Jan '20 - Week 4 Low Carb Bootcamp - One month in!

[StuntNun]

Well done for sticking with us for four weeks! You are fat-adapted now and getting the full health benefits of this way of eating. Add your weight to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness and let's see how everyone has done. Don't forget that it's typical for weight loss to pause at some point in weeks 3-5 but so long as you are following the rules you are still losing fat!

I know a few of you have been missing meals, whether by accident or design, so I'd like to start talking about intermittent fasting this week if anyone is interested? It's completely optional so don't feel that you should fast if you don't want to. I still think it's worth finding out more about intermittent fasting, how it works, when and why you might want to introduce it, and what it feels like to fast... spoiler alert it doesn't involve feeling hungry!

@BIWI do you know what, it actually hasn’t taken much willpower at all, it’s really weird. There’s been some times I’ve craved something, but generally I’m not hungry so the cravings are none existent. It’s so strange.

Low carbing suppresses your appetite. It's because your blood sugar levels (and the key hormones, insulin, grehlin and leptin) are now stabled and balanced. It's one of the best features of this WOE!

But it also sounds like you're seriously in the zone, psychologically, which is also a key factor for success.

Ahhh teapot I’ve been thinking of you and missing your updates so I’m soooooo pleased to hear that not only have you stuck to it in tricky food finding times, but you’ve also ploughed on through a stall and got to the other side. Hooray!

I agree the not being hungry thing is the most amazing change. I went to see a friend in London the other day and that would usually entail me buying ALL the snacks for the train and generally eating crap all day but I stuck to it so well and my only treat was an almond milk latte with sugar free syrup!
Onwards and downwards everyone

Recommend the corned beef & celeriac hash if you fancy some "stodge". I had it with a fried egg for dinner last night, and with shit tonn of spinach for lunch today!

The Tom Kerridge book was delivered today. He has a cheese omelette recipe you can cook in a plastic bag in a kettle!

Well done teapot I remember my adult dd staring me open mouthed when I unwrapped a couple of pats of butter and dropped them into my coffee. She seriously thought I'd lost my marbles

That’s awesome teapot! Your experience clearly shows that this is a woe not a diet.

1lb up this morning, have been IF since Tuesday so I’m wondering if a) I’ve not eaten enough or b) I’m missing a bit of fat - that would typically be the butter I cook my eggs in but I’ve had eggs for dinner on two nights so perhaps not? I shan’t overthink it, but koko instead.

In Birmingham today, so had a salad from pret, all three of us bought lunch from different places so everyone’s needs/wants were achieved.

Glad you liked the hash @TheClitterati

Spent the morning in the cold watching sport. Lunch was a Sainsbury’s soup which I jazzed up with loads of butter and cheese

cheese omelette recipe you can cook in a plastic bag in a kettle

Christ knows I'm no cook, but... that seems unappetising even to me, Clitterati

Still the same here, despite having gone down with the lurgy and not eaten anything since Thursday evening. Lurgy brain means not too fussed though as quite happy just sitting staring at my feet for the foreseeable.

cheese omelette recipe you can cook in a plastic bag in a kettle

Yeah, doesn’t sound cute but I wonder if it’s for business travellers who stay in hotels where they offer only muffins and toast and cereal for breakfast. Low carb business travellers, of course.

I worked last night at an event with no food other than crisps and Maltesers. For some weird reason I had three Maltesers! Not even sure why, I don’t particularly love them. Never even had one until about five years ago when my daughter offered me some from her bag.

It’s not going to kill me, I’ll KOKO. Off to a quiz night at the local primary tonight—firmly have deli meat and assorted cheese as our snack but will probably have a G&T or two if I’m honest. Dinner was leftover veg stir fry and I’m not that hungry. Also getting a massive jug of water for the table—I haven’t been doing my 3L regularly enough!

Happy Saturday all.

Scales a bit static, and next Saturday we are off for a two night break to Bath because the boys are all elsewhere so we can get some time together which we very rarely manage. So this woe will be toast I fear : eating out low carb as a veggie is really hard and we want to have some bloody indulgence (eating out only really happens with the kids, and usually means pizza hut because that suits GF boy and picky veggie boy. So eating in a place that isn't picked on the basis of availability of chips, garlic bread, gf pizza, and no one minding that you're all eating sides only is very exciting!

I received a bag of new clothes today as I wanted something nice to wear but I am not convinced by any of the.. So a bit cheese off about that. I always expect to be able to wear anything if I just lose a stone, and, well, for these, I need to get a longer spine!

Just checking in to log food, I find this really helpful as well as all the great tips and support on here!
B: egg, mushroom bacon and cabbage fried up together in butter
L: ham, coleslaw, salad
D spiced turkey mince on buttery garlic broccoli, blueberries with a bit of clotted cream and a dark chocolate curl on top. The curl came from the top of my little boy’s birthday cake which 18 people ate in front of me today, complete with mmmms and lip smacking, didn’t even make me flinch, I’m getting proper tough!

Skids into thread to tell you all squares of dark chocolate spread with the nut butter of your choice is bloody delicious

Skids out again.

Oooh Greebo! Thank you

DH, having just sat and watched me eat that, is now worrying I'm pregnant again.

Scales not moving, but they've not gone up, so expecting to STS tomorrow.

I do 'feel' lighter though, more energy, fuller, not hungry, and not always thinking about the next meal....so hurrah!

I've done 3 IF's this week, and am going to up those next week, Sunday through to Friday.

Anyway, food today (and a big windy walk on the beach).

B: Piece of cheese
L: Ham omelette, rocket
D: Salmon and buttered FGLV.

Water....

Slow and steady here, thought I'd attach my graph now I have exactly 4 weeks of weigh ins.
Half a pound up after an imperfect day. Little bit of rice with chicken curry last night and a couple of crackers and grapes with some cheese. Thankfully not the continually open cold buffet full of tempting things I'd feared expected. I'm definitely noticing not being so hungry, the food was quite late and I barely noticed. Out for Sunday lunch today so will try to fast until then. Driving again so will just have lots of water, and actually coming around to realising I quite like drinking a lot less, most of the time.

Thanks, Rayna, that's really helpful. I'm going to do one too at 5 weeks, half way through. I took a start photo, too, so that I can actually see the difference at the end of 10 weeks!

I confess I ate a crunchie last night - I was just really in the mood for something sweet and, well, crunchy. I really enjoyed it, and if it's the only blip in 4 weeks, I can live with that. I am on day 45 of not drinking, too, which is, for me, a miracle!

I made Kale crisps yesterday, but fancied making them with a bit more flavour, so after rubbing the oil on I then added a good squeeze of Marmite and rubbed that in too. They were delicious and really hit the spot if you'd like Marmite of course and fancy a salty snack.

@lurknolinger that sounds lush!!

@Rayna37 is that a Garmin connect screen shot? Don't suppose you've got a set of garmin scales?!

Brassica It is a Garmin Connect screen but no, just use some regular digital bloody weight watchers scales and log into my Garmin app.

Thanks to whoever recommended Happy Scales app. It's excellent (free version pretty limited so I paid £11 for the premium). Screenshot below. My losses are tiny but it makes them look great!

Period arrived today, 5 days early, thanks peri menopause. I also have a lovely zit right on my top lip

I'll be really interested in the scales tomorrow as I usually gain ahead of my period and lose during it, but I lost last week.

Two transgressions over the weekend. Popcorn at the cinema - lack of willpower exacerbated by PMS - and a pint of Guinness watching the rugby yesterday. Because that is the law. It's usually 3 pints so that's progress

No idea what today's food will be. I might skip breakfast and have breakfast for lunch. Going to meal plan for the week and do a supermarket shop later.

Hope everyone is surviving storm Ciara.

Fell off the wagon big time yesterday and into toast , toasted sandwich and fish n chips
Starving this morning and back on Bootcamp
B eggs , mushrooms
L massive salad with smoked salmon
D ham hock with roast cauliflower and broccoli
Water water water
Well done to all those who have done well , should be some movement on the scales tomorrow

Hmm - be careful everyone. There's a lot of slippage cheating creeping into your days. This WOE isn't very forgiving, so beware that the scales are likely to reflect it.

I know that we're aiming to find something that can be a new way of living - but we're still on Bootcamp!