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!

LeapinLizards – wine is a killer. In terms of the gum – I wonder if it is something to do with Polyols? Polyols such as sorbitol, xylitol and mannitol are poorly absorbed and can cause inflammation in the gut causing IBS type symptoms. Why do you chew it? Is it for breath freshness – if so perhaps peppermint tea could substitute?

Montypulciano – welcome. If you are a long-timer you know what to do. The spreadsheet (linked in the OP) has the rules and lots of resources if you feel you need to refresh. If you want to add your name to the end of the weigh in sheet (not compulsory) it magically reorders throughout the week .

Titus that sounds like a really good mind-set. It is a good balance to the ‘all or nothing’ approach that is easy to fall into (although for me, I have always been a sort of all or nothing person. The fact that I am having to do Bootcamp again suggests that I am more of an all, rather than nothing sort of person ).

For those who have lost 'only' a pound - remember, it all adds up!

ScreamingValenta can you identify why you might be on a plateau? Is the long-term trend still downwards? I've read posts before (by Stuntnun I think) that says fat cells can hold on to excess water for a while before giving up.

I can report a 1.5lb loss - that's 3lb down since Boot Camp started (and 9lb off if you include the week before when I had my mostly water whoosh ) Down to 11 stone 12lb.

That's me back to where I'd got to after my pre-Christmas desperate egg fast and 1/2lb below where I was on Christmas Day (after our main Christmas Dinner the night before).

Also did the first day of Level 3 of the Shred.

So far today I've had FF Greek yoghurt with cream and cinnamon, 2 Brazil nuts, a babybel and 2 cold brussels

Dinner will be kidney bean-less chilli with yet more brussels. Haven't decided yet what to have for lunch.

Montypulciano (love your name

Yes, Beryl, I am the Queen of All or Nothing. If this is just a casual thing where I eat this way indefinitely, I might not be back in two years’ time, trying to lost the same weight again!

Morning all. 3lb loss this BC but I am eating a little more carbs than is recommended. Happy to report I am feeling very well indeed.
B: fasting
L: brussels sprouts butter and cheese
D: I am making jamie olivers savoy cabbage and bacon and pine nut pasta for the family and will have a bowl of it with no pasta, possibly cauli rice instead.

Pine nuts?! Yay or nay?

Still not drinking alcohol (dry January) but I have found it an absolute bastard this time around (wet, horrible, cold, tired). Can't wait until February 2nd and a half bottle of wine!!

Hello all

Thanks pretty bird for all your help an encouragement and thank you Beryl for taking over now.

I had a 2.5 lb loss so over the,2 weeks a total of 8.5. NSV - 5 cm loss from waist, hips and bust and clothes fitting properly again. Had a blip feeling awful over the weekend but quite a bit better today.

Well done everyone KOKO!

Scabbersley - pine nuts are ok on Lite - just don't go mad with them!

I won't go mad with them, they are too expensive! A light smattering only.

Morning (almost) - thank you prettybird and Beryl

Happy - and very very relieved - that I'm down this morning after last week's completely inexplicable gains. Four pounds since last Monday (though that'd be five really, as it went up again in the meantime), so a net total of down two since the start. Phew.

Feeling ridiculously happy, in fact, and very glad I stuck with it and kept the faith. Had friends over for dinner last night and stuck with the LC stuff (which they enjoyed too) and packed up the leftovers of the rest for them to take home. Wasn't tempted even a little bit. Surprised at my own self-control, to be honest - it's not usually one of my stronger points

Morning everyone!
Stayed the same today but I’m a daily weigher and saw lower weights over the weekend so I’m happy. Just about creeping under 150lbs which I haven’t been for many years!
I have Monday’s off work and I’ve started prepping up my work lunches for the rest of the week. Salmon and veg in butter, soy marinated egg, homemade kimchi and pickled red cabbage this week

Not weighing this week due to carby twatdom. I keep using the excuse of having an event or a weekend away and can't possibly low carb during that.

Though stir fried veg and lamb with cauliflower egg fried and lots of sesame oil and soy was wonderful for lunch!

First few weeks didn't go well for me as I think you have to be in the right frame of mind to stick to it, and I wasn't. But this week has gone brilliantly and I have lost 3lb!

So far today I've eaten 3 scrambled eggs with mushrooms.
Have vegetable soup and chicken salad for later.

I'm going out for an Indian meal tomorrow night! What can I eat? I don't like hot and spicy....

Pretty bird, yes I am going hardcore for a fortnight. I will be eating a couple of times but will make LC choices.

Off now to make cauliflower hash brown for lunch. So much cauliflower on this WOE - love it!

I will be eating lots of times - eating out is what I meant!

raisinsraisins I like chicken shashlik or mixed tandoori grill with a side of sag paneer, or mushroom bhaji if I go out for a curry. If we get a takeaway then I have chicken madras and add cauli rice- although this is quite spicy and also pretty tomato heavy so could be too carby if you're being strict. You've made me want a curry now!

Your lunch looks amazing gail

@Scabbersley

3lb loss this BC but I am eating a little more carbs than is recommended

There is no recommended carb intake on Bootcamp!

Thanks @prettybird for the first two weeks and to @BerylStreep for picking up the threads - if anyone is around, I need an emergency big stick!!! Please talk me out of eating the chocolate brownies I had to bring into work for my birthday and are now sitting there looking at me 😫

Step away from the brownies. You are not going to feel better after having them.

Go and have a large glass of water.

Tell yourself that if you resist them, you can make some low carb brownies at the weekend. Don't give up on the progress you have made.

Littleladylawyer- thanks, I think I'll have tandoori chicken and a veg side. We be hard to not eat the puppudums though! I haven't told anyone I'm doing low carb as I find it so much easier to get on with on my own and not having to justify what I eat to people.

Lizard - don't do it! You'll really regret it the second after you eat it. Put it out if your sightline, or hand them out after lunch to try to get rid of them....

Hi Monty!

In bathroom scale news, I've lost another 2lb, which is fine. Sloooowly feeling a reduction in podge.

Breakfast: Cheesy omelette
Lunch: Leftover lamb keema with roasted aubergine on the side.

Ok have moved them to another desk and drinking water promising myself some low carb ones - I like that strategy, thanks @pretty ❤️

Anyone have a good low carb brownie recipe? 😜

There was one posted near the end of the last thread lizard I've not tried it yet myself - but I plan to soon!