Week 9 - Low Carb Bootcamp - the finish line is in sight!

[BIWI]

Morning Campers

As ever, here's the spreadsheet for all your confessions

Some interesting conversations last week, as well as some encouraging losses and NSVs. Glosses over all talk of poppadoms

I'm so pleased it's working so well for so many of you, but more particularly how well this WOE seems to be working in its broader, longer term sense. That's actually the critical thing for the future - finding a way to incorporate the low carb principles into how you eat for the rest of your life, while still having a life!

A difficult couple of days for me, as I'm off to Paris with work, so my meals are largely out of my control. Dinner at the hotel should be OK, but I have no idea what will happen at lunch time, as I'm stuck in a research facility, being catered for. And worse, Eurostar is on strike tomorrow, when I'm supposed to be coming home, so I have no idea if I'm in Paris for two or three days!!!!

Anyway, there are worse places to be stuck, I suppose

Here's to a good week for us all - hope it's not too cold and windy wherever you are.

Oooh @Doilooklikeatourist! Barbados is one of my favourite places in the world. Where are you going to be staying?

I'm finally back from Paris. Work went well, but that was about all! Travel totally disrupted by Eurostar (French customs striking because of Brexit!), had to stay an extra day and lost a day of work I can't really afford to lose. And food choices were terrible.

But, back on it today.

Really feeling like I'm on a diet today and no real reason why. Just had a filling lunch and planned dinner is good I enjoy. I'm not hungry but almost expect to be (off work this afternoon). I think I'm so close to target I just want to skip a few weeks and be 6lbs lighter. Trying to focus on how far I've come.

My coat is still not sitting right over my hips. Probably why I'm grumpy. Stupid thing is, it did fit me in October when I weight more so maybe weight has shifted.

Will cheer up I promise, just need a mini pity party 🥳

Just back from 3 days in London where the food options were not always great - I just did my best, but glad to be home to the comfort of my own kitchen and fridge:

D - Chilli con carne with broccoli and buttered kale

Challenging weekend coming up, dinner at an acquaintance's house tomorrow (no opportunity to influence the food apart from saying at the outset that I don't like pasta. Then dinner at SIL's on Sunday (she' not a good cook at the best of times), at least I managed to say I'd bring cheese in place of brining a pudding, so one part of the food is salvaged.

Hi @BIWI , we’re staying at a hotel on Payne’s Bay ( it’s our silver wedding .. and we’re worth it ! )
Can’t wait , I am so wearing a bikini !
@MrsF Book the holiday , and get the dress ( and the high heels ! )
@Summer , we went on a cruise last May , Norwegian Fjords , the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen , my tip , do the stairs on board do not get in a lift !

Had a much better day
B 2 strawberries , black coffee
L cheese and bacon ( not good really , but was busy )
Loads of tap water
D though I say it myself , was bloody lovely !
A take on the chicken Alfredo , using salmon ( and no Parmesan )
Very nice
2 glasses of wine , not good , I know , but better than a bottle of wine

Have you been before, @Doilooklikeatourist?

You're near Hometown, and I can thoroughly recommend a guy called Marvin Sobers (he's on Facebook) who has a small, glass bottomed boat, and who will take you out fishing and to swim with the turtles. He's based on the beach at Hometown.

Yes , We’re really lucky , and this is our 4 th trip to Barbados , first time was our honeymoon ❤️
We’ve been swimming with turtles ( and sting rays in Antigua) and could well do it again , though I quite fancy a trip to a rum factory...and lounging on a beach ... and a catamaran cruise ...

Holetown, obviously, not Hometown, which autocorrect prefers!

Have you had a meal at The Cliff? That's definitely worth it if you're celebrating an anniversary! Or The Tides is also great.

@BIWI and @Doilooklikeatourist - Josefs is a lovely restaurant and a trip on the bus on a Sunday morning is fab - everyone dressed up and singing on the way to church.

Down to 11.0 (down 4 this week) - haven't quite made the 10's but am determined to do so! IF seems to have worked well for a 'shock' to the body

Well, scales have done it again. insisting i weigh 5lb more so that's it for them. Have ordered another set. Of course the alternative is that i have actually gained that much but considering that all i ate yesterday is some pork belly, crispy duck, broccoli, bok choi and a bit of lc soy sauce, and some cheese crisps, it doesn't seem likely.

@Summer , we love the reggae bus !
Some people at the hotel last time were shocked we’d been out by ourselves ( not an organised tour ) we’ve always found Barbados to be lovely and safe , and the locals have always been kind and friendly
Havent been on a Sunday church run though , that sounds great !
Only 5 more Saturdays in work 😀 then holiday
Looks at pouring rain 🙁
Hope my weight counts down as well as my countdown clock !

Survived a school trip to a water park today. The lunch included grilled chicken and salad (def sugar in the dressing) and when the students had ice cream, I was happy with my diet coke.
Not sure I will feel so good when I see pictures of me in a swimsuit on the school website, but that is not something I can control.

Hurrah! The dinner out at acquaintances house got cancelled. Not only did I avoid eating uncontrollable food, but instead I got a lovely dinner at home with dh (much appreciated after 3 days in London).

We had scallops in a cream and wine sauce, on a bed of buttery kale mixed with a little bit of pea and spinach hummus (2 g of carbs each in the hummus)
Then a variation on Delhia's California Fish I make it with mayonnaise combined with capers, chopped coriander, a squeeze of lime juice, and some black pepper. Dh had cheese and breadcrumbs on the top, I had cheese and parmesan. It is so easy, and quick and delicious. Accompanied with broccoli rice cooked in the oven with fennel seed, caraway seeds, salt and pepper and olive oil.

There are so many delicious recipes that work with this woe

I had a small piece of cake at work today (big nhs survey celebration for us organised by my team and the cake maker is amazing - one of our nurses). It was lemon cake and a moderate portion. I'm taking the plus that I didn't crave more. I was genuinely satisfied with my small square. Been very controlled for the rest of the day.

Looking forward to tomorrow's salmon for dinner. Considering running the park run in the morning but we'll see if that happens.

@venusandmars - that sounds lovely! If you haven't already, would you mind putting your version of the recipe on the fish recipe thread? Thanks!

Survived my first German work trip.
Monday starved due to bad planning
Tuesday over ate because I was too hungry. But at least stuck to LC. Had wine.
Wednesday had a LC hotel picnic but had wine.
Thursday on plan 24 hour fast. No wine.
Friday home. On plan eating but wine with DH.

Looking like a STS week for me.

I'm at home next week with Germany again the week after. I need to learn some lessons from this week and not get into a habit of too much wine when I'm away. It's work not a treat!!

I'm officially no longer in the overweight category!

I still want to get to mid bmi range so would love to lose another stone. I have hit my target to be healthy by my birthday so new achievable target - get to 10st 3lbs.

congratulations, mOther!

Just completed my second park run. I don't think I'll ever be fast but I did it and was definitely more confident knowing I could do it! Never thought I'd say this but I can see it becoming part of my Saturday most weekends as I usually do nothing on a Saturday morning and just drink coffee in my pjs.

Thank you @Burnshersmurfs (danger of falling back to bad habits so trying to keep focused)

m0therofdragons whoop whoop!

Nice one m0ther. That's a fab achievement

Well done m0therofdragons When I reached a 'normal' bmi last year I promised myself that however my weight fluctuated I would stay in that range, and I have. But in the last 4 months of 2018 I put on half a stone and I can see how easy it would be to be back in the overweight range very quickly. Thank goodness for @BIWI and her dedication to this topic, and the motivation and accountability that comes from this thread.

My original motivation was about reducing a massively high blood pressure, but it was great to be able to tell the doctor that my BMI was in a better place. I've been reducing my blood pressure medication over the last year and by the summer I hope to be taking nothing at all. Dr's advice on diet was of the old fashioned Mediterranean type, with wholemeal bread, brown rice etc. with veg and some healthy proteins. This was despite me telling him I was following a method called PAMM (pan-Asian modified Mediterranean) which is lower fat that this woe, but essentially low carb.

This woe really works for me because I love food, cooking, recipes, eating, talking about food, planning food. I enjoy looking for new recipes or adapting old ones. And I find it surprisingly easy to sit in a meeting surrounded by plates of shortbread and dishes of sweeties, and to not eat one of them. I just think that if I was going to go on a big carb fest I'd rather have crisps, hummus, garlic-truffle fries...

I've found it easier to make good food choices. So this week when I was away I ordered avocado and poached egg on sour-dough, and left the sour-dough on the plate, opting instead for a side of crispy bacon. I don't feel deprived at all. Or at a set-menu lunch I ordered an extra side of buttered spinach and left the potatoes on my plate. And despite eating huge amounts over 3 days, and consuming rather a lot of wine, I returned home about half a pound heavier.

Looking forward to dinner tonight: Chicken Saag Masala, spiced squash and kale, and keto veg bhajis. Not sure the bhajis will be great, they are made with egg and coconut flour and they smell a bit like coconut omelette.... Ah well, it's all an experiment.

Apologies for the 'me me' post. I just find it helpful to record how I'm feeling.

No need to apologise! That's exactly what these threads are for - because talking about what we're doing, how we're feeling and the trials and tribulations (as well as successes) keep everyone else involved and inspired - and they can be hugely motivating too.

Well done on your achievement @m0therofdragons 

@venusandmars it's great to hear what other people are thinking. Also, I know I wouldn't have made it this far without the thread - if it keeps you KOKO, post whatever you like!

Bibimbap last night (recipe on the thread) and slow roasted pork belly with celeriac champ tonight. Veal bourginon tomorrow. With bacon and eggs for brunch today maybe a bit too much processed meat...

Tomorrow we are moving in with my DSis while our bedrooms are decorated. At the same time, the menu at school next week is not helpful (cottage pie, fish cakes, sausage rolls, pasta bake and pizza - not a single meal I can eat! I am becoming increasingly concerned for the future health of our children, but that's another story) so trying to plan to take food. I have a meeting in London on Wednesday, with a sandwich lunch and have said I'll take my own food for that too. What are your best portable lunch tips?