Blood sugar diet and fast800 thread 20

[thenewaveragebear1983]

Thread 20, can you believe it?

Congrats on giving up smoking @Plancina . Have you calculated how much money you’ve saved? That’s was what helped me and like you, I did it as I went from an active job as a sports instructor to a sedentary job in the City (although to be fair, you do walk a shit load in London, was more than in the ‘burbs or the countryside).

I still have in my head that I used to be able to eat what I liked, but that was when I was in my twenties, working in a very active, physical job. And when I think about what I actually ate, I would fast till lunch (coffee and a fag for breakfast , have a chocolate milkshake and bag of crisps for lunch as that’s all I had time for, and then eat a normal dinner. So my calorie intake was probably 1500 and TRE was 12:8. A great life but unsustainable and not very healthy!

@plancina I used to smoke too, heavily (eg 20 a day) and did for 10 years, then gave up during pregnancy and restarted several times. In fact I only really fully quit when I started running in jan 2018. I loved smoking, i relished it, I was heavily addicted and even now I crave cigarettes several times a week. I even think about smoking while I'm running. I often dream that I'm chain smoking. I actually think it contributes a lot to my rubbish eating/grazing because I eat like I used to smoke (ie frequently!) and especially when bored or stressed. I'd never smoke again now but it definitely shaped me as a person I think. I was overweight as a teenager but at 16 I discovered cigarettes, amphetamines, and inappropriate men and my god I was skinny then!

@WhatWillSantaBring I had a cancer scare (lump in breast that turned out to be a harmless cyst, but had to do the two week cancer pathway and have it scanned and then removed with a large needle) which has made me absolutely determined never to smoke again.
I started exercising a lot about 10 weeks ago, resistance workouts 3 times a week. Lots of walks. Some jogging. Didn’t lose a pound!

@thenewaveragebear1983 I loved smoking too - I still think about it but have realised that I can never have one because it is never just one. I enjoyed the whole thing, not just the nicotine. Actually clearly the nicotine isn’t what I miss as I can’t still have any in my body and I still sometimes think I’d love a cigarette!
I’m going home to get married and my mum smokes, in the past ive ended up having one with her and restarted but I’m not doing it this time. My partner hated me smoking and is so happy I’ve stopped, that’s a big motivation too.

@Plancina I think for me it was because I was incredibly shy and awkward as a teenager and smoking gave me a 'thing' and actually forged friendships (which I know is bollocks really, but in my head that's how it was). So when I am feeling low in confidence now it's my 'go to' thought and then my brain says 'you don't smoke anymore' and then I eat something.

I made the mistake of weighing myself this morning and only i could have put weight on!!!’ 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

We just had PT session over Zoom. Not a good scene after wine and cocktails last night. (not envy)

How is it doable that we can be sticking to the BSD and 800 calories (strictly) but two days in the last five weeks I’ve actually put weight ON. What gives? 😡

@Clevererthanyou - how much weight? It could be water, hormonal or muscle maybe? I put weight on one day in week 1 but lost 2kg over the whole week, I think my salty dinner made me hold onto water that morning.

My stomach feels flatter so I think something good is happening. It’s just the scales don’t agree.

plancina I’m due a visit in the next day so could be hormones, maybe? I went from 124.4 (from 133kg altogether so I was elated) to 126 😡 its back down to 124.8 but it’s soul wrenching when you try this hard!

justanother it’s a bummer when you feel like that. I have no wise advice I’m sorry 💐

There's lots of reasons why, water retention is usually the main one and reasons for retaining water can be: eating salty food, the actual Weight of food in your body from the day before, exercise causing muscles to hop water (if you ache after exercise this is water retention), our old friends hormones/PMT/ totm... or just because bodies and bathroom scales are both a little temperamental. The happy scale app is good for this as it irons out the fluctuations. I try not to weigh every day but I usually do, and it can be very motivating if losing but really upsetting when it's not. I will say this though: a good day always shows. Maybe not as dramatically as we hope, maybe not when we want it to, but a good day will never be wasted

I had a good day today and closing the kitchen up on 1289 cals and 28g carbs. I did bootcamp this morning and 2 school runs (11k steps)

Tomorrow I will go for a run first thing, then jobs at home. So again, lots of steps. Then circuits in the evening. Food will be salad lunch and dinner is fish on lime and coriander crushed peas from the book.

I’ve had a good day today food wise and done a workout but rubbish steps. I can’t face walking, feel so listless and tired.

I close on 826 and 25g carbs. First day back on it and I’m hungry but not starving.
Eggs and bacon for breakfast,
Feta with roasted veg at lunch
Pork meatball (singular 😂) with courgetti for dinner. 30min walk.

To all those who aren’t losing I found I lost 7 pounds in a week and then only 2 over the next 4 weeks, however I think the longer it stays off the more it is ‘real’ weight loss. I know if I had quit after the one week big loss it all would’ve gone straight back on.

@Plancina that's my favourite breakfast! Looks delicious!

@Postmanbear one solitary meatball....!

Up 400g at weigh-in this morning, thought that might be the case. I tend to have a few down days followed by one or two up days. [phlegmatic shrug]
B: Black coffee.
L: Inordinately spicy Roasted Pepper & Squash soup, with a slice of sourdough toast and a little butter (used to find it hard to eat soup without bread or toast on the side - thought I had kicked habit, but it's come creeping back).
D: Chargrilled chicken on skewers (excellent), with steamed veg from what there was in the fridge; fennel (never had plain, steamed fennel before, think I prefer it in a fish pie), courgettes, and French beans.
Closing on 801 calories.

@outwest fennel is really good if you Slice it finely and cook it in a little olive oil or butter, a couple of diced anchovies with the juice of 1/2 a lemon in a pan with the lid on so it sort of steams itself.

Hello, first day back on it after week off... we prob shouldn’t dwell too much on the week off. I was not sensible. Not at all. But I’m back! Had goodish day today despite being full of cold (trying in the current climate)

Weigh in on Friday, so got 3 more days for damage control.

Today I’ve had:
Tuna pate and veg sticks
Chicken bulgar wheat risotto
Square dark choc and milk for tea

Easing back in so not sure of cals or carbs but not too bad I think.

Off to catch up on rest off thread to see what I’ve missed. Hope you’ve all been doing well.

Thank you @Plancina, will remember that fennel tip.

Tangential thought - when I lived in a major city I could get big-gish Kilner-style jars full of anchovy fillets in oil. It was very economical. Can't seem to find any on Amazon that aren't tiny jars of 80g or 100g. Maybe a tub of salted anchovies will do.

@Justasecondnow I'm a fan of the chicken bulgar wheat risotto with artichokes!

outwest ah! I forgot the artichokes! Reason to remake. I’m loving the bulgar wheat these days. A good BSD discovery.

Enjoying catching up on the thread, you’re all making me very motivated.

Does anyone have any ideas for simple at work packed lunches that don't require loads of prep. In the past when limiting calories I would tend to have a mugshot and fruit - but I've looked and they are about 40g carbs! And not even that nice!

Are there any similarly convenient lunches that people can suggest. We have a kettle and microwave but no oven or hob

In summer I take salads or wraps using lettuce leaves rather than bread. Or a thin crepe / omelette as the wrap. Or just a mix of chicken pieces, olives, peppers, cucumber, maybe hummus, etc. Picky bits. Maybe for cooler weather get yourself a meal thermos. They have wider necks and pop whatever you had for dinner in there. So making extra at dinner time. The risottos, courgetti, any type of casserole/stew/curry etc or a soup.

Weight was static this morning so I’ve floated around the 10.3 / 10.2 mark all week but haven’t been amazingly strict so that’s fair enough. We had a pub lunch today so no idea of my cals etc but booze free albeit had lots of wine last night so can’t really gloat. DH is off this week so we’ve a few pub lunches planned but I’ll stick to BSD rules mostly and be a bit careful. I’d like to lose another 2-3lbs and maintain around 10st. I can see it creeping up easily so I know I’m going to have to be careful now I’m so close.

boris just seen you have a microwave so you don’t need the thermos. You can reheat dinners in the microwave so I’d definitely make extra each evening.