Week 7 - Summer Low Carb Bootcamp - are you still with us?!

[BIWI]

Morning all

Here's the spreadsheet - sorry to keep you all waiting!

So we have four full weeks before our final weigh-in - still time to lose half a stone if you stick at it.

Here's to a good week ahead

Secret where were those pork scratchings from?

Amazing NSV C4! Hope you can stay at home.

I can't believe we're on WEEK 7

We've had a few slips and slides on the way, but we're still here!

styled I'm sure you could do the flax crackers on a very low heat in the oven for a few hours? You need to dry them rather than bake them though otherlwise they dont go crunchy :)

1lb down here. Had a reasonably good weekend. Tried the FatHead foccacia - was ok.

Style beach dresses are great cover ups for a hulking great spinal brace too

Duckies those results aren't the best but they're also not bad so don't worry. My recommendation would be to keep eating low carb and go back to the GP in six weeks or so for another test to see whether your results are improving.

Your total cholesterol is 6.7 mmol/l and ideally should be 5.0 or less BUT the average total cholesterol level is 5.7 mmol/l so it isn't an alarmingly high figure, just a warning that you need to do something about it (which you already are by improving your diet). The great news about your total cholesterol level is that your HDL level (the "good" cholesterol) is really high - 1.85 mmol/l is an enviable amount. The reason I said total cholesterol isn't a useful measure on its own is because it combines the "good" HDL and the "bad" LDL cholesterol.
Your LDL cholesterol is high at 4.25 mmol/l (should be 3 or below) but as I said earlier, this often increases initially when you go low carb. Your triglyceride level is fine at 1.31 mmol/l; we want this to be below 2.

The best way to tell whether your lipid profile is good is through the ratios. Your TC:HDL ratio should be below 6 and preferably below 3.5. Yours is 3.6 which is a good result. Another useful ratio is the triglycerides:HDL ratio which should be below 0.87. Yours is 0.7 so you're well within the ideal range. The trig:HDL ratio is important because it is linked with LDL particle size. There is increasing evidence that LDL cholesterol is only dangerous when it is in the form of small, dense particles rather than large, fluffy ones. Your low trig:HDL ratio suggests that your LDL cholesterol is the large, fluffy type.

All in all I would say take this as something that you need to keep a close eye on with an aim to improving, but not as a sign that you need to make any drastic immediate changes.

Thank you Stuntnun, that's really helpful

All major food groups covered.. fat, butter and yum

Jiminny SHOW ME THE VEG!!!

I'm loving this thread too, support, kindness and the sciencey-bit, too.

Walking a half-Marathon has been on my undisclosed bucket list for some time, conveniently hidden deep down on the list of things to do, once I have my overeating under control. Would love to join the #namastebitches support group in 2919, please consider me signed up.

C4pinkwheels. Hope you get good numbers tonight. Your weightloss has been really good especially when you consider the difficult circumstances you've had x

I took DD(16) to the gym with me today. DD has just finger GCSEs and is at a bit of a lose end so she can keep me company at the gym whilst applying for a summer job. It's really nice to have her there with me.

ClearEyesFullHearts I know I know I know, t'was scrummy though

Also look what I found..... www.spreadshirt.co.uk/namaste+bitches+t-shirts-A27120683

Loving the t-shirts (would only wear on special, adult, occasions)!

Nasch they were from a posh deli called Weeton's in Harrogate. I'm sure they'd put you in touch with a local supplier. I like them because they don't break you teeth or have any gunk or (shudder) hair. Strangely, I only need a couple to satisfy the savoury crunch thing, and I used to be a 'sharing' bag of crisps to myself kind of girl.

Ugh, AF just arrived and decided to come all at once I've flooded through everything I'm wearing and just had to do a mad dash out to Tesco for new underwear and leggings dress is dark so think that's ok. Cramping horribly too but neurofen should handle that.

Last thing I want to do tonight is an effing spin class

Jiminy

Some people claim excercise helps but I find baths and snoozes more beneficial.

StuntNun thanks for the clear and comprehensive explanation of the blood test re cholesterol, etc.

Do you have any family history of familial hypercholesteraemia? That's one instance where LCHF can potentially be a problem if cholesterol levels are high.

I'm not the one this was directed at, but in fact I do have familial hypercholesteraemia, apparently.

Have recently upped rosuvastatin to 40mg per day and had a follow up blood test after 6 months. While I was with the nurse getting blood test she looked up a few things on my patient record and there was a letter from the consultant at a lipid clinic I'd attended ONCE (after an episode of Horner's Syndrome). Basically the letter said I had this familial hyper-etc (how would they know? Is it based on family history or does it actually show up on the blood work? From what I've read it might be identified through a particular gene/chromosome?)

Anyway, two things pissed me right off--1) the letter was sent to my GP who never notified me of any news to do anything about and 2) the letter stated that I needed to take our children to be tested before they were 10 years old.

This letter was sent to the GP in May 2014 and I was never notified.

Sorry, it's a completely unrelated rant, but I'm wondering if you could shed some light on how familial hyper-etc can be affected by LCHF? My overall cholesterol was 4.5, HDL 1.29, LDL 2.71, and Triglycerides at 1.10. All on good range but possibly due to mega statins.

Also had a above range serum alanine aminotransferase level (59 U/L, well out of the 7.0-40.0 range) and am being tested again in three weeks. Does this mean I could be having liver failure?

Feel free to ignore if this is too much to ask input for.

Really eaten badly today, spent morning and afternoon selling crappy carbs for PTA. There was nothing remotely edible for me.
Had half an hour to run home, scoff a fathead sausage roll and a bag of pork scratchings and run back. I had a coffee someone made me with SUGAR in which was rank and now I've just eaten a chunk of haloumi and another bag of pork scratchings as there's f'all in. Waiting for DD to come home so I can go to the supermarket. I need veg. Put 2lb on which is prob Saturdays alcohol.

Today has not been great here either. Rather than boot camp light it's been sort of non existent.

Went to bed at 1 due to trying to catch up on our house refurb. Only for the entire house tonne woken up at around 3 a.m. by the dreaded shout of "I'VE BEEN SICK" followed by the slightly worse shouts about I being on the bed, floor, hair and just about everywhere but the bowl left out specifically for this, I couldn't then get back to sleep because DD kept coughing as if she was going to do it again.

Everyone, including me has been ultra grumpy and dealing with sick DD who's on nothing but toast made me feel even worse. I felt like I wanted all the chocolate in the world, poured on chips and then some how battered and fried and yeah just all the sugar and all the beige.

On Mondays I always do an easy tea like beans on toast for the family but feeling bad they were all so tired I've ended up just getting a McDonalds I've had nuggets and a double cheeseburger-didn't eat the bun. Internet says this does still fit with my macros as I've not eaten anything else but some mozzarella and lettuce today, still feel quite guilty though.

Not having fries or the coke I really fancied was hard but not too bad, plus I'm really full. Dc are now having ice cream and popcorn because I'm too tired to say no. Think I'm going to have to be on gallons of water to stop me eating joining them so hopefully I won't be out of ketosis.

Just posting quickly, I've had a gain not surprised it's my night out on Friday plus period.

I am so getting one of those t-shirts.

I'm adding my 0.5lb loss from the other day to the SSOF.

I think I might also have to go back to tracking, I'm on the home straight!

OOOOH, I'm not far from Harrogate
< plans trip to Weeton's>

Sasha & Notso sorry you've both had challenging days. But despite that both of you have tried your best and made sure you stuck to as best as you could. So well done for not being carby twats!! Give yourselves a pat on the back and KOKO!!

I'm still here and still going strong I've just been feeling a bit low.

But this arrived in the post today (thanks BIWI for the recommendation) and it's brilliant. Highly recommend it. It's completely compatible with bootcamp. Very glad I bought it.

My date that was supposed to happen in a couple of weeks suddenly happened on Saturday. Lovely evening. We hit it off. He was really keen. The date went on and on. He seemed v keen to impress. So everything went as I'd hoped it would. Got home and sent him a message saying it would be lovely to see him again sometime. I just got back 'thanks for a great evening' And have heard nothing back since. So that's clearly that.

As lovely as it was was I didn't think he was my Mr Right so it's fine. I just needed the ego boost of him wanting to see me again. And I fancied him and it would have been lovely to have had a few dates just to have some fun. So I feel sorry for myself. Rejection never feels very nice. But I'll be ok.

Bit late but thought I'd give this a go it's been four years since last time and need a BIWI kick up the arse

dust bummer about the date, but clearly not meant to be. Better get some more lined up . I've been with DH since I was 20 and I have never been on an actual date, I shall have to live vicariously through you and our other dating LCers!

Food today. Not brilliant. Am mega stressed. Essay due in 10 days that I can't get my head around. We had a course meeting today and everyone is struggling with it so I emailed the course lead to ask for a group extension, but even another 2 weeks won't help much as I have no time. Attached my calendar for the month - I have a little wobble whenever I look at it. We are quite a laid back family and don't usually do busy. DH is having to do nearly all the school runs and cooking, it's his birthday tomorrow and I'm on placement all day (out 6-8) so feel ambad about that, did his presents with kids this evening.
Moan over.

Food

• pack of chorizo slices, bag of smokehouse almonds. Dark choc.
• creamy coffee (cream leaked all over my bag :( )
• chili con carne and creme fraiche.
• more dark choc.

Not enough water.