Week 4 - Low Carb Bootcamp - how much chatting?!

[BIWI]

So much chatting, I've had to start a new thread.

here's the Spreadsheet of Absolute Fabulousness

Remember, this week (like week 3) is notorious for seeing little or no weight gain, so please don't panic if the scales aren't moving for you - always assuming, of course, that you have been following the rules 100%!

Also, the Very Amazing @StuntNun has started a thread about fasting. Fasting isn't a regular part of Bootcamp, but it's a tool that you can use in your weight loss 'journey' (sorry for the cliché!)

have a look here, and think about if it's something you might want to incorporate into Bootcamp

I hope very much that things are going well for you, and that you're into the swing of things low carb by now; but as ever, post any questions/issue here and let's see if we can help.

@BIWI

There is also a theory that our bodies have a 'set point weight', which it has got used to/tries to ensure that you stay at.

Why it should be higher than any of us want to be is a mystery to me!

There's some interesting information about it here

Two key things I took from that:

• don't deprive your body of calories, as this will slow your metabolism down
• slower weight loss is better than sudden/fast loss, as you might get from a 'fad' diet

Definitely true in my case, although over the past couple of years I've shifted mine down by a stone. If I could do that again, I'd be thrilled.

I really didn't mean to complain. I was just sharing that I felt a bit discouraged right now.

Hello campers, just checking in. 1.8lb off this week, taking total for this bootcamp to 8.6lbs. I am very pleased with progress. There seems to be a pattern of a drop early in the week, back up and hovering there for a few days before finally loosing for good a few days later, which sounds very like the fat cells filling with water theory. Intriguing!
L - some coarse pate from the farm shop squidged onto slices of cucumber and pieces of a slice of gouda cheese (it was brilliant, really fulfilled my need for pate without missing the bread) and a portion of leftover Lamb Keema with more cucumber and a bit of hm coleslaw. Monday is 'use up all the leftovers and empty the plastic boxes in the fridge' day.
D - I'm not sure. I was thinking of an easy curry from a ready made sauce I have in the cupboard and then I read the nutritional information Definitely something to pour over ts broccoli as I have shedloads of it in the fridge. Creamy pesto chicken? Or a variation on Alfredo? At least I've given myself some ideas. Will also have a look at the recipe thread.
I'm also a WaterLogged app user and I really like it. I agree with a PP that it's much harder on the weekend when out of routine though.

I'm very nearly at 10 stone which is the lowest weight I've been in my adult life. I think giving up the booze and walking 10 000 steps a day has made a huge difference this boot camp.

Just had a delicious lunch of chicken liver pilaff made with shallots, bacon and cauliflower rice

0.9kg off for me, which isn't bad as I only started 6 days ago. Have not had enough water the last few days so downloaded that waterlogged app. May have had a few sneaky handfuls of peanuts, which is not really allowed as I'm at the beginning, so will hide those (DS left them on the worktop). Other than that, no cheats or slip ups.

Ended up fasting today (apart from 1 creamy coffee at 7am) as I was too busy trying to get snow off my car to make my breakfast and lunch, then I left work at lunchtime as it was still snowing at home and I didn't want to come back after dark (luckily had no patients this afternoon, just admin).
Came home and DH was making lunches then DD wanted to go sledging, so haven't had lunch. Just a Zero tablet in water for now. Looking forward to all the fats for dinner later!

DD thought it would be funny if I attempted standing on the sledge, we were very impressed with my balance, until I came off! My waterproof trousers are so tight they rather restricted my range of movement so I did not come off gracefully and am now rather sore in places and a slight headache from the force of landing!

DH is cleaning the fridge. For the first time in our 15.5 years together. I moaned the other day about something spilled in there and how I always end up doing that job, and he's now doing it! It will be immaculate, I expect, as he does do things more thoroughly than I do, but it's taken almost an hour so far and some considerable swearing!

Please please please don't worry about your weight not dropping or even going up slightly. It can be worth getting a few days of meals looked at by experienced Bootcampers to see if there's anything obvious going on but most of you do not need to start making changes or cutting out dairy at this stage. If you're having dairy multiple times per day, for example at one or two meals and a couple of creamy coffees then you could try limiting dairy to no more than twice a day but very few people need to cut it out entirely in order to lose weight. Weight loss is not a linear process. Even if you were eating the "perfect" low carb diet with a quantity calories and macros tailored to your exact requirements you would still have weeks where the scales didn't drop or went up. It's completely normal.

In 2013 I lost 30 lb in five months over two Bootcamps to reach my target weight of 9st 6lb.If you look at the graph of my weight loss taken monthly then it looks great, doesn't it? A good fast drop over the first couple of months then, once I'd reached a normal BMI, a slower reduction over the next three months. On average I lost a pound and a third every week. Absolute text book weight loss!

The only trouble is, look at the second graph with every weight measurement I recorded. Suddenly there's a big jump in there, a couple of smaller jumps, a few weeks where the scales didn't budge... and that's not counting the days I didn't even log my weight on the app because it was too depressing! Maybe the graph does still look good, after all I lost all the excess weight and kept it off. But being in the middle of that weight loss it felt like really hard work and that sometimes I wasn't getting anywhere. If I could have seen that graph when I was part way through my weight loss journey then I would have reached my ideal weight even more quickly. So let me assure you, this Way of Eating really works and it will work for you. All you have to do is follow the rules. I'm 44 years old now and I weigh the same as I did when I was 24 years old. So if you're struggling, remember to KOKO - keep on keeping on - and the weight will come off... just never in a neat and tidy x pounds each week every week.

@Dailyhandtowelwash

I really didn't mean to complain. I was just sharing that I felt a bit discouraged right now.

I know. And I sympathise. Maybe take a step back, if you can, and just enjoy what you're eating (all low carb of course!) over the next few days? Stress is also something that impacts weight negatively!

@MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously

I am starving today. Had bacon, 2 fried eggs and mushrooms for breakfast, celery sticks with peanut butter and a chunk of double gloucester for lunch. Trying not to eat until dinner which will be pork belly and flgv. Staving off the hunger with ginger tea. No idea where this has come from though.

If you had a bad week last week, which I think you said you did, then you've kicked off the carb cravings again.

Don't forget to drink plenty of water - that will help with the hunger pangs too.

I've had a gander at the rules and I'm struggling to see where it says about chocolate! I'm on my phone so could have missed it quite easily!

I'm doing my Sainsbury's shop - please could somebody recommend which chocolate I need to buy?

[quote StuntNun]@kilojules how did you make your pork cracking in the air fryer? I have a role of pork skin in the freezer but I'm clueless what do do with it.[/quote]
Defrost, pat dry. I cut it into squares/whatever shapes with kitchen scissors (ok I got my son to do it cos there was so much of it ) use sharp scissors if you can, a knife is much longer and harder. Season well with sea salt and whatever seasoning you would like. Set air fryer on the high (about 230) or highest you have. Air fry for 5 mins, turn over for another 5 mins and if still not ready check it in another 2. It goes from barely there to charred like toast so keep an eye. I found them quite crunchy though in the air fryer. Much nicer the longer route. Do share when you make them! 👍🏼

Chocolate only occasionally, @ChristMyArse! And definitely at least 70% cocoa, ideally 85 or even 90%. One or two squares at a time, not the whole bar!

Remember, we're trying to lose the hold that sweet things have over us.

Thanks BIWI, thinking about it I don't actually need it, so will give it a miss until I'm further down the line.

@ChristMyArse

I've had a gander at the rules and I'm struggling to see where it says about chocolate! I'm on my phone so could have missed it quite easily!

I'm doing my Sainsbury's shop - please could somebody recommend which chocolate I need to buy?

I bought 85% green and blacks. Basically the darker the better I think.

I need to find something in small bars as the big one being there open is so tempting

... or not buy it at all, if it's tempting you?

@ChristMyArse I eat this chocolate - only occasionally. It is very dark so one square seems like enough, and has 1.4g carb. Even better, if you mix ff yogurt and cream, and a few berries and grate chocolate over the top... It is hard to use more than half a square.

LittleMy77 in one sentence you’ve persuaded me to purchase the Serious Pig cheese thingies.

My husband recently ordered the Itsu seaweed—he’s just looking around for tasty things to munch on while working from home and coincidentally ordered them. They’re certainly flavourful but I don’t think I’d eat many in one go.

Have to admit I was also smiling at the person (can’t remember!) who thought, not unreasonably, that they might be more like a cracker and tried to have them with a slice of cheese on top. They are ridiculously flimsy—I could probably break them with a feather.

Oh, and I’ve also caved and will try the Seriously Low Carb bread. If for no other reason than to substitute it so husband doesn’t turn into a loaf (quickest thing for him to make for lunch is a sandwich and he’s, ahem, suffering from the Covid 19 pounds. Carries it well—I suppose it does help when you’re 6’2” and have been rangey your whole life . Still, would be nice if the belly went down a bit.

That was me Shag I did persevere and made a flimsy arctic roll with the spready cheese.

Tuna steak tonight with the ready meal cauli cheese. Will report back!

Can’t wait for a massive food shop on Wednesday, I feel like all I’ve eaten is eggs and chicken 😂
My favourite chicken thighs are roasting in the oven, going to make a huge oily salad to go alongside and some cubes of Brie on top.
Had a cheese omelette and broccoli for lunch.
Catching up with the water now.
It’s a cold one tonight isn’t!
My Lindt dark chocolate is still unopened in the fridge, most unheard of in this house usually!

Wow that post was a most random collection of thoughts 😂

Look what's happened to my low carb bread! It's still in date but I've had to throw it away. Gutted! I should have put it in the freezer.

That's mould if you cant see it properly.

All this talk of chocolate reminded me of the mini green and blacks chocolate bar I've had in my coat pocket for over a week. So I ate it. It was nice, but would have preferred 85% to 70%. Made a nice dessert after my mega salad.
Mega salad included crispy kale, salad leaves, tiny bit of red pepper, crispy bacon, crispy chorizo (can you tell I'm really enjoying my air fryer?!), goats cheese, 2 boiled eggs, sprinkling of parmesan and a dressing made from EVOO, red wine vinegar, wholegrain mustard and mayo.
Reckon I got enough nutrients in that as it was my only meal today, apart from two creamy coffees (maybe a third later).

Check the bread didn't arrive like that - I've had to send batches back before now because they've arrived mouldy.

@cheeseisthebest yikes. How long did that take to go mouldy?

As it is still in date, I would ask for a refund/replacement.

I've had a good food day think!

11.30 boiled eggs with mayo and butter, smoked salmon and avocado.
3pm courgettes and leeks cooked in butter mixed with some cooked chicken, stirred through with greek yoghurt and parmesan.
6.30 wasnt massively hungry really but had steak and green beans with a bit of stilton crumbled on top. Couldnt be bothered to make a sauce! I did eat the steak fat but it was very greasy and I wasnt a fan. I mixed some butter in with my green beans.

My husband made a vegan moussaka and I tried a mouthful. It was delicious but has lentils and beans. Is that off limits for me? If I can have it was going to have that for tea tomorrow as there's loads left.

Btw I dont normally eat such posh food! Smoked salmon and steak in one day!