Welcome to the Bootcamp Maintenance thread!

[BIWI]

As several people look like they're reaching or soon reaching their target, I thought it would be a good idea to start a maintenance thread.

I know lots of people are worried about how they're going to maintain, so having a support thread for ideas and suggestions sounds like it's going to be important!

Thanks BIWI. Well my maintenance when it comes won’t include the tandoori hot dirty dominos I’m now dreaming of post comments on BC thread

I hope it's ok if I join this thread temporarily! I'm quite a long way from goal but marking my place so that I can sit quietly and absorb some wisdom as I'm planning to maintain my weight over a fairly long Christmas period, rather than losing per se.

Thanks again BIWI. I'll be straddling the world of bootcamp thread and this one for next few weeks.

We can do this Brassica!

Just posted this in the bootcamp thread, but more relevant to here:

I had planned to introduce some carbs this week, but I have had more than planned, including bread, sausage roll, pizza, ice-cream, croissant grin and mashed potato. It sounds like a lot compared to a low carb week, but actually the quantities apart from the pizza were small, so 1 slice of bread, half a croissant, a few spoons of ice-cream etc. Definitely a lot less than I would have had pre-bootcamp and I still kept most meals low carb and had some completely low carb days and a 24hr fast. It is good to know that I can have a few carbs and not go completely crazy. I just need to find the right balance and so I think I will decide on some rules to follow regarding the amount of low carb meals/days I will have each week. I'd rather do that, than start tracking my calories/macros, I like the simplicity of bootcamp and want to find something similar for maintenance. I think if I have an indulgent meal, then I will have a couple of strict low carb days to keep me on track, I will also keep weighing like BIWI suggested and if my weight goes over a set amount, then it will be back to bootcamp.

Also the bread was not worth it, can't see me eating much bread going forward, unless it is really good freshly made bread as a very occasional treat.

I’m going to straddle both threads for a while too.

I had the most am-ma-zing crab sandwich at half term. I think I’m going to set that as my bar for eating bread. It’s got to be so good it’s worth it.

Need to find a single pasta, potato (I mean chip) and pizza equivalent

I’d read somewhere that folks coming off LCHF need to be extra careful. The trend appears to be that folks return to eating carbs but also keep with the high fat - worse of both worlds! Hence we need this mindful plan!

Thanks for the new hread BIWI. I'm lurking at the moment as I'm 4-5 labs off my target and am keen to see how to move forward. If I need a buffer do I need to lose an additional few lbs before maintaining?

I'm also interested in how to maintain simply in a similar vein to bootcamp. I haven't got a clue about macros or how to track them.

I'm going to start tracking my macros from now on until I reach my goal, just to give me an idea. I still don't know the answer to the question about whether to reduce fat if I increase carbs but from what was said above sounds like I should.

I think I might try a 5:2 sort of approach to this. 5 days on bootcamp lite, two days where I allow myself a small amount of carbs, but probably only in one meal. I really want to track the effect on my weight, body and mood so can only do that if I eat a small amount separate from other carbs so I can see what causes bloating etc.

I admit this is worrying me a bit. And the fact that a lot of people return to bootcamp over and over again is perhaps evidence that this doesn't work as a long term WOE. I don't mean that to sound harsh, and I know some people have lots to lose so come back and do it a bit at a time, but I'd be interested in what happens to the other regulars in between bootcamps but don't really want to ask!

Furryturnip - look at from a different perspective: you won't see those that have achieved their goal and maintained in this WoE as they don't need to go back on to Boot Camp

For me, I put on weight again because of specific issues: being quite severely depressed, comfort eating and having a "fuck it, who cares?" attitude to deliberately eating too many sweets . It was almost an act of deliberate self sabotage

That's a very good point pretty about the people who wouldn't be back on bootcamp, hadn't thought of it like that!

I totally get why people would fall off the wagon and that is my biggest fear. I too have a history of depression and this time of year is my danger zone (SAD, no time alone, too many people around, Xmas - which I hate- all gets on top of me) so am desperate to stay on track.

Just having this thread here already feels like the support I need, I might carry on posting my meals daily and weighing in for the rest of my life!

Same for me - putting a little weight back on has been due to difficult period of a year or so and thinking fuck it I’ll have what I want for now, and then getting stuck there for far too long.

Christmas has been a big derailment a couple of times. My mentality has usually been, I have to have X, and X, and X, because it’s Christmas. This year I don’t feel that way at all. I know that I want to keep eating and thinking this way, and I really don’t feel the need to eat a load of junk and things that really make me quite unwell. That’s quite a departure from previous times. I think that I’m honestly at the point where I know without a doubt that I’m much, much happier in myself when my eating is not disordered, and that I actually do care much more about my long term health than I do about having bread or pasta or cake.

I am never going to get to the ‘end’ of this ‘diet’.

Well we can all stay on this diet together Holger. I'm with you.

I am lucky this Christmas in that we usually host everyone and have a house full of food, but parents and in laws are both away, so we are having a very quiet one. We've already said we won't have Xmas dinner as none of us fussed about it. I keep thinking I'll just allow myself one lebkuchen or piece of stollen which I love, but I just won't buy them as it's a slippery slope. I'll treat myself to a special bar of dark chocolate and have a few extra squares if I fancy it. And maybe I'll wrap a box of poppadoms and put under the tree as a special treat!

Think Xmas lunch will be a cheese board and a curry in the evening - happy days!

Hate this app that steals my paragraphs!

Furry this is my 3rd bootcamp. The first one I lost 16lbs and was half a stone off my target but had no idea about maintenance. One holiday to France later and carbs had taken hold again.

Second was just after I returned to work after my 3rd maternity leave. Breastfeeding and broken nights ground me down and I wasn't on the threads and missed out on the support. Both of these attempts were bc lite.

This time I am in a different phase, no more babies or breastfeeding and I am getting more sleep. I have pretty much stuck to full bc with a few planned deviations .
This time I am ready mentally for this to be my normal way of eating and want to make it work.

Also I can see your paragraphs on the mobile site, not sure what the app is doing with them!

BlackTea that's great you will be with us, having gone through this before. How far are you off maintenance now?

Ignore that blacktea just realised you've already said! Serves me right for speed reading whilst out walking!

Looks like there will be a good group of us starting in about 4lbs time.

I’m with most of you guys. I’ve been dieting on and off for nearly 30 years! And in that time I’ve done them all I think. Although I think I was last 10.4 when I was “growing up”! Other than a crazy dose of flu last xmas I cannot think when I last weighed this much.

furry tracking macros? What’s that about please? I think something based on 5:2 might be something to consider. I really need to be able to factor in a good old cheat about once a fortnight!!

holger I’m also thankful we’re not hosting this Xmas. Crisps would normally be my downfall. I could happily “treat” myself to a family pack before. Maybe I’m living in cloud cuckoo land, but I don’t feel like that at the moment. I’ve got 2 Xmas meals planned and I’ve already chosen LC options!

I had a pint of cider for the first time since BC on Sunday and it was so sweet I left 1/3.

I lost about a stone in 2016 (again!). Then June 2017 came and a few personal bits of stuff collided and I literally thought “fuck it” when I came to eating and put a chunk back on. I’ve now lost that and more beside. I’ve also “fallen” into a sport that I’m loving. I’m starting to wonder if that will help me change my ways....

I think this WOE is sort of like being an alcoholic - you are an alcoholic for life (carb-aholic for life) so you need to ALWAYS be careful. I was prone to mindless eating, now everything I eat is a conscious choice. Sorry if that sounds dramatic but the comparison is one that popped into my head while reading the latest BC thread.

I think I am in maintenance now. I've allowed myself to eat cobs on two separate days, and no weight as been gained. I have also eaten sweetcorn and higher carb veg and I'm still fine. I believe the trick to maintenance is moderation, and an awareness of the fact that you are a carb-aholic deep down down so need to be extra careful

I agree that moderation is the key, the problem is am very much an all or nothing person. So I have been fine with the bootcamp rules, because I just don't allow myself carbs. The difficulty I have now is allowing myself some carbs, without going crazy!

I had a treat meal last night, so am now going to have 3 days of low carb. I then have my work xmas party on Friday, where I will be drinking and think I will be more relaxed with the meal. Here is the menu:

STARTER
Salt baked heritage beetroot with goat’s cheese mousse, goat’s cheese croquette, walnut & orange dressing and rosemary focaccia

MAIN
Roasted Hampshire turkey with cranberry & chestnut stuffing, pig in blanket, Yorkshire pudding, goose fat fondant potato, Brussels sprouts, roasted carrots and charred leeks

DESSERT
Dark chocolate mousse with dorado ganache, sweet ricotta cremeux and blood orange sorbet

Do I just allow myself to eat it all, or should I avoid the bread and yorkshire pudding and then allow myself a roast potato and pudding?

I am really trying. I will join this thread for the gazillion time. Hopefully I will get past the third post.

thiswillbe I think your comparison to alcohol is a good one - it is moderation now forever but I think I can do that. Sounds like your approach to maintenance is working so far. And you are eating cobs not bread rolls so you must live within same area as me (East Midlands?)

Brassica I am no expert on the macro thing... But basically it is keeping track on the amount of fat, carbs and protein each day. If you use a tracker like my fitness pal and put what you've eaten into it, you can see a summary of the day which will tell you how many grams of each you have had and how the percentage split was over the day (for example 70% fat, 20% protein, 10% carbs.)

I have been reading my Rose Elliot low carb book about maintenance and she recommends increasing your carbs a little at a time until you find the point your body can tolerate without putting weight on. That will vary from person to person - some may be able to eat 50g per day, some 100 per day. So I thought I need to have an idea of how many carbs I am eating at the moment so I can compare and possibly increase.

Not as complicated as I've made it sound, I hope!

Starsky if I was in your situation with the meal I think I would have a bit of anything that I really loved, if you know what I mean. I'm not bothered about Yorkshire pudding, so would happily leave that and have a roast potato instead. The pudding doesn't look too bad from this Woe either... Maybe a taste of everything and then declare yourself full and give your plate away!