Week 9 - Low Carb Bootcamp - the last fortnight is here

[BIWI]

Good morning all

I see from the end of last week's thread that some of us have been struggling with various demons.

We only have two weeks left, so time to gird your loins (however you do that!), and plough on.

Hopefully the snow has gone, or is disappearing rapidly, and that there's enough appropriate food in the shops. At least our problem is not being able to find what we want - I saw a very sad piece in the news yesterday about a dairy farmer, who was having to throw all his milk away, because the tanker couldn't get to his farm to collect it. So days' worth of money for him gone

Anyway, here's the lovely new thread, and with the fantastic Spreadsheet of Fabulousness.

Good luck this week. Stick with it and keep the focus.

Help, please!
I've been low carbing for about 2 years, with great success - I lost at least 6 stone, and my blood sugar levels dropped to about half what they were. I did bootcamp last year and found it really helpful, and hoped that this one would be just as good for me, but now I'm having problems.

I'm sticking to the rules. Drinking my water, avoiding alcohol and carby treats. Fasting 16:8, trying (as far as the needs of family and work allow) to eat to appetite. I've gone from no exercise at all 2 years ago to 5 sessions a week (can't believe I just typed that!!!).

So why is it that I'm not only not losing weight - but gaining?! For several weeks now, the scales keep going up. Could peri-menopause be a problem?

And do other people's scales give very different readings within minutes of each other (mine seem to vary by up to 4lb, despite having new batteries!)

Sorry, that's really long! I still have about 3 - 4 stones to lose, so I really want to get back on track! Your advice, O wise ones, would be much appreciated.

ilove - you look stunning in both of those wigs.

Thanks, Rshard. Am wondering how long it will be before I can run 10k. NEVER thought I'd be thinking that!

Athel - Will be keeping an eye out for your progress on Monday. You have been warned!!!

Crafty’ firstly very well done on your successful two year journey and life style change. Bloody fantastic!

In regards to gaining. Could it be muscle? How’s your silhouette ? Are your clothes becoming looser? Again very well done!

Twoo, thank you.
I'd love to think it was muscle - but I don't think so! Unless the first 2 weeks of C25K can add a couple of pounds of muscle a week!
Clothes-wise - I'm not sure. This is the lowest weight, by a very long stretch, I've been at since my early teens - I'm now in my 50's - so when I have a 'wobble' like this, I find it difficult to assess. Were those trousers tight before? is it because they're straight out of the wash? Did that top fit like that last time I wore it? I always wore stretchy stuff, so smaller, less forgiving clothes can fool me. I'm used to being very overweight, that was my normal and how I'd got used to seeing myself. My mind hasn't really kept up with how my body has changed, so I tend to assume the worst.

I'll get there, somehow, but if anyone has any tips I'd be most grateful.

Clear eyes, full hearts, CAN lose

Craftupuss well done for 6 stone and the regular exercise. Those alone must have improved your health by miles.

Could you show us a werk’s worth of menus to help evaluate your stall?

Will do so later - Friday evening is music centre evening for daughter and me, great fun but keeps us both busy!

Thank you.

I’ve heard Craft’ that when you exercise your muscles can hold water or something during the stage they are building/repairing themselves. Do you have rest days?

Hey all. Well I successfully manouvered rhe party and didn't eat carbs.

However, it's not good news. I've clearly visibly lost more weight that I thought. As everyone kept commenting. Except one of my closest friends. She didn't comment once and ignored any comments made in front of her. She said something about herself that was negative which was weight related and I said yes, sure, but you're really pretty, and now she's offended by me apparently. I've apologised as I was trying to compliment her and genuinely meant no offence.

I understand though that weight is a hugely sensitive issue and I shouldn't have said it. I should have just said don't be daft, you're really pretty. Which she is. And what I've had said sober. Because I get it and I know it's a minefield.

So now I'm hungover and feel like shit. I really shouldn't drink.😔

Oh Bluntness’ don’t be so hard on yourself. We have all said things when under the influence, then realise once sober it wasn’t the best thing to say. You meant well.

Well done on avoiding the food carbs though.

Thanks twoo. And yeah I know, and I also know it is a maybe a reflection on how she's feeling about herself and that my losing weight amplified that feeling, but I did basically indicate I thought she was overweight, even though it clearlgwasn't my intent behind the words , but let's be honest. No one likes that.

I think she's now ignoring me.😔

Perhaps she’s had a moment of self realisation bluntness, about her own size. I had a colleague say to me today - don’t lose any more, you can have some of my fat if you want. I don’t think she meant it nastily, again seeing someone lose weight can trigger something.

Thanks rshard, and god, weight is such a friggen minefield in terms of how it makes us feel about ourselves and others.

I've been feeling a bit run down lately so I thought I would get some blood tests done to see whether there might be some underlying issue... or if it's just from the stress of having four DCs. I've been following Bootcamp for over four years so I thought you guys might be interested in my cholesterol results:

Total cholesterol 4.38 mmol/l - should be below 5, this value is good
LDL 2.36 mmol/l - should be below 3, this value is good
HDL 1.81 mmol/l - should be over 1, this value is excellent
Triglycerides 0.46 mmol/l - should be below 1.7, this value is excellent
Cholesterol ratio 2.4 - should be below 6, this ratio is good
TG:HDL ratio 0.25 - should be below 0.87, this ratio is excellent

I used to have my lipid profile tested at my work medical every year so I have cholesterol results going back years. While I have never had any issues with high cholesterol, my last two sets of results taken since I have been eating LCHF are even better than they were before I started Bootcamp. So anyone that's worrying about all the fat we're eating, here's an n=1 experiment demonstrating what the studies show - most people have better cholesterol levels when they eat LCHF.

I had a whole lot of tests done and my HbA1c (blood glucose), CRP (marker of inflammation), vitamin D, vitamin B12, and iron levels were all fine. My cortisol levels, however, were sky high indicating that stress is a real issue for me DH says he could have told me that for free

If anyone is interested in having any blood tests done then I do recommend the company I used. They send out a testing kit and you just need to do a fingerprick and send the sample of blood back to them. I posted mine yesterday morning and got the results back today. It costs £12 for their basic lipid profile and liver function set of tests. It's £25 for the basic set plus iron profile, vitamin D and vitamin B12. They also do a full thyroid panel and associated health markers for £42 which is much more comprehensive than what the GP will test for. You need to use this link Thriva to get those prices because it applies a 50% off code.

But also well done for dodging the carbs!

Hi craftypuss, no words of wisdom but great weight loss!

time you could definitely do 10k. For my first one, I entered my local race, found an online programme, this was before the couch to 5k app. It was 16 weeks in total, 8 for 5k and the same up to 10k, counted back 17 weeks from the race and started the programmes. I did the 10k in 51 minutes something. I sound as though I’ve done loads, I haven’t - 4!

Those results stunt are they from the lipid profile test? Thanks. Might do that...

Stunt’ Thank you for sharing, they are fantastic results. I will be honest, it has crossed my mind if I am inadvertently raising my numbers on this woe.

Me thinks I am going to raid the piggy bank and get tested.

I love all things numerical 😊

They are Brassica. It takes three weeks to get an appointment at my doctors and then you have to wait again for a nurse's appointment so I thought I would take matters into my own hands. I was quite surprised that my vitamin D, vitamin B12 and iron were all fine because I have been feeling very tired in the evenings. But it's possible that magnesium is the issue because I have spent so much time either pregnant or breastfeeding over the past few years. It's difficult to test for magnesium so I've just gone ahead and started supplementing it to see whether it makes a difference. Modern vegetables tend to be low in magnesium because it gets depleted from the soil so it's possible that we are all slightly low in magnesium to start with.

If anyone does get a blood test done then I'm happy to look over their results for them I'm a nosy parker! I used to work in diagnostics manufacture so I know a fair bit about the field.

Thanks for sharing your results stuntnun, so interesting. My nails are really weak at the moment so I’d wondered about my vitamin d levels - is that the right one? I’m really tempted to do this

Was it a fasting blood test, @StuntNun, or do they not do it that way anymore?

Due to a heart condition (heart attack at 34 years old) and high cholesterol, I’ve had a lipid panel annually for years. Your postal blood test sounds intriguing and more comprehensive.

My last one was within good parameters (after loosely following LCHF). As I’ve become more serious about it this past year (thank you Bootcamp) I’ve started dreaming about getting off the meds, or at least reducing doses.

Am currently on a high dose statin (rosuvastatin), a blood thinner (clopidogrel) and a beta blocker (bisoprolol). Does anyone with medical knowledge think it would be possible to lose any or all of these meds? Or am I just dreaming?

The beta blocker in particular makes me more forgetful, though it’s manageable.

I thought nail strength was more linked to calcium, Rshard.. Have I got that completely wrong?

Tonight’s evening meal. Fried ground almond covered Halloumi cheese, and buttered kale.

I’m addicted to kale

You’re probably right shagme, I was guessing at vitamin D. Thought that nails grow on holiday really fast = sun and natural vit D? Or it could be less washing up etc?!

Rshard I think it's low iron that causes brittle nails.

Was it a fasting blood test, @StuntNun, or do they not do it that way anymore?
It was because I did it before breakfast.

Your postal blood test sounds intriguing and more comprehensive.
I liked being able to pick and choose my tests. My GP already did my thyroid tests but they were nowhere near as comprehensive as the Thriva panel. I might do that one in the future if I can justify the expense.

I’ve started dreaming about getting off the meds, or at least reducing doses. Am currently on a high dose statin (rosuvastatin), a blood thinner (clopidogrel) and a beta blocker (bisoprolol). Does anyone with medical knowledge think it would be possible to lose any or all of these meds?
Only your doctor could make that call. Statins are most effective in men who have already had a heart attack but the evidence is less strong in other patient groups. Certainly if your cholesterol levels have come down your doctor may consider reducing your statin dose. You'll probably end up staying on the blood thinner to reduce your risk of future heart issues. If the beta blocker is just for high blood pressure then potentially you might be able to stop it if your blood pressure is under control. However I suspect your doctor will want to err on the side of caution and maintain your medication unless there's a clear indication that it is no longer needed. At least you have taken control of your diet and that's only going to improve your health going forwards.