Hi Aria.
I thought your weight loss was great that calculates to almost 14 lbs, so very good for two weeks, I have lost 15lbs in two weeks, haven’t been hungry and no side effects, except today as I went 14 hrs without eating, so was getting a bit shaky and when I did eat, which was the luscious, mushroom salmon egg be hazel sauce recipe, I felt very wh oozy for about 30 mins. But I’m feeling great, so much energy, and all my serious S.L.E. Symptoms melting away, hopefully I have reversed that prelim diagnosis.
I’m counting carbs and cals, I find the recipes counts in the book to unreliable for my liking. I find precision gives me faith in this way of eating. How about you.
🍓🍓🍓

Thanks for the answer. I have been low(ish) carbing for some years now and was a big proponent of fat is good – due to the diabetes forum I belong to. Oh I eat cheese and cream. It’s just that any decent amount of these is very high cal. A cube (mouthful) of cheese is 100 cal! And nuts are very high too. Would more protein instead of fat help? The body can utilise protein instead of fat (if there are no available carbs).

I have even bought a yoghurt today and am intending to try it, as it has been many years since I tasted one and my tastes may have changed.

Will see if I have any weight loss tomorrow SunnyB, I don’t feel any lighter, and take it from there.

Are your 8 weeks over? Or I see you went to Turkey so did you stop the 800?

Anyhow thank you for your answer and good luck in your progress.

I couldn’t have gone to the gym at the beginning of the diet.
But now I need a bit more than walking, hoping, skipping, dancing, stepping.
Thinking of joining up fully tomorrow…..
Also fancy having a swim too.

Love luica
Xxx

Going crazy, having whitebait today with salad.
Haven’t had it without flour before.
Will see how it goes.

Love Lucia
Xxx

Hi mary
Meant to say veg under the ground luxury, tropical fruits a no no. Also it’s good to talk, all of us who are 50 and over will have our emotional rucksack full to the brim, and it’s these feelings that drive me for one to food. So you talk away. I use this forum on a daily basis, it’s like my online A.A. site. I haven’t seen anyone being judgemental on this forum so far, and I also believe the mind has boundless capabilities. So if those words are encouraging you in something that is virtuous, then go for it. Thankyou for trusting us in your openness. Power to the B.S.D. Peeps.
🌸💐🌺

Hi LesleyB
Thankyou. The diary thing started as my attempt to treat this forum like an AA session, coming clean and baring my all. I also started it as my sister started two days ago, but unfortunately I can’t seem to get her interested in looking at this site, so now it’s my affirmation moment to remotivate myself, and recognise the amazing changes that seem to be happening everyday.
I realised this morning that after six months of monitoring and investigations into me possibly having S.L.E. As I had almost all the symptoms, (it’s a serious untreatable sometimes fatal condition, effecting kidneys heart, etc.and lots of other things like fatigue ,severe joint pain etc ) that I think my symptoms are in remission. And hopefully was misdiagnosed, or reversed by this amazing way of eating. So now I’m wondering whether my lupus anticoagulant genetic condition that I have, a genetic condition that was triggered by a virus a few years ago, might go away, but the only way I could find out would be to come of my medication, which could result in another embolism. So I will just have to wonder at that one.
So yes my daily blog gives me time to rejoice in my amazing good fortune to have this chance to improve my old bag of meat and my mind. If my words from my inferior mind are of any Benidorm to others then I am delighted.
Hope your day is going well. Keep posting here be it good or bad, then we can all support you. We are not alone in this we are one big international loving the BSD gang.
🌺🌻🌷

Well ….what a numpty I am. I thought I had almost finished my first 8 weeks but when I looked at the calendar again properly I must have had a “Specsavers moment” last time. I counted the first day as week one , stupidly, so in fact now have another full week.
Ah well. On a positive spin everything is still going in the right direction and am now down to 12st , 3lb, 0 . That means it is looking likely I will hit the 3 stone off mark by this time next week. Not counting my succulent full fat but skinless chickens, but do remain positive and hopeful.
I did have to buy a few items of clothing that fit the shrinking size, this week, as all my other clothes were hanging like they belonged to someone else!
I have chosen ones that can be pulled in with a drawstring as well as having belt loops and a lightweight jumper that is of a style that would not look too bad slightly large.
The weather has been so dreadful and raining for the time I am seriously considering putting all the lightweight stuff away! Our local carnival was cancelled yesterday as the main activities field (after the procession ) was waterlogged and gazebos/stalls getting wrecked by the minute.
Janey CD you made me laugh about the champers after abstaining for a chunk of time…half a glass of wine started doing that to me last week so abandoned it….I am the one at the party who laughs… a lot…loudly, about everything and nothing, before sinking into oblivion….so didn’t want to apologise the next day!
Keep bashing away everyone….especially those struggling…..it will be worth it and this does work….just more slowly for some folk. We are all different bodily makes so I think it stands to reason that we will all have different journeys.
Off visiting friends now. They have been warned in advance not to produce cheesecake, biccies or any other goodies at all.

Hi, I have answered this question yesterday but it must have been for someone else. There is no reason to change from this diet to give blood. If you have a tendency to faint or go dizzy take something with you like some nuts or a couple of prunes and seriously keep up the fluids, do not eat the biscuits they offer. Your blood is replaced within a few hours so does not really have very much effect on your body.

Hi all
I’m three days in and i feel great. Do feel hungry at times but just push through – drink some water or watch Gilmore Girls hahaha…
I’ve been on holidays from work this week so i have been able to control what foods i am around. Back at work tomrorow… training day and i know there will be amazing food catered.. but i take my chicken and slendier noodles and i keep on track.

Down 2.5kg , i know its prob water weight but its still weight gone – sleeping better – after such a short time – getting personal visiting the loo more due to water increase ahhhh!

fasting sugars down too.. this is ging to work for me … im determined

Day four come at me!!

Week 3 starts tomorrow I’m now 11.11 I can’t believe how easy it is. I went to slimming world for months and didn’t lose this much!!! I’ve even had some red wine
Love this diet

Hi there mary.
Defo no spuds, and cherries and grapes will come out to high in carbs for the mo, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are all good, but weigh don’t guess, just always check on my fitness pal app or an equivalent which will give you the cals and carbs, a faff at first, but just write a list, then that’s your reference. You can do it, and we will all do it together. Go for it, enjoy it, rejoice in finding what I consider in my humble opinion the medicine for a long life. Keep posting here so we can support you even if it’s negative, you need us even more then.
Regards
Jan

Hi Ziggy – I’m not vegetarian, but I can advise keeping use of any root veg low, as they are higher in carbs than veg that grow above ground. Yes any fats are high in calories, but you don’t need a lot to help you feel full and it will help you feel full for longer too. Try adding a drizzle of good olive oil to a salad for instance. You say you don’t eat yogurt or cottage cheese, but what about cream and other cheeses? These would make a good addition to your diet, helping you to get some fats and proteins too. – a creamy sauce with mushrooms perhaps or cheesy sauce with cauliflower would be good. It’s definitely worth spending calories on fats, as that helps to burst the fat burning process.

It’s hard to get your head round the whole ‘fat is good’ thing, given the rote we are so accustomed too, that full fat is evil and carbs should make up the bulk of one’s diet. Try to stick around 50g of carbs per day if you can, as this seems to be the level at which most people find the pounds drop.

Hope that helps a bit. Sorry I don’t know about keyword searching on the forum – hopefully someone else will know.

Keep us posted on your progress and good luck with achieving your goals.

Hi I’m about to start week 3, on Wednesday I’ve a blood donation appointment and obviously you need to eat before and keep blood sugars up so don’t faint. Do you think I should donate? Or will I be ok. Any advice please
Nicola

thank you Jess J your support is very much appreciated

well this is end of week 9 on bsd and another 2 3/4 lb down so pleased with that
as now my weight is starting with a 12 🙂

if I can stick to it, then I could possibly be out of the ‘obese’ category in a few weeks, that would be nice

Plus, they don’t tend to be very accurate. Every time I went for a pee and pulled my pants up and down it was adding about 50 steps to my count! 😉

We shall try… but can’t promise anything, Tokyo.

i shall look into that one i am the same losing the ones you put onto your waistbands !!!!
right off to do brunch please no more wild revelations whilst i am away ladies !!!!!

I know Tokyo, you’re mis-timing everything this weekend, sweetie!

That’s not too bad for such a wee ‘un, Izzy. Or, rather, it wouldn’t have been if you’d gone to bed at a reasonable hour. Tsk 😉

I’ve done everything except the freezer, just can’t face it at the moment, I think I need a coffee and five minutes first! Scotch eggs were a success! Shared one just with hubby, I used 50g almond flour, dried sage, salt and ground black pepper for the coating and they turned out great. Who needs bread? Nobody. Except maybe Janey. This morning.

Tokyo, I have a Jawbone UP2 wristband thingy, I think you can get them now for £30/£40. My friend keeps buying the latest Fitbit and she swears by them but I don’t need to know half the stuff that provides. Mine does sleep, deep or light, activity, calories burned, you can input your food, weight. You can ‘battle’ against friends on it, compete to see who does the most steps etc. One of the best Christmas presents I’ve ever had. Never had much luck with normal pedometers personally, I either lose them or end up washing them when I forget they’re clipped on my waistband lol. I’ve washed two WW ones in the past and they were nearly £20 a pop each and told me sod all! Go on, treat yourself! Think of all the cake and wine and pies and cake and cake and biscuits you won’t be eating over the next couple of months/years! And cake!

When I was diagnosed with diabetes, I trained myself to eat oatmeal – the best sort too – steel cut unprocessed. I say ‘trained’ as I hated oatmeal, it tasted like wallpaper paste and made me gag! So I forced myself to eat it and …… it spiked my BG levels quite a lot (so I was secretly pleased to not have to eat it)
Portion sizes are also important, I know that most people who eat cereals and other box-based breakfast stuffs use 2 or 3 times the recommended portion size.

I agree completely with Bill1954, but you could also take a morning test to see if you have Dawn Phenomena (raised BGs in the morning), if you do, eat breakfast sooner in the morning to combat the morning rise/

Great blog Izzy. Your loft space looks lovely. Well done. Enjoy the flight and fulfill your dreams, dragonflydreamseeker. The painting and the coasters look good.
Do you think losing the simple-carb-fuzzy-carb-brain has released your inner dragonfly? I ask this question because prior to me embarking on the BSD I wasn’t doing anything creative as I lacked energy. Now, it’s like the creative ideas have been released. The creativity gives me a greater sense of wellbeing.

That’s exactly the information I was looking for. What I think I’ll do is to keep on as I am and then at the end of the year do the OGTT.

Thanks for the reply

Brian

Hi Julia18togo I have struggled – I found that I wasn’t getting on as fast as the people in Micheal’s book and I got a bit disheartened as my weight wasn’t going down and 20 weeks in, my blood sugar still isn’t at a non diabetic level. All I can say is keep going, look back at how far you have come and treat every day as a fresh start. If you eat something that is not part of the plan, don’t worry about it, just move on and eat better at the next meal or the next day. I know you can do it.

I am still not at the correct BMI for my height and I am within a couple of pounds of it now, I am definitely not giving up and I see the diet now as a permanent change to my way of life rather than a “quick fix”.

I have lost 21 lbs and bought a pair of size 10 skinny jeans yesterday and they fit 🙂 🙂 🙂

I am still not drinking enough, but I aim to start drinking 8 mugs of fluid a day from today, I usually manage 6 at a push, but it is not enough for hydration. I have had terrible migraines, and am hoping that increasing the fluid will help the migraines – dehydration does affect metformin.

Sorry I haven’t posted for a while, time flies when you are busy, but here are the missing days:

Day 131 weight 9st 9lbs (21 pounds or a stone and half lost)
Blood Sugar 9.0

Day 132 weight 9st 9lbs
Blood Sugar 8.8

Ate some chocolate

Day 133 weight 9st 10lbs (end of week 19)
Blood sugar 10.5

Day 134 weight 9st 10 lbs
Blood sugar 9.4
Ate more chocolate

Day 135 weight 9st 11lbs
Blood sugar 8.1
Chocolate again

Day 136 weight 9st 10 lbs
Blood sugar 9.2

Day 137 9st 10lbs
Blood sugar 8.7

Day 138 9st 10lbs
Blood Sugar 9.8

Day 139 weight 9st 10lbs
Blood Sugar 9.5

Day 140 weight 9st 9lbs (end of week 20)
Blood sugar 8.4
Bought my size 10 skinny jeans – couldn’t stop smiling after I tried them on and they fit.
Ate brown rice

Day 141 weight 9st 9lbs
Blood sugar 9.7

As you can see I went for the chocolate – four pieces at a time. When I was stressed years ago I used to eat a whole extra large bar in less than 10 minutes. I didn’t feel happier after I ate it and the rest of the bar is sitting on the sideboard – it might end up in the bin today – although I don’t like waste- to avoid further temptation.

I am not just elated because I fit in a smaller size – fitting into smaller jeans means that my waist is shrinking which is where my bad fat is stored, so ultimately the bad fat is going. My top half has gone down one dress size to a size 14.

Blood Sugar Monitors are relatively cheap in supermarkets and pharmacies David. The expensive part of monitoring is buying the testing strips (which put the blood samples into the monitor). No point in buying an expensive monitor if you are only testing your blood for the duration of the diet, you can manually record your results surely?
Have you diabetes or pre-diabetes?

I’m on day 7 and ran 3 5Ks last week. The third was was a bit of a disaster though, more walking than running. The other two were fine. Am running again tomorrow – on treadmill at gym so will see if it goes any better than Saturday’s Parkrun which was more like a Parkwalk lol

my god i go to sleep and all manor of things are revealed naked butlers !! did i see naturists!?
and lucky freezer inventory !! you go girl then come and do mine theres nothing in it !!!!
well my plans for the day not much trying to get my enthusiam for return to work tomorrow !! i can do it only three days come on girl !!!!!
think of the calories i will burn i am thinking of getting one if those pedometers things want a cheap reliable one looking on ebay !!! any ideas ?
brunch for me in a bit good old eggs and bacon then chicken salad for tea got the next three days organised for breakfast yog and strawberries or stewed apple and lunch chicken / cottage salad and evening meals sorted too !!!!! got a big 2 litre bottle of water to take with me and will take 4 yes 4 not 3 or 5 almonds in case of hunger !!!!!! mrs organised smug now off to clean upstairs ( but so far laying on bed talking to you lot !!!)

What a wonderful thread!
It’s only 11:20 am, but already I can list three great things about today (and I only got up at 10!!):
1. Finding this thread and having time to read, and be uplifted by, evey single post. Feel like you all are my best friends right now.!

2. Especially loving Izzy’s comment, that I have just emailed to myself at work so I can create some kind of nice screensaver image from it…”I have everything I need, most of what I want, and some of my favourite things in life are things I never knew I wanted”

3. So grateful this this diet has such wonderful food, that I’m already feeling better after just one week, and that I have access to these amazing forums and the support of such a brilliant group of people!

Namaste all
Xxx

Hi Julia
Just one wee thing I’m a woman and my name is Chris – couldn’t get system to accept that! Further to the fibro, I’m amazed how different that is and I’ve noticed that my arms are much slimmer, didn’t expect that!
New week starts tomorrow – upward and onward!
Regards Chris

Today’s weight – 100.3kg

OK, so I’m two weeks in! Aside from some mad chocolate cravings this week due to menstruation (which I managed to contain with a very small amount of plain, salted dark chocolate), I think I’ve stuck pretty well to the diet. I’m having a great time discovering all this amazing food, and while I thought I would go mental with hunger in week one, it settled down in week two. My weight loss is not as dramatic as others I’ve seen, so I’m wondering if that’s bloating. In any case, I’m going to stick it out for the eight weeks and see where I’m at.

My son was up by 0800, sleepy Izzy!

I notice that a lot of people say that the 800 cals should be weighted more towards the fat content than the carb content. Do any vegetarians on the BSD have any tips on how to eat more fat than carbs, I am off spuds, rice, pasta, bread etc. I also notice that anything with fat in it is highly calorific, e.g. 100 ml vegetable oil is 812 cals.

Also. I don’t eat yoghurt or cottage cheese unfortunately as a lot of people seem to use these as a source of non-meat fat.

BTW – is there a way to search the forum for keywords, it would save me from having to read every post looking for specific topics

Thanks in Advance

Ziggy – kissing goodbye to Visceral Fat (fingers crossed emoji)

The blog is lovely, I love your little space 🙂 The picture is fab! I can’t draw a stick person… lol.

Great progress Kenne1s!! It’s really heartening to see the BSD work for yourself isn’t it? Hope you continue to make good progress, but do shout out if you hit any problems or need support. Look forward to hearing about your all your positive results.

Hi all. I’ve been following the bsd for 10 days and have lost 4lb eating around 1000-1100 calories per day. I do struggle to get down to 800. I’m prob not deemed overweight (start weight 10 stones height 5’4) but I am sick of my diet/food controlling my life and I am really sick of feeling so lethargic and tired. I can’t believe how well I am feeling just a few days after changing my diet. I’m not starving which is one of my major issues that I’ve developed over my 30 years as a dieter (I’m 46 now) and my energy levels are improving. Here is a bit of an idea of what I’m eating as a vegan (mainly vegan tbh);
Breakfast; soy protein 70 cals with coco milk 50 cals and whole earth peanut butter 130 cals = 250 cals
Lunch; home made veg soup (onion, celeriac, carrots, cabbage, Brussels, stock,) or tomato soup (roast toms, carrots, leek in the oven until soft and then blend adding stock and seasoning such as basil, ginger, cumin, coriander) – each soup serving is approx 100, which I have with salad 50 cals with olives 100 cals and avocado 100-150 = 250-300 cals. Total lunch 350-400.
Dinner; homemade Thai curry (onion, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, butternut squash, carrot, courgettey spaghetti), stir fry and add a tin of coconut milk with some Thai green curry paste, add cherry toms towards end of cooking to let them just soften – approx 300 cals per serving (makes at least 3 servings) or
butternut squash (bns) stew – stir fry onion, cubed bns, chopped peppers until bns soft. Add 2x tins of chopped tomatoes, mix peanut butter (60-70g) with stock (between 1-1.5 litres) and simmer until bns cooked. Add ginger, cumin, chilli powder to taste – approx 300 cals per serving (makes at least 4 servings or
Black bean burgers – drain tin of bb’s but retain some liquid and do not rinse. Mix in food processor with breadcrumbs (I use 1 slice of hovis seed sensations) and shape into four patties then place in the fridge for at least an hour before frying in coconut oil. You can also add in shredded carrots or courgette any veg really when mixing. Each patties inc oil is approx 200 cals. I have them with veg or salad.
Snacks – I have Brazil nuts almonds in the afternoon – approx 30g which is around 200 cals.

Hope this helps – good luck everyone!

Hi SunnyB thanks for the encouragement. I shall take this on board as there are some good ideas there. Thought I might have a stuffed red pepper tonight, just going to figure out what to stuff it with. Going to make a veg soup now to have for lunch. Thanks again

It signifies that you are controlling your blood sugar better. You may also have reversed your diabetes.
One way to test may be by deliberately eating a high quick acting carby meal, having rested your BG beforehand. Then measure your BG 1 hour and 2 hours after eating. If your BG rises significantly you still have diabetes but have it under control, if it does’t you may have reversed your diabetes.
There used to be a coca cola test to do at home – they did it in the doctors, where they got you to drink a 10 oz full fat bottle of coca cola and measure the results at an hour and two hours – found a link to it here https://www.diabetesdaily.com/forum/type-2-diabetes/84146-my-home-glucose-tolerance-test/ It is known as an OGTT Oral Clucose Tolerance Test

Hope this helps – BTW your results and recent HbAic speak fro themselves

Z

Hello! I’m at the end of week 2, and have lost 3kg (6.6lbs) so far. Everyone’s journeys are so inspiring!

hello my lovelies :0)

Want to join me in my Den of Dreams and see what I’m creating up there? I’ve started a new blog to document my journey and share my creations.

http://dragonflydreamseeker.blogspot.co.uk/

I’ve had a raspberry shake for breakfast, going to have some bacon and egg for lunch and we’ll be heading out soon. My husband is taking my son out and my daughter and I are going to the cinema and then we are going to get some shopping for her. She needs a whole new uniform for mid August and the time will pass quickly so we will get a few things today and then the rest later.

I have less than an hour to have lunch, get ready and get out so I best be off!

If you look at my blog let me know what you think of my creations so far 🙂

Hi Mary
Well done on making the first step towards the new you. As a vegetarian I am sure you will find plenty of dishes that will work well for you. By adding in oils, cheeses, cream and yogurt you should do fine. Be careful with fruit, keep it in moderation as they can be high in carbs, due to their sugar content. The kale in fruit water shouldn’t be an issue. And if you like cauliflower, try making cauliflower rice/couscous in a food processor and using it as a base to add in other flavours. This regime is a great opportunity to become friends with your spice rack again and rediscover herbs. Griddled Halloumi is a great alternative to meat, so that’s another option, along with toasted goats cheese.
I have found that the Fast800 has inspired me to get creative with food again and I’m really enjoying eating tasty food, that is helping me to lose weight.
Keep us posted on your progress and shout is you need any support.

Awwwww Janey, poor you. Hair of the dog! Get one down ya!

I suppose if everyone is in the same boat it’s not so bad 😉 As long as it’s not all ‘body beautiful’s’… Yes, I can see how Skegness might pale into comparison to Spain. And that’s not just your skin tone upon return.

Morning Izzy! Did you get a lie in of sorts? I shall pop over there and take a looksee 🙂

Forgot to add that I do take daily supplements to support my mainly vegan diet; omega 3,6,9 capsule and a multi vitamin for vegans/veggies.

Hi everyone,
To add to the discussion on anti-inflammatories I’ve been doing some ‘lay-person’ research. I can’t eat chillies. I’ve been experimenting with turmeric lattes. I’m yet to perfect it. Have tried it with spices from my spice rack (turmeric, ginger and cinnamon) but feel I need to get to the shops to buy fresh turmeric and ginger from the greengrocers. If interested there’s information online.

Hi all. I’ve been following the bsd for 10 days and have lost 4lb eating around 1000-1100 calories per day. I do struggle to get down to 800. I’m prob not deemed overweight (start weight 10 stones height 5’4) but I am sick of my diet/food controlling my life and I am really sick of feeling so lethargic and tired. I can’t believe how well I am feeling just a few days after changing my diet. I’m not starving which is one of my major issues that I’ve developed over my 30 years as a dieter (I’m 46 now) and my energy levels are improving. Here is a bit of an idea of what I’m eating as a vegan (mainly vegan tbh);
Breakfast; soy protein 70 cals with coco milk 50 cals and whole earth peanut butter 130 cals = 250 cals
Lunch; home made veg soup (onion, celeriac, carrots, cabbage, Brussels, stock,) or tomato soup (roast toms, carrots, leek in the oven until soft and then blend adding stock and seasoning such as basil, ginger, cumin, coriander) – each soup serving is approx 100, which I have with salad 50 cals with olives 100 cals and avocado 100-150 = 250-300 cals. Total lunch 350-400.
Dinner; homemade Thai curry (onion, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, butternut squash, carrot, courgettey spaghetti), stir fry and add a tin of coconut milk with some Thai green curry paste, add cherry toms towards end of cooking to let them just soften – approx 300 cals per serving (makes at least 3 servings) or
butternut squash (bns) stew – stir fry onion, cubed bns, chopped peppers until bns soft. Add 2x tins of chopped tomatoes, mix peanut butter (60-70g) with stock (between 1-1.5 litres) and simmer until bns cooked. Add ginger, cumin, chilli powder to taste – approx 300 cals per serving (makes at least 4 servings or
Black bean burgers – drain tin of bb’s but retain some liquid and do not rinse. Mix in food processor with breadcrumbs (I use 1 slice of hovis seed sensations) and shape into four patties then place in the fridge for at least an hour before frying in coconut oil. You can also add in shredded carrots or courgette any veg really when mixing. Each patties inc oil is approx 200 cals. I have them with veg or salad.
Snacks – I have Brazil nuts almonds in the afternoon – approx 30g which is around 200 cals.

Hope this helps – good luck everyone! I’ll post more recipes as I adapt them from my general recipes.

Thanks Lesley. Only those who have lost a child can understand how terrible it is to lose one. I am sorry that you lost your step-son and in a plane crash, that must have been so hard. You are quite right Paul would want me to succeed this time. He was always telling me to stick with it. However from speaking to other people who are shall we say on the spiritual side say that I am very lucky. I cannot explain it, but Paul was my baby after all) Since January 2016 I have had messages from him. In my head I heard first “Its been 5 months, shows you loved me now get on with your life” nest a couple of weeks later I got “mum I am all right” then when I was going through a bad time being upset and crying a lot I got “don;t cry mummy” then when I started to do the 5:2 I thought I would do it for Paul. I got “Mum you can do it” and lastly I got very recently “come on mum you can do it”. As I said I cannot explain it but I am sure it is Paul. So he is helping me to stay on it for sure. Sorry if this is upsetting but it is a way forward for me.

I am going to look at the recipe section to see what I can have today.
THanks so much for you email and if anyone else has experienced what I have from a much loved one please let me know. Apologies for posting this but talking of paul really helps me. It is his first anniversary of his death on Wednesday so gearing up for that and I know I will not keep to the 800 cals on that day.
Mary

Thank you ruthdownunder. Despite my user name I’m also from the great southern land. Best wishes for your week 2 weigh in.

You could still have a fry up, eggs and bacon with mushrooms (not for me yuck), tomatoes. I like to add fried onions. No toast of course but still. hope you feel better soon Janey. I don’t drink much and not at all just now, not due to the diet but medication.

I’m only 5 ft tall!

I’ll keep my clothes on… all for naked butlers though!

I’ve started a blog Lucky (and anyone else) if you want to see what I’ve been doing in my den!

http://dragonflydreamseeker.blogspot.co.uk/

Hey GreenJanet!
I love your diary update approach, very inspiring, I think I will do the same. Xx

1. Re-discovering the meditative qualities of knitting – yes, I’m still knitting – this MUST be lowering my cortisol levels.
2. So relaxed that I forgot what day it was (Phew, Sunday, didn’t need to be at work).
3. Planning the week ahead so I can meet all of my obligations and remain sane (although I’ll decline any offers by BSDers that want to do a mental health assessment – the results may be confronting!)

Thank you. how about cherries and grapes? Also I thought I would make some vegetable soup. Do I take it I cannot use potatoes? Knorr veg stock cube, carrots, leeks and onions – would that be ok. I appreciate your help as there is so much that I don’t eat and any suggestions would be great. Mary

Hi Mary
So sorry for your loss. We lost my (grown up) stepson almost 8 years ago in a plane crash, and whilst you never get over the loss, over time you do get used to it and learn to live with it. As I think Izzy said, your son would be proud that you are picking yourself up and moving on, and would probably tell you that by taking control of your weight and therefore health you are stepping in the right direction to living every day to the fullest. I know…who knows what our lost ones would have thought or said, and what right have I as a stranger to presume I would know, but I feel it in my bones that losing someone is a wake up call to grab your own life and squeeze every drop from it!

Anyway, I am 1 week in and loving every second so far…I’m not veggie so am able to follow the four week plan in the book, but I am sure that everyone will help you out, and there are lots of meals that are veggie without proclaiming it (like the Mediterranean platter, Greek salad with attitude!) and I am sure you will quickly find an alternative to eggs.

Best of luck with it…we are all here for you 😘

Well done Lucia,
I’m so pleased that no swans or ducks were harmed whilst you rowed indoors.