Not much to report. Weight is still dithering around 74.4, not quite got to my lowest yet which was 74.2. Still hoping for a 73.9 on the scales by Monday. We are going to our monthly quiz night so expecting a blip up. I have a zoom call with someone called Valeria Lopez who does a free consultation. She promises it is free and no hard sell. I have given her my details healthwise and I think she will say there is nothing she can do due to the insulin injections. We will see.

Finally got round to booking a cruise for next year. I have been wanting to go to Greece and Turkey but it is a long cruise and usually on a massive ship. It is 20 days but on a medium ship so hubby is okay and I have decided as a seasoned cruiser I dont have to do everything every day. I love dressing up for dinner but when you have done it 9 nights in a row it gets a bit wearing, after 12/14 nights I just want to go home. So it will be jeans (or shorts) and the buffet when I dont feel like making an effort. Also on P&O they do a lot more daytime events like cooking, yoga, bowls, lectures etc, so I will keep myself busy. Anyway, main point – I have a lot of weight to lose and something to do it for.

Still hot here at around 29/30 but that is so much cooler than 40. Enjoy the weekend.

I’m so pleased everything went well Verano 👏👏. I will find out on Tuesday why they don’t want to laser my left eye because I don’t think the cataract in my right eye is bad enough yet to need to be removed but I suppose I could have it done because it’s all NHS & availability etc. My optician seemed very definite that I should discuss my cataract so perhaps it is worse than I think & he didn’t want to discuss it with me since I looked so unenthusiastic 🤔
Thank you S-G & my toothbrush also has a timer on & I do try to stand on one leg but wobble & often lean against the towel rail😂. I have weighed & unfortunately gained 0.75lbs which is irritating because I ate carefully last week but obviously not carefully enough. However I will get out my Jane Fonda dvd & restart doing exercises with my hand weights!!
Take care Verano & I will take my sunglasses with me because I’m sure my eye will be dilated to examine it.
Have a good week everyone 👍
Margaret xx

Thought I’d check in with some pre-weekend positives …..
😀😀 two grandchildren visited this week and I bumped into another whilst out shopping today
💦💦 actually had a bit of rain yesterday … short lived, but was actually quite pleasant
🍽🍛 OH had a day off yesterday, so we went out for lunch .. so nice to do something a bit different during the week

Hope you all have a lovely weekend packed with positives.

Good afternoon.

Thanks for all your well wishes …. they worked! Procedure went smoothly and very little in the way of issues. I had a bit of an ‘ache’ last night and didn’t sleep too well because I was suppose to sleep on my back or the other side neither of which suited. Anyway, apart from light sensitivity all is well. It’s great not to have to wear contacts anymore!

Margaret hope all goes well with your pre-op. I had my first op in February and I must admit having this one in the summer with bright sunny days has meant I’m walking around the house with sunglasses on, a bit pretentious but necessary. Try and arrange to have yours done when we get a wet spell!

I can’t exercise at the moment but as soon as I can I’m definitely going to build some weights into my general routine.

Have a good weekend.

Hi everyone, hope everything goes well today Verano. You are probably home by now.

Received my beetroot supplements today – it has to be a certain type called rosabella – you open the capsule and if it is brown its no good, it has to be purple/red. Hoping for a return of my energy if nothing else.

Margaret, it is my daughter who has led me to weights although I have always used weights with some exercises like arm raises. But now I concentrate on the weights rather than aerobics. If you do a raise with a weight, instead of letting it down, hold it half way to give you more strength. As for balance. Every night I stand on one leg while brushing my teeth, my brush has a timer so I do 30 seconds on each leg. You can hold on because the point is to give your muscle more strength not just worry about your balance, that will follow. I can now stand on one leg for 1 minute, the thing that stops me going longer is my ankle starts to ache. When we start to fall we can now put one leg forward to catch us and it will be strong enough to hold us up, or at least break our fall.

We keep learning all the time.

I hope all goes well today with your cataract op Verano & coincidentally I am also booked into SpaMedica next Tuesday for a pre-op visit because they want to operate on the cataract in my right eye now before laser correcting my left one because cataracts take priority 🤔
S-G it’s interesting what you have said about weight training because I have weights & used to use them in my Jane Fonda exercises but have not done that exercise routine for awhile now 🙁I think I must get back to doing it all because it also includes some balance exercises & although I didn’t use my balance stick whilst playing bowls yesterday I am still rather wonky😂
I am trying to eat sensibly this week but I think my poor sleep does also affect ability to lose weight.
Take care everyone
Margaret xx

Hi Sunshine Girl
So good to read about your progress. i think we seem to have the trick- enjoy holidays and festivities and work hard in between. I cannot get out of control ever again- it’s been a slog for years to undo the damage! I read a great book earlier this year by Professor Taylor about reversing pre diabetes and it really inspired me. Thank you for your support and keep us posted on your journey and progress. We all appreciate each other on this forum. We know the effort thst goes into every pound lost!

Cathy, I am doing 1kg a month, not much but add that up over a year. It allows for treats and days out when life gets in the way. Also, my HbA1c was 7.5 after the cruise and I am aiming for 6.5 for September test. I wont join you but will be with you in spirit and looking in.

V, glad you have sorted it out. One thing I learnt from the paid Fast800 site was the importance of weight training. I try to do a bit everyday if it is not too hot. Also, Pilates to stretch out the fascia – whatever that is – and for core strength. Just a few squats with arm bends with dumb bells. At our age we dont need to be slim and lithe, we need to be strong.

Well done s-g! It works when it works!

So a minor blip for me today the nurse from the clinic didn’t know why I’d been booked in for surgery tomorrow … left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing but nonetheless pleased to see they are thorough!

So I’m into week 4 of my Second Nature course now and I have to say I’m enjoying it and learning some new things. This week is devoted to exercise which is difficult for me but learnt something new … in a nutshell, and I may not be right here, but weight training, using muscles leads to less insulin resistance. So I got out my weights, well just a kilo each, and my resistance band and will try to use them every day after my meditation and before my ‘mindful’ breakfast!

Thats great Verano. Fingers crossed for Thursday.

Lost more weight and hoping to see at 7 and a 3 by Monday. Managed a swim this morning before it got too hot – currently 38 but heading for 42. Just hope it doesnt ignite the fires again.

Just one thing. Anyone tried Beetroot supplements. I have been taking statins for years and now on a quite high dose. I always said no effects until I remember the night cramps that have me crying and rubbing my legs and sometimes my arms. Then I read they cause hand weakness – I am often dropping things. And finally, thick fuzzy head. I have to litterally drag myself out of bed, okay I dont sleep well at the best of times but even when I have a good night, I cant shift myself. Then I read it could all be related to the statins. I am going to try a high nitrate beetroot supplement but wondered if anyone has tried this. I have researched and they dont clash with any of my other meds.

HI DCT/Dawn/SueBlue and anyone else who wants to join in our August challenge.
On Monday morning I’ll be reporting for duty for the August reset. I weighed myself today before my cheese pie tomorrow and my gelato over the weekend and I was 142 lb. I am aiming for a goal weight of 138lb. I am happy to share what I eat every day during August and also my weekly weight. I will weigh on Monday morning and take things from there, I am going to aim to walk 7000 steps indoors or outdoors EVERY day too. When I embarked on my 12 week blood sugar reduction diet in February I did really well and got my HbA1c down from 42 to 35 and my weight from 166 lb to 140 lb. I reckon in a month I could lose 4lb. Let’s see!
See you all on Monday for our challenge. We’ve got this!

CATHY and DAWN I’m in for the August reset!! Good that SUE is joining us too.

I’ve lost half a stone this year and am maintaining at that level but would also like to get to 138lb by the end of the year. Which means I have almost another stone to lose, so I need to speed things up! Your earlier post resonated with me CATHY – summer, World Cup, sunshine, drinks, snacks etc. All helped derail me at this end too. And I’ve been having a fabulous time, just want to balance things out a bit now and get a few more pounds off before the end of summer.

I’m visiting family the rest of this week but as of Monday really want to get back on board with healthy eating, minimum drinking and maximum exercise. It’d be great if we could share eating plans / food ideas on here from time to time. I’m no longer on the online plan but have records of what I ate then so will use that as a starting point, plus the BSD/Fast 800 books. But any other ideas to help keep me going would be very much appreciated!

Hope that everyone has a good rest of this week, and will see you all on Monday! X

Thanks everyone but good news! Saw my GP this morning and blood pressure was fine, he wrote a letter to the clinic and I know have a new appointment for Thursday morning! And that’s with the NHS, can’t knock them at all.

Well done on all the weight losses hope it renews everyone’s enthusiasm.
Have a good week.

Hi Cathy and thank you so much for your encouraging words! My longtime goal has always been to get down to 138 as it would give me a couple of pounds leeway under the 10 stone mark so that I could pull things back if I strayed towards it. I’m only 5ft 3 but think anything below 138 may make me look a bit gaunt now, it’s so long since I’ve been anywhere near it that I won’t really know until I get there! You have been very inspiring managing to stick to the 800 keto and making it work for you, I’m cheering you on too, as you say, we’ve got this:)
Dawn X

Hi everyone, Verano, so sorry to hear about your op. Hubby has the same problem, called white coat syndrome, even his cardiologist ignores it and during a session always takes BP at the start and then at the end when he is a bit more relaxed. I do have high BP but I always do 10 mins meditation before I go for an appointment then while I am waiting to go in I do some deep breathing.

Sunny that is a great result, you are on your way.

My weigh in today shows a loss of exactly 1 kg. So I am on track to 1kg a month but now need to lose for July/August so I am actually behind a bit.

The skys were clear blue this morning so the smoke has gone. We are forecast back up to 42 tomorrow but only for one day then back down to the mid 30’s. Had a lovely swim.

Have a good week.

Sorry your cataract op was cancelled Verano. Hope you can get it sorted out soon.
Thank you for your concern about my migraine. My past experience of both fasting and migraine would suggest my fasting probably wasn’t a contributing factor. However on the Wednesday, my grandson and I did some volunteer gardening and although we had drinks with us, I think I probably under hydrated, which might well have been part of the problem.
SG, that blip will soon be dealt with, I’m sure you’ll be back on track and seeing the desired results soon.

So it’s Tuesday and time for me to report in on my first week’s result, which I’m pleased to say is better than I’d hoped with a drop.of 3.8lb. Think this is probably one of the best results I’ve ever had in a week. There won’t be another drop lle that, so now of course the challenge is to keep up the momentum, but at present I’m feeling positive and confident, so fingers crossed. Have an eating out event on Thursday, but my plan is to make that my only meal for that day and avoid the carbs.

Looking forward to reading how everyone else is doing … Good luck for the coming week folks.

Dawn- I love your new approach and it is a positive approach and mindset. Like you, I’ve “failed” when setting targets and then feel disappointed and a failure. By going with the process and doing what you can you will succeed. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. I also like your positive approach to the next 7 years and like you I have got to the point where I cannot keep doing the same thing and getting nowhere. My aim for 2026 is to end the cycle! I’ve found what works for me, 800 keto and I have to be strict and I plan to be strict in August. I want to get to goal, enjoy holidays and festivities and then be strict in between. I think I can do it! I am hoping that I can keep within my weight range using this method. We don’t need to be hung up on what the scales say but they’re a great guide along with looser clothing and so hopefully over the next few weeks we will feel better. I’m starting on Monday with my strict August schedule- my husband is away next week leading a retreat so it’s a perfect time for me to start. I want to get under 140 and would love to get to 138. I’ve not weighed for a couple of weeks but I know I’ve crept up as I’ve not been as strict: I can’t do 800 keto long term but a four week stint every so often might just suit me. Good luck Dawn. You sound motivated and I’ll look forward to hearing your news and I’m cheering for you. SueBlue and DCT are also up for an August reset so it will be good to share our journeys together. We’ve got this!

I am so sorry to hear this Verano it must have been upsetting as well as frustrating 🙁 Hopefully another appointment can be quickly arranged for you 🤞🤞
Margaret xx

Hello.
S-g sounds like you’re doing well. So sad to see the horrendous fires especially in France but seems to be lots of other places in Europe too. The really sad thing is that some are set on purpose and others are just a result of carelessness. Let’s hope they are all under control soon and yes that it rains!

Thank you for your good wishes but I’m afraid they fell on deaf ears. I turned up for my appointment but my blood pressure was too high for me to have the surgery! I don’t suffer from high blood pressure nor do I take medication it’s ’blood pressure monitor cuff’ syndrome! Anyway I’ll see the doctor tomorrow morning and we’ll make a plan from there. The only problem is that his plan is medication and I’m a medication phobic! We will just have to see! Meanwhile I’ve had to order more contact lenses.

Had a small slip up yesterday. It is still hot here so, although I really did stick to the plan, I had a chocolate Magnum. Just one little thing can make a big difference when you are on such low numbers. At least I resisted the wine so I must lose more and have another week before we have a night out. Weigh in is tomorrow.

Hi everyone,
I started my reset today, have decided to partly use the Fast800 online plan combined with logging stuff on MFP and will see how it goes. I haven’t done any of the online exercises for quite a while so have reset the online plan to ‘beginner’ and did my first set today. I’m not going to be as strict with myself as I have been in the past (which has often been my downfall as if I have a day ‘off plan’ even if it’s not eating really unhealthy food, it can make me go WAY off plan)I am just going to try eat as healthily as I can, using lots of the online recipes, for the majority of the time and not put a time limit on how much I want to lose by a certain date as I think that’s putting too much pressure on myself. I don’t want to spend the next 7 years like the last 7, setting goals and then failing to reach them. I hope everyone has a good week.
Dawn X

All the best for tomorrow Verano, I remember you saying it was absolutely painless and gave me hope for when I have to have mine done (not yet). It will be wonderful to be able to see clearly.

Checked my weight and I am down quite a bit. Looked back on my records from last year and I have not been this weight since August last year. However, on the graph I also saw me at a kilo lighter so still something to aim for.

The fires are still raging but we are hopeful for some rain – looks like it is raining in Biscarrose – not far from Bordeaux. Fingers crossed. All those poor people losing their homes and everything. Keep saying we need to set up a grab-bag just in case of emergency but you dont think it is going to happen to you. Will look up what to put in it.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Thanks Wendy. My first one was also done at SpaMedica and it was excellent too!
Just need to get it done now when I look out of my right eye everything is bright when I look out of my left eye there is a brown haze over everything! It’s time!

I have just weighed & am pleased to say that I have lost 1.5lbs phew!! 😀
Excellent weight loss for you Verano 👏👏. S-G unfortunately I didn’t visit around the bay because we were on a river cruise & I hope SunnyB that you have recovered from your migraine?
Let us all put our best fort forward for next week 🤞🤞🍀🍀
Margaret xx

Good luck with your cataract op Verano & I had an eye check a couple of days ago advising me I probably need my second one done as well. I have been referred back to SpaMedica & they were excellent first time around.
Fingers crossed for you on Monday
🤞🤞🍀
Margaret xx

I’ve not posted here for ages so here we go …..

🥯🥯 Have been baking my own bagels as our local deli has closed down. I don’t eat them, well maybe half of one once a week, but baking is really satisfying!

🥒🥬 Enjoyed lovely Greek salad last night. Have found a lovely recipe…. who would have thought you would need a recipe for ‘salad’!

🧘🏻‍♀️🧘🏻‍♀️Have starting just ‘following my breath’ which is really interesting.

Hope you have positives to share.

S-g when you move back you the UK we won’t be a million miles from each other so who knows!

Yes the wildfires this year seem to be far more widespread and far more severe. Really sad especially if they are set on purpose, which is quite often the case. Certainly when we had our apartment in Tenerife there were often forest fires in the National Forest and often set on purpose. The only good thing was that the pines always seemed to regenerated really well despite being burned almost to a cinder. Anyway, hope you stay safe in France s-g.

Sorry to hear about your migraine Sunny could it have had anything to do with your fast? You know I’m not a great lover of fasting so just throwing that one out there! Anyway, glad you’re getting on ok with myfitnesspal.

Margaret same happens to me sometimes so I take 0.6 lb of my weight. I weighed a mug with and without liquid and that’s what I came up with. A bit ad hoc I know but having the need to weigh everyday it makes me feel better!

So, to me. Well almost at the end of the third week of my ‘course’ and my weight loss overall is just about 1lb a week but it’s patchy to say the least. I’m finding some of the articles really interesting but the course is really aimed at people who eat a ‘normal’ western fast food/ little home cooked food diet. I think maybe I’m glossing over some of the information because I’m already comparatively low carb and eat pretty healthily. This week the articles have been mainly about mindset and have been really interesting but next week is ‘exercise’ and given my level of mobility I’m thinking this won’t be the best set of articles for me! I haven’t written them off yet but we will see.

I am a Tuesday ‘weigher’ this course has made me weigh on Mondays. I don’t like Mondays! I’m going back to my traditional weighing day… Tuesday!
Hope everyone has a good week without too much heat!

PS I’m having my second cataract op on Monday so may not be posting for a few days… looking forward to finally disposing of contact lenses!

A few positives ….
🌺🌺 visit with eldest son and family yesterday
💧💦 set up a little container pond in the garden
🌹🌹 my roses are starting to give a second flush of flowers
Hooe your weekend will be full of positives.

Haven’t checked in for a couple of days, as I had an unusually prolonged migraine episode, which took me out of action.
It’s really sad to see all the wild fires. So many places are being affected and so many beautiful habitats bring ravaged.
On the BSD front, things seem to be going well at the moment. Have been using Myfitnesspal to keep track of things and although carbs were up a couple of days and cals were over on one day, overall it’s balancing out across the week.
My weekly weigh in will be on Tuesday, so although I weigh daily, I’ll wait until Tuesday to report results.
Have a good weekend.

Just be careful you dont over-estimate how much food you can have to make up for the walking. You have to walk 35 miles to lose 1lb of fat and 26 minutes to burn off one chocolate digestive. Happy days. 🙂

Hi Margaret, did you ever get to the Bay on your trip. I am sure you will have seen photos of the large Dune de Pilat, the largest non-moving sand dune in Europe. It was surrounded by a pine forest which went up in flames a couple of years ago due to arson. Such a shame for all the areas that are burning.

Well I am ignoring sixturkeys so very rude!!
Very worrying about the wild fires everywhere now & near Bordeaux where we were last month on holiday. I will weigh tomorrow because I forgot today having already drunk a mug of coffee.
Keep safe everyone in the sunshine although it is cooler here in West Sussex around 25c.
Margaret xx

Hi all, shame we are nowhere near each other Verano – different countries – or we could meet up. You wouldnt want to be here right now. We have wild fires in the Bay of Archechon for the second time in the last few years. Such a shame as it is a magnificent area. Unfortunately, it is impacting on us, so no swimming and have to keep windows shut, lots of smoke even though it is around 100kms from us. Hopefully, we are safe here but you never know if some idiot is going to drop a cigarette end in the grass.

Still losing weight and determined not to mess it up over the weekend. Have a good one.

Well that rather proves my point.
Do let us know when the in real life Verano (surmising husband was a top professional accountant or business owner) will meet up with the in real life Denise. You are geographically not that far. And obviously so ad idem.

Sixturkeys if you don’t like this site or find it helpful fine.
Bye bye

I was on this site a while back when the community was very diverse and helpful. I have no doubt that that the basic premise works. It is a shame that the forum has been largely overtaken by a core small and tedious group. Who don’t seem to understand that it’s just AI algorithms posting not a personal slur. And frankly if after 8 or 10 years still chasing 100g…it’s not healthy. And just very boring.

As previously posted by admin.
We pay tribute to our dear friend and colleague, Dr. Michael Mosley.

Michael was an integral part of our lives, bringing a wealth of knowledge, dedication, and compassion to his work.

Throughout his distinguished career, Michael made significant contributions to his field, earning respect and admiration from all walks of life. His unwavering commitment to excellence and his innovative approach to science and health have left an indelible mark on the lives of many.

Michael was not only a remarkable professional but also a kind and generous individual. He was always willing to lend a helping hand, share his wisdom, and support those around him. His infectious enthusiasm and genuine care for others made him a beloved figure in our organisation.

We will remember Michael for his outstanding achievements, his compassionate nature, and his unwavering dedication to improving the lives of others. His legacy will continue to inspire us all.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him. He will be deeply missed.

Rest in peace, Michael.

I have just reported on the Michael commemorative post as some idiot has put a gaming post on. I have asked admin to just take it down and restore it to a more respectful post. Please dont comment on the post or your post will also cover the real post. I have tried to repost something but the system says I have already posted so I have to change a few words to trick the computer. I will try again but better to let admin deal with this scum.

It worked, I just added a few words. I think admin should lock the post to stop people putting rubbish on it, it is like desecrating a grave.

Back to the diet – doing okay, slowly slowly – another 0.1kg down so under last months goal weight. Just another 0.9kg to go 🙂

Thank you – I’m expecting that much exercise should shift a bit of weight too as I’ve hit a plateau!

Keep going but do enjoy your holiday. Walking that much will create an appetite so be sure to have some low carbs or good carb snacks.

Thanks Sunny, I dont normally like seeing pictures of myself but I have changed my FB profile photo from my cat to me in a red designer jump suit on our last cruise. I wasnt slim but the way the photo is taken and the layers on the suit make me look at least 1 stone lighter. It is a lovely photo of me. If I went back to my slimmest it was when I hit my goal at Weight Watchers around 30 years ago and, to be honest, I look like a lolipop head. Too thin.

SG, you have shown time and again your determination, so I’m sure you’ll be able to hit the targets you are setting yourself.

Read somewhere that a good incentive, is to put a photo of yourself at your slimmest somewhere prominent, to spur yourself on … just a thought.

I’m on day 3 of my reboot. Doing well at not snacking between meals and with recording what I am consuming. Struggling a bit with getting daily carbs down to 20g although managing to keeping them below 30g, but it’s a work in progress. The calorie levels are okay, so hoping that as time goes on, the desired result will reveal itself.

I have to be clear about what I want. I looked back on a photo from 3 years ago when I was dressed up and ready to go out for Sunday lunch – and I am chunky. Looked in the mirror this morning and I am still chunky. Clear motivation is to get my HbA1c down from 7.5 to around 6.5 when I am tested in September. That is my main goal. Second goal is to be down another 2kgs before daughter comes out in mid September. If only I can just stick with it.

Positives

weight back down and feeling motivated.
cooled down a bit here, now only around 35 degrees – makes a big difference
swam 3 days in a row.

Hi everyone,
Sorry I haven’t posted in ages, have totally lost the plot again over the last month. I’m still paying for the online plan so Cathy, Sue and DCT I will join you all for the August reset please!
Dawn X

HI SueBlue
Great that you’ll be joining me and DCT for the August reset. I am already preparing to start August with determination, focus and resilience. Four weeks of focus is definitely doable. We can choose how we do it. We can try something different every week if we want. I am choosing to do 800 keto for the four weeks and I will be strict. I think the online plan definitely helps me with daily structure too.. I am still paying for the plan but I think once August comes I will use it daily for exercises as well as recipes and motivation. I’ll look forward to checking in on 3rd August where we can make definitive weekly plans towards our August goal. We’ve got this!

Cathy and DCT – count me in for the reset too!
I was actually thinking of temporarily rejoining the online plan, as if nothing else it gave me some structure. The monthly fee is around $22 Aussie dollars so I’m thinking of doing it from end July to end September to hopefully lose another 6/7kg (or a stone) by my birthday which is in September.

Thanks DCT for being my August Back to Basics Buddy. Let’s weigh in on Monday 3rd and see how we both get on.

CATHY yes please, I’ll happily join you for Back to Basics in August. I keep going off piste and am maintaining at around half a stone down from February – but want to lose more. Enjoy all your celebrations and I’ll join you in August 😊