Week 9 - Low Carb Bootcamp - only 2 weeks to go ...

[BIWI]

Morning all.

[[Here's the Spreadsheet as always
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18CKhdQ3FlGz_8H53AA2Pqm4xmvGLHO6vBrkNWCkSO48/edit#gid=788946144 ]]

I hope everyone had a good week, and that any Mother's Day treats haven't messed things up too much

So we enter our final two weeks. Still time to shift a couple of those pesky pounds - especially if you keep focused and stay strict. And a reminder, channelling my inner Shag, WATER, WATER, WATER!

"Third, examine what you've been eating. Well and truly and dispassionately - as if you were being asked to critique a newbie to Bootcamp. Are you really following the rules? Are you really eating enough fat and drinking enough water? Have you allowed carb creep?"

I truly couldn't be stricter with myself BIWI. People comment on my will power. My mum baked me some blondies for Mother's Day, and I thanked her and made her take them away without even trying them. I bake with the DC and don't even lick the spoon. I make beef dripping roasties to go with Sunday lunch and have extra green veg.

Having to focus this much on what I do and don't eat and still gain is truly depressing. It could be that I'm that less active than I was last year - even during the first lockdown I was moving around more, because the glorious weather encouraged long walks. Or maybe it's because I finally got my out-of-date Mirena coil changed in November, and the fresh influx of hormones is making me put on weight? Or maybe it's my age. Or maybe I'm just clutching at straws.

@Oneborneverydecade ahh that’s such a sweet offer but I couldn’t ask you to do that - I’d feel guilty for John my postman 😁. I am looking at a vegetable delivery from a great butcher in Glasgow, they are starting up veg too, maybe I could ask for celeriac instead of potatoes.

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal

"Third, examine what you've been eating. Well and truly and dispassionately - as if you were being asked to critique a newbie to Bootcamp. Are you really following the rules? Are you really eating enough fat and drinking enough water? Have you allowed carb creep?"

I truly couldn't be stricter with myself BIWI. People comment on my will power. My mum baked me some blondies for Mother's Day, and I thanked her and made her take them away without even trying them. I bake with the DC and don't even lick the spoon. I make beef dripping roasties to go with Sunday lunch and have extra green veg.

Having to focus this much on what I do and don't eat and still gain is truly depressing. It could be that I'm that less active than I was last year - even during the first lockdown I was moving around more, because the glorious weather encouraged long walks. Or maybe it's because I finally got my out-of-date Mirena coil changed in November, and the fresh influx of hormones is making me put on weight? Or maybe it's my age. Or maybe I'm just clutching at straws.

I think that for you, you might actuality need to think about balance rather than analysing what you’re eating. I could tell that you haven’t been cheating at all, and thar your woe is very focused on being strict.

You’ve developed a diet of deprivation. I imagine you’re very frightened of gaining weight, and also probably a perfectionist.

That’s why I mentioned adding in some treats. It is no longer about joyfulness in eating, I can ‘hear’ that in your comments, and when that happens you really are in danger of becoming resentful/angry/upset/depressed, and sabotaging in a big way. Which really is counter-productive.

*that

Added to that, even if you don’t ever end up sabotaging, it’s just not a happy way to live...I think you have reached the point where you need to do what’s actually the more difficult bit - learning to seek balance in your life and in your eating, and tackling some of your attitudes and thought processes in regards to food/weight/body image/negative self-talk.

(I know that for you body image etc is important since it directly impacts your work opportunities, but even so, for your own well-being it’s important to switch to positive self-talk - that is not the right term but I can’t for the life of me remember it!)

And now I’ve done that 4 comments-in-place-of-one thing!🙄

@MrsOmelette can you get swede (turnip if you're a wrong 'un ;-)) as you can do clever things with that too.

Much love to all those stagnating a bit. It's such hard work to think a lot about what you're eating and drinking without easy validation of the scales moving. I'm in the same place and am fairly positive at the moment but have my bad days too.

After my booze/bread and butter pudding extravaganza yesterday I dropped a pound on the scale today. Still within my 2/3 pound hover zone, but no immediate response at all I was interested to see.

BIWI thank you. I know I am a horror for having a handful of almonds or a teaspoon of cream, especially if I buy extra thick double, so I have axed the extra thick from my shopping list.

I am loath to axe the almonds as I think they are the best choice when desperate, March is a very difficult month for me as I have my late son’s anniversary and so I know I have to be very kind to myself.

I think @Ninkanink is right @GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal - sounds to me like you're making yourself stressed about this. And stress leads to cortisol, which does impact on weight loss.

Have you considered trying carb cycling? a piece about it here . To be very honest I don't know much about this (although I suspect @StuntNun may!), but it could be worth a try.

However, before you change anything, list out for me your last few days food/drinks, just in case there's anything we can spot that might help.

Day 18 of my earring challenge: wee diamond studs that dh got me for my 40th birthday

He actually got me cubic zirconia ones for my birthday itself as a minder and then I found these (I didn't want "plain" studs) - but he misunderstood me about which size I wanted and got the smallest ones.

@Mimosa1 I literally saw that today. Was eyeing up the other variation until I saw that they were £4.50 each. Will save for a starter for a date night. Glad it was delicious

@Dailyhandtowelwash yes I use lots of Neeps but I swear the last monster was trying to kill me - even the carving knife and my most brutish brute force struggled. 😆

@Blurpblorp I'm veggie too, my go to is the naked glory tikka tender strips, they're soya based and I love them. The frys chicken strips are quite good too. I get they are processed but I feel this WOE needs to fit in with my life so I can stick to it, and these are quick, and pretty low carb.

Today's lunch was fried aubergine, mushroom, courgette and spinach with smoked paprika and garlic, with a fried egg on top. Very full now!

My scales haven't really shifted in weeks (other than bobbing up and down) but I've lost half an inch off my waist in that time so KOKO I guess!

@BIWI

I think *@Ninkanink* is right *@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal* - sounds to me like you're making yourself stressed about this. And stress leads to cortisol, which does impact on weight loss.

Have you considered trying carb cycling? a piece about it here . To be very honest I don't know much about this (although I suspect @StuntNun may!), but it could be worth a try.

However, before you change anything, list out for me your last few days food/drinks, just in case there's anything we can spot that might help.

Hi. I'm going to come back for a longer reply to @Ninkanink, who's hit the nail on the head and actually made me a bit tearful (in a grateful, "yes that's it, I feel seen!) sort of way, but this is what I've been eating BIWI:

Yesterday:
B: 2 black coffees
L: 1 small almond flour roll topped with buttery spinach, smoked salmon and two poached eggs.
Snack: spoonful of peanut butter, cup of tea with almond milk (I try not to snack but I was really hungry)
D: courgetti cooked in garlic oil with prawns, green beans and chorizo. Still hungry afterwards so had 6 raspberries with two spoonfuls of Greek yoghurt.

Tuesday:
B: two black coffees
L: homemade chicken and cauliflower soup, with small buttered almond flour roll.
D: pork stroganoff with green beans and cauliflower rice.

Monday:
B: two black coffees
L: 2 egg omelette with mushrooms, spinach and a handful of grated mozzarella
D: Thai curry with chicken, prawns, green peppers and asparagus, served on cauliflower rice

Sunday:
B: two coffees with cream (my Mother's Day "treat")
L: beef stew (this did have carrots in it, and a tablespoon of flour) with broccoli and some celeriac mash
D: grazed on some cooked meats and a few peanuts.
Had a couple of glasses of red wine over the course of the day

Saturday:
B: 2 black coffees
L: 2 scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and buttered spinach.
D: takeaway - we ordered from a local chicken place, so I had 6 spicy chicken strips (grilled not breaded!) and a side of guacamole. Also had a G&T and 2 glasses of dry white wine.

Can't really remember any further back. Drank between 3-4 litres of water per day, not including tea/coffee.

Carb cycling might be an option but I think it would be better to look at calories and macros before opting for carb cycling - unless you might be hypothyroid in which case regular carb refeeds can help boost the thyroid hormones.

Just in case, here's a piece about hypothyroidism

Thanks for that info/advice @StuntNun

I wonder, @GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal, looking at your day if you're simply not eating enough? I also think you might not be getting enough fat? It sounds like all your protein choices are pretty lean.

If you're still needing to snack, because you're hungry, I also wonder if IF is right for you? Why not try a few days of eating 3 meals a day? You don't have to have a lot for breakfast, but it might be better for you.

I think at your stage, where you're pretty much at target/maintaining, it's often just about tweaking things.

i'm the sort that wants to see at least a tiny bit of progress or i'll give up which I know is silly!

Just like Veruca Salt —you want it NOW

We have all felt that way, LongTimeLurker.. Thing is, we can’t have it now. We simply can’t. It’s not possible.

So ask yourself if you want to stay at this weight or if you want to lose weight. Then act accordingly.

Thanks @ShagMeRiggins you're right!

Ok, I think there's a lot going on here for me. Tears just came into my eyes at BIWI's last post - of gratitude, at the idea I might be "allowed" to have breakfast.

WARNING: long, emotional post coming up. Feel free to skip!

As I've mentioned before on here, I was quite often left to go hungry as a child - my mum was an alcoholic and a single parent. She would quite often forget to cook an evening meal because she was drunk and there was never anything in the house I could just help myself to, so I'd go hungry. Weekends were particularly horrendous unless my grandparents came and got me and fed me. As a result I get panicky and stressed out if I "can't" eat for whatever reason. I tried 5:2 for a while before I found LCBC and it had a dreadful affect on my mental health - plus I actually gained weight because I'd gorge myself on non-fast days to "make up for it."

My mum hasn't drunk in more than 20 years, but she's still not great about regular meals - lives on coffee and chocolate. I quite often cook more than we need just so I can send her leftovers to make sure she eats a healthy meal occasionally. And my grandma, who I adored and who was a wonderful cook and baker, had definite weight issues. Though very slim she "watched her weight" all her life, and she'd visually "weigh" you when she saw - and comment on any gain. I remember her having stomach cancer in her 80s and being delighted that it caused her to lose weight.

And now I seem to gaining my grandma's anxiety about weight. I was so delighted when I discovered LCBC, it honestly felt like a miracle. I could eat tasty food, still cook (I love cooking), not go hungry or feel deprived, but still lose weight! And a lot of weight! I hadn't been so slim since I was a teenager!

But the more I lost the more I wanted to lose. Everything @Ninkanink said was so right - I am being a perfectionist, and I am stressing myself out. In December 2019 I got down to 9st 10lb - which while still within the healthy range for my height just didn't suit me, I looked frail. Despite knowing this - and knowing that I still look good at the moment, and actually have seen photos of me at about 11st and thinking "damn, I looked great!" - part of me wants to get back to that again. And maybe lose a little more...

Pre-lockdown, I feel like was genuinely "living my best life", to coin a cringy phrase. I was working in and training for a career I loved, which kept me physically very active. I was eating well - three meals a day, plus snacks if I felt I needed them. Funnily enough I never deprive myself of food when I'm working, because you need fuel for long rehearsals and for performances. I sort of feel like I've "earned" it, so I'm "allowed" to eat.

But now we're back in lockdown, and I can't work, and there's nothing to do but either eat, or not eat and then obsess about when I'm next "allowed" to eat. I feel terrified about regaining the weight I've lost, at least partly because I need to stay the same for work. My weight is on my CV, on my Spotlight page, on my agent's records...I don't want to have to amend all of those and become "the fat actress" again, playing the comedy support roles. Since I lost the weight I've been getting leads.

Anyway, thank you, @BIWI and especially @Ninkanink - your posts really have helped to clarify some things for me. I'm not sure what I'm going about it all, but it has at least helped me realise there's more going on here than just a bit of weight gain.

Apologies for spilling my issues all over the lovely positive thread, I know it's not really the place for it. I just don't really have anyone to talk to about it IRL, everyone thinks it's a bit mad and I should stop anyway. But in spite of everything it does work for me, and I do enjoy the food, so I shall KOKO.

Thanks for the support xx

Also I will get my thyroid checked, as thyroid problems do run in my family.

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal this a very supportive thread. This is the place to sound off or spill your feelings. Sound off as much as you like but don’t give up.

to you Greebols

And this is absolutely the place to share that. If you can't share it in a Support group, where can you share it?

It's as if you feel that you don't deserve the support

You do deserve the support. You are worth it.

Remember what BIWI's name stands for: Because I'm Worth It We are all worth it

multiple more bouquets to you again Greebols. Visualise then being thrown at you on stage after a successful performance. You will get back on the boards

Reading through today’s posts I’m thinking I ought to add a few more to my trademarked WATER!!! (Yeah, because I invented hydration .)

One would be: Have you enjoyed your food today?

Another would be: What’s the alternative?**

Weight loss, body image, fitness, health. I know there are many ways of losing weight. They all work for most—for example there is the unusual case for whom LCHF does not work and that has to do with other physiological factors—but we all know calorie counting works, Slimming World works, Cambridge Diet works. All of these work for losing weight when the plan is being followed.

The most important thing for me is getting there, and staying there. So the question becomes what is the most effective and healthy in the long term. And—as Nink and BIWI and others have alluded to—what works for you in a physically healthy and mentally healthy way.

Because otherwise we’re all at risk of repeating bad patterns and driving ourselves round the bend. Not good.

*alternatives are use another weight loss plan that’s better for you and that you can maintain once at goal; continue the loss/gain cycle forever; drink meal replacements instead of eating good food; obsess about your weight and figure forever rather than focus on your health and well-being; and other alternatives I’m sure I haven’t considered.

All the very best @GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal sorry to hear about your difficult childhood. I like it when people talk about the deeper stuff tbh because I think it's comforting to realise that we all have issues around food and we can learn from each other.

I do still enjoy my food ShagMe, very much so. I don't even miss carbs very much. Before starting this WOE I was expecting to miss things like pasta and bread, which I ate a lot of, loads, but I don't. Actually the carbs I miss are the ones I only had occasionally, as "treats". Croissant, and spanokopita, and roast potatoes. Things like that. But I enjoy other things just as much.