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.

I started this WOE exactly 6 months ago. I feel so much better and am pleased with myself for having stuck to it! In 6 months I have lost 5st 7lbs, feeling very pleased with myself today. My total loss is now slightly greater than what I have still got to lose which makes it all slightly less daunting. KOKO everyone, if a total carb/sugar addict like me can do it anyone can!

That's brilliant, ASD, bloody well done.

What app is that in the photo?

Will try again with tofu.

When I said I was starving up thread what I meant was I had started eating cheese at the beginning of this diet. I was hoping I wouldn't have too much of an issue but the skin issues started and eventually got too much to bear. I was starving because during the evening when I felt peckish I would nibble on a few cubes of cheese and put a few cubes in my evening meal. The withdrawal of the cheese just made me crave something and I ended up not eating and going hungry

cleareyes. It's called weight diary, I saw someone else on here recommend it. I weigh daily and plot it on the graph - I know I shouldn't really but I enjoy seeing the graph!

Olivers. Have you tried Coyo (it's a daily free coconut based yoghurt. It's expensive but I would highly recommend it as a dairy alternative snack.

ASD, that's wonderful, and so encouraging. Well done!

Enid, hooray! That must feel great. I'm still 55 lb from my goal weight but already feeling victorious--you must be ready to explode without glee, ha!

Cheers, ASD, will have a look.

I've been having slight cramps in my calves this past week. I keep doing the heel stretch thing to stave it off but they're persistent and prevented me from sleeping last night (well, that and long, deep & meaningful conversation with my husband in bed).

Am drinking ALL the water in my county so it's not dehydration. Someone mentioned magnesium...?

Well done ASD that's amazing!

I was miserable with leg cramps the first few weeks of bootcamp, ClearEyes. I've started a magnesium supplement. I'm always wary of messing about with mineral supplementation, but it has actually really helped. I bought mine from the Tesco Everyday womens' health range. Cheap as chips, and seems to do the job, but if I miss a day, the cramps are back in full force.

ASD that is phenomenal! !!
Cherries I have low fat creep too! Going to have avocado and mayo and cheese with my prawn salad at lunchtime!

Must Drink More Water (repeat 100x)

ASD okay I've downloaded and populated with data using my start weight at beginning of October (heaviest ever, yay me) and adding all the weeks of Bootcamp.

Bit of extra time on my hands this morning.

I can see my graph but don't understand the yellow line, which is straighter and seems to run along the line from my data.

I also don't understand the 1 week, 2 weeks etc in the summary.

For 1 week it shows 2.1 lbs but my highest weekly weight loss was this week at 4 lbs so it's not showing what I thought it should.

Anything edifying to offer?

Thanks,Cherries I'll look into it. Didn't have any trouble at all until this week and am wondering if there's any possible correlation with, erm, giving up alcohol?

C4 - I'm sure you have shared photos of your rabbits on here, somewhere. Will have a nosy. Didn't realise they were originally wild, and that you'd hand-reared them How wonderful! I helped hand-rear a litter as a teen and it was the most rewarding experience.

My babies were also born wild, though to domesticated parents. I'd got the two as a mother and daughter pair, but the vet found the 'daughter' had balls so they were separated and he had his op. However, despite the vet saying that the mother was possibly not pregnant (so I left her outside in her run) a few days later I found a blood smear, so asked DP to keep an eye out as I was going to be late home. No sign of anything, until two weeks later we saw movement in the run. Mum had given birth in a burrow. They're much tamer now, mainly as they, finally, see me as their main food source so come running over to see what I have for them!

Am hoping that the skids grow up sooner rather than later and recognise you for the wonderful person you are.They (and you) certainly have an uphill struggle. Good luck, and certainly do not stop posting about it here.

Wow ASD and Enid, that's amazing! Well done the pair of you!

Yesterday's lunch was disppointing - didn't realise the spinach needed washing until I had already tucked in, and by that point I was at work with no real means of doing it there, so I tucked in and at it, grit and all (hope there are no carbs there!). Does anyone know if I wash it in the morning will it be ok to eat as a salad at lunchtime, or will it go funny on me?

Anyway, yesterday looked like:

L - salad of spinach and grit, tomato, cucumber, pepper, olive oil and roast chicken, followed by yoghurt

S - Packet of ham

D - A 'proper' roast dinner (rather than the Mediterranean version I did on Sunday) with cold chicken, broccolli, cauliflower, onion, mushroom and cabbage, with a cheese sauce, followed by homemade yoghurt and vanilla powder.

This evening I'm going to cook a lemon pound cake for DP, using some of the low-fat yoghurt he bought me at the weekend. Will be nice to bake again, even if I'm not eating it.

Clear eyes in my experience, might be magnesium, might be just salt. Could also be potassium I think. I tried mag spray in pregnancy for the same issue which may have helped but diet is the most obvious way of addressing it!

I started adding salt to my food a few days ago after seeing advice here, and to try to fix the dizziness on standing (which may actually be POTS since I have Ehler Danlos/HMS). I think it may be working a bit, or it could just be that the heat wave has eased a bit. My sympathies though, j hate calf cramps.

ASD that is phenomenal! Well done :)

Several pounds on for me :-(

I went on a training event over the weekend for a charity event I'm doing in September. I'm hoping some of the weight gain is the fact that my muscles are well and truly broken (I still can't walk properly) and are stubbornly holding onto water. I also had to eat carbs at one point - flap jack during the cycle ride. Ten minutes later I was in severe "digestive distress".... well, fuck the niceties, I didn't know whether to shit or spew, which, when climbing a steep Lakeland hill and wearing a cycling bib is not a nice predicament to be in!! My guts churned for an hour and I didnt dare fart.... Luckily I managed not to disgrace myself (other than falling off the bike without managing to unclip my feet first, which was very undignified), but I need to come up with some food ideas (everyone else is HCLF and massively into carb loading).

Does anyone have any good fuelling strategies for exercise? I'm fine up to about 10 miles running and about 45/50 miles on the bike but after this I am screwed (hence giving in to the flapjack) - my muscles go cold and start stiffening if that makes sense? Our event has support vehicles so I can stock them with my food, but I need things that will give quick energy, be quick/easy to eat and be OK at ambient / to sit in a cool box for a day (september event so it could be hot). Alot of the LCHF articles I've read on the web about endurance activities state that the body will find its own fuel once fat adapted, but I have been LCHF since Dec 2015 and I don't seem to be able to get enough energy on long distance efforts. And the challenge in September is a Coast to Coast triathlon over two days (cycle 120 miles starting on the East coast, swim across Windemere, run a marathon to the West coast). Most of the people doing it are fairly hardcore athletes so it is a bit daunting. We are raising money for Muscular Dystrophy so mentally I keep pushing myself thinking about all the kids and their families affected by MD, but also I keep going for those who would love to but can't - C4 you were in my thoughts during the run on Sunday.

to everyone struggling, and well done for KOKO . I don't post much at all (always anxious about saying the right thing and very introverted) but I read every day and think about you all. I hope no one minds about asking for help and advice when i don't contribute much...

I get this yoghurt from Ocado for my milk allergic kids. By far the lowest carbs, even lower than dairy yoghurt.

www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Pudology-Dairy-Free-Natural-Coconut-Yogurt/293472011?from=search&tags=%7C20000&param=pudology&parentContainer=SEARCHpudology

Its only 0.7g/100g carbs. Its a bit more runny than Greek yoghurt.

Thanks Nameless. I think I'll do a bouillon and see if that helps. Looking into a multi vitamin as well which ideally would contain magnesium and potassium. I'm not all that great with knowing which foods contain which vitamins & minerals (other than the really obvious Ines) and don't have the headspace to research/learn at the moment.

In other news, this weight app is interesting. Have been playing around a bit and answered some of my own questions, but I noticed my BMI has dropped and I'm just a few pounds away from going down to the next level.

Hooray, thought I! Then noticed it wasn't from Obese to Overweight, ho no...it will be from Seriously Obese to Obese.

Will console myself with the knowledge that I never made it to Morbidly Obese territory (but only just).

It amazes and saddens me how much damage I've allowed myself to inflict. Such a waste.

Namaste, bitches & KOKO.

My tummy has gone weird. It looks like a (vertical) fried egg. I hope this is a good thing

sheepysheep I found this blog and there's a general discussion in comments with others' experiences.

Nuts, maybe?

I'm impressed you're doing the coast to coast--that's brilliant. And I'll bet your arse is anout two inches higher than when you started. (My husband used to road race...great bottom.)

Even they can’t make it sound nice! Fusarium venenatum is edible, but is seriously questioned due to the numerous reports for allergy reactions and digestive discomfort.

I think Quorn is really bad for you.
I used to eat it at least 3 times a week.
I had terrible, really painful bloating, bad wind and stomach cramps.
Since doing this woe I no longer get bloating or pain and I've traced it back to Quorn. I'll never touch the stuff again.

It's worrying that they market it as 'healthy' alternative to meat.

sheepy wow! You must be very fit indeed. Are you near your goal weight now? I'm sure there must be some lchf maintenance advice from the experts on here. I would only suggest bananas I'm afraid.

I suffer with mild/moderate excema.
Since increasing my consumption of fat I haven't had one flare up.
Not one.