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

[ilovecherries]

I think although scales are the most common tool people use for weightloss, it’s important to remember that all they are measuring is gross weight in a single moment of time (and they often aren’t even that reliable at doing that - we all know that bit on the floor that weighs heavier or lighter, or how a slight shift in how we stand moves them either way). They don’t measure how much water you are retaining, how much fat you have, when you last had a good BM, how slowly or quickly your last meal was digested etc etc. They most certainly don’t measure your worth. My 5 stone weight loss, aggregated out, would only have been 1.5 a week - a variation that most domestic scales can’t really measure that accurately. But month on month, it added to a vast amount. I swear there wasn’t really any single week where I suddenly measured thinner, or weighed significantly less, but by just getting up every single day and sticking to the rules, all these insignificant losses added up to over 70lbs, 15 inches off my waist alone, and 6-7 dress sizes. Or - I could have become discouraged and despondent about how small the losses were, and how long the journey would be at the rate I was going - and essentially that would have been a choice to stay the same. Which would have been fine, but wasn’t what I wanted. Everyone is doing great, just keep trucking along.

[itchyknees]

Brilliantly put.

[Luki]

slaps self Sorry BIWI. I'm not even a daily weigher. I just think the 3lb increase on Monday scared me a bit and I was trying to make myself feel better.. and ended up doing the opposite
I'll go back to weekly weigh-ins only.

I love hearing about your weight loss journey @ilovecherries Well done

[mooncuplanding]

Great progress on this thread :-)

I've not been part of the MN BC but am now in month 5 of LCHF eating - changing my previous 40-50% carb intake to 5% carbs a day with about 65-70% fat, the rest protein - you can track all this on MFP.

For those of you stalling at this point, I think this is where it gets really interesting. Your body is still switching from fueling itself from carbs (glucose) to fat and some people in 'the industry' call this the 'healing phase'

And if you give it another few weeks, the changes are even more dramatic. Hunger basically disappears, sleep improves (although still don't know what to do with myself at 6am!), skin looks younger, wimmin cycle issues start to improve (e.g. PMS), focus and attention improves dramatically (I can work all day without a break!) and yes the scales start to shift again. But for me, the victories are off the scales, the weight coming off is just a bonus, all the non scale victories become pretty life changing. Never again will I be a carb zombie.

KOKO!

[itchyknees]

Mooncuplanding, did you get bouts of tiredness even when you’d stuck with it? Also did your losses follow a pattern?

[BlackMozart]

ilove as ever so wise. shag your posts are making me smile today, thank you. Well done everyone whether you are up down or sts you/we are hanging in there.

I lost another 1 1/4 lbs this week so 5 3/4 down in 3 weeks which for me is a result. It is absolutely clear to me if I stick to the rules I have a good chance of losing. Any straying off the path (at all, even by tiny amounts) and I don’t, so my choice.

Like others I’ve beaten myself up for years for letting myself put back on 4 of the 5 stone I lost in 2012. I got a lot of unwanted attention at that point and I think I just ‘covered’ myself back up again but so so frustrating. I really don’t want to do that again and I’m not going to.

Having said all that it is mine and DH’s 25th wedding anniversary today and that makes me very happy. I know some people didn’t give us a chance when we got married but here we are 25 years on (27 altogether). I now have Shania Twain’s “you’re still the one” playing in my head and a little tear in eye 😊

We’re out for a curry locally this evening and I have champagne in the fridge but I did not buy chocolate yesterday as a treat. I bought nice cheese instead. I am learning.

Right iPad about to die. If someone could add my loss to the sheet I would be v grateful. Off to charge it now.

[mooncuplanding]

Yes - the first few weeks, I was so thirsty and tired.

I then discovered electrolytes - i.e. salts! And then that changed. I take electrolytes every day now.

I also take a magnesium supplement

It helps massively

[mooncuplanding]

Losses - first 2 weeks - enormous

Next 6 weeks - same couple of pounds up and down (but when all the good lifestyle changes started to come in)

Month 4 - to goal weight

Now just maintaining

[Rshard]

Worked from home yesterday so was relieved at the all user email about gateaux from patisserie Valerie but they are still bloody around today. I am resisting

[mooncuplanding]

I am now OMAD btw on maintenance most days as I am just not hungry

I have electrolyte drinks for breakfast

Work all day then have a calorific high fat dinner about 7pm - usually some fatty piece of meat with a creamy sauce with a load of veg

I very occasionally snack on cheese / meat / nuts but that seems to be when hunger ramps up just before period

I would never have believed I wouldn't get an energy drop but I really don't - intermittent fasting just feels like its what my body wants

[ShagMeRiggins]

BlackMozart happy anniversary. 25 years is a looong time

[ilovecherries]

Happy anniversary mozart. We were 36 years yesterday. Bloody hell.

[Goodasgoldilox]

I have a challenge ahead. It doesn't fit in with the WOE that I am now very happy with.

I will be based at a hotel (so hotel breakfast and possibly dinner - I can make our usual careful choices and should be fine on that)

However, I will be working long hours at a place where we are catered for during the day (thin-fill sandwiches/biscuits/cake/ fruit are the usual fare. The extra options are vegetarian or gluten free but they are still sandwiches - cake etc.). There are no shops near and few breaks.

What pre-packed food (that will keep 3 or 4 days and does not require a fridge or kitchen) could I take? I may be left trying to fast while everyone eats beside me... but would prefer to have a safer strategy in place.

I know that a few days off plan is not the end of the world -- but would much prefer to stick to it. Deviating won't be a pleasure. (The food is not dream-food and the occasion isn't special!)

[ReadingwithTea]

mooncuplanding thank you for your information; it is really encouraging. I have been feeling quite tired (and hungry) recently, despite following the rules and upping my fat intake. I do take a magnesium supplement, but please could you let me know which electrolyte you take?

[Seafour]

Ilovecherries you are like the Yoda of bc, just when people are feeling fraught in you pop with your bucket full of LCHF inspiration and sprinkle it around to make us all see the light. My hero

[ilovecherries]

Goldilox, I’m often in similar situations. I often find an advance statement of ‘I don’t eat any grains at all, would it be possible to arrange a plated salad for me’ often works. I take a small bottle of oil in my bag and basically suck it up if I end up with some grated carrots or beetroot on my plate. I think that clear request is often more manageable than just a blanket special diet request. My back up is: cans of tuna in oil (ring pull top), jar of olives, some macadamia nuts and a bar of 90% chocolate. I have also on occasion asked the hotel in the morning if I can have a couple of hard boiled eggs, and they will last in their shells till lunch time. None of it is ideal, but it’s good enough to keep me going.

[ilovecherries]

[Goodasgoldilox]

Thanks ilovecherries. These are good ideas - and will help me.

I think that I will take the nuts and olives and the chocolate to nibble - and drink lots of water. I'm planning to eat eggs at breakfast. (I doubt that the yogurt will be low carb.)

During the day we are offered a finger- buffet collection - delivered from somewhere outside. No plated options are provided (no salads) and we eat where we work - so smell might be a problem and so might making a mess. I'd never thought about how clean a bread-wrapped food is!

I am looking for the 'lesser weevils' in this situation.

[Goodasgoldilox]

Would babybels keep out of a fridge for 3 days?

[antimatter]

@Goodasgoldilox
This soup seems to be reasonable in carb content:
www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/yorkshire-provender-cauliflower-cheese-soup/406176-381662-381663

this kind of snacks:
www.beefitsnacks.co.uk/about

Fresh Tomatoes will keep fine out of fridge.

You could make some high energy fat bars which are OK to store outside of fridge.

[Goodasgoldilox]

Thank-you animatter - I really like the idea of high energy fat bars. Do you have a recipe?

I've tried a few dried beef and dried venison snacks ... and think that they are the perfect emergency food. There is no way they would ever be eaten except in a starvation situation. (After all available grass and pebbles had been consumed.)

Fresh tomatoes (and radishes?) seem portable and will be in my bag.

I am not sure about cold cauliflower soup though - even though I do love it hot. It probably needs to be kept in a fridge too.

[angstinabaggyjumper]

I don't know whether I'm eligible for this group because I'm only in week 2 but reading your posts is encouraging me to keep going. I and DH have been on a low carbohydrate diet for about ten days now and he has lost a stone! However although I've lost 7lbs I haven't lost any weight for about 3 or 4 days and I was thinking that might be it, but reading what you are saying is it worth sticking with it for more weightloss I would like to lose 2 stone?

[Rshard]

My dd ate a babybel that had been in her bag for at least 5 days with no ill effects goodas.

Am loving the ilove\yoda analogy! Inspired seafour

[ilovecherries]

You know your own situation best, but sometimes it really is worth being assertive about catered food. I go to one office and everyday I was there a finger buffet was sent in from outside, till I thought, sod it, if they can make sandwiches, they can plate similar up for me without the bread. And when I asked, it was no problem at all. The sandwiches came on one platter, and my salad on a plate. I just won’t eat stuff now that won’t agree with me, and if there aren’t proper breaks, which often there isn’t when doing consultancy type work, my view is that they need to supply something I can eat. I’m not asking for haute cuisine, just no grains. (Rant over)

Babybels kept out of the fridge for a few days are a bit yuck (bitter experience). They don’t go off as such, but are sweaty and horrible. If you want to eat eggs for your breakfast, you could maybe ask for a couple of sausages to take away for later? I always offer to pay, but I’m always just given a couple of eggs or sausages if I ask. Never been refused.

[ilovecherries]

baggyjumper, of course you are welcome here. And there is no reason to feel you’ve reached the end just because you haven’t lost weight for 3 days. You won’t lose every day, it’s just not possible - or if it is, the amounts will be too tiny to be picked up by domestic scales. Just keep going and change will happen.