Week 9 - Spring Low Carb Bootcamp - our last fortnight

[BIWI]

Morning all

the Spreadsheet

I hope that the scale are kind to you this morning.

Looks like it's going to be a lovely week, weather-wise - always makes me look at the stuff in my wardrobe and wonder what will fit

... but there are still two weeks to go, so a chance to drop a few more pounds as well.

Good luck for the week ahead

Thanks BIWI

Why didn't I think of leaving the potato out?? Easy!

green Well done on not letting yesterday derail you. Get back on it and that pound will soon be gone.
Thanks for that post Stunt and BIWI, it all makes sense. I'm a long way from maintenance, but when I've got to a target weight before, I've then put it all back on very quickly. I'm determined that won't happen this time.
Glad you are feeling better today Hesdead
Ignoranus I'm feeling clever now as I was going to suggest the same as BIWI.

Last day of my annual leave today. This week has been a disappointment as I've had an ill child all week, so it has curtailed things somewhat. He's thankfully feeling a bit better today, although still not up to going out. It has meant the food temptations have been less though.
I've got a food shop coming soon and I've order some flax, so I can try the flax bread for the first time. I'm a bit excited about it.

This WOE is brilliant for teaching you about yourself and your relationship with food. Self reflection is so much easier when you're not craving.

I have GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) which means I have a tenancy to catastrophise really easily. This has lead to an "all or nothing" approach to food in particular which in turn leads to over eating, a "fuck it it's ruined" attitude to cheat weeks days and ironically, over stated optimism around food ("oh it's fine.. I can eat this takeaway because I'll eat only water and cabbage leaves for the rest of the week and it will be fine"). These are my main psychological barriers to weight loss, but I also occasionally reward myself with food which was also a problem although not a daily fight like the others.

With this WOE I'm finding it so much easier to look at what I'm eating really really objectively. I think it's because I don't have the crashing blood sugar demon on my back to convince me I have to eat right that second, so I've got more head space to think it through before I eat.

I've been hungry the last couple of days (AF arrived) and craving sugar like crazy. This lead to really disordered eating yesterday (peanut butter with cocoa powder mixed in for breakfast , a cooked chicken with mayo from morrisons for lunch and a mince and tomato concoction with cauli rice for dinner with snacks of cheese at lunch time). I only drank 2 liters of water too. I wasn't feeling well to be fair and had the day off work as a result, but it scared me a bit because my "fuck it, I can't do this and I've always been fat and always will be" attitude returned with a vengeance and I very nearly ordered take away. I didn't, but I had to sit on my hands which is a behavior I used to adopt as a kid around food I wasn't allowed to eat but really wanted (Thanks to my childminder for that one ). I did it most when my sister was given sweets or chocolate and I wasn't allowed anything like that, so I got nothing but would want the food so badly that I'd have to sit on my hands to stop me snatching it. I was probably about 5/6 but I remember it clearly. I kept sitting on my hands to get passed cravings all the way up to the start of bootcamp but my cravings have been so few and far between i pretty much kicked the habit.

I realize typing that out.. it's not really normal is it . Just goes to show how deep seated food issues can be I guess.

Anyway.

I decided this morning to go back to tracking my food for the next couple of weeks just to get a handle on my eating again. I've noticed I'm being a bit too liberal with my portions so it would be useful to make sure I'm not going completely OTT.

I know food tracking isn't really bootcamp but I have very little self control and some pretty impressive food issues (hence 19st 1lb at Christmas ) and I find tracking what I eat, although I hate doing it, does help me stay accountable for the amount I'm eating.

With Easter coming up and also the end of bootcamp in sight, I need to take steps to keep myself in the right frame of mind so I'm preempting the struggle and making changes now.

I've loved not tracking for a few weeks and the freedom has probably helped me stay with the diet for this long, but I think a couple of weeks tracking, then a couple of weeks not tracking will keep me more in control long term.

TL;DR: I'm going to track my food again over Easter/ end of bootcamp to keep myself on track.

I also love this WOE when I can stay on track. I started 3 years ago and quickly lost 2 stone going from 14.8 to 12.8 but I gave up too quickly as I felt nicer in clothes again and went on holiday. I tried to stay loosely with the rules but over the past 2 years went back up to 13.11 (weighed last sunday) and was horrified that id allowed it creep back up so much.

My clothes were feeling horrible and tight and I felt lethargic and slow. I need to hang on to the feeling that you feel when low carbing as I'm energetic, skin and hair improves and my face loses that flabby, bloated look and I feel younger.

For me its all in the planning, its far too easy to grab and eat something and slide down the slope of stuffing my face just because its there. I immediately turn to food as a reward, because its the weekend, because Ive had a crap day etc and I need to realise this. I also have issues with portion control and can eat huge amounts. I think nothing of polishing off a few bags of crisps, some chocolate, couple of glasses of wine or cider etc.

This is where I lost the plot a bit with fats, I was eating large amounts of butter, FF mayo and feeling virtuous about it because its 'low carb' but the sheer amount of veg and meat I was eating with it meant I was defeating the object.

I'm back and need to start again and try and reset my portion sizes.

I weighed today and since Sunday Ive gone from 13.11 to 13.6. I know its water weight but it has spurred me on.

why haven't I tried this before? Not too eggy, like the oopsy rolls, and nice, bread like consistency. The whole loaf has 8g carb in it, the two slices I ate had 1.14g in. Might have to go and eat more now...

OOh captain whats that? looks lovely!

It tastes like bread, I think. I haven't eaten bread since 2016, so not absolutely sure I can remember properly, but it was lovely. I just had to try it with peanut butter on and that was equally nice. Must restrain myself now.
here's the recipe It's not mine - it was posted my someone on a preBC thread.

Interesting, BIWI thank you for that.

I hadn't noticed about John Briffa. We did one of his survive and thrive under stress courses through work in the 90s. Sadly I didn't put into practice the things they mentioned, and so here we are.... is was all good information, too.

CaptainBraandPants so trying that one tonight! I've been looking for a way to eat pate and I've been struggling without bread and crackers... sorted!

Sounds lovely - but do you have any idea what the weights would be? I haven't got any cup measurements!

i cup of ground anything is roughly 150g :)

*1 cup

Thanks!

And can I just say, I thought your earlier post was incredibly insightful.

... and if you need to go back to tracking - nothing wrong with that. To be honest, I think this is all about doing whatever works for you. For me, not having to weigh and count anything works - because I'm a lazy so and so - but I do recognise that for others, religiously entering everything into their MFP account is important!

This weight loss malarkey is difficult enough as it is without feeling you're not in control of things.

That does look good. I tried the Queen Keto bread earlier in the week and it was just way too eggy, though it was nice and light. I had to eat it with cooked breakfast type food to be able to stomach it. I'll have a go at this one tonight.

To be honest, if this doesn't work I'm probably going to stick with the Lidl protein rolls once BC ends. I get much more pleasure from those than I do from loads of other things and 9.4g of carbs is very reasonable.

I weighed it as well.
It was 100g flax and 50g almond.

That bread looks very nice. I will put it on the list of things to try.
I've been finding it so easy being strict. Today I was watching telly and caught sight of some really nice bread and now my brain is like an overtired toddler having a tantrum.
I think it will be fine. I am meeting up with someone I have a crush on in 3 weeks exactly and going to a wedding in 10 weeks. I need to just sit and think of what it would feel like to turn up to both of those feeling fabulous. Also trying to plan myself a particularly nice low carb meal to eat this weekend to distract myself. Thinking fish breaded with almond flour and celeriac chips all dipped in mayo with a chocolate low carb mousse for pudding. I very rarely eat pudding.
Other tips would be gratefully received. Trying to drink more and keep busy. I'm mostly just tired, I think. I crave far more when I'm tired.

I've had a great result today - on 9 Jan I set my target weight at 11.7 (from 12.12) and today I weighed........ 11.7!!

Disproportionately pleased . I'm a nerdy accountant so when numbers 'work' it makes me happy

What do you do when you've had your dinner but arr craving something sweet. I'm sitting here dying to have a white toblerone or just something sweet and crunchy!

Leostar I drink a fuckton of water and go to bed. Failing that, 100g alpro almond or coconut soya yoghurt with 1 square dark chocolate grated on it and a cup of tea with (gasp!) milk.

I feel your pain.

Hello everyone
Hesdead you have really taken control of your eating during bootcamp and you should be very proud of yourself.
There have been some great losses by quite a few posters. Very inspirational.

I have found that once I am fat adapted, I can eat a meal with some carbs and it doesn't really impact on my weight (although I don't weigh everyday) I just reign it back in the following day. It has always worked for me.

Keep on with water.

When i crave something sweet I have greek yoghurt with berries and cream, or a bit of very dark chocolate.

If I'm craving something sweet really badly a spoon of peanut butter helps sometimes?

It was beautiful weather this evening so I took the hounds out for a rampage in the countryside behind our house... Eric returned an unappealing shade of avocado-swamp green and smells like rotting seagull corpse.

I spent the rest of my evening wrestling him into a bath and weeping at the stench

Didn't feel like eating after that but chucked some ready-cooked chicken in a pan with some butter, chorizo, asparagus and broccoli and had that. Really enjoyed it actually!

Well done SummerSazz. That must feel amazing!

When I crave something sweet I have strawberries, crunchy peanut butter, coyo or a chia pod.

Strawberries with gated dark choc might just hit the spot for me. Love dark choc too. I haven't tried coyo or chia pods

My go to dessert is berries (frozen ones defrosted in the microwave if out of season) and cream. Throw in a few dark chocolate chunks or buttons or grate a little chocolate on the top and it's even better. I got some vanilla powder in Waitrose which is lush mixed into Greek yogurt. Let's face it, any combination of the above ingredients is going to be good!

Fresh strawberries dipped in melted chocolate and left on baking parchment to cool might work.