Hi Lucy, you ask for advice but really you know what to do. I too have had a sod it attitude and after having a very low BG and having to eat things I never would to get my bloods back up I bought a baguette today and had a tuna salad baguette and said sod it, it was what I really fancied. I have not gained weight but I am in a period of losing the same quarter of a kilo, up and down.

What advice I can give to you is the same for me. I am going to get my head in the right space, sit down and write a weeks menu, even if it is the same as I have most weeks, at least it will all be calculated and just knowing it is there to look at is helpful. Going to get back to TRE with no food after 8pm and breakfast as late as possible. Hopefully, if the weather stays cooler I will start to take some after lunch walks, just 20 mins down our lane, if the weather really warms up I will try to swim 30 mins daily. So basically I have a plan.

It is not easy but for us the most important thing is keeping the diabetes in check and maybe not worrying so much about the weight. I know the 2 can go hand in hand but we have to stop being so hard on ourselves.

Take care.

Hi all, I am struggling at the moment. Yesterday I had 2 boiled eggs (no Ryvita and butter), a thin vegetable soup and them we had our usual clear the fridge out omelette for tea. So not a lot and I was pleased for sticking to calories and low carbs. Then around 11 pm I got up to get a glass of water and felt weak and shakey. Took my BG and it was down to 2.7 so I had a cheese and ham sandwich for a quick fix. Retest after 10 mins and still only at 2.9 so sucking a Werthers sweet then a glucose drink. It is all just a waste of time trying to get the balance right. I dont exactly starve myself as I allow snacks between meals like I had some melon and a few pistachio nuts. I think I have to worry more about my BG and my upcoming HbA1c results (9th September doctors appt) and not get so hung up on losing weight. Just got to eat the right things but in larger quantities.

As a diabetic my life is ruled by my diet. I cant just be on a diet and then not on a diet, every day I have to be careful what I eat and drink and I just get sick of it. It also p—ses me off the my doctor is giving me a drug that increases my weight while telling me to lose weight to improve my diabetes. I think we will be having a chat about that and I am going to suggest semeglutide and see what he says (again).

Pootle, I wasn’t really referring to you with the dietdoctor chart but anyone who might be confused about carbs – I still make stupid mistakes. Can I also say that the numbers you are coming up with i.e. 5.2 2 hours after a meal are well within the non-diabetic range so maybe your more recent HbA1cs were the glitches i.e. did you have the test done within a few weeks of returning from, say, a holiday. Like me, my Hb.. was 7.2 and the young doctor talked to me like a child, whereas my real doctor would have said ‘oh you are just back from a cruise’ ‘daft time to have a blood test and it will come down’. Which is what I am hoping for on my next test.

Enough moaning from me. How is everyone else getting on. We have cooler weather and even though I cant go for a swim it is just heavenly to be able to sleep.

Take care and keep on keeping on… I try to do as I preach but it is not easy.

Hi everyone,
I had some pretty good meals yesterday after breaking my fast. Stayed quite low carb, high fibre and finished with dinner of prawns and baby bok choy which was delicious. My blood glucose was still 5.6 this morning though. I guess I have to remember that it is an improvement over the 5.8’s and 5.9’s I was getting 2 weeks ago, and definitely better than the 6.5 I had after two days of eating that salad with the quinoa in it. But I am impatient and don’t like slow progress. So I started what I hope will be another 36 hour fast this morning. I’m feeling good and I had an appointment over the lunch hour at the bank to negotiate renewing my mortgage. I was just getting into ketosis at that time, and I think it helped keep me sharp and on my toes and I managed to hold their feet to the fire a bit and got a much better rate offer than I was expecting! It is still much higher than my current rate, so I am really grateful for all the money I am saving on food at the moment with this fasting. I’ve just had some sparkling water and some salty seaweed to keep me going as I am quite hungry this afternoon.
I also had an appointment with the surgeon about the lump on my back and we decided that it can stay where it is for now. So that is one less thing to worry about for the time being.

Well- Verano- I have copied and pasted your quote about old and new ambitions into my notes section as I really need to get back on the healthy eating (and exercise)- I’ve been feeling rubbish mentally and physically for months- I was putting a lot of it down to chronic stress, and I am on the verge of going for a GP check up- was thinking hormones or something also could be a factor- however- I’ve been eating poorly and my weight is continuing to rise (no surprise): I am going to try an at least 2 week diet trial first- as I keep putting my health last priority and I think it’s not doing me any good- so- restart healthy eating, reinstate some exercise gradually, get more sleep…..and see how I feel then. If my body does not respond like before to the WOE (felt much better and lost weight), then I will consider a GP check. I don’t have any very worrying symptoms, by the way, just general bleurgh-ness. It’s not quite time for my annual check up, so I am going to try this 1st….

Love to all- I’ve been reading this each day and you are all hugely inspirational.

I think that my original motivation was get out of pre diabetes with bonus of getting slimmer….but that isn’t working this time, as my bloods haven’t slipped back up to pre-diabetes, not yet anyway, probably because I have retained some aspects of lower carb throughout- e.g. most breakfasts.

So- hence thinking about new motivation- it would be crazy to treat a load of symptoms in other ways if the cause is actually poor diet again- the WOE hugely improved my fatigue before so really should be tried properly again!

Hi Verano, It must be ‘clearing out’ season!

I haven’t got rid of the ‘larger’ clothes 👗that I sorted out 6 months ago…they are still packed in a couple of suitcases, BUT… My house is over-run with books 📚, so I have decided to be ruthless and have bound up a number of “trilogies and/sets” that I have read several times and donated them! 😇 So feeling good that the bookcase is no longer groaning under the piles of books balanced on top! I cannot get on with a kindle….much prefer the feel of a real book…so I end up buying loads of paperbacks from eBay!!

2nd positive is my new kitchen mats …they are just what was needed to stop my elderly dog 🐶slipping around, and have smartened the kitchen up brilliantly!

Great to have some positives to share!

My one for today…. did lots of ironing!

But number 2 …

Sorting out my wardrobes and have large black bin bags for all those clothes I’ve not worn in 5,10 or 15 years! I’m shocked at some of the clothes. Anyway, they are going!
I’m feeling ‘lighter’ already!

Just a quick ‘hello’.

Good to hear the ‘good’ and ‘improving’ health results. Hoping the next consultations are good.

It’s Tuesday, my weigh-in day so need to report I’ve lost :2.2 of my 2.4lb holiday gain so really happy with that.

New week. We can all start afresh with a new goal for the week. Let’s make it a good one!

Hi S-G.
I have the visual “carb reminders” printed out, laminated & pinned to my fridge. That is mostly where I get my figures from to calculate what I am eating!
I am sorry I miss-named complex and simple!!! 🤯

Just as a test for my own satisfaction ( I know you said not too, but this is the last time for a while 🙄) We went out for lunch & I had a chocolate brownie with cream🫣! 2 hours later my reading was 5.3…😄 So I am definitely going to stop testing… will continue to avoid bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cakes, sweets, pastries anything ‘floury’ etc.etc and just enjoy the lower carb foods that I have come to like!

Sorry your weight loss hasn’t gone as planned, but I am sure you will get it back on track!
Your new car story sounds frustrating! I hope you come out on top… as they have breached the contract with the delay to the delivery date! Very stressful, which doesn’t help with diet and health’

Lacy, good news about your biopsy! 🎉 that must be such a relief!

Margaret, I will have everything crossed for you tomorrow! 🤞🤞
Thanks everyone, I hope you are all having a good week!!
K xxx

Hi everyone,
I’m just finishing up a 36 hour fast. Will break it when my chia pudding is ready to eat. It was easier this time and I didn’t need anything other than water and a cup of herbal tea to get me through. My cgm sensor bit the dust this morning though. It has been reading low all week which has been frustrating, especially since the company tried to tell me it was working. Then this morning it measured a 2.9 mmol/L, which I estimate was probably in the mid-high 3’s based on how much it has been underestimating, but it suddenly packed it in, said it was shutting itself off for my safety, and told me to remove it. The adhesive has been getting very itchy anyway, so I took it off. I just tested with my regular monitor and it says 5.6, which is still pre-diabetic after a 36 hour fast! So clearly, I still have a lot of stored glucose making its way out of my system. Frustrating, but I was reading an article by Dr. Fung and he says this is to be expected and not to worry too much about it. He says he doesn’t even use fasting glucose as a check anymore as it varies so much and can be misleading for people who need to release stored energy, and that the medical system focuses too much on getting blood glucose down without considering the bigger picture that Type 2 diabetes is actually about too much stored energy rather than too much glucose that can’t get into cells as for Type . I am feeling slightly dehydrated still so that could be a factor as well. But I think all the evidence is pointing to needing at least 2 fasts a week. I have been less diligent on the exercise front this past week too, so clearly that was having an impact. It being August, I am feeling quite burned out from the farm, and more so this year than others, so I get lulled into thinking that I am doing enough work around the farm each day, but if I put my step tracker on, that is not the case, especially on days when I am doing my office job primarily.
So here we are. I will have my chia pudding with some raspberries, and then plan what to have for my other meals today and tomorrow. Will likely feature zucchini, broccoli, avocado, kale and chard for vegetables, and at least 1 fish meal and one soy free tofu meal. Keep on keeping on everyone!

Hi everyone, my weight was a disappointment – still at 4lb loss. My own fault, I think I have carb creep – yesterday 2 boiled eggs with 1 Ryvita, then lunch one Ryvita with my soup. Dinner was okay but hubby had a pitta bread and I broke off a corner – tiny piece to mop up the remains of my bolognaise. But then, late (around 11pm) I felt really hungry and instead of having a slice of ham or something like that, I made myself a ham and cheese pickle sandwich, just one slice of bread. If not for that I might be down another half a pound at least. So I am not perfect and I have to do better. Just over 2 weeks to doctors appointment, 2 half weeks to leaving on holiday. Must get a grip.

Pootle, I hope you are feeling better about things and not upset with my lecture. I see on another thread you feel like the doctor is telling you the non diabetic numbers before were just a glitch. No, the numbers you are seeing now are the glitch. You know how to get them down – I too am struggling and will find out in 2 weeks if I have got mine back down after the holiday.

If anyone is struggling with which carbs to eat and which not to, go to dietdoctor.com and search for high carb foods. He does a list of veg and fruits. Just looked and he now calls it visuals here is the link https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/visual-guides. Mainly bad carbs grow underground and good ones above. I disagrees a bit as carrots are not too bad but it shows how many carbs per 100g. Trust me, it is a good thing to pin to the fridge.

We have just had a bad afternoon. Short story. Ordered new car in March, delivery very long 17th July. Went in week before to see about paperwork (insurance, registration etc) and they said they cannot now deliver until end September or even longer. We have decided we don’t want it as our circumstances have changed so went in today to cancel and they said we would be in breach of contract as we had 55 days to change our minds. Well 55 days wouldnt have taken us to the first delivery date so we wouldnt know we were going to be messed about. I told the guy the date of delivery on the contract is 17 July so they are in breach of contract. Now we have to fight it out. Bit stressed.

Anyway, have a good week. Hubby cooks tonight and it will be chicken sausages, fried egg and beans so not sure what I will weigh tomorrow. Keep on keeping on…

Good morning everyone,
Margaret – good luck for your next check up! Hopefully when they re-dress your knee it’ll be looking much better! And thank you, yes, got my biopsy results this morning and all clear, so I’m good now for another 5 years🤞
S-G – Yes, I’m in Melbourne – a lot less humid in summer than you’d have been used to! And thank you for such a clear description of how complex and simple carbs differ in how they affect BG levels/spikes. Carbs are the one thing I do track very carefully, and it’s too easy to just lump them all in together! Also thanks for highlighting yet again what we’re up against when dealing with the (mostly very discouraging) medical profession – thank goodness for the support offered by all the wonderful people on this forum! And not just support but lived experience, both the highs and lows, which is a far more valuable resource than anything offered by most GPs or Diabetes Nurses.
Pootle – I do hope you’re feeling better in yourself now and aren’t still worrying about what the doctor said. As S-G so succinctly put it – “stuff them”! No effort spent on improving your health is ever wasted.
Anyway, take care everyone,
Lacy 💖

Sorry to hear that Pootle, keep going you are doing the very best you can. I would have caved in by now for sure so we’ll done.
Just typed an essay and somehow lost it fgs! So off we go again.
So I was perfect last week, walked 6 out of 7 days and never wavered from diet..so imagine my horror when I weighed on Friday and had put on a pound!! So in true Lucy fashion i fought the anger and upset but to no avail and ate what I wanted! If im losing weight im fine but if I dont its a massive trigger for me and I end up with a sod it attitude. It wasn’t quantity, ut was just bad choices. Bread, chips and a mcdonalds over the weekend . Not a massive amount but obviously very bad things
Well I paid the price, I felt so ill and sick had to go to bed early last night
But dragged myself up and did my very fast walk again and obviously new beginnings today.
I cannot get past this weight, same as a few years ago….if I lose anything I will put it back on and off and can’t make any inroads. Any ideas anyone?
I’ve changed something today, I walked before I ate breakfast so had a fast if around 16 hours, so maybe that will help but this is driving me up the wall. So have put on some more following my weekend now so probs a few pounds on total..But I just dont get it! Xx

Hi everyone, Antigone I am Bergerac area. I have always weighed on a Tuesday because of the Sunday closing in France (too lazy to get up early on a Sunday morning). We shop on a Thursday (it is quieter) and I wanted all fresh veg to start the diet so did a shop on the Monday and started the diet on the Tuesday – nearly 10 years ago.

Pootle, I am not sure if it is just the words but to clear any confusion – the meal you had was full of complex carbs – low and slow with lots of fibre and nutrients – it was a great meal although you wouldn’t normally have that many varieties in one meal. Therefore, it should have given a good reading (5.2). Simple carbs are the ones to avoid like bread, pasta, rice, sugars etc. Now, what you doctor said, and I don’t want to upset you, it is true you will always have a propensity to diabetes (see my smoking analogy – once a smoker always a smoker). What she said that was wrong was that if you stick with low carb foods you will go back to pre or diabetes. That is not true – she obviously thinks it is too hard to maintain over a long period – hello there – I am 10 years low carb and kept my BG good. Obviously if you do slide back into our old dietary habits the diabetes will come back. But you know that, hence the slip ups of late and the higher reading a couple of tests back. Look at me, 2 weeks on a cruise, one week at daughters but still celebrating 32nd wedding anniversary and hubbies 80th so the treats continued leading to an extremely high HbAic (7.2 which is high for me). Like you I was met by a doctor who decided to talk down to me trying to tell me where I was going wrong and I would never get the hang of it. Well stuff them, we know what we are doing and we know it works for us. Just keep on the low carb plan and you will get back to that non-diabetic status. It might have set you back a bit but nothing is easy. I am hoping my BG is down to its 6.2 range when I am tested next month.

Woke up to overcast skies and forecast for rain but still waiting but mainly a lovely cook 24 degrees. Keep on keeping on…

Margaret,
🤞 for your check up on Wednesday. I hope the antibiotics have done the trick! Great news that you have only increased by 4lb… which I am sure will shift when you get back to the diet.

I feel so in awe of everyone coping with other major health problems and still being able to concentrate on the diet. As well as being so supportive on this forum. You are all awesome!!
K xxx

I hope your colonoscopy result is good Lacy & S-G gosh having to deal with 40c plus heat must be very trying. I’m sorry to hear how disappointed you are with your results Pootle but you are doing the best you can eating low carb to help yourself & try not to get stressed about it 👍
Thank you everyone for support & I am on my second weeks course of on antibiotics hoping to quickly heal my second area. I have a check up on Wednesday when it will be redressed. I bravely weighed today & am pleased to say that I have only gained four pounds in weight despite all my husbands generous food offerings 😀
Keep on going everyone I hope to be joining you soon with some weight loss 🤞🤞
Margaret xx

Hi Lucy,

I really admire you walking that distance every morning! I hope it has now started to pay off!
I am wishing 🤞that you are having a better time than I am at the moment! 🙃
My bloods have shown that I am still back Into pre diabetes so it seems that last Decembers reading of non diabetic was a blip! ☹️ It has thrown me somewhat…nearly put me off track…I was soo tempted to just say “****er it” and treat myself to a Magnum, followed by a Chocolate Fudge cake and a glass of Southern comfort! BUT I decided that I have come this far…why waste the past 13/14 months… So I am being positive again. Keeping on keeping on!
K.xx

Hi S-G.
I haven’t measured often after food…but have been measuring ‘fasting’ every morning… (only 3 spikes above 5.4 in the past 3 months). I got demoralised because I thought she was saying I am wasting my time keeping to low carb as I will eventually be diabetic again anyway!! 😩 All I am doing is slowing the process! 🥲 HOWEVER, having done the ‘after food’ test yesterday, with quite a lot of simple carbs in the meal ( weighed as; Squash 5g carrot 3g, Swede 3g, courgette 2g, celeriac 4g, beans 4g, broccoli 4g, gravy 2g, Apple 7g, berries 4g, cream 3g = 40g in one meal!!) I am satisfied that I am doing the right thing by sticking to the plan! I haven’t been eating that much carb in one meal for a very long time…sticking to around 50g per day. I don’t eat breakfast unless I am away…never hungry enough to be bothered at home! So although I have gone back into pre, I am going to ignore that and just keep going with low carb. I will still avoid the complex carbs…I don’t want to have to go through the carb monster withdrawal again. I knew that I was testing myself yesterday with that amount in one meal…

Thanks every one. I appreciate the back up!
K.xx

Pootle, I think measuring after food is a waste of time and maybe that is where you are too obssesed (if that is what the doctor said). Carry on measuring but do it on a empty stomach, first thing in the morning, just once a day. As long as you do that you will get a more accurate reading and learn what your normal is and see if there are any ups or downs. It is more important that you know what carbs you are having and you know what carbs are not good carbs as opposed to things like in your meal which were mainly good carbs. So dont stop counting. Example, if you said you had a piece of cake for dessert and still had a reading of 5.2 you would be in a good place but what you did eat should have given you the good reading it did. Hope I am explaining this properly. Counting calories is less important as being low carb automatically limits the number of calories.

One other thing is about you being programmed to have diabetes because of genetics is partly true which is why you/ we have to keep control of this. But this is true of anyone who has diabetes for other reasons and we will always be just a few bad meals from pre of full diabetes. Sorry but that is a fact. I think of it like smoking. I haven’t smoked for 32 years but if I went on holiday and had a cigarette after every meal I would soon find myself back as a smoker and addicted. The other thing about carbs are what Antigone said, a bad weekend and the cravings are back. Carbs creep up on us. Stay strong, you have come so far. Sometimes doctors like to think they are the ones who know everything and are in control but we know we have the power to stay well and beat this thing.

It is still 29 degrees at just after 11pm and looking forward (not) to another sticky night.

Good evening all,
Thanks for the encouragement! I really appreciate the advice and backing.
I had been feeling pretty down as it seemed as though the GP implied that, because of my genetic disposition to diabetes, I am unlikely to keep it in remission/at bay long term. 😩 and I must stop worrying about it, keeping weight down and on low carb despite the Hb1Ac showing I have gone back into pre diabetic.
However, I have decided to be positive and continue to record my stats, so I can keep an eye on what is happening! This evening, 2 hours after roast beef with a medley of roasted vegetables (butternut squash, celeriac, swede, carrots and courgette), broccoli and buttered French beans followed by cooked eating apple with black and raspberries, a prick test gave my BG as 5.2 mmol/L !!!!!!!!! There is nothing diabetic about that result even though I had a good plateful!

I think I will stop calculating carbs in everything I eat, and see how it goes!

So, all in all, I aim to retain control and will just be hoping that I will remain in remission!

You are all very special people. So let’s keep on keeping on!
K xxx

Wise words as always Verano. Pootle – we feel your pain. Think more about what you HAVE achieved rather than what you haven’t. You are awesome 🙂
I’ve had a wobble this weekend- drinks with friends and ( holds head in shame) nibbles! My goodness the damage a few salty snacks cause is unbelievable…carb cravings and feeling hungry 🙁
However, on we go! Just back from a lovely evening ride – its too hot to take the horses out in the day here. I’m in France too, although further north than SG if I remember correctly.
Hope everyone is OK? You sleeping normally again Verano?
I shall delay weighing until Tuesday and hope I can redeem myself!

So it’s Sunday and my goal is now to find just one positive each day. So for today…

🌳🌳🌳 had some olive trees in pots pruned today. The olives have become ‘wild’ in the unusually hot summer here this year. They now look lovely.

Another….

👗👘👖👔🩳 Starting to sort out clothes for charity shops so we can put the clothes we ‘actually wear’ in the wardrobes!

Why do we ‘hang on’ to ‘stuff’!

At then moment I’m on a ‘clean out, clear up ‘ mission!

I was clearing out some old emails and came across this :

“If you are hungry now, it doesn’t matter how many good meals you’ve eaten. You can’t quench your thirst by remembering what you drank yesterday. Similarly, if you are looking for a reason to do something, it’s hard to be motivated by an old ambition.”

Think I need a ‘new ambition’!

Hi everyone, Shetland I knew you were from (or living in) Oz when you said cleaning out the chooks. I used to live in Sydney – or just outside. Pootle, you are still in pre-d and your doctor is telling you not to be so obsessed. It is only us and our dilegence that can get ourselves at good levels. Yes, maybe stop testing daily – says she who frets if I dont do all my stats every day – try to get out of the habit. But, that can lead to forgetting and then getting a shock. Just do what is working for you.

It is still so hot but down 10 degrees from 43 to 33. Top today 38, hopefully we are forecast for rain on Tuesday, I will be outside dancing in it. About the rain, it is a waste of time watering anything now, everything is shrivelled up. Still got a few tomatoes to redden and a few geraniums in pots so I live in hope. Thought I might get a swim after our Sunday brunch but my delicate stomach had other ideas and then I couldn’t risk it. There will be other days.

Weight is steady but will wait for Tuesday for my weigh it.

Hi DCT and fellow travellers. DCT you sound as if you are completely in the zone. I had to laugh at your swimsuit experience. ARCTICFOX I am so impressed with your attention to detail re sugar levels. It’s good to be aware of the wider health benefits you are feeling too.

I’m doing my weekly check-in. It is now 12 weeks since I started. I can’t believe that this time I have stuck to it, and have eaten healthily throughout. I’m now down 11.3 kilos. Yesterday I started to wobble and felt that the remaining 2-3 kilos to reach a healthy weight would not be attainable. And then this morning I dipped down again. Ridiculous how the numbers on the scale can change your mood. I was determined at the start to focus just on the healthy eating not the weight, but it is hard to resist!

I am off tomorrow to look after my very elderly parents in the UK for a few days. Wishing you all a good week. Hope the holiday is going well Clarinet. YOWZER where are you?

Hi everyone,
I’ve been doing pretty well this week. My fast Monday went well. I did end up needing some bouillon to get me through the evening, but didn’t break it officially until Tuesday morning. I have been hoping that I could get away with just one fast per week to begin, but even though I’m eating fairly low carb, and my numbers are pretty good for a couple of days after the fast, by the end of the week they are popping back up into pre-diabetic range. So, I think I will have to do at least 2 fasts for a bit. I’m trying not to get down about this and realize that it is just a sign that I have more work to do and more weight to lose. I am feeling good otherwise, so I know the changes are making a difference somehow, even if not fully on the bg front. I have less brain fog at work and I think I am sleeping better as I am less exhausted in the mornings when I wake up. So it has had some impact and I have to remember that.
I phoned the company about my cgm and they were very helpful. They are saying that it is not broken, but that placing it on my chest may be making it read lower than it would if it were on my arm. I explained that they don’t stick to my arm as a working farmer and the woman chastised me and said they are only meant to go on the arm. I was reading online though that other active people have to use alternate placement though and seem to do ok with that. The erratic readings I was having last weekend were likely due to the fact that my bg was zooming up and down all day and it doesn’t do such a good job of being consistent under those circumstances. It leveled out again during my fast.
I was at a training day for work yesterday, and I took a salad with me for lunch. I put 1 cup of cooked quinoa in the whole salad, which made 4 servings, so only 1/4 cup per portion, but unfortunately, it did really spike my bg up. Nice to have some variety in my meals once in a while, and quinoa is a nutrient powerhouse, but it might have to sit on the sidelines for now until I get my baseline insulin levels down. The rest of the salad was kale, avocado, lupini beans, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, acorn squash and feta cheese, so I probably could have done without the quinoa. It is just interesting to experiment while I’m wearing the cgm to see what happens when I eat certain things.
DCT – good to hear you are leaning into the gym and swimming, in spite of the swimsuit issues. We have been quite cool here the last couple of days after a short heat wave, so I haven’t been swimming again this week, but it is supposed to warm up again tomorrow, so I may go then. It will be interesting to see if there is any change in the fit of my suit since last week, as so far it has been looser every time I’ve been putting it on.
Hope everyone else is keeping on keeping on!

Just one positive for me today….
👣💅 lovely pedicure…. made the day brighter.
Hope everyone has had a good day.

Sunny sending🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Hello all,
S-G, and everyone else suffering in the heat – I’m originally a London girl, and when I moved to Australia I found the oppressive heat, bushfires etc very hard to deal with, so I can really sympathise with what you’re all going through. Keep hydrated and out of the sun as much as possible, and think cool thoughts. 😉
Pootle, I’m sorry that your blood results weren’t what you hoped for, but I’m going to echo Verano’s comment – you’ve done incredibly well! Honestly, we are our own worst critics, aren’t we? Try and relax about it (easier said than done I know – I’m a terrible control freak myself!) because you know you can do this! 💖
As for me, I’ve put on a pound since my colonoscopy, which I’m not terribly happy about, but I put it down to my carbs being out of whack for a couple of days. I shall try to keep them below 30g for the next week, and hopefully that’ll get me back on track, as I still have a way to go to my target weight yet.🤞
Take care everyone, and have a cool, relaxing weekend!
Lacy xx 😀

You’re so right about friends Verano. I’m so grateful for all of mine who have rallied around and offered help and support, both practical and emotional. It’s made this difficult time much easier to bear.

Sunny … dirt under finger nails sounds good! Keep on keeping together.

🥑🌶️🥗 Just one for me today … spent a lovely afternoon with friends enjoying lunch together. Friends are such an important part of our lives.

Hope today has brought at least one positive.

S-g I sympathise. Keep cool,

Pootle you’re doing really well. Nothing in life happens in a straight line. The relationship between carbs and blood sugar is more useful than that between weight and blood sugar. Seven pounds here or there won’t affect your blood sugar as much as 40 to 100g of carbs will! You have done so well and are keeping that up so relax a little. Numbers jump up and down over the day and yes you’re right to relax the record keeping. Try just ‘living’ with a low carb like rather than letting it dictate what you can and can’t do!

Hi S-G, hoping that you are managing to keep coolish without too high an electricity bill! I think I would try a sort of hibernation in those temperatures! I am not good in the heat, much prefer the cold…all bundled up outside, then get cosy by the fire!

So my blood results are in… 😢 still back into pre diabetes albeit one point lower than in early May (44). HbA1c now 43. Better than the 50 of June/July 2024 but still not as good as the 40 of December last year! I am still slowly losing weight, and have been really strict over the last 3 months.

When I phoned for the result, they said I needed advice from the diabetes nurse… so to avoid that calamity, this morning I managed to get an appointment with the doctor who is supportive.
I showed her my records… food eaten with calories and carbs, weight 7lb down since Christmas, BG prick tests fasting and 2 hours after eating…. Yes I am a bit of an obsessive nerd! 😄🤪😂
Her reaction was, if I hadn’t lost the weight and adjusted my diet I would probably be up into the high 50s or 60s now. She understood that I am determined to avoid the slippery slope of the medication route if at all possible. Her reaction was that I am overthinking it, and the numbers could be being influenced by the asthma medication I am on, and/or stress.
So for the next three months I am going to relax the record keeping somewhat. Just being mindful of what I am eating, no complex carbohydrates, no sugary foods, drinks or snacks and see what it is like at the next test.
The really bad news is she is retiring at the end of the month…. 😩😢 Only hope I can find another GP who is as good at listening and treats me as a person not a number!

Hi all, has a slip up last night – just felt like having a drink, so did – just 2 glasses but it has put my weight up. Will drop again but I should know better.

Managed to have a swim this morning but at 10.30 am it was already 36 degrees. Fortunately the pool was a cool 28 (that is the same as most indoor pools in the UK).

Verano, don’t worry about it, we are looking at maybe April next year. Shame you missed out on some of the sights. There are some really good hop on hop off busses, mainly aircon if you sit downstairs (as I am sure you would). They get you close to an attraction like the Trevii Fountain and you just have a short walk. Then you get on another bus, they do a circular route so not nipping here and there and they run all day.

Well it is going to be 43 today and there is a warning out, no gardening with petrol or electric tools, no going into forests, no hunting etc anything that might cause a fire. We are just staying in the house and watching our electricity bill go up and up on our Linky 🙂 🙂 At least we are safe.

.

S-g not sure I can be of much help. We stayed close to the airport rather Rome itself. The centre of Rome is around 33 km from Fiumicino airport. My OH wanted to take a tour into Rome but it was so hot, August, full of tourists and traffic. Added to that we both have mobility issues now and so it would have been a sightseeing tour by car. Just didn’t fancy that. Anyway I can let you have the details of where we stayed if you want them.

Good to see you posting positives V … great that travelling is working out well for you again.

My positives today are …..
🌹🌻 got my hands into some soil today, was wonderful to get dirt under my nails and reconnect with Mother Earth.
👖🧥 a trawl of charity shops gave me a showerproof jacket and a pair of M&S cropped trousers.
💖🫂 looking forward to Saturday, when I get to see my lovely OH again.

What are the pluses in your little corner of the world?

Just popping in to say ‘hello’…. just one positive … all washing done yeah… now just need to do the ironing!
Keep positive!

Hi everyone, I am still alive, just. We are having another few days in the low 40s and it is unbearable. Fortunately, we don’t have to go anywhere or do anything. Sat with a facial electric fan on my desk or on my bedside table. For the first time every I have bought a big bag of ice – like the do in American films. It is coming very much in handy.

Had some weight loss so back on the move.

SL, I remember when I was gong for a colonoscopy – the worst part was the night before having to drink gallons of a foul tasting solution. And yes, white rice, mashed potatoes etc. Not a lot for us to eat.

Verano, it was around 36 when we were in Rome and that was in April. Must pick you brains as we want to go back for a few days. What do you recommend, how did you do it (organised trip or self booking). It will probably be next year as we have a holiday in the UK in September and another for Christmas (oh no, Ive said the dreaded C word).

Stay safe everyone.

Hello all,
Good to hear that everyone is doing well, surviving the heat and dealing with life in general! Especially good to hear your knee problem is getting sorted out Margaret – it must be a great relief!
I’ve been reading all the posts – lovely to see so many people around! Didn’t comment earlier though, because I’ve spent the last couple of days on colonoscopy prep, so felt a bit sorry for myself and didn’t want to spread it around!! I had the procedure today, and things look good according to the doctor. Won’t get the lab results back until next week, so fingers crossed he’s right! The diet didn’t go too far off, but I laughed at the list of ‘white foods’ you were allowed to eat – all the stuff we absolutely can’t have… I was left with chicken breast, yoghurt and cheese. Oh well!
And Pootle – I do sympathise with putting off mucking out the chook shed – not a job I enjoyed much either when we kept a small flock.
Take care everyone,
Lacy xx

Good morning all,
Verano, good to hear you are home safe and sound. That the ‘legged’ flight worked for you, with your luggage arriving at the same time, is brilliant!!

Margaret, a relief to hear that your problem with the knee is getting resolved, and excellent to get a round of applause for your walking without crutches!

S-G I really hope that the heat is calming down and you got all your delivery into the freezer in good time! . It is quite cool here this morning, so I am planning a much needed ‘muck out’ of the chicken shed.🙄 A job I tend to put off!

Antigone, Tulip, Heidi, Shetland and Mokovex. I hope you are all ok. 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

Thinking about everyone in this community, and keeping on keeping on..
K xxx

HEIDI I’m so pleased you had a better week last week. Lots of NSVs there as well as the continuing loss. Well done! And, talking of NSVs, thanks ARCTICFOX for bumping that thread. It can be far too easy to focus on the scales and not notice all the other positive things that are happening when we eat well.

ARCTICFOX how did your fast go? You are working really hard to get your glucose levels under control and I really admire you for that. How fascinating about your cat too! I do think animals are very intuitive and usually know when something is not right.

DAWN how are you doing? Not long to go now until September and I hope you are feeling ok.

I’m doing ok – not much to report. Still need to be more consistent food wise, but I’m gradually getting back into the habit of exercising more regularly so it’s baby steps. My weight has settled, but I’m currently around 15lb more than I want to be so I need to tackle that. but – coming back to the topic of NSVs – I’m more concerned with getting rid of belly fat than numbers on scales. Obviously the two are related, but if I get to where I want to be in terms of body fat but my scale numbers are still higher than I’d hoped for, I’d be happy to stick with that.

On a funny note, I went swimming yesterday afternoon and it was the first time I’d actually swum in the new costume I’d bought for holiday. The costume has a blouson top which is flattering to wear and hides a multitude of sins! But I found yesterday that when I swim – particularly on my back – the blouson top part blows out like a big balloon. Probably giving the effect of a whale ploughing through the water 🐳. It made me chuckle – though I won’t wear it for pool swimming again!

Hope everyone is ok out there? YOWZER are you feeling any better now? CATHY I’ve lost track of when your holiday is, so hope that you are/will be having a good time. MARIET and POOTLE I hope your maintenance is going well. SUE, NOKIE, MIXnMATCH not heard from you for a while and hope all is well. Though I do appreciate that time flies so quickly!

Hope the rest of the week goes well for you all X

Sunny you sound like you’re coping really well. Thinking of you and great to see that you are still finding positives. It’s so easy to become ‘bogged down’. As s-g would say, just keep on keeping on……

Ahh Pootle this is where I read about your bountiful harvest. Our niece grows courgettes and a few years ago she gave us some ‘giants’. I made enough soup to last through a whole winter! Needless to say courgette soup is no longer on my ‘favourite’ list although I do love roasted courgettes. I often roast courgettes, onions, tomatoes, aubergine and peppers with olive oil and garlic and freeze in portions.

So yes I do have positives and I’m going to do my best to find some most, if not all, days ..

🛫🛬🛫 Experimented yesterday with a flight from Rome to Manchester via Barcelona. (We have assistance in airports).The reason was that this flight left at 2.30pm and arrived in the 7.30pm. All the direct flights didn’t leave until the evening, arriving late and then a drive home in the dark in the early hours. It worked! Two hour stopover which we needed to change gates, and the luggage actually turned up in Manchester! So very much a positive! Especially as we have a flight to Athens via Copenhagen in October …. feeling much happier about that now.!

🧺🧺🧺 Half of the washing done so just the ironing now!

🍅🥑🌶️ Ate a lot of lovely food while away with plenty fish and fillet steak with salads and vegetables etc. No interest in potatoes or rice but my daily treat was two inches of baguette with blue cheese. I also had an odd 1/4 portion of pasta and even shared a pizza with my OH. Italian pizzas are pretty basic without tons of toppings, thick crusts or ‘dough balls’. Actually quite healthy with rocket, my new favourite, and tomato salad. Now I just have to find ways to incorporate Italian pasta flavours into a lowish carb diet!

Hope everyone can find a positive or two today.

Hello.
Welcome (back) Antigone, Shetland Lace, Tulip and Mokovex. It’s good to see some new ‘blood’.

S-g I sympathise with you. We had 38 on the outskirts of Rome yesterday and that was a no-no for me. Just 28 here today and even that’s too warm!

Margaret belated Happy Anniversary! Glad to hear you’re improving bit by bit. It is a slow job but well worthwhile at the end of the day. The ‘new’ you is just around the corner!

Pootle sorry to hear about your hotel disappointment. Best laid plans! Did I read that you have a lot of squash and courgettes? Pull up the ‘Soups’ thread there are so many good recipes there. Also I have a lovely butternut squash and chickpea curry if you’d like it. Not sure if I’ve ever posted it here. It’s a bit carby but makes a nice change and if you’re not into curry spices you could always leave them out and add herbs of your choice and make it into a ‘stew’.

So to me. Arrived home last night really looking forward to ‘my own bed’ but for the life of me I just couldn’t drop off. I think it was after 2 when I finally fell asleep so a bit tired and crotchety today! Weight wise I was delighted to have just gained 2.6lbs so hopefully I can set too and get rid of that now. In fact I think it really does do your body good to have a total change of plan now and again. In saying that my tastes have changed so much over the years and now, on the odd occasion, two spoons of dessert are enough …. couldn’t eat a whole one anymore! Looking forward to getting back into ‘healthy’ eating again.

Hope everyone is having a good August.

Thank you Antigone & brilliant weight loss 👏👏 gosh Mokovex you are having to deal with a lot & I hope your treatment goes well. I know how difficult it is to lose weight when there is so much else going on & all you can do is take one day at a time & be kind to yourself!
Well my update is that my wound breakdown is probably caused by dissolving sutures wanting to escape rather than dissolve!! I’m so pleased to have a reason because I was wondering if I had done something wrong. I’m returning on Friday to have a check & a fresh dressing applied with a photo being sent to my consultant to check the healing & if I need an extended course of antibiotics.
It was amusing because a physio came down to see me so we didn’t have to drive back there again within a couple of hours & he put me through my paces. He challenged me to walk without crutches up the corridor past patients waiting to be seen then gave me one crutch to walk back with & I got a round of applause from them which was encouraging & lovely😀. I must now only use one crutch & make sure I am rolling my foot from heel to toes as I am trying to walk. It’s weird having to think about how to walk because it’s usually so automatic but I have been limping for two to three years with my stick before my op so my muscles have to be retrained. 🤞🤞
Keep on going everyone it’s worth it taking as much control as we can to help our own health & I will soon be rejoining you on the BSD once I’m back in the kitchen cooking from scratch again 😀
Margaret xx

Hope you are feeling better Wendy – sounds very unsettling for you. SG..maybe you’re building muscle in the pool? Everyone ok with the heat?

just to say I survived the heat from yesterday – 43 – today we are cooler at 41 🙂

Weight loss is a disappointment at only quarter of a pound. Still, better down than up. Had a swim most days but it never seems to impact on my weight. I did have a one slice of bread chicken sandwich just before bed last night as I was getting the shakes. Should really have done a blood test to see if I really needed it.

Big job today. Just taken deliver of £90 of Irish sausage and bacon. All has to be bagged up and put in the freezer to last a few months.

Stay safe everyone.

Oh, and Heidi, interesting what you say about less problems with reflux. That is happening for me too, although I didn’t even realize it until you said it. I’m also able to fast now without my gastritis flaring up, which I couldn’t do at this time last year. So that’s a win too!

Hi everyone,
Yesterday turned out to be a bit rough. I was struggling to get my glucose stabilized all day without overshooting, but just ended up on an all day rollercoaster. Then I messed up with my evening meal as I had imitation crab in nori wraps, thinking it was low carb, but my glucose shot up and down again, so I had to eat some greek yogurt to help stabilize things before bed. Also, I may have damaged my cgm by going swimming. It is supposed to be water resistant for 30 min and I was only in the pool for 20-25, so it should have been okay, but it was giving me some erratic numbers last night. It may have dried out as it seems to be doing better today while my glucose levels are more stable, as I am fasting, and the numbers are matching pretty well with my regular monitor. We’ll see how it does when I start eating again.
I’ve been feeling better today and my blood glucose has been pretty steady between 4.3 and 4.8 while I’ve been fasting. I did have some nori snacks for some salt and because I got quite hungry this afternoon. Only 15 calories though, so it shouldn’t impact the fast much. I’m hoping to keep going until tomorrow morning for a 36 hour fast. Might have a bit of bouillon though to get me through this evening.

Pootle, all those veggies sound wonderful. An embarrassment of beans …. is that like a murder of crow or a clouder of cats I wonder? Either way, I’m sure you’ll enjoy them.

My positives right now are ….
🌻🌻 stairlift successfully installed in my parents’ house … one big tick in the peace of mind box!
🌻🌻 a lovely chat with eldest DD today, she and her man are looking to move closer to us and they think they may have found ‘the’ house.

Those will do for me today …. hope your day brought some positives too.