Week 4 - Pre-summer Low Carb Bootcamp: are you KOKO?!

[BIWI]

Morning all!

Here's the Spreadsheet of Doom Fabulousness

Week 3 might not have been kind to you - and here's the warning that week 4 might be the same

But hopefully by now you're starting to adjust to low carbing, and should be feeling some of the other benefits, even if the scales are resolutely ignoring you!

If you're struggling, come here and tell us about it. Don't self-sabotage by thinking 'oh fuck it' and diving into the carbs!

notdeadly just for comparison Atkins only allows 20gs on the induction stage

Bloody Hell. I just don't understand how that is possible unless one eats zero veg which doesn't seem right to me. I am going to keep trying like this and see what happens. Had a good first week. No action so far since then, but will be patient a bit longer.

NotdeadyetBOING on BC we don't really count carbs but if you did stall it's an idea to weigh/measure a wee while to see if your portion sizes are sensible. Re. the USA/UK differences it's a thing that trips up a lot of UK low carvers in the beginning. In the USA they have labels that include fibre in the carb count - total carbs, here we have labels that already separate out fibre - net carbs. What happens a lot is UK low carbers start by reading a USA based resource which tells them to subtract fibre and end up double dipping and massively under counting what they are eating. There are exceptions obviously which just serves to muddy the waters - things produced in the states or generally for that market (like Atkins bars) can be labelled in the USA style just to confuse us.
As a general rule I stick to less than 20g carbs net so I just use the number on the label - no subtracting required. If I do use sugar alcohols (very seldom on BC lite) I use erythritol and I subtract that because I've tested my blood sugar and it doesn't effect me but it might effect some so best to try yourself.

I've added that to my shopping list Laser with Wanheda's suggestions. Thanks.

I just ate my dinner and I am about to brush my teeth to stop snacking.

Breakfast: eggs
Lunch: roasted vegetable lasagna with radish and tomato salad
Dinner: chicken and turkey tikka with cauliflower rice

Snacks: two frozen yogurt lollies (just FF Turkish yogurt with vanilla seeds) and a little lick of peanut butter.

Sadly I need to stop having my curry tomorrow because I have a date on Friday. What can I make with a chicken breast that doesn't involve garlic or anything... Pungent?

notdeadyet BIWI told us to stop MFP so I did what I was told - but before then had a very similar experience to yours - carbs at around 40 - 60

And BIWI yes. you're right - its about finding the way that works for the life you lead. Unfortunately my life slows weight loss down - BUT going slowly is undoubtedly better than not going at all. KOKO and all that.

Briefly checking in- not feeling great as I have a terrible stomach bug. Came On suddenly mid way through a lesson, had to leg it to the loo and I've got AF - so all in all, crap.

So I've not eaten hardly anything again today- yesterday too Nauseous from new meds and today that horrid bug I really hope my body doesn't go into starvation mode?

Evening everyone. Lots of interesting chat.
I may have been a little eager announcing my visit from the whoosh fairy . I lost 3lb between weigh ins on Mon and Tues but weighed again this morning and 1lb back on. I'm still not complaining but that is why I don't normally weigh everyday. I'll wait now till monday.
B: Egg mayo
L: Chicken salad
D: Roast chicken leg on a bed of buttered courgetti.
It was my first experience of courgetti and I'm not sure about it. I couldn't decide if it was going off as it had a slightly sour taste and it was quite wet. Might be better with bolognese?

How did you cook it wombat? I think plain courgetti is boring, but it holds sauce well, so love it with pesto or bolognese.

I had the sausage recipe I posted earlier with some buttery neeps - proper comfort food!

Fly right - I completely get where you are coming from on th wine. I love my wine. I have finally realised though that I cannot lose weight and drink wine. I don't have an off switch with wine, if you can have a glass or two and it makes you more comfortable in certain situations that's fine. I never stop at two though! Also - instead of wine you could have a vodka or gin and slimline tonic. Or Bacardi and Diet Coke. I did an entire summer on Bacardi and Diet Coke about 12 years ago on Atkins. Lost weight.

Biwi is right (as always!) about calories BUT if you are having lots (and I mean lots) of cheats you are not doing low carb high fat but potentially doing high carb high fat which is a recipe for disaster!

And as others have sad slow and steady still gets you there. So make it work for you.

Just had leftover shepherds pie with cauli mash and fried leeks and asparagus. Yum.

Been so busy today I have hardly had any water. 2 out of 9 glasses. So my evening will be spent watching tv and drinking water. I should go for a walk too. My super fit friend has friend requested me on Fitbit and she will nag if I don't do my steps. I haven't accepted her yet as I'm a bit worried she will nag me too much!

Next three weekends I can't avoid carbs - MIL coming on Sunday and very kindly cooking for me and boys whilst dh is at work. I've heard her views on low carbing and so not up to a discussion on it. Following weekend we are at a relative's for a birthday and the weekend after a christening so away all weekend staying with family again. I hate discussing diets and my food intake with people and I can't bear being seen as rude or fussy or pushy. Will do my best but thinking if I super-strict bootcamp during each week then hopefully it will mitigate the damage a bit. But I feel like the best I can hope for is a three week stall...

That's so depressing to hear, @Lasershark. A three week stall would make me feel incredibly disheartened. Can you not try:

• Picking one occasion and being 'sick' and feeling rather 'off' food. It's underhand, but I do it on occasion if I'm that uncomfortable explaining my diet.

• Disguising the fact you're not eating the carbs by being enthusiastic or 'greedy' about something else?

"Ohhhh, cocktail sausages/ham/cheese! My favourite. Oh, I just LOVE these. Gosh, I should stop - I'm going to totally spoil my appetite, I just can't resist!"

And hopefully nobody will think you're being That person on a difficult diet.

• Convincing your family or MIL to cook a LC meal? Perhaps encouraging a full English breakfast one morning and then salad later on because everyone will be so full. Or things like stews or roast dinners or steak, where it's quite easy to eat lots of the meat and vegetables and leave most of the carbs?

Thanks Play, I am going to use ALL those strategies!

Wan it was prepackaged and the instructions said to microwave it, which I did for a minute and a half. I then put it in a wok and fried it in butter.
I think it would def be better in a sauce

Have just come across a blog called 'Ditch the Carbs' - some lovely recipes on there!

If you can't talk about your diet (and I do understand - I have issues with my SIL for the same reason), you could always tell a bit of a white lie - something like you've been suffering with stomach problems, and you/your doctor thinks you might have IBS and/or a wheat intolerance.

Which will mean you can't eat bread/pasta/pastry/anything with flour

Apologise for being awkward, but blame it on your doctor

And if you're visiting friends, why not take them a gift of a lovely cheeseboard? If you also take wine, they'll be totally convinced that you're not dieting!

Thanks BIWI. There are definitely ways around it. Thinking about it, I don't think I'll feel so bad saying I'm staying away from bread and pasta - so many people do nowadays anyway. I just don't want to get into conversations about how it's unhealthy to cut out a whole food group/saturated fat is so bad for you etc. And I hate discussing my weight even indirectly. I don't even particularly like getting compliments about losing weight.

I haven't been drinking and probably still won't as I don't want to risk any extra unsteadiness on my feet . Staying off the booze will probably keep my appetite more in check as well - I get very munchy when I drink! And have just remembered I can claim that the painkillers have given me a funny stomach/put me off eating certain things!

Thanks for all the help. I'm a panicker - I always think the worst and need a bit of help getting perspective!

I just discovered the best pork scratching , they just taste like crisps .
Bought them in the co op and they are by , The real pork crackling co
Golden pork crunch .

So so nice , very very low carb .

Good luck with it Lasershark

Remembered my lunch today, so all to plan except Fridge Raiders which turned out to be processed crap rather than what I thought they were which was roast chicken pieces in a bag.

B: three eggs scrambled in butter w/ cream and cheese
L: salad with tuna mayo/FF yog, feta, gherkin, radish, cherry toms and leaves with lemon and olive oil dressing
D: courgetti carbonara (yum)
S: almonds, Matteson's Fridge Raiders (best LC to-go snack I could find in Sainsbury's, never buying again!)

I panic too, Laser. Just keep your strategies in mind and remember that nobody should notice or care what you're eating (or not eating). I mainly try and be complimentary and enthusiastic about the things I -can- eat, and I think they makes me a fun dinner guest.

Sadly my strategic plan to brush my teeth and thus stop eating did not work. Just ate 125g of raspberries and a spoon of FF yogurt. Grrr.

Hi all, sorry I've disappeared a bit, was super busy at work but have been continuing with the LC and continue to be very happy with it. Can't believe we're already in the 4th week!!!

Lasershark, do try all the really good strategies that have been recommended. If it were one exception I'd say just have some carbs (sorry BIWI ) but as it's 3 weekends it's really good to have some ideas of what you'll do beforehand.

I went on holiday last weekfor 3 nights / 4 daysand managed to stay LC almost completely, except for one special meal out where I tried a couple of more carby things (but not huge quantities).

I ate loads today. My appetite is varying a lot from day to day.

B. Mushrooms fried in butter and two fried eggs
S coffee with cream
L left over dinner from last night (pork chop, asparagus, mushrooms)
D curried breast of lamb served with courgetti salad. (The one Wanheda put on the recipe thread with her tandoori lamb chops. ) it really complemented the lamb and was delicious, so thanks again.

Mint and black tea. Water but not enough. Thinking about it that was probably why I was so hungry today. I will try much harder tomorrow.

veryflummoxed that sounds like lovely food! Strangely some days when I've eaten loads I have found that I ended up losing the most weight!!

Good luck laser, lots of good ideas here, hope you can use some of them!

Food today:
B - BPC
L - 2 hb eggs with butter, cheddar
D - 2 LC sausages, 2 eggs, spinach in butter and Parmesan over the top
S - babybel, a few slices chorizo, cucumber and olives

Managed to do some exercise too thinking of getting a Fitbit as I need some motivation to move more!