Week 5 - Low Carb Bootcamp chat - and we reach the half way point!

[BIWI]

Good morning

So the last thread reached 1000 posts. I don't think that's ever happened on any other Bootcamp! It's a really good sign that everyone is engaged in the process, even if it's not always been from a positive place. If things aren't working for you, please keep reading and posting - even if you just lurk, hopefully the support and advice here will be helpful for you.

But it's a glorious day again, and the sun is shining brightly already and the birds are singing their hearts out. I hope that this translates into positivity and optimism for all of us this week - even if you've been struggling!

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

We're past the dreaded weeks 4 and 5 now, so hopefully things will start to get going in the right direction, and you should see the weight move downwards - assuming, of course, that you aren't cheating or allowing carb creep.

Good luck everyone

Ooh TWO West Country folk . Just us three then .

Nasch, in week 1 I had a funny 'turn' and felt really terrible. Boulion drinks seemed to sort me out then, and I have been drinking one most days since. If I don't have one, especially in hot weather, I don't seem to feel so good. I'm not a huge salt consumer, so I think that after removing bread and breakfast cereal from my diet, along with everything pre-packed meant my electrolytes went off a bit. I tend to have a mug just before my first food of the day. I have two tubs packed in my suitcase in case I can't find it abroad! In fact, I've flung out a whole load of toiletries and sun cream because I know I can easily buy them in Spain, in order to pack food essentials that may be harder to find :)

Was it wombat who posted about soft skin? Me too and I guess that would be my positive. I have hypermobility syndrome and it's a common feature of EDS. do you have hypermobility/EDS?

And BIWI I did believe you, it at least really wanted to! I'm finding this BC so much better than my previous LC endeavour 5 years ago, and it's definitely because of all the advice, especially yours. So thank you.

I hit 127lbs after 7 months of LC last time, but put a lot back on after I went back to work and struggled with lunches. I am a long way away from that weight now but because I understand my fat/protein needs much better I feel like I have a chance of heading that way, and healthily.

As someone with a history of eating disorder it feels amazing to do this to my body with love, not hate and disgust.

Stunt I'm a bit confused about what bone broth is.. a stock you make yourself? Or something I can buy?!

Cherries Also, boullion drinks? Is it like drinking a stock cube? Because if so, I don't think you'll convince me!

I worked with someone who had the most delicious soft skin. She'd let us stroke and squeeze her arms .

Marigold boullion powder is lovely Nasch.

I love drinking stock cubes

I've just noticed something interesting if I look at my losses each month (there have been some months (May) what I had a gain hence the big loss).

Jan 10lbs lost
Feb 4lbs lost
Mar 6lbs lost
Apr 1lb lost
May 8lbs lost
Jun (on track for 2lbs lost)

So it looks like I have a big loss then a wee loss. I wonder if it's after I've had a wee loss I try harder the next month. I'm not aware of that though.

I was very dubious myself Nasch. However, it's lovely. I use the Marigold Vegetable Bullion powder. It's pretty carb heavy if you look at the per 100gm amount, but a teaspoon in a mug of boiling water is 1.5 gms so I'm OK with that - and I usually add a pinch or two of lo-salt into it to give my potassium levels a boost as well. I feel much better taking it - I used to eat a lot of bananas and sweet potato, and so that's also dropped my dietary potassium. I do love my spinach/avocado/salmon, but probably not at the rate I used to eat carby sources of it. All through the winter I make my own stock and I had a few cartons left in the freezer at the beginning of BC, but that's all finished now and can't face a pot simmering away for hours in the summer. But home made is delicious. Although never made a veggie stock, so that might not work for you anyway.

I have pretty good skin for my age. Very soft and largely unwrinkled apart from some laugh lines. I chose my genes well when it came to skin. I also have rather nice feet. Not a bunion, corn or piece of hard skin in sight. Get above the ankles though and there is an impressive network of surgical scars. And unfortunately my snowflake feet demand the most frumpy of footwear to stay happy.

Oh god Heman I wish I could talk shite with random strangers. I have social anxiety and after interacting with real people as opposed to you lovely imaginary people that live in my phone I have to go and have a lie down.

Jiminny we'll call that a carb refeed and let it go... this time!

Cherries before I went low carb I ate very little added salt - only used in cooking and never added at the table. Now I find myself having to add a lot of salt to keep my electrolytes up or I feel rubbish. I use Lo-Salt for sodium and potassium, and I take a single magnesium tablet each day (the normal dose is two tablets).

Nameless I have hypermobility too but rubbish skin. It must be the EDS what does it.

Nasch you can make your own bouillon (it's basically just stock) from bones. If you have roast chicken then use the carcass to make bouillon. You can buy it ready made. Ocado sell five packs of frozen bouillon cubes that you make up with boiling water. You can use Bovril or a stock cube. Miso soup also works but it can be hard to find a low carb one. If you're feeling rubbish try one of the above and if you feel better within a few minutes then the problem was electolytes.

StuntNun I was still under 40g carb for the whole day (39g) so I dont even think it counts as a refeed, it's not even enough for cyclical ketosis.. bit of a shit cheat really! I'm a go big or go home kinda girl so I've probably let myself down on that one

I'm seriously, seriously considering giving up weighing, or weighing less often. I'm a weekly weigher at the moment with a sneaky peak on wednesday mornings but quite honestly, my body is now changing faster than the scales at the moment. Case and point, I've only lost 3lbs on this BC but I've lost inches from everywhere

This WOE makes weighing really wierd and weight comes off in big chunks, then nothing for weeks etc and it can really throw off my motivation and resolve to KOKO. This week I actually chuckled to myself when the scales showed a 3lb gain because i KNOW it's not possible for that to be the case. My thinking is, if I'm not judging my success by the scales anyway and I know how daft they are at times, why am I still using them as a measure of success??

I have to get weighed for the Transform program but I can ask my PT not to tell me what the numbers are doing I guess.

My reservation is time. I've got 10 months until the wedding and I'm naturally anxious about feeling good by then. I'm worried if I don't check in on my weight I'm going to go wildly off track and end up not losing anything, but I wouldn't know until it was too late to do anything about it.

Madness I know.

Thoughts?

Oh my god BIWI 6 minutes?!
The best I have managed was 1 min 45 and I thought I was gonna pass out!
Jim
I LOST 6 1/2 stone in the 9 months before my wedding. Went from a size 16 to an 8. I even bought a dress in a 6. Koko!

Bit of NSV in that I'm wearing a dress that was too tight even last week and its comfortable! Haven't weighed again since my crazy 5lb gain so no idea what's going on there.

I've also done level 1 of the 30 day shred for the last 2 days. Bit of a sore knee now though

I posted about weighing last night Jimminy. It does nothing for me at all. I don't know why I do it . How about weighing once a month? Just to satisfy yourself that you are on track. Now you are doing some hard fitness stuff I'm sure your weight will start fluctuating and may demotivate you?

Also, if I may say, are you seeing what we can see?! You look amazing NOW. 10 months is ages away and you will look even more fabulous by then if you KOKO. I guess you have an image in your head about how you want to look? Will you recognise it when you get there? Have you thought about going out clothes shopping and having a try on of some lovely dresses (not necessarily wedding stuff) to see how you look right now?

Stunt I'm not entirely convinced that it's a good skill . Sometimes people tell me things that I don't wish to know . I think I have one of 'those faces'! Although it comes in very handy at work. Being nosey is part of my job .

Heman I don't have an image in my head because I've never been a healthy weight .. Lowest adult weight ever was 12st 13lbs and for my height that's still obese!

I see the wedding as a new chapter. When I lost weight last time (2st with WW in 2012) I was at Uni and saw graduating as my next chapter. I didn't want to be fat for my new, post education life... that went well

DP and I will be TTC from the wedding night onwards basically, and I KNOW my health is really important for that, hence I want to be in the healthy weight range. I also want to be comfortable on the wedding day and now faffing about trying to hold my tummy in etc.

I HATE being looked at in my fat body, so I'm hoping in a thinner one I'll feel more comfortable with everyone staring at me.

I'm going to not weigh myself for 30 days. Decision made. I'll weigh next on the 24th July :)

Well done on decision made! You KNOW you are doing everything you can to be fit and healthy. That is really all you can do. Do you think you will know when you get to how you want to be?

Funny thing - a friend of mine works in public health and promoting various projects in the community. She asked for input recently for a project she is working on for teenage girls - positive stories of failure/success, how one bad thing doesn't mean the end of EVERYTHING. And also what us old farts would tell our younger selves. Mine was Look After Your Body even in tough times. My biggest regret is not doing that for myself. It's really hard to undo the bad stuff and to see and feel a difference when you get older. I think you are the same age as my eldest stepdaughter Jimminy. You are young and lovely. Just keep doing what you are doing .

Good luck with the weighing ban, Jim. I weigh daily as I like my graphs

Spent the morning in diabetes clinic with the endocrinologist, met some very ill people. I wanted so badly to scream and shout about carbs at them, but as a student my role is to sit quietly in the corner...
Dr did mention carbs to one lady as she complained she was hungry between breakfast (porridge) and lunch, so he suggested snacking on nuts or cheese as the carbs wear off quickly but his focus was protein increase rather than fat. Didn't get a chance to ask him about LCHF. Maybe next time.

Afternoon everyone, and hello to the new people

Well, I survived yesterday! So proud of myself - had one glass of rose, had salmon for starter, chicken and asparagus for main and 2 raspberries for pud (the caramel choc tart they came with looked relish though!).

When we reconvened for afternoon tea I ate the egg and salmon fillings, passed on the cake and ate some cream from the scone. Also had a couple of strawberries with cream. I wasn't even that tempted, which I was amazed at.

Dinner was a picky affair, just had some ham, cheese and strawberries and cream.

Next hurdle to overcome is the weekend away...

B: very late after my run, creamy coffee and 2 slices of cheese
L: going to have an egg mayo salad
D: BBQ

Did a 5k run this morning and knocked 2 mins off last week's time, delighted with that.

My scales are also doing strange things - apparently I've put on a lb since Monday but I have been sticking to this, drinking plenty of water etc. Only thing I can think of is that I am retaining more water now that I've started running again

TheWay do not let the scales derail your motivation. They can give different readings every day. Stick to what you are doing.

Nameless No, I don't have hypermobility or EDS, but I have previously googled them as I have issues where my ankles can suddenly give way on me. Don't even get me started on the problems with my feet

Afternoon.

B. Cream coffee.
S. Yogurt, cream and berries
S. Again. Strawberries. (I couldn't help it)
L. Chicken, feta, olives

Later I have a HB egg and more chicken.

Hungry day today.

Afternoon everyone.

Thank you all for the good wishes, it's made the last few days easier. I'm in less pain today and won't be trying to cook a meal. I have leftovers from yesterday's efforts thankfully and DH is back tomorrow late morning and PA is back this afternoon for a few hours which will mean she can get on top of the worst of the mess in the house, change bedding, empty bins, clean bathroom, kitchen, vacuum and mop.

I have two grandchildren coming after school to make their garden on a plate and do pet portraits for the village show tomorrow as it's carnival day. For the first time I'm not involved and won't be entering cake or jam making. Sad that I can't defend my titles so it's up to the little ones to preserve the family honour.

I'm loving all your favourite body parts but so sad that some of you can't seem to find something that you like about yourselves and some of you are the most supportive and valued members of boot camp too.

I am reading all of the posts but still too fragile to do individual replies, welcome newbies, especially disabled newbies I've been here since the beginning of boot camp so please ask me questions if you need to. I'm physically very challenged and take a ton of meds and struggle with mental health issues too especially around confidence and leaving the house.

Food today

Brunch - Atkins bar (sorry BIWI) I know it's not allowed but I'm pleading exceptional circumstances.
Lunch - chicken, celery and cucumber
Dinner - mince, grilled green peppers and Savoy cabbage.

#myfatcanpissrightoff #namastebitches

Hi all, busy day at work yesterday and at home this morning, so only just catching up on the thread. Really enjoying reading about everyone's progress and helpful tips, so thank you!

C4 sorry to hear about the pain you have been in, but glad it is a bit better today, take it easy today
Cherries finallyhere holidays are always my downfall, I lose weight before them, but put it all back on and often more during the holiday, just put on 6lbs after a holiday in the lake district eating lots of sticky toffee pudding! Came back and decided enough was enough and joined BC! Really hoping I can stick to it and it's inspiring to hear about you guys and others sticking to plan during a holiday.
Yolo Sorry that was me getting mixed up with my nut butters, it's the whole earth cashew, peanut and hazelnut that is 12g, so will avoid that one!
BIWI In awe of your 6 minutes, I struggle with 1 minute, I blame it on my weak arms
Jim A wedding is a great target to work towards, I think one of the reasons I haven't lost weight in the past 6 months and instead have put it on is because I have't had a bikini holiday or event to work towards, that plus all the rubbish I've been eating!

Yesterdays meals:
B bacon & mushroom omlette
L parma ham, mozzarella & avocado salad with olive oil
D jamies 30 min meals tray baked chicken without the tomatoes or potates, so basically chicken with bacon and lots of creamy spinach, also added some tenderstem broccoli

Today so far:
B 2 sausages, mushrooms & fried egg
L leftover chicken with cheesy cabbage, leeks & broccoli

Dinner will be seabass with some kind of veg, haven't decided yet.

C4 challenge - love my boobs and proud of them feeding 2 babies and also like my small waist, although not the stomach below it, but hopefully that will be reducing soon!

Trying to use bold for the first time so apologies if it's gone wrong!

Ooh the bold worked!