Buttonboots – My weightloss journey….

This topic contains 432 replies, has 70 voices, and was last updated by london2012 3 years, 9 months ago.

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ikandoo68

10:49 am
14 Feb 17
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Ugh! Form Filling…it gives me the pip every time I have to settle down and do it!!
Much sympathy for the loss of your bank..we have had to change banks because NatWest is closing our local branch and we wanted to bank at a place with a branch open and a real person to talk to should the need arise!

Final Target…magic words! I’ve just reaching at that stage..but I’m sneaking up on it without it noticing. I decided that I will set, at sometime, a final target that has a couple of pounds leeway so that Christmas won’t be a problem! Meanwhile I’m concentrating on the mini targets I set for myself, and enjoying the 5:2 winter foods.

Do hope your bronchitis is going at last…enjoy the new jumper…it is such a pleasure to buy something new in a smaller size!

XX

coldpizza

2:59 pm
10 Mar 17
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Where are you Buttonboots?!

Buttonboots

8:03 pm
13 Mar 17
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I am still here and alive!….although there were a couple of days when crawling under the duvet and dying seemed a very tempting idea!

The fluey cold virus was bad enough, but it left me so drained! I could hardly drag myself up into the chair! The horse-pills masquerading as antibiotics sapped the last remaining vestige of energy!

With the added stress of the PIP form-filling (still waiting to see if/when I need the dreaded face-to-face) – well it is really no wonder that my body just decided to shut down for a week or so.

I am taking things easy at the moment….not much choice to be honest!

I DID step onto the scales a few days go…very nervous as I suspected my metabolism was even slower than usual thanks to barely moving. …plus I have been bloated …..but to my surprise the scales were still hovering around the 14 stone 1 give-or-take a half pound…so pretty much stayed the same!

We have visitors for a few days…and I really don’t feel like joining in the cake-fest!…We have been invited out to lunch tomorrow, I am considering going but just having a coffee. (I don’t eat in public anyway so no real surprise there……thankfully the place we are going knows me quite well. My only problem is one of the guests is a relative who takes it as a personal insult if people aren’t ‘enjoying themselves’ – which for them means having another slice of cake!…Still they will all be gone by next week and I can REALLY rest!

Easter is creeping up rather quickly this year…hard to believe we are pretty close to half way through March! I am limiting myself to one small egg for Easter….but I have treated myself to a bunch of ‘Bloom’ flowers (They do gorgeous artificial flowers!) to cheer up the living room…no calories in them!….and no pollen either! (I have allergies!)

ikandoo68

4:06 pm
14 Mar 17
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So pleased to see you posting again Buttonboots…I think we’ve all been worried! I do hope the recent short breaks of sunshine have done some good..it has seemed such a long winter this year!! I love Easter…the garden is full of daffs…and our Magnolia tree…four years old …has at last come out of her MegaSulk and offered us nine flowers. YAY!!!
Love and best wishes for a peaceful week at the departure of your visitors.

Jx

Fuvvie

9:20 pm
14 Mar 17
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Hello Buttonboots. Sorry to hear you’ve been so unwell. I hope you’ve turned the corner. Your spirits will lift with the joy of spring no doubt, as long as all that pollen in the air doesn’t affect your allergies. Are you enjoying your new home? Moving is very stressful even though it should make your life easier overall. Well done in the weight stakes. I feel that my body and mind are rebelling and I need to back off a bit. Stay well. Big hugs, Fuvvie aka Heather

Buttonboots

9:50 am
26 Mar 17
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Big hugs to all Mums out there! (It’s Mother’s Day today in the UK….my lovely Mum gets 2 Mother’s Days each year…one celebrated midway through Lent – today – and one in May when the rest of Europe has Mother’s Day!)

Visitors have been and gone…the weather is starting to warm up…things are finally settling down!

Stood on the scales this morning ….low battery!…..but it still registered my weight….

14 stone….and hovering!…..jut over?….just under?…..I will happily accept a 14 stone!……that 13 stone something mark is gonna appear really soon!

No time to sit around today…I am cooking lunch for Mum. (Chicken broth with mushrooms and rice noodles…Roast Beef with roasted veggies and green beans…Shortcrust flan with crème-pat and peaches)

(Hope you are feeling brighter Fuvvie!)

ikandoo68

9:32 am
27 Mar 17
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Oooh Yum! What a deliciously gorgeous lunch for Mothering Sunday! I bet your lovely Mum really enjoyed it! Half way through Lent and it was a Hovering Sunday on the scales in our house too. The target weight needs to be fixed for me, but I’m putting off actually writing it down in case I get complacent about 5:2. Monday is my permanent fast day…the others are variable, but Mondays are usually peaceful and calm after the weekends, and my fast has become a carefully planned Monday treat! Isn’t that odd! Before I began 5:2 I couldn’t imagine being thinner and enjoying a diet….now I can’t imagine not eating as the 5:2 family does!

Best wishes for a sunny week!
Jxx

Buttonboots

8:32 am
16 Apr 17
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Happy Easter!!!….He is Risen!!!!

It has been a manic week or two…trying to sort out bank accounts (my bank is closing and so I have to sort out a new account)….and arguing with ATOS – they have FINALLY accepted that I cannot travel and so need a home assessment.

I baked a pretty awesome loaf of ‘Easter Bread’…with cardamom and raisins. I had a slice this morning with almond-butter…..and later today there will be Chocolate Egg (I have one, relatively small Hotel Chocolat Egg….seriously good chocolate!)…I LOVE that I can still eat the ‘traditional’ treat foods!

So….what did the scales say this morning?????

13 stone (WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!) 13.8 pounds.

That drop to ‘under 14 stone’ has been a long time coming!….but here we are….and the next mini goals of 13 1/2 stone…and some way off getting under the 13 stone mark….are definitely going to happen!

The real joy of 5:2 is the knowledge that it WORKS…yes, it may be slow…but the results are definitely there!

ikandoo68

5:34 pm
16 Apr 17
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Happy Easter indeed!!! Glad its a cause for Double Celebration! Well done…onwards and downwards…and enjoy the Feast today!

Jx

Fuvvie

2:56 am
25 Apr 17
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Congratulations Buttonboots. You are doing so well. Indeed it is cause for celebration and that can come in all sorts of ways. Do you reward yourself with a new book or music or clothes? I can’t imagine that you take the route of food as a reward, especially as you allow yourself treats. I believe one reward was a lipstick. Oh joy 🎉

Merryme

3:36 am
25 Apr 17
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Congratulations Buttonboots! Well done. And hi to your Mum too.

Merry

Buttonboots

2:02 pm
30 Apr 17
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It has been a manic week or so.

I have got a few hospital appointments coming up…including a battery of tests – spread over a whole week. Thankfully the tests are such that I can get them dome in 3 separate appointments and come home between them….and just to make things absolutely PERFECT I have my PiP home assessment in the same week…between the first and second day for the tests. Aint that gonna be fun!

(I can’t reschedule the PiP as you are only permitted to do this once)

So…for the next two weeks I will put the 5:2 on a semi-hold…if I manage to fit in a fast day or two then all well and good…if not then I will not beat myself up about it….the whole thing with 5:2 is fitting it around all the **** that life throws at you!…if I CAN manage one fast day a week then I will hopefully manage to stay the same….the big thing will be avoiding the hospital shop on the days I am there for tests…too easy to grab a croissant …AND a family sized bar of chocolate…and a sugary pop….after all I am here for the day, might as well be comfy whilst I wait!….NO!!!…Kindle and healthy snack will see me through!

Right then…scales today…

13 stone…13.2 pounds…another half pound gone! Slow but steady!

ikandoo68

10:27 am
1 May 17
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Ooof! Busy two weeks. Very best wishes for the tests, PIP visit and resisting temptation!
xx

Buttonboots

2:48 pm
14 May 17
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Oof what a week!

Tests are over and done…and I don’t fancy going trough THAT again any time soon!….My back was covered in tiny patches…dozens of them…and then I was covered in sticky tape….it felt like I was encased in a suit of restrictive armour!….By day two it was a darned itchy suit of armour…firstly because I could tell that I was reacting to some of the irritants…and secondly because I was not allowed any shower and no antihistamines or soothing cream during the week of testing. ….Friday the patches came off (and I was so lucky to have a morning appointment….the department apparently cancelled all afternoon appointments due to the NHS Rannsomware incident!)…I was given some sheets with all the positive reactions (various metals and chemicals)….soothing cream for the irritated areas…and permission to shower! BLISS!

During the week I heard about scan-bran (Scandinavian Bran Crispbread)…apparently if you do Slimming World you will be familiar with this crispbread (Slimming World must be one of the very few things I DIDN’T try for weight loss….I certainly tried other clubs – with limited success). Anyway, I was told that this stuff is not exactly palatable but is great for a weight loss boost if you can force it down! …let’s just say it is VERY high in fibre!….I picked up a pack just out of interest…I had read online about ways people try and get this stuff eaten – including baking chocolate cakes…..but I am clearly rather odd!….I scrunched my way through the whole pack (No….not all at once!!!!….) and was left smacking my lips at how delicious I found it!…..I’ll certainly buy it again. Not because of any magic weight loss properties…but because it is so tasty!

I am so glad the back is free from the ‘armour’….I suspect it weighed a good few pounds (felt like it anyway!!!)…no way I would have stepped onto the scales laden down with it!….I am free from the patches but have a few lumps and bumps where the allergens ‘took’ virulently…hopefully the lumps don’t weigh heavy!!!!

13 stone…12.8 pounds

Oh another half pound or thereabouts!

Mum was talking about my birthday today….it’s in August….and suggested I might like to go for ‘posh’ afternoon tea if we can book a table at the one place I feel happy going…..I do love that 5:2 means that I can plan a real treat like this without it meaning going ‘off plan’!!!

ikandoo68

9:07 am
15 May 17
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Very glad to see you posting this week Buttonboots, and that you are as OK ish as it gets after a week like that! Hope the test results make life easier.

I love 5:2. This weekend we had a Terrible Meal in a student pub…well yes, I know…but our nephew….who is an excellent cook but was up to his eyes as assistant musical director of his university student musical…we went to a matinee so said we’d eat at the pub to save him time. I took one look at the menu and knew from the scents in the air that light on the spices was never going to be an option!! I have a lifelong digestion problem too. Hmmn. Couldn’t even eat soup…there wasn’t any on menu. Picked at a mediocre potato in the end! Back home… after the excellent show… it was such a pleasure to eat a favourite 5:2 with salad and my beloved tomatoes. It wasn’t a Fast Day…but the pleasure of pure flavours and very little seasoning couldn’t come fast enough for me!

Interesting to read about Scan Bread….must try that. Tend to eat half a big Matzo cracker to keep the calories down.

Enjoy planning you posh Birthday Tea…Afternoon tea is such a treat. It’s the feeling of luxury which a dainty table setting, filled with little gentle treats always brings I think. Mmmm…..

All good wishes

Jxx

ikandoo68

9:24 am
15 May 17
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So glad to see you posting after such a heavy week, Buttonboots…hope the test results will make life easier.

I love 5:2. We had a Terrible Meal in a student pub last weekend…well yes, I know…but our nephew (an excellent cook) was up to his eyes in the student musical, and we were going to the matinee, we said we’d eat in the pub to save time. The scents in the air told me that low spices was never going to be an option…and I have a lifelong digestive problem. Hmmn. Couldn’t even eat soup…none on the menu. Picked at a baked potato in the end. Back home, after the excellent show… it was such a pleasure to eat a favourite 5:2 recipe with salads and my beloved tomatoes. It wasn’t a fast day but the pure flavours and low seasoning couldn’t come fast enough for me!

Never heard of Scan Bran..must try it. I usually eat half of a Big Matzo cracker to save a calorie or two.

Enjoy planning your Afternoon Tea..such a lovely treat I think…gracious living when sometimes life is less than gracious!

Jxx

Buttonboots

10:12 am
21 May 17
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Another week over!

Ikandoo…the only place I can find Scan Bran is Holland and Barret….it’s worth a try if you can find it near you….but you MUST drink plenty of water if you eat it, that stuff is seriously high in fibre!…It is very much a love-it-or-hate-it food!

My skin is taking its own sweet time to settle down…a couple of those patches certainly ‘took’ well!…I am reminded of the day back in Junior School when we had the ‘biscuit jab’ (The inoculation against Tetanus and, I think, TB?…all school kids had it, and it was a little circle of round needles…so looked like a biscuit…)…some pupils had no noticeable reaction, some were a bit itchy, some a little red and raised lumps…I was one of those whose arm REALLY showed where the jab had taken!

I have taken a gentle week…trying to relax after the assessment last week…a copy of the report has been requested so we can see exactly what the assessor has said – hopefully before the decision makers letter comes through! (We might need the extra time to prepare an appeal!)

The weather is slowly getting brighter and warmer….won’t be long and I will be longing for the summer to end and the autumn to arrive!!! (I never did like the hot weather.)

So….onto the scales….deep breath….and exhale (who knows how much that air weighs….might as well be safe and breathe out as much as possible!!!!)

13 stone…..12 pounds…just under???…no back to exactly 12 pounds

Well, that is another 3/4 of a pound this week…one and a half packs of butter!

(I’m not one for setting firm targets…but am counting the weeks to Christmas….I wonder what the chances are of being under 13 stone??????)

Fuvvie

11:06 pm
1 Jun 17
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Hi Buttonboots. You are an ongoing inspiration. All of those packs of butter gone. I’ve stacked an impressive 20 packs back on. Actually, 40 if a pack is 250gms. I’m still 40 packs in front from April last year. So here we go again. I’m going to read yours and Lolly’s thread from the beginning to remind myself about commitment and faith in the programme.

I reckon you can make it under the 13 stone.

It’s the TB vaccination that has the round of pricks. I don’t think we have any other vaccine combined with that. Here we have a quite painful injection for tetanus all on its own. Maybe it was part of the triple antigen. I can’t recall. Would have to look it up.

Anyway, thanks for your ongoing entries. Hugs, Fuvvie

Buttonboots

8:37 am
4 Jun 17
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Fuvvie – big hugs!…We all get plateaus (and little hills that spring up too!)…that weight gain will soon shift if you get pack on track….you know that 5:2 works, so just plan the right tome to get back on board!

Assessors report for PiPs has arrived….some bits make me feel hopeful for the award-letter…and at other parts I wonder off the assessor has muddled up my report with someone else’s!….and then there are some wonderful jumps of twisted logic…apparently I touched my hair (I probably did!) which somehow proves that I have FULL movement of my arm and can apply crème to my back without assistance?????….but the BEST bit of the report….my physical appearance….It was noted that I was casually dressed (HEY that was one of my best ‘smart’ tops!), well groomed (so apparently neither anxious nor depressed?????!!!!!) and I was of ‘average’ build!….AVERAGE build!…not a chunky little blubber-pot, but I am ‘average’! (Okay, so maybe that speaks more to the state of this country….sadly in the UK, overweight is rapidly becoming ‘average’)….anyway, all I can do now is wait for the official award letter and see what the decision maker thinks of all the evidence.

Mum and I shared a Marks-and Spencer dine-in-for-2-for £10 special this week….pork steaks with sherry butter…potato-rostis…..followed by profiteroles…and a rather unusual sparkling drink flavoured with coffee. (We added some broccoli to the main course)….We both found the portion so generous that we made it last for 2 meals!

On the scales this morning….
13 stones….11 pounds
One more pound (2 butter packs) gone!

even with sherry butter on my pork steak…and creamy chocolatey profiteroles…. I can still lose weight!!!!!

(Just want to send hugs to all those affected by the horrible events of London overnight)

Buttonboots

8:10 am
27 Jun 17
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It’s been a hectic week or two….

PiP assessment has come through. As expected the Decision Maker pretty much copied what the assessor had said. So, there are some errors in their assessment. However, the benefit award is pretty much what we had hoped for – and even better is that they have accepted the physical disability is ‘ongoing’ and the recommendation is that I do not need another assessment for 10 years!

Less thrilling has been the fact that we had a break in – nothing stolen – and he did NOT get into my place (I was in and I heard him trying the door – but it was locked, thankfully!0…he did get into 4 of the flats before leaving empty-handed….Police have made an arrest…However, as a result all ground floor flats are encouraged to keep windows close overnight…and it has been SOOOOO hot!

With the heat, my skin has been feeling a bit ucky too….still this is the UK…Summer never lasts too long!

Weight-wise…I weighed myself a week or so ago and had dipped under the 13 stone 11 mark…..but on Sunday I weighed in again and the scales said it was back to 13 stone 12….BAH!….thankfully, I know this is just a blip….possible bloating…..and nothing that cannot be dealt with by staying on plan!

ikandoo68

2:41 pm
30 Jun 17
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Hello Buttonboots…thought about you yesterday…we had affogato for pud!…so came here for a catch up. SO very glad your final PiP assessment was ‘better than likely’ (as Mr. Bronte once said about Charlotte’s book)….. and ten years left in peace and quiet sounds excellent.

The heat affects weight I think. I put on 2 ‘Sunshine’ lbs in ten days… (Snort!)..which had disappeared after I had sulked and avoided weighing until the temperature went down!….you’re right of course…. Keep Calm and Carry on is the motto!

We are going to have to mix my 5:2 with DH’s Lo Carb diet.l He’s pre-diabetic, and we’re part of an experimental workshop full of new ideas about food. He’s as excited as I was when I discovered 5:2! I looked after my diabetic Mum 20 years ago, and boy have ideas about pre-D eating changed since then! …so I’m away to see what 5:2 has to say about Lo Carbs…

love to you and your Mum
Jxx

milena

11:21 pm
3 Jul 17
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Hi Buttonboots

how are you? I’ve decide to get back on the horse and rejoin the forums and I was hoping you would be around – wow! so glad to see you are here, but you are disappearing!!! Hope you remember me!

I was in Trier a couple of weeks ago, and was invited to coffee and cake – wow! Beautiful puds as well as sandwiches – at 11 in the morning. I has been many years since I had coffee and cake in Germany. It made me think of you.

Just couldn’t manage 5:2 for a very long time after getting my gall bladder out, of course put on weight but still 8 kgs under my start weight, so making another 8 kg my target.

So delighted to join you once again on your journey.

How is your health? I hope you are seeing the much needed improvements, especially in your skin. Take care

Milena x

Fuvvie

2:09 am
10 Jul 17
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Very pleased for you , Buttonboots with a positive outcome re your assessment. That would have been scary hearing the burglars at your door. My son was home alone here once, aged 21 at the time, and he heard someone on the verandah going from door to door trying all the handles. He was very frightened but got up anyway and started turning lights on and he heard the intruder running around the verandah, jumping down the front stairs and tearing off shortly after in his car. Our house is surrounded by verandahs and if someone truly wanted to get in, it wouldn’t take much. But we aren’t aware that this has ever happened again. We are living in a rural area and don’t have very close neighbours. But can’t live our lives in fear. Glad you were ok. It’s reassuring when the culprit is apprehended.
Looking forward to hearing that the scales have taken a nose dive again. Cheers, Fuvvie. xx

Onahealthyhigh

10:54 pm
18 Aug 17
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Good morning Buttonboots xx

ikandoo68

9:31 am
23 Aug 17
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Happy Birthday Buttonboots…hope you have a lovely day!
xxx

Fuvvie

5:17 am
2 Sep 17
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A very belated happy birthday, Buttonboots. I remember the last birthday. Funny to think these links have been here for over a year. Here’s to a wonderful next 12 months and more. Cheers, Fuvvie xx

Buttonboots

7:36 pm
16 Jan 18
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Well…it has been some months since I was last here…..sometimes life has a way of throwing EVERYTHING in your path!

But, I am still around!

It’s hard to believe I have now been in this ‘new’ place for over a year!…and then all the ‘fun’ with benefit claiming…and some skin issues that meant even more tests at the clinic (give them their dues…after the HUGE scare a few years ago, that clinic take good care of me!)

Still…I got through the year…and even managed to keep up with some sort of fasting most weeks ( working on the principle that even one fast week will give me a chance of not-gaining any weight!)

Here we are at the beginning of a new year…and I am hoping to be able to focus more on losing a little more of those pesky excess pounds.

My last weigh in had me at 13 stone 9 and a bit…which is better than I had hoped for…(I had a GOOD Christmas!!!!)

Whilst this isn’t huge as far as weight loss goes , I am taking the New Year as a chance to look how far I have come….as I sit here, I am wearing my PJs…M&S size 18!!!….and they are easily ‘comfortably big!…I had a gift voucher for Christmas and am looking at getting a pair of size 16 for summer! (although I DO like oversize nighties for summer!!)….hard to remember sometimes that a few years ago I was squeezing into 5xls from outsize stores!

I think it will soon be time for me to actually decide what my final ‘target’ will be weight-wise!

So…back to regular two fasts a week….and making the most of my ‘new-ish’ kitchen gadgets….a Halo …and a Soup Maker….plus I have a new little multi-pot that does the work of a slow-cooker plus a few more functions….Disability doesn’t stop me being a foodie…and neither does fasting!

annette52

7:41 pm
16 Jan 18
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Great to hear from you. I had wondered how you were getting on. I think that it is important to look back to see where you have come and to look forward to see where you want to be. Enjoy your kitchen gadgets!

Onahealthyhigh

8:13 pm
16 Jan 18
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So good to hear from you. Just the motivation I need to keep on keeping on. You are my inspiration!

kosiejelly

12:01 am
17 Jan 18
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Really glad to hear from you buttonboots and so pleased the scales are still going down since your last post. X

Terry58

3:51 pm
20 Jan 18
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Buttonboots! You’re back! Yay!!
And, a size 18- way to go, girl!!
I keep in the shadows here, reading for motivation, and always look for a post from you. During what seemed to be a long silence, I offered a prayer for your good health now and then. I was thrilled to see your update. You made my day. 🙂
Your new kitchen gadgets sound great. I received a Spiralizer for Christmas. I have made Zuchinni “pasta” noodles. Fun, healthy, and tasty.
Regards. 🙂

ikandoo68

11:08 am
23 Aug 18
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Happy Birthday Buttonboots!😊

Bellydancer

3:05 am
24 Aug 18
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Hope all is well Buttonboots. I’ve been away from this forum for a while & unfortunately the weight has crept back on. So I’m on the 5:2 again & had to log back in – just reading your past posts is so inspirational (thank you) but I’d love to know how you are doing. Best wishes 🙂

Buttonboots

10:31 am
4 Jan 19
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HELLO!!!!

…and a Happy New Year to all!

Last year was a bit of an up/down year for me…and not only weight-wise!

Assorted health-issues…more fun-and-games with the benefit-system…a few more health-issues…battling that weight-loos-plateau….and then just a couple of health-issues to keep me on my toes (HAH….on my toes..that would mean actually standing up..not possibly some days!!!)

Still…I am never one to give up that easily!
…and benefit issues are sorted…health issues are under control (well sort of!…a number of my conditions are never going away…and I am also waiting for another lump to be removed – neither the GP nor the Specialist seem to think this one is anything to worry about)

New Year…new kick-start to the weight-loss…it was with some trepidation that I approached the scales at the weekend…

14 Stone 2.6 Pounds…ugh over the 14 stone again…still, this is the post-Chrristmas weigh-in and I was NEVER going to lose weight over Christmas!…German heritage means GOOD food in ginormous portions!…I did my best to fit at least one fast-day in a week…

So….Onwards and Downwards with the weight!…I have been reading Michael Mosley’s Fast 800 book…hoping for a fresh viewpoint…and am rejigging a few aspects of my fasting…

First..I will try to keep a decent fasting window…stop eating at 6pm if possible…and then nothing until breakfast at between 7am and 8am…gives at least 13-14 hour window…Next…I am looking at a Mediterranean approach, with reduced carbs….and Finally I am going to try a couple of weeks of 800kcal a day as my kick-start and then reassess whether I want to do another week or two of that before going 5:2 with 800Kcal for my fast.

So far the 800Kcal has been ‘enough’ but I still get the urge to nibble a little ‘something’ on occasion…that WILL pass…the hardest bit is no milky drink before bed!

I KNOW I can do this…it feels good to be back on track…weigh in on Sunday…so far feeling hopeful!

BIG WAVE to all!

Onahealthyhigh

10:37 am
4 Jan 19
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Happy New Year Buttonboots. Delighted to read your update.

ikandoo68

10:57 pm
4 Jan 19
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Happy New Year Buttonboots..it’s good to.have your news…..best wishes ‘re The Low Carbs…It worked for the two weightoss.people in our house last year…but I need to.get back on track after Christmas now!

NorthernDawn

12:09 am
5 Jan 19
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Hello from Minnesota, USA, @buttonboots!

I have never posted to your blog/thread, but I have read it and worried about you in your absences! I’m so happy to see you back here. My journey is nothing like yours as far as the number of pounds or kilograms lost or to lose. But, nonetheless, when I get to over 170 lbs, or 72.3 Kg, I feel terrible! I am small boned and tall. The extra fat seems to cause inflammation all over my body, as well as the extra weight causing joint problems. I think there are genetic differences in tolerance of fat.

I know you have had much more to deal with than I have as far as losing weight. But your story has motivated me so much! I have no excuse to not try my best to become healthy when you have had a more epic struggle and succeeded!

I wish you all the best and just wanted you to know how much your story has motivated and encouraged me! xxx

Buttonboots

8:52 am
6 Jan 19
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*waves to friends…old and new!

This first week on fast800 has been both easier than expected…and surprisingly tough!

*00 Kcals is certainly easier to do than 500! I have certainly eat healthy food…it has been difficult to give up my night-time drink, but I have stuck to it…and I have not eaten after 6pm.

The plan says to eat protein at each meal wherever possible…I have been surprised how filling a few nuts can be!..I enjoyed some roasted vegetables (roasted with olive oil) and a sprinkling of hazelnuts….definitely one to try again!

Restricting carbs has been a minor struggle..I usually go low-carb on fast-days but this week has been ALL fast! (albeit on 800kcal)…it’s not that carbs are prohibited, just that I am supposed to choose small portions of healthy carbs…The biggest shock really was realising just how OFTEN I have been choosing carbs as the base of my meals (I DO like a baked potato…and chips! – air-fried of course! – and rice…and pasta…)

I have ruthlessly cleared out the temptations…I love Turkish Delight (non-chocolate covered…with pistachios inside) ..and was given a few boxes for Christmas (some people need to check what others are giving me!)…two boxes have been taken away by an understanding and supportive Mum!…as have a box of cookies and two bars of chocolate (don’t mind the choc so much – not my favourite sort!)….my Hotel Chocolat Box has stayed – I am only human after all…I sometimes have one, after my main meal -no snacking this week!

So….has it been worth it?…What did the scales say?…This is of course ‘only’ 6 days, not a full week…

Onto those scales first thing this morning…..

13 Stone…8.6 pounds

HOW MUCH!!!!….oh my!…this can’t be true!….that is over half a stone!…yes, I know that much of this is water – I was probably retaining a bit after Christmas…but even so…I am beyond chuffed!…my gob is well-and-truly smacked!

If nothing else,this has given me the impetus to do the full two weeks of the initial phase – and see how we go from there!

I have some sour-dough grainy bread as a permitted carb for lunch today…and this after a cooked breakfast this morning!

I can do this!

Buttonboots

7:00 pm
13 Jan 19
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Sunday again!

The weather here has been pretty cold….went out with Mum one morning and the wind all but swept us both off our feet…(I KNOW I have lost weight but I am still quite a hefty lump! No mean feat to lift me up!!!)

This was the second of the ‘super-strict’ weeks…and carb cravings seem to be increasing…even though I have small portions of ‘permitted’ carbs…it is certainly true that if you deny yourself something then you begin to crave it!…In a way this has been a good exercise for me- I am seeing which are my ‘danger’ foods…when I go back onto the 5:2 (albeit with 800kcalon fasting days) I will have a good idea of where I will be tempted to overeat.

On the other hand…no snacking is becoming easier…and so is extending the fasting-window…I stop eating after 6pm with no real issues.

Has it been worth it?

The scales this morning read…

13 stone…6.8pounds

Not bad!…I make that about a pound and three-quarters…I can happily live with that!

So…what about this week?…well, I have a regular check-up with the nurse midweek, which means a weigh in with her…I think I will stay on the strict fast800 plan for one more week – give me the best chance of a decent result on her scales! (I swear she has scales that weigh a good half-stone heavier than mine!)…oh and I will also consider taking my wig off before getting on her scales-of-doom! Every extra ounce counts!

Buttonboots

8:40 am
20 Jan 19
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Another week has passed!

The nurses visit went better than expected…she noted I have lost weight in the past year…not much admittedly, but better than gaining!!! …the other checks all show that my conditions are being ‘well-managed’ which is about all I ask for really!

Food-wise I have discovered a new fave-food…courgettes – eaten raw, cut into circles and with assorted toppings – as canapes…I like hummus…garlic/herb Philly…and peanut butter …obviously not all on the same courgette canape!!!…surprisingly filling, makes a very acceptable light lunch.

Two new items arrived in my kitchen this week…a new spiralizer (replaces my old one) – I do like spiralizing!….and I am very excited to finally get a fermenting jar – so I can make my own Sauerkraut…yum!

Christmas meant that I got a few new books – for which I am seriously grateful…the problem is that due to limited bookshelf space, I have to get rid of a couple of old friends to accommodate the new ones…*sob….I do have a Kindle which I love – but there is something special about a ‘real’ book too!

Right then…let’s get down to the important stuff…what did the scales say this morning…

13 Stone…5 pounds (actually it went 4.8….5…4.8….5 before settling!)

This is 1.8 pounds this week…a tad over one and three-quarter pounds…

This is good!….I am so thrilled to see the weight coming off again…I can even envisage a day when the ‘stones’ side of the scales will be showing a ’12’!!!

So, onward for another week…do I stay ‘strict’ for another week?…I think I might give it a go!

Fuvvie

6:12 am
21 Jan 19
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Dear Buttonboots,

I have been following your recent posts and they have lifted my spirits enormously. I have started the Fast800 due to a desperate need to shift some weight. You continue to do very wetland I love your testament to sticky to ideals.

I too am a fan of zucchini. aka courgette. My husband and I are going for a holiday , or will it be an endurance test, in Northern Norway. I have bought cold weather gear today and the sizes are horrendous. Never mind, I would like to feel more comfortable than I did today. I was trying on all these coats, thermal undies, beanies, mittens ski pants and it was 30degrees outside. Hilarious.

Reading is a joy. I drove 100km to Brisbane to get the clothes from Snow Central, and listened to an audio book all the way there and all the way back. What a delightful way to pass the kilometres. The book is Things we Never said by Nick Alexander and the narrator is English, so I have been listening to all the different dialects that she projected for the different characters. It is like being at a play where I provide the settings in my mind whilst someone else says all the words. I’ve got bookclub tomorrow and a session with the chiropodist. C’est la vie.

Keep up the good work.

Fond regards,

Fuvvie

Buttonboots

8:39 am
27 Jan 19
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Good Morning!

…and a wave to Fuvvie…stick with the fast 800,you KNOW it works!

I am not a huge fan of audio books – especially not if it is a book I have already read…I get to ‘hear’ the characters – and if they don’t sound like I imagined then it irritates me and distracts from the story!..I usually have a few books on the go at any one time – so I can pick and choose what I feel like reading…currently this includes reading my way through Agatha Christie (again!)…plus an assortment of School Stories…and some Christian books (mostly non-fiction)…as well as Strangers on a Train (I LOVE the film, and thought I’d give the book a go).

I have also started my Christmas Box knitting…I like to get that started early – I never know when I will be forced to stop things for a week or more.

My plans for making Sauerkraut have been delayed…as I can’t seem to find a white cabbage!…The chap at the market has promised me that a local farm has some and he will try and get me one this week.

I was pleased to get hold of some fresh tuna this week..this will make a nice change from the large amount of chicken-based meals I have been having!

So….let’ssee what those scales were saying this morning

13 Stone…3.4 pounds

so that is 1.6 pounds…over 3 packs of butter!

Also…in a month I have shed nearly a stone!

Well, that is certainly all the motivation I need to keep going for another week!

Buttonboots

5:46 pm
3 Feb 19
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Busy day today…the hospital offered Mum an appointment for today…very unusual to get a Sunday appointment, but we took it!

It has been a busy week…lots going on….barely a minute to myself.

On the one hand this meant not having time to concentrate on food!…On the other it meant not much time to concentrate on counting calories!….I think I coped!

On the negative side …stress has made me a little errrrrm…..irregular????….I feel SERIOUSLY bloated and uncomfortable…but that can and WILL be sorted!

So, just time to record the scales verdict from this morning…

13 stone…3 pounds…

Could be better, but could’ve been worse!….almost half a pound…a pack (just under!) of butter…and I will take what I can get this week!

Turkey in mushroom sauce with green beans tonight…(will be eaten before 6pm!!!…keep that fasting window going!)….and Dancing on Ice for entertainment…..and see what the new week brings.

Buttonboots

8:46 am
10 Feb 19
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Sunday again!

And a very cold one…living on the coast we can get some really hefty winds…went out to get some milk and fruit yesterday…I’m telling you that if it wasn’t for my wheeled walker I would have been blown off my feet…all 13 plus stone of me!!!!

On a calmer day this week, I visited the wool shop and bought some pretty pink and grey wool….knitting helps keep me occupied when I am ‘chairbound’.

I finally got the right cabbage..and my first batch of Sauerkraut has been fermenting for a couple of days…looking forward to sampling that in a few more days!…I do rather like Sauerkraut – and it is being recognised for its healthy-gut properties.

Reducing the refined carbs is slowly becoming easier…only one ‘blip’ this week – I walked past a bakery and could SO easily have gone in and bought a sausage-roll….and an iced bun (I do LOVE an iced bun!)…and a bacon butty…and a custard tart…and…and….and…..but, I steeled myself and walked on by! (I DO eat carbs…just smaller portions, and mostly the ‘good’ carbs….plus a small treat sometimes of one piece of the good chocolate – Hotel Chocolat…mmmm…as a dessert after my main meal)

I bought a lovely pair of corduroy jeans in Autumn…a deep burgundy colour….I am going to have to wear them a LOT over the next month or so…they are getting too big!!!!…The waist needs cinching in but the hips are just a little ‘loose'( I blame Mum!…I have inherited the trait of having big hips from her!!!)..I suspect I may need a smaller size for next Autumn…so get good wear this season, and then take them to the Charity shop!….Losing weight is costing me a small fortune in clothes!!!

So…time for the recording of the weigh in this week….this morning the scales read….

13 stones…1.6 pounds

Ohhhhh…that is nice!…1.4 pounds this week…almost a pound and a half…a smidgin under 3 packs of butter!!!…and that gives me over a stone this year…YES!

Oh why did I not hear of IFing before!!!…and WHY is it not promoted by the NHS?????…Nothing worked for me before…but IF has quite simply changed the way I eat…and look!!!

Fuvvie

11:03 am
10 Feb 19
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Hi Buttonboots,
How I love reading your posts. Well done on another good week. And I love the little extras you put in about trips to the shops to get wool. You paint a lovely picture of your life.
IF is a big plus, I agree. I’ve knocked off 6 kgs but it is really slowing down now. Obviously persistence is required. I won’t know if I’m going to fit into the polar suit yet. I’ll find out in just over 4 weeks from now.
Looking forward to the next Buttonboots instalment.
Cheers, Fuvvie ☺️

Buttonboots

8:51 am
17 Feb 19
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Fuvie – 6kgs is a great loss!…you have another month to go before you need to fit into that polar-suit – you could lose another kg or two in that time!..Just stick with it!…And, if you DON’T lose any more in those 4 weeks, what does it matter in the grand scheme of things? You are going to have an AMAZING time in Norway – and if the polar-suit feels snug, remember two things…first, they are designed to be close fitting and snug!…and second, just think how much tighter it would be WITHOUT the weight you have lost!

I have been housebound for much of the week…but did manage a couple of short walk-abouts with the walker…and kept myself busy during the less-mobile times…knitting…Bible Journaling… reading….

I was considering doing some more study with the Open University…I took my BSc with them some years ago, and thought I might like to do another course with them….a Masters would be cool, but maybe a BA instead (I fancy studying ‘Classics’)…However, I gave up on the idea when I saw how much the cost has increased in the decades since I first studied with them!!!!

Fasting was relatively easy this week…I am finding new favourites…as well as the courgetti (with a creamy ham and mushroom sauce)…another current go-to is carrot and swede mash – real comfort food with a low fat sausage or two!

Weigh in this morning….dramatic drum-roll please…

12 stone… 13.4 pounds

I am under 13 stone!!!!!!…and I lost 2 pounds!…I am stunned to be under the 13!..those stone-markers are always a joy!…so…dare I dream of getting under the 12s?…You bet!!!!…It might take a while but this way-of-eating WORKS!

under 13 stones!!!…does a jiggly happy dance!

Fuvvie

9:10 pm
17 Feb 19
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Dear Buttonboots, I am beside myself with joy for you. Wonderful, wonderful, WONDERFUL. You are a legend in your own time.
That creamy ham and mushroom sauce sounds good. I cooked a chicken cacciatore for two of my daughters and their families yesterday. I served theirs on rice and mine on zoodles. Was great. Then I went out to a birthday dinner at a restaurant. I didn’t have entree and stuck to eye fillet with salad. I told them not to serve potatoes on my plate, no matter how delightful they were. I had to trot out the very strict diet spiel and health issues before he agreed to my request.
Wow, imagine studying for your masters. You sound as though you would have the dedication. Anyone who could do what you have done with your weight could achieve anything. You have sticking power 💥☄️
Wishing you a great week Buttonboots.
Cheers,
Fuvvie

Buttonboots

4:55 pm
24 Feb 19
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The weather really doesn’t seem to know what it is doing…cold…warm…rain..sun..and then we have also had a deep-sea-fog.

Circumstances meant that the ‘usual’ afternoon tea with internet-friends at a posh café was postponed (we usually meet once a year before Christmas)…and it looks like we might be able to get a few of us together just before Easter…this will mean carb-overload, but I might just risk it!!!!

Fuvvie you did absolutely the right thing by not allowing the potatoes to be served to you!…It is so much easier to turn them down BEFORE they come to the table!

I haven’t tried Zoodles…but I do make my own ersatz-pasta with courgettes.

Yes the Masters would be good (it would be in Maths – Pure Maths, probably with some aspect of Non-Euclidean Geometry as my focus)…equally Doing a BA in Classics is appealing…BUT ,ad t is a big ‘BUT’…the cost has gone up so much in the past years that it is no longer an option for many people…such a shame!

On warmer days this week, I have been having salads…on cooler ones it is still the comfort food! Thankfully, much of the comfort food is easily adapted for fast800!…Tonight it will be a lovely spicy bowl of chilli – followed by Dancing on Ice.

Right..time for the weigh in…this morning the scales showed….

12 Stones….12.8 pounds

So, another half pound or so…could be better, but some weeks you take whatever you can get!…And last week was a BIG loss!

Brambleberry

10:49 pm
6 Mar 19
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Hi Buttonboots. Hope you don’t mind me joining your fanclub :). This is my second go around with 5:2. Great success a few years ago, but fell off the wagon. Wish I’d found your thread sooner. Your sticking power is inspiring. I’ve a number of weddings coming up this year and really need to drop some weight.
Hope all good with you.
Fuvvie, would love to hear about your big trip. Hope you can forget all things weight related and have a lovely time.

Buttonboots

2:17 pm
10 Mar 19
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Hello Brambleberry…what a terrific username…makes be feel all warm and contented…of autumn (my favourite time of year) of blackberrying (bramble picking) and coming home with baskets full of the most GINORMOUS berries ever, and Mum making jars of apple and blackberry jam, and deep filled pies to be eaten with gallons of custard!

I know there was no catch-up last week…it was just one-of-those-weeks with o much going on I never got around to it!

One medical issue will finally be resolved a week tomorrow…I have an appointment for my lump to be removed..nothing serious, the specialist is pretty certain it is non-malignant and it will be day-surgery with recovery at home…I have named it fatty-lumpkin and as I can ‘feel’ it when I move, and it sort of ‘pulls’, I will be glad to see it gone!…that, and I have a forlorn hope it might just be bigger than expected…okay,not bigger, but MUCH denser in weight! Something like a pea-size lump (so easy to remove on the day) but weigh around about a stone-and-a-half in weight, because wouldn’t THAT be a boost to the weight loss!!!!!…a girl can but dream!

Posh afternoon tea has been now been booked – for about 4 weeks after the op,so I should have plenty of time to recover my little strength.

I discovered a new treat this week….banana pancakes….mush up a banana using a fork – you want a rough sort of puree, lumps are fine!…then add a beaten egg…and a pinch of baking powder…mix well, and then use this ‘batter’ to cook pancakes …I used a small non-stick griddle…they taste remarkably good!…and no flour or fat!

And the scales this morning?

12 stone …11 pounds…

Woohoo!…almost 2 pounds…and that with having had ‘pancakes’ twice this week!