Search results

  1. M

    Venturing over...

    Hi all :) Hope you had good festive celebrations, and are now recovering (if recovery is necessary ;)). If you over-indulged be kind to yourself and allow yourself the luxury, forgive yourself (I'm doing that right now for me!) and keep on going towards your goals. I am just 'surveying the...
  2. M

    Venturing over...

    Hi all - hope everyone's okay. Been busy with pre-Christmas parties etc and 4 meals out :( all with naff crackers with manky plastic tat in them! Awwww.... wouldn't be a Christmas party without that! The 4 parties have been a bit of a psychological challenge to be honest. There's the...
  3. M

    Venturing over...

    We're at that point where the initial arrangements - the synchronicity of registrar, venue and date - are still to be finalised... BUT it'll be late summer next year, posibly even early autumn just as colours start to turn. Just reviewed the photos of me in dresses while the X Factor got a...
  4. M

    Lizz's "to Inslimity and beyond" diary

    Hey Lizz - how did your interview go? Hope all is well with you xxx
  5. M

    Venturing over...

    Evening, all. Another cr@ppy week of busy-ness and work-based insanity... some good some bad. No life to be had outside work... until the weekend. And today was a serious milestone in two ways. Yesterday, a colleague/friend left work for her new life in Sydney, Australia and I did a cake...
  6. M

    Venturing over...

    Good idea to try going up to 1500 - if you're routinely going over your body possibly needs that at present (I think the colder weather is having an effect because many folks I know both dieting and not dieting are commenting on increased intake for the winter - must be something human bodies...
  7. M

    Venturing over...

    Just checking in after one of the busiest few weeks I can remember. Feeling a bit distant as although I've dipped into 'Mins occasionally it's never been sufficiently long in duration to post anything anywhere. Primarily work mess and general annoyances - although outside of that wedding...
  8. M

    Perfect Diet Tracker

    Adding to the 'bump' - I've been using this for as long as the time I first posted here about it... and I've not regretted the spend (small that it is). The more you use it, the beter it gets, and it literally takes a few minutes every day to record and review what I've been eating, and check...
  9. M

    Lizz's "to Inslimity and beyond" diary

    Hey Lizz - sometimes distance helps, especially when there's rollercoaster-like ups and downs. Don't be a stranger for too long, but do what feels right for you, and remember to ride the waves, not let them roll over you xxx
  10. M

    Venturing over...

    Evening all. Been a bit quiet as I've been on holiday... much needed and much enjoyed. Hope you're all well - I've to catch up over the next few nights on how you've all been doing, now the washing pile is diminishing. This was my first 'thin' holiday in adult life! So much more energy to do so...
  11. M

    Venturing over...

    Last evening doesn't look bad at all, Bess. Except the Food Doctor bar - with you there! (ew!) You're mindful of the situation and the triggers, and that's half the battle. I'm 5' 6" - used to be slightly shorter as I had a back injury some time ago that caused all manner of posture issues. But...
  12. M

    Lizz's "to Inslimity and beyond" diary

    Lizz - this is excellent! Applying to be a CDC is ace - you'll be terrific! I'm still trying to decide whether I should or not, May go to the annual conference and see if I feel it might 'fit me'. I didn't find the time of having products on any plan affected my weight loss. Or did I...
  13. M

    Venturing over...

    Sounds entirely like good, sensible choices. What do you think it is about evenings? - someone else cooking? or some other association? - hope you can get your head around it! I struggle with evenings on stressful work days - like this week, which has been utter pants so far :( I would just...
  14. M

    Venturing over...

    It hides... mainly because I don't post to it very often! I struggled to find it last night... Keep working on it because you'll find your own version of it that works for you. You're not far off your goal by your stats. I have used the plans as a guide for the kind of eating pattern I'm...
  15. M

    Venturing over...

    Life does indeed happen - that's such a great way of putting it, Lizz! :) Perfection is an interesting one - because life so isn't! I've had days where I've 'gone over' (not massively - but consciously) and then I make sure moderate after that - usually by ditching some carbs (to which I'm a...
  16. M

    Venturing over...

    Evening all. Crikey - has it really been 2 weeks since I last posted? Life's been a bit manic - the kind of manic that BC (Before Cambridge) would have entailed returning from work and ringing the Chinese/Pizza house, sinking half a bottle of wine and drowning my sorrows. 5 days a week. And...
  17. M

    Alternative step up plans?

    Being completely honest, I didn't stick to all the meal ideas on 1000-1500. I'm pescatarian (veggie and fish) and to be frank there wasn't much that appealed. I did some, and had them 2-3 times per week. The rest of the time I used veg and proteins from SS+ and 810, and substituted into the meal...
  18. M

    Facing a lot of objection 5 stone in!

    I havn't had much objection, but there has been a notable shift as I've got further on with my CD journey, and of late it's been 'oh but you're stopping now right? cos you don't need to lose anymore now do you?' etc. The most notable was from a friend who jacked in Cambridge a few weeks back to...
  19. M

    Size 14!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Have never been to Cornwall before... but have had a hankering to visit for a while, and a sneaky suspicion I'll fall in love with it. Will be my first 'thin' holiday and we picked 'out of season' deliberately. Have a cottage rented for a week, central location, and a plan of activities that...
  20. M

    Some tips from me for life after Cambridge....Long

    Just started 'Maintenance' and remembered this thread, which I read a while back. And so I came back... There's so many thoughts going round in my head - hopes and fears, and intentions. Many intentions! I have willpower and a positive mental approach to maintenance - and there's this advice...
  21. M

    How to become a CDC?

    Lizz - I think you could certainly motivate people and help them on their journey! There's a whole raft of practical considerations here, as you'll probably be realising - as well as the all important 'could I help people?'. I think you could help people. Easily! Been thinking about this...
  22. M

    Size 14!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Don't beat yourself up - sounds like the indigestion did that sufficiently! :( Use the excellent size 14 experience and purchases to make sure that the new clothes stay fitting you, and get too loose in a few weeks time too when that last stone drops off. I originally aimed for size 14 and have...
  23. M

    my CD story is over!

    Crikey, Jim - what a rollercoaster you've been on :( Very glad you're recovering. You're smack on with the 'second chapter' thinking - absolutely the best way to think of it. You've done very very well indeed on CD, and reached that milestone of 100lbs so recently too. There's more...
  24. M

    Spring cleaned the wardrobe.........

    I'm just about to brave selling the best of my larger sized clothes on fleaBay. Keep having sessions with the camera, and writing descriptions so that I can put them up in batches. I must admit to having some trepidation - there's some good stuff, some BNWT Next suits etc. and I'd like to get...
  25. M

    if you've eaten

    Weight fluctuates through the day with intake (usually upwards, sadly for us all) and water is actually quite heavy. Plus your CD 'meals' weigh too. This could well be contributing to your scale situation. Understandable it happened given the circumstances you described - but get straight back...
  26. M

    if you've eaten

    If it was a slice of bread and a regular portion bag of crisps, I don't think you'll have done too much damage - but water probably won't flush it through. (Hoping you don't mean a whole loaf and a family pack of crisps!) If this could happen again (e.g. because they're in the house for other...
  27. M

    Venturing over...

    For the first time last week I went to my weigh in wearing my jeans. It's been linen trousers all summer, because they're the lightest trousers I had. It's reassuring to know I wasn't the only one with 'light fabric logic'! Haha! :rotflmao:
  28. M

    Omron scales

    DOH is so pleased with my progress and so annoyed with the simplicity and non-techiness of my £15 Lloyds scales (he's more of a Geek than me), he has apparently treated us to some Omron BF510 Body Fat & Composition Bathroom Scales, which are winging their way to us now. Thought I'd see if...
  29. M

    Venturing over...

    Well done for being at target! :) For me there's no other way to weight than starkers. First thing in the morning. And better that be after a 'loo visit' too... (although they can't always be conveniently ordered to the time of the weighing)
  30. M

    New Photo, 100lb gone :D

    Losing '100 pounds' isn't normally something to encourage celebration of... but this particular type of 100 pounds is very different! Well done!!! :happy036: Looking seriously hot, BTW.
  31. M

    810 fish?

    Salmon comes in at 1000 - and I would think rainbow trout is similar. It's an 'oily fish' too, I think. If I'd gone out for a meal whilst on 810 and there'd been no white fish, I'd have had rainbow trout/salmon, but would not have had it routinely, as the plan still says white fish.
  32. M

    Venturing over...

    Well said, Lizz! :) Balance is key, and also isn't perpetual. To appreciate balance I think you probably have to be reminded of what the extremes are like just occasionally, but not all the time. (Crikey - that would be exhausting!) Extremes help you recognise and appreciate the balance point...
  33. M

    Venturing over...

    I'm sure you'll relax as time goes on! I'm on 1500 now, and it's taken me a few days to settle into the swing of that, even. I seriously wobbled when I moved up to 810 from SS+ - the fear of not having ketosis as my friend anymore was massively overwhelming. Your comment about the 'safety...
  34. M

    Lizz's "to Inslimity and beyond" diary

    Good approach - and success here may well motivate you elsewhere too as time goes on. You're doing excellently well, and you're self aware - which is half the battle won already :)
  35. M

    Venturing over...

    At first, with the increased food amounts on 810 then 1000 later, I kept thinking about food also, and felt very weird about it. But I did SS+, which I think made coping with food easier in some respects because food never went away completely. I had some hunger with the increased quantities at...
  36. M

    Venturing over...

    Baking chocolate is a sore point for me for another reason, Lizz... while I was 'indisposed' on SS+ and beyond, DOH apparently raided my (I thought well-hidden) stash of Green & Black's cooking chocolate (actually intended for my celebration cake baking exploits) and wiped out all but a few...
  37. M

    Venturing over...

    I have absolutely no idea about that one, I'm afraid! And only DOH is more surprised than me :) I increased the Haribo stash... and still no touchy touchy. Baffling! But the mind over matter thing is certainly helped by yoga and meditation - sounds really tree-huggy I know, and more than a...
  38. M

    Venturing over...

    Excel tells me that on SS+ my average in lbs was a jolly decent 4.3 per week. On 810 it went to an average of 2.2 lbs per week. On 1000 an average of 1.8 lbs per week. On 1200 it weirdly went up to 2.2 lbs - until I remembered that I now have excess energy (a new discovery!) and actually did a...
  39. M

    Eeeeekkk!!!!! Scared of 1000

    I had regular losses on 1000 - smaller than on SS+ and 810, but you can expect things to slow down. About 1-2 lbs per week. Only when I moved up has it slowed down to up to 1lb. Don't let the fear get to you - fear's a swine for that! It thrives on its own success - so don't give it the...
  40. M

    Lizz's "to Inslimity and beyond" diary

    Looking good, Lizz! :) Your approach and the way you feel about the experience of food at and beyond the wedding is just right - you have some amazing memories and BIG milestones in a short period of time. You deserved to enjoy yourself and I'm absolutely certain you'll be back on track exactly...
  41. M

    going the whole hog

    I would do it - I have been in the position wherby I adjusted my goal as I neared the original one. Am glad I did so, and I have reached the new goal feeling very comfortable. If your CDC is supporting you, then that's great. Don't forget - you'll lose weight as you move up the plans too...
  42. M

    Week 22 weigh in and I'm "NORMAL" YIPPEE!

    :happy036: Dead chuffed for you - well done!
  43. M

    Venturing over...

    A few weeks in and now up to 1200, and the most remarkable changes seem to have occured. Firstly, I got to goal... and am now beyond it. I reintroduced some exercise (not triathlon or anything too manic!) and it's gradually toning my new body and also having a little accelerative push on the...
  44. M

    Lizz's "to Inslimity and beyond" diary

    Welcome to maintenance, Lizz - your head is absolutely in the right place and you will achieve your goal! :) I continued to lose steadily whilst on 810 and 1000... and a little is slipping away on 1200 (although this may be my new found - and deeply joyful - 'regularity'! That'll be the fruit...
  45. M

    GOAL !

    Congratulations! :) Very well done - dead chuffed for you!
  46. M

    Finally got to Goal!!

    Very very well done! :) Feels great doesn't it? - enjoy it!
  47. M

    Friends...talking about your weight...

    I'm usually amused and laid back about this, accepting that I'm a curiosity. But sometimes, just sometimes, it irks me - and if one more person says to me 'So are you back on solids then..?' I am in grave danger of punching them!!! I'm getting sick of it now, that and the 'Don't lose any more -...
  48. M

    still a no go

    Coffee is also an excellent stimulant! When the bouts of constipation have eased, and to promote daily visits, my morning pot of strong brazilian coffee is pretty much guaranteed to get me toddling off to the loo. The people who share my cell space at work are well used to it, and reckon they...
  49. M

    Spaniel's Ears... boys look away now

    Can I join the club? - granted, size wise it's not been too bad, but shape wise they resemble a ski jump. And the top is now peppered with protruding rib tops :( However, Ultimo to the rescue! - at least disguises the ski jump with the hulking great sack of boulder-gel :D
  50. M

    still a no go

    While you're 'backed up', taking Fibre 89 may be backing you up further. It's a bulking agent BUT doesn't itself help your bowel to move. It simply gives the bowel something to move - problem is your bowel has gone on strike :( I suffered throughout SS+ (meal option) with this problem...
  51. M

    A Size 12 Dress !!!!!!!!!!

    PS never apologise for 'boasting'! Every post like this can be a potential motivator to others.
  52. M

    A Size 12 Dress !!!!!!!!!!

    Feels great, doesn't it?! :) That's one very cool dress and you look FAB. I had this experience too - I was aiming for a 14, but got 12 into the bargain. I just got into Next size 12 jeans this evening - and they're the worst kind of jeans for small-sizing.
  53. M

    Reading this brought some Q to me

    Re: article - OMG that's so blinkered it's untrue. It's like something the Inquisition put together... Re: ketosis breath - Boots do an excellent sugar-free breath spray; Listerine for a good swoosh works (they even do handbag-friendly bottles of the lilac Total variety); Gold Spot is sugar...
  54. M

    Goodbye everyone and thanks so much for support

    Hey Broxi - looking at your info, we started about the same time. So sorry this didn't work out for you as it has for me, BUT you've listened to your body/instinct and recognised that you can't sustain the low mood. That's a positive choice - having myself suffered serious depression in the past...
  55. M

    Quorn Info for those on SS+

    The Cambridge book says chunks and mince. True, they're the 'purest' of the Quorns and have high protein and low carb content. This is why they're the listed products. Remember there are beef style chunks now, also. By personal choice I have had the plain Quorn fillets (not the breadcrumbed...
  56. M

    New Pre-CD Picture...

    Good heavens - what a transformation! Jim - you look fab! You'll have more girlies flirting with you than the one in the shop the other day you told us about :) Agreeing with Lizz here, change your profile pic to the recent one. Relatedly, I had a Fab for the first time last week on a day out...
  57. M

    In the words of the blessed Bon Jovi

    Very well done! :) Milestones are great! Set more - they're magical because when you set them, they become so reachable. Milestones are like little spells ;)
  58. M

    I got refused!

    Fight it. Your GP (from the sound of it) will support you. You've paid into the NHS all your working life - like the rest of us. It's farcical that when we need it, it's often not there for us. Difficult to do, and easy to say but don't let this bring you down. Turn the anger and frustration...
  59. M

    Anti-depressants and CD

    A lady at work who's been really supportive of me on my CD journey stopped me today as I passed her desk and asked about CD. She has read about it on the website but is currently on anti-depressants. These seem to be contraindicated in all the Cambridge literature, but she's on a longterm low...
  60. M

    HELP-Cambridge Bars query......

    Peanut bars are nice but can have these effects. I tend to have one and simultaneously take a Windeze capsule. Sorts out the problems very nicely, and leave you free to enjoy the Snickers-like sensation of the bar. Re constipation, try Fibre 89 or psyllium husks. BUT not until you've been and...
  61. M

    [OT] KIDS!!! Grrr

    After reading this was going to say glad I have cats (3 of them)... then I remembered the evening I got home from work last week to a (ritualistic) circle of feathers, a foot, a half-eaten beak and a bird-sized scalp with a plume of feathers still attached. All behind the front door. Kids don't...
  62. M

    Mmmmmmm

    Jim - have you tried vanilla mousse with a layer of fresh raspberries at the bottom? To die for... Sorry to you guys not on 1000 yet :( - add it to your list of tries for when you are, it's gorgeous.
  63. M

    Friend throwing in CD towel

    Thanks broxi - it may help him to know someone else has a similar experience. I think he feels a bit isolated and was certainly defensive (didn't need to be!) when he told me and another girl we know who's doing CD about it.
  64. M

    Friend throwing in CD towel

    Will do :) Can I ask if you have any inkling why this happens for you?
  65. M

    Friend throwing in CD towel

    Thanks all - he's going his own way, and I'll certainly support him there (probably with the same 'blunt' honesty I get from him, though - we work that way, by mutual agreement!)... but the 'body chemistry' thing is just the strangest reason/excuse I've come across. Pushed him on it a little...
  66. M

    Well Chuffed...

    Well done, you! :D Great feeling isn't it? - enjoy!
  67. M

    Friend throwing in CD towel

    Would welcome some views from y'all on the progression (...I would say natural) of my friend who's been doing CD, and announced to me today he's thrown in the towel to 'go it alone'. Some of you already know about this from my initial post in the recent thread 'The cost of CD'. His reasoning? -...
  68. M

    OT: Imperial vs Metric

    Metric - have had to learn imperial conversion because everyone else I speak to doesn't "understand new money"?! (their words, invariably)
  69. M

    Gym Assessment Tomorrow

    If you can get 'into' (or at least tolerant of!) the cross trainer it's one of the best types of exercise to get all over results and tone, and quite quickly. If I could fit one in my house, I'd get one tomorrow!
  70. M

    Cottage Cheese ?

    With chive and onion didn't harm me or my ketosis - onion is off limits generally, but the amounts in the cottage cheese are miniscule. The type with pineapple was very tempting, but I didn't. It was difficult, but I resisted...
  71. M

    24 hours after knuckling down...

    Blimey - nicely back on track there, Jim! Very impressed.
  72. M

    Saggy Skin Treatment

    Palmers cocoa butter firming lotion is also very good - designed for people who've had weight loss. I used it liberally before and during the early stages of CD and I've no significant sagging currently. I use it for 'top ups' now, a couple of times per week.
  73. M

    Feeling deprived?

    I've had no sense of deprivation on Cambridge. Other people had more feelings of deprivation on my part as a result of me doing Cambridge! I made a choice to do a VLCD - and I compromised by following SS+ and taking a meal in the evening. This was because I wanted to achieve weight loss...
  74. M

    Erm... goal!

    Haha! I like that - it has a ring to it! :) At work, they have apparently been calling me The Incredible Shrinking Woman... never to my face though, damn them!
  75. M

    Erm... goal!

    Thanks all :) Now it's sinking in I do feel rather pleased - although a bit surprised as I really didn't expect it today. Have just braved the bra fitting at Debenhams - and very good they were too. Psychic also - they picked the very bras, colours (black, and hot pink... of course!) and styles...
  76. M

    Erm... goal!

    Title says it all. Had a dodgy week (up-down-up-down-BLOAT-up-down) and wasn't really expecting more than a STS... then did my Sunday morning weigh-in and reached my goal! :D Tomorrow I celebrate with DOH and a 'Pamper Day' at Centerparcs spa :) - booked a while ago, so did my body know when...
  77. M

    "When diets go wrong"

    Glad I didn't see this program. No intention of seeking it out either, based on accounts here! You'd think doctors would know better than to make sweeping statements along the lines of 'when you finish X diet you're going to put it all back on again'. How long did it take most of us to get to...
  78. M

    ketosis?

    See if your CDC has any Ketostix - I only had the dog breath sign at first, and the sticks reassured me that I was actually in Ketosis and not just needing to floss. Later I got the being cold sign, but that was a few weeks in.
  79. M

    What You See In The Mirror.............

    Strangely, I've been contemplating this a lot over the last few days too. And today I'm definately having 'a fat day' - even though I've lost over 60lbs in total and am several dress sizes smaller and have obviously lost weight!!! Bonkers. But generally my brain isn't believing I am 'slim' yet...
  80. M

    GMTV Body Image Test

    "Like most of us you aren't entirely satisfied with your body. However, you realise that we can't all be supermodels and at times feel great about the way you look" Blimey. Wasn't expecting that.
  81. M

    Playing with non-CD recipes? *Food mentioned*

    That's random - mine came with a 7 day trial period, had I not loved it and licensed it at a reduced rate within the first day... Was the 'continue with trial period' button available on screen? Every time I went in until I popped my license key in I had to click it to get any further.
  82. M

    Playing with non-CD recipes? *Food mentioned*

    I just started using Perfect Diet Tracker based on KD's recommendation - it's fab. Love it. I bought a license within 24 hours of installing and using it - plus if you get hooked (as I did) and buy early in the trial you get a reduced price. I'm an avid cook too - and this is one reason why I...
  83. M

    The 'cost' of CD

    Aside from the cost of buying CD products, I've noticed I'm saving money on weekly food-related expenses too. Especially the 'snacking' ones, where a coffee from the coffee shop inevitably leds to a cookie or cake, or a bad day leads to a 'can't be bothered to cook' takeaway from the local...
  84. M

    The 'cost' of CD

    Can you place a cost on CD... or specifically on the outcomes of CD? Can you, or should you? I know - sounds a bit mad, because we all pay in money for our CD shakes/soups/bars/porridge so of course it has 'a cost'... bear with me! I've a friend who's also doing CD and all along they've said...
  85. M

    Revised my goal weight!

    Good for you! You'll do it for sure. I adjusted my goal as I got close to the original too, and I'm on the brink of 'fine tuning' it again - heading for a 'happy weight' between 10st 7lbs and 10st 10lbs, and a comfortable size 12. I didn't expect to achieve a 12 - it was a bit of a surprise...
  86. M

    will anyone else miss the shakes/soups?

    You're not alone - I will miss the bars! - so much so I've asked my CDC if I can still buy them from her when I'm done :) However, it's not so much madness/weird dependency as part of 'a plan'. I used to have protein bars and shakes way back before CD and know they work for satisfying cravings...
  87. M

    First Shake/Soup?

    7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm. Keeps it evenly spaced out during the day.
  88. M

    Stir Fries on SS+

    I shred savoy cabbage finely and use it as a noodles substitute - stir fries very well. Those very fine asparagus tips are also really good stir fried.
  89. M

    What to order on your first week?

    It's only bars and drink flavourings you can't have in the first fortnight, as I recall. I'd order a few extras (keep a couple of spares at work - because until you're in the habit you may forget to take them with you! - I did...). If you get a flavour you REALLY don't like when you first sip...
  90. M

    Perfect Diet Tracker

    PS When searching for 'Cambridge Diet Chocolate bar' rather than just my very lazy 'Cambridge' I'm getting more results... Chocolate bar Chocolate orange bar and more too as I search again... that'll teach me for being slovenly with my search terms :(
  91. M

    Perfect Diet Tracker

    I see a list of the following so far: Cambridge Diet shake Malt Toffee bar Soup Shake Porridge Original Strawberry Silk Tetra
  92. M

    Perfect Diet Tracker

    I'm a Geek. It helps when you work in IT. I LOVE this product! I've got it hardwired to 1000 (the step I'm on). LOVE the fact it has CD products. LOVE the configurability. So far so good... Thanks for the link and info, KD :)
  93. M

    Advice Please - Night Out

    I had a Big Event (this one was worky, many senior influential people there etc) very early on. My objectives were: don't miss the event; allow myself to participate to an extent I'm comfy with; make sure I don't draw attention to myself and become THE topic of everyone else's conversation! I...
  94. M

    Transition from 810 to 1000

    Good luck with your upcoming maintenance, herewego! :) I think apprehensive is 'normal' - and one of the reasons I started posting on this very matter of transitioning up the steps. Keep thinking I should start a Pinky thread on the 1000 forum... but it's busier and more traffic here :) I...
  95. M

    Transition from 810 to 1000

    PS - so far no bloating and IBS symptoms... which has been a surprise. Maybe that's still to come...
  96. M

    Transition from 810 to 1000

    A few days into 1000 and I'm really enjoying it :) Fruit=a gift from the gods! Got eggs back this morning - had one poached on a small piece of Hovis granary. Just enough to satisfy for most of the morning! Looking forward to the same tomorrow. Did anyone else moving up to 1000 find that the...
  97. M

    Love Sauce ok?

    OMG - this thread is surreal... (shakes head in amazement, amusement and utter disbelief). When I visit again tomorrow, will everything be back to normal? ...please..? ;)
  98. M

    last 2 letters = first 2 letters

    yes there is. nth
  99. M

    Scared - Don't know what to do?? advice please

    Reading with great interest, having just taken the step up to 1000 and being carb sensitive. Can't give you any advice based on experience, Ruth, but I can tell you the way you're thinking resonates with me and I really hope it settles for you soon, because it's awful feeling that way...
  100. M

    [OT] Mac Head

    'Mac Head'... I like it. Now there's one to throw casually into the office chit-chat and see who looks guilty (I'm an IT manager, in a staunchly 'Microsoft' organisation). Could get lively if it 'outs' anyone...
  101. M

    4 Months ago today, i found the Cambridge Way!

    YEY for you, Lizz! :woohoo: And when you put it like that, then yes, am totally agreeing too! I started on May 10th and in that short period of time my life is utterly changed forever too. You've done so well... be proud!
  102. M

    Transition from 810 to 1000

    Started 1000 this morning as planned… how weird to have no added sugar muesli and find that it's actually sweet enough! All those years adding honey… Also weird that by 11am I was still not hungry - it kept my hunger at bay. Normally by 10.30 I'm grumbling away even on CD porridge! Am...
  103. M

    Porridge update

    Must've been some cosmic 'good porridge' day - I made up my last CD porridge sachet of 810 this morning, did everything the way I usually do but when it came out it was absolutely perfect consistency, texture etc, no need to leave it sitting to thicken. It was Good Porridge. I started the day...
  104. M

    Virgin Cambridge Dieter

    Welcome, pinkbabexxx! :) - nice to see another pink-person on here! You can lose quite a few pounds in your first week or so as your body uses up its glycogen stores. I assume your CDC is doing your weigh ins (as you don't indicate you've had a sneaky look on the scales). With your holiday...
  105. M

    Transition from 810 to 1000

    Good luck, eyeontheprize! Keep me updated on your progress too! :)
  106. M

    Transition from 810 to 1000

    Hi Dreamingmaid - good to hear about your progress on 1000 so far, esp the losses and anticipated losses! - sounds like you're settling into it. I hope that happens for me too. Thanks for the heads-up re: the bloating and constipation. In all likelihood it'll get me too :( - forewarned is...
  107. M

    Transition from 810 to 1000

    Sounds entirely reasonable, not stubborn! :) I just shifted my goal slightly, which is where my 4lbs has come from - it was 11st/70kg (just about reached) and then I set my sights on 10st 10lbs/68kg instead... and my mom remembered that's how I was for years... so like you say, it's important...
  108. M

    Transition from 810 to 1000

    Cool :) - we should gee each other up as we progress through it and find out the 'quirks' (and joys) we'll undoubtedly find it has!
  109. M

    Transition from 810 to 1000

    Thanks - my CDC said to start with 3a, eventually (week or two) move onto 3b, then upwards again etc. when stepping up to stabilise. As long as ultimately I can lose my final 4lbs somewhere in 1000-1200 I'll be reasonably content. Am mainly just worried about carb-bloating and associated IBS...
  110. M

    Body parts

    I've not had much chance to consider at length what bits I like or don't like now I'm thinner, until reading this thread. My boobs shrunk. Gutted! Am still not too happy, and despite professional measuring have yet to find the perfect bra fit. Fortunately the two bras I have from halfway...
  111. M

    Transition from 810 to 1000

    'Evening all - I'm moving up from 810 to 1000. Is it likely I'll experience either a stay-the-same or some slight weight gain moving up to 1000? As some of you know, I had this for a week or so on 810... it scared me witless, but weight loss resumed in earnest within a week, and I'm wondering if...
  112. M

    Venturing over...

    Thanks all - am nervous (anticipation, so close to goal etc) but glad to be here! CurlyWurly - I'm so-o-o-o looking forward to fruit myself! I had none in the house this morning except bananas (DOH's banana stash - untouchable by anyone else, on pain of strop!) so had the childlike joy of...
  113. M

    Venturing over...

    Hi all - from tomorrow I'm stepping up to 1000 (3a), after a successful run of SS+ and a surprisingly productive fortnight of 810. Been lurking here for a week or so, anticipating this moment. Am hoping that I'll still lose, but a little more slowly to finally achieve my goal weight - which I...
  114. M

    Porridge

    It's definately supposed to be lumpy - I found it can be a bit thin as well as lumpy... ew!.. so I add the measured hot water in slowly whilst stirring to a paste with a fork - keeps the lumps to an oaty norm. I also find leaving it for a couple of minutes when it's come out of the microwave...
  115. M

    Having trouble coping...

    If your suspicion about mental health is correct, that would certainly explain the reaction you got from him, and why it was irrational. It sounds to me as if you are coming to a decision inside yourself about what best to do with this one. You raise valid points about not wanting him to lose...
  116. M

    Having trouble coping...

    It would be great if it could be done and dusted by the time you go - having it hanging over you is not a pleasant prospect. Presumably it would get to court only if he contested any dismissal that arose from it? Remember that you always have a choice - it's up to you whether you proceed (or...
  117. M

    Having trouble coping...

    There's nothing wrong with you at all. You've a massive amount of 'Big Life Changes' going on in a very short period of time and with the harrassment thing added to that it's entirely understandable you're struggling to cope. Anyone would with that sheer amount of stuff going on! You'll be hard...
  118. M

    worried re: 810

    Thankyou! Certainly is a good feeling - there's a spring in my step and a slight delirium about me this morning!
  119. M

    Post Your Measurements !

    Waist was 36 - now 29 Hips were 47 - now 39 Bust was 43.5 - now 37.5 (gutted!) Arms were 13.5 - now 11 Thighs were 25.5 - now 21 I have no idea where all the 25kg/55lbs I've lost was hiding because the inch losses aren't especially massive. I can equate my weight loss to 2.5 bags of Asda Cat...
  120. M

    Exercise - what do you do?

    Since starting SS+ I ditched exercise because a) I was warned not to overdo it and b) I had no energy to for the first few weeks anyway. Halfway through SS+ I took a few days off work and myself and DOH had some days out in which much walking and exploring of country parks and historic sites was...
  121. M

    worried re: 810

    Just to bring this up to date, 1 week on and I've weighed in with a total loss this week of 2.1 kg/4.5lbs!!! (my 4th biggest loss in the 14 weeks I've been doing CD) :happy036: So it seems that body 'adjustment' to the next step up was (in all likelihood) to blame, KD was absolutely spot on...
  122. M

    Finally cracked the mousse!!

    I do the same - far smoother end result. For making up the mousse, I don't use a hand blender - I have one of those 'smoothie' blenders and whizz the whole lot up in that. Every time I use a hand blender there's a splatting experience and I end up wearing whatever I'm blending :(
  123. M

    Good scales

    I use the ones from Lloyds pharmacy - they come in at around £15. When I first met my CDC turned out she uses them too, as do other CDCs she knows. They have 'people memory' so you can key in your vital stats (and for your family members too), and then they'll measure your weight (kilos,lbs, st...
  124. M

    ideas for holidays

    Would have to be Iceland, followed by Greenland and then a long tour across the north/Arctic coast of Canada ending in Vancouver - where my cousin lives. Not mad keen on hot weather but very keen on dramatic landscapes and barren wildernesses. Actually, that amount of money would probably just...
  125. M

    Don't know what to do- advice please

    That's exactly when I weigh - can't remember where I read it first, possibly several places, but it's sound advice. No point in weighing gunk! ;)
  126. M

    You know you're a CD-head when...

    - you know you're a CD-head when... you actually look forward to weeing on a small white stick and it turning any colour than beige
  127. M

    Don't know what to do- advice please

    Thanks :) It was one hell of a battle with myself sticking at 810 for another week and not fear-ditching back to SS+ - I didn't realise I was such an obtuse cow until I did battle with me on this! :D Will be resuming my twice weekly weighs now things are moving again. Just needed the...
  128. M

    worried re: 810

    Glad it's of help :) This diet works. I'm learning that there are still ups and downs - my downs are well documented here - but overall it's been so-o-o-o satisfying. I don't doubt there'll be some challenges ahead as I step up, but this forum is an absolute lifeline.
  129. M

    Don't know what to do- advice please

    All of the feelings you describe I've been feeling too - you're not alone and you're not sounding obsessed! (although my DOH did strongly hint that I was starting to sound obsessed when I was going on at him all through last week and the weekend! The cheek...). Having done 12 weeks on SS+ and...
  130. M

    Hair loss - is it common?

    I started taking the Tesco supplement 6 weeks into SS+ - mainly because they had it on 3 for 2 and I couldn't see any difference other than a massive amount of money between its ingredients and the 'market leader'. My CDC wasn't overly concerned. I've not noticed loss as yet and am 14 weeks in...
  131. M

    Ever feel bloated?

    I get bloated all the time - but I used to suffer badly from IBS when not on CD and it takes very little to upset my system :( 'Tummy like a coconut' is how I had it described to me, and that description certainly fitted. Had it really bad the last week or so... have had it on/off all through...
  132. M

    Week 16 weigh in: Weight Gain? WTF!!!

    Totally sympathise with how you're feeling Lizz - have had a dodgy week myself, my first week on 810. Almost a kilo gain which fortunately dropped off on weigh in day (water!) and I stayed the same weight as last week. Same measurements as last week too. Then today, (1 day on from weigh in) I...
  133. M

    worried re: 810

    Normally I do twice a week - but with the gain earlier this week (which was tangible) I was compelled to keep a close eye on it. And did indeed drive myself mad for 3 days! Reverting back to my twice weekly now :)
  134. M

    Healthy BMI or really thin?

    I set a goal of 3 stone and 2 dress sizes (to a 14). My CDC set a goal of 4 stone (which I didn't believe would be possible) because that would get my BMI down to healthy normal. It was BMI based for CD purposes. I really didn't think I'd get to that... but I almost have and am surprised to be...
  135. M

    worried re: 810

    And this morning I'm back down to Ticker weight! So-o-o-o-o frustrating gaining 0.9kg of precisely nothing and feeling bloaty and horrible with it. Grrrr!
  136. M

    worried re: 810

    Having a weird day – was none too pleased this morning when a (compulsive) jump on the scales revealed that since yesterday I'd gained another 0.6 kilos! :eek: I really hope the aforementioned settling down comes soon. It's all going the wrong way! I'm still hanging on in there though...
  137. M

    Ugly days

    I'm having an ugly day today :( - I feel (and look) bloated and my face has erupted into not one, not two but seven large festering spots :cry: It's my first ugly day in ages, and I'm nowhere near TOTM! Must just be one of those days. Started badly when I gained 0.3kg (am 4 days into 810) so...
  138. M

    worried re: 810

    Thanks, all. I had a feeling it may be part of the process, but fear was kicking in to override common sense. The reasons suggested make sense, and KD's advice is - as always - reassuring! I think the trepidation is heightened because I'm so pleased with my losses so far and stepping up is...
  139. M

    worried re: 810

    I'm on my first week of 810 after a very successful SS+ phase of 12 weeks. At the end of SS+ I had almost reached my goal weight of 70kg/11st. I weigh myself twice per week, and this morning the scales show a 0.3kg (less than a pound) gain – small, but a gain nonetheless :( I dropped out of...
  140. M

    CD and IBS

    Poor you :( - I sympathise as I suffered from IBS for a couple of years. When I started CD, within a fortnight it calmed right down and (touchwood) throughout SS+ I havn't seen much of it at all. I'm hoping that as I move up the steps and take on board more food, it won't come back. With you...
  141. M

    OMG!!

    Weird - is it a banana and chocolate day?! This morning I had a strange compulsion to take half choc and half banana with me to work as my shake... and had it cold but it was LOVELY! I have the remaining two halves... and will try them hot tomorrow :)
  142. M

    Skimmed milk on 810

    That sounds better than a mass of Quorn, tofu or cottage cheese! :)
  143. M

    Skimmed milk on 810

    Just started 810 today having had a very successful phase of SS+. The only problem I foresee so far is skimmed milk. Not because I prefer semi-skimmed or full fat etc, but because milk has never factored very highly in my diet at all... so when faced with 340ml of skimmed milk to consume, I find...
  144. M

    Any one a veggie & on SS+?

    Not tried that with garam masala - and will! Have done similar with the same ingredients and thai/chinese spice - yum!
  145. M

    Any one a veggie & on SS+?

    I'm veggie - well, specifically pescatarian, but most people don't know what that is so I say 'veggie and fish'. Am doing SS+. Fish is pretty pricey so I've had it only once or twice a week in truth - the rest of the time it's been Quorn and Tofu and creative use of cottage cheese within the...
  146. M

    How are you preparing for long term maintenance

    Low GI and as low carbs as I can muster is the way I'm going. Have bought a mass of different recipe books to keep me going and stop me getting bored. My postman hates my Amazon habit. Because I like the 'predictability' of CD, I have every intention of defining an eating plan for my meals that...
  147. M

    exercise

    I do 1.5 - 3 hours yoga per week - I just about have the energy for that. Am on SS+ but have been very 'weak' throughout so I keep it light. For when I'm stepping up the plans, I have a book called the 'No Gym Workout' which I'll be dipping into to reintroduce exercise in a manageable way.
  148. M

    Positive Changes...!

    I work in a massive open plan office with a chair per person - strict! - and when visiting people up and down the floor (which I have to do in my line of work) I can now perch on their desk whilst talking without fear of the desk bowing visibly under the weight of my butt and creaking audibly...
  149. M

    Am i allowed to ask this?? Re Sex...?

    My weight gain threw a massive spanner into the works of my sex life. Contentious in some ways, but I was overweight, and depressed, and stressed all at once, and after 9 years together it just 'died' and he was honest enought to tell me that my weight was a massive part of the problem for him...
  150. M

    New attitude issue - a minor yet growing irritation

    Unbelievable! Downright rude and blooming cheeky! Definately jealousy, as you've done so-o-o-o-o well! :)
  151. M

    New attitude issue - a minor yet growing irritation

    Thanks all, it's amazing the effect CD has on people - from jealousy to starting CD themselves. I'll absolutely keep going to my goal, because that's what will put me into the 'normal' weight range and a healthy BMI. But I'll probably end up with a big fat bottom lip from biting it hard next...
  152. M

    New attitude issue - a minor yet growing irritation

    Just a little rant to get something out of my head which is starting to bug me. There've been threads here about other people's 'bad attitude' to CD when they find out you're doing it. I was fortunate - I've had nothing but supportive comments from friends, family and colleagues thus far - and...
  153. M

    Woo Hoo! It just keeps coming off!!

    Very well done! Just been having very similar thoughts to these whilst doing the washing up - how utterly amazing and life-changing the losses are, and in such a short period of time!
  154. M

    Was just wondering... CD & Alli?

    Before I started CD I bought a months supply of Alli. I think it was desperation. It sat on the shelf as I read more and more about it trying to pluck up the courage to start it, and then I began to think it wasn't such a good idea after all. It's still there now, untouched - but I broke the...
  155. M

    Blood Pressure help

    I was advised to beware of hypotension-like symptoms when I was considering a VLCD - you're right, a CDC could best answer that question for you as you've a medical history of it. I hope you are able to carry on the yoga. I'd be gutted without my yoga practise, and it sounds like you really...
  156. M

    I feel such a kipper... just burst into tears

    Wow - chuck out that kipper, you're entitled to your moments of joy! I've had a 'moment' myself today when I (out of habit) bought a 16 in a sale and had to take it back and swap it for a 14! That was surreal. Then I had another moment when passing a Jane Norman branch - I have always been...
  157. M

    Blood Pressure help

    I have a history of high blood pressure - normal since CD and losing so much weight. I'm on SS+. Responding because I also do yoga. I have found that anything where my head goes below waist level causes me to be very light headed and disoriented. I'm damned if I'm giving up yoga, so my yoga...
  158. M

    Keeping your mind and hands busy (FOOD PICS)

    Excellent cake! When you say 'sugar' are they gum paste shoes, or modelling fondant? You are certainly good enough to do it for business :) I wimped out of straps when I recently did a cake for a shoe-a-holic - they kept dropping off :( I also do cakes for special occasions (hobby not...
  159. M

    YIPPEE!!!! I'm overweight!!!!!!!

    Well done!!! I recently got to this milestone too, and it feels GREAT! You must be chuffed!
  160. M

    quorn on SS+

    I'm SS+ and I've had the Quorn chicken style and beef style chunks (new), and also the Quorn mince. Quorn fillets, if you can get them, are not too bad - a small amount of onion, but I've rarely found more than one little chunk in an average Quorn fillet. Have also on occasion had plain Quorn...
  161. M

    Bars and wind! Sorry if TMI LOL

    Windeze capsules: 1 bar + 1 capsule (+ additional water) = socially acceptable CDer!
  162. M

    How many of us just wear black? (photos)

    Colour looks good on you - and probably on me too... but I keep on wearing black because I'm an old Goth! Wore black everything since the age of 12, through thin teen into larger twentysomething into larger still into Buxom Wench and now as I shrink back down to Slimmy Thing! I do like to...
  163. M

    Why are people so negative about this diet???

    Reading this thread with interest - a good, frank and relevant debate so far from all. I may be in a minority, but I've been open with people in my life about CD and I have had nothing but support, encouragement, interest and no negative opinions. Not even from my dad, who can rarely ever help...
  164. M

    Dizzy, weak and wobbly

    Am on week 7 of SS+ and have been doing pretty well weight and inch-loss wise. This week it's been slower (I'm not disheartened!) - but I've noted that I get dizzy/wobbly a couple of times per day and feel quite weak and lethargic, and that's started this week. I've not had this before but know...
  165. M

    Fave bars

    Chocolate and toffee. I love the chewiness - but I've had protein bars before and am used to the strange spongy texture. Peanut crunch is good too, also Caramel. Cranberry crunch is okay but would be better with more cranberry 'bits' in it. I couldn't cope with the orange when I first had it...
  166. M

    porridge

    Sounds right to me. Drinks flavourings also become an option from Week 3 onwards... At which point porridge flavour number 3 comes into scope - a dash of Summer Berry drink flavouring (into the Porridge Original) makes a raspberry oat so simple!
  167. M

    porridge

    I believe so. I had porridge from Week 1 - and my weight loss has been progressive and good!
  168. M

    GUTTED week 4 weigh in

    Could be a plateau, I've had a low one followed by a high loss. Bear with it and see how you go next time.
  169. M

    Yummy Yummy Bars.

    I've become a bit of a bar fan - 5 a week, and have not noticed that my weight loss has slowed.
  170. M

    Finally in the 12's!

    Well done! :) 12s is my next goal and I'm not far off... and that will be the lightest I've been for over 10 years!!!
  171. M

    Sachets! That is what we need!

    I found it very sickly too - so I add half a teaspoon to the same amount of water and that made it drinkable. Orange reminded me of orange/lemon sherbet. Berry is a little bit weird - again, sickly if you make it as directed... but I have no idea what type of berry it's supposed to be!
  172. M

    OMG - Frozen Tetra's

    I followed the 150ml directions on the mix-a-mousse container, even though there was no food pack - mainly because I wanted a firm set and a quantity I know fits in a specific ramekin. Could only eat half of it - light but filling! May try more water and a 'wobblier' jelly... and orange...
  173. M

    OMG - Frozen Tetra's

    Frozen tetras are GREAT! :D Left my chocolate one for 7 hours in total - just set through, firmly set at the outside. Absolutely scrumptious! As luck would have it, I did have time to also try BubblyPenguin's accompaniment suggestion of jelly - summer berry jelly to be precise. Wasn't keen...
  174. M

    OMG - Frozen Tetra's

    Great idea - jelly and ice cream!!! Not sure I'll have time to make the jelly... but I'll give it a go, it'll keep in the fridge once it's set.
  175. M

    OMG - Frozen Tetra's

    Having seen this thread, I was inspired... and am currently freezing the contents of a choc tetra brick for a treat dessert after my SS+ meal later. Bizarrely, the whole process has me checking the freezer around every 20 minutes to see how far it's off setting solid!?! (it's slow - probably...
  176. M

    peanut bars

    Re the 'wind', I found the peanut bars (and also others) gave me 'issues'... and have solved it by having a Windeze capsule before I eat a bar. Since I've been doing that, absolutely no chuffing!!! :) All my bars now sit in their drawer each with a capsule in packaging sellotaped to the...
  177. M

    Funny Supermarket Observations!! (Food Mentioned)

    A while back my partner and I popped into our local Asda whilst passing for some urgent supplies. It may have been the strangest trolley she'd ever seen, as the checkout girl's expression was priceless when along came 5 bags of value cat litter and a loaf of bread. Quick-thinking partner...
  178. M

    Slendertone Belt

    I've got one - it does work at tightening up the muscles underneath, and isn't uncomfortable to use. Was using mine regularly before CD but for some reason I can't fathom I 'forgot it existed' once I'd started CD!?! I now feel a little guilted out and will trot off to find it - it may as well be...
  179. M

    Skin and Nails

    Good heavens! I checked mine when I read this, which used to be like Dinosaur skin (probably) and they're peachy soft and uncracked. Bonus! I wish the soles of my feet were going the same way...
  180. M

    When do you weigh in?

    I weigh in late afternoon with my CDC, but I read in a few places that a consistent time and preferably first thing in the morning is best. I keep a regular record of these weigh-ins - on an empty stomach and before I start drinking water - as well as a record of my once a week weigh ins with my...
  181. M

    CD soups

    Tomato and oriental chilli for me - the vegetable was a let-down (bland), and I tried another leek and potato yesterday and felt slightly queasy. The first one I had seemed quite nice, the second sludgy and pungent. Totally with you on broccoli and cheese - it was the first I tried and I...
  182. M

    Skinny Jeans!

    Wow! Well done! :) I am so inspired by this, and feeling slightly happier about having yesterday purchased a fashionably skinny pair of jeans at a significant price (gulp!) which are a size 14. I've NEVER owned a pair of size 14 jeans in my adult life, let alone worn any! I'm still between 18...
  183. M

    old clothes

    This morning I had my first 'I can't wear this - it's too big' experience! Weird, as (after losing so much weight in my first fortnight) for some reason I didn't expect that the clothes would cease to fit and fall off!?! :confused: I have (proudly!) put those trousers to one side and intend to...
  184. M

    Right, what are the first few days like?

    Similar experience for me - for so long now I've not got my head into losing the weight, then suddenly something (no idea what) changed in my head, like a switch was flicked. Within days I was on CD and it was (and still is) working for me! It sounds like a good time for you so good luck! :)
  185. M

    Flavours

    I'll remember not to try that with my drink flavours!!! Perhaps still water is the key... although I may try the sparkling water thing at home, sounds fun! :D
  186. M

    Right, what are the first few days like?

    I'm in week 3 - but before I started I did a week of prep: reduced carbs, masses of water, plus a cup-a-soup for lunch to get used to a small single meal rather than constant 'grazing'. I was forewarned I may get weakness and headaches... but nothing like that happened! My counsellor thinks the...
  187. M

    Senna - to get things 'going'

    I'm having a Dulcolax tablet every couple of days - seems to do the trick. I have a tub of Benefiber in the cupboard, but it's higher in cals and carbs per 'serving' than the cambridge fibre, so my counsellor suggested Dulcolax or the cambridge supplement instead. On a similar note my IBS...
  188. M

    Flavours

    Hi - so far my favourite flavours are oriental chilli soup (like a spicy version of Ainsley's New England Veg Chowder cup-a-soup), spicy tomato soup, the chocolate shakes, capuccino shake, and the toffee meal bar (it's going to be tricky not to eat only this for the rest of SS+! ;)). Still can't...
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