Week 10 - Low Carb Bootcamp - The Last Week!

[BIWI]

Morning all!

Just one more last week to go!

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

and don't forget the Weight Tracker as well

Hope you all have a good week.

Can I join please :-) but what are the ubercamp rules?

Yes please BIWI I have another three pounds to lose plus whatever I've gained on holiday.

Hello everyone. Hope you're all doing well. Sorry for the following essay, thinking aloud and interested to know what you all think.

I'm feeling a bit confused, trying to work out which direction to go in. I've only lost 3lb in the last 10 weeks and something needs to change. That's mostly because I've had a really stressful time of it with work being done to my house, and I've been so very tired and thus really craving carbs. So I've probably eaten more nuts/fruit/dark chocolate than I should have done. I gave up dairy thinking it was stalling me but now I'm not so sure. In fact, I think it was far more the dark chocolate. Some weeks I was getting through a bar a week, but because I'd eat that in two sittings, I'd think 'well I've been strict all week other than 2 slip ups, why haven't I lost more?' neglecting to realise how the chocolate will have added up. I have so many weeks where I stay the same on the scales but lose inches, it makes it really hard to tell what's what and whether dairy really is a problem.

So I definitely can't manage dark chocolate. I say I'll have one or two squares, I've ended up eating 6 at times (and feeling so sick). I think I need to cut it from my diet, the exception being once in a blue moon at a party (the being around other people makes me control how much I'm eating because I feel watched, I guess).

The dairy one is a scary one for me. I don't want to eat it for weeks and stall, I want the weight off too much. But equally there's no point being super strict, losing some weight, then cheating and putting it back on. And I feel too deprived without it. The really irritating thing too is I feel so much more full eating dairy. Like, my appetite disappears. That is contributing to the cheating, I'm just still hungry without it, and making poor choices at my most tired point of the day. I have been trying to eat more butter/coconut oil/coconut cream but I just don't have the same appetite suppression as when I cook with cream and can't eat so much of them. Even if I make fat bombs, that doesn't get over the feeling of being so restricted/self pity that I can't eat much.

I really don't want more weeks to go by and just stay the same. This is too important to me. But I can't be so strict, I cheat, I feel dreadful, I put on weight I've lost. I guess if the dairy does make me stall I can try doing something like eating it 2 days out of five, I just know I can't go on this strictly.

Anyway, sorry for waffling. To summarise, yippee cheese!

I'm up for it BIWI thanks. Back from my hols where I really didn't bother to lo carb so need to get back into gear and make this work

I'm always up for quite strict low carbing but the prob with boot camp for me is that because I have to play the very long game, sometimes it's counter-productive to be completely rigid about it. I'm not sure that I should participate in boot camp threads because there will be the odd day where I relax a tiny bit. I also use sweeteners as and when, and have the odd fizzy drink. Other than that I will be low carbing for the rest of my life. But because I'm not quite at my target weight yet, I don't really feel I can participate in the maintenance thread either.

Hmmm I'm not sure I've answered the question...

I will join. I am eating far too much dairy so it would do me good to get back to basis and do uber bootcamp for a week.

lowcarbforthewin - I am going to write more later but first what comes to my mind - can you put your food to MFP and see which weeks are stalling you?

In my experience (it may be different for others) effect of eating carbs comes out after around 36-48 hours. So if I had something carby to eat today weight either stalls or goes up on Monday.

Are you able to do 10-14 day of ubercamp any time soon?

Think I need to cut the dairy so BC Ultra would be worth a go for me, have been drifting along on BC lite for too long ( 18 months ) and need to shed a stone still. Count me in.

lowcarbforthewin I really sympathise with you. However you have lost 3 pounds over 10 weeks and over a year that is a stone. It depends how much you have to lose and your personality. I am losing slowly like you but I have to have little healthyish treats (eg fruit/dark choc) and dairy in order to stick with it long term. Personally I do not feel able to cut out dairy for uber camp but will stick with bootcamp light. Perhaps you could cut out cream but keep plain live yogurt which is so good for you? I'm no expert but am finding my own way through tweeking it to suit me. If you hadn't done bootcamp, perhaps you would be 3 pounds heavier? Good luck with whatever you decide, your weight is at least going in the right direction.

Antimatter the problem is I literally stay stuck for weeks. Other people seem to go up and down each day, I get on the scales and it says 70.1, 70.1, 70.1..... Every single time I get on! It's weird I just don't fluctuate. I'm the world's best maintainer which is great for when you get to goal but not when there is more to lose.

However, I do feel in cutting out the chocolate, if I weigh myself in a week and then two weeks, etc and I've been eating dairy and I've lost, I'll be able to say it isn't a dairy issue. If I cut the choc, and still stall, then it will be easier to say it's the dairy stalling me.

Suzy I totally agree, treats are important. But I think for now a fat (dairy) needs to be the treat, because the last few weeks it has been dark choc and it's not something I'm in control of. It's ok, I was on a low fat diet for so many years dairy is a massive treat to me. It makes this feel so easy.

I don't tell anyone in real life this but my weight is causing so much distress. I originally put a lot on my legs, and as I've lost lots, my legs are a mess. It is devastating looking at them. I've spoken on here before about how I'm aiming for a lower body lift. It's at the stage where I feel I can't sleep with someone until I've had my surgery. I'm always dreadful self conscious about clothes too. I'm just too ashamed of the hanging skin there. But surgery might be months and months away and I'd love to meet a partner this year, soon ideally. I feel disfigured. I'm always conscious of my legs, the skin bangs together, they're heavy. It's a daily battle between wanting to be strict with my diet, wanting to cheat because I'm exhausted or down, and hating how my body is. I'm terrified of losing weight slowly, of stalling. Yes a stone in a year is great and better than nothing and I'll take it if that's all I'm capable of, but it sucks. I am having counselling about all this but she can't change the fact my body looks horrendous.

And yes if I am eating dairy, I could do übercamp. It's a good idea.

Lowcarbforthewin, I have a real liking for dairy so found it hard to give up. It's not quite in the spirit of unprocessed food, but I have been using lactose free cream, as it is lower in carbs due to being lactose free. Just a thought in case its a way forward for you. For me it has to be bare able.
I have not been well for the last couple of weeks, so havn't got out to the bigger shops recently that stock celeriac and some of the harder to buy stuff. Also had some difficult expeditions to A&E with ds (14 with sld and autism) so gets distraught at the sight off ell hospitals in general. He seems to be growing fast and forgetting his extra size and walking into things/ falling over rather a lot just now!. I know excuses excuses! I have also had some umm failures on the self control front especially with the dark stuff, I'm only supposed to have the occasional square of, and there's so much lovely soft fruit in my local shop! So I know I have to get back on the straight and narrow. Ds bless him tried to make me a water ice lolly!

Sorry you haven't been well magso. And sorry to hear about your ds.

Thanks for the suggestion, will look into it.

I feel better today. I don't think it's a case of cut dairy or eat masses every day. I can try and potter along as I am and on tougher days eat some then. I had a strict day yesterday with no problem, so it isn't impossible.

lowcarbforthewin

I know 3lbs in 1 weeks doesn't seem much - but it is still a loss! And, as you say yourself, you've been under a lot of stress (which can impede weight loss), and you've been eating too much chocolate.

Why not try giving dairy a miss for a few days, (as well as the chocolate!) and just see what happens? If you up your protein levels, as well as making sure you're getting plenty of fat from other sources (could be fatty meat as well as things like butter/coconut oil) then that ought to take care of the appetite

Lovemychocolate - you've lost 2lbs so far, which is great! And so you're thinking of giving up? After only a week?! I think you need a bit more of a realistic perspective.

Low carbing isn't a faddy diet that will see you drop a stone in a day (or other such rubbish ! You need to work at it, like you do any other diet. The difference between low carbing and low fat/low calorie eating is that you will enjoy much better, more satisfying food eating this way.

To take some specifics of your post:

2 eggs with Mayo for breakfast and 3 slices streaky bacon

As long as your mayo was low in carbs and full fat (did you check?) this is a perfect low carb breakfast

1 babybel and earl grey tea with no milk

Again, perfect!

Half a tin corned beef, 60g mozzarella and some leeks fried in butter

Great - hopefully it was full fat corned beef? Although I have found it hard to buy any recently that's not 'light' or low fat. Just bear in mind that mozzarella does have a carb content. At 1.3g per 1g it's very low, so obviously you won't have eaten many carbs here, but just worth remembering, as it all adds up.

1 salmon fillet wrapped in Parma ham and spinach cooked in butter

Great - hopefully you had plenty of fat with this though - i.e. it wasn't just the spinach cooked in butter? Also a really good meal to have in the early days, as the magnesium and potassium in the salmon and spinach will help keep your electrolyte levels up/balanced.

And I drunk 2.5 litres of water.

You should be drinking more than this. If you weigh 200lbs you should be drinking 3.5 litres.

When I weighed on Thursday I had lost 5lbs but today I am only down 2lb from original and feel bloated

If you're feeling bloated, this is a sign that you need to drink more - your body is retaining water, which probably accounts for the difference between your Thursday weight and the latest weight.

I am 200lbs so thought I would lose more initial especially as had v high carb diet before

Not necessarily! We're all different and the results vary enormously from person to person. You may find that next week, if you keep your diet consistently low in carbs, that you see a sudden drop.

But you're doing well so far, and if that day's menu is typical, then you should see the weight come off. Just remember the two key things - drink plenty of water and make sure you really are keeping your fat up.

Good luck!

Right. I've thought about the next 'short, sharp shock' Bootcamp, and I'm going to start it on 21/7, so that we have time to prepare for it, allow some to go on holiday and get the spreadsheet up and running for next time.

Thanks BIWI.

What do you think about my situation, briefly outlined in previous comment? I would like to attend boot camp, but for the reasons I've explained I really do need to be able to play lite here and there. Not sure if it will derail others although I think I am usually quite good at not going on about it when I have something not strictly allowed.

For me the main help of participating in boot camp threads is the overall morale boost and being able to mingle with others who are in broadly the same boat. And also I find it really helps if I can work my way through carby cravings or emotional issues by talking about them here. But maybe that derails others, I don't know.

I'm not sure if I should just try to move along by myself and not post on the threads.

You're more than welcome to post on the threads, Holger! You're on the same 'journey' (to use a hackneyed cliche!) as the rest of us, after all.

As long as you're sensitive to others, which you have been/are being, I can't see the problem.

Yes! The 21st in perfect for me. I'm in without a doubt!

Just back from my first gym session (with trainer) for a month. Goodness it was hard work!

Thanks Biwi, I for one appreciate the extra week to organise the fridge!

Lowcarb I'm in much the same boat as you. My weight does fluctuate over about 3lbs on a day to day basis but I use the Libra app which gives a trend line and that is firmly stuck in a straight line. I too rely on my dairy to make life worth living. I can cope without fruit or chocolate if I know I can have my yoghurt and cream after my evening meal. I have pretty much cut cheese except for the odd occasions where I use it in place of meat but I do miss it as I tend to prefer meat and cheese to meat. I am prepared to give uber a go. It is only one week and it might just be enough to shake my body out of a rut. I shall take one day at a time and if it gets too difficult I shall finish the week on the normal BC.

21 suits me too!

Also thanks Biwi for organising it!

Thanks for all of your support so far BIWI. I'm up for your new plan but I'm away for part of the first week so I'll just do what I can.

Thanks BIWI. I just know if I cut dark chocolate and dairy I can do two or three perfect days and then there'll be a cheat and I'll feel dreadful. I need to get out of that cycle.

Had a really good day today. Two eggs in olive oil for breakfast, and had a tablespoon of coconut oil.
Veg soup for lunch with a slug of oil, some olives.
Tea was some monkey nuts and an avocado with olive oil.
Supper will be some lamb and veggies. 4 strawberries.

Have been much less hungry, I think the extra coconut oil helped. It really makes such a difference when your hunger is under control.