Week 4 - Low Carb Bootcamp - the first month is finished!

[BIWI]

Morning campers

Once more for you, the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

I hope it's been a good week, and I hope that the scales have been kind to you this morning.

If not, and if you haven't been cheating (!) then just remember that weeks 3 & 4 are notorious for seeing very little or no weight loss. KOKO (keep on keep on) and hopefully things will soon get going again.

Here's to a good week!

Tonight's HIGNFY... Some stuff about how Tom Watson had lost 7 stone by putting butter in his tea.

The panel were all

I was.. ah yes keto diet
(googled and I was right)

I just have to say how much I bloody love this way of eating.

Tonight dinner was prawn and coconut curry with cauliflower rice: shallots, celery, chopped garlic, grated ginger, yellow peppers, broccoli, chard stems, chard leaves, a tomato, loads of spices - cumin, coriander, fenugreek, cinnamon, a couple of fresh chillies, seasoning. Can of coconut cream. Another can of coconut cream.

Leftover curry blitzed with a can of coconut milk, and the leftover cauliflower rice. Tomorrow, that 'soup' will be a meal in a bowl.

Noticed that too on HIGNFY about Tom Watson - dh was at that and when I said that's the way I eat and then asked why I hadn't lost 8 stone Maybe he'll now take more attention as he's also wanting to lose some weight - but I haven't been able to get him out of the "eat less, exercise more" mindset (he refuses to believe me when I say that I'm not doing my week daily exercises to lose weight as that in itself doesn't achieve that )

Watched the "How to Lose a Stone in a Month" programme last night in Channel 5. 4 people, 4 different diets - lost an aggregate total of 4st 4lb. Interestingly the one that lost the most (1 stone 4lb) and didn't cheat (and has sustained the WoE and continued to lose) was on the Fast 800. The Huel, Raw Food and No Sugar Diets all had the participants falling off the wagon towards the end of the month. The one who lost the least - "only" (I recognise it was still an achievement) 13lb - was on the "No sugar" diet. Yet she still had - and was encouraged to have - pasta and rice , albeit all cooked from scratch and avoiding all hidden sugars.

It will be interesting to see what diets they use in next week's episode.

I did think Tom Watson weight loss = must be low carb.

Might have had a glass, or three, of dry white wine tonight... managed to dodge the deliciously looking crusty bread and new potatoes with the fondue though.

I think it's interesting seeing other people on this diet and how much they've lost and if they continue to eat this way.
Obviously everyone on this thread really enjoys it, but how many people started this bootcamp and have disappeared now?

Oh loads! It's always the same though. Sometimes people don't even start!

One of the things that does irritate me, though, is people who start low carbing (in general, not necessarily Bootcamp) and then drop out in the first few days because they can't handle the withdrawal symptoms - and then go on to tell everyone that low carbing makes people sick! You often see this reported in the media too - journalists who are too lazy to either research it properly or to do it properly for themselves. Often, I think, because they want to make their story about what a bad diet it is. (They're also the ones usually talking about low carbing being all about bacon and eggs and as much beef as you can eat)

Morning all, I am checking in early with a weigh in, as I have a large family event on Sunday that will involve a fair amount of drinking and food!
Anyway, after a couple of weeks of stalling I have had a total woosh this week and am an additional 6lbs down. So 13 in total this bootcamp. So chuffed with myself! And my outfit for this event is now really loose! Don't have time to go shopping again though...
In terms of people disappearing on the thread, as BIWI says, people drop out every bootcamp, and then there are others, like myself, who don't really post, but I do read every post on all the threads, for dinner inspiration mainly!

@JFDI2019
Wow that’s amazing- well done!!!
Can I ask if you tightened up the strictness in order to have a whoosh or was it just a case of KOKO?
I’m resisting the idea that cream coffee might be impeding my weight loss but I may just have to face facts.

I’m stuck resolutely at 11 stone and it’s getting a bit tiresome.

Need to remember that:
•I sleep better MUCH deeper and better quality
•I used to live on ibuprofen and haven’t needed any for over a month
• My Mood is very stable
•I’m not hungry all the bloody time
•I eat loads more veg and nutritious food
• I’m not at risk of getting diabetes
•I have lost over half a stone
•I’m not terrified to look at myself naked in the mirror
•my clothes feel looser
•my skin is really clear
•My waist is smaller
•I’m more confident

SO these are my reasons for KOKO despite the scales not moving!

Have a great day all

Thanks @absopugginglutely !
I had a bit less cheese than I usually would every frickin' meal and tried to push breakfast as far towards 11am as I could, so it was a bit of inadvertent intermittent fasting. Will continue with it after the weekend's festivities!

But seeing as 11 stone is kind of my goal weight, I also have a fair bit more to loose than you do, so will loose larger amounts. The time of the month can also cause a stall in my experience...

KOKO.

Going away for the weekend ,
Food is going to be out of my control a bit , as we’ll be eating out
Theatre tonight , and Sunday lunch with DS tomorrow ( he’s booked an expensive restaurant, as DH and I are paying )

@TamingToddler I think there's a lot of people out there (like me) who mainly lurk. I love these threads for inspiration, but I find each bootcamp seems to start at a really awkward time for me (girlie weekend away, family celebration etc) where I know I won't be able to stick to plan. So I tend to start at different times to everyone else and don't want to derail the thread by joining halfway through. Plus I don't strictly follow the rules, I only eat one meal a day (not allowed in the first 2 weeks of bootcamp) and we always have a roast dinner on sunday and I eat carbs then (roast potatoes, root vegetables, gravy etc). I find I fall somewhere in between the low carb threads and the fasting threads, so I happily skulk between the two

I understand that, I lurk on some other weight loss threads and someone posted that they've accepted they're going to be hungry and being hungry is okay and normal. I agree to a certain extent, but I'd rather just eat low carb meals and simply not be hungry? I used to be a calorie counter, but it just doesn't work for me anymore, no idea why but I'm assuming as I have PCOS which sugar affects, that might be the reason.

Anyway derailed slightly, no breakfast yet but will probably be bacon and eggs. WATER WATER WATER.

Very nearly at the end of week 3 (started late) and I feel fab. I noticed yesterday that one sample chocolate in a shop (purporting to be dark chocolate) was way too sweet.

That I got home at 5pm having only had a litre of water, felt all wrong and was back up at 2.5l by bedtime without an issue.

That I am noticeably slimmer without my clothes on.

And (NSV ahoy) that I've had to adjust the straps on my bra and do it up on the tightest hooks, or it's too loose! Now, admittedly, this bra is a 38 I bought in desperation because nothing else fitted, but I'll take that as a win!

Not sure about other meals today - fridge clearing as we are out tomorrow but I have planned food for then and it will be fine.

Indeed TamingToddler

I'm never hungry (can do intermittent fasting easily), am enjoying my food and still managing to lose 1-2lb a week on this WoE

What's not to like?

JFD2019 that’s great!!! 6lbs! That’s great! What a boost!

Ansopugginglutely that list is brilliant. Especially the ones related to sleep and joint pain! What an incentive!

I’m sleeping better too. My clothes fit better and my knees don’t creak as much. I’ve got a weird nagging ache just below my ribs on the left, which I wonder is a big lump of cheese, stuck in my gizzards somehow!

Well done @JFDI2019! That's absolutely brilliant!

Fantastic post @absopugginglutely. So important to keep reminding ourselves of why we started. The mood one is a big one for me as that's where I'm really struggling. I seem to have huge mood swings twice a month around ovulation and my period. Off for a quick trip to the GP on Tuesday to have a chat about it.

I've been to the gym this morning for a Legs, Bums and Tums class. Sweated so much!! Rewarding myself with a quick coffee and cream at Costa before heading home to see the kids.

Off out to the theatre tonight but dinner first so will remain as 'on plan' as possible!

Good stuff JDFI2018! That's a great result.

After all the talk about ribeye steak yesterday I sent DH out to get some which he cooked for us for lunch just now. Topped mine with tarragon butter as didn't have the sour cream for that blue cheese sauce. Had a lump of Roquefort for pudding instead.

So:
B - scrambled eggs with bacon
L - ribeye steak with broccoli and tarragon butter
D - probably just cheese, olives and maybe some pork scratchings as had big lunch

Bold fail, apologies...

Like Marmalade I'm also a bit of a lurker... I'm plodding on, but not following the rules strictly every day as was finding it just too restrictive as a vegetarian. But, I am eating a lot lower carb and can see that it's a fab WOE for meat/fish eaters. I don't want to derail others, but seem to have found a balance that's working well for me. I'll keep lurking from afar, but won't post any further losses on the spreadsheet as it doesn't seem very fair. I wish you all well though - your progress is amazing.

Hello all, quick advice needed - I was going to make beef in beer in the slow cooker for tomorrow's dinner, but I remembered that the beef always gets coated in flour after searing it.

Can anyone think of a Low-Carb alternative to flour, or will it be ok in the amounts I'd be using (about half a tablespoon)?

You don't actually need to coat the meat in flour - that just helps to thicken the sauce as it's cooking.

If you're cooking it with veg (or even if you're not, put some in - a few carrots, tomato and shallots), then you can blitz the "sauce" with a hand blender when you finish it to make it thicker.

Greebo further to Prettybird's top tip, I rarely even sear my meat now before using the slow cooker! I honestly don't think it makes much difference apart from to the time taken and the amount of pans to wash!

Checking in

L: huge bag of mixed salad leaves (rocket, watercress and spinach) an egg, tin of tuna with mayo, feta and olives.
D: dd wanted a lasagne so I made her one and made myself a version but used sliced grilled courgettes instead of pasta, and just put cheese on top instead of the white sauce (I know I could have just used cream but didn't have any in) I baked that and had it with some purple sprouting broccoli.

Looking forward to Monday's weigh in again! Really feeling the weight loss now. Fingers crossed I've lost more than a lb...

Oh and I had a cream coffee with lunch too.

It occurs to me that the beer isn't low carb either.