Low Carb Bootcamp - our final weigh-in!

[BIWI]

Good morning!

Well, we've finally reached the end. Here's the spreadsheet, for the last time

It feels to me like it's been a really good Bootcamp, with lots of NSVs as well as success on the scales. Hopefully today sees another good reading on the scales too!

As I've said on previous threads, just because we've reached the end of this Bootcamp, it doesn't mean that we all just melt away - I'll keep this chat thread going and when it fills up, I'll start another general chat one, so there's always someone here for help and support as well as ongoing low carb stuff.

I'll probably put the big stick back in its cupboard for a while though

A question...what about cholesterol levels on this WoE? I’m having a lot of eggs, cream and butter...all the Devil’s work as far as I know for cholesterol. Does it make a difference that your body is using the fat more? I’ll go for a test (mainly to stop DMum wittering) but I wondered if anyone had experienced a problem?

Cherries it's a pretty common problem unfortunately. A lot of my clients, particularly the women, subconsciously restrict calories or fat. Often you only need an extra tablespoon of olive oil or butter a day to get weight loss moving again. It doesn't seem to make sense but it does work! I doubt you've messed up your metabolism because your weight loss has been text book so far.

Blunt the Dukan diet isn't comparable with LCHF as it increases protein instead of increasing fat. I'm not saying it doesn't work for weight loss, but it's through a different mechanism to LCHF. You're quite right that a calorie deficit is necessary to lose weight, I'm just pointing out that the macros are important on this way of eating to get the best results. Otherwise you can end up in an extended stall for weeks or months.

Eee in general most people find their LDL does go up slightly on this way of eating, but HDL (the good cholesterol) also goes up and triglycerides (the amount of fat in your blood) goes down so the overall lipid profile is improved even if total cholesterol and LDL are slightly higher. Some people are hyper-responders and their LDL rises signficantly when they eat LCHF. If this happens then one option is to eat more monounsaturated fats (olive oil, avocado oil, etc.) and oily fish and less saturated fats (animal fats). The best thing is to go ahead and get your lipid profile tested and then you'll know for sure. I've been eating this way for nearly five years and my lipid profile is currently the best it's ever been. I used to get tested annually at work so I have years worth of data to compare to.

Made the Moroccan chicken with cauliflower cous cous from Tom Kerridge's Dopamine Diet last night it was fantastic. A few adaptations: no honey but added a little stevia, added green peppers, shallots for onions and chicken breast for thighs (as was feeding my sister who's a recovering vegetarian). The cous cous was a faff so may just use frozen cauli rice again unless I have loads of time but I do love the combination of hazelnuts and cauliflower. The second picture was the surprise I found when I went outside to get parsley: robins eggs maybe?
B: scrambled eggs with a little cream
L: chicken Caesar salad (out) dodged the croutons
D: as above.

I've made three discoveries in the last few days: my ribs, bones in my arse (surprising, as my arse isn't boney to look at, but everything squished out the way when I sat in the bath last night and it wasn't entirely comfortable!) and an Easter Egg. Before anyone jumps on the egg, this is my last remaining one from last year. The other two I had a little bit off sometime at the end of last year, then gave them to DP. This one I started on Monday and, despite being Tesco's own, is much nicer than the Hotel Chocolat ones and I'm enjoying it. I know I shouldn't, but I am. I'll finish it tonight then that will be the last chocolate I'll eat for a very long time.

Athel - I'm really sorry to hear about your problems. I'm sure a good run would help!!!!! (JOKE - sort of!). I find my IBS clears up totally if I stick to this plan so I don't know what to advise. When I mentioned it to my doctor last year he also suggested FODMAP but I know there are things on there that I react to so I've totally ignored his advice. But hopefully it will work for you.

Wombat - So happy to hear your news!!!!!

I just found out something that confirmed something I'd thought for a long time; eating fat releases oxytocin. I'd often had a lovely warm feeling after eating fat and often wondered what it was. And now I know! 😀

www.dietdoctor.com/im-addicted-eating-fat

Stunt nun yes you're right, Dukan is high protein /low carb/low fat diet.

It's brutal. 🤣

I'll stick with my lashings of butter thanks Blunt

Stuntnun thanks for that. I’ll get booked in and find out. Haven’t had one for years (unless they do them as part of full bloods at hospital?) but I think my last one (possibly 20 years since) was 4.5 ish.

Athel one of my friends has had great success combatting her IBS with the fodmap diet. I do suffer from IBS but I’ve found it’s almost completely gone with LCHF. The trigger for me was always chocolate/sugar, but my insides were always unsetttled. With barely any carbs, it seems much happier. Hope you find a way with yours.

Thanks cherries doing a bit of online reading. It does sound like pityriasis. I hope it passes quickly.

brassica, it’s really common in the spring, hopefully won’t make you feel ill though. I had it years ago and dd more recently. I think it was about 6 weeks from herald spot to the final one disappearing for us.

Thanks for all the good wishes.

I have been back in the swing of this woe (well almost) for 2 days. I am snacking which I know is not necessary but at least it's lc. I return to work next week so that should cure the nibbling.
I can't wait to lose this bloat. I look as though I'm carrying a space hopper around under my tops

Thanks for the suggestions - really appreciate it. Been OK (fingers crossed) since yesterday morning.

Oddly, brought eggs back into my diet (after having trouble with them in the beginning), because my body revolted at the thought of red meat and green veg, and they were absolutely fine.

I've always raised an eyebrow at the 'listen to your body' brigade, because mine always chuntered on about wine and crisps. I'm hoping that this WOE is beginning to reset my body-awareness though, as I asked my body what it felt it could manage for dinner last night, and the answer was:

1 large avocado
1 poached egg
chunk of unpasteurised goats cheese
2 raw mushrooms
3 small plum tomatoes
1/2 small orange pepper
2 squares 100% dark chocolate

Good body, well done! I'm very impressed it wasn't screaming for sandwiches or pork pies.

I've had some IBS type issues periodically this bootcamp but can't identify any cause as yet, probably because if I go off plan it's mostly been with several things at once or I'm out so don't know exactly what I'm eating. Must be something I've historically been ok with and doesn't seem consistent. Not too often though so will just keep my eye on it.
Yesterday:
B: 3 scrambled eggs
L: Savoy cabbage carbonara (cabbage, shallots, streaky bacon, garlic, butter, creme fraiche, Parmesan).
D: cauli cous cous left from yesterday with a Turkish aubergine and pepper stew and courgette and feta fritters, dollop of yogurt.

NSV: Fat Face sizes are generous aren't they! Bought a lovely size 10 shirt and a size 8 hoodie! EIGHT!!

Impending peril: collected a mystery parcel from the sorting office, turned out to be a box of assorted Cadbury's Easter chocolate from DH's work, which I love. I bought him/us some nice bars of 85%, 90%, 95% dark from hotel chocolat which we haven't touched yet, but if it's milk then Cadbury's is my poison of choice.

Morning all. Happy Friday.

I'd cravings for chocolate last night. I think it was due to husband and daughter sitting on sofa together eating a truffle Easter egg. But I resisted. For a while though I was thinking "I want to drink lots of wine and eat all the chocolate".

Bizzarely the only thing that stopped me is because I wanted to go to the gym today and knew if I drank wine it wouldn't happen and I'd just feel like shit. I also knew if I drank wine, I'd eat the chocolate and regret it today.

Daughter home on Sunday so shall send all the chocolate home with her, I'm ok with it in the house though, it's just when folks sitting eating it in front of me I struggle. 😔

Been AWOL for a bit but am about to tick into some bacon and eggs, cooked by dh for my birthday breakfast (57 today ).

Happy birthday :). You are positively a spring chick ;)

bluntness, I’m impressed that you prioritised the gym over the wine!

Happy birthday prettybird, enjoy your breakfast

Two small NSVs. We have a mirror facing you on the wall in the hall as you walk back to the bedroom from the bathroom. Wandering about naked this morning (as you do) and I saw LIGHT between my thighs. Had to put my glasses on to double check, and there it was. A light sliver. It is possibly because my inner thighs have simply slid down my legs without a bit of fat to support them, but I will take it as a win.

I've also now lost a massive 14 inches from my waist, and 9 from my underbust. Some of that MUST mean my visercal fat has reduced, hasn't it? Would be so disappointed to think it might just be subcutaneous fat (of which I still have a fair bit). I'd love to know if my fatty liver is less fatty - but it was an incidental finding on an MRI for something else, so can hardly ask for it to be repeated.

My liver enzymes were ok before, so can't look for an improvement in them to see if NAFLD has improved.

Was remeasured for a bra today - have gone down a back size but cup size remained the same, I am now 32G.

Am I right in thinking that cup size is proportional to back size, so my actual boobs are getting smaller but the cup size stays the same because my back is smaller too?

Grimbles - if your back size is getting smaller, but your cup size is staying the same, then your boobs are getting smaller too, tracking your back size.

Cup size is based on the difference to your back size is 32 now and you're a G cup, that means your over bust measurement is "Plus 8", ie 40"

When you were 34G, your over bust measurement would've been 42"

My problem has been that my boobs haven't been decreasing, so in effect my cup size has been going up as my back measurement goes down

I'm wearing 32K now. Bloody hell. I know that's smaller than the 38/40 K/JJ that it used to be, but as I get slimmer, they seem proportionally bigger against my frame. Massive. I had fantasies about being something neat like a 30 or 32F/G. Need to accept that's not going to happen . At least not anytime soon. So still stuck in bras that can cost 40-50 quid a pop.

Plus I'm still having to buy clothes to accommodate norkage rather than actual size. Don't really care for bravissimo clothes, don't really suit my lifestyle.

Thanks pretty, that's what I thought!

This weight loss malarkey isn't doing my bank balance any good either cherries . I've bought 4 new ones that will have to do for now