Well I have just weighed & after a week of couldn’t care less emotional eating I have gained 0.5lbs which I am not surprised about eating more carbs particularly ice cream & a glass of wine with most suppers. I know I must pull myself together & get a grip now having crept up in to the next stone bracket 🤔
Gosh Verano I hadn’t realised your own trials & tribulations & yes acceptance is a very positive thing to achieve & something I have always struggled with.
S-G you may be finding an effect from stopping a medication with some soporific action as I have found reducing Tramadol & I have returned to taking two at night this past week after my cataract op helping me sleep.
I hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend & a good next week🤞🤞
Margaret xx

Had another bad night but no bad memories, just couldnt sleep. I have remembered that for years I have been taking Atarax which is an antihistimine for my skin irritation at night, it is one with the sleepy drug in it. I have been weaning myself off and now on zero. Think I might need to start taking them again as part of the problem was my face, chest and neck were itchy, so maybe I actually need it.

Been out to garden centre and bought a few hundred euros of plants to make a hot garden where we had a tree and a bush removed. Going to ask Gemini how to lay it out as I am no Alan Titchmarsh. Now just have to stop cat from pooping.

Thank you for your kind and wise words DCT. I’ve already addressed the working too hard issue in my mind and I’ll be dialling things down going forward. Nothing to prove, I’m only doing one day at week. I always give whatever I’m doing 100%. I have to remember that I am a volunteer and anything I do is beneficial and I don’t have to wear myself out! It’s a good lesson for me. My husband is lovely and I am sure after knowing each other for almost 50 years it won’t be an issue for him but for me it’s going to be difficult but I’ve got the strength and determination to feel the fear! I feel this is something I need to try and I honestly feel that wig wearing will be liberating in the long term.
So, back to the drawing board regarding my comfort eating. Strict rules from today. No excuses. No feeling sorry for myself. Just do it! If I don’t control myself I could be back to square one in no time and that is not an option ever!

CATHY sorry you’ve had such a bad week. I’m so sorry to hear about your friend. And I understand how daunted you must feel about removing your hair system but am sure your husband will understand. I used to have very bad psoriasis which in my mind looked dreadful and I always tried to hide it from my husband. But I’m sure he saw it anyway and it made no difference at all. I think we can blow these things up out of all proportion. Just imagine if it was the other way round, and it was him with some kind of physical condition he was embarrassed about : I think you’d be totally accepting and wouldn’t want him worrying. Would it help to articulate your worries to him in advance? However you go about things, I wish you well and hope that you are completely happy with the new wig.

And don’t overdo things in the Oxfam shop. It sounds like a lovely role but, from what we know of you on here, you always give 110% 😉. So just turn up, be your lovely self, and do what’s needed to help without flying around trying to do more than is reasonable.

Good luck with your 138 target next week. We still have 10 days of August left so let’s see what we can achieve next week 🤞X

Hello everyone
Sorry I’ve not posted this week- a combination of reasons. I’m tired, stressed and not focused. My friend has been diagnosed with breast cancer, I’ve been worrying about getting my wig on Monday and taking off this hair system before I go and worrying that my husband will see how bad my alopecia looks I was working in Oxfam on Wednesday and worked too hard and felt exhausted. I feel overwhelmed at the moment.
DCT- lovely to hear that your surgery went well and that you’re on the mend and well done on achieving your target this week. I haven’t been so good this week and today the scales are up to 143. I’m nipping it in the bud today! I know why and it’s stress and not following my eating rules!! No excuses / must try harder.
I am determined to be down to 138 by the end of August so I have to reel it in from today. I have 10 days to make it happen .
Let’s dig deep for the last 10 days of August and see how we do. Life always has a way of scuppering things but we have to try and navigate our way through the storm. That’s just life. Let’s have a good week and let’s make our August reset have been positive before we move to our September goal. We’ve got this!

Hi everyone. Just checking in – I can’t believe another week has flown by!

I’ve had a really busy week. I was away last weekend staying with friends, who had organised a mini music festival in their garden. And this weekend other local friends are doing the same nearby. Then on Wednesday I finally had my lip surgery which I was dreading but seemed to go really well 🤞 It’s swollen, bruised and you can see the stitches – so I look like I’ve ben in a fight 😂 But it seems to be healing well and I am able to eat and drink normally. I just have to be careful about not getting it too wet or too exposed to sun, and have been advised to lay off the exercise – particularly water-based – until it heals fully. But it’s a relief to have it over and done with.

I managed to achieve my weekly target of 149lb this week and am very much hoping to make it to 148lb by the end of next week, which is pretty much the end of the month. Then will be aiming for 145lb by the end of September if I can.

We still have 4 months to go to achieve our 2026 goals. Plenty of time to reset and overcome any glitches so far 😊

Hope everyone else is doing ok and that you all have a lovely weekend X

I did a google, there are no countries starting with X – Xanadu is a mythical place or a song by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch – wow quell memoire. Jackfruit is a fruit but Jeruselem Artichoke or Jalapeno Pepper count.

What shall I try next.

I have just reduce insulin from 20 to 18 and it is generally staying steady. My fault I only had 500 calories. I had a beetroot, apple and ginger shake for lunch – probably about 100 cals. Normally I have a snack in the afternoon but the day went by so quick I forgot. Will stay at 18 until after my blood test in 3 weeks. Then I have daughter visiting so it will stay the same while we party party party. After that I will let things settle and will probably reduce after my October trip to Vienna.

Thanks s-g!
D= daikon, J= jackfruit… is that a vegetable? X=Xanadu …. is that a country?

That really is low s-g. Can you reduce your insulin or isn’t it that simple?

Verano, I just wanted to give you a hug.

I had another fairly sleepless night last night but there was a reason and sometimes it is helpful. Got up at 3am (its always 3am) and did a blood test and I was down to 42 which is 2.27 on other scale, so very low. Had a Werthers, a low cal chocolate drink and a slice of ham and 30 mins later I was up to 128.

BTW I couldnt think of a veg beginning with D or J or X, or a country with X. Got all the rest. 🙂

I’m so sorry s-g that certainly wasn’t my intention.
“Acceptance” is a wonderful ‘tool’. I think I must have ‘accepted’ my limitations fairly quickly after the initial shock of realising my mobility was going to be limited. It certainly hasn’t held us back. Life is just ‘different’. As we age we all have to make adaptations we just had to do so earlier, and with greater vigour! As I said above ‘I do what I can do, and what I can’t do, I can’t’. “Acceptance”, without ‘giving up’ has helped me a lot over the years.

Thank you Sunny, Verano and Margaret. I can just mention that I dont lie awake every night thinking back. It is the other way round. I cant sleep and sometimes it is restless legs, tingling feet, cramp, whatever and I can work through it, get up, have a drink and so on. Then some nights as I lie there not able to sleep and the past comes back. Once it does it is like a story unfolding in my head and just goes on and on. Margaret I once saw a psych and he did the blow your nose into a tissue then look at it as say you are sh-t, you are nothing, you are filth, you are not in my life etc etc. Then throw it in the bin. End of. Funnily it did work and I can even laugh about that person (very famous so I still see him everywhere on TV) but that was just one person. Not wanting to bring this down I will leave it at that. I think the only person who knows my story is my daughter. Sorry, I am getting upset.

Verano, you made me cry. I knew you used a wheelchair or a walker when we first ‘met’ and that this diet helped you in so many ways. You live with your disability every day whereas mine is just in my head. I have learnt that doesnt make mine any less, it is not a competition as to how much pain we have. Bless you.

Back to business. No weight loss for a few days, no reason so will just keep on keeping on. Decided I need 2 more kgs before daughter visits. Already lost one last week so 2 more in 4 weeks.

Have a good continuation, as they say in France. Bon continuation.

Thank you SunnyB & my eye is feeling much better today after using the drops that will continue for two weeks.
S-G I am so sorry to read about your experience of abuse. I haven’t mentioned it before that one of my previous roles was working as a Therapeutic Counsellor & Psychotherapist with clients who had suffered abuse & also clients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I found that helping clients talk about what they had experienced enabled them to review it but also by exposing it helped it diminish by re-examining their own reactions to it & realising that any feeling of guilt they carried was invalid. In psychological terms it’s called making it concrete so it can then be helped to dissipate. So much stress is caused by circular thinking which can re-impact the experiences. I had to have two years in-depth counselling as part of my training & exposed for myself some suppressed bad experiences & memories. Writing experiences down can also help make them more “concrete” & Verano’s action of destroying her writing by tearing them up can be helpful. I do know that my way of working has probably been superseded by current research but my clients found their counselling & visualisation exercises helpful. It’s never too late to try to do something about your bad experiences S-G.
With very best wishes
Margaret ❤️

I need to find some positives!
Glad you’ve booked your cruise s-g and well done ‘grandson’! Finally, enjoy your mother/daughter time it’s irreplaceable.

🥖🍞🥖 My sourdough starter is now 14 days old and ready to bake with. Tomorrow is D day, or maybe that should be ‘B’ day! Sorry!

🥕🌶️🍅 Made my first batch cook today. Bolognese. So glad we’ve had a bit of rain now I feel justified in making a Bolognese!

🥕🌶️🍅 Healthy meal tonight bolognese with courgetti spaghetti. I haven’t used courgetti in ages. Need to get back to all the swaps we used to make in the early days!

Have a good week.

S-g I think your daughter may be right.

I went through a trauma just over 19 years ago. I’d had a hip resurfacing in 2000 then in 2007 I contracted sepsis which went to my hip. Then I went through a series of maybe 3 surgeries to remove my hip and had nearly 5 months in hospital. The upshot was that rather than just getting a new hip and hey ho off I would go, as I thought, my surgeon said if I was lucky I’d be able to walk with crutches! I was stunned. Then after a further two surgeries I had a new hip. I was wheelchair bound for several months and my mobility improved but has never fully recovered. So now I use crutches and a walker if I go more than a few hundred yards as I need to sit down.

OK I know this is completely different from abuse. I just wanted to say that I went through a really low patch for maybe 12 months after being hospitalised and accepting that my mobility would always be compromised. I kept a journal for quite a long time after I came out of hospital. After a while I stopped and just put the journal in a drawer. Maybe 7 months or so later I saw the journal in the drawer and started to re-read it. My goodness it was really a very depressing read. At that point I decided it needed to go. Destroying the journal, ripping page by page into pieces was really cathartic. It was like disposing of the trauma and I felt much better afterwards.

No it wasn’t a ‘golden bullet’ my mobility is still compromised, but yes it did put lots of things into perspective. It has allowed me to accept things as they ‘are’ and to not re-live a time when I ‘hit the wall’ several times.

Maybe if you ‘journal’ it will help you to stop reliving the past…. you can’t re-write it….. if only we could!!! We have to accept what has gone before us but we really have to try not to let it ruin today or tomorrow. I know how hard that can be. For me, with a physical disability, I just say “I can do what I can do and what I can’t, I can’t”. I know that a ‘mental disability’, for want of a better description, is not that easy to overcome.

Don’t let the past define your future you’re worth more than that.

Margaret, glad your op went well, hope your recovery is swift.
SG, sorry to read about your sleep issues and the cause. I don’t have any answers for you, but hope you manage to find something that works so that your sleep is less impacted.

So, now to report on my ‘progress’ since this time last week ….. sadly a blip upwards of 1.8lb!!! Frustrating as other than what can most politely be referred to as ‘stalled motility’, I can’t identify why this has happened. Best I can do is tackle the motility issue and hope the scales issue rectifies as a consequence. Will continue to monitor what I consume too of course.

Wishing you all a good week.

I can see this page and the message to Margaret, (glad you are doing well) but nothing else, it is as if the subject has disappeared. Hoping this message will bring it back or move it on.

Looks like I have jumped onto another page.

My problem is not that I wake up. I just dont go to sleep, getting up is recommended as lying awake can cause more anxiety. It is not often I go all night without sleep and I slept okay last night. If I do wake for the toilet I can quickly get back to sleep and once asleep I am like a log. I have had a lot of abuse through my life and, unlike some people, I dont seem to be able to put it in the past and keep trying to re-write history. My daughter says I should write everything down but it would be very miserable reading. Okay I dont have to show it to anyone. I tried with an online diary that was very private, then the system crashed and I lost everything so I prefer pen and paper but afraid of anyone reading it. Yes, I know it is stupid. Verano, I also do the deep breathing, read MMs book but it is same things, I do count, hold my stomach, feel my breathing, go through the alphabet. Once I get in the cycle nothing helps. I was taking an antihistamine called Atarax but been on it for years and know it is not good – not sure it was doing anything anyway.

Well, to say I had nothing to say, I do rather ramble on. Have a good week.

Maragaret glad all went well. I’m sure the soreness will wear off very quickly.

And so to sleep! Well, my tools are quite simple really….. deep breathing and pillow spray.
Two breathing exercises: 5 deep breaths, in for 4 hold for 2, out for 4, hold for 2, repeat. I also recite, in my head, girls names alphabetically, 5 times each with each accompanied by a deep breath. I count 5 girls with the initial A etc. I rarely get passed B. I couple that with either a pillow spray such as Deep Sleep, but there are plenty others in the market, or I recently found ‘scentered’ which is a wax like stick which you rub onto your wrist and temples which works very well for me.

I think the real secret is NOT to get up because that literally does wake you up especially if you use your ‘phones etc’ or read. It may take a while to get back to sleep at first but it really does work. Sweet dreams!

Thank you Verano & S-G & I had my cataract op this morning which the surgeon said went well. My eye does feel sore & fortunately it was cloudy driving home so not too bright although I wore dark glasses & my reading glasses are still enabling me to read & because I now have two long distance lenses can also still watch the tv.
S-G I also don’t sleep through the night having to get up to spend pennies plus recently still being awake at 1-30am. However I’m weaning myself off Tramadol which is slightly soporific so that is impacting but like you I have got up & moved to another bedroom to read until feeling more sleepy which is what MM recommended in his Fast Sleep book. Have you read that because he suggests that some people like himself were dual/second sleepers naturally waking around 3-0am & getting up to potter around the house doing things before going back to bed for a second sleep. Apparently it was common in Victorian times with many people doing this. Anyway I found his book really interesting which describes sleep physiology & some remedial actions.
Well I must do supper now & will have a glass of wine tonight because I feel that I need one 😂
Margaret xx

Calling in to report weeks numbers. Lost 1.2kgs from last Monday. In fairness that is because my weight was up last week after a weekend meal out and drinks. So basically still 74.4.

Question, what do you do when you cant sleep. I have had problems all my life, tried pills and potions, calomile tea, lettuce sandwiches etc. Then I just lie there, close my eyes try to think pleasant thoughts. Then around 3am I get up and make a drinking chocolate, half an hour later go back to bed. Then repeat, get up again around 5am, no chocolate drink but watch something on record, go back to bed. Finally get to sleep at around 7.30 which was last time I looked at watch. I dont stay in bed all day to make up and was up around 10.30 so only 3 hours sleep and probably still wont sleep tonight. I never have daytime naps so cant even cut that out and no caffinated drinks after my after lunch coffee around 2pm. Thoughts please.

Nothing else to report.

BTW the product is called GlycoReset and is a scam.

Just want to save you from sitting through a 40 minute video by Dr William Li on how to cure diabetes called the Biblical Drink. You always know it is rubbish when they start their presentation with a total lie i.e. diabetes doesnt exist in Israel – absolutely not true. Then the simple drink you can make in your kitchen turns out to have olive only only found on Mount Olive, Cinnamon from a magic tree only in Israel and another ingredient only found in Israel protected by a tribe. You can only buy it on line.

WHERE HAVE WE HEARD THIS BEFORE. This makes me so mad, this is the sort of thing that used to make me cry. This is why we found this site. Yes, there is a Dr Li and just a 30 second fact check – he doesnt endorse anything to do with Israeli cure for diabetes. It is not him on the video it is AI. Hope that save you 40 minutes of your precious time.

Have a good day.

Hi all, no news on the weight but no problems

Verano, glad you are enjoying the course, we are all learning every day.
Margaret, good luck for tomorrow, not that you need it. Relax and enjoy some downtime.

I am sure there are idiots in France but our Government have things in place. Like visiting the old and vulnerable (not been to see us yet), even the postie knocks if they know you are in that category. Telling landowners to cut their grass, you can be fined for an overgrown garden or patch of land. If you have ever been to France and see ponds all over the place like at the entrance to a supermaket complex, these are for the fireservice use, also prevents flooding. Although even these have been very close to empty. And not wasting water is second nature to us. The good news is we had real rain last night and all my waterbutts are full again. Shame I dont have anything left to water 🙂

Margaret best of luck tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll be fine, you’re in safe hands. All worth it for better sight!

Hello & I weighed yesterday & have gained 1.75lbs I am sure due to eating more carby easily prepared food & stressed comfort eating! I have my cataract op tomorrow.
It was interesting looking at the eclipse from our cricket ground using my eclipse certified glasses. I was amazed to see on the news people just staring at the sun 🙀 particularly after all the warnings put out on the news!! I suppose there are people who don’t listen or see the news perhaps the similar ones that don’t know how many wild fires we are experiencing through idiotic behaviour or arson. I am beginning to really despair what my country is coming to. But I suppose I am feeling rather despondent anyway today working through a pile of washing because I won’t be able to end down after my eye op for awhile ditto need to dust today to prevent any dust getting in my eyes tomorrow because we have our fans constantly on at the moment keeping cool. We are predicted some rain on Tuesday & the temperature is supposed to be dropping from tomorrow. That said I hate feeling cold or chilly & much prefer the warmth🤔 I am pleased your op & recovery is going well Verano 👍😊
Oh well I just have to go with the flow.
Take care everyone
Margaret xx
Take care everyone

Good afternoon.

All well here thanks Sunny and finished my eye drops on Thursday. Must admit I am using my iPad without reading glasses now so all looking good. Glad the scales are moving down for you.

Well done on all fronts s-g. I’m sure you will make your 5 week goal.

Yes lots of people, unthinking people, are taking this heat situation far too lightly. The really sad part is that many fires, here and throughout Europe, are caused by ‘carelessness’ or should I say by people who are just ‘selfish’ without care for themselves, others, or their environs. Let’s hope they are soon under control.

So just a ‘tip’ if anybody needs it. This morning I emptied out a cupboard with lots of white ovenware dishes. They were all heavily marked with grey ‘cracks’. I was about to send them to the charity shop but thought I’d ‘speak’ to my pal on AI first. He suggested damp sponge with either Bar Keepers Friend or Astonish, rub and rinse well. It worked!!! I now have sparkling ‘new’ ovenware!
Funny but I never thought before but it’s only the inside that gets marked, it’s from the metal cutlery we use!

So on Monday I’ll be half way through my course. Yes it’s useful despite knowing a lot about low carb etc. I think it’s aimed mainly at people with T2 who really don’t have a good diet with lots of fast food and UPF’s and for them I think it’s great full of good information.
I’m enjoying the ‘contact’ everyday because it reminds me each day to be mindful. So yes if your GP/nurse ever suggest this course I would say yes it’s worth doing.
When it comes to weight loss I’m with my 1lb a week and if I have learned anything it’s to calm down when it comes to the ‘number’ on the scale and to be happy with a drop of 1lb a week. After all that’s 52lbs in a year!!!!!

We had just a smidgeon of rain today let’s hope next week will bring more…. who would have ever thought we hoped for rain!!!!!

Hi all, been a while so I will look back to make sure I am not repeating.

Fully booked our cruise for April 2027 – Med to include Greece and Turkey – getting through my bucket list.
Grandson got his A level results Maths A, Biology A*, Physics including Astrophysics B, plus they have to do something pastoral and he got Distinction in Performing Arts. All set for uni next month.
Daughter visiting on her own (after 21 years no one wants to come) and we will have a great mother/daughter time.

Weight still going down. I was worried because yesterdayI ate a Magnum chocolate ice cream – it was so hot and I dont feel guilty but was a little worried. Also worried about my Bg but it stayed steady. I am now running at 100, which my AI pal tells me is a good number to be at. My weight is 74.3 with 74.2 being the lowest, so nearly there. I have to remain strong over the weekend rather than use it as an excuse for a treat. Want to be down to 72 in 5 weeks.

They came to delivery our propane gas yesterday but had to go away as the temperature of the tank was so dangerously high – over 40 -that he couldnt risk it. They will come back when it is cooler which is hopefully next week when we will be back in the mid 30’s. Daughter sent a message this morning ‘mum, yesterday was terrible, impossible to do anything’. Yes I know dear.

So sorry to see the fires in the UK, especially the houses but I am also sick of people on talk shows complaining they are sick of being told it is hot as they are intelligent enough to look out of the window and know it is hot. Apparently not intelligent enough to know you dont start barbeques in wooded areas or flick cigarette ends or even leave an empty bottle laying in the grass after a picnic. The warnings are not to say it is hot, it is to say be careful and be aware of the dangers. I am sure SunnyB will back me up with her experience of Turkey but here in France we do things to mitigate the heat like close shops during the hottest part of the day and open in the evening. My gardener turned up at 7.30am at the last heatwave and worked until 1230, so still did nearly a full days work. Anyway you dont need a lecture from me as I am sure you all do the right things like keeping windows and curtains closed all day – none of this letting in the fresh air, there is no fresh air. Hey ho. Hope it soon passes. BTW I am sat here in my pants and bra with a fan on my upper half.

Have a good weekend everyone, we are not doing anything except a walk into the market in the morning to buy some real sausage and bacon. The French stuff is not to our taste.

CATHY good luck with the changeover to your new hair when it happens. It sounds lovely and it’s also good to hear that you are feeling positive about it and have a healthy acceptance of the situation. I’m glad you enjoyed your first Oxfam shift too. Very well done for maintaining your weight with all that’s been happening this week.

No loss for me again, as it’s been a busy week socially. But no gain either so I guess that’s a positive. I am finally having my lip surgery next Wednesday, so that may slow me down a bit for a couple of days 🙀. Will report back in due course. But I’ve been exercising lots and also trying to make the most of this glorious weather while it’s still with us. Tried to view the eclipse on Wednesday but didn’t have the proper glasses so didn’t really see much. But it felt good to be out there observing nature.

ARCTICFOX you’ve had such extreme weather and I was so sorry to hear about your wildfires. That sounds very scary and I’m so glad to hear you are ok. And it’s great that your first face to face meeting with your potential partner went so well. I hope that you can both work the practicalities out if you decide you do want to be together.

Hello to everyone else on here. I hope you all have a good weekend, and here’s to a positive week next week.

Hello
What a very hot summer we are having in The UK! Today is roasting! I’ve had a week. Ì went to choose my new wig on Tuesday. I was very apprehensive and it wasn’t easy trying them one whilst wearing my hair system but i have chosen a lovely grey one and i am having a fringe cut into it in a couple of weeks,. Thank you for sharing your wig story Sue, it really was a positive experience when you wore yours for the first time. I’ve gone for a similar colour and style to my system but a little shorter. I am going to be open and honest about it being a wig if anyone asks. I have to accept my alopecia. I lost my hair when I was 13 after being diagnosed with Still’s Disease which is a juvenile form of rheumatoid arthritis.
My husband is away next week and i am opening up the Buddhist group he runs and i dont want to go with my new hair on my own. So we are going to attempt to remove the hair system when he gets back and i have an appointment for the fringe to be cut in a couple of weeks. I can always cut the hair connecting beads out from my hair if we cant undo the aluminium clips. I have very little hair on my head and my husband has never seen the extent of my hair loss so it’s going to be quire distressing for me. Anyway, it is what it is. We will be fine.
I started my Oxfam job on Wednesday and I loved it. I was only there for a morning but I enjoyed it. I was steaming clothes and sorting them. It’s a lovely shop. I am going in again next week. Because of the stressful week I haven’t lost any weight yet! I weighed the same today as I did last Friday. I ate a sandwich at the shop that the manager bought for me which was really kind and I felt I had earned it to be honest.
I will knuckle down next week and see if I can get under 140lb.
Hope you’ve all had a good week.

Hope your recovery is continuing to progress nicely, Verano and that your op will go well, Margaret.

Seems you have a solid plan, SG and sounds like you have dropped back after that blip on the scales earlier in the week, which must be a relief.

Yesterday got very busy, hence my not posting my weekly result as usual. Glad to say things are continuing on a downward trend, with another pound gone. This puts me at 13lb above target and 7lb outside of the right stone bracket, so still work to do. I’m determined to get as many pounds ditched as possible before our next trip away though, which will be towards the end of September.

Keep up the good work everyone 👏🏻 👍🏻

Hi Simon, how was the holiday. Hope you have come back full of motivation as you will have been able to achieve so much more than when you were xxx lbs heavier. Dont worry if you have had a gain. Its a reset. If you have managed to say the same or even lose then great for you.

Well I am back down into the 74’s but not quite what I was before. Always motivated and never give up. As I always say my BG is more important than my weight. Reduced insulin to 18 units and BG is still under 90 in the morning. Been doing post meal testing and still staying within the limits between 140-180. Scraped in yesterday at 179 so things are as they should be. Not going to do this every day, just a couple to see how meals affect me and how my BG behaves.

My new goal is to lose weight for daughters visit in 5.5 weeks, and for doctors visit in 5 weeks and blood tests in 4.5. Again, more interested in BG and want to be in the mid 6’s. My weight goal was 1kg per month but want to up that over the next 5 weeks. Not giving a number, just want to see the scales go down consistently.

Verano, when I use voice AI is speak to a man – thats on Gemini – but if I am just on google I imagine a woman. I asked a simple question about weight gain and my medication. She gave me an answer but then she prompted me by asked me a question – like, do you take other meds, do you have other medical problems. And the conversation went on until she knew my life history. One thing I didnt like is this morning I was setting my watch for timing my swim and it asked me if I had taken my Glicalizide and if so did I need some carbs. So now my watch knows everything about me. A bit scary.

All the best for your operation Margaret.

Enjoy the eclipse but stay safe. You are all around my age so probably experienced one before.

Thank you Verano I will post how I get on if I am still able to read with my existing reading glasses😀
Margaret xx

S-g I talk to AI all the time but I have assumed my ‘mentor’ is male!!!
Anyway glad you’re finding it useful. I’ve been using it for my sourdough starter and have to say it’s pushing me in the right direction! Glad you’ve had rain anyway even if it could have been better timed,

Wendy I’m 12 days in and have to say that I think this post surgery is easier than the last. I really don’t think the actual procedure takes more than 5-10 minutes it’s just all the time beforehand with eye drops etc. Very best wishes for next Monday I’m sure you’ll be fine. It’s just the beforehand that we have to deal with! It’s worth the stress!

So I’m now into week 6 of my Second Nature course. I have to say that there are lots of posters so that helps to keep the momentum up. It’s not really a weight loss ‘diet’ per se but more a lifestyle change for T2 or pre diabetics. So for us we already know about low carb so from that aspect not really helpful. But the daily ‘articles’ and the obvious enthusiasm really do help. Anyway, almost half way through for me and I will keep going, weight loss is slow but hey… it is what it is!

Have a good week.

WOW! I hadn’t realised how long it was since my last post.
So…..
Thank you Sunny for keeping this thread alive…..

So I need to find three …..

🧤🌳🪻gardener came today and has made a great job of the grass …. just wish we could still do it ourselves!

🥖🍞🥖 I know this isn’t really BSD friendly but my sourdough starter is now 6 days old and is looking pretty good. Today I gave it a name ‘Toby’ my first cat, a stray, about 30 something years ago! Anyway, Toby is doing well!

🥦🥒🫒 Eating really well at the moment. Not necessarily low calorie but low carb. I’m just glad that I’m back into the swing of keeping my blood sugar in check.

Hope everyone has at least one positive today.
Have a good week

Welcome Skulder & I hope you have a good week!
Thank you Verano and I will ask for pillows & a sedative for my cataract op😊 which is next Monday.
Gosh S-G well you at least have some rain but what an evening & I know what you mean about gentlemen needing a deodorant because I played short mat bowls with one who I found difficult to stand next to which was rather awkward being in the same team 🙁
The joust was interesting but my husband & I bowed out early after seeing the jousting event & being there five hours because we were becoming rather overcome by the heat & not eating very wisely with a sausage roll then after watching a cookery demonstration of making Tudor bread, a bread roll & butter🫣. Oh dear trying to do better today with a big mixed salad with some spicy chicken, chorizo, avocado, pine nuts & a little cheese plus some cubed beetroot that I had boiled after being given four by a neighbour. I have never handled or cooked raw beetroot before so a new experience for me 😂
Keep on going everyone & take care in the heat. My husband & I will be driving up to London for lunch with friends & the temperature will be 37c!
Margaret xx

Post from exclusive 4 you reported

Hi all, a few days ago I said I was down to 74.4 (for the second time) but after my Saturday meal I am up to 75.7. How does that happen. I had 3 courses and I eat very little, the waitress even asked if there was something wrong with the food. Of course I had several glasses of wine and a Kir. I know it is the alcohol but for heavens sake can I not have a meal and a drink once a month without ruining all my hard work.

I had a long chat with AI and I’ll say she – she told me my medication regime is the worst for weight gain or holding onto weight. She gave me a lot of advice about various chats I can have with my doctor and honestly I have already had them all. She suggested SGLT2 but what I didnt realise is they have to be taken with Metformin and Metformin makes me ill. So, new stragegy, she said my numbers are running so low I am almost hypo – I am at around 80 to 85, each morning fasting. She said I should be at 90 to 100. Plan is the reduce insulin by 2 units and not panic when I see my BG go up each morning. She said it will settle down when my body gets used to it. Also said I should do a test 2 hours after a meal and gave me a range I should be in. I have never bothered after meals checks but it is something I will do. We are all learning all the time. I forgot today and cant do it in the evening as it clashes with having already taken insulin so will do an after lunch test.

Concert last night was mixed. The cathedral is massive and there must have been around 1000 people. The music was okay but I was sat behind a man who insisted on draping his arm over the back of the chair and he really needed some deoderant. Directly behind me was a woman who clapped like a seal with flippers – nearly deafened me. When we left the wind whipped up and we were about to stop for a coffee at a bar when the tables and chairs when off down the road. So we quickly made it to the car before the heavens opened up and we had one hell of a storm – thunder, lightening from 3 directions and the wind. We drove home slowly and got home safe and were grateful for the rain. What an evening.

Take care in the heat everyone. We are absolutely sick of it.

Thought it time to post a few positives and bring this thread back to the top.
😄😄 stayed with my Dad for a few days, good to see he’s coping well and still getting out and socialising
🤗🤗 caught up with youngest son and his fiancée, haven’t seen them for awhile, so enjoyed getting their news first hand
🫂🍽 impromptu meal with friends last evening, very pleasant evening, sitting outside and chatting

Hope to be reading positives from others soon, so please post at least one if you have a moment to spare.

Re-reported

Welcome Skulder … hope you are settling into this way of eating and beginning to see results. Personally, this way of WoE which is similar to keto (but possibly a little less stringent) was the only thing that worked for me post menopause. I find it’s essential for me to manage the carbs if I want to see lower readings on the scales. SG and Verano are the best people to advise on any T2 issues with the BSD and I know they will offer you support if needed.

I’ve been away to stay with my Dad for a few days and given this meant a bit less control on the menu, was impressed the scales only read 0.5lb higher than when I left home.

Today is a fasting day, which I always find easier in hot weather and I’ll be reporting in tomorrow. Hope everyone is doing well, look forward to reading your results soon.

SG, hope you survived the concert okay.

Cathy all the best for your new hair appointment 🙂
It reminded me of when I lost all of my hair 12 years ago now (through chemo) and I wore a wig. I was really nervous going to work wearing it for the first time, and I remember a colleague saying to me in the lift that she loved my new hair do! She hadn’t realised it was a wig.
When not at work I used to wear it with a baseball cap, it looked more natural, although my family teased me as I looked like a notorious criminal of the time!

ArcticFox- so sorry to hear about the devastating wildfires affecting your area. It’s frightening to think about having to flee for your life and to have to leave your animals behind. I’m glad you’ve met your new potential partner – let’s hope things can blossom.
Heidi- welcome back to the group and unlike DCT our super sleuth I had no idea of your previous identity!! Take things at your own pace and we are all doing it our way.
Mariet- hope your hand is getting stronger. Glad you’re joining us for a reset.
Sue- slow and steady wins the race. You will get there. Your determination and commitment to the process has earned you success over the years. Good nutrition is the way forward. I think youre being sensible and thinking about the long term.
Today I weighed 140.8 so a loss of 4lb this week. To be honest I didn’t give it 100% every day so I’ve done really well!
I am continuing my reset this week and I’ve got quite an exciting week ahead. Tomorrow I am going to a wig shop for a consultation. I am thinking wigs might be the future as I was so upset with what happened to my hair system back in May and it’s still not been resolved. It’s exciting but also nerve wracking! All my close friends know about my alopecia but many others dont! It will be difficult facing people with a wig. I don’t like the word wig so I am saying new hair! On Wednesday I am starting at Oxfam as a volunteer in a shop.
Looking forward to hearing how your first week as gone. Have a great week everyone

Hi Arctic, I was thinking about you as I know the fires have been pretty close in previous years. Things have quietened down here but we have yet another heatwave coming this week. Tonight we had a massive storm with heavy rain so hope that keeps things dampened for a while.

Stay safe and good luck with you new prospective partner.

Hi everyone,
Thought I’d quickly check in just in case people have heard about what is happening here. Since August 1st, there have been scary wildfires happening once again in my area. The Aug 1st one was within 20km of my house and people only had minutes to escape. In the end I was not affected but it was a tense 24 hours and we got lucky with a wind change. 230 people lost their home though, so it is tragic. Then on Friday, an absolutely huge fire blew up from just a few hectares to over 10,000 hectares in just a few hours. People did not have time to do more than just flee with their own lives. People had to let their livestock and pets go. An entire community was lost. It is incredibly sad for us. It has been hard with the natural disasters since 2017. It seems like we just get hit time and time again. I know Britain and Europe have been hard hit this summer too with heat and wildfires. It just seems that for us it is year after year and it is getting hard to cope with. Anyway, I currently have 2 evacuee foster cats in my spare bedroom. We all step up and try to support each other and if we are not immediately impacted, we do what we can for those who are as we know it could be us next and others will do the same for us.
In spite of all of this, I did manage to drive a few hours to meet my new potential partner half way between our homes yesterday. It went well. We need more time together in person to see if it will actually work or not. There are a lot of practicalities that will need sorting too. I got to spend a day in cooler temperatures and out of the smoke too as a result. We ordered takeaway from a cafe and had a picnic in a park across the street. So it was very nice just to sit outside under the trees together and not have to worry about anything for a bit.
With all the stress, I’m afraid I have fallen off piste with the food situation. It always seems to happen this way and more likely to happen in the summer it seems. But I have lots of veggies in the fridge for the week and will make a run into town later to pick up some soy free tofu and duck eggs.

I am on my way out to a concert in Bergeac cathedral. Classical. Just wanted to say hi to Skulder, and welcome to the site and our little thread. We are a few T2’s so are in a good position to advice you. Maybe a bit more info like meds, how long diagnosed, fingerprick or HbA1c numbers and a typical days meals. Only as much as you feel comfortable with telling us. We have all been at the start of this process and know just how frightening it can be. Take care.

Margaret well done on the weight loss. You will be fine with your operation, yes a sedative might help.

Got to go – BTW it is 36 degrees and 7.30 in the evening. Water and a fan will be with me in the cathedral although I hope it will be cool.

HEIDI hello! Tbh I’d worked out it was you
– bells were ringing – but wanted to respect your boundaries 😊.

Either way, it’s lovely to have you back, and I very much look forward to continuing our journey together.

Lots of love xx

Hi DCT. Whoops I used my previous user name. My cover has blown! I thought you would remember caronl too. 😀
I might as well stick with Heidi though, since there has been a lot of life and living since my caronl days.

I very much hope to stick more closely to the group from now on. Focus and energy continue to be my real challenges at the moment, even 6 months after my husband’s death. But that’s all the more reason for eating healthily, I suppose.

Anyway I love your realistic goals and commitment to this way of eating and a healthier way of life. Good luck with the reset!

CARONL hello! I remember you from a while ago. Good to have you back. And it’s great that you’re joining the motley crew for an August reset.

I’ve had a mixed week. Set myself the target of 150lb for the week and nearly got there midweek till I sabotaged it with curry and cocktails 🙀. I completely agree with an earlier discussion about allowing ourselves leeway for special outings, celebrations, holidays etc. My problem is that I think I overuse that leeway. I’m very lucky to have an active social life – particularly this summer with the combination of the glorious weather and now being fully retired. But that means lots of opportunities to go off piste.

But on the other hand I’m still comfortable with my MO of slow and steady. I’m hoping for 149 by the end of next week and as long as I have more days strictly on the WoE than I do off it, I’m hopeful of getting there.

Another thing I’ve been reflecting on is the importance of seeing this as a long term WoE and not a crash diet (even though it can serve as both). I want to try and continue to make realistic and healthy adjustments to my eating rather than just cutting everything out to try and lose weight.

Lots to think about but let’s all keep going in our own way and work towards our individual goals for this month and the rest of 2026 X

Wendy I’m sure I had a pillow under my head and also under my knees, I can honestly say it wasn’t as uncomfortable as a hygienist appointment. I was more stressed than I realised for my second one but actually the results feel better even just 9 days post op. A sedative might be a good idea though. Well done on the loss!

Skulder, hello and welcome. These boards aren’t as active as they used to be but you have come to the right place for help and support. There are a few of us who have been here for many years and probably stay here to stop us falling into our old ways again.

If I can give you one piece of information that I wish I had known a lot sooner it’s that carbs are the real secret to controlling T2 and not weight per se. Yes weight is a contributory factor but carbs are our real enemy: bread, potatoes, rice, pasta.

I found this Way of Eating back in 2016. I had T2 but my blood sugar was not that high really although I was on the highest dose of Metformin with the threat of another drug being added. I found Michael Mosley and I followed a low carb diet of 50g per day, roughly. At that time I was guided by my doctor and came of Metformin slowly. Anyway my T2 has been in remission for over 9 years now. I do eat the odd potato and I have low carb bread a couple of times a week, but I tend to stay away from rice and pasta and that seems to work for me.

You say you have ‘unprocessed carbs’ can you elaborate please. Having brown rice or pasta or bread doesn’t really work. If you check the carbs you will see they are still very high. There are lots of ‘tricks’ such as cauliflower mash instead of potatoes, even cauliflower pizza bases! I usually have sliced green vegetables as a base for curry and it’s amazing how quickly your ‘sweet tooth’ disappears. In time you will find lots of things are just too sweet. You say you followed a keto diet which is really just a very very low carb diet so I’m sure you will have no problem with the Blood Sugar Diet.

Good luck on your new journey!