Week 3 – Keep celebrating the scale and non-scale victories!

[BerylStreep]

Hello Bootcampers and welcome to week 3. Thanks so much to PrettyBird for the previous threads – I hope I can live up to the high standards this week.

Hopefully this WOE (way of eating) is starting to feel easier for you, and you will have seen some good losses in weeks 1 & 2. The exciting thing about week three, is that for those who want to, we can tentatively move into Bootcamp Light.

The key changes are that you can add in some carbier vegetables in moderation, although it is best to stick to those that are 3g carbs per 100g or less for the majority of your vegetable intake. You can add some fruit in the form of berries in moderation, have nuts and seeds in moderation, and can have some alcohol – you guessed it – IN MODERATION. Vodka and soda, dry white wine, or red wine are the best choices. The rules for Bootcamp and Bootcamp Light, along with fruit, veg & nut carb counters are in the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness, kindly organised by SayrraT.

The good thing about Bootcamp Light is that it opens up your menu choices, and hopefully feels sustainable for a lot of people. However don’t be tempted to view this as a free for all – if you suddenly start eating loads of roasted butternut squash, followed by bowlfuls of berries all washed down with a bottle of Prosecco and packet of almonds, it will stall you.

Lots of people find that sticking to Bootcamp during the week, and Bootcamp Light for the weekend works well for them. Others find that they need to stick to Bootcamp in the main, either because their metabolisms can’t cope with the extra carbs (me) or because psychologically they are in the ‘abstainer’ camp (also me) rather than the ‘moderation’ camp. Just do whatever works for you.

Some people find they stall in Weeks 3 and 4, and the initial whooshes of weeks 1 and 2 can quickly become distant memories. Just KOKO (keep on keeping on), celebrate non-scale victories, drink plenty of water, and trust that this will work. Weight loss isn’t always linear, and there are loads of posters on here who have had amazing losses over the last year who are testament that this works in the long term.

So after what feels like an epic OP , good luck on the scale and non-scale victories this week!

Hi Basseting! You can do it!
I would opt for the avocado and prawns, looks good.

I hate cream in coffee but after being here I put it in a blender with a teaspoon or two of cream per cup and then blend. Honestly it's amazing. I didn't think I could be converted but I am. Only blend as you drink each cup rather than in advance

Basseting - not enough fat in that menu. Yes, I know it is counter-intuitive, but there is science behind it. Search for StuntNun's posts in the Weeks 1 & 2 threads as she explains it really clearly.

So the avocado and Marie Rose sauce is a better choice - as long as there is no added sugar in the sauce.

Make sure there is a good oily dressing on your ham salad. Next time, mash your boiled eggs with butter or low carb mayonnaise (home made, Lidl or de Louis ? )

Good luck Time - this birthday will be so much better than last year with all that weight gone. Hooray!

ShagMeRiggins great NSVs!

Basseting welcome! You could try unsweetened almond milk instead of green top. As PrettyBird says, really spend some time reading the rules on the spreadsheet.

TimeIhadaNameChange – what brilliant progress! It really goes to show the long term benefits of this WOE.

Here's the meat recipe thread

I've included anything that has any kind of beef/lamb/pork/venison in there - so it's got recipes that include or are for bacon/sausages as well.

I loved green top milk in my coffee but now only have almond milk. It took me a week or so to get used to it but I like it now. I like the Alpro roasted unsweetened almond milk.

I got all excited after weighing myself on the "magic" spot (ticked in beside the loo, usually takes a few attempts for the scales even to register and then sometimes with a weight I don't like as the floor is uneven unlike the spot I now use which is in the middle of the floor and gives a consistent reading every time ) and went off and tried on my Nicole Farhi dress.

Let's just say I've got a loooong way to go before I can wear it again

The Nicole Farhi dress is a good NSV goal prettybird

Welcome bassetting

THANK YOU ALL!!!

PrettyBird
Oh yes to WOE being a permanant one. I just meant that my next reliable scales moment will be on 15th and I am hoping to see progress by then. I too have a wonky bathroom floor re home scales and reading can very by 7lbs so I am trying not to weigh at all until 15th. brill water suggestions, thanks.

Not enough fat huh? Righto. I LOVE scrambles with butter so that's easy. I will look through threads 1 and 2. thankyou.x.x..x

I might get there in time for my wedding anniversary rshard stupid non deflating boobs

.....maybe I should plan to wear it out for an anniversary meal

I'm struggling with the thought of this WOE as permanent if I'm honest. How it is working for me is that it keeps me full for longer combined with me not enjoying my meals as much as I used to and therefore eating less. But it leaves me very open to carby temptation. If I found dairy was stalling me I don't think I'd be able to carry on with it, cheese is making the whole thing just about bearable.

I guess, though, Wh0Knows, that once you reach target, you can be less strict and therefore experiment a bit with adding some carbs to see how much you can introduce without piling on weight again. Perhaps you'll be able to eat enough carbs that you CAN stay on it because you'll be less bored with the food.

That's what I'm hoping. I still have quite a long way to go to target and I daresay my tastes will continue to adjust (this is my 2nd BC) but right now it feels extremely restrictive and so, so greasy.

who I'm always sad when I hear that you don't enjoy this WOE. Is there something that would work better for you?

Along with BIWI doing the recipe threads I'm adding clicky links to the meal ideas page on the spreadsheet. It does not take you directly to the recipe but it does take you to the page its on.

Obviously any diet that allows you to lose weight is going to be restrictive versus just eating what you fancy though, so I do need to exert some willpower.

You have been pretty negative throughout this Bootcamp @Wh0KnowsWhereTheT1meG0es. Ultimately if you're not enjoying it, then you don't have to stick to it!

But what I'd say, having spent the last few days going through the recipe thread, is that there must be some food/meals that you enjoy eating, and that will fulfil your criteria?!

I admire you for sticking with it, but - like SayrraT - I hate it when people say they're unhappy or not enjoying it.

cant find the spreadsheet?

I'm going to have a go at making a seafood risotto tonight using the celeriac rice from Waitrose and some bouillabaisse sauce I found in M&s which is 4g per 100g as stick. I've got some scallops and crab which I'm going to serve with it ( fried in butter), with Parmesan and some mozzarella. I'm going to make an avocado salad as a side.

There were loads of nice things in M&s today - whole baked feta, cracklings crisps, chilli mayo. I really need to branch out from the fried meat and green veg!

basseting there will be a link in the OP of this thread.

whoknows I can't really agree as I don't really find this woe restrictive in the same way that calorie counting etc is. Maybe for you if you particularly hate the fat etc a calorie controlled diet would be better? Then you have to exert willpower to not eat too much but at least you'll be eating things you enjoy not things you hate?

WhoKn0ws - think of it as using this time to change your relationship with food, while not having to calorie count or be hungry.

So when you do move on to Maintenance, those carbs you do choose to eat, you do so mindfully and appreciate every mouthful. This is about enjoying your food - but learning portion control (voluntarily) and to listen to your body's trey hunger cues.

I think there are ways to add fat without it being greasy. I make a gorgeous cauliflower soup with coconut cream which doesn't taste remotely greasy.

Shepherds pie with celeriac mash?

There are other programmes with similar principles which don't rely on fat as much. Zoe Harcombe and Whole30 both come to mind. I agree with the others, it's grim sticking with something you don't enjoy.

Well, that is it, it is changing my relationship with food in that I'm not enjoying it as much as I used to, which does sound really negative, but is in some ways beneficial if I only eat because I'm hungry as opposed to because I fancy a bit of toast or whatever. I do need to break out of the emotional eating thing and this sort of works in that respect because there is pretty well a blanket ban on all the things I would eat as treats in the past. I just think it's going to take me a long, long time to get there. It is definitely the high fat as much as the low carb that I find problematic.

I also admit I'm not great at trying new recipes because of my extremely fussy family and extremely limited cooking times in the evenings, I already have to modify quite a bit for autistic DS, but that one is down to me to resolve.

Welcome Basseting and I hope this way of eating does allow you to avoid bariatric surgery, it is a much better option.

BIWI and Sayrra thanks so much for the recipe threads. 🙏

x-posted with Beryl. Two people in my house won't eat cauliflower in any shape or form, one won't eat any sort of mash let alone celeriac, and the other two don't like celeriac either, it's not much fun cooking these things just for me, plus the time it takes.