Week 2 - January Low Carb Bootcamp - my favourite week!

[BIWI]

I love this week - when we find out how much people have lost, and all those of you who haven't really believed it will work are proved wrong!

Here's the spreadsheet

I hope that the scales have been kind to you, or that your measurements have gone down and your clothes are feeling looser!

I look forward to hearing about everyone's progress.

Here's to a great week 2 as well

Hi all

Finding having to write down what I eat really helps with the motivation!

Brunch - bacon, avo, cherry mozzarella, salad greens. Almond milk coffee x 2
L - will be olives/cheese etc snack due to late brunchness...
D - chili chicken stir fry with lots of greens

Prob another almond milk frappe for dessert (obsessed)

I'm so pleased with how my moods have levelled out and my witching hour stress eating has dissapated (aside from one day...). Loving lchf!!! Roll on week 3 (kids back to school so will have more time to sort out more exciting food - break away from chicken salads.....🤗)

Another who found that I was drinking daily and needed to stop. I live in Thailand and it is pretty common to go the beach after work for a drink (or three.)
Dh is also LC and doing dry Jan and we have decided to continue for all of half term. We have visitors then and are going on holiday with them and it will be too hard to not drink.

And another who has gained a pound in the last 3 days. So frustrating. I have lost 4 kg since I started (Jan 2) but dh has lost 8. Happy for him, but frustrated for me.

I have also been out for dinner the last 3 nights, and done my best to stay LC. It was definitely a struggle on Friday night. Two of the three things I ordered had sugar in them (who puts sugar in ribs with garlic? And in green bean and peanut salad?) Thank God for chicken wings. My new go to meal.

Sorry that was long. Think I need to check in more often.

Morning all. I've been suffering with muscle cramps over the last few days definitely not exercise related, ahem. I've bought some Epsom salts for the bath and will be adding more salt to my foods. I had this last time as part of carb flu but it was over in the first few days, so a bit surprised to have it now 2 weeks or so in. If there's anything else Bootcampers and @biwi should be doing, please do let me know because it's quite uncomfortable, especially at night trying to fall asleep!

For the PP asking about Babybels (sorry on my mobile so can't go back and check names), make sure you use the red ones! I just pop one on a plate in the microwave for 2mn and it sort of inflated into a sort of cheese-roll-thingy.

Me too *@whatthefronti@ I find writing my meal plan on here also helps when I'm tempted at the shops. Yesterday dh was adding all of his favourites to the trolley, I was standing patiently like a Saint, and not veering off to get any of the 'treats' that I would have chosen previously. My mind was totally focused on soy and ginger marinated salmon and I didn't even feel tempted by other things.

So today....
B - smoked salmon, scrambled egg
L - out at PIL's, so usually a Sunday roast, and I can avoid the potatoes
D - vegetable soup, cheese & biscuits (with celery sticks and olives instead of biscuits for me).

@MrsKoala, yes you can still use butter! Kilos of it! I do feel your pain, I do. I had to give up cheese on a previous BC as it was stalling me, and by god I kicked and screamed and sulked about it. But it worked, and improved my skin no end as well.

I've brought it back into my life again, but am trying a compromise whereby it's a separate treat (i.e. butter on top of cheddar for pudding) rather than an ingredient in multiple meals - because that's when I can get through slabs of it without even noticing.

Mimosa1, the epsom salts are just great all round - I go through periods of crampy thighs (haven't worked out the trigger yet) and magnesium at bedtime helps a lot as well.

Well, the last of the 4lbs I mysteriously put on this week has gone this morning, leaving me where I was on Monday. Despite the veering around, overall I've lost 5 lbs in 3.5 weeks, which is not bad at all given I'm fairly near target - just another 7 of the little fuckers to go!

The muscle cramps would suggest an electrolyte imbalance. This is from [[https://blog.virtahealth.com/muscle-cramps-ketogenic-diet/ this blog:

What causes muscle cramps on a ketogenic diet?
By Dr. Stephen Phinney and the Virta Team

Cramps may occur for a variety of reasons. A mineral imbalance may manifest in physical symptoms like cramps and is often resolved by magnesium supplementation. However, a balance of other minerals like sodium and potassium (electrolytes) along with adequate hydration could be contributors to cramping as well. In particular, a low sodium intake forces the kidneys to waste potassium, with in turn can make muscles more irritable and prone to cramping. This interrelationship among hydration, electrolytes, and minerals gets pretty complex, so we devoted a chapter to this topic in our book ‘The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance’.

By the way, the book they reference is a good read. It's a bit technical, but there's lots of interesting scientific stuff in there about low carbing

Oh, and an NSV for me, similar to venusandmars above - yesterday was the third week in a row I have been to the supermarket and NOT bought booze.

I did have another episode in the booze aisle because I had to go in there to buy a bottle of whisky for the gamekeeper (last shooting day here yesterday so a thank you for the pheasants). But it was a short episode, and I won, so hoorah for that .

proper link here!

One thing that's been really noticeable @AthelstaneTheUnready is how much less we're spending - no wine/gin with the weekly shop, obviously, but going out for a meal is so much cheaper.

We're off out to lunch today at a really nice local restaurant, and it will be very odd to do 'fine dining' without wine, but it will also make it much more affordable.

Hello everyone. I've been on and off the boot camp wagon since last March. Clambering back on again now! I had lost over a stone but a terrible week has put half that stone back on again. I follow bootcamp mainly for wellbeing and am too anxious to post most of the time. But thank you all for being here and I'll be following along!

@AthelstaneTheUnready I'm the same. Lost about 5lb over 3 nearly 4 weeks, had a pesky week where it went on and took me another week to get rid of it. Also have about 7lb to go. I'm going to be stalking you here for progress

Well for all my moaning yesterday I woke up this morning and felt slimmer so I got on the scales and I've lost 3lb since yesterday . So that's 5lb total for me which I am pleased about. Still going to cut back on cheese for a bit tho. And I woke at 5am because my stomach was growling, so I think my dinner of moules and broccoli wasn't filling enough, so I need to think about that a bit more.

Morning! Finally got my password sorted so I can post from phone.

In haste because I am running out the door to my exercise class:

@BrassicaBabe the DrinkAware app I'm using is this one www.drinkaware.co.uk/tools/app/

Made celeriac dauphinoise for dinner last night for guests and it was a TOTAL hit. Thanks @BIWI!

I have also put on 2lbs this morning, but I'm going to KOKO and hope it disappears soon!

Dh isn't following the diet but eats the same meals. I did add rice to last night's chicken and veg dish for him and dc then he had crisps at 11pm yet he's still losing more weight than me. He's not even overweight. It's not fair stomps foot and sulks

Dragons the Male vs Female weight loss juxtaposition is one of the great injustices of life (lighthearted of course, please no one take offense!)

Good morning everyone!

I’ve been up since about half five as I just couldn’t sleep but it’s actually been really nice. I’ve watched loads of vlogs and done a bit of window shopping (and one teeny-tiny purchase, shhhh!) and just enjoyed time on my own. I hope you each have a lovely day!

Hi everyone just checking in before weigh in. It's heartening to hear of other people's weight fluctuations, such a supportive thread. I've never done BC WW or SW so that s group thing is all new to me. I'm surprised how helpful a thread of anonymous people can be & how accountable I'm feeling. Whenever I'm tempted I genuinely think if this group and my daily weight logging and it helps me stay on track.

Yesterday's food:
B FF yoghurt & cinnamon
L caprese salad
D 3 egg omlette
W 3.2l

@HolgerLowCarbingLoser I wouldn't mind so much if he was doing it properly... well, I would a bit.

Another lb off today so that's 3lb this week and 2lb last week. Going in the right direction. I would love to one day be able to live without constantly planning food but as soon as I take my eye off the ball my natural instinct is to eat everything.

@1stMrsF brill. thanks

Don't ever compare your progress to that of a man's. Honestly, it's just not worth it!

(Actually, don't compare it to anyone else's either - we all lose at different rates)

I just had a small bowl of thick cream. It was gloopy and delicious, and very satisfying.

Checking in, I was so miserable yesterday as DH finally returned from a week away bearing milk chocolate 🙄 did barely anything to help but just left his stuff all over the house and needed prompting to do the most basic of thing to help with the kids, he then basically was 'tired' so barely spoke and fell asleep at 8 so I spent yet another evening on my own. So I ended up finishing the bottle I started Friday.
Not good, and didn't help, so I'm determined now to just knock off the wine for a few weeks, just to really shift a few lbs and show myself I can do it. We're going out on the 17th Feb but I'm driving, so no temptations until then.
B. Coffee, woke up late, really not hungry
L.. Not sure, going for a run, then eggs
D. Pork shoulder, plus veg. DH is cooking. Doesn't know it yet!

A wee bit of advice for people buying Epsom Salts or Magnesium Salts: you can get bags of it half price in TK Maxx

So pizza "casserole" prepared ready for this evening. Layers:
Pizza sauce
Fried off mince beef
Sliced/dotted mozzarella (1/3 ball)
A tiny few on onions
Sprinkle of olives
Salami slices (2)
Pizza sauce
Sliced bratwurst sausage (about 1/3 per portions)
Chorizo slices (3)
Grated cheddar

The pizza sauce is the most carby element at 8g per portion. This isn't too bad is it as a treat?

I had a dream last night that I was 11 stone 3, and woke up overjoyed. Weighed myself, still 11 stone 12 :(

Oh I love an Epsom salt bath, have one regularly with lavendar oil too.

I had a moment in the alcohol aisle this morning, but then realised I couldn't buy it as it was before 12.30! Saved from myself by Irish liqour laws! I think I will need to keep up the strict bootcamp rules as much as possible to see results....and I know myself the stress>drink>binge cycle is one I can easily fall in to.
I have a brain MRI this Wednesday and I'm absolutely bricking it, both the test & the results and know I will be wanting a drink to help me relax but I will not use that crutch.

Anyway ...FOOD!
Last nights dinner was great, I fried garlic, added some cherry tomatoes (not best choice in retrospect!), courgette spaghetti, then mixed seafood, chilli flakes,lemon juice & double cream. YUM!

Todays menu
Seranno ham, scrambled eggs, avo, sour cream, a 1tbls spicy salsa- really good!
Halloumi, bacon & chorizo salad
slow roast leg of lamb with roasted veg - I will pick out the celariac and cauli for me :) and no wine, a roast sunday dinner is when I miss it most I think....