Week 3 - Jan '21 Low Carb Bootcamp - time for Light?

[BIWI]

Well thanks to all the chat, I've had to start this week's thread earlier than usual

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness for you to declare all

You now have a choice: you can move on to Bootcamp Light, which means you can re-introduce nuts and seeds, some fruit and alcohol - all in moderation.

However, also bear in mind that weeks 3 & 4 are notorious for little or not weight loss and this is nothing to do with moving on to Bootcamp Light. It's just something that seems to happen.

So it's up to you. You can stay on Bootcamp if you wish, or move on to Bootcamp Light, or a hybrid - so you do Bootcamp during the week but relax into Bootcamp Light at the weekend.

Whatever you decide - good luck! Here's to a good week ahead.

@Pandoraslastchance I envy you, I'm still battling a sweet tooth. You'll have to change your username to six dinner sid

Pandora I wouldn't worry about portion sizes. When I reached my goal weight of 60 kg I was eating an average of 1800 calories a day - a far cry from the ever more extreme calorie restriction you see in calorie counted diets. There's a metabolic advantage to eating low carb. It takes more calories to digest your food than when you're eating a lot of highly digestible carbs. Also surplus ketone bodies are excreted in the urine which removes another amount of calories from the body unused. The metabolic advantage could be around 300 calories a day so as a rough guide 1800 calories on low carb is the equivalent of 1500 calories on a standard diet. So we'll urge you to eat lots of veggies and lots of fat and really fill yourself up. You're letting your body know that there's plenty of food available so no need to hang on to those pesky fat stores. When it comes to portion control the foods to watch out for are those that are high calorie and easy to overeat such as nuts, cream and cheese. A packet of nuts can be as much as 600 calories and it is perfectly possible to eat the whole pack without feeling full. If you were to eat the same amount of calories as boiled eggs that would be 7-8 boiled eggs. I don't think anyone could mindlessly eat seven boiled eggs without feeling rather full!

Oh no, lovely @MrsOmelette and @Ninkanink!
Sending thoughts, flowers and Seedlip your way.

Sorry you've had bad new MrsOmlette.

Think I've had another good food day,

Breakfast- boiled eggs and ham with butter and mayo.
Lunch - made up a strange lunch, fried some courgette and spinach in butter, served with some cold cooked chicken including skin and some greek yoghurt with paprika on top. It was delicious!
Tea - lamb steak with lots of fat, then fried some cabbage, mushrooms and green beans in butter, stirred through some dijon mustard and cream.

Second day no cheese!
Am absolutely stuffed.
Had one tea, one coffee with cream and 5 pints of water.

That lunch sounds great to me Cheese! I had leftover chicken and cauli Alfredo for lunch. Supper is a mushroom omelette with salad, buttered/salted radishes and vinaigrette.

The food delivery arrived today and is distinctly underwhelming. Lots of out-of-stocks and very few useful substitutions. This must be what it was like in the war

@Oneborneverydecade me too! I'd hoped to crack the chocolate addiction by now but not a day goes by without me dreaming of a big bar of Dairy Milk! 🍫

@Pandoraslastchance I have the same worry, but for me target is a LONG way off. At the moment I'm eating big portions and losing weight so I'm going to stick with it and hope it keeps working. Honestly, I'll be thrilled if I even get half way to a healthy weight, so if I get to a point where portion control is my main problem that would feel like a win for me.

I'm a big believer in changing one small thing at a time, it's the best way to make things sustainable. So I'd advise settling into this WOE following the tips and support offered, and not worrying about portion control until it becomes clear it's a problem

@nowlook

That lunch sounds great to me Cheese! I had leftover chicken and cauli Alfredo for lunch. Supper is a mushroom omelette with salad, buttered/salted radishes and vinaigrette.

The food delivery arrived today and is distinctly underwhelming. Lots of out-of-stocks and very few useful substitutions. This must be what it was like in the war

Oh shame!

I keep being down on myself for my weight loss stagnating and having had a few slip ups but going to try and look at all the positives-

I'm so much fuller.
I'm sleeping well.
Mood and skin are great.
I'm reversing my pre-diabetes.
I have hopefully kicked my sugar addiction.
I'm eating a lot more veg.
Hopefully on the way to curing my binge eating.
Motivated to exercise.
I'm very well hydrated!!

I'm sure there's more but over January I've achieved a lot and need to remind myself!

Well done to all of us!

Those are great NSVs @cheeseisthebest

My biggest positives from January are finally potty training our 2yo and making over £300 selling stuff on ebay

Is almond flour the same as ground almonds? Can we make frangipane with a sugar substitute? Can anyone recommend a recipe please?

Thank you.

I actually feel a bit emotional, I've been on this on and off for years, diagnosed with pre diabetes several years ago, I was very slim until my mid 20s, then had kids and at 42 I'm a stone over a healthy BMI but that's a lot cos im very short! Always had a sugar addiction but now feel absolutely fine watching my husband and kids eat chocolate etc. Tried some on Friday and it was horrible.

I really really hope I've cracked this. Thank you all for being such a lovely bunch x

Just caught up with the thread.
Been a weird day today, as food has all been fine. But only managed to drink two thirds of my water allocation and I feel like i’ve had a cheat day for some reason! A really guilty feeling.
Made DHs favourite creamy cajun chicken pasta tonight. Usually it all gets mixed in one with the pasta but i added the cream and spices to just the chicken and had mine with salad. Was lovely and i felt stuffed after.

Evening everyone.

Bad day here also today!

Started off well with
Bacon with a Bacardi and cucumber
Massive veggie lunch fried with salad

Then the 4 year old fell backwards off her chair and cut her head open. Blood everywhere. Slightly overreacted and called for an ambulance. Been sat in A and E all afternoon/evening and am now home! The small one is fine, nothing could be done without shaving her head so they have decided to let it heal by itself.

I'm currently having a creamy tea and a cigarette in the shed to get over the stress. I'm miles off my water target but I wasn't peeing there so held off drinking! Usually I would tell myself that in that situation it would be fine to eat chocolate but I refrained.. unusual!

I will be putting my arse in bed soon, with said child in with me. Suspect it will be a long night.

Bloody kids

Bacon with avocado not a Bacardi, however it wouldn't have been a bad call...

for those who have had difficult news. I'm feeling quite angsty with one (adult) dc waiting for covid test results, and other (adult) dc having relationship problems Nothing I can do about either, which just leaves me feeling worried and useless...

Anyway, sourced a decent sized aubergine and made the lamb mince into the delicious IPD Moussaka (it's about 4th down on the meat recipe thread). Half of it eaten tonight and half left for later.

@Ninkanink and @MrsOmelette

Scales 0.5lbs down, fine with that.
Food wasn’t great today quite carby, and no green veg at all
B- scrambled eggs with butter&mayo, half an avocado, slice of cheese and slice of corned beef
L- 4 low carb sausages in a low carb bun with lots of butter and 10ml of brown sauce. Followed by a few spoons of peanut butter
S- pork scratchings (the last of them and not buying anymore)
D- 3 chicken thighs with some Boursin. Followed by a few spoons of peanut butter

1 oxo, 4 coffee with almond milk, 3.5L water

Back on BC properly tomo and cutting out the nut butters as I don’t moderate well. Same with the pork scratchings. Prepared for big stick.

@ChristMyArse 🤣😂😆 at the bicardi for breakfast

@venusandmars and @ChristMyArse seems it’s bad days all round today.

I forgot to come back with the weigh in. Not good news I am afraid - +1lb for this week. I am not fully surprised as I have been on and off the scales all week. And I will just try harder I guess! I am losing the faith a little bit but not necessarily with low carb. Just with high fat I guess. I don't know!

On the plus side, one more pint of water and I have reached target! I can do that!

@Motivateinmotion avocado is green

You're right, not enough healthy veg (although we all have occasional days like that, and it's the balance that counts), but I don't see what was carby in your food, unless the peanut butter had sugar / carbs?

@DulcetMoans

When you say 'just try harder' what do you mean? Have you been eating off bootcamp rules? Have you been cheating? If yes, then sticking to the rules will help. If no, then why not list some of your recent meals so people can help with suggestions.

@venusandmars I did give in to some 85% chocolate for pudding and some Lilt Zero. I guess I hoped it wouldn't do damage! But I think the meals have been ok overall.

Today has been:

B- FF yoghurt and mixed spice and a boiled egg (every day)
L- Sausage, mushrooms, chopped halloumi and broccoli
D- Stewed steak and veg (tomato based sauce). Yesterday was omlette with broccoli, cheese and chorizo.

I am cooking in salted butter. I am frying lunch most days which is usually some fried veg in butter, sausage if I have them, some kind of cheese. That is what I am starting to question - friend food, in butter, every day!

ChristMyArse, your Bacardi breakfast made me laugh! Glad you and little one are ok and well done for resisting the chocolate.

I failed yesterday and had a slice of DS's cake. I think it's the boredom, lockdown is doing my head in and DH has been working all weekend so no one to talk to. No excuses though, I fully deserve the stick.
Today
B- creamy coffee
L- tuna mayo and HM coleslaw, another creamy coffee
D- stir fried veg with bare naked noodles, salmon

I think I'm struggling with dehydration. I'm drinking 5 litres per day, adding lo-salt to some of it, and plenty of salt to my food. Also eating potassium and magnesium rich foods like avocado, spinach and mushrooms.

I have a constant dry mouth, which I understand from previous chat on the threads is probably my electrolyte balance. I went for a vein check yesterday for plasma donation and two separate nurses asked me if I had drunk enough that day when they were trying to find my veins.

I don't know how to fix this. More salt feels wrong, I feel like I'm already having loads. How much do people add to water to make an electrolyte drink? I've been shaking a bit in, but not loads, probably about 1/3 teaspoon in a 240ml glass

Didn’t weigh in this morning , as I’d had 2 big glasses of water and a black coffee before I remembered it was Monday ( ruddy lockdown and every day being the same )
Had a good day , did some squats and some tummy crunches ( and I’m pretty sure there’s less tummy to crunch )
No breakfast , just water and coffee
Lunch was a mushroom ham & cheese omlette, cooked in butter with green salad leaves and some avocado ( olive oil on top )
Dinner 2 sausages , ratatouille, buttery mashed celeriac, broccoli
Lots of water , a couple of herb teas and a walk this afternoon

@venusandmars I think there’s an aubergine shortage , as I’ve not seen one in ages , so pounced when I saw them in Tesco !
I’ve grown up DC too , ones fine , settled in a good job , lives with nice GF , the other is home with us , lost job due to Covid and I worry about her all the time

Ouchmyfeet that's a lot of water. Your body might not be able to maintain correct sodium levels even with the addition of electrolytes. Try drinking less, maybe two to three litres max for a couple of days and see whether that helps. As an informal test try putting some salt directly on your tongue. If it tastes nice, rather than too salty, then you're probably low in sodium.