The final weigh-in - Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Good morning all, for the final Monday of this Bootcamp.

Here's the spreadsheet for its last outing!

I hope very much that the last ten weeks have been successful for everyone - whether that's on the scales, seeing your clothes fit better, better health and general enjoyment of your food!

I'll keep this chat thread going, and when it's full, will start another one until we start the next Bootcamp, which will start in mid-October.

Don't take this wrong way (as you and I are similar ages, give or take a few years ) but could it just be that our older skin can't cope with the decrease in area and you are literally "shedding your skin"?

....the hope being that once your body has got rid of all the "extra" skin, what's left will be wonderfully smooth and youthful! well, we can dream

Would it be worth a visit to a dermatologist do you think? I can well imagine you're spending quiet a bit on lotions and potions anyway. Or could you get a referral to an allergy clinic?

I don't blame you for been upset, you've probably been told lose weigh for years and when you do they use that as an excuse to attribute to other issues. It's the one time I think you'd be well justified to use that mumsnet from of, " OH DO FUCK OFF DEAR".
Clearly the gp doesn't know what's causing your issues, which is fair enough as that's not his speciality but why does he think it's ok to suggest unfounded reasons and disparage your loss to boot?

Oh cherries that sounds awful. I've had eczema and psoriasis in the past and it's horrible. I take a gush oil supplement every day as I still have very dry skin, and use this amazing ginger shampoo from the Body Shop which have completely cured my snow prone scalp.

Uff but god I'm useless without rules! Had a week of carb grazing which just escalated in proportion to the retreat of my boot camp rules. I've put on 4 pounds which is miserable. I think hormone related scoffing but I had the creeping self loathing which puts me on a massive downer. So I've prepped 3 packed lunches and planned meals for the rest of the week. Quite gutted as I felt I had really changed my habits. But KOKO as Drake (almost) says.

Eeeewwe gush oil???!! Sounds disgusting!! I meant fish oil obvs !

Sorry to hear this cherries!
We are an eczema-prone family and have suffered many treatments - especially when it gets infected or just flares up badly.

We do all that we are told by the local GP but now (at the suggestion of a GP who also suffers eczema) add to this the application of iodine (very very old-fashioned anti-septic treatment that chemists still have on dusty back shelves). This is amazingly good at clearing up the infection. i have painted it on with a brush or dabbed it with cotton-wool and it worked like magic.

We think that modern bacteria on the skin seem to aggravate the eczema but they are no match for old-fashioned iodine!

I have no advice @ilovecherries but you have my sympathy. It sounds awful. All the more so because they don't know the reason (and unhelpfulness of locum).
I'm afraid I've come on to report that I've been a carby twat. Several times over in fact. It was emotional eating, sadly. It had me in its grip for a couple of days and, as a result, I had put on 5lbs when I weighed in this morning - serves me right, of course, but I could have wept when I saw the number on the scales.
However, what's done is done and I've drawn a line under it and I'm moving on. I've been fine today and been LCing without any problem so I'm hoping that's me back on the wagon, looking forwards instead of backwards.

It's not a typical side effect of low carb or weight loss Cherries but I wonder whether it could have been triggered by the warm weather? My eczema and dermatitis both come back at this time of year. Prettybird my DS2 gets that issue as well but T-Gel shampoo keeps it at bay pretty well.

I fell into a dish of raspberries and peaches with creme fraiche this evening.... I suppose it could have been worse..

yum... fresh summer fruit....(no sugar though)

Stuntnun : T-Gel or Nizoral is what I use when it gets bad and I start picking at my scalp - but I try to avoid using it (plus T-Gel is apparently not good for coloured hair )

I've started using T-Gel again last week, so that my scalp is in a half decent state for my hair appointment on Wednesday

gladly thanks for the iodine suggestion.

@ilovecherries - I'm sorry you're suffering and unfortunately I haven't got any solutions for you either.

But at your GP! There's obviously something going on with you, and even if it is to do with weight loss you don't deserve to be dismissed in such a patronising way.

Sorry to hear about the itching Ilovecherries. I had itching too and thought it was down to heat rashes. I was given a strong hydrocortisone cream by the dr. Anyway going to the doctor meant I also told her about the dizzy spells I was having and how I fainted. I am now getting my blood sugars checked. I don’t mind that as I’ve always had low blood pressure but I get pretty lightheaded on this plan. I told the Dr I really want to keep up at this WOE. So it won’t change much for me. Anyway I have continued as I was this week, maybe eating a little more food and including nuts to help curb the dizziness. And... I lost 1/2 pound this week. Not too bad. Keep going everyone. We can do this.

@ItsalmostSummer

Dizziness isn't good! Are you making sure you're getting your electrolytes? I'd try taking an electrolyte tablet like Zero by High5, just to make sure.

This is from livestrong.com:

A Low-Carb Diet and Mineral Imbalance

As you adapt to a low-carb plan and your body stops pumping out large amounts of insulin, your kidneys get a message to let go of salt and the accompanying water. You'll urinate more frequently, losing not just water, but precious minerals called electrolytes that support muscle and heart function. An electrolyte imbalance and the possible resulting low blood pressure can cause muscle cramps and lightheadedness.

These minerals include potassium, sodium and magnesium, which can easily be replaced with a drink that includes electrolytes -- such as those used by athletes during endurance events. Look for ones without added sugar, or you'll get unwanted carbs. Talk to your doctor about potentially taking an oral supplement to help, too.

You have my sympathy cherries. I don't have it all over but suffer from the scalp in the same way as prettybird (T-gel cures it and I don't dye my hair so lucky with that) but the last 4 weeks I have had skin flaking and pealing around my lips. It hurts and I look terrible. I've put it down to the heat to be honest, and the fact that it's the first summer I have properly exercised so very sweaty which makes it worse.

Oh on a lighter note I had to return a top in next Sunday because the 12 was too big! And currently very comfy in my 12 jeans. When I first started losing weight a 12 was my target and I've never been smaller on the bottom than a 12 (5ft8 so I would consider that a normal size). Decided to keep going though until I am a healthy weight.

I’m really just trawling for sympathy now :(. This is my arm but this is what it’s like everywhere. The sheets this morning were horrible.

The bloody doctor kept saying it things like ‘people who have bariatric surgery nearly always lose their hair and have terrible skin problems. They don’t realise that taking the easy way out just leads to more problems, blah blah blah’. When I said for the third time ‘I didn’t HAVE bariatric surgery’ he said ‘but you might as well have done so, given your extreme loss’. WTAF.

Nice NSV 3stonedown

Oh ilove, I’d definitely push for a dermatologist referral or maybe book an initial consultation privately?

I’m going to wait till my own doctor is back from holiday and a) complain about this git - the more I think about it the more cross I become and b) ask to see a dermatologist.

I wonder if this is anything to do with low carbing/weight loss at all? Or some kind of auto-immune disorder?

However I did some Googling (or rather, some Binging, as I'm currently in China and Google isn't allowed!), and I came across something about iodine deficiency, which can happen when you have had your thyroid removed.

You have two of the key symptoms - hair loss and dry flaky skin - so I wonder if it's this?

here's the link

Oh, and feeling the cold is also a symptom - I seem to remember you talking about that too?

Thanks, BIWI. I have spoken to my endocrinologist about this (I see a consultant every 6 months because I’m on a research programme). His view was that as my thyroid levels are clinically managed (and I have a whole range of thyroid tests done, not just the simple ones a GP does) it would be unlikely to be thyroid related. I will email and ask him again specifically about iodine but iirc he covered it off at my last visit. He did feel it was probably skin changes related to weight loss but he thought it would resolve and I should just treat the symptoms meanwhile, but given I barely lose weight now, I would have expected it to stabilise. Going to go for a run and stop feeling sorry for myself.

I'm not surprised you're feeling sorry for yourself, and it seems so unfair given a) how hard you've worked and b) how successful you've been!!!