Week 5 - Low Carb Bootcamp - The Big Stick is Back!

[BIWI]

Morning all!

Many thanks to @prettybird and @BerylStreep for running this Bootcamp so well, so far. It's been a bit weird watching from the sidelines

However, I'm back. Back in the UK, back at work and back on the wagon.

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness for this week

I've noticed that there's quite a bit of 'slippage' going on over the last week or so. I know that we're able to move on to Bootcamp Light now, but be very, very careful that this doesn't lead to too many carbs. And remember to keep the water and the fat up.

Good luck this week

Pumpkin don't avoid us when you are slipping. Post here, there is always someone to provide support/whack with the stick as required.

@Cherrypi - I'm the same with trying other diets WOE but low carb suits me the best. No mad cravings, no getting hangry, just very controlled.

@ilovecherries - I don't know where people get off saying rude, uncalled for things to a stranger! Someone once said to me 'nice legs, shame about the glasses'. I told him to fuck his Mum. Not my finest hour but still makes me chuckle when I think of it!

BIWI - maybe get up and do something until your brain gets tired again and you can go back to sleep for a more restful 2nd few hours stretch. Hope you get through the next few days ok.

I remember finding this article interesting, explaining that this concept of "8 hours" in a single stretch is a relatively modern phenomenon.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783

I've had terrible insomnia for years, and was convinced stopping alcohol would be a miracle sleep aid, but it took much longer than I expected to kick in - looking back at my diary, it was 4-6 weeks before I really started to feel the benefits, and longer before I had a properly established sleep pattern. I had a similar pattern to yours, fall asleep relatively easily then wake two hours later till dawn, fall asleep from sheer exhaustion, had to get up two hours later. What gradually happened was that the night wakening got later and later till it eventually became very early rising rather than waking in the night. It was early summer by then, so I'd get up at that point and potter about, and it seemed to retrain my brain about what bed was for. Now I pretty reliably manage 7 hours without waking. Bliss. Insomnia sucks.

Thanks for all the nice comments about my skin and eyebrows. The skin is down to genetic lottery and a lifetime of sun-dodging as I burn really easily. The eyebrows are all mine. A quick tidy every six weeks is all the attention they ever get. And yes, the drunk :(. He was trying to engage me, paw all over me etc so I got up and moved. He apparently wasn't up for 'some woman' ignoring him and thinking she was better than him.

Corkscrew, welcome. I did go to OA for a while, I hope it helps you. Ive lost a fairly serious amount of weight doing bootcamp since May, as have many others. I lost 21 lbs in the initial 10 weeks, and over 60 lbs in all since then. What bootcamp did for me was bring my body on-side with changing - so no cravings, no hunger, no weak and sweaty feelings leading to snacking. That freed up a lot of space to deal with the emotional stuff. I still have 5 lbs to a healthy BMI and about 20 to where I want to be, and I look and feel so much better, it's unbelievable. I'd really recommend you try to find the time to check in here at least twice a day. Good luck!

Third day of no booze. Have dropped a ib a have been quite strictly lc so that’s good. I’ve been sticking around the same weight for weeks so I’m hoping I’ll get into that bc space where I get on a roll

DH bought some pork chops - any ideas what to do with them apart from stir fry? Fancy making some sort of casserole that I can freeze

Alma i do pork chops/steaks in a Philly and pesto sauce. either pan fry and add green veg then sauce to heat then serve or chuck all in Pyrex dish raw and bung in oven and leave. its very easy and delicious.

It's interesting to read about the effects of alcohol on sleep patterns. I'm very glad indeed that i don't drink regularly. I already have interrupted sleep due to DC and often a stressed out jumblehead. I wouldn't want to add another problem to that just to enjoy a glass of something. I just can't see that it's worth it plus I don't like wine. Now give me the odd night out with the girls and I can knock back the spirits and have a great time, but this is maybe twice a year. Genuine question: Can anyone actually explain to me the appeal of a glass of wine every day? What do you get out of it versus the downside of its after effects? At what point does a habit become an addiction?

I may have a similar problem with chocolate

BIWI whenever i have a problem winding down to sleep I listen to a 5 or 10 minute guided mindfulness meditation. Headspace have an app or you can just find them on YouTube. I fall asleep before it ends every time.

BIWI Thank you for the programme link. I found it information.

Sleep deprivation stinks. In regards to insomnia, when I was struggling I found taking a magnesium & calcium supplement did help. It’s a natural muscle relaxant so helps if your feeling tense. Hope that help BIWI .

ilovecherries. Your fair looks fab.

BIWI. Have you tried melatonin? It can be really effective at resetting the body clock.

YoLo, for me, when I had a glass of wine everyday it was a shortcut to relaxing and unwinding. I was in a very stressful situation and it definitely worked to relax me. It was also a 'reward' - if I get through this difficult day then I 'deserve' wine. And, tbh, I liked the taste.

All fine in the short-term but I became concerned about it and, increasingly, would have an internal battle about whether or not I should drink on any given day. Even though I wasn't drinking a lot, it felt like a very unhealthy relationship with alcohol and it worried me.

I did a dry January to reset my habits. During that month, I realised how much i had been self-anaesthetising - whenever I encountered an emotion I found hard, I had the desire to drink wine. My mental wellbeing improved hugely when I stopped wine - much less anxiety and encountered a low mood less often, even though the situation was as difficult as it had been before. I also realised that in the past when i felt a bit below par, it had actually been a low-level hangover so a lot of the time it may be that people are unaware that the unpleasant side effects of wine are actually connected to wine iyswim. That month was VERY illuminating for me.

Since then, I drink very little but it is still a weakness for me and one I need to be mindful of.

wh0knows i will definitely try that, looks amazing!
BIWI blue light filter from 6pm, no phone before bed and earplugs help me. I'd wake at the slightest noise and stay awake!
ilove your hair looks lovely!
Todays food will be
B: 2 eggs, hollandaise and smoked salmon. Creamy coffee
L: cheesy coleslaw
D: slow cooker lamb(probably with harissa), aubergine curry and caul rice.
I'm eating a lot of fat. Slightly worried about how much!

BIWI - my tip is nutmeg in warm milk last thing at night. It is blinking amazing, I feel myself nodding off before I've finished the mug, esp if I've been really sensible and switched all the screens off for the half hour previously and am just reading. And, interestingly, my NotaFitBit records more deep sleep after I've had this concoction than when I haven't.

Too much can cause hallucinations, and I have wondered if it's bad for you in the long term if you take it every night, but it really does help.

Thanks yolo that sounds great

I’ve always worked in jobs where there has been lots of alcohol at functions etc but more recently there is a real wine o clock culture among school mums where I live, so people getting pretty sloshed at bbqs or mince pie type gatherings. Am in affluent professional area.

I just began to realise how much alcohol had me, instead of me having it iyswim. I’ve had a horrific couple of years and was using it to blot out stress

Anyway am out and about today. No breakfast and a pret Italian chicken salad for lunch. Dinner will be pork chops a la yolo

I love this thread. There's so much support no matter what the issue.

I am feeling pleased with myself, I baked and iced 12 fairy cakes for the school bake sale without licking the spoon. That's a big step for me.

YoLo, it's also the large amount of sugar in wine. Your brain/body recognises it as huge amounts of instant fuel - do it enough and your body will prompt you to find it and drink it from a purely physiological desire, never mind all the strongly urging and complicated social, cultural and personal expectations and habits. It's why my issue has never really been sweet stuff as I'm getting all my sugar from wine.

As well as the sugar, the tipsy effect takes me mentally from 60mph to zero in under 30 seconds - and when you're under stress, that's a very addictive thing to self medicate with, as Leap says.

So it's not 'just' giving up wine, like giving up bananas, or garlic, orange squash - it's shedding years of ingrained behaviour, abandoning a (perceived) stress reliever, AND overcoming the physiological demand/reward as well.

I am very envious that you have never developed that habit!

Checking in. 0.4 off. Better than nothing :-)

Oh heavens the wine chat is resonating with me Not so much for the weight loss, but just "because".

I sorted my clothes out today. Sizes 22 - 18 were all taken to charity. It started off feeling therapeutic but now I feel sick - I have barely any clothes left and I feel a massive amount of pressure not to regain the weight!

You've taken a leap of faith, ASD - feel determined and empowered!

ASD - think how sick you'd feel if you did regain all that weight! Think of your reduced wardrobe as being a carrot, not a stick. I'm sure you look much lovelier in your smaller clothes, keep that image in mind.

I've always wanted a capsule wardrobe, but hate getting rid of anything that still has wear in. It's ok if it's the wrong size, but if it still fits I feel I can't get rid as it would be a waste of money. If I were you I'd take the opportunity to go through what you have remaining and make sure you have enough, but not more than that. You can fill out your wardrobe again when you reach your goal.

Treat yourself to something new ASD?

Rishard. I did buy some size 14 Next jeans in the charity shop. I would love to ultimately be a size 12, then I will buy some new new clothes.
It definitely is a positive as I do look and feel much better and have regained the floor space in my bedroom as I couldn’t fit all my clothes in my drawers as I had sizes 22 - 14!

Hi all - popping in to rave about delouis mayonnaise. Omg it's amazing!

Hello all

Congratulations to all the losers!

I can't remember who posted this but the comment about not thinking about food leaves space to sort out other issues is spot on. Very perceptive.

Also, I want to thank all of you for helping me keep to the straight and (someday) narrow! I had a job interview in a new city this morning. I didn't have time for breakfast and various bits of public transportation conspired to make me as late as possible.

By the time I left the meeting, it was 1pm and I hadn't eaten all day. Rather than head for the local sushi place - and, oh, how I love sushi - or even Burger King or drink a Diet Coke - I persevered until I got home and cooked a beefburger and made a green salad and a lovely cup of tea.

Hey hey all

B: creamy coffee
L: tuna, lettuce, cucumber, celery mayo. Lidl Greek yog
D: cheese omelette