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.

Great news Athel!

I have finally got it together to make some keto crackers - starting with the Diet Doctor's recipe as a base, but I don't like sunflower, pumpkin or sesame seeds so it made it a bit awkward! Used just golden flax and black chia instead, and added in shredded parmesan. And butter instead of coconut oil. I think they would have worked absolutely fine, and been lovely and crispy, IF the fecking gas hadn't run out halfway through!! (we have cylinder gas, our town in Aus doesn't have mains gas) DH had just started cooking dinner as well, but luckily we have a spare canister of barbecue gas, so he swapped that in and we carried on - but I fear it compromised my crackers :(
Some are nice and crispy (the edge ones) but the inner ones are more chewy. Still nice though and my goodness I hadn't realised exactly HOW much I'd been missing salty crispiness!!

Still not through the 12st barrier though. I need to start some actual bloody exercise, I fear, although this is mostly how I feel about it (see pic)

TMI moment - avoid if slightly squeamish - part of my weight retention might have had something to do with my lack of output (poo) the last few days as well. I can now add, to my great joy, that the seed crackers (probably) have dealt with that more than adequately!
I may regret saying that later, but right now, I couldn't be happier! (and feeling far less bunged up!)

Can't remember who it was up-thread that commented about exercise and rest days. I hadn't really thought through this, and was weighing myself pretty much straight after one of my C25K sessions.

My postings yesterday were prompted by another high scales reading - again, straight after exercise - which, to be honest, had upset me - I felt like I was putting in loads of effort for no reward! I weighed myself again this morning - a rest day - and the scales were much better! So, from now on, weighing will be done on Saturday and not Friday!!

I feel a bit embarrassed to have panicked, but am SO relieved! Thank you, all. Now just have to koko!

That was me Crafty’ who mentioned exercise, muscles, water & repair. Glad it helped you identify the best time to weigh.

OAN for those interested in doing IF as well as being in nutritional Ketosis I’ve posted a fasting protocol from page 257 in James Fung book The Complete Guide to Fasting. This is what I think I’m going to try for 2 weeks.

I started this diet on 3 Jan and have gone from 11 stone 12 to 10 stone 10. This week I've been able to fit into my jeans and a pair of linen trousers I haven't been able to wear for over a year. I'm so thrilled! My DP who is doing SW has also lost a stone but he put on 2lb this week ( evil laugh...) He refused to do this diet with me and he's got a lot more weight to lose than me. He had a Belgian bun for breakfast this week and I have thought it's so easy to do stuff like that on SW as its easy to have the mindset that, oh if I cheat today, I can cut back tomorrow, but...tomorrow never comes and so you don't lose the weight. Whereas on this, the rules are so cut and dried, there's no room for that, which personally I find really helpful. I only 'cheated' once and that was eating some French bread after drinking too much with friends one evening

So, thanks for all the support and advice on this thread, it's been a lifesaver! ❤️💜💚💐

We are like weight twins Destiny’ ... our weights from start to finish are identical

Fist bumps Twoo. It's great isn't it? 😀

You’ve both done amazingly!

Well done on the losses. Definetly inspirational. 😁

Another lb off! 4lbs in 4 days after nothing for 60 days. Crazy.

sorry to post and run again, but busy today! Hope all doing well.

Ohhh you did all warn me how quickly I'd get drunk now...

Staying largely on track though away from home. My Mum made a great cauli topped cottage pie on Friday which was lovely as I hadn't asked (I figured I broadly expect her to eat as we do at mine!) and made good choices last night at a lovely Italian with friends from school. However two big glasses of red, a G&T with light tonic and half a pint of beer was far, far too much. Really enjoyed my first beer for months though. Up to this point I'd probably been drinking even less on bootcamp than when I was pregnant . Will probably allow myself a Yorkshire pud today then back on it.

Nice one Athel

Great stuff Athelstane I'm sure you're delighted. Send the whoosh fairy my way when you're done with her!

Athel’ that is very reassuring. It seems I might have been a bit premature in worrying about small increase & stalling. I really thought if I stood to full fat bc I would lose a bit each week.

I think the fact you stalled for all that time but kept on koko la Vida is awesome. Well done (not meant to be patronising)

It is great Destiny’ ... although I did panic a bit due to a small increase & now stalling. I will just keep koko la Vida.

Morning all. I've found myself getting hungrier last couple of days. Not sure if it's due to big night out on thurs and a bit too much cheese and vodka impacting ketosis, Or of its because I'm getting close to target so losing motivation. Hmmm.

When husband rolls out of bed I might just try some clothes on that are still too small for me and remind myself I'm not there yet.

I'm also away at a four day meeting from tomorrow which will be a bugger to manage food wise, and three evening receptions to attend. Going to have to manouevre it carefully and be very careful on the wine consumption so as not to embarrass myself.

On the positive side, I've bought a rowing machine to go in the home gym which comes on Thursday and I'm a little excited about that 😳

athel AMAZING news. So pleased for you. You've done well to koko & now being rewarded.
I had first meal out whilst on BC & it didn't go well. I'd chosen best thing on menu, had chat with waitress about what it included, then they brought me something else. Turns out the dish I'd chosen wasn't on after all. I sent it back & chose the next best thing on the menu but it came encased in pastry. I scooped the insides out & ate veg but i did have some pastry in doing so. The meal didn't even taste nice so disappointing if I end up gaining as a result. Still, never mind. Back on it today.

Morning all! I’ve been signposted here after posting a low carb/running question in the exercise section. Am I ok to ask on this thread, or should I start a new post?

Fabulous athlestane

Ask away thenewaverage, more traffic on here

Thanks

Basically, I do a version of the blood sugar diet, as in I follow the basic low carb principles (no rice, potato, grains, sugar, fruit, pasta etc) but 5 days a week I also calorie count to about 1000-1200 calories a day on average. I mix in a bit of IF, and very often at weekends I just eat and don’t count but always stick to those principles. I’ve been doing this, plus running, since January. I feel like I’ve got the diet sorted (been HFLC for 2 years now, just these last few months having a really strict push).

However, in the beginning I was very unfit (cardio fitness) so I wasn’t really running far or fast. Now though, I’m doing 5 or 6 km, or doing 30 minute hiit style (sprint/jog intervals) etc. I’m finding I sometimes just feel like my legs are like lead, and every second drags.

I suppose my question is: should I eat something small and carby before I run? And if so, how small, how carby, and how soon before? Or is this just a natural development and it will sort of ‘blow over’? (I’m still doing the running, but I do use a treadmill and I’d like to venture outdoors at some point. It really is the ticking clock or the distance tracker that is keeping me going sometimes, which obviously I wouldn’t have outside)

I just thought I’d call upon your collective low carb wisdom to see what you thought!

I follow the basic low carb principles but 5 days a week I also calorie count to about 1000-1200 calories a day on average (been HFLC for 2 years now).

I’m finding I sometimes just feel like my legs are like lead, and every second drags. Should I eat something small and carby before I run? And if so, how small, how carby, and how soon before? Or is this just a natural development and it will sort of ‘blow over’?

Welcome NewAverage if you've been eating low carb for two years then you should be completely fat-adapted so that doesn't explain the difficulty you're experiencing while running. Are you exercising fasting or non-fasted?

My initial thought is that you are chronically under-fuelling your body but then expecting it to be able to perform strenuous exercise. So you're demanding it both conserve energy (because there isn't enough calories coming in) and expend energy to achieve peak performance, at the same time. I suggest you increase your calorie intake, at least on the day before your run if not all the time.

I definitely don't recommend adding in carbs at this point as that would be a backward step and should be unnecessary. Some runners achieve good results by taking BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) beforehand, and pre-workout caffeine is another good way to boost energy through your run.

Thank you stunt nun

I don’t know this term ‘fat adapted’, but I will google. My two years HFLC have been a bit hit and miss, whereas since January I have been pretty much on plan every day (although I think on the BSD we allow more carbs that you do here on boot camp. Most days I have around 40-60g? made up of dairy/veg carbs mostly)

Re:calories, my tdee is around 1900, so yes I agree that maybe I need to eat more. BSD actually calls for an 800 calorie a day limit, which I never really achieve except if I actively fast. I don’t think it’s necessary to cut so low. I do run ‘on empty’ though sometimes although I’ll often have had milk/coffee during the morning, or sometimes I have a shake made of avocado/almond milk/berries. Maybe I need to play around with my food intake then? I’m running 2 days, resting 1- and I do tend to try to eat less on my rest days or I find i overeat, so have been cutting calories on the rest days but maybe that’s the wrong way round. Interestingly, this week I’ve had a completely no-count week for various reasons, and I’ve maintained so something must be working, although my runs have been laborious!

I’m so new to exercise, I have virtually zero knowledge of the physiology of it, so this is totally alien to me. Thanks so much for your advice!

NewAverage fat-adapted just means that you have got through the initial process of switching from a carb-based to a fat-based diet. Most of the adaption takes place in the first couple of weeks after going low carb although it can take up to six weeks before your exercise performance recovers to normal pre-LCHF levels. Do you have diabetes? The reason for the 800-calorie phase of the Blood Sugar Diet is to reverse diabetes, it isn't necessary for weight loss. If you look back through this thread you will see that Athelstane has recently increased her rate of weight loss by increasing her calorie intake. Sometimes less isn't more.

I exercise daily and also keep my calories down, my diet is also low carb high fat,, I do about an hour to an hour and a half in the gym most days and mix between cardio and weights.

I recognise the feeling you have. I think it's lack of food. Sometimes I'm knackered before I start, my thighs hurt when I start running, and it just feels a bit much. Normally on those days I move to a full body weight work out and miss the cardio and I up my calories a bit.

In addition make sure you are taking occasional rest days.

I wouldn't switch to carbs no, although many athletes, particularly body builders, do carb load before a big work out, but I'm not sure you're in this category and it will prob lead to bad habits . I think you're eating too little for the workout youre doing, so just eat some more of your normal food to give you more energy.

Sorry, ive just seen you are taking rest days, no don't reduce your calorie intake further on those days, you're low enough as it is and you'r body needs to refuel and repair,