Week 4 - Low Carb Bootcamp - where we're KOKOing!

[BIWI]

Morning all

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness for you

Just a reminder to you all that week 4, like its evil twin week 3, can be a difficult week where weight loss is likely to be minimal or even non-existent.

Please don't despair if you don't see any movement on the scales - this does appear to be quite normal at this point in Bootcamp.

Keep going, keep following the rules - stay away from the chocolate and bread! - particularly make sure you get enough water and fat - and you should see things get going again very soon.

Here's to a good week for us all

3stonedown and ragwort well done on your stone loss already!

Today's food wasn't great. I had a presentation/assessment for uni this morning and my breakfast bulletproof coffee spilled in the car all over my presentation notes!
Had a handful of walnuts at lunchtime and a bowl of yogurt when I got home. Made a low carb korma for dinner (from the IPD recipe book, thanks for the recommendations!) with buttered spinach. So not nearly enough FLGV and too much dairy as there was cream in the korma. Still, nice low weight this morning so that will keep me on the straight and narrow over the weekend.

Welcome mandate! I caught up with the truth about carbs. I thought it was quite good but as already mentioned they didn't say anything about high fat. I'm quite interested in the bit about swirling and spitting a sugary drink during exercise. I wonder if it would help my running but I don't like the idea of spitting the drink out as I run along

Much better day after a bad week last week. I blame half term - so much easier without days out etc to deal with. I know it's my fault and not being prepared really ;)

Anyway today has been good. Found some new meals/snacks which I really like:-

B - Nothing
L - Chicken leg, stringless runner beans mixed with pesto (remarkably similar to actual pesto pasta so I'll be experimenting with this in the future - adding cooked mushrooms, bacon lardons, courgette and parmesan)
S - 2 devilled eggs - these are moreish! Just used full fat mayo mixed with the yolks but will look up more interesting recipes I think
D - 2 Portobello Mushrooms stuffed with spinach and feta plus a bratwurst (got these from Aldi and they are very good).

prettybird let me chime in with compliments, if I can pick my jaw off the floor. Your 10lb difference photos look so much more than that. Inspires me to try this shred thingy, or something. I think I finally have enough energy to do more than cardio-based activity. Amazing work!

DianaT1969 thanks for the info. Sounds difficult, but worth it. And I have to confess that when I hear ‘crunch’ I zone out. And think of pork scratchings.

Welcome new person whose name I am too tired to scroll up and find. Nice to have you with us.

Mandate! Welcome Mandate

RuffleBelly I’m sorry you’re struggling, and especially sorry you’re not enjoying the food. Sounds like you have a lot going on.

If you decide to stick with it, we will support you.

(And I’ve just realised I’m posting like teenagers text; one after the other rather than simply collecting thoughts and putting them down in one. Drives me batty!)

.rufflebelly I haven't particularly enjoyed my food this last couple of days either, it's just been crazy busy here, I'm also a bit hormonal and some meals are at best bridging a gap.
When I'm out and caught short at meal times I don't expect to do much more than keep my appetite satiated, if that means eating a full pack of ham with salad rolled inside so be it.

I think no matter what plan we're on we will experience weeks where we struggle with food. I'm not sure I've ever grabbed a lunch in a hurry and felt I wasn't compromising somehow.

This is my 6th consecutive week and 9th week of low carbing and probably the most difficult one so far but I firmly believe it'll pass and soon it'll be plain sailing again for a time.

You've a busy time with work and two small children and it sucks not been able to care for yourself food wise so of course you're feeling hard done by this week. Try and batch cook some bits for the freezer so when you come home again after a similar day you will at least know there's something tasty waiting for you. Accept sometimes you won't get the meal you'd like but you can give your body the nutrition it needs and be further on your way to the body you want

Wow @prettybird! Missed your pics earlier and have just scrolled back. You do look fabulous, well done!

DEFINITE noticeable difference Prettybird! Well done you. It’s strange how we don’t see it in ourselves isn’t it? I have photos too in my bra and pants and struggle to see the 1.5 stone loss (10lbs loss on bootcamp and rest before). At 15.5 stone I wish I was brave enough to share them and see if people can tell but I’m not sure i’m brave enough to bare that flag and put you all off your food (or maybe you’d all thank me for that in the circumstances! ) Anyway I don’t even have matching underwear on in the pics...what was I thinking?!

You know when your periods due? When you fling open kitchen cabinets, the fridge and freezer looking for something? You don't know what, but you'll know it when you see it. So far I've snacked on pork scratchings, a sugar free jelly and a bit of cheddar. Normally it would be crisps and chocolate, so I've not burnt my low carb bridges completely, but this is the 1st time I've felt the need to snack after my evening meal. Fellow BCs, please send me some restraint and willpower.

Justmuddling not period related for me but i’m also finding that I’m quite ‘snacky’ this week. No idea why, but i’m Eating pork scratchings when I get home from work (4ish) and then after dinner i’m hearing the yoghurt and cream calling me! I’m resisting so far but I’m not sure where it’s come from all of a sudden!

I feel largely content this week.
Sleep not as good-probably the alcohol.
Meals are great, the Thai fish dish is now one of DHs faves, and I'm enjoying experimenting with psyllium freezer pots as an ice cream alternative.
Fitted into my tester size 8 dress!
Really not hungry, can skip Breakfast easily, and not ravenous later on.
I miss crisps! Twiglets in particular. Pork scratchings don't just do it for me.

Congrats to ragwort and 3stonedown for your great losses so far and to rshard for making it into the 9’s. prettybird you look great!
Welcome mandate this a great place to be when following this woe. So supportive with the odd kick up the backside when deserved. The refreshing truth is everyone here wants everyone else and themselves to succeed and the mix of newbies, those who are a few camps in and of course those who have been around for a long time really helps.

rufflebelly like others I want to send you lots of encouragement. I think any diet or woe can have it’s tough days or weeks and it sounds like you’ve got a lot on. Waitrose I think now do ham and cheese roll ups (or perhaps that is just M&S and Tesco) but I find them very useful. M&S are doing 3 for £7 on their deli items and I grabbed chargrilled squid, roll ups and mozzarella balls today. I know eating a pack of Parma ham on its own, or a cooked chicken breast might look like a dull lunch but I am often rushing from client to client and that’s the best I can do. I just polish my halo for not inhaling a sandwich (which these days I really don’t miss.)
Please don’t be unhappy though. We’ll be here for you if you koko.

I’ve just been to check on amazon and currently the Idiot Proof Diet cookbook is £1.95 only. If you don’t have it I’d grab one as it has lots of really good simple recipes that work.

melaniecheeks well done on the size 8!
Have you tried making ‘crisps’ from dropping little piles of cheese on a baking tray (cheddar, Parmesan or any hard cheese that melts well) with a little bit of cayenne, chilli powder or paprika added, popped in the oven (keep an eye on them) for a few minutes. I grant you they are not really crunchy but they do harden up a bit and could see off a craving perhaps? Or kale crisps?

Thanks blackmozart

Congrats on the size 8 melanie!

Like others have said ruffle, we're all here to help if you decide to koko

Can anyone suggest ways to increase my fat consumption please? Hate butter, cream, milk and yoghurt. Basically " creamy" diary in all its forms. Can cope with Feta, Mozzerella and cheddars - just. Also I hate fatty meat. I even trim the rind off bacon lol.

So far I have eaten lots of olive oil, mackerel, chicken thighs etc. I have bought some chicken livers to fry up, love offal so not a problem.

Suggestions welcomed as I can't hit the fat targets.

Justmuddlingalong that's me this week, I think it's passing now. I felt driven to eat amd yet when I thought about it there wasn't anything I actually fancied, low carb or not. Previously I would've just ate mindlessly and not even realised how I was driven by my emotions and not hunger.
It was hard not giving in but satisfying to know I can beat it.

pretty you look amazing, though I have to say you looked good in the other pictures too, wouldn't have thought you were 15.7 stone.
blackmotzart That's a lovely thing to say about everyone here wanting each other to succeed. Without this forum and support I wouldn't still be on this plan or have as much weight lost.

Wantmorenow - I know you say you hate butter, but have you tried eating thin slices of cold salted butter (Lurpak or any of the ones with sea salt crystals in them)?

Or try spreading butter on a slice of cheese - with or without Bovril/Marmite.

Or bullet proof coffees: whisk a teaspoon of coconut oil and a thin slice of butter into a cup of good coffee. Whisk hard! It ends up being quite creamy.

I really can't eat butter. Being creamy is my idea of hell too. I couldn't even eat veg with a trace of butter on them, wouldn't eat a korma etc. Been like this since I was a toddler. I can detect the slightest trace of it on bread if someone used a buttery knife to cut it. LOL.

I haven't drunk milk in anything ever, not on cereal, porridge. Nothing.

Finding it hard to even get half way there on fat.

prettbird amazing progress in those photos, thank you for sharing. Inspired me to confront my need for exercise, I know if is the only way to tone up and something that may be essential now I'm into the last stone to lose.
Divette I have put my photo of me in my undies at 210lbs on here. Even if you don't share definitely keep taking them, sometimes even 6lbs can show noticeably and the whole story over time aspect is really encouraging, especially if the journey seems to be taking so long!

wantmorenow have you tried looking around for low carb advice for vegans? I'm guessing it would mostly cover your needs as your main dislike seems to be dairy? There may be low carb vegan blogs or something? Just wondering...

Ok then, another idea: could you try coffee with just coconut oil? Or herb tea with coconut oil (just make sure it's not too hot!)

I quite like peppermint and licquorice tea with a spoonful of coconut oil (preferably the KTC stuff as it doesn't taste of coconut), or rooibos with coconut oil. In fact, any of the herb teas: Buttermint, ginger & lemon, gingerbread, salted caramel. I believe it also works well with green tea - but I'm not so keen on green teas.

This has the triple benefit of maintaining my tea addiction, reducing the milk that I drink in "ordinary" (well, a Darjeeling and Earl Grey blend) tea and upping the fat that I have.

So this week I'm in Japan, so I'm 8 hours ahead of you all. I have no idea what the food choices are going to be like for me! But for once, on a trip like this, I actually have some time to see something of the city. And even better, I have a friend who lives here who I haven't seen for years, so will be catching up with him on Saturday.

want I only dtink coffe black so I have been taking a teaspoon of really good fruity olive oil each morning a bit like medicine! Could you do that? Also things like tuna in olive oil not drained but with the oil mashed in , sardines in oil etc are good also.

@wantmorenow Don't forget mayonnaise! Just make sure you check the carb count on the jar - or make your own.

How are you with coconut? Coyo yoghurt is lovely and relatively low in carbs.