Week 10 - Low Carb Bootcamp - the last week!

[BIWI]

Well, finally, we reach the finish line! One more week to shout your shit.

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

And the Weight Tracker

Hope the results are positive for you today - and that the rest of this week gives you time to drop another pound or two.

crabby and biwi nice to see u both

And at crazy fishness !

crabby just in and on phone but will reply properly tomorrow from laptop. Sounds like you've done your research though!

There is a fishnet board here and one of the regular posters eau rouge is very knowledgeable and helpful if you had any specific questions.

Sorry for all the fishiness!

Haha Crabby think I've just spotted you on PFK...I was going to recommend it to you!

Yes Sayra you have! Have been getting great advice on there today, especially from a poster called Cheltgirl. Thanks to them I have permanently transferred Poorly Platy and The Shrimp Duo (can they be the Bootcamp Swing Band? ) to the 64L tank and put some live plants in there along with some rocks. I cut up the filter media from the two small filters (which at least appeared to be working at filtering the tiny tank) and stuffed it into the filter of my brand new filter. That should hopefully get the nitrifying cycle going well in the new tank. So now I'm doing a fish-in cycle after all. Poor little bugger, I feel awful for what I've put him through.

Might have to shelve the tropical plan though... if he recovers I'm not sure whether I'll be able to acclimatise him to higher temperatures. I'll try the fish house MN forum too, thanks.

LMD xDP has lived over here for a long time, just wanted to take DD to visit NZ. He's going back for a month again in September though, apparently, to support a childhood friend who's standing for parliament. He's not taking DD next time though, thank fuck.

Apologies everyone for crazy fishiness. I can always be relied upon to pull the thread thoroughly off track.

Alive. Didn't eat shit choc. Typing on phone. Internet buggered. You were so right whooshy was fucking knackered. Sod knows why am still up now. craaaaaaaabby so chuffed you're back! Will do proper post tomorrow. Love everybody. Love baby Hercule!!!! X

It was my birthday yesterday so I was a leetle bit of a carby twat and I revelled in it! A spoonful of baked beans with my fry up breakfast, a little bit of rice with my curry lunch, roast duck in mango sauce for my dinner, a naughty slice of birthday cake and a bottle of prosecco split with DH. But I didn't go the whole hog and gorge on carbs all day, just a few carby additions to cheer up my day. DH and I went shopping yesterday and I was well chuffed in Pepperberry where the size 12 dress I tried on was too big and I had to get the size 10! DH reckons they use vanity sizing thanks DH but I think it's because the clothes are cut to fit a larger bust (I'm a 30FF now apparently) then I don't have to go a size larger in there. I think I'll have to buy all my clothes from there from now on instead of Asda which is my usual price range!

Another pound off this morning. That only leaves 3lbs of the 7 gained. It does make you think though! I didn't really indulge very much on my two weeks off but had bread, pasta, rice and alcohol. result 7 lbs on. Cut out those foods and 4lbs off in 6 days ( even with a full bag of almonds and some sunflower seeds yesterday)

Sorry I went a bit AWOL for a few days! Visited my parents at the weekend as it was my Dads 60th birthday and too many desserts consumed gained half a lb this week so could have been worse! Back on the wagon now though. Had the cabbage carbonara from the recipe thread last night but added extra garlic, cream cheese and chorizo and it was delicious! Hope everyone is well, will try and catch up today.

Please doesn't it take aaages, how frustrating (but such a lesson) - I too find the first bit of a gain comes off in a few days and then the rest is harder.
StuntNun I really meant to remember your birthday was Tuesday - Happy Birthday, sound like you had a lovely day.
Crabby sorry if I was being nosy, feel that I got the complete wrong end of the stick there.

Today is the day.... the stitches come out, bandages off, hopefully dressings off and back into normal shoes. It's been a long two weeks, thank you for bearing with me. I am amazed that I have lost during it - down to my DH's inspiration - but I guess I did the eating and focusing. Am really pleased with myself (sorry if that sounds smug, it's not often that I can say that sort of thing to myself).

Happy Birthday yesterday Stunt sounds like you had a good day and managed to enjoy the carby bits without going overboard wish I could do that

LMD you should be pleased with yourself well done!

Fishy Info For Crabby

In general it sounds as if you have done your research and I saw that you had some good advice on PFK, I've noticed CheltGirl and she seems very knowledgeable so I'd listen to what she says. You seemed to have sussed very quickly not to listen to the staff at the LFS!!

This is a good website for trying out different combinations of fish to check that they are all suitable and that the tank size/filter will suit. It will tell you the ideal pH and temperature range but unfortunately doesn't cover hardness AqAdvisor another good website for checking out compatibility of fish with your water is Seriously Fish I think every fishkeeper checks their chosen species on here!

Since you have ended up doing a fish-in cycle anyway (not intentionally I realise) perhaps you could get some mature media from your LFS and stuff that in your filter which will help. Have you got a test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? If so test regularly while the cycle is going on to keep an eye on things, if you have the API kit just test your tap water as well as sometimes this kit will give a false positive (0.25) for ammonia, it does with my water so I only worry if my ammonia is over 0.25 and if I have detectable nitrite.

If you do decide to stay temperate then your best options would be wcmm (normal or gold, I have a mix) or zebra danios, both of these are quite active fish but mine (6) are happy in a 70 litre. My other tank is a tropical 150 litre tank with corys, scissor tails, neon tetras, bristlenose plec, kuhli loach, some other tetra I can't remember and a golden gourami. The corys are my favourite in that tank but the wcmm my overall favourite.

From your shortlist for a tropical tank I'd personally go for endlers cause I think they are beautiful

Be warned, you will end up with MTS (multi tank syndrome)

I have some pictures of my wcmms on my profile I think if you want a look.

Fishy Post Over

Had a very tiring day, I am part of the education team at wok which means we go out to events/schools/etc and teach children about what we do (science and agriculture mainly). Today we were part of the Edinburgh Science Festival and had an interactive event (Farmer Fred's Farmyard Friends and Foes in case you were interested) so I've spent the entire day speaking to small children and trying to get them to do experiments! The most popular activity was the worm egg count where the kids looked for worm eggs (hama beads) in sheep poo (angel delight). I am now off to bed, I do not know how people who work with kids all day every day can do it!!

Night all

Congrats MrsPoirot, he's gorgeous!

I'm a big miserable carby twat at present. I'm considering doing something hardcore like those 3 x 100 cal sachet a day meal plans for 6 weeks or so, just to get me going, then after that low carbing should feel like a treat? I know it's unhealthy, but it may help me to have my choices taken away at the moment.

Oh goodness, Gatorade, I wouldn't do that! Certainly not for 6 weeks. That's not about proper eating.

How much 'off track' are you? Is it that you need to drop some weight to get back to where you were, is it impatience with the rate of loss or is it just about getting your mind re-focussed?

If you want a 'short, sharp shock' you could always try something that's called the Three Day Experiment. (No idea why it's called that, other than the fact that it lasts for three days only!)

For three days you eat only lean, low fat protein. Max 5gs carbs per day. No added fat. It's hard work, and by the end of three days you will have cravings for salad you never thought you'd experience . But you should be able to lose around 5lbs in those three days, if you've been overdoing the carbs.

Happy Birthday Stunt! If you can't be a carby twat on your birthday, when on earth can you?

LMiss don't be such a silly billy, of course you weren't being nosey or getting the wrong end of the stick! If I was a little brief in answering the question it's because I am royally pissed off with twuntychops xDP at the moment. The great co-parenting relationship that I prided myself on has gone right out of the window in the past few weeks and I can't see it getting back on track anytime soon. The fuller answer to your question is that he was born in the US but his (English) mother took him to live in NZ when he was 10. He came to the UK in his twenties and has lived here ever since. He has a passport for all three countries, lucky git, and applied for an NZ passport for DD too. He visits there occasionally and has taken DD twice.

Sayra thanks for that, I have discovered the Seriously Fish site but not the other one. I've been pinning pages from there on pinterest a lot (the site is often down though, I've noticed). Poorly Platy looks a bit better, in my novice opinion. He's definitely swimming around and looking a lot more lively. I still haven't seen him eat though. The shrimp are really funny. Now that they're on a fine gravel substrate, they've dug themselves a little burrow behind a rock and plant. One sits in the burrow and waves its antennae furiously at the other one, who stands outside doing the same thing. I'm thinking that this might be breeding behaviour?

I've got the API master test kit. Ammonia is 0 - 0.25 ppm and Cheltgirl also warned me about the false positive thing. Nitrite 0 ppm. Nitrates 20 - 40 ppm. pH is 7.8. GH/KH kit arrived today. Will post more later about fishy choices. Here's the tank as it's looking now with Poorly Platy and The Shrimp Duo in.

Eek, Gatorade, sounds like you are very fed up but I would have thought 6 weeks of that would have anyone turning towards binge eating of some description by the end. You can do this - just for today, get back to the plan, and the days will add up again.

I have two shoes on my two feet and it's wonderful. It's all healed ok and walking on the scars is so much better than walking on the stitches. I'm more mobile already - and had my favourite low carb lunch today in preparation to being surrounded by sugary temptation all afternoon as I helped my friend's daughter bake her mum a birthday cake. I'm exhausted - but good exhausted :)

Right, easy LC cauli and broccoli cheese to go in the oven and I think I might have another bath because I can

Thanks everybody - still on neonatal as he needs to learn to breastfeed. Other than that he is doing well. Just me that is all over the place!

Had a lovely lunch today in the hospital canteen, fresh cooked omelette with mushrooms, peppers, onions, bacon and cheese. A lovely salad with lots of colourful bits and pieces (and one small potato mayonnaise potato!). It was so nice to eat colourful food rather than bland hospital beige food and for the first time in a week, I am full still 5 hours later!

Oh MrsHP I bet you're all over the place if you're still in hospital. Is he on SCBU? And you on PN ward? Thinking of you x

LMiss glad your feet are on the mend.

Sayra this is my pinterest fish wish list.
The °KH is 5°, the ppm GH/KH is 161.1. So with a pH of 7.8 I'm fairly limited on what'll suit my conditions. I love tetras but I don't think that's going to happen... certainly not cardinals which I'd love to have. Endlers and the threadfin rainbows are strong contenders. I've always loved corys - had plenty of them in my tank as a teen, along with a plec and a sucking loach... not on my list this time due to size. We're still debating whether to have the 64L tank as a temperate tank and get WCMMs, saving the tropical for the larger tank I'm already planning (yep - multi tank syndrome already!). I saw some long finned WCMMs yesterday in Maidenhead Aquatics Weybridge. Very lovely. A shoal of the three varieties of WCMM, along with Poorly Platy would look lovely and they're such lively, pretty fish.

Choices choices!

Evening my lovelies. Well, I have had a completely rotten arse today, for no apparent reason, and I think I have a bloody internal pile which has made it feel like a shard of glass is lodged up there..... (no shame emoticon) Have slathered copious amounts of anusol about the place and am feeling better now.

Almost hit the bastard roof earlier when I decided to call and chase up the young peoples housing/support folks who are supposedly looking after ds1's application for supported accommodation. Bugger me if the freakin' idiot women hadn't done totally the wrong thing. When we had the initial assessment, and they agreed to put him on 'the gateway' we specifically asked that all correspondence came to me, and stressed how dangerous it would be for ds if it went to his address as we couldn't vouch for the reactions from unstable family members who would see this as ds betraying/snitching etc. Well yep, you guessed it - they'd sent all the correspondence there, and then discharged him as he wasn't engaging with the service. I spoke to ds who immediately freaked out, because he hadn't seen anything, and is terrified my mother has stolen the mail and read it (entirely plausable) and worried he's lost the chance to escape. Gah. I'm so fucking livid. I have aired my grievance on the phone today to the duty social worker, and will speak to the manager and the original fuckwitt tomorrow morning first thing. I think a formal complaint is in order, as we stressed it was a safeguarding issue not to contact ds' address under any circumstance. I can't quite believe this has happened.

On a much more positive note, I have this evening been put in touch with a breeder of chihuahuas who has a few girl pups we can choose from.... they are insanely beautiful, and I can feel all smug about it cos I went through the proper channels and spoke to nice breeder lady people and everything, as opposed to going and buying off pets4homes like a knobhead and my divine dp has said he will pay for it and I can pay him back, as he's more wedged than I am as a lowly dog walker. The only snag is the woman lives in flipping Bedforshire.... a mere four hours drive from mine but fuck it, I don't mind a road trip. Looks like it may be happening imminently.... eek eek eek.

On the food front, I am very much in the swing of things - just keeping on keeping on. My body is so unforgiving that if I stray one whit from the course of correctness, I immediately gain. If I stay on the path of righteousness, the scales go down down down. I'm currently around the 107 kilos mark, down from 109 a couple of weeks ago. I think that's steady and sustainable.

I did have a terrible 'I am an ugly pig moment' today though, when a friend emailed me with a photo she'd taken of us. I feel quite pissed off with this friend at the moment. She's been very unsupportive of my woe - fine fuck that, we'll not discuss it. In the past she'd been vehemently anti technology, until she got an ipad and joined instagram, and is now doing wanky selfies all the fucking time and trying to get me to join. She took a selfie of her in my car and me driving. Obviously I couldn't do my special pose or anything, but she said it was great. Cue me opening my mail and there's a picture of her looking awesome, and me looking like an escaped troll. I am not exaggerating, I am very capable of loving my photos when I look hot, but this was just appalling. I'm seriously hacked off, and not going to let her take anymore.

On that note, I took another selfie of my nekkid self. And correct me if I'm wrong, but this pic feels like I have gone 'jumbly'....

Phew.... that was a mega shit shout. I have had no time to do nuthin' proper.... that's half term with the kids and work getting busy! Excuse my self indulgent ways.

Here's a pic of my weight loss app over the last four weeks. The thick line is the moving weighted average, the thin line is the daily weight. It just goes to show how much day to day variation masks the slight downward trend.

Now that's an interesting graph StuntNun, thank you. I keep meaning to transfer my data out of the spreadsheet here into one of my own. The variation is really significant - but also given the trend, doesn't matter at all. Easy to see with hindsight/ someone else's hindsight!

trashy what do you mean by jumbly? I am as lost on dogs as I am on fish I'm afraid. And ignore the friend with the photo - I wonder if she likes it as she looks good. It's fairly easy to tell if a photo isn't likely to be flattering to someone you know well, so I'm sure she knew what she was doing. And I'm so sorry about the mess up with your son - at least he knows what your mother is capable of. I hope they catch up with themselves soon.

I go to a Bible study group on a Friday morning, and as it's the end of term, we were invited to one lady's house for "Breakfast". I went along anyway as I don't want to miss the group, even though I knew it was going to be carbs everywhere. And I was one of the first, so I explained to her, told her how wonderful it looks, and why I am doing LC. A few of the others in the group know. But I got a bit of an inquisition and "I couldn't do that" and "so all you eat is meat and vegetables?" - it was pretty uncomfortable. Maybe I shouldn't have gone - or said beforehand... urgh. I am a feeder too and I know it's easy to make people obliged to be fed and looked after even if they don't want to be. To be honest, the croissants and muffins and other pastries and fruit salad etc., didn't tempt me that much - I'd had a bowl of yogurt so I knew I wouldn't be tempted. It was the social aspect.

But - I am currently sat here in a pair of size 18 jeans - woohoo - and a size 16 Joules top. I mention the brand only because I find that they are seriously into vanity sizing (I don't know if the MN S+B people approve, I don't really read it that much) as I have a couple of size 18 tops that never stopped fitting me. And though the numbers don't matter... aren't they a joyful victory!!!

Congratulations Mrs HP and welcome baby HP. Hopefully you'll both be home soon.

I've been a carbytwat all week, I'm blaming it on our anniversary and the decorating, but I need to get my act together or I'll end up putting everything I've lost back on.

Trashy you need to translate jumbly . We had to go to Cumbria for psychopup which was nearly 4 hours away but its worth it if you want a pup from a good breeder.

LMD Well done managing to lose while you were immobile and not giving in to temptation - try not to worry about what others think.

DD's home from uni and complaining she's put on weight, she was a tiny 4 when she went and she's probably still a 6 but she's finally got some womanly curves and doesn't look like a 12 year old but I'll have to watch what I say or she'll stop eating. She doesn't have an EO, she just doesn't enjoy food and has only ever eaten when she's hungry - even as a baby.

stunt that is a great graph -you have to show it next bootcamp when we all forget to look at the overall trend and worry about each daily fluctuation!

Thanks everyone - I am home, but babyHP not yet. He just needs to learn to breastfeed, then he can come home basically. I am here from 9am until after 9pm each day to try before each feed, he is getting better, but not there yet!

Jumbly = insides of me emptied out and filled back up with porridge. Albeit maybe slightly less porridge.... So, I'm a bag of, y'know, er porridge

God I must be hormonal. It's great not having periods, but it's pretty cack not having a fucking clue of where I am in my cycle. I think I should be on my period now, but I have felt a bit out of sorts for a couple of weeks.... I'm still desperate for shitey choc. There's stuff in the cupboards I could snaffle. This morning I did crack and eat two of the extra tiny lindt bunnies that are procreating I have stashed in the Easter sneaky stock pile. There's also a full size cadburys eggie or two crying out to me. I'm flip flopping in my head as to whether or not I should eat some till I feel sick. So I decided to come on here and wait out the craving.

I feel miserable and forlorn and all the sad things. I genuinely don't know why either....

notso I can't tell you how good it makes me feel to know that somebody else has driven for four hours to get their new family member my lovely darling dp has okayed it fully, and we are driving down this Sunday to have a look, with a view to taking home one of the pups. Realistically there is only one who's in my price range, as the others are super expensive, but it just happened that she's the one we both loved by looking at the photos.... I guess it's now just down to chemistry on the day, and I am prepared to come away empty handed if it's not feeling just right.

Another part of me thinks I'm taking the piss by borrowing from dp. We don't live together yet - he's planning to move in here within the year/at the start of the new year, and then we'll merge financially, but until then things are separate. Although, he has offered, I didn't ask - but then, that's the type of guy he is.... a rescuer

Obviously I will pay him back, and that will be by June, which is fine, but I know he's going to try and get tickets to a comic convention in New York for his 40th birthday treat that he and a friend are planning, and he's already stressed about money - although he says he will be stressed about it no matter what, so it's a mute point! I've said lets make no decision til we've seen the pup. Apparently girl chihuahuas are like hens teeth at the best of times, so to be able to have a choice is really amazing, and the fact they just popped up at this point seems very serendipitous.

Dp jokingly said today that it would only be possible if he were allowedto name the puppy 'rude dog' and I was like, 'actually, that'd work for me - we could call her Rudi for short' It has extra connotations because dp is nuts about two tone and ska.

Any way, waffle over for the now - can't promise I won't be back imminently....

Crabby I have attached a picture of my tropical tank, not the best picture but I am not at my house just now.

I would love long-finned wcmm but I've never seen them in any of the LFS near me.

Aww Trashy have a hug and some hope you are feeling better soon. Don't know what to say to help, its shit when you feel shit!

I am not doing very well but didn't really want to say because some of you are doing well still. I don't know why but I am finding it very hard to get back into LCing. I have had a few weekends where avoiding carbs was not an option and then it carried on into the week . I am currently looking after a friends house for the weekend so hard to LC here as they leave me food and I don't want to not eat what they bought for me so....

I will try very hard to get back on board on Monday and if no one minds I will post my meals for a few days/week to help keep me on track. I think being accountable to someone (you lot!) helps me.

Off for a hot bath now as I am very stiff, had a 1 hour private pole lesson last night then rode for 2 hours tonight! Legs quite sore..but a good sort of sore.

Sayra I am exceedingly jealous, at a) any ability to haul oneself up/down a pole and b) riding - I have had to give up my gorgeous loan (cleveland bay) cos of my knacky foot. (note to self to go and collect riding hat...)

Thank you for the lovely kind words, and for goodness sake never don't post your true feelings! There are enough of us to hold up those in need until the next shift arrives to take over! I'm all over the bloody place at the minute - food wise doing fine but mentally struggling. I'd put money on there being an entire gamut of combinations of coping out there in lurkyland...