Maintaining weight & cheaters confessional

[EvaTheOptimist]

Thanks to BIWI's bootcamp I've lost loads of weight. I'm determined not to put it all back on. So I am now consciously trying to maintain my new weight.

I finished the last bootcamp on 150.8lb. My aim is to stay below 11 stone (154lb). Since bootcamp I have weighed between 149lb and 151.6lb. I think this roughly counts as maintaining!

My plan or experiment is to see whether basically eating bootcamp style, but with 3-4 off-piste moments per week (eg chocolate, toast, special treat meal etc) will do the trick of maintaining.

Post here to share your experience of maintaining the low carb way.

Also feel free to confess any cheating here, offload and wail in a safe space!!

Trash I am appalled at you having to clear up liquid dog shit when you are gingerly recovering from food poisoning. What if you have a relapse while your system is so delicate?! THEN how bad would your poor DP feel?

Peony what a big day! How are you celebrating DD1's birthday (presumably not a party at home covering in ceiling dust?)

I have to start my working day by going to buy a printer cartridge, because WHSmith sold me the wrong one yesterday. I admit I didn't check it myself. Grrrrrr.

I am remaining a low-carb angel rather than a slice-eating stop-out. But I also need to take a leaf from your book Trashy and stop snacking in the evenings. I don't need it, its just some sort of comfort habit.

Peony I missed that you have to do all those interviews etc with a hangover!! Oh dear...

Good luck

Oh he'll never live this one down eva - I'm going to add it to the Saga's of Trashhouse and re-tell it down the generations.

Thank god he has the survival instinct to look contrite and keep his gob mostly shut if I'm doing a bollocking on him. He was so grateful when I wasn't cross anymore. Then made the mistake of 'doing a sniff'. I told him that was one of the fuckwitt things and I didn't even have to tell the kids!

Arf at poor peony doing interviews rough! Although, once you hydrate back up I think it's less bad than trad ones.

So thought I'd be better and up and about today, but have just slept again. Must rouse for school run but that's it.... When will it be over!

I mean I didn't even have to tell the kids to get a tissue - sniffing like a rhino merely inflames ones passages, as he agrees - so STOP FUCKING SNIFFING. And no, I don't give a shit if you have a cold/hayfever/whatthefuckever - it doesn't actually solve the bloody problem

Trash I'm with you with the sniffing. I used to have facials and the girl was lovely but she sniffed all the way through. I'd been bought a course of 10 when I changed jobs so by facial No3 we'd done all the inane chitchat and I said outloud ffs stop the fucking sniffing. She ran out of the room in tears and the manager came up to see what was going on. She then got a full Notso rant asking what was the point of scented candles, stupid bastard non-relaxing pan pipe musak when the dozy cow was going to sniff and irritate me for 50 minutes. Sniffer was replaced by a mad scouser who put on the Foos and gave me loads of freebies.

I do like a man who knows when he's onto a loser and keeps his gob shut. DH is housebroken now and recognises 'the look'. The kids used to tell him he was in trouble and he'd be wha, she hasn't said anything and they'd say 'you'll learn'

Happy birthday Peony1. If you're thinking of ideas for next year my teetotal where did I go wrong DD had a bouncy castle for her 18th, Divadog loved it and her photo on tumblr had over 8000 hits her being Divadog not DD

A class act Notso. Sounds like your assertiveness got you to a better situation. I'm impressed that you can communicate with a "look" however. I don't think that would get noticed round here.

Trash the mind truly, truly boggles at the thought of the full Sagas of Trashhouse.

I may step on the scales tomorrow. Just for information. Maybe I need talking out of this.

eva hope the scales were kind to you today...or did you want talking out of stepping on the scales? In that case...eva don't step on the scales, you don't need to

Got a busy day ahead of me at work, I have had a very very kind offer from one of the lab assistants who doesn't have much on. I am going to be away a bit over the next 3 weeks (trip to Hexham for a beef cattle thingy tomorrow and Thursday, conference in Sweden next week Tuesday til Saturday then the following week OH is getting an op on the Tuesday so I need to take time off to look after him) and I really need to get lab work finished. So she said if I show her what I want done she will do it when I am off . I am so grateful, I have had no help for my entire PhD (I wanted to do it my self ) but my supervisors talked me into letting her help and told me that having help doesn't mean it is not my PhD...I just feel bad having someone else to do my work when I am away.

Trashy hope you are completely well again....but maybe on the plus side your food poisoning might have given you a min-whoosh?!

Peony did you survive your interviews?

notso there is a poster on the other thread called notso and I got confused and wondered if you had changed your name. I will have to call you skinnyminny on the main thread I think because her name can't be changed, it is just notso

I have a downward trend on my weight moving average again so I might see another pound off in a week or two!

Hexham! That's practically on my doorstep. Alert! avoid brockbushes farm shop like the plague. Especially their chicken and ham pies. Drooool. I am soooo hearing you about letting others help..... but it does sound right for you right now!

I am not well still

I did that stupid thing of assuming because it was Monday I'd magically be better I'm better than I was, managed the school run yesterday, but was wiped out all day. Still cramping and shitting liquid (how long can a body do that for?) but keeping down small meals - yoghurt, salads and light fish. Drinking lots but suspect dehydration on periphery. Headachey and grumpy too. Basically a delight.

I did lose seven pounds this week, but wasn't going to make a song and dance about it cos I basically fasted for five days. Still, will use it as a springboard eh

eva did you do it? was it terrible? (I bet it wasn't)

theoriginalnotso how's that?

stunt that's bloody marvellous work, you must be really putting the effort in right now! Utterly commendable. Fancy posting us some inspirational piccies?

I don't have any before piccies Trash although I nearly took a photo of my bum today because it was looking rather fine I have always had a good bum due to being half West Indian but post-30 day shred it's a bit more lifted.

I did step on the scales... 152.8 lb so its definitely 2-3lb on since my OP, but that is completely fair enough as I have not been behaving in the controlled manner I also outlined in the OP! I am being good now though

Wow Sayra what a 3 weeks ahead - and Sweden! It is great that someone can help with the lab work. It does take bravery to accept and rely on that help though.

Trash you have got to give yourself a chance to recover. You've been seriously ill (on an IV drip!!). There was a post at the end of one of the bootcamp threads about the microbes in our gut, and how important they are to health: organicfitness.com/does-the-human-microbiome-influence-food-cravings-and-dietary-habits/

I've read something similar here www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/magazine/say-hello-to-the-100-trillion-bacteria-that-make-up-your-microbiome.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

basically saying our gut microbes influence our metabolisms and our immune systems. (As someone with an auto-immune condition, this is interesting to me - did a change in my gut microbes make that more likely?)

You have just blitzed your gut microbes so much that they turned your poo pink!! So give it a chance for the right ones to come back, and for your health to fully recover. The way you are eating is bound to help here, staying away from carbs etc. I bet yogurt helps. (Disclaimer: I really don't know what I'm talking about, I've just read these two links!)

Well done super Stunt . Trash has previously posted a pic of her bottom (though we were meant to be looking at an octopus) so go right ahead and show us that lifted ass!

Regretfully my bum is undecorated Eva .

Hello my beauties - I am hangover free - woo hoo. I think I have lost my tolerance for the good stuff - Gordons will go out of business.....

Interviewing all day in an airless room , with projector whirring was not great - but I skipped out in the afternoon to meet Peony1 and we had a girly very late lunch in town, just her and I and had a fabulous proper natter and a catch up without the other DD's or Dh interupting or distracting. I need to do that more - it was fab. She said it was the best present just having me completely to herself. . I have resolved to do this with each DD every week - have just a small window of just 1:1. SO now - She is on the road and driving lessons are starting and an ancient Yaris has been handed over and the L plates or on... and my oh my... scarey

( loving the idea of a bouncy castle theorginalnotso !)

sayra - gosh - do let someone help you - it WILL still be your Phd... you surely can't do all the donkey work yourself.

trashkins liquid shit sounds a bit scarey...can you safely fart . all joking aside, i do hope this plague of your clears soon and wow at 7lbs

ok - hands up who wants to see stunts bum.....

Didn't want to put this on t'other thread as it is against the rules, but I'm finding that skipping lunch is surprisingly effective as a bit of a booster.

For me, it's an easier meal to skip than breakfast (if I skip breakfast, I eat like a termite from lunchtime onwards), and dinner (like to sit down and eat with the family). And it seems to have the same effect as intermittent fasting - I get a normal feeling of hunger by about mid-afternoon, but it's nothing that I can't deal with.

My breakfasts and dinners are substantial, so I can't say that this is a covert way of cutting calories. But it helped nudge the scales downwards a couple of weeks ago, so I'm trying it again this week to make up for some flagrant off-piste eating whilst on a business trip last week!

Interested to know if anyone else has tried this.

Elma I find skipping lunch works for me too. I don't need to every day, I go by how hungry I am. I have experimented with having a BPC for breakfast but often I'm too hungry for that.

Ah well it was going to happen at some point and as usual with me, when it happens it really happens. Can't even really call it cheating as I have had waaay too much to call it a sneaky pinch. Have had loads of bread today.

Will no doubt have brought myself right out of ketosis so I will have to start again tomorrow. It's not ideal but hey ho.

Have learnt my lesson though. It is imperative that I have something stashed away so that if I definitely need a little something to ease things a bit I can do so with as little ill effect as possible. Most of the time I can resist but at heart (or mind) I am a big emotional eater and I don't expect that will ever really change, so for me damage limitation is key. I have bought a jar of whole earth peanut butter for the times when I need a pick me up and can't resist making it a foods-based one. I also got a bar of dark chocolate so that there is a single square available for emergencies here and there.

Elma there is no way I would ever skip lunch. or any meal. I am much too much a fan of food! But I'm glad it works for you.

Never mind Holger . I hope it was tasty bread, to make it worth it! Sounds like you are right back on it which is the main thing. I am an emotional eater too. I have to direct my snacking towards Total yogurt, cheese and maybe nuts though - chocolate is fatal. If I'm completely honest nuts do stall me too.

Such a good idea to have one on one time with each child Peony! I should start that.

I'm going to be wet blanket and say Stunt should feel no pressure to photo her admirably toned bottom and post it on the internet!! Heavens the very thought. I wouldn't do it!!

It wasn't tasty bread at all, eva, it was horrible, awful, crap bread. Can't say I even particularly enjoyed it as I was eating it. Which makes it all the more irritating afterwards. But I will just have to get back on the horse.

Holger spread some of the peanut butter on the chocolate. You will never need non-low carb treats again.

I fear I have oversold the whole fab bum image.

Thanks for the tip stunt that sounds awesome.

If I'd had some chocolate or some peanut butter this morning, I would have been ok. I could have just had a little bit and really enjoyed it. But because I tried to substitute crap, it didn't work at all, and then I felt disappointed and angry with myself so had some more. Because that works so well...

Come and visit me trashy I will be doing my cow thing all day Thursday

It doesn't matter how you lost those 7 lbs just take the credit! If I had been paying attention at a lecture I was at the other week I would be able to tell you all about your gut microbiota..but I wasn't so I can't.

Elma I don't generally skip lunch but today I only ate half of it, if I miss a meal (because of not being hungry - I never miss one otherwise ) then it is often breakfast and yesterday it was dinner. I think as ling as you eat when you are hungry then that is perfect. Listen to your body unless it tells you to eat chocolate etc

Holger just get right back on the wagon, we all fall off sometimes.

I am feeling much better about leaving my precious work in someone elses hands now that I have spent two days with the woman who is going to help. She is so thorough and wrote down everything I said and double checked what I wanted and how I wanted samples labelled/stored etc. I am just particular about who I would "trust" to do things correctly the way I want them done, I am confident that this person will do exactly as I have asked so very pleased about that. Luckily she likes precise instructions otherwise she will have thought I was a bossy cow I am

How dare someone else steal my name I'm not skinny yet so I rename myself minny - the originalnotso is a bit of a mouthful and a bit like getting my full real name when I'm in trouble.

C'mon Stunt show us yer bum . I must dust off the 30 day arselifting shred - I've got a complex about mine after my dad told me I had a 'low slung arse' when I was 14 - way to go dad and a totally insensitive thing to say to anyone nevermind your teenage daughter

Sayra Sweden's on my list of places to go to. We did look at getting married in the ice hotel but the price was insane. Well done on the delegation - I'm a control freak and hate handing work over to anyone especially if I know they won't do it the way I want it doing. My admin lady is rebelling at the momentand ignoring the look she's not the quiet retiring thing I thought she was - wouldn't be so bad if she was doing a good job but she's crap at somethings and I'm getting it in the neck off my boss

Trashy Eva's right about the microbey stuff, when I was really ill I was told to take acidopholus (sp) after being on steroids and a-bs for nearly 4 months otherwise I'd be knocked out by every bug going. I only take them when I've been sickcrap at remembering to take anything on a regular basis but haven't had a flare up since then.

Eva and Peony I've gone away just with DD a few times because she was too young to go to conventions by herself and we went to Japan for her 18th & 21st (she'll be on her year abroad when she's 21). I was touched when I took her back to uni after easter as she'd made a collage of photos of her friends, divadog, and the 2 of us together because 'some of her best times have been with me'. Really looking forward to her coming home next week so we can watch trashy telly together

Holger get back on the wagon and don't beat yourself up about it, just don't do what I did at easter and say fuck it and eat anything and everything after 2 carby days which I couldn't avoid.

Elmo I just have a bpc for brekky but a larger lunch and find that keeps me going til 7ish when we eat - must get off my droopy arse and make dinner because I can hear DH getting out of the bath.

Oh fuck I've gawn downhill again. Sent kids to dads again (poor forlorn mites) cancelled work again for the rest of the week. Bah.

Can I buy some new gut flora/fauna off the internet? recommendations anybody?

Dp is at the end of his tether - said in a grumpy voice as he was leaving 'that I'd better ring the doctor cos I should be better by now'

Actually I think he's just mortified - the flat is in a bit of a state - piles of laundry and dishes. I don't give a flying fuck, as all I can do is the minimum, and not even that today. He insisted on bringing his mother for dinner tonight, as she has been away for three weeks, and had presents for the dcs and me which she'd been dying to give. I said that was fine but not to expect anything from me as feeling shocking. I managed to sit up and eat the insides of a fish shop fish, then crawled back to bed. The kids and them went for a walk with the dogs and she must have said something because when he came back he started with the bleating about being better and realising I'm genuinely not coping.......

If I make a miraculous recovery I will come and visit you in Hexham Sayra. It's an odd little spot - my mate can't drive through without shouting 'cunts live here' (she's from up that way) It has a massive futuristic looking factory that belches out steam..... Not my choice of a country escape..... And it is a funny gloomy place, but that's just my opinion! The surrounding countryside is beautiful.

Notso I demand bummage! Demand, I tell you....

Lies back guts gurgling.

Oh, and my poo is currently green 'bits' (possibly just the salad I've been eating wilted, it doesn't seem digested at all, just minced - like the worst taboulleh ever...) But that's just one part - the rest is clear liquid Might have to change my name to 'nevergonnadosolidshitagain'

Oh trashy poor you. Should you go back to doctors maybe? Not sure what they could do though. You can get gut flora transplants but they don't sound very nice!

It's no good, I can't do it justice. I'm going to need professional bum shots.