & I’m the one who has to set everything in motion, which is a bit overwhelming (new warm air gas boiler, water boiler too, new windows & doors, walls knocked down & bricked up to change entrance, new bathroom, new kitchen & also decorating throughout) that I’ve put off for too many years due to him having various health problems (such as heart attacks where he only just got to hospital in time, serious syncopy episodes losing 12 teeth on 1 episode over 2yrs ago, hopefully next month he’ll finally get teeth. another last August when he ripped all the skin off his 1 lower leg, hospital for 1 week then docs 3X a week for 4-5 months, diverticulitis – where he lost nearly half the blood in his system & after being in hospital for 3 weeks they sent him home WITHOUT giving him the extra 2 pints of blood they promised. He was SO weak that he spent the best part of 6m+ in bed. I really don’t think he realises that I still worry a great deal about him & also the house is REALLY getting me down at the moment & adding to the stress I’m under. I MISS my cousins (who were more like sisters when we were growing up as they only lived a mile away) & family SO much & also his girls in the US & their families too BUT I don’t want to bring anything back to him as I know my cousins are right gadabouts – if there are concerts, dances or big get-togethers they are there!

Sorry to put all mine & his problems down but it’s bothering/upsetting me that he thinks I need to go see a doc & tell them he thinks I’m starting old-timers disease. I think I’m just tired & stressed out.

Anyways I came on to say that I’ve lost 2lbs of the 8lbs I gained, which is OK as we found some Carr’s biscuits that we used for cheese & we both are addicted to eating them & far too many of them too. Carl won’t get on the scales as I think he’s been sneaking some other things too. My blood sugars are fine in the 4-5.3 range which means that I should still be in the ‘normal’ range.

Surprisingly we’ve both NEVER gone out of Ketosis, according to our breath Ketone meter. Is this because we’ve always carried on doing 18:6 or 16:8 fasting daily (at worst & rarely12:12) OR is our meter telling us porkies? TBH our meals during our times off have been almost following the BSD diet also BUT we have greatly over indulged in sweet goods on top of this. We’ve also drunk 3 bottles of Baileys, nearly always in coffee, which should evaporate most of the alcohol. However the day after the tipple our meter shows us up over 3.0, whereas we are normally in the 2.6-3 area. I will go over 3.0 if I starve myself, as sometimes I do. Should I buy a new breath meter maybe one of those AT6000 & do they show the readings the same way as a ‘proper’ ketone breath meter i.e. 0.5-3.0 is in Ketosis, over 3.0 is starvation mode or alcohol?? Anyone know please?

OMG I didn’t mean to write all the above but I do feel as if I know most of you & I suppose I wondered if any of you had lost words (mostly nouns) like I do because of stress? I know when I was going through the menopause I was BAD but that improved after 5yrs of horrendous, every symptom possible, during menopause & I then got back to normal. I have NO idea how long the stress will go on for this time, however, I do know that we can’t have stuff done quite yet.

Anyways It’s REALLY good to be back on this WOE, maybe I’ll feel better for restarting it? Hopefully, fingers crossed.

Keep on keeping off peeps. I read a lot of you are doing really well. If you’re not doing so good then keep on the diet as best you can as we all know these are just about the only diets that are guaranteed to work if you can keep on them & if you do go low carb the hunger melts away within 2-3weeks at most. If you are getting hungry then just check your carbs thoroughly as the carb monster will come visiting & get you if you eat too many. Love Linda XXXX

Hello everyone, and hello Wendy, SunnyB and SunshineGirl
I haven’t posted for quite a while but I do read all the posts daily. 📰
I have just been sitting on the sidelines in a bit of an out-of-sorts place. We came out of a long lock down in November and things were looking up for a few weeks until Omicron came to Aust before Christmas. That is fairly wide spread here at the moment and I know many people who have had it – whereas I didn’t know anyone with Covid in 20/21. We’ve got some big public events like the Ashes Cricket (sorry England! 😀😀) and now the Aus Open tennis – so I think cases will stay high.
The good news is that I am getting some work now that Libraries have been reopened. And so far have kept well!
But my downfall has just been snacking way too much. Not carb heavy food – but as we know the nuts and cheese and dark choc do add up 😊😊 And the wine!!
So I need to pull myself out of this funk and get serious. Starting goal is 4 weeks F800. Not that much weight to lose but the muscle I had (not much!) has turned to mush with fitness classes being shutdown 20/21 – so I need to start doing some exercise and get the tummy down a bit.
During prime time TV showing the Australian Open tennis Michael Mosely has been running ads for F800! So we might find a few new Aussies joining the forums soon.
I am continuing going out to restaurants, films etc but will now stick to F800 friendly meals and NO wine 🍷
Now I have put this into print I need to stay accountable – so will be joining next week’s thread to try xxx – no not try! – to STAY on track with the encouragement that all your posts bring. Lots of good advice always.
Merry 🌺🌺🌺

Hi everyone,
I have really stretched my goal of only eating savoury foods out by a couple of weeks. It seems to be working, so sticking with that for now. I have maybe just a slight bit of ease in the waist of my jeans this week which is good because this is usually the week of the month that I’m prone to water retention and that usually makes them tighter, not looser.
I have been cooking a lot more and enjoying my food more than I was. That alone is a bit of a victory.
I ended up doing a grocery pick up this week because I was finding it quite difficult to make anything with what was left in my cupboards without any other ingredients to make some nice meals. So I’m all stocked up, and doing grocery shopping online seems to keep me sensible and reduces the temptations that are everywhere in the supermarkets.
I’ve had a busy week and not much sleep, so I haven’t been checking in here. I’ll catch up on the posts over this weekend and see how everyone is doing.

Hi all, had a bad night again. I never have been a good sleeper but it has been terrible. I go from 4 hours one night to a regular 8 the next, then 6 hours then 8 and so on. Last night it was just over 4 hours. I think I was worrying. Got home and even after hubby said he had measured our mattress he went to do it again and we had bought the wrong size. Up first thing and straight back to the shop. No problem, they have just altered the order and it has saved us around €140. Heard from THS this morning. They have contacted our sitter but wanted all my evidence documents. This is annoying as I have already sent them. They said to attach to their email but I’ll be bleep bleep if I can work out how to do it so just had to resend on a separate email.

Weight is a bit up and down at the moment, just around the same 0.3 kgs. Can blame a very small bread roll I had with lunch yesterday but I will koko. Still okay on dry January. I have a new blood sugar monitor and she talks to me (annoyingly). At least this morning she said I should quickly get a drink of fruit juice as my BG was so low (63 or 3.4). Will further reduce insulin tonight.

RubyG, if hubby can ditch the cheese habit I doubt his diet is bad but it might just have caught up with him. You also say his triglycerides are low so that is good as that can be connected to high cholesterol. So here are the things he should be eating:-
Beans and pulses (chickpeas, lentils, oats), Aubergine and Okra, Nuts, especially almonds and walnuts (but just a few).Oils for cooking (olive or rapeseed), the usual fruits like apples, berries (it also says grapes but they are full of sugar), foods fortified with sterols, although they dont make a big enough impact to warrant the high price, soya, fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, etc (euk), and plenty of soluble fibre. Also, as you mentioned, doing some exercise can help break the fats down. I think you both know what to do and dont really need me to say but just a little reminder.

Have a good weekend all, and I will try to get some sleep.

Hello everyone

DCT I think we were posting at similar times yesterday and I didn’t read your fabulous quote until after my post. So good for me at the moment.
My weigh In this morning showed I’d put on 1.2 lb which was better than anticipated! I have let myself down this week and will have to claw back now what I gained and so won’t achieve my anticipated 4lb loss for January. I’ve got 11 days left in January to see how much weight I can shed and then I will see how well I’ve done for the first 30 days. Still all to play for but anything I don’t lose this month will be added to next months loss so I have to make an effort or otherwise I won’t be able to achieve next months loss either. So it’s onwards and downwards for me. I had yoghurt and raspberries for my breakfast with a delicious cup of coffee- my husband bought me a stocking filler Christmas present of a handheld coffee grinder and so I’m enjoying freshly ground coffee. I ditched the cream last year when my cholesterol was high but I drink Oatley Barista which is quite creamy and my morning coffee was delicious. Grinding the beans is also good exercise! Every little helps!

So here I go again – I can’t be messing about, I only have one day of work next week so I will have time to plan, read, walk and generally get myself back in the losing weight frame of mind. My aim for next week is to lose 2lb. I need to be 148.4 lb at the end of January to have lost my 4lb target. All still to play for on my 100 day journey to goal weight. I really don’t want this journey to be perpetual and so I am going to be at goal by the end of the 100 days. 138 lb is my goal and I will weigh that weight by Easter! There….said it!

Have a good week everyone.

Thanks for the replies re. the cholesterol SG – hubby plans to ask the GP for a re-test in 3-6 months as a more representative sample, and then deal with it through diet and exercise if necessary, avoiding meds wherever possible.
I tried to read up last night on foods and diet to reduce cholesterol, and just started getting shouty at the internet with some advice that would put him straight back into pre-diabetes.
It looks like the egg-based breakfasts shouldn’t be a problem, so that’s OK.
He does need to increase his exercise (his baseline is so low that anything would be an improvement) and that will come anyway when the weather improves. His daily snack of a piece of cheese should probably be reviewed (this was met with resistance) and maybe up our fish consumption too.
Otherwise we keep on keeping on!

Well done on your scales and inches lost Tulip and very good news about your daughter 💓

Morning all,
I’m feeling quite good at the moment- the number on the scales is reducing, I’ve lost nearly 2″ off my waist and I have a new energy which I am thoroughly enjoying.
Any how, my eldest daughter had a breakthrough yesterday with her long covid breathing issues- she’s been doing breathing exs in lying and then sitting for just over a month now and yesterday she stood up and managed to translate normal breathing into normal breathing standing up and walking slowly- she’s been kind of gasping/ panting every time she’s been on her feet for nearly 2 years now (like, literally all the time, it never lets up) so this is huge 😁😁….any how, relevance to the diet- well, I’d sworn off alcohol until I reach my goal but we are going to break that tonight and have some fizz- hopefully I can stay restrained and not let this derail my entire weekend as otherwise the WOE is going really well.

Love to all, Tulip xxx

Jumping straight into the positives –
-caught up with a friend I hadn’t seen for 6 months and put the world to rights, well we tried
– Wood burning stove being fitted next week, instead of the expected wait until April so we will be warm! The cat is going to be beside himself
– beautiful skies, pink and violets in the evening and the moon still clear and bright in the mornings.
– First pink buds on the ornamental cherry signal to me every year that spring isn’t here but is very near…

Californiagirl – just read your post, really good reminders and inspiring. I will need to buy more sausages 😀 Thanks for that

Back again! Been on plan for about 2 weeks now and only 1 small slip into a pack of wotsits when I was home late. I last did this WOE a few years ago before my wedding and lost 2 stone. Realise I now need to commit long term as heavier than ever and scared have been sitting in pre diabetes for a while now. Have been doing IF with first meal around 12, Interesting salad if I am out and about or soup if I am working from home. Tend to make a big pot every week which lasts through. Need to start using cream in coffee instead of milk and cut out the oatcakes. I forgot they are okay for me when maintaining but not at the start. I have been following the threads for a while before posting and loving ideas for meals as usual, and reminders about the glory of eggs! Not started weighing yet as I can’t look at the scales but am measuring as I remember seeing small changes here that weren’t reflected on the scales. Good to be back and with everyone on this journey!

Hi RubyG, just noticed body weight in cheese 🙂 That could be the offender.

Yowser, I need you here to declutter for me! OH and I are dreadful clutter people and need to be more disciplined about not keeping stuff tir the sake of it. Glad your sister is finally home again, hope she continues to recover well.

Feel like there has been so much going on, I haven’t even seen what the weather was like today!
📝 after hours in front if the pc, the village news letter is now complete. OH has proof read for me and now just need to correct a few typos, so it can go off for printing.
👩‍💻 lovely Skype session with a friend ‘across the pond’ this afternoon. We haven’t spoken in months, so was great to catch-up again.
🔪 did as much prep as I could, ready for tomorrow’s date night dinner …. Will make things easier tomorrow.

Did your day bring you some positives? We’d love to read about them.

Helloooooo everyone! X
Thursday night reflections on the day!
*~ Bright crisp day again..this weather really helps me get thru Jan in a sunny frame of mind!
*~ Went out at dusk,which is arriving later and later!
*~ The sky was dusky purple with lilac streaks..absolutely gorgeous! and the birds were singing sleepily.
🌟🌟🌟Happy Friday to those already there…for the rest of us,have a lovely evening and sleep sweet xxxx🌟🌟🌟

DCT that’s a great quote,I read sthing similar today…aim for progress not perfection,baby steps are enough! Progress will move you forward,being a perfectionist won’t.
CCATHY Im glad you’ve got some time to yrself coming up!
JaX well done on yr loss and yr stickability! XX

Hello everyone
Jax- what an amazing weight loss in three weeks. Well done to you . That is very inspiring and proves how good the results can be when we follow the plan!
Thank you all once again for your moral support and reminder that we still have 12 weeks to make a difference. I will jump on the scales tomorrow but I won’t post the shame after my wrong turn! I will be back on track for next weeks weigh in. I was planning to lose 4lb each month and I don’t know why I went so off piste and scuppered this month’s target. Next week I am going to make some soups which hopefully will fill me up and knuckle down once again. Things are going quiet at the vaccination centre and I’ve only got one shift next week so I will appreciate some time off at home.
Keep plodding everyone!

Just came across this inspirational quote that I wanted to share with you, particularly those that are struggling:

“If you can’t fly then run,
if you can’t run then walk,
if you can’t walk then crawl,
but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

― Martin Luther King Jr.

We all move at different paces, but we will get there X

Hi everyone all is well and I am starting to calm down, Didnt do my BP much good today when we went to buy a new mattress. €859 but it is a very good one. We could have gone cheaper but we wanted certail level of interior springing – as if I know what I am talking about. These are the sorts of things that are expensive in France although we could have paid as little as €299.

RubyG I bet your hubby is over the moon with the HbA1c results. Now to answer the cholesterol question. A few off piste (fatty or processed) meals shouldnt have a big impact but there could be an accumulative effect with Christmas, New Year and getting back on plan. Although, he cant have a bad diet or his other results wouldnt be so good. In my experience with my hubby and also my brother, cholesterol can be lowered quite quickly. Just google what to eat and what not to eat. Honestly, it might be just a small adjustment and getting rid of holiday exccesses. However, I know if I dont take medication no amount of diet control can bring my cholesterol down. It is called familial high cholesterol, in other words, hereditary. Lets see what the doctor has to say and suggest. Dont jump for the first whiff of medication, ask the doctor for 3 months to deal with it himself and point out what a great effort he has made with his BG. Even if diet doesnt work there is not much harm in taking statins but they are usually only the first line of defence for people with other issues. Hope that helps.

Hello all!

I thought, after reading posts, that I might offer some of my experiences — specifically about hunger — it’s one of those things that can derail us! I struggled with it in the beginning but I have learned to manage it better —
First of all, hunger is a very good sign!! Hunger means you are healthy! People who are not healthy do not feel much hunger — lack of appetite is actually a signal that you are ill, so look at the signal of hunger as a fantastic sign that your body is using food, wants more food and is using energy to promote health.
The BSD is NOT a starvation diet. Starvation diets have been proven (by MANY many studies) to do more harm than good. They waste muscle, damage your bones and create “scarcity” responses in your body, including lowering your metabolic levels.
Please, don’t try to “make up” for holidays or bad days by eating even less. It is counter intuitive, and it will only hurt your progress.
Honestly, from my point of view, ALL of this is counter-intuitive. I came of age in the time when “calories in-calories out” was the guiding principle.
I only started to question this orthodoxy when I read Gary Taubes book, Good Calories Bad Calories.
It literally turned on a lightbulb in my brain. I started cutting carbs (oh how funny, that first breakfast of ONLY eggs bacon and coffee) ( no juice, no fruit, no milk, no bread, no potatoes!!!)
Then I ran into Dr Moseleys book on a trip through England —
If you are hungry, feed yourself. Honor your appetite. But do it intelligently.
Eat protein first. Prioritize protein. Eat chicken, cheese, egg, sausage….
If you wait twenty minutes and STILL feel hungry or desperate to eat that “carbage” , put it on a lovely plate, brew some coffee or tea and just eat it in a calm and happy fashion.
I have had many happy moments with a piece of cake and a cup of tea and STILL lost the weight.
I also think it is wise to consider your body type/build. Are you a small-boned light little bird? Or are you like me, Germanic origin, large bones, large muscles, strong type? People like me will never be a lovely light bird — I am going to always be a powerful woman, but now a well-proportioned powerful woman.
Look at your body type!! Work to make that the best it can be.
Really, how funny to think back on my (lost) mother’s point of view, that we would be tiny little tennis-playing women — my two sisters and I are more on the Serena Williams end of the tennis-playing spectrum (wish I could have her muscles) — the point being that we were what we WERE — evaluate accordingly.
Back to hunger… this is going to get easier and easier as you work into a more metabolically FLEXIBLE state. As you TRAIN your body to handle low carb/low calorie it will reward you by handling many hours of no food/low calories/low carbs.
This takes time. Please, keep at it but don’t starve yourself. Your body (your new friend) will be able to LEARN how to handle this new way of living.
Just keep at it!! Prioritize protein.
Honor your valid hunger.
Don’t quit.
This way of eating WORKS.

As they say, the results are in……………..hubby’s results:
HbA1c down from 44 and pre-diabetic (UK units normal range is 20-41, pre-diabetes 42-47 and diabetic >48) to a magnificent 33 🙂
Even with the Christmas indulgences, which is excellent news.
His Liver Function Tests are also in the bottom half of the normal range (I’m sure he had some slightly elevated readings a few years back), again excellent news.
HOWEVER – his GP wants an appointment to discuss his cholesterol 🙁
Serum cholesterol 6.3 (a bit high?)
Non-HDL 5.1 (a bit high?)
HDL 1.2 (OK?)
Ratio 5.3 (OK?)
My questions are as follows:
Are these numbers a real problem?
How quickly do these numbers reflect what has been eaten more recently as opposed to over ~3 months (bearing in mind he ate his body weight in cheese over 2 weeks Christmas/New Year)?
Comments and advice welcome!

As they say, the results are in……………..hubby’s results:
HbA1c down from 44 and pre-diabetic (UK units normal range is 20-41, pre-diabetes 42-47 and diabetic >48) to a magnificent 33 🙂
Even with the Christmas indulgences, which is excellent news.
His Liver Function Tests are also in the bottom half of the normal range (I’m sure he had some slightly elevated readings a few years back), again excellent news.
HOWEVER – his GP wants an appointment to discuss his cholesterol 🙁
Serum cholesterol 6.3 (a bit high?)
Non-HDL 5.1 (a bit high?)
HDL 1.2 (OK?)
Ratio 5.3 (OK?)
My questions are as follows:
Are these numbers a real problem?
How quickly do these numbers reflect what has been eaten more recently as opposed to over ~3 months (bearing in mind he ate his body weight in cheese over 2 weeks Christmas/New Year)?

I can only agree re. the minefield.
The original BSD doesn’t set carb limits from what I can recall, but I think the new Fast Keto 800 book does aim for 800cals, <50g carbs and >50g protein (increasing this to 75-100g protein after the initial 8-12 weeks?).

I also have a few cholesterol questions, which I’ll pose over on the weekly thread.

Some very inspiring posts here!

Jax61 that’s amazing progress, well done! You’ll soon be in this fab summer clothes. Glad the headaches have gone too.

Yowzer YESSS thanks for the reminder we still have 12 weeks to go. I’ve not got off to a very good start but am boosted to realise if I lose 11lb a week I will still get to where I want to be by Easter.

Sue thanks for your constant encouragement – and honesty – and Cathy I echo Sue’s words completely. One chocolate orange won’t kibosh everything. Just keep plodding on. I’m sure I also remember something about vegetarians needing more carbs, so if you feel hungry it’s probably your body’s way of trying to tell you that. Why not aim for a slightly higher calorie/(good) carb count so that you are still in the position to lose weight but feel better on it? I think we all need to find our own way forward and adapt this WoE to our own circumstances and needs.

Take care everyone, and keep posting so we can spur each other on X

@freester I’m not obsessing about 800 calories, but being persistently below 700 needs correcting, I think. Learning on the “job” here!
@rubyg That’s helpful – my protein intake is generally below 50g at the moment, although other advice suggests the carb target should be below 20g? I can’t find these written anywhere in the BSD book, I may be being blind!

I use full-fat milk, although very little of it in tea at the moment, I have full-fat yoghurt when I can find it – practically non-existent in my local supermarkets.
I’m told to get my cholesterol down (it’s fine for non-diabetics but still) so I’m getting conflicting advice about reducing fats, particularly having low-fat dairy. I would just have more cheese/ham at lunch to add the protein otherwise. Feels like a minefield.

WRT 800 calories. There was anecdotal evidence on a Facebook group that a lot less than 800 is counter productive. I can’t give you reasons why. I think also some of MM’s original plans were 600cals a day but he upped it to 800.

When I was doing 800 cals daily I didn’t sweat the 800 too obsessively daily. I’d plan a weeks meals. Daily 800 +/- 100 kcals. As long as the average was 800 +/- 50 cals over the 7 days I was happy. And it worked for me.

Maybe because I have the innate ability to eat like a pig, I struggle to grasp the concept of not being able to achieve 800cals per day. Unchecked, I could eat that over a day’s snacks of nuts and cheese, which is why I am back tracking every morsel and balancing every meal to come in at 800cals.
But back to you – are you tracking your protein intake as well as carbs (I have just read the latest MM book)? Are you achieving >50g per day?
Are you eating full-fat yoghurt?
Depending on the answers to the above questions, my suggestions would be to increase the protein and/or fat in your diet to achieve the 800cals and keep the carbs below 50g – full-fat yoghurt, olive oil on your salad, etc.
But keep going, that’s the important part.

11st 13.0lb today, day 4 of 16:8 TRE, strict 800cals, <50g carbs and >50g protein.
I am feeling OK doing this, so may try 4:3 like this again next week.
For a while now I have felt I needed a reset, mentally as well as physically, and this seems to be doing the job.
At my lowest weight since starting BSD I think I was 11st 6lb, that was back in the summer, and I do want to get there again and down into the lower half of the 11s. If I can get down to 10st something that would be wonderful, but I’ll worry about that when I’m in the lower 11s.
Hubby’s test results not yet available, waiting with bated breath.
Tomorrow I will have breakfast!

Cathy – Please don’t feel as though you are a disgrace! I can only imagine how hard it is following a keto style plan when you are vegetarian! I’m sure I read in one of MM’s books (possibly they Fast 800 Easy recipe book) that vegetarians need to up their carb intake to get adequate protein (as veg protein sources like lentils & beans etc also have carbs, unlike meat of course). I’ll try and find it.

If you are feeling hungry then no wonder it’s hard to stay on track 🙂

I’ll post properly later as am at work now but let’s just say I can’t hold my head up high and say I’ve stuck to plan either – more wet lettuce please Yowzer!

Hi everyone, I haven’t logged on for a few days. I had a quick scan of your posts, but too many to take in properly. I did like the Woolies post. My first Saturday job was working on the Woolworths deli counter – in the days when we still had Woolworths in the Uk.
I am now in week 3 (2 weeks and 3 days) and I’ve lost 9.8lbs, but I have stuck to the diet religiously. I have had the some awful headaches for about 9 days and as mentioned earlier , have a ‘dry tummy’. I woke up this morning without a headache at last. Exercise has also been difficult. I did a cycle ride on Tuesday and struggled hugely cycling up hill…not saying I ever find hills easy but this was a different level of hard. I am keeping my carbs around 25 g generally but find it hard to get my protein high enough. I normally manage 50g. I’m finding I don’t really feel hungry which makes life much easier. I have so many holidays coming up this year ( fingers crossed) I am determined to get into my lovely summer clothes that haven’t fitted for quite a while and I don’t want to carry extra weight around in the hotter months. I’m hoping to experience the high energy, clear thinking and sleep well at some point!
Keep going everyone, you all have different stories, challenges etc so we all take a slightly different road, some windy, some straight and I have been known to go round and round the roundabout at times,

Hi CCATHY!X ok I’ve given you a light slap with the wet lettuce..(my wet lettuce supply is running low as I’ve had to slap myself so often with them lately! )
Hungry and tired are a big recipe for going off piste
we’re tired,it feels as if eating will increase our energy levels.
Youve been so busy with yr v v important work of getting us all boosted and vaxxed,so High Five and thunderous applause for that. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
There’s still over 12 weeks til Easter,the major part of our 100 day journey. It’s poss to lose two pounds a week which equates to almost two stone over 12 weeks…I know you haven’t got that much to lose,so never fear,those scales can move onwards and downwards into the nine stone zone in plenty of time. Just try to get more rest if that’s possible! XX

Hello everyone
I’ve been a disgrace this week! It started with a Terry’s Chocolate Orange on Saturday!!! As a result I won’t be weighing myself on Friday but intend to get back to basics in the hope that I can get the scales moving into the 140s! I was so positive when I started this 100 day journey and I don’t know what has happened and why I’ve lost the plot. I am seriously trying to find a reason why I’ve not been sensible but I am not going to make pathetic excuses for my lack of willpower. I found keto difficult and was doing well with low carb but I was so hungry at work last week and was so tired that I just gave up! I really do want to get my weight down and get to goal but I won’t do it like this. Tomorrow is yet another re start for me! I am making an example of myself by standing at the front of the bus hanging my head in shame. Hopefully I can turn things round before next Friday 28th January and I won’t be embarrassed about my lack of progress at the end of January. I really do want to end the month 4lb lighter so I’ve got a lot of work to do! Am so fed up with myself!

I’m beginning to notice the difference in how I feel, but I’m persistently significantly under 800 calories a day (except when I submit to temptation). I guess that’s not good to continue. Any advice please?
I have yoghurt, berries and seeds for breakfast,
salad (lettuce, cucumber, celery, sweet pepper) and cheese or ham for lunch.
Dinner varies – today pork with tomato and onion sauce with some aubergine.
Drink mainly water, with max one cup of tea a day.
Carbs vary from 20g to 57g so I’ve still not quite got a handle on that either.

Just a quicky,in throes of decluttering! lots for charity shop,some for recycling,some stuff straight into the bin!
SUNNY Your day sounds v good 👏👏👏👏!!
My day…
* ~ Ziggy the cat made me laugh…I was at DDs and he suddenly flew in through his cat flap,all his fur floofed up and his tail enormous..goodness knows what cat drama was going on outside..he raced through the lounge,skidded into the kitchen,and then came to a screeching halt by his empty food bowl! I wd love to know what goes on in his little world,I want to get one of those trackers to put on his collar.
*~ My sister came home from hospital after a stay of many weeks 🥳🥳🥳
*~ I really wanted some sort of project or new thing for 2022 and have started a 12 month online positive thinking/ spirituality/ following yr dreams type course…uplifting so far,only a few days in as yet.💕
Have a nice evening/ nice Thursday morning everyone!
💝💝💝“ Never regret anything that made you smile” 💝💝💝