Thank you Wendy & for the new thread & roll on April. I hope everyone has a good month! Best feet forward👍🤞🤞
Margaret xx

Thanks. I will put it in my contacts.

Yes …new mobile number xx

LCJ I must say that is amazing. I have never heard of 1 stone before except from a man who seem to be able to drop the weight fairly quickly.

Hi Wendy, just responded to you comment about the Glucose Goddess – I think she also has a cook book but watching her Youtubes and many others I think I am very well versed in all things low carb, insulin resistance etc. Just need to practice what I have learned.

I will ask again, in case you have left last thread. Did you send me a new phone number.

I will report in tomorrow as I weigh in on a Tuesday.

Hi Wendy, thanks for setting up the new thread. If you click on the link for a video I put on you will see it is the Glucose Goddess. Yes, I will be wary about the product she is selling but watched several of her YouTubes.

Wendy, have you just sent me a new phone number. I am wary of anything that comes in via email or text so if you can just say yes or no on here.

Thanks Wendy 🙂

Just written this in the March thread too but as it’s a new month have copied it over:

Hiya,

Thanks for the welcome back 🙂
I’ve really struggled to eat healthily….came down with a cold on Jan 1st…I don’t do too well with viruses, kept going recwork etc but couldn’t exercise and probs had some comfort food, then one of our cats went missing for 3 weeks end Jan into Feb….I was really depressed tbh, and I think still burnt out by a stressful preceding year….he came back thank goodness (think he was shut in somewhere as quite skinny, but otherwise well and delighted to see us), we aldo had some celebrations in between so lots of eating. I was just starting again to try and build fitness slowly, then came down with a chest infection on mother’s day that had me in bed for a week and a half, it was grim….so, back recovering again, and determined to shift the weight…..

Brilliant to see so many peeps totally on it with the WOE, well done everyone! You can be my inspiration!

Clare xxx

Hiya,

Thanks for the welcome back 🙂
I’ve really struggled to eat healthily….came down with a cold on Jan 1st…I don’t do too well with viruses, kept going recwork etc but couldn’t exercise and probs had some comfort food, then one of our cats went missing for 3 weeks end Jan into Feb….I was really depressed tbh, and I think still burnt out by a stressful preceding year….he came back thank goodness (think he was shut in somewhere as quite skinny, but otherwise well and delighted to see us), we aldo had some celebrations in between so lots of eating. I was just starting again to try and build fitness slowly, then came down with a chest infection on mother’s day that had me in bed for a week and a half, it was grim….so, back recovering again, and determined to shift the weight…..

Brilliant to see so many peeps totally on it with the WOE, well done everyone! You can be my inspiration!

Clare xxx

NO APRIL FOOL, LOW CARBS ARE COOL ! ONE MONTH AT A TIME : APRIL 2024

This is the new thread, folks xx

Here we are in April already !!!

This is the ongoing thread from the 12 week reset January to March 2024 and is for anyone continuing their Fast 800 , low carb journey or for new members starting out and looking for a bit of support .

We are not perfect 😉 but we are pretty determined and convinced that low carb and healthy fats is the way to go to promote good health and of course ultimately lose weight .It happens at different rates according to our start points and health issues but we have been around a while and have quite alot of experience in this way of eating .

So continue or start with us and we will do our best to keep you motivated and answer any queries .
All the very best to you for this new month of April.The thread will run for a month

Wendy, sunshinegirl and SunnyB

Hi everyone ! Sorry I have been quiet .My son and partner have just moved down from Paris to start a new adventure in Toulouse ( much closer to us !!!) and we have been helping them move and settle into their new place.So at least I have one of my sons close by !

My total loss for the 12 weeks was 6 kilos .I seemed to stall a bit in March which absolutely flew by but I will continue through April and May until our Greece trip . I admit there were a couple of Easter desserts lately but I tell myself it’s about long term and not a daily thing .I have not lost my sweet tooth completely, that’s for sure .

Margaret, sorry for the recent struggles and I hope April brings you some cheering sunny days . Look after yourself .

SG, yes I remember reading about the order of foods in a meal impacting blood sugar/insulin .Have you heard of the Glucose Goddess ? She is a French biologist , real name Jessie Inchauspé .She has written books and has a lot of youtube videos which talk about different ‘hacks’ and tips ( apple cider vinegar before meals etc) to regulate blood sugar.She also sells a product which claims to reduce glucose spikes from carbs and sugar by 40% but I would be a bit wary of that .

I will set up the new April thread .Message received about the title 😉

Wendy

Wow! I’m blown away by the results from my first week on the BSD
1 stone lost
6cm around my waist gone
waking blood sugar level 6.7!!! (Usually around 8.3)
blood pressure down 129/89 (Still some work to be done here!)
Who knew you could achieve so much in a week. I haven’t found the week easy, but it wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. I got myself in a right pickle the week before I started, I was so afraid. I still am afraid on some levels but the food as a comfort blanket is now the least of my concerns. I had read these books before I started and they motivated me to get on and do it. I’ll just list them in case anyone facies a read:-

Susan Jeffers – Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
Katrina Love Senn – Healing Emotional Eating for good
and of course:-
Michael Mosley – The Blood Sugar Diet

A bit late replying but of course, share where you think it might be useful. I have watched another couple of her postings this morning and found them interesting – she explains about insulin resistance in a very easy to understand way. I did know how it works but her explanation was really good.I think it was no. 8. I tried the order of eating at lunch even though there were no carbs on it to speak of as it was veggies, protein and fats (in a cream sauce), the main carbs came from the onions I put in the sauce. I didn’t have my usual yoghurt and berries afterwards, so who knows?

Thanks S-G & I remember reading a long time ago something similar about never starting a meal with carbs because of also the prep for insulin release & will read this article.When still at school I loved biology & wrote an essay about the journey of a ham sandwich through the digestive system because it included starch, sugars, fats & protein. Gosh that takes me back in time 😂
Margaret xx

Hi again, just watched a YouTube video recommended by AnnieW in another thread. It is about the order we eat our food and how we can improve our digestion, sugar levels etc. Here is the link

https://youtu.be/HEEUrIQ_3O4?si=xu4XAXDBkuMneFe-

It says if you eat your carbs first i.e. that bread on the table in a restaurant, it goes straight through the digestive system and creates the urge to want more food (carb craving) whereas, if you eat your vegetables first it creates a mesh of fibre which slows down digestion and stops you from wanting so much. Then you eat protien which sits on top of the mesh, then fats which help break down the protiens and then, and only then, the carbs which will now be digested slowly and not cause insulin or sugar spikes. There were some facts and figures about blood sugar and these are useful even if you are not diabetic. As I said to AnnieW, Yes, we all seem to have a dessert belly with plenty of room in it even when we thought we were full. Also, why Europeans are slimmer than some other people. They start their meal with a small salad, even if it is just lettuce. Again, makes sense that they are preparing their stomachs so as not to need so much food.

It is 28 mins long so if you cant be bothered to watch (I just listen while I am doing other things as there is nothing to see except a few graphs), you can at least get the gist of it from what I have said above. Worth trying, won’t hurt and doesn’t cost anything to do.

Just watched the link and found it very interesting. I might just try it. The conclusion about why restaurants put bread on the table before the meal arrives was an eye-opener. Yes, we all seem to have a dessert belly with plenty of room in it. Also, why are Europeans slimmer than some other people. They start their meal with a small salad, even if it is just lettuce. Again, makes sense that they are preparing their stomachs so as not to need so much food. I hope you don’t mind if I share with my regular 12 week thread.

Thanks for the link AnnieW. I did a course with FutureLearn about the Blue countries. The ones where they live to be over 100 and eating in a specific order was what they did in Japan. Something about the veg lining the stomach and not being so hungry for what comes next. I will have a look at the video.

Hi all, glad you are feeling more positive Margaret (Wendy1947). I am on the up and have lost half a pound since Tuesday and it is not yet the end of the week. Exercising every other day with arm weights on the days inbetween. I am trying to do facial yoga to try to get the swelling in my neck down but it can still be a bit painful – just a bit – so I am sticking to every other day.

I love Sundays, just had a bacon, black pudding, egg, mushroom and canned tomato brunch. Done the Sunday crossword, although we couldn’t get going this week. Today is finances for the month and start a new spreadsheet. Hubby bought himself an Easter Egg as normal and I had one of the mini eggs that came with it. Sun is shining but it is quite cold at 14 degrees so leaving garden a couple of more days.

Have a great rest of your weekend.

Thank you SunnyB & Californiagirl for your kind words. It was lovely & sunny here in West Sussex yesterday & after having our usual Saturday morning coffee & chatting with our neighbours & anyone who passes in their front garden my husband & I sat in our front garden with a glass of wine 😀🌝. My SAD lamp will certainly be on tomorrow & next week because we are predicted rain every day ☔️☔️ however I am looking forward to the lighter evenings now the clocks have changed despite losing an hours sleep last night😂. We are off to buy bird seed from our local garden centre to fill our bird feeders 🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛& are still hopeful that BlueTits might decide this year to choose our nesting box!
Happy Easter everyone
Margaret xx

It has been a while since I posted a link so hoping this works.
I don’t know if this method of eating works but it was interesting. Basically saying eat your meals in a set order; vegetables followed by protein, fats and last of all carbs. Not the same as the Hay diet. There was an interesting comment on when eating out and the complimentary bread. The bread will go through the system quickly and trigger grehlin which is responsible for us “finding” room for that dessert around 90mins after eating it.

If the link doesn’t work the post was on the channel The Glucose Revolution and the video was Eat your food in the right order: 75% healthier with this small trick.

https://youtu.be/HEEUrIQ_3O4?si=xu4XAXDBkuMneFe-

Happy Easter everyone!
Margaret, you are not philosophical or downbeat, it is literally the acts of kindness and care and willingness to act on behalf of others that make us human, so thank you for talking about it! I hope your local hedgehogs are helped by your kind efforts.
And, tomorrow we will say, He is Risen!

Margaret, sorry the start of the year has been so tough for you, but well done on not giving up and achieving a loss despite the adversity. I too have a problem with SAD, I’ve had a daylight lamp for several years and I’m sure it helps. It helps to have something lovely to look forward too and a cruise on the Seine falls into that category. I’m sure with a refocus at the beginningnif April, you’ll be ditching a few more pounds before your cruise.

We adore Singapore too, it was part of our honeymoon, which so far we have been lucky enough to redo every five years – three years to wait for our next visit there.

I’m hopeful of getting a bit of gardening done this weekend, but of course it’s weather dependent – will need to dodge the showers.

Have a lovely Easter everyone 🐰🐣🥚🌸

Good morning everyone. I have just weighed & lost 1/2lb & have just evaluated where I am at now since this twelve weeks end with a total loss of 4.5 lbs in weight. My last three months have been challenging with ups & downs associated for me with the awful grey weather we have had & my youngest sons contract difficulties & intermittent SAD which drains my energy & any motivation to keep battling on. However with the official start of British Summer Time tomorrow & eight weeks until my Seine cruise I am going to try to be much more focused & would like to lose at least eight pounds which would feel wonderful.
Wendy, S-G Verano, SunnyB, LittleDrummerGirl, 1960smp & I apologise if I’ve forgotten anyone you have all done so well during the last twelve weeks managing your own ups & downs but sticking to this way of eating & losing weight 👏👏👏⭐️⭐️
I’ve finally finished knitting my cotton summer jumper & knitting fluffy hedgehogs 🦔🦔 & successfully sold some on Thursday night at Knit & Natter to some four rather large tough looking gentleman at the social club who bought one each for their wives😂. It’s to raise money to save hedgehogs in our village & there will be two hedgehog talks by experts this month & I will be helping to serve teas & coffees at the main village hall talk. My eldest son, daughter in law & two granddaughters are on holiday to Vietnam via Singapore for three weeks that I envy them really loving Singapore when my husband & I had stopped over there for three days on the way to New Zealand & Australia. They work hard & this holiday was organised & paid for before Covid & now possible.
I’m mostly recovered from a streaming head cold at the beginning of this week that my husband may now have caught. I haven’t been bowling this week and my first outing was to Knit & Natter. Easter will just be my husband & I & I’m Spring cleaning getting rid of dust & cobwebs & washing the inside of all the windows that first need the cluttered window sills cleared so a big exercise. I’m also trying to clear out my old shoes &sorting through old cosmetics & elderly unused creams etc.
There is so much strife & war still ongoing demonstrating how much inhumanity is around the world that this thread seems a relative oasis of calm & helpful kindness to each other👍. Sorry to be philosophical & downbeat but little acts of kindness & charitable work do make a little difference & I think brings some joy to other people. I am going to choose to eat a chocolate Easter egg this weekend & will restart focusing on dieting next week. I am looking forward to an April challenge starting even though it will be rubbish rainy weather here all next week☔️. Let’s all put our best feet forward in April🌤️
I hope you all have a very enjoyable & relaxing Easter weekend 🥚🐣🐥🍷😀
Margaret xx

Hi everyone
Sorry for lack of posts this week. I’ve been away for a few days in a hotel which was lovely. Not going to step on the scales for a couple of days as I’ve been rather off piste so don’t want to discourage myself. But like you YOWZER I’m planning to do a reboot as from Monday. It’s been a tough few months and I want to make a fresh start : get fully back on board with both healthy eating and exercise. We still have a month of this journey to go. So let’s make the most of it!

MARIET I hope your blood test were all good? Not long till your cruise now – and I hope you get to where you want to be by then.

VERANO thanks for the info on the new Andrew Jenkinson book. As part of my reboot I want to completely cut out processed food. Even if that means just eating something very simple in the evening – when I eat my main meal – I’d rather do that than buy processed food, even when it is more convenient.

Have a lovely weekend everyone, and remember there are still 4 full weeks to go on this journey so plenty of time to see some results!

Popping in to wish everyone a very happy Easter!XXX

Hi everyone and a Happy Easter. Ive lost 3 lbs which im sure will go back on over this weekend,have had yummy hot cross buns today and will deffo have goodies Sat/ Sun.
Will start afresh and undaunted on monday 1st April.😄 In the meantime,i hope you all have a fab holiday weekend.
🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳XXXX

Only a couple of positives from me today …..
🌧🌂 managed to get grocery shopping done between the torrential rain showers.
🧳📦 more road trip packing sorted out, including some food stuffs

Hope your day has brought some positives your way too.

My set point at the moment seems to be 72kgs and I can’t seem to shift from that. I can take heart that several months ago it was 74kgs that I couldn’t get passed so hoping to move down to at least 71 in the next couple of weeks.

We have had a very expensive couple of weeks. Car service, €1500, roof cleaning and leak repair €2000 and yesterday the gardener at €200. Luckily this doesn’t happen often and the roof cleaning was planned for, unlike the car service which is normally around €500 but needed new tyres, brake pads and the timing belt changing – enough to last us the year we hope. We will have to tighten our belts until we come back from our holiday when we want a toilet fitting into the bathroom (the French don’t seem to put toilets in the bathroom but have then separate). We have 6 people coming in July so want it done by then. Luckily we have a good lad who only lives at the end of the road and he will come when we ask so will not be messed around by promises

Going to get some exercise done as it is raining so I cant get out into the garden yet.

Just one big positive today …. car passed its MOT. This is especially good news as it failed just over a week ago and OH had to do a heap of work on it.

reported even though they have tagged onto a thread that is 8 years old. She is advertising her own dieting site.

Thank you for sharing your experience with your before and after eating plan! It’s awesome to see your commitment to your health and well-being. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, our bodies might need a little more time to adjust and show progress on the scale.

Remember, progress is not just about the numbers on the scale but also about the positive changes you’re making in your lifestyle. Keep focusing on nourishing your body with good food choices, staying active, and maintaining a positive mindset. Results will come in due time, and when they do, they’ll be worth celebrating. Stay encouraged and keep up the fantastic work.

Thank you Wendy regarding the new thread. I also like Verano’s suggestion of No April Fool Low carbs are cool. I will weigh on Saturday & evaluate how I have done weight wise since January. Well done everyone who has lost weight. I’m a bit below par at the moment with a streaming head cold.
Margaret

Thank you for a lovely positive response. I’ve had a great day today and have just done the recommended resistance training. I’m feeling good.

Glad you roof got sorted, SG, including the windows being hosed down too.
V, sounds like your Canaries trip kicks off about the same time as our trip to Turkiye. Have you started a packing list yet?
SMP, glad you had a restful weekend it’s good to be able to zone out occasionally and just relax. Pleased your daughter is enjoying her new job.

Okay, so here are some positives from my little corner….
👫💟 had friends visit for the weekend, was a lovely catch up and we got plans in place for our next get together
🧳📃 created the packing list for our upcoming trip and have started to get things together ready to pack. As it’s a road trip with several overnight stays, packing needs careful organisation
😔👩‍🍳 my Aga is poorly and refusing to work properly. On the upside, this has forced me to get creative with an electric griddle and steamer, to make our meals
🌸🌱 it didn’t rain today, so got some gardening time in again … love it!

What little positives have you noticed recently?

Vey happy to wait until April Fools Day, or poisson d’avril as we call it in France.

K4r3n, good mantra … one I shall try, it could be very helpful when we are on our upcoming trip away. My tactic is pausing to ask myself if I’m actually hungry and if I really need to eat, rather than just ploughing on and eating mindlessly. Can’t claim it always works, but it definitely helps.

Well done on making use of the produce you had ‘in stock’, rather than shopping. It’s a good exercise and one I try to undertake occasionally.

Hope things continue to go well for you. Feel free to join us on other threads too.

Hi LJC … SunshineGirl is right, don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s important to remember this is a complete life change and not a flash-in-the-pan fad diet. There will inevitably be days when your intake is higher than on others, but overall it will balance out and you will still see results.

There is a big learning curve initially, as this way of eating turns the whole low fat/high carb brain washing we have all been subjected to for decades, on it’s head.

Join in on any of the threads to get support and advice and be kind to yourself … don’t waste energy in beating yourself up, the negativity is counter productive. Celebrate every tiny positive along the way, regardless of if it’s scales related or not … it could be something like sleeping better, not feeling bloated, clearer complexion or a garment feeling more comfortable. They all count as positive steps in the right direction.

Just to say I like Vernon’s suggestion of ‘No April Fool, Low Carbs are Cool’ for the next thread … it gets my vote.

Keep meaning to say …. ‘Thank You’ Sunshine – girl!
I read your post about freezing lemons after your daughter’s wedding. I have taken your advice and they are so much more juicy when they’re defrosted than any fresh lemon,
A revelation… thank you!

Hello

Well done LDG brilliant result!

I lost a smidgeon under 8lbs, not the 12 I had as a goal. But, I seem to have ‘settled’ at the new lower weight for the last few weeks so hopefully it’s time for the body to move down again!

I took a look back at earlier ‘April’ threads and some that came up were….
Aspirational April
Awesome April
I think my favourite from 2018 is
‘No April Fool , Low Carbs are Cool’

I’m sure there will be lots of other suggestions.

Looking forward to the new month, the clocks ‘springing forward’ and just the general ‘rebirth’ of the year.

First of all WELCOME BACK Tulip/Clare ! Good to see you and hope things are more settled with you ?

So Today is March 26th and marks the end of our 12 week reset . I suggest we go on until next week when we will be into April and then I can start a new monthly thread .I can then continue until May 23rd when we go to Greece for 2 weeks

Does that sound OK with everyone ? I know there will be various events, cruises happening ?

Just back to answer LDG about an airfryer cookbook. Don’t. They ones currently available are rubbish and none that I know of that cater for our diet. Advice is type into google low carb airfryer recipes and, voila, you get loads, you can also ask it for specific ingredients like chicken, beef, vegetables etc. A good site is Eatingwell.com or Basicwithbails.com/popular/air-fryer-recipes. There are so many others like ketofocus.com. just put the 2 together, low carb and airfryer.

Hi SG..Hi everyone
Yes I will check later and update you all xx

Hi sunshine girl, you are of course 100% right and thank you for reminding me to be kinder to myself. Day 2 is going well and I have learned from my mistake lol. I appreciate your support and of course will update you as I go along.

Yes wow to LDG. You certainly put in the effort.

I have lost 8lbs of the 10lb goal so I am not too bothered and looking forward to a new goal of 5 or 6lbs before our cruise in 4 weeks. Starting today at 72kgs.

Wendy, is today the last day of our 12 week reset. Is there going to be another thread.

Hello LCJ, why on earth are you angry with yourself. Listen to how you are talking to and about yourself, would you like it if it was someone saying this to you. You are here, you have started, you are trying, you made a little slip and there will be many more along the way. I see you are dodging between diabetic and pre-diabetic so lets concentrate on that first and foremost. A few extra calories are not going to make much of a difference as 935 is still a hell of a lot lower that you would have been eating before, aim for 800 but be satisfied with 900 to 1000 now and then. It can even itself out and 800 is quite hard to keep to. Back to the diabetes, try to concentrate on eliminating the obvious carbs like sugar, bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and breakfast cereals (except oats). Then you will automatically reduce your calories and more importantly carb count and see improvement in your diabetes numbers. Are you testing at home.

Recipes, yes it can be confusing. Try making for 2 people and saving one meal for another day. Economy in prepping and cooking and you have a meal to go to when you don’t feel like making anything.

Weight, at a very low 800 to 1000 you are going to lose weight so keep going and don’t give up. Keep us up to date. You can join in on any of the regular threads that are going, we are currently just finishing 12 weeks reboot but there will be another title coming up in the next day or so.

Excellent result LDG and it sounds like you are really focused and have a solid plan going forward.

Tulip, you are always welcome to come back … as is anyone else who has been ‘off piste’ and needs to get back on track. I’ve done so, so many times myself and found it always helps to become accountable again and get support from everyone here.

SG, I’m sure you’ll manage those 5lb in four weeks …. you’re very focused and generally very disciplined.

My result for this week is 1.5lb down, which for me is a good discard and leaves me 2.5lb from goal weight. We have 18 days until we set off on our next road trip to Turkiye so if I can maintain control, I should be able to get rid of those last extra pounds before we go.

Hope you have all had a good week, but if it hasn’t worked out too well, dust off and make today a fresh start. As SG says, keep on keeping on!

Three weeks in and I have lost 9lbs back on track at last.
I was going to to go shopping today for the my carb free meals for the next few days. Then I thought I would check to see what I had in. This is what I had, and I made a curry.
1 whole cauliflower 160 cals 31g carbs
In freezer 1 packet of stir-fry veg 140 cal 12g carbs
Can of baked beans 340 carbs but less cos I drained them of most of the sauce. 29 carbs
Can chicken korma 650 cals 14g carbs
2.5 teaspoons various curry powders, medium, tikka, and garam masala. 20 cals minimal carbs. Water 0 c and cs.
Total 1,310g cals, 86g carbs.
At least 5 good portions.
262g cals 17g carbs. Served on a large plate of sauteed lettuce. Yummy. Hope you like. Hope this has inspired you. Love and kind thoughts to you all.

Morning!
Welcome back Tulip – of course it’s okay to rejoin after a break! Hope things are going okay for you.
So, thought I’d report in before I forget this week! Week 12 was a loss of 2.8lb for me, which I’m happy with, especially after the beer and takeaway incident!
Taking stock of my first 12 weeks and I feel relatively positive, although I do need to ensure my focus doesn’t slip as food tracking fatigue sets in! I’ve lost 32lb in those weeks and would like another 42lb off over the next 17 weeks before my summer holiday, then I can regroup and try for some more up to the end of the year. I’ll need to buckle down to achieve that as recent weeks have been a bit hit and miss!
I’m away visiting family for a week from Thursday night, so will have a little break and then re-focus as quickly as possible when I’m back – I would love to not gain too much while I’m away, but I will just go with the flow and see what happens.
I’ve also bought an air fryer – I need more veg in my diet and thought that might be an interesting way to try and achieve it! Now I need to find a decent low carb air fryer cookbook!
Hope everyone has a good week and I’ll be back to report holiday impact in two weeks!

Hello people, my first day on BSD and managed to mess up a recipe and have had 935 kcal. New day tomorrow but I’m angry with myself I’ve done so much prep. Recipes seem to be for 2, 4 or 6 bit confusing when you’re dividing everything for 1. I’ll get there. I was 301 lbs when I weighed this morning, fingers crossed that the scale moves lower soon!