Low Carb Week 7 - Our final weeks

[BIWI]

Forgive me friends, for I have sinned ...

DS1's birthday today so I've been very absent from the thread.

Here is the spreadsheet for you to confess all

Will confess all tomorrow

Good luck to you all

@Oneborneverydecade

Thank you *@Bestbees and @ditavonteesed* (well done on your nsv!)

@nowlook would you contemplate embracing your greys? I'd love to be 100% grey

Sorry to hear you've been unwell @ChristMyArse hope you feel better soon

@VeryLittleOwl what's the story with those shorts? They're tiny! I don't think I really held onto much, which means I know have to shop - yay but also have some regret - soft black leather jacket I mean you

The shorts are an old size 10 - I bought them on eBay for 99p in summer 2011, when we were off to see the Foo Fighters at Milton Keynes and then going on our honeymoon, which was the first hot overseas holiday I'd had in years. The brand is Moto, which I think is an old Topshop sub-brand, and Topshop weren't known for their generous sizing back in the day. I've never got rid of them because it's always been a goal to get back to a size where I could wear them in public if I chose to - I'll be 46 this summer, so I think it's unlikely, but they'll certainly get put to use when I'm working outside at home once they're comfortable again.

I'm pretty sure I was a 14 in Moto in the 90s @VeryLittleOwl. I was 10 stone, so goodness knows what your shorts would be in today's sizing!

I think that lovely shiny silver only comes with significant salon help Oneborn. Mine is much duller when in grows out. My mother is also very anti-grey, but she's existed on cottage cheese and jacket potato for 40 years, so not an oracle

@Pleaseandthankyou well done, a healthy bp reading is worth so much. That's why I started low-carbing too.

@ChristMyArse hope you're feeling better today

Now who were all the people talking about piles? My body heard you and decided to join in haven't had a problem there since birth of first dc 33 years ago. Why now?

I'm another with fine, flat, flyaway hair. Can't do anything with it styling wise (except tie it up) but it is as soft as a rabbit's fur. I either have to have it really short, or quite long. Anything in between and it just looks useless. After being blonde as a child, I've been mousey brown for 40 years, with occasional natural highlights when I've been in the sun. I gave up colouring it about 10 years ago. Bizarrely, as I've got older and a few grey strand have started to appear, I look blonder than I have for years as the grey mixes with the highlights, and a few months from being 60 I don't really look like I've got much grey at all. Obviously the effect is better in the summer than the winter so I'm hoping for lots of spring and early summer sunshine so I look like a golden goddess by July

So food...
dh and I are participating in an event today - not really a sporting event, but an active outdoor one nonetheless. We've been fuelling up ready for a long day. Breakfast for me was bacon, fried egg, fried mushrooms, protein rye bread, and bullet proof coffee. dh had cereal, toast, jam, banana and has gone out with his pockets stuffed full of energy bars and chocolate brownies. He will get hungry and need the snacks, I will feel full till the evening. Such different approaches

A one-minute plank is very impressive Doilooklikeatourist, well done! Are you doing forearm or straight arm plank? I can't do the forearm ones as they hurt my shoulder for some reason.

I'm sorry to hear about your uncle ListenLinda.

That's great about your blood pressure Pleaseandthankyou and low carb is renowned for lowering blood pressure so it might be more about your diet than the amount of weight loss.

I'm going to be in school all next week so I've been planning packed lunches. I have a cheeseburger pie in the oven, a pot of prawn cocktail to take one day and a bag in the car filled with pork scratchings, olives and peanuts. Hopefully that will keep me going for a few days. I normally work from home so I'm not used to being out of the house for lunch.

Now that I'm posting I've just realised I haven't put my earrings in yet today so I'd better go and do that now. I'm having the period from hell - I've gone through five nighttime pads already - so I'm feeling a bit yucky and sorry for myself today. Maybe some nice earrings will cheer me up a bit. If not I may make a start on the cheeseburger pie lol!

Welcome @LibbyL92 

Loving the pet pics and the chat . I'm not going to post a pic of my dogs, because they're very unique-looking, and I like to stay reasonably anonymous on here. (I'm very important, you see). (Not really).

BIWI you look fabulous! Definitely an ad for this WOE. And you nowlook!

I think that the way many of us talk about ourselves gives an impression of fat frumpiness, which is (clearly) misleading. (Or, having read on, what @Pleaseandthankyou said).

God, @ChristMyArse that sounds horrendous . Hope you're feeling better!

Waving to everyone else.

I'm bored too atm, but have planned treats at the weekend to combat it, so have managed to stay on plan. Weight is coming off! 🎉

My hair is very thick and wavy. I used to hate it, but I appreciate it now. Sacked of curly girl as it seems to give me dermatitis on my scalp. Yuck.

Hey everyone.

Thank you for the welcome.

Any advice for headaches? I’m sure it’s the diet and lack of sugar. Been drinking just under 2 litres a day, maybe up the water?

I have cheese wrapped in bacon for breakfast!

Planning on having a roast today! Turkey and green veg :)

Not enough water @LibbyL92- sorry! Depending on your weight, you should have at least 2.5 litres. Also make sure you're getting enough salt. Salt on everything and in everything

Get some electrolytes Libby. A pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice in water should help.

@nowlook @StuntNun

Thank you both, Will up and add salt.

Before I went onto this way of eating I barely drank anything, so 1.5 litres is massive for me, but you’re right definitely need more now!

Thanks a lot

@VeryLittleOwl congratulations on the shorts, that's an amazing difference! I'm always jealous of shorter people as it takes a lot less weight loss to show a difference (I'm 5'10" so most people are shorter than me, not trying to call you short in a bad way!). With my frame, I'll never be a size 10 without looking ill, which I'm fine with. I'd love to be a 12 again but it's about 4 stone away and I'm only 16/18 now.

@nowlook my hair only looks in good condition because I cut it and put some layers in, so all the dry and dead bits are gone. It breaks so easily, I have many many short annoying baby hairs all over my head.

@pleaseandthankyou congratulations on the BP. Low carb really does make a difference, I reckon it's the lower blood sugar as that makes your blood thicker/stickier (hence people with type 2 diabetes being higher risk for heart attacks and strokes).

@LibbyL92 welcome and definitely get some electrolytes, I like the zero tablets and fine a few a day stopped the headaches on the first month (which ingot no matter how much water I drank). I don't get them as much now my body has adjusted.

Had to stop my plank challenge as I need to stabilise/strengthen my core first it seems. I have a tendency to bend the wrong way (I've always been bendy/hypermobile) and it seems to have triggered some back pain. I used to be able to plank for 2 mind perfectly fine, but I was stronger then and my core is nonexistent now!
Amy suggestions for a safer core strengthening exercise?

So many errors in that post. Doh

Ragz dead bugs (sometimes called dying bugs) are a great core exercise because you can start off very basic and go all the way up to challenging. If they're still too hard then start off with Pilates single knee folds. Lie on your back with your knees bent, legs hip distance apart, and your arms by your side. Fold one knee in so your thigh points straight up and your calf is parallel to the ground. So your knee stays at the exact same angle throughout the movement and only your hip joint is moving. Then put it down again. Alternate legs. If this exercise is okay for you then try bringing both legs up before putting one down. Alternate sides so left leg up, right leg up, left leg down, right leg down then right leg up, left leg up, right leg down, left leg down. If you get on okay with this one then try toe taps. Start with both legs up in the knee fold position. Then dip one leg down to the floor, as if you were dipping your big toe into water, and bring it back up again. Alternate legs.

Thanks @StuntNun, will try those.

@RagzReturnsRebooted I’ve never had electrolytes, can you post the ones you take? Thank you :)

Zero tablets, I get them on amazon. Just search for Zero electrolyte on there. They are very slightly flavoured but don't taste sweet. I can't actually taste the difference between the flavours.
I tried the powder but I don't like it in plain water as I find it too salty tasting, but these are fine. Probably have fewer electrolytes in so you may need more than one a day at first. I split them in half and add to 500ml water, unless I'm really headache then I have a whole one.
I amazed a GP at work by giving her one when she had a headache and felt wobbly and 15 minutes later she was fine. She was shocked!

[quote LibbyL92]@RagzReturnsRebooted I’ve never had electrolytes, can you post the ones you take? Thank you :)[/quote]
you can buy them direct from their website @Libby92

In the short term, if you're really suffering (apart from taking some paracetamol!), try a hot drink made from Oxo or Marmite or Bovril. Make sure you're cooking with salt as well as adding it to your food.

Just picking up on a few things I missed last night!

@RagzReturnsRebooted I'm equally hopeless with hair styling. I really thought that having a pair of (very expensive) GHD straighteners would make all the difference - but turns out I was useless at using those too

@ChristMyArse I'm so sorry about your trip to A&E - that sounds horrible. Hope you're feeling a bit better today? (And I'm sure you're not annoying in real life )

@FusionChefGeoff well done on avoiding the sugar

You'll be having to buy smaller shorts soon @VeryLittleOwl!

@cheeseisthebest

've been really strict past few days and it's worked, I've had all the water and have got over 10st 3 hump and just weighed in at 10st 1. So happy. 9lb lost so far.

I told you, didn't I?! . Well done.

@Pleaseandthankyou I can assure you that day to day I am anything but glamorous! I really don't like dressing up, and having to go and buy an outfit for a special occasion is my idea of torture. Along with having to wear high heels.

Really good news about the blood pressure - and it's not 'only' a stone! That's a significant loss.

This is such a true statement - I think we should all remember this:

Maybe by constantly talking about weight you/we are underselling your very obvious attractiveness

I think we're probably all guilty of thinking that because we're overweight we're not attractive, and of course that's not true

@Doilooklikeatourist a minute plank is impressive!

@ListenLinda yes, on one of the low carb sites I used to use, ibuprofen/NSAIDs were linked with lack of weight loss. I have to say, though, I don't know why/how that would work. Best to stick with paracetamol. (Hope your headache is gone now)

Sorry you're suffering @StuntNun. One of the greatest joys of being through the menopause is not having to go through that!

@LibbyL92 I don't know how much you weigh as you're not on the spreadsheet (just jump on and add your name to the bottom) - but if you have a look at the rules (also on the spreadsheet) you'll see how much water you should be drinking. The more you weigh, the more you need to drink - but it should be at least 2.5 litres through the day.

I've just been for my run. The app continues to bugger me around and instead of playing the last run of week 2 I ended up doing the first run of week 3. . However, just shows how much of this is in the mind, as I did manage it - not desperately easily, but I managed it, which is the most important thing.

Hopefully when I go out next it won't suddenly shunt me into week 4 as that will be too much

@RagzReturnsRebooted picture attached okay?

@BIWI I have REALLY struggled with headaches. It’s near enough daily since the 1st Jan. thank you for the advice! I’m going to definitely try that. Currently weight 12st 3lbs (was 13st 12) I’ll try adding to the spread sheet!

You should have 3ltrs of water a day then @LibbyL92
It really makes a difference. You've done brilliantly!

@Oneborneverydecade thank you for that! Still learning the ropes with this forum! :) I’m sure I’ll get the hang eventually!

Thank you @nowlook I’m super pleased with myself. Can’t quite believe it. 3 litres, here we come! It’ll definitely be worth it, headaches are becoming a real annoyance despite everything else!

@LibbyL92 you can also put salt in to every other glass of water, add some lemon juice too if need be. I definitely recommend hot Marmite/Bovril, I’m about to have one.
Did 3.8 mile beach dog walk this morning, so stiff and sore now after yesterday’s as well hahaha. It’s good to be starting being properly active again. Today L - cheese & mustard as rushing, D - heck sausage, cauliflower & broccoli. Aim for tomorrow is to eat a proper lunch!

@MrsOmelette sounds great! Thank you.

I bet mentally you feel great after your walk? I really need to start some
Exercise, Netflix really has got the better or me! Haha

I'm real too!

A shit photographer however - was just trying on some black stuff for Granny's funeral tomorrow. I remember on one of my first BCs BIWI posted a picture of herself in a bikini, on what looked like the back of a speedboat, and I nearly died of grief and envy . That's the WOE for me, I thought.

NSV - that skirt barely did up just after Christmas, and is much looser now.

Welcome Libby!

Hope everyone having a good sunday and for those struggling with health feeling better soon!

Just checking in. Morning run and a long walk after as sun ☀️ was out

Made fathead pizza for the first time.
Thoroughly enjoyed it especially with my choice of toppings- ham, mushrooms, mozarella, mascarpone, kalamata olives and a bit of sundried tomatoes. Delish!! Only managed half so having the other half for dinner.

Have a lovely rest of the week