Low Carb Bootcamp Ordinaire - Week 3

[BIWI]

Morning all!

The start of a brand new week. Hopefully it will be a better week - emotionally/psychologically - for us all.

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness for you to record your progress.

Hopefully we've all had a good couple of weeks, food and weight wise.

Be warned that we're now in week 3. Many, many, many low carbers (not just Bootcampers) find that the weight loss can slow or stop in this week (and also week 4)

If this happens to you DON'T PANIC! If you've been losing so far, then you know it works. Just KOKO (keep on keeping on) and things will get going again soon.

Good luck to us all [ flowers]

Takeaway for us tonight, so not the best food but we did pretty well. Chicken kebab, minus the bread, loads of salad and mayo.

Apart from that, I had a creamy coffee for breakfast

It’s hard to reply to individuals as it goes so fast as I’m only on the phone but thanks for the onederland explanation. I also thought it could be losing one pound a week.

Happy birthday to the lemon drizzle cake person! I personally think as it’s your bday you’re allowed. No big stick from me. Not that I have the Big Stick Authority 😂

Re breastfeeding, i always found that it made me hold onto weight so you might find it helps you lose it too.

Now, I have a question about cycles. No wonder i feel so bloated and have been emotional. AF started today after only 25 days. I’m usually a 28/29 dayer. Not saying I haven’t had shorter and longer cycles before - occasionally my body does throw one in just to annoy me - but it’s not often. Does anyone know if this WOE would affect a cycle @BIWI? I AM also almost 46 but all my hormones were tested last year (I know things can change) and were all still ‘normal’ and no sigh of peri menopause as yet.

Any form of weight loss can cause temporary changes to your menstrual cycle since extra oestrogen is released when you start burning body fat. On Bootcamp we've seen ovulation bleeding (appears as a second, lighter period within a menstrual cycle), heavier than usual bleeding while on hormonal contraception, breakthrough bleeding with the coil, and return of periods in the peri/post-menopausal. It typically resolves within two or three cycles.

(stuntnun Reposted from another thread)

I have mighty willpower today!!
I usually have porridge before 7am when I'm working because I know that breaks are a bit hit and miss. I've been doing ok with IF so thought I'd try going without breakfast today and packed a tuna salad for later. Well, as usual, every time I thought I might take a break, a new disaster occurred so IF became TF (totally fasting) ie starving! No drinks, no lovely packed lunch. I got home with an impending migraine, I could easily have eaten a packet of biscuits but I made a coffee and dutifully sat down to eat my salad. I feel virtuous and rather smug at the moment but it could so easily have gone wrong 😱.
In future, will a bit of porridge be possible again, BIWI?

No need to do that - but do make sure that you are super strict. Eat more fat, drink more water and do more exercise.
@BIWI will do, thanks

worm why not have a few hard-boiled eggs instead of porridge?

prettybird And of course, I can't possibly wear jeans without the finishing touch of a belt

I'm still working Has seriously over run. DD just bought up HM coleslaw and 2 sausages. Sausages maybe a bit carby but had tuna mayo for lunch so I think I've got wiggle room

Couldn't face cooking tonight - no idea what is up with me but I'm in a real slump at the minute. My lovely DH came to the rescue with halloumi and lardons wrapped in lettuce leave with an avocado, cherry tom and shallot salsa.

He's not the best cook in the world but this was lovely and meant I had 20 mins to cuddle with DS before he went to bed, which I think we both needed after a stress day at work/school/the kitchen table.

I finished the last mouthful just before my eating window shut. Not quite the dairy free day I had planned, mind!

@Freetodowhatiwant onederland is when you finally move from 200lbs to it starting with a one. Anyone who hovers around this point will know what I mean!

Greek yogurt for breakfast, feta salad for lunch and chicken tray bake with salad and mayo. Also my appetite has taken a plunge which it always does when I am on fully on this, which is great!

Ok so had a much better day today in terms of food. Tried a few nuts. But these are very hard to digest and I don’t think I could eat them in any more than small doses. I upped my fats and drank a lot of water. I also managed a little dog walk this morning and haven’t actually crashed this afternoon. Energy still very low and still feel like I’m wearing lead boots but I managed to climb the stairs for bed without help or crawling up them. Hoping I’m coming out the other side...

Aha thanks for the info about the menstrual cycle @Ninkanink. That’s good then! Hopefully my early period is a sign I’m getting rid of fat. And for explaining the onederland @NigellaAwesome. Must feel great. I’m hovering a pound above going down to the next stone which is always a good place to be (if I do go down rather than hover that is).

Oh and also FL of veg! I’ve forgotten the other letter but will know it when I see it next time!

I think I’ve had an ok food day:

11.45am a few cherry tomatoes and a couple of slices of cheese to break fast
2pm Big salad with mozarella and mayo
4pm another slice of cheese
6pm roasted fennel, broccoli and hake all in olive oil and some more mayo

Now I’m looking at it I’m worried it’s wrong, too cheese? It wasn’t a huge amount. I’m a bit sick of eggs and also salmon and don’t eat meat.

Oh I also had 3 teas with a dash of milk in and have been trying to have only 2 with milk in. The three were in my 8 hour window though.

Hello 👋🏻

There's another thread on here that I've been lurking on that's about weight and dress size. It's awful. People are so spiteful. It's made me feel very low about my weight . I know I'm currently working towards a better me, I guess it's just that before I was blissfully ignorant about how some people may view me.

Anybody have any advice for how to shrug it off?

Also, for long term and seasoned LCHFers, does anybody have any suggestions for a cheese sauce that doesn't use cream? I'm not necessarily trying to keep away from calories but I'd rather avoid having full cream in a sauce if possible? I want to make to make a lovely cheesy cauliflower cheese.

Why do you want to avoid full cream?

The only other way I can think of making cheese sauce is to melt cream cheese and add lots of grated cheddar

Stay away from MN craziness Numbs Stick with us!

I love the LC cheese sauce. But it's way too much dairy/calories for me. I'm not aware of a sauce without cream though I'm afraid.

@BIWI melting cream cheese sounds like a very good plan! I remember you mentioned that we shouldn't include too much cream in this woe so that was mainly why, but also I did check how many calories were in cream during week 1 and now I feel uncomfortable eating it .

Thank you @BrassicaBabe when I started to feel extra self conscious and crap I realised there's a whole thread full of people who are on the same journey as me and I should pop by to chat to them instead.

I was planning a week of meals in preparation for shopping tomorrow, and am already looking forward to having fathead pizza next week! That's ok on BC lite, right, the recipe I use has lots of ground almonds. It's my favourite and I will probably make enough for several meals.
Today was ok
L- salad with ham
Snacks- creamy coffee and Cheesies
D-aubergine and courgette 'pizzas'

@BIWI I am prescribed ramipril for my blood pressure. I am not great at remembering to take tablets so can't say that I have really taken it regularly except for this last month when I have been consistent. I had thought losing weight would have sorted it, but when I checked it hadn't, so I started to do better at taking the tablets.

Just taken a reading, 111 over 87, so still a bit high despite the medication.

I had salt on my dinner and have just drunk an oxo. I had magnesium supplements in the cupboard already (lack of consistency applies to these as well!), so have had these as well, and hoping for a more gentle wake-up tomorrow.

Doctor doesn't know about low carb - I don't go often apart from to pick up prescription but I will mention it next time they want to review medication.

I've just spent a rather pleasant few hours down a Reddit rabbit hole for intermittent fasting. Loads of great progress pics to inspire if anyone is in need of a boost.

Anybody have any advice for how to shrug it off?

I care what nice people think. I couldn't give a shiny shite what arseholes think. We can eat differently, they'll still be a horrible person.

Numbsnet you’re not working towards a better you!

You’re working towards better health, feeling better in yourself or maybe being able to wear the kinds of clothes you like to wear or do the kinds of things you like to do.

Your worth as a person is not tied up in what your outside looks like. You are no better or worse depending on whether you’re bigger/smaller.

@NumbsMet for cheese topping I use a mix of full fat cottage cheese, ready grated parmesan, ready grated mozzarella, and a beaten egg. Just mixed in a bowl and chucked on top of whatever you are cooking. It's amazing and so, so easy. Can't quite believe that I faffed for years making a roux and beating and whisking and adding milk slowly..

 thank you so much @Ninkanink and @MrsTerryPratchett! That meant so much and you're both very right. For the first time in over a decade I am achieving something that I started to believe I never could, and I feel likely to hit my goal. This thread is really brilliant, thanks for your advice.

@venusandmars I can't believe I didn't think of egg before!! And cottage cheese again it never seven crossed my mind!! I will definitely try this method, thank you. I will also try making a lasagne (with veggie 'pasta') with that sauce - if it works I'll be in heaven.

NumbsMet - my mum's wonderful lasagne recipe didn't use a bechamel sauce and instead uses layers of cottage cheese/ricotta mixed with a beaten egg (I've tried it with both and you can't tell the difference), mozzarella & Parmesan with the tomato & meat sauce and lasagne (normal) or thinly sliced courgettes. It's yummy!

It's in the recipe thread.