Week 8 - Summer Low Carb Bootcamp - two months almost done ...

[BIWI]

Morning all

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness once more

So the finish line is almost in sight. I see from the last thread that some of you have been struggling to stay on track - just three more weeks to go, so stay focused.

That 'it's only one piece of bread/one glass of beer' moment really isn't worth it. Been there, got the t-shirt.

If you're bored with the food - there are two things that could help you. Firstly, think back to the last time you were doing a low calorie/low fat diet - how awful was it to have to scavenge the shelves looking for something low calorie enough, and how often were you eating food that didn't actually taste that nice, but delivered only on the basis of being low calorie? Rice cakes that might as well be polystyrene ceiling tiles, for example!

And then go and read the recipe thread for some inspiration, and find something new to cook. There's nothing on there that's difficult to do.

I'd also say that I see a lot of you are trying to recreate things that are high carb - pizza or bread, for example. These things are very unlikely to be the same, or as nice, as the high carb versions. And all the time you're trying to recreate something you're missing, you're just reminding yourself that you're missing something!

So try not to do this, but focus on things that are beautifully low carb and that you can enjoy for their own taste and benefits.

Here's to a successful week for us all.

Thanks Secret

Very take it easy, any kind of car accident can jolt your body and give all your major organs, muscles and joints a sudden jolt and it takes time to heal. Teachers only need a thank you card preferably made by DC and a homemade fairy cake.

Dustmotes I understand I really do, our situations sound very similar in many ways. We both live with chronic fatigue, pain and monumental restrictions on what we are able to achieve each day. It sounds as if you have some supportive people around you and it's all too common for those people to not be family in situations like ours.
Do you have a local chronic pain/fatigue support group you could go to? Sometimes you have to try a few before you find one that isn't a pity fest or full of people who want to play drug top trumps but it can really help. Do you use any kind of pacing strategies? It really helped me to learn about my limits and be able to do a little each day rather than lose several days from overdoing things. Mindfulness can really help and taking regular naps during the day can help you get more out of each day.
I try and fill my active time with things that give me joy - creative hobbies, spending time outside in the fresh air and sunlight, my pets and eating good healthy food. I know if I eat rubbish it usually results in me feeling rubbish and simply isn't worth it.
You are among friends here and it's great that you are talking about your feelings.
As for your sister maybe write her a letter explaining exactly how you feel, she did let you know she was expecting a baby and that's a positive. If she doesn't respond to that write to your niece/nephew regularly, send small gifts for Birthday, Christmas etc and request photos. It will make you feel that you've done all you can.
I have an older brother who has three children, he's never brought them to see me, I have no photos, he didn't even tell me when the latest one was born. It hurts but there is nothing I can do to change things, we did fall out but several times I've made contact and told him that the money he owes me is written off and I want to move on with our relationship. I live in the knowledge that I've done all I can and the hope that things will change one day. I can do no more.
Chronic illness is a bastard but once you get pacing, pain and fatigue under your control rather than it controlling you, life can be meaningful and full of happiness. It took me many years to get there but the key was acceptance of the limitations and the fact that I couldn't change them.

dust my lovely one, I have seen my mum go through chronic fatigue syndrome with pretty much everything you describe, above, so I know a bit about what it is like. I'm really sorry. She is recovered to an extent and does now travel around the world a bit and can do long days walking etc. She had my 5yo for a week lady Dec and it didn't wipe her out for Christmas. So there is hope! Have you been through the whole mega dose vitamin D3 thing plus mag and potassium supplementation? Am sure you have xx

Ooer. Legoland. May The Force Be With You flummoxed . It will all be absolutely fine. Yes. Yes it will . I just need to not get overexcited and fall down the caravan steps, breaking my right bum cheek and twisting my foot like wot I did at Easter .

I have had a weird morning. I have been feeding Spug chopped worms, woodlouse and centipede in mashed banana with my very expensive eyebrow tweezers in bed!!!!!

I have a partially dislocated middle finger on my paralysed hand. Don't know how I did it but I'm going to check waiting time at A&E and go get it popped back in. WTF. I have to go and have a chest X-ray anyway so not a complete disaster.

The single most important thing is to eat today and eat at least three times, I'm still not hungry at all but I do feel pathetically weak, today is day seven of not eating and I'm considering a slice of toast.

Have the toast C4. With lashings of butter. And enjoy every mouthful. It might just kickstart your appetite.

Dust That sounds so hard. You've had lots of good advice from people above, so I'll just leave these.

Very Hope you feel a bit better soon.

C4 Hope Spug is okay this morning. I will be coming to you next time I end up trying to save a bird from the cat monsters. Also hope that a&e can fix the finger quickly! I think you should have the toast too.

DS was awake almost every hour last night... just time for coffee and cream before we head out.

C4 go for the chest x-ray, stay for the dislocated finger, eh? Now that's multitasking! Have the toast with lots of butter on. It'll perk you right up.

Very when are you going to Legoland? We were there a couple of weeks ago and the kids had a great time. The all-you-can-eat buffet at the Legoland hotel is brilliant for low carb: lots of meat, salad, olive oil etc. You can get burgers and chuck the bun and no one will bat an eyelid. It's good for the kids too, I think mine ate ALL THE JELLY while we were there.

Heman that sounds very unpleasant.

I have my last school sports day of the school year today. Parents have been promised "elevenses" so I'd better pack a sneaky chocolate bar just in case I'm tempted. One of the mums is making a dairy-free cake for DS3 and DS4 which is really thoughtful and much appreciated.

My Instant Pot arrived yesterday. It is HUGE! I have made two litres of yogurt overnight but I'm not sure we'll be able to eat all that before it goes a bit dodgy. Does anyone have any great low carb Instant Pot recipes since DH was a bit at me buying a massive pressure cooker.

flummoxed don't underestimate the time needed to heal from soft tissue injury. It can be worse than broken bones when all your muscle fibres, tendons and ligaments are torn or damaged. Whiplash is a very real and horrible thing. Get some physio or osteopathy too in a few weeks when the initial healing is done but your joints need putting back into the right shape. You will hunch and tense in weird places without realising to cope with the pain and injury and it can misalign you big time. That then leads to more pain. I had a similar incident and injury and was on morphine for a couple of weeks at home. And it took weeks of recovery after. Its still not right but I don't want to be pessimistic for you.

Make sure you claim on the insurance. Even if it's your fault, assuming you have fully comp. I didn't as I couldn't cope with reliving the crash but I regret it now. It's years past and I'm still racking up osteopath bills.

dust.

heman and very. I'm sure your trips will be welcome breaks! I booked a big trip for next year, ever since I have wondered WTF was I thinking, it's going to be hard work with DS!

Third gym session in three days for me today, really enjoying the gym at the moment.

stunt. I poached a whole chicken in mine a couple of days ago. I put in the large chicken about a cup of water and a stock jelly. Set for 30 mins and left to natural release. When it was ready I took some of the meat off the chicken, added to the stock at the bottom of the pan, added extra water, stock jelly, courgettes and mushrooms to make a soup. Was very nice.

stunt. I also like making a light chicken curry. I fry onion, garlic and an assortment of spices, add frozen chicken thighs water and a stock jelly. High pressure for 20 mins, natural release and then add a block of coconut cream.

Hi everyone,

So sorry to hear so many people are feeling down. Hope everyone has a chance to relax over the weekend.

C4 - Spug is adorable! My slavedriver either brings in wee critters very much alive or very much dead, never in between. A few weeks ago I feared we may have had one or two mice running around alive in the house. DP caught one in a trap (and then bragged about it to the cat, obviously!) but no sign of the other. I'm assuming the cat finally found it again.

Oh, and I'm not sure I ever thanked you for the bunny pic. Such a cutie! And I'm going to try my lot with the strung up pears as a treat this weekend. Will see how long they last suspended - two seconds is my guess!

Yesterday was a better day in as much as I was less of a carby twat and got some exercise:

L - Salad of tomato, pepper, and cucumber with ham, boiled eggs and mayo; yoghurt
D - FatHead pizza and garlic bread

2.5 mile walk home

What I want to know is, when will the scales catch up with my body shape? I know the numbers aren't the be all and end all, but it is really strange. At the start of this I was in size 12 jeans, and they were tight. About two weeks ago I switched to my size tens, at which point they were tight but not too much of a muffin top. Now, they are wrinkly over my thighs and I can fit my whole hand, perpendicular to my body, in at the back. And yet I have 'only' lost half a stone. (I say 'only' not because I'm not pleased with this loss as I am, very, but because it seems so small in comparison to how my shape has changed.)

Considering my perfect weight is about two stone lighter than I am now I'm wondering where this extra mass is being held. I know I still have a tummy, but still......

Thanks for the IP tips. Curry could win DH over so I'll try that!

Stunt the yoghurt will last for 2 weeks in sterilised jars
As for recipes, bolognaise, chilli, pork belly, lamb shank (esp with juniper berries) any reasonably fatty meat which needs a lot of cooking does really well in a pressure cooker, you can also usually do any slow cooker recipes in a fraction of the time.
I love my instant pot can you tell?
Large instant pot group on Facebook, some of the recipes are a bit odd but any questions address answered very quickly

Thank you everyone. It's dust here, I thought a name change was in order. Fresh start and all that.

Yolo I do have a kindle app and will have a look at Paul McKenna. I'd love the recommendation for the hypnotist, thank you. That sounds really useful. I'm in London. If you could pm me her name I'd be grateful.

c4 there's supposed to be a brilliant M.E group locally to me. It's been on my list of things to do for ages so I must get myself to it. I'm rubbish at pacing. I've tried to improve. I just saw a brilliant physio recently who helped me get my head round it more. I need to try harder. I'm fine at it 90% of the time then I go to something, think 'fuck it' and stay out so long I crash badly. I know if I can get on top of things more I can improve a little. I have some hobbies I really love, luckily. This year has been so stressful they've fallen by the wayside but trying to slot them back into my life. They help a lot. I should do more meditation too. I always feel better for it.

nameless I have actually never really tried supplements. It's so easy to look at things and think 'I'll try that' and then not get onto it (from being knackered) so will have another look at all that. I'm so sorry your mum suffers too.

Right. I've woken up feeling positive bizarrely. I stood up and looked in the mirror and even though I've probably not lost a pound in weeks, I look so different. I can see my body has changed a lot this year. This is doing something to me. It might be gradual but it is helping. I have things I like about my body now which 2 years ago I couldn't say. I am really really slimming down.

I have also had a chat with myself and realised that the various stresses I've had this year have been too much. I've been constantly drowning slightly and not really realising it hence repeatedly falling into binges. Part of my problem has been housing - I took a room in a house with the shittiest landlord which has had all sorts of repercussions. I've been trying to get it sorted and indeed I'm hoping I've found a place to move into, but it's been months of indecision and stress and battling him and it's been finishing me off. I need to get it all sorted asap. Being 100% realistic I'm not perfect and with exhaustion I need as little stress as possible or else I will fall down somewhere, and that for me ends with overeating. I need more care too. I have a cleaner come in for 2 hours a week. I need far more help with everything on a daily basis. I always meant to sort it but the stress has sapped my energy too much.

A few tweaks, a bit more taking care of myself and I'm going to be fine. I have had a really, really tough few years. Life has utterly battered me in various ways. It's felt so very unfair, not that life owes anyone anything. Sometimes I just sink into the most horrible self-pity and in some ways I think I have a right to. But I'm picking myself up and making life better for myself and things are already lots better than they were - it's just going take a while. I have PTSD anyway and just have to be so gentle with myself and forgive myself when I slip.

I will be ok. I am going to KOKO.

I have made myself chuckle that part of my binge was rice and beans. Rice and beans?! Come on, it could have been cake or ice cream or something brain. It was tasty though.

Sorry this was so long. Thank you if you waded through it.

Seconds Asd with whole chicken! I do one in 25 -30 minutes then under a hot grill to crisp

Stunt I made a chilli in my IP last night. 8 mins on high with natural release. Tastes like it has been slow cooked for hours. Pork and lamb shoulder is excellent cooked in the IP too.

So I added in a few low gi carbs. Not many, when I've logged what I'm eating its under 50g a day. So basically gone from very low carb to moderate low carb.
Feeling much better and finally losing weight, 2lb this week

Hello all, I'm after some advice I will be taking my little boy to the cinema tomorrow and then having lunch at Nandos. Can you advise what would be the best LC meal to have and what snacks I could have at the cinema? Thank you

They have a halloumi and mushroom burger, that would be good without the bun? Coleslaw, or plain chicken with cheese

For cinema I would say nuts and dark chocolate if you have to snack

need Nando's chicken is pretty low carb, have a salad as a side. www.nandos.co.uk/food/menu. If you need to snack in the cinema maybe have some almonds but I would use it as an opportunity to break the cinema/food habit.

Mine arrived yesterday as well, Stunt. Im glad I only bought the 6 litre, because you are right, it's huge. I'm slightly scared of it, we've just eyed one another balefully so far.

Wow, this thread is moving super fast.
Hugs to everyone feeling low or struggling. Haven't RTFT yet but can see that some are having a hard time.

Can anyone suggest good toppings for fathead pizza? Might give it a whirl tonight

When I go to Nando's I always have a salad with a chicken breast, avocado and halloumi