Week 5 - Low Carb Bootcamp - Here endeth the first half!

[BIWI]

Morning all.

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

I hope that the start of week 5 puts to rest the troublesome weeks 3 & 4, and we can get on with the job of losing weight from here on in!

Just remember that weight loss from now on will be slow and steady. Unless you have masses to lose, you should expect to see around 1-2lbs a week loss.

I hope that the scales, or the tape measure, are kind to you!

Here's to a great week

Checking in.

L - slice of home cooked ham, filling from a slice of minced beef pie, roasted courgettes, salad leaves, hm vinaigrette
D - probably another slice of ham, fried egg, ts broccoli
Doing better with water today.

Thanks BIWI. I'll give that recipe a go.

I've been pondering. How do you notice the benefit of improved LC sleep if you are getting up in the night to wee from the increased water?!

B: a little Greek yoghurt
E: 10K run (done)
L: mackerel and spinach burgers with cheese and mayo (a little physillium husk for binding along with an egg)
E: indoor row session planned
D: might be BIWI's chilli or it might be something more snack like depending on how hungry I am after rowing
(Damn that exercise makes no sodding difference to my weight loss)

Lots of water and again planning NO WINE!

Surely this is a gold star planned day?! I should at least wake up 10lbs lighter tomorrow shouldn't I?!

I'm not sure if others relate (this being a WOE thread not alcohol support) but over many years wine has become my "thing". Not in a "need a bottle to get out of bed". But I definitely felt (feel) I deserved wine each evening as a treat. I can give up chocolate, pasta, bread etc without a backwards glance but you'll have to drag the wine glass from my fingers. In fact from starting BC in sept '17 I was able to reach goal weight without amending my drinking. But I'm increasingly aware of my drinking and wanted to curb it. Plus about 10lbs has snuck back on and it's sticking like fecking glue! I've tried and failed several times. In fact I sodding eat more when I don't drink! Anyway, I'm having another bash. The only difference this time is that I've told DH what I want to achieve. Just sharing. KOKO folks x

BrassicaBabe I add cinnamon to my chilli at the stage when the veg is finished frying
It adds a warmth and sweetness
People use cocoa powder I think?

@BIWI I'm just making the granola recipe now. Once it's done what would you say was one portion? Also, I can really overdo it with yogurt (which is why I usually just totally avoid it) so what is one portion of that? and raspberries/blueberries?

I now this woe isn't about weighing but I don't want to think i'm doing well and be totally wrong and piling back on the lbs.

I get you with the wine, @BrassicaBabe. It's why I did 3 weeks alcohol free in January, to try and 're-set' things.

@MrsKoala - not really sure how big a portion should be! With the quantities I used, (i.e. 100g rather than 85g of the nuts) it made loads.

I'd say maybe a couple of large tablespoons, with the same of yoghurt? Try that and see what it looks like.

Thanks BIWI. Are you meant to keep it in the fridge? Even tho it's cooled the mixture seems very wet and greasy. Is that normal?

@BrassicaBabe I also can drink far too much and started drinking wine every day. My kids can be very stressful and DH is, well, DH. SO I often look forward to my wine at night to get me thru the day. Last time I lost weight on BC I continued to drink half a bottle of wine a night easily. This is the first time i've given up drinking for a period of time (apart from pregnancy) even tho I I had cut down to a small glass or 2 a day from my whole bottle of wine days!

The thing I have found in the past with drinking is it really keeps my weight down. My thinnest and best looking parts of my life are when I've been drinking dangerous levels. It seems to have the opposite effect on me to other people. I don't feel hungry at all when I drink and the next day I can't face food. But I know it's really bad for me.

This time I've found it easier by not having wine in the house and only having vodka. I vodka lime and soda seems to not trigger my binge cravings like one glass of wine does. Also not feeling hungry helps. I usually really fancy wine when I have a totally empty feeling in my stomach.

I'm with you @MrsKoala! I am definitely tempted to eat more when I don't drink. I switched to gin and slimline (blurgh, slimline that is) over wine until one night I poured my home measure into a jug and realised it was about 100ml and nearly 250 calories before the tonic!

Anyway, here is day 2. Although it's not quite the witching hour yet. Holding firm.

2lbs on. Fell off the wagon and undid all the hard work I had put in getting on top of my sugar cravings. I don't post very often, I prefer to lurk in the background and read about how everyone else is doing but I think the way I'm going to get back on track with cutting out the sugar is to post on here and say that I'm going to do it.

What really annoys me about myself is that I made myself feel pretty ill with what I ate so why doesn't common sense prevail? I eat a much better range of foods on this woe so I'm going to put this behind me and just carry on.

Re booze I prefer to avoid because-like carbs-“a little bit is too much and a lot is never enough”. I have poor control around any significant carbs - I even remember eating ten bags of crisps in a row quite often as a kid. I was skinny tho!
I can probably do booze like once or twice a year on a special occasion.
Livelongabdprosper common sense never prevails because it’s an addiction and will power is nothing until the addiction is broken. We are meant to be taking my daughter for an ice cream on her birthday (in around a month). People are like oh you’ll be able to have some? I’m really not sure if I can be trusted yet around ice cream...

Struggling... Emotionally, physically, the whole shebang. Trying to be kind to myself without food and alcohol but all I want is a bottle of wine and a binge.

Oh dear AandL is there anything we can help with? I'm happy to listen if you just want to moan?

Can you have a nice warm bath and watch something on telly you love?

@MrsKoala I'm not sure why it looks wet and greasy - it shouldn't do!

@Livelongandprosper if I had the answer to that question I would be a millionaire! Sorry you're struggling, but I agree that posting here more might help. It is an addiction, just like alcohol is for so many people.

Today:

L: cheese and mushroom omelette
D: marinated pork fillet (lemon, garlic, soy sauce, olive oil) with savoury cauliflower 'rice' (onion, pepper, chilli, garlic and cauliflower).

S: smoked almonds

Oh thank goodness , I’m not alone in my love of wine ❤️
I gave it up completely in January ( as did DH )
Managed ok , didn’t miss alcohol as much as I thought
Really had to think about whether or not we wanted a glass of wine on Feb 1st ( we did ) and before you know it , we’re back in the old habit
I had gin and slimline on Saturday ( but I need to find a measure )
No alcohol til Thursday ( when I think it’ll be Prosecco ❤️❤️)

Really , really wanted to buy a bag of Revels in Tesco today , managed not too though 😇

Brunch .Cheese and ham omlette
Snack . pork scratchings
D . Made up chuck in the pan , leftover chicken with courgettes, broccoli, cauli , mushrooms and homemade tomato sauce , with double cream mixed in
Post washing up snack , slice of cheddar

Had a hair cut , and bought some new foundation , did about 4 loads of washing and walked at least 10,000 steps , all in all not a bad day

💐to those who are struggling 🥦

Planning on making the granola ( now I’ve bought the nuts 👍)

I too have overindulged previously with having a drink being a weekend thing to, just a cheeky one in the week, to more days than not......

I've found on this woe the sheer quantity of water means I can't actually face it , especially in the week. I have a hot bath with cold water to drink and that seems to work for me. Currently having a few glasses fri and sat and that's it and topping white wine up with fizzy water to lengthen it.

Some one asked about #2's the other day and constipation. Mine go like rabbit pellets and only every 2-3 days unless I chug the water down which keeps things on the straight and narrow.

Feeling v positive at the moment with Pilates and swimming helping to make a clear body shape difference (and core strength feeling) even if scales are slowly slowly catchy catchy......

It’s left a sort of greasy film smeared over the inside of the jar. Not sure if you can see it.

Are you sure you followed the instructions, @MrsKoala? That also looks very dark - I'm wondering if you've burnt it a little, and so somehow the oils are separating from it?

But most importantly, does it taste good?!

Oh the will-power I needed today!

I had a meeting which centred around lunch in lovely French restaurant. I'd looked at the menu beforehand and decided what I would have. All good.

But the service was really slow, and there was the most delicious freshly made French bread on the table. Everyone else was tucking in. I could smell the warm dough, I could hear the crunch of the crust as people bit into it, but worst of all was that they had loads of butter on it. I could see it yellow and creamy and salty, and I really, really wanted a piece of bread, just so I could taste the delicious butter. If it had been just me and dh I would probably just have eaten a chunk of butter, but in the context of a business meeting, I knew I would look a bit too odd.

It was an hour between ordering my lunch and getting anything to eat, and throughout it all I politely turned down all offers of bread, and managed to restrain myself and not just eat a pat of butter off my knife. If there was weightloss karma I think I'd deserve to be 2lb lighter for exerting my will-power.

I did cook it for a little longer BIWI. Turning it over in the pan so it all got a bit browned because it looked so pale and oily. I also used 30g of coconut oil and made the rest up of butter as I thought the coconut would taste nicer. I haven't tasted it and will have some for breakfast. I'm sure it tastes fine, i'm just thinking it might not last well if not in the fridge.

I don't think you should keep it in the fridge. I think that might make it go soft.

@venusandmars well done you! I am seriously impressed.

I managed to avoid another Caesar salad for lunch today and made some good choices at the buffet (roast pork, sesame chicken and greens) although I ate far too much. I'm sticking to LC but it's like I panic a bit as the food is out of my control so if I see an OK option and fill up so I won't feel hungry later It's very silly really as it's not like there's a lack of food overall. I've done well overall though it's hard to tell with sauces, etc. I normally weigh every day at home so looking forward to a woosh on the scales when I'm back, fingers crossed!

Is anyone planning anything delicious and bootcamp friendly for Valentine's Day? I get home on the day and want to cook something nice for DH as he's held the fort at home while I've been away but I'm lacking inspiration.

Your post should come with a trigger warning venus I can literally taste that bread from your description 😊

I wish I didn't think about food when drinking. I get completely ravenous after a few drinks. If I have a hangover the only thing that sorts me out is carbs. I have to be practically tee total to be successful with weight loss.

@Mimosa1

I hope that DH is going to attempt a beef Wellington with fat head pastry for Valentine meal. And eggs Benedict without the muffin. Those are my favourite things (with pastry and with muffin, obvs).

@Mimosa1 DH is going to get the M & S meal deal ( I don’t think it’s bootcamp compatible ) ❤️

DH is cooking for me! A Provençale recipe, which is marinated rump steak, with ratatouille.

I'm sure there will be some Champagne along the way

Oooh @nowlook and @BIWI those sound relish and even better if your DHs are cooking.

@Doilooklikeatourist the M&S meal deal is pretty great and I do have to go and pick up a new pair of wellies for DD , hmmm...