Hi All
I’ve restarted the BSD (4th attempt) to knock off the prediabetes once and for all.
Into week 2 – have been very consistent with the diet and finding this time of year helpful as in the southern hemisphere and hot so salads are a good go to.
I only have 10kg to loose and in previous attempts have lost about 4kgs and haven’t maintained the diet long enough to get all the way (and likely get the fat out of liver and pancreas) – combination of an unpredictable work environment and lack of organisation.
My fastings were creeping closer and closer to 7.0
This time I hope I have prepped more and despite the holiday season have decided that doing this diet is better than adding on a kg or two and then trying in Jan.
So far – week one have knocked off 3kg and fasting BSLs have been mostly less that 5.5
Week 2 started with a 4 day plateau which has been my weakness in the past – I persisted and today saw a shift down another 0.7kg and fasting BSL in the 4’s!
I want to go all the way this time and am trying to stay focussed and front of mind to keep the momentum going.
Good luck everyone else!

Hi All
I’ve restarted the BSD (4th attempt) to knock off the prediabetes once and for all.
Into week 2 – have been very consistent with the diet and finding this time of year helpful as in the southern hemisphere and hot so salads are a good go to.
I only have 10kg to loose and in previous attempts have lost about 4kgs and haven’t maintained the diet long enough to get all the way (and likely get the fat out of liver and pancreas) – combination of an unpredictable work environment and lack of organisation.
My fastings were creeping closer and closer to 7.0
This time I hope I have prepped more and despite the holiday season have decided that doing this diet is better than adding on a kg or two and then trying in Jan.
So far – week one have knocked off 3kg and fasting BSLs have been mostly less that 5.5
Week 2 started with a 4 day plateau which has been my weakness in the past – I persistent and today saw a shift down another 0.7kg and fasting BSL in the 4’s!
I want to go all the way this time and am trying to stay focussed and front of mind to keep the momentum going.
Good luck everyone else!

Hello everyone,
Sleekly that first week drop is fabulous – well done you!
I am still plodding on, nearing the end of week 4 and 2.5kg down overall. No great drops for me, even in week 1, but it has been fairly steady progress so I will just keep on and hope it continues. Over 25% of the way there though, so maybe viewing it in those terms is more encouraging.

Reported Alinasmith

Such a busy time of the year and sometimes we forget to look after ourselves. We are so concerned about looking after others to make sure ‘their’ holiday season is ‘perfect’ that we take a back seat.

Maybe, this year we could be ‘kind’ to ourselves. We don’t need every ‘treat’ one or two will probably be enough. For me it’s Christmas pudding. The rest I can live without!

Keep busy but keep grounded and the season will pass with all expectations met!

Hi Everyone
My attention span isn’t great so I tend to skim over the long reads! However I’m glad to be part of a forum who believes that this works. Outer sources can be negative. I’m 37 days in and I have lost 1st 4lbs so very thrilled. I have managed to meal prep for the full month of December and thankfully I don’t have a lot of plans so that should ease the pressure. This has given me the kick-start to my weight loss journey where I would normally find easy but during menopause has slowed my metabolism down drastically. Keep going Everyone and I recommend the Chocolate cranand Pistachio pennies!

Very well done Pootle that is brilliant news ⭐️👏👏👏
Margaret xx

Pootle …. WELL DONE YOU!

Your head definitely seems to be in the right place. Yes life goes on. We eat lower carb. We have the odd potato or piece of toast. We don’t have cereal and toast for breakfast, sandwiches and crisps for lunch and then a sugary snack for our afternoon break followed by a high carb dinner! Our life is really so much healthier than that.

Welcome to your new ‘healthier for ever’ life!

Thank you S-G.
Haven’t seen the GP yet, I phoned for the results and am absolutely over the moon.. I have celebrated with a glass of champagne yesterday and another today. (I stopped drinking about 10 years ago except for very special occasions! )
I cannot wait to see the Diabetes Nurse’s face when I tell her she needs to bring herself up to date! After she treated me like a recalcitrant 5 year old for refusing to eat whole grain or whole meal bread, pasta or rice three times a day. 🫣
I am now the same weight I was in 2017, when I was pre diabetic. I had lost 4 stone over 2 years but my HbA1c numbers had gone up from 42 to 45. At the time my diet followed the conventional advice for diabetics!
I remember that my first post on these forums was a plea for reassurance that it really is possible to put diabetes into remission… thank you Verano and S-g for encouraging me to go for it!
I am very aware that I cannot relax my guard, and will have to live the low carb way for the rest of my life. I will still have the occasional treat (a few chips or a dessert when eating out) but I have found recipes and food within the BSD that I really like and my tastes have changed… I no longer fancy a sticky toffee pudding, when I could have eaten 2 portions in the past! Far too sweet now!

Great that your insulin is lower… the diet really does work! Just wish the established diabetic clinics could open their ears and eyes.

The community on here is so supportive… I will be staying ( Hope you will have me as a long term member)
To anyone starting out I say “be strong, read the books, count your calories and carbs carefully and you be rewarded!”
Signing off now as the fizz has gone to my head… btw our power was restored today after 4 days off grid! 😁

Hi everyone, great to hear of your successes, especially Pootle who has only been with us a short time. Pootle, what did your doctor say when he saw your results. Seeing my doctor yesterday is still a treat for me (besides his French good looks) and he was really pleased with my BG results. He said I am improving in that my BG is down again but also the amount of insulin. I just say ‘I have a good diet’.

Message from daughter this morning saying in is exactly 3 weeks to New Years Day – when we can start our new diet. I don’t like to tell her I am still on mine and always will be. I will relax a bit over Christmas but for me carbs still don’t come into it. No roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, maybe some homemade sage and onion stuffing and a small pork pie (my downfall). Of course, the biggest threat is alcohol but now I hardly ever drink I am sure it will be just a couple of glasses.

Our water is switched off today for routine maintenance in the village. Good day for hubby to put the new tap on. We have enough to flush a few times, brush teeth and make tea and coffee. I should be back on in a couple of hours.

Well done girls!!! You have both done really well.

S-g and I started here in mid 2016, so over 8 years ago now. I’ve kept my blood sugar in the ‘normal’ range for probably over 8 years now and S-g has reduced her dose of insulin massively. I’m sure that staying on these boards way after reaching our respective targets has helped us both. It’s so easy with T2 to think ‘I’ve done it now, so I can get back to ‘normal’. ‘Normal’ is low carb for us. That doesn’t mean never having a roast potato or piece of toast ever again it just means that they are now a real ‘treat’ unlike our old ‘treats’ of cakes etc, which are actually not ‘treats’ at all but they are truly our ‘enemies’.

Anyway, enjoy the coming festivities but not with ‘gay abandon’! As s-g says ‘ just keep on keeping on…….’

I have fallen in love with Chaffles! 🧇. With my mini waffle maker I make 2 chaffles – a total of 2 carbs – and I have these with some avocado and tomato on top for my lunch. Delicious and great to have something crunchy and filling as I do miss toast.
Congratulations Pootle. What a wonderful journey you’ve had. You must be so pleased. I too was inspired by Michael Mosley when I saw his documentary Eat Fast and Live Longer. It was a revelation.
And congratulations Verano and Sleeky that 2024 is ending on a high.
Hi Casey and LC. I hope you’re having a good week.
You’ve had a hectic time S-G so I hope you can relax now and enjoy your holidays.
We’ve been seeing here about the shocking storms/weather in the UK. I hope everyone is safe. And I hope you are ok too Artic Fox. The weather there looks brutal. Here in Melbourne a temp of 40 c is predicted for next Monday. That’s fairly early in our summer for such a hot day, so perhaps a prelude to a very hot summer and bushfires.

Everyone’s news is really good!
I’ve lost 6.9 pounds in the first week. Pretty good too!

Positives for today….
My blood test shows I am no longer diabetic or pre-diabetic! 🎉
In celebration I am enjoying the first glass of fizz since last Christmas! 🍾 wow it is good!

Thanks SG, you have been brilliant and kept me on track. I remember the fruit thing…. I thought I was doing so well eating all that fruit lol! But now 100g of one fruit with my yogurt in the morning.
You have been so helpful alongside Verano and Co.
Pootle it’s been a pleasure journeying alongside you even though you’ve smashed me out of the park!!! I haven’t stuck to calories uts too hard for me but have been so good with carbs. Don’t think about having them with things now….had a roast ladt nightminus potatoes and Yorkshire pudding lol. Bolognaisr with runner beans…..you get the picture. Still a way to go but I’m fine with that. It’s been hard and I’ve slipped a bit bit I’m still here and still going.
I was 14.12 starting mid July now 12.5
So can’t complain. Some have been and gone on here but I’m still here unbelievably lol.
Thanks again.
Well done Pootle again….even if I am a little jealous lol xx

Thank you everyone…. The results are in:
HbA1c 40! 🎉🍾
So not even pre-diabetic any more!

The BSD and encouragement from these forums really is the best! 👍👍👍👍
Thank you everyone and in particular Dr Michael Mosely, so sad he is no longer with us! 😢😢
Happy Christmas. 🎄🎄I just had the best Christmas present ever!!!!
Xxxx

S-g all sounds great!

Looks like going into 2025 your ‘health’ is looking better!

For me the year will end with about a 10lb loss. Given our social life plus holidays I’m ok with that. BUT I’ll have to set a ‘bigger’ target for 2025!

It maybe a good idea to start thinking about new ‘goals’? Or maybe not!!!

Thanks S-G.
I think I have been extremely fortunate.
Sadly, I would not have known anything about the BSD if it hadn’t been for the talk about it on TV following the tragedy of Michael Mosely’s incredibly sad death. I had not seen or heard of him and the BSD before that! 😢😢😢
However, the inspiration to try it out came at exactly the right time for me after the shock diabetes diagnosis. Then the encouragement and tips particularly from yourself and Verano have helped me along the way! I have only eaten 10 chips, 2 slices of granary toast, 3 crème brûlées (a real weakness of mine) and no pasta or rice since the 15th June! Giving up my daily banana has been the hardest, with toast a close second. But I will be keeping it up…. I have had one big scare and don’t intend to go there again!
Lucy, you have also helped me with your posts and common sense when I have fallen off the wagon! Thank you…
I know 5 stone in 6 months is insane… but I had put on two of them in the previous 6 months, and think they were lost much more easily that the other 3!!!
xxxx

Thank you verano, I had a wonderful sleep and didn’t get up until 10am. I would have stayed in bed longer but last night the on off toggle on our kitchen tap fell off in my hand so we had to get to the Bricolage (hardware store) this morning as I had the doctors this afternoon.

Very successful appt with Dr Gorgeous, he is very pleased with all my results and my weight was 71kgs which is 2kgs lighter than at my last appt. Not much more to say except he had the results from my MRI and it appears I am normal – don’t believe that 🙂

Besides the opthamologist on Monday I am finished. Tempted to have a drink tonight but we are going out for lunch on Friday so I am sure I can wait until then. Would still like to lose another kilo by the time we go away on 19th, but the pressure is off now.

Funny isn’t it, I am already planning for losing weight when we get back just before New Year. The supermarkets do catering platters at Xmas and NY and hubby was drooling over them for NY until I pointed out you have to give 72 hours notice to order and we wont be back in time. So we are just going to do a supermarket dash on the 31st and pick up loads of cold meats and cheeses and he can have some sweet treats.

Enjoy your week.

Hi Lucy and Pootle. Congratulations on your results and successes. Lucy, when you first started back in July I was so afraid we were going to lose you as I was a bit tough on you. Remember all that fruit. Thankfully, you stuck with it and can now fully understand that this diet does work but it needs you to work just as hard. So glad you are still here. Pootle, your results also speak for your hard work and the effort you have put into improving your life, weight and BG. You are both heroes.

Wow 5 stone in 6 months….thats crazy. I’ve nowhere near that level of loss.
Although I do drink and that hasn’t changed. I don’t drink wine though only shorts.
I have lost 2.5 stone so only half of yours and I started mid July. But have holidays and slipped up a bit from time to time .
I’m very jealous of that weight loss lol. That’s incredible ….just wow!
Good luck with electric I was stressed enough after a day lol!
Congratulations that’s amazing
Xx

Hi Lucy,
I know exactly what you mean about being another person! You have done so well!
We are in West Wales, still no power. Hope it is back on for Christmas 🤞 or husband won’t be able to join me at sister in law’s in Worcestershire for Christmas Eve and Day! 😩😢
Yes, I reached my target weigh (10st 7lb) yesterday. 🍾 I started dieting on the 8/6/24 at 15st 7lb, but only started the BSD on 15/6/24 at 15st 5lb. At that time my Hb1Ac was 50. Today it is 40 🎉🥳 totally thanks to the BSD. It has been very tough at times, and I have slipped up occasionally, but mostly I have been extremely strict, counting calories and carbs… even weighing lettuce leaves etc! 🥴
I don’t drink alcohol which I am sure has made it easier, but I am popping the top off a bottle of celebratory fizz tonight! 🍾
As S-G says… keep on keeping on!
Xxx

Reported.

Hi Pootle, thanks. Sounds like you have had a torrid time in the storm. Where are you based. We are north somerset area.
I read your other post…you’ve reached tour target weight. 🥳 wow!!! Huge congratulations 🎊 👏
How much have you lost and how long have you been going?
I’ve had a struggle patch but have been back on it fully and looking forward to weigh in Friday rather than dreading it! In honesty I haven’t been bad just circumstances have made it harder but haven’t put any on. Another stone I woykd be happy with but ideally stone and half . Sometimes it seems surreal that I’ve lost what I have. Like uts another person….do you know what I mean? X

Hi Lucy,
Well done for keeping stable, much better than putting it back on!!
Storm Darragh also took its toll here and we still have no power, but I am lucky that we have a wood burner. It will boil a kettle and saucepans of veg and make porridge! Now rescued an ancient camping gas from the shed so all good!
We couldn’t get out on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning as the electricity cables were whipping about at head height over our track! But taken down Sunday lunchtime, now waiting for new poles and wires!
Keep safe and take care, you have done brilliantly to have lost so much!
Xxxxx

Welcome home Sunny! Just unfortunate that you picked the worst day of the year to fly back! At least you’re still here to tell the tale.

Pootle … well done you. We all need ‘a man who can’!. Hope you are back ‘normal’ soon.

Really only one positive for me today. We have two sun tubes in our kitchen and today the ‘roof parts’ were replaced… let there be light… and there is! Can’t believe how ‘dark’ my kitchen was before. So for me it’s like having a ‘sun light’!

I really only need that positive.

Have a good and positive weekend.

Sleep well s-g sounds like you need to!

Hi all, just to report that I had my MRI this morning. Very efficient – walked in at 10am, on the scanner by 10 past and 40 minutes later all done. Not painful or even uncomfortable but have you ever had a jackhammer, a telephone ring, a fire alarm and a meat slicer inside your head. All the different sounds and you cant move for 40 mins. Had to have a Co-codimal when I got home. Quick lunch of a low carb Ploughmans and straight back to a different hospital to see my lung specialist. She is very pleased with my results and I don’t need to see her now for 2 years. Looks like next December I won’t have anything to do 🙂

Cant even think straight as I had nearly no sleep – bloody cat walking up and down my back – and the exhaustion from appts today, so will just say goodnight to you all.

Positives today

2 medical appts over and done with. Good news with the lung doctor – she doesn’t want to see me for 2 years.
Thats it for now as I am shattered.

Stayed the same when I weighed Friday, it has been a difficult road with xmas treats and outings. I didn’t put any weight on and am back to it fully again now after a forcibly bad weekend brought on by storm Darragh. Had no heating, how water or electric for well over a day and was having to eat convenience goods as a salad was of no use in the freezing. Trying to get a couple of really good weeks bow before christmas.

I still sometimes can’t believe I have lost 2 and a half stone……
I have to keep going as still a lot to go. But thanks for all the support it’s kept me going.

Goodness Pootle, certainly finding the positives in a not so good situation! 🤞🏻you soon have the convenience of an electricity supply again soon. SG, hope all your medical appointments go well and V, relax as much as you can and enjoy all your social events.

My main positives for today are …
✈✈ rather turbulent flight home on Saturday and a very bumpy landing in the high winds, but down safely and very grateful
🤗🤗 couple of nights with my folks, who are well and enjoying life. Glad to say they have agreed to come to us for the festive season, so will see them again soon.

Looking out for more positives and will be more present here, now that we’re back. Looking forward to reading more positives too

My positives for today…
1. I married a man who can! 😁

We have been told that the electricity is unlikely to be restored for a week or more 😩 BUT husband has rooted out the old generator, given it some tlc and it is now powering the freezers (snap Verano…freezers plural, that are crammed full) and lights.
He took his 50 year old Chainsaw (long story) 🙈and cleared a way out, so he could get fuel for the generator and saw. Logs 🪵 created are ready to split and stack. Also, he found the ancient camping gas stove with a full bottle so we are now “cooking on gas”! 😂😁 (I did make jumbo oat porridge on the wood burner this morning!)
So we will be fine without the mains, 🤞🤞 at least it means I won’t be able to get the vacuum cleaner out for a while! 😉(2nd positive)
Oh and number 3, I achieved my target weight this morning!! 🥳🥳🥳

Congratulations Pootle! That’s awesome x

S-g …. no thanks ! I’ll take the cooking rather than the medical appointments! Hope they all go well.

Pootle hope you have power or if not hope it’s on soon!

It’s been a quiet weekend here … calm before the storm!

👧👦🏻🧑‍🦳 Have reconfirmed my guests for the 22nd and all is well.

💅💅💅 Not hands but feet! Had a lovely pedicure yesterday and decided on bare nails for a couple of weeks. Think my nails will appreciate a couple of weeks to ‘breath’.

🥩🥧🍗 Freezers, yes plural, filled to overflowing so starting tonight to ‘eating from the freezer’. I realise that I’m getting caught up in the ‘holiday madness’. Bought mince pies for guests with more on order …. I don’t need them really because I don’t eat them and don’t need the temptation! So will cancel them.

🧘🏻‍♂️🧘🏻‍♂️🧘🏻‍♂️ Today has been a really ‘laid back’ day. Caught up with ‘Wolf Hall’, last episode tonight! Some say it’s boring. I’ve really enjoyed it.

OK that’s me done.
Let’s hope the coming week has positives. When things are fraught or tough it’s always good to find just one positive each day. I’m sure we can do that if we try.

Congrats Pootle! That’s fantastic!

Great news Pootle! I’m sure your HbA1c will be fine.

Well done Pootle & good luck for tomorrow 🍀🍀🤞🤞
Margaret xx

Pootle, cant wait for your blood results and the reaction of your doctor. Blood Sugar Diet forever. So glad you found us.

🎉🥳🍾😁

Target weight this morning! GP blood test tomorrow for Hb1Ac 🤞 🤞

I couldn’t have done it without the support and advice of everyone on these forums!
Thank you all! xxxxx

Despite Storm Darragh’s worst efforts, we are still here, no power and cannot get out…..but I have cooked supper on the wood burner. 😁 There will also be lots more logs when husband clears a way out up the track! 🪵🪵🪵

We will have to swap places V, but I am sure you enjoy all you do. I am just so busy with medical appts. 3 last week and another 3 this coming week, then one final one the week after. Then that is me finished for the year.

Out early to the supermarket and gained my €80 of money off vouchers plus a loyalty voucher of €9.00. The cupboards and freezer are now full but I am sure I can find something to spend €20 next week and 20 the week after.
Weight is right back down to 70.8kgs and hoping for a bit more before our first Christmas lunch on 13th.
Not so good that we will not be going to the Fete at the Chateau as the weather is terrible. On the positive side, it is not as bad as the UK and it has saved me from myself with temptations of the snack carts and mulled wine.

Starting to feel more relaxed and will feel even better after Monday (MRI and then lung doctor).

Nearly forgot – we won €5.10c on the Euromillions. Yeahhhhhh.

Hi everyone, was up early this morning but oh boy does hubby take his time getting ready – he is nearly 80 so I have to be patient. Got to the supermarket at 9am and it was heaving – never seen anything like it in France, not even at Christmas although we didnt go to the event last year. Kept putting things in the basket and came away with a decent shop. Made up the €80 with things like meat and fish but we still overspent at €126. At least we wont have much to buy in the coming weeks and it is all stuff that keeps and we have money towards it. We managed to get the €80 of vouchers and also a loyalty voucher of €9.00.

Our visit to the chateau is not going ahead as the weather is terrible. Not quite as bad as the UK but still lashings of wind and rain. Saves me from the temptation of snack food and mulled wine so I will be able to stick to the diet until 13th. I am lucky in a way that we don’t have a lot of socialising and we can please ourselves – but a bit sad in other ways.

Margaret, hope things start moving for you with the doctor. Sounds like you are going to have a lovely day hosting and the food sounds wonderful. I am sure you can find plenty to suit your diet and, yes, you will be bobbing around looking after other people. If the left overs keeping winking at you, remember the freezer – so many things can be frozen including cheese, sandwiches, just be careful with prawns, they are a bit risky as you don’t know whether they have been frozen before. Just enjoy, I envy you the fun.

Well, I have quite a bit of stuff to sort for the freezer now after that shop and I was trying to run the freezer down so we have space for our sitters to put food. Will just have to pack it very carefully.

Cathy, I am so sorry you’re going through such a hard time just now. I agree with what others have said, you’ve shown amazing determination and effort in keeping 20lb off and dealing with the other health challenges. Most people would be overwhelmed and demoralised, I salute you for continuing- for keeping on keeping on.

Your description of the operation is so confronting, I can’t imagine going through that. I hope so much that you have a great long term result and that there’s some effective treatment for the tumours.

Thank you everyone for your good wishes & I saw my GP who did examine my knees & because I have already self referred will write a letter attaching my surgeons letter to expedite my appointment with MSK.
I’ve just weighed & more or less stayed the same weight except for 0.2lb? gain is that a quarter of a quarter pound?
Today I’m hosting a neighbourly lunch so drinks with all the Christmas type nibbles from M&S of filo prawns, duck & vegetable spring rolls, Indian nibbles then for lunch loads of different salad leaves tomatoes, red peppers, with accompanying salad pesto pasta, potato salad, nutty couscous, coleslaw with various quiches plus for hot a vegan MM Keto black bean & mushroom chilli with wholewheat couscous & creamed spinach. Puddings are tropical fruit salad & a traditional Scottish sherry trifle, no jelly! with mixed berries in the base. Then various cheeses on offer & grapes. I haven’t done this for years but it was always my family tradition to have an open house buffet on Boxing Day with a large bowl of punch & bubbly on offer. So an early Christmas happening.
One neighbour is bringing some Prosecco😀& prawn nibbles.
I probably won’t eat much as hostess because I’m too busy seeing everyone else is ok but afterwards tend to hoover up some leftovers but will try to have lots of salad avoiding the carby stuff 🤞🤞
I hope you all have a good weekend & are keeping safe from the high winds & rain today!!
Margaret xx

S-g right at this point in time I wish I was like you … nothing to do!
I know we will both enjoy our varying holidays and actually I’m looking forward to ours in a strange sort of way. Despite mobility issues making everything harder we will soldier on through and enjoy!

So I’m here….

🥦🥬🍅 So lunch today was a success, eggs and salad with low carb bread.

🥣🥣🥣 Dinner just didn’t feel like cooking. Looked at several ‘delivering’ services and didn’t really fancy a take-away. So…. cooked salmon fillets with cauliflower/celeriac mash peas and sprouts. It was lovely! Saved me from myself!

Winding down now. Hope today has been positive for you..

Hi Verano, yes time does flash by. I actually envy you all the organising as we have NOTHING to do except get ourselves over to England. We don’t even buy presents anymore. The kids just want cash and we are not up to date enough to actually buy them something. My positives today are

I also have a monthly (7 weekly) pedicure – paid for my the French health system, and daughter has organised a massage for when we are over.
She has had a look at my 2 identical dresses and says they are lovely and really good quality – she wants to try them on but is scared they wont fit her. She is about 5kgs heavier than me but is 6″ taller.
As I said in our monthly thread, our local supermarket has a spend €80 and get back €80 in vouchers. So setting the alarm for an early shop tomorrow.

I know everyone is busy at this time of year but try and pop in and say hello on here and have a good week.

Hi everyone,

Casey – you obviously haven’t lived – bins forever yeah :). The dizziness should pass once you are back in the swing of things. If you need a small yoghurt or something just to bring up your blood sugars and count in your allowances. I dont think you are diabetic so it shouldn’t be a problem. I think he adds … cheese within your allowance i.e. not too much. I would be more worried about a scotch egg but then it depends on the breadcrumb coating and if it is deep fried. You can make your own without a coating a cook in the oven. We cant get decent sausage meat here – it is all very fatty and gristley – is that a word? I suppose I could tear apart the sausages I buy from Ireland but they are so precious and expensive.

Margaret, sorry you are still having to wait. I cant comment on the NHS except to say you would have had the operation within weeks here in France – ask Wendleg about that.

Sleeky, you have to start on a path that you can manage and then see how or where you can cut back if you want to be within 800 cals. I can never really get below 50g carbs without upping the calories. You are right, we did used to do a weekly weigh in but that was when this thread was weekly. It became a bit of a chore setting up a new thread every week so we moved to monthly. Many of us still have a specific day we weigh in. For me it was always Tuesday and our weekly thread ran from Tues to Tues. I think historically when Verano and I first started and opened up threads we (or at least I did) at the start prepared over the weekend, writing menus, clearing out cupboards etc and then I did a fresh shop on a Monday as all my fresh food was a few days old. So it was always Tuesday and that is still my day. Although, I also get weighed daily to keep an eye on my BG and insulin doses and also sometimes mention weight on any day if I have good or bad news. Do whatever you want. We are all here to cheer you on or cheer you up 🙂

Weekend is approaching so hope it is a good one. On Saturday our local supermarket is having a spend €80 get €80 in vouchers, so 100% refund, so we are going to get up early and be there when it opens at 8.30am. The vouchers are pre-dated and can only be spent each week one at a time. As we are going away we will lose out on one €20 but can gift it to our housesitters, we will still earn €60. Then in the afternoon we are going to a chateau near Bergerac for a Christmas Fete – hope I don’t get tempted by food or mulled wine.

It’s an interesting first week back. I started tracking everything on Monday. I haven’t made the calorie goal quite or the macros quite but I’m on the right track and have lost already. I’ve kept the cals below 1000 and the grams of carbs below 50. I seem to remember we used to do weekly weigh-ins if people wanted to share? On a certain day? Or was this post an example of that, ha.

I’ve had headaches and been sluggish but I seem to remember that at the beginning from doing it before. Today, the fourth day, I started to feel better midday. I remember this wonderful clarity of thinking from last time. I was tested for ADHD last week. My son was diagnosed and it opened the door for me. I find out at the end of the month. My son is medicated now and has special therapy and it’s helped him so much. I have some hopes for that for myself.

I enjoy reading about everyone’s lives and experiences.

Can’t stop,but wanted to share a lovely thing ive just read. And a lovely pic but dont think we can do that on here?
Anyhoo,it says,”One step at a time said the moon…and be proud of every one” …
a good mantra for us for 2025!
The picture is of a fox trotting along under a full moon.
CCATHY just a quckie,you shd be proud of every step this year,you have dealt bravely with so much this year and you can still smile and be positive 🩷💜 youre a real trouper! 🤞🏻xxx

Hello. Just popping in to say sorry I’m not really posting at the moment.

Welcome to all our new members. Best of luck on your journeys. We all take a different path so always lots of helpful tips if you need them.

Margaret hope you get a date soon. Don’t know which part of the country you’re in but in the North, Wrightington in Wigan, or the Orthopedic hospital in Oswestry charge maybe two thirds for private surgery. Still a lot but maybe a thought? But don’t forget you can also opt for any hospital on the NHS so you don’t have to rely on local services.

So far this week I’m repeating my pattern of last week …… up a few ounces, up a few ounces, up a few ounces. Hopefully tomorrow it will be down a few!!!

Last night I steamed cauliflower and celeriac and whizzed the two together and I have to say I ended up with a really silky smooth purée. So tonight a ‘no cook’ meal of cauli/celeriac mash, tuna /salmon fish cakes (home made so know what’s in them) and petite pois. Maybe not the lowest carb meal but still pretty good.

Have a good evening and as good week.