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!

Beryl’ wishing your DH a fast recovery

I stayed on track yesterday.

B - Sprouts, Kale & Brocolli fried in butter (I know that’s strange for breakfast but it’s what I fancied )

L - Cold meats, cheese and hot peppery salad leaves.

D - Roast chicken thighs & brocolli, leeks.

S - Coffee with cream

2 1/2 - 3 ltrs water

screaming like you, I have lost around 3 stone but seem to have stuck around the same weight for the last few months, I'm also about 1.5 stone from target. I need to be more strict! Clearly my body thinks this is my new weight and likes it here.

Yesterday's gain has gone though, which is good.

Actually I think I will make stir fried virgins a regular B as it ups my green intake from the off.

Right, I've sorted through the recipe thread and have extracted the vegetarian recipes.

I haven't included everything. Lots of people posted links to recipes, but so many times when I clicked on the link, the page wasn't available any more - so anything that was linked to will be missing.

Please note that this thread also includes recipes for breads and crackers - I don't want to have to create too many threads!

The other thing to note is that some of the recipes might actually be quite carby/not suitable for the first two weeks of Bootcamp. If you're a veggie, that's perhaps not too much of a problem, but for others - use your critical faculties to decide if a recipe is going to be too carby!

I've asked MNHQ to sticky the thread at the top of the Low Carb Bootcamp thread, so it's easy to find, and hopefully they'll agree!

Vegetarian recipes

@Twoo stir fried virgins!!!

I’ve just been reading those veggie recipes, they look lovely! I’m not vegetarian but as this WOE is v meat heavy it’s good to take a break! Also some good ideas for meat accompaniments.

Thanks so much for all your hard work BIWI, that must have taken quite a while to do! 💜

@BIWI, thanks for your work. In terms of us adding our own recipes, is it okay to post ones that are easily convertible to low carb? For instance, if it’s literally just switching out a veg or a couple ingredients, that’s fine right? I’m guessing when posting we should also probably post the possible substitutions.

I think that would be fine, Jings. But it might also be a good idea to try the recipe first yourself, so that you know if it works.

One other thing, I have noticed that sometimes people haven't given any indication of quantities, so some of the recipes might be a bit unpredictable!

Blackteaplease what is it that's stopping you from getting into the right mindset? Are there external issues going on? Any particular foods that you are relying on which might be causing problems? Are you menu planning? Drinking enough? I remember your posts from last boot camp and you really seemed to be in the zone.
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Almahart* that's what the threads are here for - ongoing motivation and support. I find it good for the accountability.

Thank you all for the good wishes for my DH. He's feeling very sorry for himself. Not sure if they are going to operate. NHS says no, ortho friends say possibly.

I've got horrible sinusitis and can't get an appointment at the doctors until next Thursday. Can't shift this awful headache it's given me.

Not gone to uni, managed to get DD to Nursery and now I'm back in bed dreaming of chicken nuggets and chips or pizza and chips and sweetcorn and ketchup.

I'm another 2lbs down this morning. I know I'll be so disappointed in myself if I crack and then don't see another loss all week just for the sake of one carby meal. I have to KOKO.

Thanks BIWI for the new vegetarian recipe thread.

Sinusitis is horrid iamsam, but you’re right to focus on that brilliant 2lb loss, you’ll def be cross with yourself - koko!

Thanks @Beryl. I think the break over Christmas was a bad idea and I'm struggling to get back on it. It's partly lack of forward planning for work snacks and also lack of will power. 2 of my 3 dc don't sleep through which is hard as my go to sleep replacement is carbs.

I naughtily weighed myself again this morning and was another 1lb down - whoop whoop - 7lbs off since Jan 1st!

BUT - it might be a bit artificial as I actually didn't have dinner last night (had a row with Dh instead and lost appetite, although thankfully made up afterwards but still didn't eat).

Anyway, was nice to see 13st 2 on the scales and makes the idea of reaching the 12s (comfortably?) in February seem relatively achievable.

The challenge is then to see if the 11s could be achievable by May??

eeshewasthin why was a visit to Costa a bad thing? unless you had cake I frequent that establishment regularly coffee addict

lisbapalea’s thinking ahead to getting into the 12’s and then the 12’s made me think about mini goals and incentives. I know prettybird has a goal mind relating to her wedding anniversary- have I remembered right?

So others have mini goals? On the last bootcamp some of us set some goals for November- does anyone fancy doing that for February?

I made my own almond butter last night. It was quick, easy and delicious.

I wish I'd never discovered this! I could literally just sit here and eat the whole pot with a spoon!

Anyway. Another lb down since yesterday so things are going slowly in the right direction.

B/L- omelette with cheese, ham and spinach
Dessert- too much almond butter
D- leftover roast beef with celeriac mash and green veg.

Weighed myself this morning as well, and it's the same as yesterday (12.7) so I'm cautiously optimistic that I might have cracked the 12.9 plateau I've been on for too long. Walked the dogs for two hours, just to help it along a bit.

I have a big birthday coming up mid-March and my goal (when I started this at the end of August) was to be 10st by then, but with having stuck at this level for so long, that's clearly not going to happen. Well, not unless I chop a leg off or something. But if I can get into the 11s by then I will be very happy. As I was over 15st when I began, it was always going to be ambitious to shift it by March, but I like a challenge!

That's great Abbey44. Well done.

Late entry on the spreadsheet of fabulousness as I've now bought some non-malfunctioning scales. Seem to be down just over 1lb since last week - meaning a 5lb loss over the first two weeks, about which I'm still pretty happy. Now have another 12lb to go to reach my target - yikes!

I stepped away from the chicken nuggets and chips (though have almond flour coming with the shopping later to make some low carb ones).

Instead I had.. bacon wrapped halloumi chips with Nando's sauce (its v low carb and no sugar!) to dip. With FLGV.

They were heavenly! One of the best things I've discovered on this WOE.

The Nando's sauce was a revelation too. I don't like mayo so it's lovely to have a dip,

I think I was close to falling off the wagon as I've just been having meat and veg. Not looked at any recipes or anything. But have a Tesco shop coming with lots of ingredients to make all the lovely recipes you losers have posted

I've got a really bad tummy today - I think it's because of the change in diet. I eat small meals but I do snack. Can anyone recommend snacks that aren't meat or vegetables? I've already had yoghurt today, and eggs don't really agree with me...

Cheese, olives, pork scratching or a small handful of nuts?

I've just had camembert on cucumber slices to keep me going until dinner.

I snack on salami milano from Lidl a little too often as it is processed meat Also pastrami ditto - but that doesn't help as as they're meat.

I also snack on slices of Emmenthal cheese: counter-intuitively, I find that I have less if I get the pre-sliced stuff. If I've run out of that because I don't allow myself to buy too much as I'd just eat it , I have small chunks of parmesan. Sometimes I'll have a spoonful of clotted cream. If you have any frozen raspberries, one or two frozen raspberries work quite well with a wee spoonful of clotted cream.

Caveat is that I am one of the fortunate ones who doesn't appear to be stalled by dairy.

yolo I had a pain aux raisin and a latte 😩 Fell off the wagon properly.

Been good today. Scrambled eggs and half an avocado for lunch. Nearly finished my water.

Just looked at the costa website...pain aux raisin are 40g 😮 and the coffee is 14g. Waaaaah.