Week 6 - Low Carb Bootcamp - we start the second half

[BIWI]

Morning all

Here's the spreadsheet of fabulousness for you all

Many thanks to wombattoo and SayrraT for keeping the threads going while I was away.

Lots of people talking about how to deal with future events, especially Christmas, and this is something that's really important to think about. This is a tough time of year for low carbing. But it's also a tough time of year if you can't squeeze into your partywear - so you need to decide which is more important. Those roast potatoes or looking good

Good luck everyone

VeryFlummoxed what's your answer?!

YoLo I wrote a long post then got distracted and lost it, but I love your positivity and for you because you are so, so worth it.

Low carbing is really rather wonderful, PippleBang!

Grimbles you had a great thing I wanted to reply to but now so, so tired ha ha ha! Anyway, thumbs up from me.

veryflummoxed I replaced cigs with food which was my impetus to start lchf - I was overweight anyway but put on another stone when I stopped smoking. Lchf worked really well because I wasn't restricting food either.

Clear

Eat low carb, be healthy, loose weight

I tried to loose my cigarette weight by low calorie low fat means and just got bigger and bigger year after year. Thanks goodness we know different now.

Amazing post @ilovecherries

Well done @starsky22! What an inspiration!

ilove Your luggage analogy was brilliant

starsky Congratulations on reaching your target. Fantastic . In relation to making mayo, the best olive oil is Bertolli 'mild and light'. It isn't overly greasy and not strongly flavoured.
Have a wonderful time in Paris.

@Ilovecherries Amazing post :)
@starsky22 congrats on reaching your goal :)

B: scrambled eggs w/ butter, avocado, cheese
No lunch
D: fat head pizza!!! Omg so delicious

I haven't had much veg so if I get hungry later I have some spinach, kale and cauliflower that I'll do something with.

YoLo, thank you - the good thing is, I don't feel I am struggling any more (unlike last winter, which was hard work).

I feel more able to deal with everything in life somehow, now I've got my diet sorted. I can't really explain it.

Anyway, today's food was bacon, eggs, mushrooms, spinach and a tomato for lunch, and Tuesday night surprise for dinner. (The surprise is it's the same as most Tuesdays, i.e. baked chicken thighs with Greek veg and feta.)

Speaking of Greek veg & feta, its funny to me that the May Bootcamp was all about Greek salads and this October Bootcamp is all about celeriac etc.

Way to eat seasonally, y'all!

Congrats starsky! I hope house took some before and after pics for yourself !

What an inspirational day of posts @ilovecherries your post really touched a chord with me and massive congratulations @starsky22 what an amazing achievement in 5 months. It reminds me that I can do it and that each small loss is another step towards a healthier me. I second your massive thanks to @BIWI and @SayrraT for this thread. I had just started reign to cut out bread and pasta when I can across the pre-bootcamp thread and as a fully paid up member of the low fat brigade this has been a revelation! My food tastes better, I'm not as hungry as I was, I have more energy and on top of all that I'm losing weight. Thank you to all of you, love these threads!

Wedding cake you say?

Bloody well done @starsky22. I think you need to go and start a maintenance thread as well - it's actually the hardest part of this malarkey.

Paris sounds fabulous. Do you mind if we all come too?!

@Scabbersley - I'm worried about what you're reporting re palpitations. Please make sure you're upping your sodium and magnesium/potassium. One way to do this, apart from with food, would be to get hold of some High5 Zero tablets - they are zero carb. You can buy them online, or from Evans Cycles/Wiggle. If that doesn't stop them, then please go and see your GP.

@ilovecherries - that was an amazing post. One of the things I hate the most about the way people can talk about those of us who are overweight is the whole fat shaming thing - how it's about not having enough will power, or being lazy, etc. But you are right. We are strong.

I'm very interested to read about those of you who find your depression is helped by low carbing. I don't understand why it would be, really, although I know lots of people have reported the 'fog' they experience with high carb diets. But I'm just really glad that LCHF is helping you.

High5 Zero tabs

Here's a bit from Livestrong about heart palpitations:

When followed correctly, low-carb diets should not give rise to heart palpitations. However, some dieters experience a loss of appetite or purposely limit portion sizes, thereby severely restricting their daily calorie intake. This dietary state is similar to fasting or starvation and is an internal source of stress. The body reacts to stress by secreting the stress hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline binds to receptors on the heart, and in high amounts, it can cause heart palpitations.

Hi guys, can I join in?
I’ve really been struggling to lose weight for the past year. Tried slimming world but was just too much hard work. I’ve found the low carb/ ketogenic diet and feel it’s suits my lifestyle better and want to give it a proper go!

And from the Diet Doctor:

Heart palpitations

It’s common to experience a slightly elevated heart rate during the first few weeks on low carb. It’s also common to experience that the heart is beating a bit harder. This is normal and usually nothing to worry about.

One common cause is dehydration and a lack of salt. A reduction in the amount of circulating fluid in the blood stream means that the heart will have to pump blood slightly harder or faster to maintain blood pressure.

The cure

The quick solution to this problem is to drink enough fluids and make sure to get enough salt.

@Dia12

Welcome! Go to the spreadsheet (link is in the OP) and add your name to the bottom.

Make sure you read the rules - they're on one of the tabs on the bottom of the spreadsheet

I'm wondering with the anxiety/depression thing, whether because blood sugar levels are more stable with this WOE, and therefore insulin release doesn't spike so much, this might be having an effect on the brain. In the same way that other hormones affect your mood (for example in monthly cycles).

harlots lol. I missed the cake too. Must be subconsciously invisible to me now!

cleareyes Thank you. I believe it now but it's taken a long time. And we are ALL worth it!

If you Google low carb and depression there's lots of contradictory stuff. Low carb advocates, not surprisingly, say that it's good for depression, whereas others argue it's something that might cause depression - largely because removing carbs from the diet means we're not lighting up the 'reward' part of our brain. (Which is actually another argument supporting the addiction that carbs/sugar can cause!!!)

Best thing, really, is for us all to keep an eye on our own mental health - be alert to whether or not low carbing is helping or making things worse. If, as lots of you are reporting, your depression is lifted - then that's fine!

somuch i get it. If you can get one thing sorted I your life, lots of other things fall into place. I actually thought I'd do Boot camp in May and just lose weight hopefully. Little did I know what an emotional journey it would be. I've learned so much about myself.

Interesting about the reward part of our brain not being lit up, BIWI. Before BC, I felt I needed a glass of wine in the evening, as a "reward" at the end of the day. I couldn't imagine what else I would use as a reward instead. But what has actually happened is that somehow I no longer feel the need for a reward at all. Life suddenly seems rewarding enough in itself, and yet not much has changed (apart from what I'm eating, and I have lost a few pounds!). Anyway, I'm not knocking it! Even if I don't totally understand it, I'll gratefully accept it.

Thank you!