an '20 - Week 5 Low Carb Bootcamp - Onwards and downwards!

[StuntNun]

Welcome to week 5 of the Low Carb Bootcamp; we're nearly halfway through! If you've had a pause in your weight loss during week 3 or week 4, the scales should hopefully be moving again now and you can expect an average weight loss of half a pound to 2 lb each week. Nobody ever gets consistent weight loss from week to week so try not to get hung up on each week's weigh-in, it's the overall trend that we want to look at. If you're a daily weigher then try an app such as Happy Scales or True Weight that uses a rolling daily average to give you a more accurate record of your weight loss.

Add today's weight to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness. And here's to another great week...
Onwards and downwards!

Good morning all, forgot to weigh yesterday, so did hop on scales today. As expected, gained 1lb as had a half pint of beer ( I know I know, I never even drink beer!) This was my first alcoholic drink of 2020 and it was from my home country, so won’t beat myself up for it too much.
KOKO

Don't disappear Harvey we all make mistakes on our low carb journey. When I first started I got a well deserved whack with the big stick for eating a bag of crisps because I was on my period!

Don't go, Harvey. You were brave to admit it - well done on the accountability. I have wimped on giving details of the occasions when I have deviated from the path of righteousness, and the lack of accountability makes it a whole lot easier to stray again. You're doing it right!

@Harveywoo

I’m not so good with a big stick, it has the effect of demotivating me and leaving me just a bit sad I’m afraid, I do take things very personally (my problem). It’s the first time I’ve plucked up the courage to join anything like this, just hoped for a bit of support

I'm sorry that you feel like that, and it would be a terrible shame if you were to leave. But what you have had is support! We all want this WOE to work, and if you're not doing it properly - and then posting about how it's not working - then of course that will have to be pointed out!

I don't believe anyone - or me, as I suspect you're concerned about how I've posted to you - is being unsupportive or unpleasant. We just want it to work for you!

Please don't go

I echo the responses of others. I've had the stick in the past. There's no point in not calling out the mistakes that we make along the way. We're here to support all.

@Harveywoo don't go! Think how much you have gained (or lost!) from this thread in just a few short weeks. Everyone here is on their own journey, and makes decisions based on that. I mean this gently, but perhaps having others holding you accountable may be helpful to reduce your acts of self sabotage?
Personally, I have broken the rules once or twice, but I'm still grateful to @StuntNun and @BIWI for keeping me on track. It helps me not to fall further off the wagon.

I hope you keep on with the woe if it's working for you

I've unintentionally done a 15 fast overnight. I ate with the kids at 5 then was so exhausted I went to bed at 7. I've only just felt ready to eat after 8 this morning.

B smoked salmon omelette, tea with milk
L probably just a cup of tea while kids eat out maybe a pepperami
D chicken drumsticks something or other with FLGV

Tons of water.

With the dairy,
If I'm going to have it say 2-3 times per day, is it bette to have it in one go? Eg breakfast that contains cheese alongside cup of tea with milk? Or does it not matter? In which case I would have breakfast, tea with milk mid morning, almost like a snack.

Please don't disappear @Harveywoo it is a very supportive place generally.

I think StuntNun and BIWI do a good job of keeping us on the straight and narrow. It's not a moral judgement on what we eat or don't eat (and so much of enjoying food is wrapped up in guilt and emotion). It's about sticking to to rules to get desired results.

I like the straight talking because it balances out all the soft soaping IRL ("one little biscuit/slice of cake/ pint of wine won't hurt"). We're surrounded by people with their own food issues who want us to fail because it helps them feel better about themselves.

I am the queen of self-sabotage (or "being an arsehole" as I call it so I like being called to account and then moving on, leaving it behind.

Sorry that was long

So , we ate early at about 5pm , last night , and I just had at 10-30 , so I can listen to pop master , a lovely big omlette with bacon , mushrooms and much less cheese than I would have had last week (😀) ( counts on fingers ) that makes it an intermittent fast I believe

Can’t decide what’s for dinner , I definitely need to make a list before I hit Tesco

Bastard scales up this morning despite a perfectly good day.
B : none but black tea
L : part of a truly revolting avocado with oo and cheese. Bloody Morrisons.
Snacks various nibbles of cheese and quorn (angry eating after a dumbarse email from the boss)
D : celeriac dauphinoise and a low carb veg sausage.

Fair bit of rooibos tea and water.

Aww Harvey, stay. It never feels good being called to account on food choices because, for me anyway, food is so beset with moral bollocks, and control, and defiance, and comfort, and self-destructiveness.

But getting past that is part of the job of breaking all those stupid things we are trained to endow food with, and just see it for what it is : fuel, and fun.

Here's an NSV for encouragement. When I started back in 2017, I hadn't been able to wear this wee pearl for years as my neck was too fat the chain was too "short" so would choke me

Nearly 3 stone down later (with a few falling off the wagon ups and downs in between times) it's now loose around my neck again ignore the lined neck

Stay Harvey stay!

That's great prettybird - big change!

a NSV I've noticed is my skin is fabulous & I look younger!! Must be all the bloody water and herbal tea, (maybe in cahoots with my newish simple natural skin care regime too) but I swear I have less wrinkes and my skin etc is looking better than it has in years.

Also I have a lump on my leg which is getting bigger! Its scar tissue from being run over by a cyclist in the 90's & I noticed it much more in the last week - which I'm pretty sure means the rest of my lower leg is getting smaller. I'm wondering if I can reduce the scar tissue/lump by regular massage?

I'm in office today - lots of time on tran/tubes. So no IF today.

B - creamy coffee & 3 friend eggs
L - chicken mayo salad (FLV)
D- TBC.

I'll try and be snack free but I might have some raw almonds on the train home.

Last night I had "emergency quick dinner" of a head of brocolli with a sauce made from cream, blue cheese, spring onions - my fav meal!

Oh my good lord. I've been locked in this meeting room since 9am and we're no further forward. I could stab myself with a fork just for something to do.

Another half a lb off overnight bringing me back to the lowest weight I've seen this BC. Very good if relatively standard day of food, but what was different was LOTS of water and no eating between meals, with an early dinner. Definitely some momentum here. On the water, I only "need" 2 litres, usually manage more but had so much chamomile and mint tea to keep me warm in addition to 1.5 litres plain water that I totalled 3 litres water/herbal tea, plus a cup of builders tea with milk. Have decided to just "ban" mid morning snacks, it's totally unnecessary and so planning to just put them in the same box mentally as all the crap biscuits/cake etc there always is at work and declaring it off limits. Also trying to keep my overnight window between eating to at least 12 hours, so basically no squares of chocolate etc later in the evening. I have breakfast at 7am unless I'm swimming so not always possible, but a good target.
Yesterday:
B: 2 eggs scrambled with butter
L: chicken and egg salad (low carb Caesar dressing plus olive oil, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, a little parmesan) and Greek yogurt plus about 3 brazil nuts
D: salmon, green beans, kale all with butter
Today:
B: two egg, courgette and two cheese omelette
L: salad as yesterday, Greek yogurt with tsp almond butter
D: bolognese on courgetti with sprinkling of parmesan

@BrassicaBabe you need to suggest a "creative recharging break" and go and get some fresh air!

@prettybird

I spent 1.5 hours in a meeting this morning with a plateful of assorted pastries inched away from my nose and I did not eat any of them. I don't know how I did that.

DH out tonight and my dinner needs minimal prep, and then I'm swimming in the morning, so due to an early dinner with DS and late breakfast at work I'm going to plan for a 16 hour fast.

I have face planted into the cheese square/grape sticks. (Removing them grapes). But I have avoided the huge pile of donuts that someone else added to my order. 😩

Gaah, I self sabotaged last night after doing so well. It was a work dinner, we were eating late, and I was starving so dove into the breadbasket :( I think my failing was obviously 1 - allowing myself to get too hungry and 2 - not having enough fat at lunch. It was just a chicken salad with no dressing.

I'm away with work at a posh hotel for the next 3 days also will be stuck in endless meetings. I would be happy to STS this week tbh. There's usually so much drinking at these things and I really don't want to, but also worried that all my (male) bosses will think I'm pregnant! Any ideas of what I can say?

Thanks all

@Mimosa1 It's mad isn't it that we have to make excuses for not drinking alcohol! If you want an excuse "antibiotics" is a good go-to but we should all be able to say "I don't fancy a drink" and it be left at that. Peer pressure to drink should be left behind with teenage acne.

@Mimosa1, I’d say something along the lines of ,

DH * and I did dry January, and decided to carry on it’s a bit of a competition now , obviously I’m not giving in before him so I’ll have a sparkling water please

• add person of choice

Can you not just say "Oh, I'm on a diet"? I know we don't refer to it as a diet on here, but it simplifies things if you're talking to someone else, and I imagine they'll change the conversation quite quickly.

Or , I’m not drinking at the moment

TheClitterati have you tried silicone sheets for your scar? My mum got a bad scar from a biopsy and she used ScarAway silicone sheets to great effect.

Hope you decide to stay around harvey

Agree it’s bonkers that the default is to drink!