Week 3 - Pre-summer Low Carb Bootcamp - the choice is yours!

[BIWI]

Morning all. Sorry for the later than usual thread, but I'm away at the moment/1

Anyway, here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

As we've now completed the first two, more strict, weeks of Bootcamp you have a choice. You can move on to Bootcamp Light, (rules are on the spreadsheet tabs), which essentially means you can add in a few nuts/seeds, and some fruit (berries, and strictly in moderation), and you can have alcohol occasionally.

However, if you haven't really done Bootcamp strictly enough, or you cheated, or just because you think it's going well, you can stay on Bootcamp. (If you do, though, please make sure your carbs are mainly coming from vegetables and salad, to make sure that you're getting a good balance of nutrition)

Alternatively, you can do Bootcamp during the week but Bootcamp Light at the weekend. The choice is yours.

However, there is one thing I have to warn you about. Weeks 3 and 4 are notorious for little or no weight loss. If this happens to you, please don't panic! Just keep on keeping on and things will start to move again.

After initial big losses in the first couple of weeks, you can't feasibly expect to see that continue, and you should that weight loss settles down at around 1-3lbs a week, depending on how much you have to lose.

Good luck all!

Really inspired by everyone's meals on here, I've been over to the recipe thread and I've added some meals to today's shop.

DoingIt I think you have to try to get in touch with your own feelings of hunger and satiety. I eat much bigger portions than other people on here seem to but I've always been a big eater.

Quickly checking in...yesterday I had:

B: BPC
L: Lamb curry and veg
D: Grilled chicken and salad

Thanks BIWI, that makes sense. When I say fill my plate, I would (taking WanHeda's pic) add broccoli and a good fist of spinach leaves to that plate. Protein portion is generally 1 chicken fillet, 1 salmon steak (large if possible, I adore salmon) a home-made quarter pounder or a good hand sized piece of steak. Fat would be a big knob of butter on the veg, and/or a cream based sauce, or cream cheese on the salmon steak.
I will start weighing out today and get a realistic overview of my portions.
Feel like it's obvious now it's been pointed out. Duh!

Ugh, bad day yesterday and showing on the scales this morning. Was doing fine until ds and I hit the cinema in the afternoon and then...bad times. Plus wine. Stupid thing is I wasn't even really enjoying the nutrition-free, sugary, carbtastic crap whilst I was eating it. Woke up this morning craving steak and green beans, fgs!

Still, today is another day, lots of water and back on the wagon.

Thanks StuntNun, missed your post there. I know my appetite is going to be different from others on here, but I guess my tendency has always been to over eat. I need to break that cycle I think, and as you say, find my own balance.

doing it I was thinking the same. I know BIWI suggested that newbies start by weighing out their veg to get an idea of portion size but I (couldn't be assed) didn't. Last night I made the decision to do so today. I love vegetables.

doingit, my meals vary greatly depending in how hungry I am, but generally I serve up a small plate then go back for more if I want it, the rest of the time I just put the leftovers away for the next day. Also, if you mean my pork chop & green beans, they are a bit higher in carbs than leafy greens so I had less. I am also 5 weeks in and my appetite has reduced a lot.

Also, the pork chop had a massive rind of fat on it, and was topped with mayo & parmesan - all that fat was very filling!

Let's do it together then Very!

We will Doing it

I love veg too, and I do eat it with all my meals! Feeling a bit defensive now

Thanks Wan (yes, it was the delicious looking pork chop I was referencing!)

It's very eye-opening seeing other people's portions. I will reevaluate today, and see where I am realistically with my veg.

Oh no Wan, sorry!

It's ok, it's good for us all to re-evaluate where we are, I probably could have used a bit more veg in that meal. 6 weeks ago, I'd have eaten that plus another chop plus a huge portion of potatoes!

Sorry Wanheda as Stuntnun said it is a very individual thing but I really think it won't do me any harm to check if I should cut down. And your meal looked delicious. If I'd been served that in a restaurant I wouldn't have though I was being short changed. It's somethings to do with dishing it up myself, I tend to go overboard.

Try serving half to yourself, with the knowledge you can go back for the 2nd half if you are still hungry.

True! Perspective is a great thing! I am loving getting in control of my appetite and cravings, rather than them dictating to me. Feels very freeing!

I also bought myself a very lovely Denby plate, which is actually a "side/salad plate and is much smaller than the huge things we usually use. I love dishing up dinner on my lovely (smaller) plate.

I'm finding that my dinners often look a bit small, and I question whether I have given myself enough - but when I've eaten it, I'm nearly always full enough.

I think sometimes we're so used to seeing plates piled high with food (in restaurants, tv advertising etc) that we lose sight of what a normal portion should be.

I also use Denby plates, and maybe I should use the breakfast plate instead of the dinner plate for my dinners. It's what I already use for breakfast/lunch.

Oh, and thanks to whoever it was who suggested a while back to fry under ripe avocados - I'm making a prawn and avocado salad to take out with us later, and the avocado was definitely too firm. I have now fried it, and it's delicious! Must try not to eat it all before putting it in the salad.

Thanks Wanheda good suggestions. And to whoever suggested mint and cucumber in the water thanks. It is delicious.

My portions might look a bit small but I've been on this WOE for ages and I'm fat adapted so try not to worry. Weighing is a good idea. Some days I have a huge plate, others not so much.

I recently read (unhelpfully can't remember where) that the average plate size has gone up about 20% so people are consequently giving themselves larger portions.

As so much of our eating is down to perception rather than hunger it is a really good idea to use a smaller plate. Also as pp have said if I know there is more if I need it I am less likely to feel deprived, and having left overs for another day makes life easier.

Win, win, win

Interesting article in the Telegraph about plate size and colour. Who knew?