Hi all,

Another day on a plateau (identical weight and fat%) for the 5th day in a row. I got myself a fitbit, so I know I’m moving and groovin’ and burning between 3000 and 3500 kcals a day. Hmeh, it’ll work itself out (or not 😉 ).

We tried the cauli-rice and it ended up with bits everywhere, but it was good with the veggie curry from the recipes in BSD book. But yesterday I roasted a pork loin covered in garlic, thyme and oregano and roasted some red peppers, onion and courgette with the pork. I had a last minute inspiration and chucked in some cauliflower florets and roasted them too. They got slightly browned on the outside and they tasted great and the texture was nice too.

I got inspired and made some grown-up baked beans the other day. Sweated off some kolbasz (smoked paprika sausage); chucked in chopped onions, garlic and peppers sweated them off. Followed that up with some cumin, cayenne pepper and a drained can of haricot beans. The last thing to go in was some passata to make the sauce up. Really quick, easy and tasty 🙂

Nighty night y’all

Hi Keeptrying! How our bodies work to get us back into the old habits!! My theory is that although the old habits were harmful, we actually become adjusted to them. Then, while struggling to set new patterns, our bodies actually fight against it for a while. I believe our minds get there first, but the body plays “catch-up”. I had many of your responses also — for tiredness I just went to bed early and slept as much as I could and when I was too tired to do anything, I just tried to do something non-stressful, like reading or strolling through a park looking at the trees. For headaches I took aspirin and many many cold bottles of Pellegrino water. For anxiety, I went to the gym or took the dog out or gardened (my activity of choice for all things anxiety-producing). I found that the first 8 weeks were better if all I did was the diet — I really put everything else into a sort of sleeper-mode as much as possible. Somewhere around week 6 I finally started to feel energetic and more myself — and then since then, better than I have been for many years. I think this 8 week plan is HUGE for your mind AND body and we (the BSD community) maybe don’t respect how big it really is — you are changing a very important part of your every day life and the change is drastic. I hope you feel better soon! if it doesn’t get better, go get a check-up — good to check just to be sure. Just don’t quit 😜😜!! It gets better just about the time you think you can’t stand it for one more minute!

yes thanks Frog, my stomach much better but I did get a headache this afternoon- gone again now though.

the granola makes crunchy cereal 🙂

I enjoy cauli rice you can just steam it in the micro in a little water, which is ok if you are smothering it with sauce, but if not I prefer it fried up in a little olive oil.

I need to cook our dinner (it’s getting late) but I am procrastinating planning garden work lol.

Hi GR
I like your humour.
My plan is to hop across the Tazzie for a shopping spree once I settle on the desirable weight, I also want to wander the beaches feeling like Elle MacPherson instead of covering up in the neck to knee job.

Beetroot and feta in the fridge but has to wait a few days, you sent us that rain!

N

Also look up chickpea or gram flour. That makes fab crisp bread

Have you tried MyFitnessPal? On iPhone and laptop. I use it all the time.

Hi Trinity – this is a software programme for PC’s only. I thought they now had one for the phone, but it does not look like they have. If you want a phone app this won’t fit the bill.
There is a 10 day free trial then you need to buy it ($49). It is a one off fee and you can upgrade, reinstall on new PC’s etc as you need. It comes with a dictionary of foods – mainly US, but also the base things like carrots etc – I have to remember zucchini = courgette and eggplant is aubergine when I check the products. There is no smart scanning of products, I have built up a database over a period of foods that I use that are UK brands with the breakdown, my copy is now tailored to my food preferences. It takes a bit of time each time you use something new – but it makes you really read the labels before you use it!
I have had it for 12-13 years and it has migrated across a number of PC’s and once when there was a catastrophic hard drive crash, I had to totally reinstall with help from their helpdesk at no extra cost.
I also have activities in it, targets set for weight loss etc. It is not as user friendly as some phone apps, but I am used to it and it has a history of data that is useful to me.
It works for me – try the free trial and see if it will work for you.
https://fitnessassistant.net/

Julia18togo,thank you for your findings. I reviewed yesterday’s food and drinks and notice that I ate very little and drank loads of water. Why? I don’t know. Today I am on a much more even keel and this afternoon I walked for 2.15 hours and went to an hour long Pilates Class. It will be interesting to see the scales in the morning. I have had my evening meal and do not snack between meals.

Hi Izzy
have you been feeling better today?
Hope the granola goes well – does it make bars, or just like a crunchy cereal?

I bought some pre-grated cauliflower from tescos this afternoon (partly I can’t find the attachments for the food processor, and I’m going away next week, and didn’t think I’d get through a whole cauliflower), so I’ll have a play with that tomorrow.

Can’t help there, I’ve really not been headachey or hungry at all (mind you I’ve overeaten for so many years, I’m not sure that I know what being hungry is – “i want, I want” cravings – yes absolutely, but hungry? Not sure that I’d recognise it).

I treated myself to M&S Feta Cheese pastries (12g of carbs for 2), a bit like Turkish borek – delicious
the amazing thing – I only had two, not all four in the pack – AND I finished the plateful salad before I started the second pastry

Pre BSD I would have wolfed the pack (or bought a pack of those AND a pack of a similar pastry with a different filling) – and certainly eaten most of the pastries first – and probably not had much of a salad, maybe a tomato or two, possibly a lettuce leaf!

I’ve started the process of making the granola recipe. I’ve substituted macademia for mixed nuts, and pumpkin seeds for mixed seeds. the recipe says it is 12 portions, and this works out at around 300 calories and 19g carbs/portion. So I am going to divide mine into 24 portions, and have it with yoghurt instead of fruit, or maybe with a bit of almond milk. I will see 🙂 it needs soaked tonight and then baked tomorrow so I won’t get to try it until saturday really.

Hi keeptrying,
Good for you on sticking to things since Sunday! Small steps, but in the right direction – keep it up.

I’ve had a few bad days – like you I had a headache for 3 days & was nodding off on the sofa (stress at work, and not drinking enough) and had to drink like a fish (painkillers didn’t help). Weight went up slightly – only now that I’ve got back to “normality” has the weight started coming off again. Although I’ve not experienced the shakiness, etc that you seem to be suffering.

Perhaps it is your body still being in a state of adjustment – it’s not punishing you, it’s just fighting your new regime because it’s not getting all those bad things it has grown used to. If you give in and have a binge you will be going back to square one and then have to go through it all again when you resume. Maybe this time, try and tough it out (gnaw on a chair leg if you have to 🙂 ) – once you are through the worst of it then it should be easier to cope with if it happens again.

You can do it!

Hi Timmy, thanks for your knowledgeable feedback; much appreciated!

Since i started this 3 weeks ago the types of protein i’ve been eating are, chicken and other white meats, oily fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, bulgar wheat and quinoa, chickpeas and its derivative hummus; making sure i combine rapeseed or sunflower oil to add more flavour and make it more satisfying. Are there any other foods i should consider??

I haven’t been counting the protein or fat grams and don’t know for sure how much i’m supposed to have other than the rough guide of 1 gram of protein per kg or lb of body weight; i can’t remember which it is but i think this measurement applies to athletes, body builders and weightlifters. Should i be measuring the proteins and fat or just stick to carbs and calories?

My weight today was 15st 11lbs and i’ve lost 16lbs in 3 weeks. I’m 5′-11″ but i’ve always carried the weight well. How much protein should i be eating??

I haven’t eaten any white and or starchy carbs and confine my intake to some fruits and veg.

Thanks for your help.

Best wishes,

Trinity.

Hi
there’s another current post that you may want to look at – titled Jumbo Oats. there is a search box in the top right hand corner, or look at the recent topics in forums.

they’re OK in moderation – but 30g of Jumbo Oats contains 17g of carbs, so over 50% carb. I have them occasionally, but not every day.

Good luck with it

Right…I found out today that I am apparently pre-diabetic so I need to sort this out…
Not starting tonight will probably be planning over the next couple of days and getting fully into the swing of things on Monday.

I know from experience that I struggle with sorting out breakfast, I don’t have the energy to cook anything for breakfast in the morning. I previously have done slimming World and one of the breakfast ideas I did all the time was overnight oats…yoghurt, oats, fruit, leave in fridge overnight, eat in the morning. I was thinking that I should go back to this option again…is that OK?

Any other hints and tips for easy breakfast ideas are welcome.

Oh and another thing I wanted to know is can we post pics onto the forum as another diet tip I heard was taking photos of your food for a diary as well and being accountable that way…

I’ve discovered there is a healthfood shop in the nearby town (about 20 mins drive) I might pop along for a snoop over the next few days and see if they have anything interesting 🙂

Welcome to BSD mrstabond! and well done for your loss so far, best not to try to make sense of it just accept it works 🙂

Kale crisps are excellent and you can add spices. Very moreish and not many calories. Google kale crisps.

Hi Orchid, thank you for your advice; very helpful indeed.

I eat meat and that combined with seeds, beans, lentils and nuts gives me a wide variety of protein. I don’t measure my protein levels but watch the cals and the sugar.

I started this diet 3 weeks ago weighing 16st 13lbs and now i’m 15st 11lbs. I’m very pleased with this but i need a more efficient way to monitor my carb intake but i have no idea how much in grams i should be eating??

The same can be said of protein but i’m not so much concerned by that. I think a general rule of thumb is a gram of protein per Kg or lb of body weight but i think this measurement refers to athletes and in particular body builders/weight lifters which i did a lot of in my younger years. It is a guide for me though.

Can you tell me what this app is called so i can look it up please?

Thank you.

Best wishes,

Trinity.

white cabbage is good for crunch – I had some with hummus on.
there’s another thread that I was looking at earlier today on low-carb bread, including ‘cauliflower’ bread – and apparently you can make cauliflower pizza base too.
Gram flour is good – you can make batter and fry/bake it into flatbread or pizza base. – 29 carbs for 100g, less than bread, and very filling

If you’re at the stage where if you buy a packet of something, you find the rest of the pack, some M&S stores have packs of 3 oatcakes.
Nairns (the oatcake company) do an amazing snack that are better than crisps; Nairns Snackers. The cheese ones are amazing – a pack is 100 calories and 13g of carbs – so not brilliant but if you really really want something crunchy. The downside is that they only sell them in multipacks of six, and they are VERY nice!

ok, so I have managed to ‘behave’ food wise since sunday
and it seems like I am hopefully losing the 2lb I put back on last week that I had lost the week before
talk about yo-yo!!

anyway I have a question about ketosis
I have already read some online and here so I am hoping this is what I am experiencing

past few days VERY tired as in could hardly keep eyes open at times
and then headaches for 3 days (but had thought that was the stuffy weather)
but massive thirst – drank about 3 litres of water yesterday as well as teas
and then just feeling a bit shaky like I might pass out, and weak, and sick, and a bit breathless
and pulse weak

trouble is parts of that are similar to my anxiety, but it is not the same
oh well I guess no one can say for sure unless I was blood tested which I am not going to be unless it gets worse
which hopefully it wont

incredible really isn’t it
all those years of bingeing and the side effects (apart from getting fat of course) were far less worrying than all the things I seem to be encountering now
its like my body is punishing me

Hi,
Pappadums are a great idea – however I looked on the Tesco’s website for calories and carbs only to spot that some of them are 50:50 rice flour : lentil flour! Others are 100% lentil flour – make sure you get the lentil ones not the ones with rice flour.

I’m on day 4, and I’m defo posting a picture of my 6 pack once I’ve finished!

Hi and welcome to all the new BSDers!!!

Soon this will all be so,so easy… I am in my eighth week already🙌… not stopping now, am going on until I have left behind every wobbly, stubborn unwanted pound ( or stone, kg, etc)…for good.

Will be looking out for updates on progress from all you guys!

Enjoy your day

Imogen🌻

My first time on any of the forum threads, although I’ve read through many of them and will look to be inspired when I need it.

I’ve had a couple of false starts, but feel this is the time that I will persevere. I don’t have Diabetes, am overweight by around 8-10kg, but have reached a point where the way I look is less important than the way I’m feeling…bloated because I’ve eaten too much.

Now that we are into winter, I feel that soups will be good, but will need to be mindful of my bread “addiction”.

Latish at night here, so breakfast tomorrow is the start.

Best wishes to all…Marsie

Brilliant reading this Izzy – I have just started this week & seem to have dropped 4 pounds since monday which is bonkers – don’t really understand how this can all be water as I am guzzling loads of water – still! I have just discovered cocoa & chilli teabags at my local health food shop – might help with your chocolate craving as they are carb free.

Hello Frog, yes its strange the way we never lose/gain weight in a predictable manner!
Still tired with brain fogs and a desire for more food. But this is week 3! surely it must pass.

Hi Trinity, depending on what weight you (or anyone else) is starting out and and weight you want to get to, will have varying degrees of muscle mass loss. It’s clearly better to lose as little muscle mass as possible, but if someone has several stone to lose then they will inevitably lose some muscle (otherwise we’d all end up looking like Arnie!).

The best way to stop losing muscle mass is through weights and/or strength training like Pilates whilst also eating a good source of lean, and usable, protein shortly after the workout.

I say usable protein as not all protein is the same. Usable protein is made up of 8 different amino acids (I can’t remember which ones now), and different foods have different amount of these amino acids. The human body needs the combination of the 8 amino acids to help repair/build muscle, so if your protein source doesn’t contain all 8 amino’s then it’s not really going to help. Also, different foods have varying quantities of the 8 aminos, and therefore different levels of usefulness. Eggs are by far and away the best source of usable protein, containing something like 28g of USABLE protein per 30g of protein. The next best are things like fish and lean meat such as chicken.

You can also combine two or three food sources which don’t individually contain the 8 amino’s but when eaten together will provide you with them. I’ve seen a chart in another book I read that had the different combination, but I’m wary to post it here as I’m not sure if it’s allowed! And also, some of the sources are things that we are trying to avoid, e.g rice! The book tells a similar story though, in that low GL is the way forward.

I’m pretty sure if you google food combination to provide 8 muscle building amino acids it will come up with something. Just be sure to avoid the combo’s that include lots of starchy carbs!

Hi Happy 🙂 *waves like a mad woman*

Have a paracetamol and a big drink for the headache sufferers and remember that these effects DO FADE and they fade within days for most people along with the hunger.

I’ve been doing 800 since I started yes, I’m on week 8!! It has passed so quickly too, never dragged at all.

My stomach cramps and yuckiness is gone thankfully and aside from still feeling a little tired I’m fine today. I will definitely think twice about any future Mcdonalds food! I was working close to home so I took the opportunity to pop home for my lunch and a cup of herbal tea 🙂 it’s so quiet no one is here.

So I had yoghurt and strawberries for breakfast, mince and cabbage soup for lunch (and a slice of carrot cake) not sure what dinner will be but my husband is bringing home shopping later and we will choose from there.

I’ve been pondering a few ideas… I was very jealous of my daughter and a banana smoothie she made recently. I’m wondering if I could make a smoothie myself with some yoghurt, almond milk, strawberries and ice cubes. It might make for a nice breakfast change. Also on Elana’s pantry website she has some recipes for some breakfast substitutes that I might like to try too.

https://elanaspantry.com/gluten-free-porridge/

https://elanaspantry.com/granola/

I’d need to check out the carbs and calories, but I’m liking the look of both of those and if they are not too high I might try one of them over the weekend 🙂

Right I gotta go back to work 🙁 catch up later though.

oooh – have only just seen this thread – it’s making me hungry
I had been trying to avoid low carb bread, as i’d like to get into a style of eating that isn’t bread with everything!
no big tesco near me, but several branches of Euphorium bakery near me, so I guess they’ll have it there – or maybe the Livlife one if I go to a bigger waitrose than my local one – decisions, decisions!
Switzwerland mentioned a cauliflower pizza base at the weekend – I guess its similar to the bread in the link – I’ll have a go at that when I have a bit more time.

Hey Izzy girl! Hope your day goes really well and sorry your son got up early!

Hey newbies! Welcome!! Izzy and I started about one week apart and it’s great to have the support of all of us in here! She inspired me to start my diary in here also which really helps me.

Hang in here and don’t get discouraged. We all have plateau weeks but keep on it and you will start melting (what I call it).

Happy day to all!
💜🌷

Ah thanks Izzy! You are sweet!
Talking to more clients re my new program today and it’s going really well.

Shocking news is I lost another 2.5 lbs since yesterday. That’s 5 lbs this week and tomorrow is weigh in day.

I also need so little sleep. About 5 – 5.5 hours each night and I wake up on my own bright and shiny (best word I can think of) for the day. It’s crazy. Even my dog isn’t getting up with me and I guess he’s sick of me getting up at 5am!!! Ha

I have a ton of work to do since I run my own business but am using this early morning time to read these forums, look at a magazine, and just have some relaxing time before starting my days. Clients start coming today from 9am until 7:30pm but I have a break from 12:30-5 and plan to head to the grocery store with my hubby and take the dog for a ride which he loves.

I looked at my schedule the next two weeks and it seems I only have one day off a week. I am thinking of scheduling clients every other week only so I have every other week off during the summer. That sounds fun to be able to take mini day trips with the hubby and the dog.

I read yesterday in Shape magazine (an old one) that eating fish makes you lose fat. We eat fish once r twice a day so maybe that’s why I am melting so fast. Not sure.

Ate 1/2 a cauliflower dreams two nights ago and had severe tummy issues yesterday. They have Formaps so I have crossed trying it off my list again for now. I love it. But it seems to not love me. Too much sulfur I guess.

I really hope someday to get to visit friends I’ve met on here is anyone is up for it.

I have a long way to go to being normal weight and don’t think about the long haul but just think about today and how far I have come already. Down 22.5 lbs in 5.5 weeks and maybe more by weigh in day tomorrow. The scale actually was 1 lb lower for one time this morning but I weigh two times and take the top number just in case. It never fluctuates for my husband but I guess cu I am offer it does for me.

Well another day to be happy in will stay in the program and keep getting healthier. It’s a joy for me because for once I feel I will really get there. To my goal. I have tried so many things in the past. Been on thyroid meds for 25 years. Have no gallbladder. But yet I am melting and look and feel healthier.

Clients are noticing. Except one. She’s a doctor and very self centered. She would never notice anything about anyone if she’s not talking about herself. It’s funny. I don’t care. At the end of her session I pointed out my weight loss and you see the light go on that she noticed and hadn’t tuned in to me. Just makes me laugh.

Well off to another great day and wishing you all the very best always on your journey.

Hugs! 🌷💜

I found the Hermanbrot low carb bread this week and did have a slice of Vegemite toast. It was pretty expensive though so I figure once or twice a week is plenty. And I’m not really even missing bread.

And you can dip those microwaved pappadums in hommus for a tasty, crunchy treat. I like cherry tomatoes for a delicious little snack too (also good with hommus).

wishful thinking – it will be a while before I provide anyone with lean protein!
not too worried – at least it didn’t go up – just a bit frustrating!
After hovering around the same weight for a bit for over a week, one day up, the next down, I had a steady run of loosing 0.3k a day – I thought I’d cracked it.

Baristagirls – how are you doing today? Wasn’t deliberately less – I just aim for an average 800cal, if some are a bit over, some are a bit less – I was just surprised that on a ‘bit less’ day when I was fairly active, my weight didn’t move!

I wouldn’t worry about staying the same weight as the day before. Several things can make weight fluctuate on a day to day basis; water retention, ladies things, even going to the loo! The most important thing is the trend over a period of time.

On a side note, frog is a delicious and nutritious source of lean protien 😉

My weight always goes in steps, stays same for a good while and then whoosh, it is drops lower, so just stick with it! More power to you! I have lost 14 kilos now, and struggled hugely to lose anything before, you name it, I had tried it!

Julia

Hello Frog, maybe you needed to eat the 800 cal!

spoke too soon – my weight was the same today!
– and yesterday I walked 12,000 steps and only ate 660 calories – the day I had cake for lunch I lost 0.3kg – go figure!

Hi Trinity,
I monitor carbs and calories. Calories as it is an indication of portion size, but carbs because that is the major thing we have to change. I do not distinguish between simple and complex carbs, but I stick to 60g carbs per day. I am veggie so I eat a lot of veg, pulses and dairy.
The way it worked for me was that I would aim for 800 cals, but keep an eye on the carbs. If I was going over 60g carbs, I made adjustments to dinner to keep as close to 60g as possible. Likewise if I was too low on carbs I upped the content of dinner so it was over 55g as I found I was getting a lot of cramps if I went lower. Sometimes that left me lower than 800 cals other times above that. I was never lower than 720 or above 880 cals – but it averaged over the week. At 60g carb I was fat-burning and lost 33lbs in 10 weeks. That seemed to me my fat-burning level.
I monitored the food weight and composition using a PC app that does the calculations for me, but it is up to me what the balance is at the end of the day I found concentrating on 2 things was enough and manageable. Looking at my daily protein intake this week has averaged at 45g – which is fine for a female.
Others have ignored calories and focussed only on grams of carbs.
Hope that helps.

yes all going really well. However I lost 6 lbs in week 2 and 7lbs i week 3. But still on track!!

sounds like its going well Henry – 1.5 is more than half of the 2.6 that you lost in week 2 – and muscle is more dense than fat.
I’ve really increased my exercise levels this week – some gym, mostly walking

Hi Steph
the horses sound lovely!
I haven’t been to any of those county show things for a while, but I can imagine they present a challenge – I guess that even if there’s a salad option, it’s drenched in mayo or other dressing.
If no fridge, things like carrots, apples and nuts would travel well – but I think you can get insulated lunch boxes or bags that might be more convenient than a clunky cool box. I was working yesterday and took an ordinary lunch box with tomato, grated carrot and cottage cheese – it didn’t go in the fridge, but it was great several hours later. If I’d put it in an insulated bag with an ice pack it would have stayed fine for ages.
For protein, a hard boiled egg would be easily portable, or supermarkets do those mini pots of hummus – I got some from sainsburys last week that have about 40g in each individual pot.
If you do have a burger, leave the roll – or maybe look out for those hogroast type stands, where you know that you’re getting just meat, it’s always difficult judging exactly what is inside a burger – and again, leave any bread or dressed salad that it comes with. Other options might be veg curry if there are those streetfood type stands – but leave the rice.
If there are food producers at shows, you could see if it’s possible to buy a small quantity of cheese to eat there and then – although it sounds as if you might be too busy to look around at other exhibitors!

I am now in week 4. All going very well. Week 1 12.5lb loss, week 2 6lb loss, week 3 7lb loss!!! I am also training hard 3 times a week with a personal training. Building lots of muscle and losing lots of inches!!
I am half way through 4 and only 1.5lb loss so far. But thats ok!!

Hi Skywalker, firstly congratulations on your incredible weight loss! Well done!

I’ve just completed 3 weeks of the BSD and so far have lost 16lbs which i am very pleased about; however i do struggle with the whole eating carbs aspect. I don’t actually mean ‘eating’ in the practical sense but the difference between ‘carbs’ & ‘sugar’.

Yes i get that we should stay away from the ‘white’ carbs as they contain hideous amounts of sugar but what about the complex carbs that are okay to eat and found in vegetables and fruit? They contain sugar which is absorbed at a slower rate and better for you but are we meant to keep track of this type of sugar or is it okay to eat and not count.

Just to make myself clear; since starting this diet i haven’t eaten any simple carbs, i have hot drinks black without sugar or sweetener and i’ve been sticking to the diet as rigidly as i can with no lapses in focus or urges to binge but i would really like to clarification on the difference between carbs for energy and sugars.

I hope the above makes sense.

Trinity 1814

Hi Californiagirl,
i’ve been wondering how to maintain muscle mass on 800 cals per day.i keep my carbs to an absolute minimum, just relying on what i can get from veg and some fruits. The bulk of my diet is protein but i’m currently recovering from Sciatica and find that walking (with some light jogging involved) is the only way to manage the pain. I have noticed some loss of muscle mass but i don’t want to start eating more than i should so I can stay true to this diet.

So far i’ve lost 16lbs in 3 weeks which i am very pleased with and do feel a lot better for it.

How do I stick to 800 cals without losing too much muscle but maintain a steady weight loss throughout?

I am going to start a Pilates class soon which as i understand it is resistance training without weights.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

It’s really encouraging to read the posts.

Regards,

Trinity1814

Hi Lucia,

As we are officially into winter now, I am into soup in a big way. Today was a big pot of Italian barley soup, last week was pea soup with a sliced kransky mixed in it……yummy ! I can also buy a pretty good supermarket soup, the only one I have ever enjoyed, don’t know if you have this brand in the UK……La Zuppa ? Just one serve, a very generous one, and all ready, not one of those that you mix in water…yuk !
As you are all active in the daytime, we are all contemplating bed.
jillyB

Well done and keep up the good work!

Hi Julia 18 to go.
I thought 18 was your age
🍾😀
Love lucia

Hi Sandie, apparently grating the cauli works just as well as a food processor, just takes a bit more elbow grease!

After having spent a very long and tiring weekend at the Bath & West Horse Show with heavy horses I was more than ready to get started on my journey. Since I had my children I have always struggled with my weight and tried various diets. Nothing seems to work long term, probably because the head isn’t in the right place and complacency. My youngest son has a vegan girlfriend who seems to come round for supper more often than not , so the vegetable intake has gone up, even though I really enjoy meat and fish. Not too good with beans and pulses! I started on Tuesday and was surprised how full I felt. I eat according to the menu suggestions, but the rest of the family have bread/ wraps for lunch and the odd potato or pasta with their tea. I had already got some lamb koftas for their tea tonight and must admit one look at them today and I am quite looking forward to my fritata!

I am conciously trying to drink more water, and quite like the taste – it is just remembering to get into the habit! We are off to a wedding this weekend, but I think that the menu choices were fish, so I hope that will be OK.

Over the winter I put on a few pounds, and when I put my show jacket on it was a bit tighter than I would like. Our next show isn’t until mid July when we go down to Devon. I fully intend to fit into my jacket!

My main problem at shows is eating and drinking. We get up really early, usually leaving the yard at 5am, so I need to be up by 3.30 so I can get the lorry loaded with harness and horses ready. It is a couple of hours to the show, and when we arrive we land running as the heavy horse classes tend to start at 8.30. I have between 2 and 3 horses to plait – manes and tails we cannot travel them plaited as they are so big. If some kind soul gets food and drink it is usually cold by the time I get to it. Then after the in hand classes we need to get ready for the harness class. This can take up to an hour to “dress” the horse before going into the ring. When that is finished and everything packed away it is usually the afternoon. If a burger comes our way it is eaten! You tend not to taste it, but it is food. We have to stay on for parades at the end of the day, so cannot leave until late afternoon. By the time we get home food and drink is the last thing on our minds.

I have tried taking a packed lunch with me, but by the time I remember it it does not appeal or we just don’t have time to sit and eat it. We don’t have a fridge on the lorry, so keeping things fresh can be a problem. A cool box is not always ideal.

I would appreciate any suggestions for how to get through a show day.