Wow, Christine. Not many have even heard of costochondritis. A friend thought I was making a big deal to fit – until she was diagnosed!

I was once taken by ambulance to hospital, suspected heart attack. Next morning all tests were ok but during the night I’d remembered about the costochondritis and mentioned it to the doctor. She pressed a few points on my chest, scraped me off the ceiling, and agreed that was what it was😱

It’s been a strange week with not much time to make too many changes to what I’m eating. Just couldn’t risk not being ok today, so not risked anything different for the last couple of days. I’m not hungry during the day so still only eat two meals. I’ve made breakfast a little larger a couple of days this week, so eating a little more. And bought yogurt and blueberries yesterday – might have some later. I’ll report properly on that tomorrow- my official weighing day.

Hello CaptainLynne! Thank you for the welcome.

92lbs?! That is astonishing! What a result – you must be over the moon. And to keep going for 38 weeks is incredible 🙂 It gives me hope that it can be done, especially as you sound similar to me. I’ve just had some blood tests and will get the results early next week. I am going to start the BSD in full on Monday. Not sure it’s great timing with visitors and some trips planned but then I thought that’s going to happen anyway and I’m going to need to learn how to cope with it/adjust my WOE so why not start now! Fingers crossed I won’t be derailed before I’ve even got going though.

These forums are wonderful. I am pretty much addicted to browsing and reading everyone’s stories! Maybe this’ll become my new go-to whenever I fancy an after-dinner treat. I shall distract myself by all the successes of NOT doing that!

One question: did you do your 38 weeks on the 800 plan or on one of the other versions, and was it constant or with any breaks?

Thanks again! 🙂

Hi lynne,
I have just read your post to Verano, I am speechless! On my 50th birthday I was taken ill during the night, suspected heart attack, hospitalised for three days with no sign of a heart attack! It was finally diagnosed as Tietze syndrome, or in other words, cosochondritis! What are the chances of two people on this forum having that, my nephew, (who is a chest consultant) had never heard of it!
I recovered from the pain initially and have since been told not to use saunas and steam rooms as they can exacerbate the condition, I was also told to take ibuprofen. I cannot take that now as it interferes with my diverticulitis, however touch wood I haven’t had a flare up for a long time,
I have also been looking at the benefits of turmeric tablets, I think I might start them for the winter, I’m having difficulty doing my crochet as my finger joints are swelling up again.
I am still doing my relaxed bsd, I have also been experimenting with different foods, I did one day when I ate all my (pre bsd) favourite foods, banana butty, chocolate fudge cake, all the naughty foods! I only put on one pound after that day and over the two weeks I only put on three pounds and went up or down depending on what I ate, so I am pleased with my experiment!
As I am still trying to get rid of this virus, I am only doing bsd 90% I think it’s an inner ear problem as I am feeling dizzy and losing my balance still, I hope to start next week, Angela will be on her course fully by then.
I am still intrigued with your surprises?
What are you doing, if different from the bsd? are you introducing carbs or now eating lunch? I will be very interested in your progress? Take care and ‘speak’ soon 🙂

RESULT!
One week in, another pound down, total loss for week 5lbs!!!
I didn’t take any measurements before I started and now I wish I had, measurement around navel last night: 33.5 inches. I certainly feel I have lost around my middle. Today I am wearing an old favourite pair of peddle pushers that I haven’t been able to wear for about 2 years. I feel a wardrobe clean up coming on. :-))

Just sipping on my half cup of coffee in a mindful kind of a way…..A little further down the road this morning and for the first time I can see a difference in my body. My bra used to really dig into my back but this morning I thought that it might actually fit again!

Thanks for all the shout outs – it really does make a difference even though we are so disparate! Kids are home at the weekend so I will have to call upon every reserve not to delve into their wicked ways but hopefully they will be impressed!

Well done all….onward and downward!!!

Hi again

When I hurt my back it was a muscle I’d never heard of – lower back, apparently going from hip to hip? I was walking, found myself flying sideways through the air with the greatest of ease, down a slight incline, landing on my hip😱 Ouch! That’s when I started on the ibuprofen (advised by gp) and walking with a stick.

Losing the weight has definitely helped with much of my pain 😃 So it seems like a good time to try coming of as many tablets as possible 😃

Thanks for all the advice and support. 😃

Hi Orchid. I’m amazed that your physio went down the ibuprofen route for your rotator cuff! I’ve done mine previously before too, and was given one of those stretch band things to slowly increase strength. I haven’t had an issue since. That must have been about 3 or 4 years ago.

Boo. Been crazy busy recently hence not been around, but thought I’d pop in and say hello.

My weight has plateaued around the 88.5kg mark (still 11kg down though), but saying that, I’m not counting anything, just avoiding the carbs. Although I have had the odd bit of granary bread with salty butter with soup!

I’ve upped my training too, and I’m pretty confident of achieving my flat stomach goal before my 40th (which is in 78 days!).

Hi Lynne, I missed the first 15 mins of Chris van T’s programme last night, so need to get the whole context when I watch it on iPlayer. It looked very interesting and I was particularly struck by his comment near the end that most skeletal and muscular problems can be fixed/reduced with exercise.
I tore my rotary cuff a couple of years ago (putting up curtains) and it took nearly 2 years to clear. I was using ibuprofene a lot, initially with the recommendation of the physio. Physio and ibuprofene got me so far – reduced movement/less pain, but it has been working for nearly 2 years at my overall posture and muscle tone with pilates that has fixed it – the recent weight loss has helped as well as I can no do exercises properly that my belly fat used to preclude! I do reformer pilates which is better if you have issues with joints – you don’t have to keep getting down onto the floor, only to the reformer, and using the springs can increase the resistance of the exercise and allow you to do some in a controlled and safe way. The teachers who I have worked with (classes are 6-8) are trained in working with people who have skeletal issues – we have one person recovering from a slipped disk, last week a man in his 30’s joined who is recovering from a back operation and has been 6 months flat on his back. He is managing most exercises and is told which not to do, or to amend to his needs.
I can thoroughly recommend that as a way of helping reduce pain and increase mobility.
The other interesting thing is the Chris van T is one of the Trust me I’m a Doctor team and next week they are investigating Turmeric! I think it is for cancer cure, but they may cover some other aspects as well.

I’m definitely from the school of only take drugs if you absolutely must. Which is kind of ironic when I think back to my uni days. Ahem.

Enough about that. Well done Lynne on reaching your goal. I must say, that is an incredibly huge achievement. You must be over the moon!

So Day 5 for me – feel a bit fluey today but apparently that’s not unusual. Even more unfortunately have a shake again for breakfast as my OH insisted we had to use up the melon and blueberries that were left!! Not happy but took it rather than get into an argument!!

So maybe another hungry day 🙁 drinking water like it’s a second job and gonna try and stave off breakfast as late as possible to make the gap between that and lunch as small as possible!!

Have a good day all xx

Hi Frog

Hba1C measures the average blood sugar over the previous three months …. don’t know how! Apparently, red blood cells have a lifespan of 8 to 12 weeks.

Daily testing gives the blood sugar at that point in time and can vary over the day fasting, before meals, after meals etc.

Your 38 sounds great! Just keep doing what you’re doing!

Hi Verano

I know a few people who take many, many pills😱 So glad to meet someone who only takes them when desperate 😃 *waves*

As well as arthritis I have fibromyalgia and costochondritis, hence the painkillers.

Thanks for the tip about turmeric.

I must go and cut some Ibuprofen in half! Start with the ‘easier’ one😱

Like the carbs, thought the pills were necessary, not an addiction! Oh, well – one addiction down, here’s to the next!

Orchid – thanks for confirming what I’d hoped. And that a further 8 is practical and worth it.
Well done to you.

(Anyone know how to fix a torn glute muscle – cycling I think – just when things are going well life creeps up and bites you…! )

Hi Lynne

I guess there are probably lots of people who take painkillers regularly, hence the program!

I am from a family of ‘no medication unless desperate’ people . So I only take pills when I absolutely have to which is why metformin is a necessary ‘evil’ for me and if I can get rid of it I will!!

I don’t know why you have pain but I’m glad the program has made you think. I do suffer with lots if aches and pains from my disability but about 18months ago I started to take a turmeric tablet each day and this has really helped. Take a look on the internet. The secret is a high level of curcumin around 475mg per 500mg pill. Lower amounts don’t really have much of an effect. My husband has peripheral neuropathy and his legs have been tons better since he started taking them!

Maybe as you come if the painkillers you could try turmeric it may just help.

Don’t be scared about losing painkillers. You lost your carb and sugar ‘addiction’ you can do this too!!!!

Please keep us up to date with your progress.

I love the idea of the trouser test!! Must do that.

Interesting to hear you describe the carb flu symptoms kookaburra. Today is day 5 for me and I do feel like I’m getting flu!! Tired and achey all over, after having a pretty ok week so far. I shall stick with it and hopefully soon come out the other side – roll on the weekend!

Shalimar – I love fried catfish when I’m that side of the pond. With fried okra😃

I always tried to have something to eat with me – just in case – but now I don’t need to, because I just don’t get hungry between breakfast and my evening meal.

Well done MENTAL4EVER x and welcome ARTHURCONANDOYLE ! I hope you find bsd elementary! 😄😄😄 sorry,cdnt resist a little joke..i love yr name! x

Morning everyone.

Verano – I’ve probably been taking pain killers for longer than that! At one point I was taking the maximum allowed each day, but when the condition flared up there was nothing else I could take. So I gradually lowered the dose until I was still pain-free but able to temporarily increase the dose if needed. The regular blood tests I have anyway show no damage from the painkillers.

The programme last night really made me think about this. I’ve routinely been taking two Paracetamol morning and night for many years. Two years ago I hurt my back and had to add in Ibuprofen (eased the pain, but it still hurt!). Now I’m taking two of those morning and night.

It’s not cost the NHS because I buy them myself. When I’ve been to the USA you can buy packs of 1,000 so I bring a few back.

After last night I think this is my next challenge. First to go will be the Ibuprofen. Not ‘cold turkey ‘ with these, but a gradual reduction. Then I’ll look at the Paracetamol and work on reducing or eliminating those.

Strange to say, but that’s almost more scary than starting on the bsd😱

Is tiredofthis still around? I hope you’re doing ok – is it day three for you. If you’re having a rough time just come on here and we can maybe help. Let us know how you’re doing xx

Sunshine Girl, I apologise for mentioning the X word. I think it was brought on by going to choir and we started a new song for our christmas concert – yes, a Christmas song while it was 28 degrees outside! I promise , I won’t mention it again till December!

Re the bread, I used to get a lot of headaches and they are definitely less frequent now. I wonder if they were linked to eating high carb food (bread specifically – I was a bread monster).

Kookaburra, Hi and Well done. Great loss.

I know it is not weigh in till next Wed but I had a cheeky step on the scales today and Ive lost another pound – thats 1 1/2 stone gone. Whoppee! Now it’s on to the 12 stone somethings.

It is pouring here. I think tennis will be cancelled. And my dog walk will be a soggy one!

Enjoy your day, whatever it holds.

HI susieb – you know what – whatever you do, it’s got to be better than what you WERE doing. For most, a 1200 calorie day is a brilliant day so keep positive and best of luck for today (not that you’ll need it I’m sure)

Day 5 and I feel a bit rough. Not hungry but tired and achey – I think it’s the final carbs letting go, unless I’m actually coming down with flu (unlikely)! When I got home last night my OH had made another shake for our breakfasts (we’re doing this journey together) stating that we had only used half the ingredients so needed to use up the other half. Grrrr….I nearly went all control freak on her but then decided I’d give it one more go and then that’s it – worse case scenario I lose more weight!!!

Drinking water like it’s my second job so that’s working well and flushing everything out. Have a walk planned for lunchtime with a colleague so hopefully will hit my 10k steps today – with two dogs as well, I usually make it!

Have a great day all xxx 🙂

What a great example JAN..yeh cut grass smells lovely but wdnt want to eat it..will defffo bear that one in mind next time i’ m tantalised by the smell of baking bread in the supermarket 👍🏻
KOOKABURRA Many congrats on crossing the 8 week line! 🎈⭐️🎈⭐️🎈⭐️🎈⭐️ Xx
And INDY gonna remember yr quote,” the pleasure will be momentary while the regret will not be”! X

Debs

Where are you in your journey? On maintenance? Still on the 8 weeks?

Individuals are very different and have different sensitivities.

Tell us a bit more, including how many carbs/cals you have been eating, and how many you are targeting and how many your pub meals were? Perhaps people here can then advise from their own experience?

Don’t despair! [virtual hug]

AVILA well done on swerving the chips yesterday ..wd have been so easy in that situation to get caught out x

Congratulations Arthurconandoyle for your first day safely over.

I have weighed today and lost another 2lb making a total of 8lb in 2’weeks. 🎉🎉🎉. Could not be happier.

Thanks to support here earlier this week when I was feeling a bit down.

Love all you guys and galls 😍😍😍

Heh, heh, guys. Brilliant news all round. Especially Chookymama. Great achievement!

As for this end, I’ve broken the 85 kg barrier, just! In other news, OH has said he’ll join me on the diet. He’s prediabetic, so this is fantastic news. It’ll make me look at the carbs again more seriously. I had a hundred grammes of blackberries yesterday with yogurt. Good for fibre and had the desired effect, thank goodness. Will have to slow down on those, mind.

Is anyone looking at their fibre intake? Mine has been pitifully low, despite all the veg I’ve been eating (well over five-a-day).

Today’s yesterday:
84.9 kg
-0.1 kg
Overall change -3.6 kg

Yesterday’s food and exercise
797 cals
74 carbs
Moderate walk for 30 mins, 10 mins gardening

Big gardening blitz due this weekend. So that might give me a head start before trip back to see my folks. Hope so. More exercise definitely required. Pedometer ordered from Amazon now dispatched, so that might encourage me too.

Onwards and inwards, guys!

We are now on week 10 and going great. Hubby really into it. Great weight loss and blood sugar drop. But hubby now doing 600 per day. I’m making sure his diet is good, but worried it’s too low. I seem to be losing more weight & eating more calories. Anyone advise me please.

I have found that if I do eat any carbs at all it piles weight on, I had one pub meal this week and I have put 1.5 lbs on even though the rest of the week I have stuck to the plan, Wales every day and done 20 minster hiit a day. I feel really disheartened that my body is supersensitive to carbs and I am struggling now.

Hi

I saw that program last night too. I was fascinated that somebody could take pain killers for 20 years!!!!!!

It wasn’t just the length of time but the number she was taking everyday! It was obviously an addiction but what sort of doctor would continue prescribing pain killers like that! The cost ,not just to the woman’s health, but to the NHS must have been astronomical !

I had sciatica a few years ago and was prescribed co-codamol. After about 3 months I had a repeat metformin script and there were the co-codamol as well. I had to ring the surgery and ask to have them taken off future repeat prescriptions! My GP practice is one of the better ones so goodness knows what the bad ones are like!

Will be really interested to see next weeks .

Hi Indy I can agree with that I’ve come to the conclusion that high carb sugar things smell and look delicious but tastebility insipid, same with cut grass love the smell but couldn’t entertain eating it hehe.
We’ve evolved I feel like I’ve finally grown up 😀😎😀

Well done Kookaburra!!!

Glad I saved you from yourself Yowzer!

It seems, Jan and Indy that we’ve all had similar experiences with bread! I’m not sure that I will eat it again as part of my diet. I had a piece about 6″ long and the carbs worked out at a fraction under 50!!!!! I could do so much more with that number of carbs and have tons more flavour and satisfaction!

Hi Ruth, fellow Aussie, I’ve been watching you! ‘Captain Lynne and many other wonderful people’ includes you, and I’m so grateful to you all!

I had a slice of toasted burgen soy-Lin the day after I finished the 8 weeks… It tasted boring, and a couple of hours later I got the most amazing ice-pick headache in my eyebrow. Cured!

Earlier on in my journey I made the tiny little loaf of Elana’s rye bread (almond flour, seeds etc), cut it up into 20 or so tiny thin slices, and froze it. Was thinking ‘good grief, $20 million dollars for a tiny little loaf, what a waste of time’. Wrong! It has lasted me the whole 8 weeks as I only wanted a slice every so often, ‘toasted’ from frozen in a sandwich press. So much yummier than wheat bread!

Josie and Yowzer – high fives, keep skipping.

Jane I will look for David Gillespie’s other books. I found it fascinating, even though I had read some of Robert Lustig’s stuff. Maybe because he lost so much weight, but did not dwell on that in the book

So many of my ‘heroes’ seem to post on this thread, so let me say here a massive THANK YOU for all the thought and time and generosity that you put into sharing your knowledge and your journeys. I’m sure I speak for a huge number of silent people who are on their own journeys but may not be registered or posting… You are all a wonderful inspiration and such a kind and thoughtful community, so thank you for helping so much, on behalf of us all 💗

Kookaburra, welcome and congratulations. I think you should be in MM’s next book, along with CaptainLynne and many other wonderful people.

Indy I had bread a few weeks ago and was quite ill afterwards.

Frog not so hungry but I may still be eating too much – have to reboot!

Hey Lucy Jane, you’ve taken the first steps on an amazing journey, well done!! I’ve lost two stone (28lb) since May and have dropped from size 16 to a size 8!! I went to a family wedding at the weekend and was met with gasps!

Just think how you will feel at Christmas when you’ve done it!! Keep up the good work, and keep in touch!!

Captain Lynne, CONGRATULATIONS from an 8-week lurker than you’ve been a wonderful example and inspiration for. Thank you so much for sharing your journey, you are beautiful! x

Hi Happy Ozzie, YAY!!! Well done!!! That was the hardest week, and you’ve done it!
I used to love all things sweet too, but after 8 weeks, I don’t even want the old sweet stuff. Believe it or not, I now find full fat Greek yoghurt with nuts amazingly sweet and delicious! I wouldn’t even eat Greek yoghurt before because it wasn’t sweet enough!
Fingers crossed the carb flu symptoms are over for you. It gets easier and easier to keep going as you stop wanting the sugar/carbs.
There is such a wonderful volume of fantastic knowledge recorded on this forum that you can access on all sorts of topics by using the search box in the top right corner, that almost anything you will encounter is likely to be written about already…. And anything you can’t find, just ask! Good luck with week 2! (and don’t worry if the scale is not as exciting as in week 1, even if it’s not, the trouser test is often just as exciting). Enjoy!

Hi everyone! I made it over the 8 week line! 😃
Finally worked out how to register on here so that I could say Thank You! for all the inspiration and encouragement to continue (esp during the dreaded plateaux) that I received while lurking 💗 Thank you!!!
Had my 8 week BSD 800 weigh in on Tuesday morning, lost 16.3% = 13.1kg (2st1lb, 29lb).
Started at 80.5kg (12st10lb, 178lb) BMI 28.9, and ended at 67.4kg (10st9lb, 149lb) BMI 23.6. Feeling a LOT better! Constant maddening cravings to eat constantly gone. Caffeine consumption has plummeted. Portion sizes on the 800 plan are satisfying. Yayyyyyy!!!!!
My knees are a little dodgy so I figure the lighter I am the longer they’ll last. I plan to continue now with a 2nd 8 weeks to lose a few kgs more (with an interruption for Aussie school holidays that may be more the Med plan). Exciting to think of losing more from here as even being an option!
So there I am. Another success story for this wonderful eating plan, a massive thank you to MM, and for the beginner lurkers out there another happy person saying: I can see you, You Can Do It Too, Jump On The Bus!!!!!! 😃😃😃

Ha!
thanks so much Nettle, this really helped!

About a week after I finished the first eight, I went out to have one of my favorite things (next to pizza which just seemed like I’d burst into flames and perish if I ate because it’s so bad on every level): a burger AND a bun.

I was so excited and had planned for the bump and the fact that my weight might go up, etc. but that if I could never eat food I do love (with planning and care), I’d be miserable and liable to fail long term.

It wasn’t the worst burger I’d ever had – in fact, as burgers go it was one of my favorite places. But a) I couldn’t finish the bun and b) I didn’t really enjoy any of it. Trust me, I tried! But when the meal was over, I just thought, “Eh, what’s the point?”

On the other hand, most mornings I have plain yogurt, almonds, apple, and mango (passion fruit is too hard to find here), and almost every morning I think, “It’s amazing how much flavor this has!”

I still drool when I see pizza or smell bread baking, but I definitely think the pleasure will be momentary while the regret will not be. Though let’s give it a few weeks before I get too righteous – in October I may be telling you how I stuck my face in a bowl of Halloween candy and inhaled.

Hello,
I am at the end of my first week.
i lost 3.5 kilo . Happy ,Happy Joy, joy Dance, Dance.
I do 30 mins on treadmill every morning
i tried to measure myself but all the jubbly bits got in the way. So I will just keep trying on a pair of trousers that i want to fit back into.
The first couple of days were a bit rough…I truly love ALL things sweet…
but now after seeing my weight loss i feel great.
i may not need to lose as much weight as other people , but the struggle is still the same.

Remember:
You have always been Beautiful
Now you are deciding to be healthier, fitter, faster and stronger.

1 happy Ozzie

Hi Forkers

IT’S OK!

Don’t beat yourself up, think of all that Selenium your body is enjoying.

I just snipped this from GOOGLE: “Some of the most impressive and important health benefits of Brazil nuts include their ability to help stimulate growth and repair, improve the digestive process, boost heart health, balance hormone function, improve the immune system, lower risk of cancer, boost male fertility, help with weight loss, aid in skin health, and reduce the signs of ageing.”

How about that? You will be OK. I also find one of the few times I get hungry is after a good day’s work out. It’s better to have nuts than….anything that should not even be mentioned.

Today is the beginning of week 28 for me and I use the word EASY too.

Hang in there, next time try the easier “Slipper Camp.”
N.

Ok this morning was even worst but I suspect I um am a bit clogged up:-(. Not giving up yet. Feel better and less bloated but no major changes yet but it is only day 11.. Monday’s weigh in will be good and I am going to try for it to be a good one.

Welcome Arthurconandoyle! Congrats on getting underway!

Chookymama that’s fantastic! Love hitting a milestone.

Eternallyoptimistic have a great time! I leave in a couple of days for a week’s vacation. Not sure if I should bring the scale…kind of want the assurance that I’m not packing it on, but don’t want to lug it with me!

Made it through a rough day of hormones, and other than 3 greedy bites of my kids’ Mac n cheese I did great. Dull headache all day and starving (I’m out of nuts!), and thankfully so busy cooking for two friends who just are having babies I was too busy too be wildly tempted. Glad today’s over. I’m not usually hungry on this diet, but tomorrow should be better as the hormones calm down a little.

Today:
731 calories
42 carbs

I’ve binned food as well … usually bread. If i love a club sandwich i always get it on 2 slices of bread instead of 3 … and then i eat as little bread as possible. If i order a hamburger i get a knife and fork and just eat the meat with a bit of onion and condiments. I love some local corn fried catfish … i either order vegetables … or 1/2 or less of the french fries — because if the french fries get on my plate i WILL eat them. I do this a lot … even when i’m not dieting i do try and cut back sometimes.

Right now i bought some small tins of v 8 vegetable juice i bring a can with me everywhere …. just in case i need a little something to tide me over.

OOPS! WRONG SONG!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wREBD2og5iY&list=PL2PI3BtEVzA7TfhMFjeseXkYvVJpx__ia&index=9

Keep on losing the weight! We all losing pounds thanks to this chitty chatty forum!
One thing about Igor is that She (Not a he with a HE Name) gets around! We all get around!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wREBD2og5iY&list=PL2PI3BtEVzA7TfhMFjeseXkYvVJpx__ia&index=9

Nothing lost for me today. But went to an actual aquabics class with my sister this morning …. lots of exercise on my arm flabs! 🙂 🙂
Pretty much plan on doing some exercise every day … aquabics … and maybe some on the gym equipment.