Week 10 - Low Carb Bootcamp - the finishing line!

[BIWI]

Morning all. Sorry for the late start to the thread, but I slept in. Then hungry cats had to be fed before I could deal with this!

Anyway here's the spreadsheet for its penultimate outing

Hopefully all good news to report - but never fear, if last week hasn't been great, you still have a few days left to sort that.

Looks like it's going to be a more settled week weather-wise, and hopefully we really will be seeing more and more signs of spring to cheer us all up.

Here's to a great last week

Past? Passed, obviously!

Well done and congratulations to each of you!! 💐💐💐

If you're not on the spreadsheet but want to announce you're in one of those groups too - please do!

@Jellycatspyjamas I do seriously think it was a scales issue and not a loss at all. But if I averaged it out it's about a lb a week.

This is the first time I've ever eaten like this and I'm now into Week 5.

I just feel like I've always got a "reason" for gain / STS but they just move into each other so despondency is now setting in! So far they include:

• week 2/3 plateau
• week before period
• week of period
• long run / training the day before so holding onto water (this one particularly is frustrating as I run / train nearly every day so am never out of that zone really!!)

Yes but bear in mind that you’re still losing! Taken over months to a year those small losses do add up to big ones. And the alternative is that you stay the weight you are, or gain. Which doesn’t seem preferable.

@FusionChefGeoff you're in week 5 - as well as weeks 3 and 4, this week can often also see little or not loss, if not a gain. Don't panic!

You did see a good loss in your week one, so you know it works! (Unless you have dodgy scales, why wouldn't you believe them?!)

I would, though, knock the treats on the head and stick to strict Bootcamp for this next week, just to see if that makes any difference.

I know it seems disheartening when it looks like everyone else is losing loads - but honestly, it is par for the course.

slightly sulky 'OK then @BIWI"

Kids will be thrilled they get all the strawberries back and I'll leave the SLC products in the freezer.

But I do think that if strict bootcamp is the only way this is going to work for me - then that's not something I fancy doing long term which makes me sad. I was so hopeful that I could just flex enough to feel like this was a forever way of eating.

I’m not losing loads!

I’ve probably gained this week.

So there you go.

@FusionChefGeoff you do have to be realistic though - there are very few people who can truly eat as much (or even half as much) go everything they want and still lose weight consistently or stay very slim.

Sorry can’t remember but if you’re quite slim anyway then you do need less calories to lose/maintain. That’s just the way it is.

At some point it always comes down to do you want to eat more or do you want to get/stay healthy and a good weight/size for you

5 weeks isn’t nearly enough time to start talking about throwing in the towel. You’ve hardly given it any time at all to evaluate long term progress. I mean that’s just a quitter’s talk!

(Said with kindness)

But @FusionChefGeoff you've only been doing this for 5 weeks! It's a marathon not a sprint.

Also, being frank, you don't really have much weight to lose, so it is going to be slower progress than if you had a lot to lose. I know you have a weight target in mind, but your body might not agree with you .

However, having a quick look back at your posts there has been a reasonable amount of tweaking going on, from the beginning, so I'd say that you need to reach a place where what you're doing/eating is consistent. That happens with time. You need to be a bit more patient.

I also note that you keep asking if your portion sizes are too big - and I'm wondering if a) they are or b) you think you should be depriving yourself somehow, in order to lose weight?

How about taking some photos of your plates, either just for your own accountability or for us to critique?

That said, I think you also said that you fast every day. You're also a regular exerciser. It could be that you're actually not eating enough. Maybe you need to add a breakfast in every now and then?

What do you think?

Oh, and as far as I can see, no need to keep the SLC stuff in the freezer. That is genuinely low carb and doesn't appear - from everything I've seen people here post - to impede weight loss.

2 down for me making 25lbs since jan and 36 all together. Seriously chuffed. I have to convert it all for this weigh in as I only way myself in kg.

Well done one the fab losses everyone.

@BIWI very kind, but I've only really lost 10lbs. The other 4lbs were just getting rid of my carb bloat from the final lost weekend. And actually my weight today is only 6lbs less than day one!

@Dailyhandtowelwash - don't talk yourself down! It's all a great achievement. You still had to lose those initial 4lbs, didn't you?

Great news @ditavonteesed

Just checking in with a 4pb loss which I think is excellent considering my "indiscretions " earlier on in the week!

However, I have seriously faffed about on this bootcamp so need to get into the frame of mind I was in October's or I will just completely stall my weight loss and I have so much more to lose!

My aim for this week is to be under the elusive 200lbs which was my aim at the beginning, but have not achieved!

For my last week, I will do strict bootcamp to reset my mind and body.

Congratulations to everyone who lost and KOKO to those who haven't- this really does work if you apply yourself

1lbs on - not really suprised. Today will be a good day.

In London this week for work, and its such a lovely spring day - walk from hotel to work was gorgeous!

B - bacon, egg, mushroom and tomato
L - Cheese and salami - from corner shop - choice is limited
D - Salmon salad at hotel
W - working with a 750ml bottle - 1 down 2 to go!
C - had 2

Have great week everyone.

Well done @ouch and all of the other big losers!

Looking forward to your weigh in @nowlook I am in awe of your self discipline tbh

I was down 1lb this morning but that's almost certainly down to fasting yesterday. I had a bad week, also morphed onto Carby Cathy. I just cannot shake my sweet tooth.

I'm doing okay with my vitamin challenge, better with my skincare although that has slipped at bedtime, the beginners shred is happening every other day BUT amazingly I'm still running and enjoying the challenge

A pound a week is pretty good when you don’t have much to loose.

I have a lot to lose, like 50lb all in on top of the 40+ I’ve already lost (I often need to remind myself that I’ve lost 48lb against my highest weight) so I know this works for me. I can totally understand you feeling discouraged when you see big losses in other people and your own scales don’t seem to be moving in the direction you want. I fully expect my loss to slow down as I come down the scales - even now I can get a bit fed up if the scales stick.

What helps me is to remember that I feel better not eating carbs, it takes a bit of planning and a bit of willpower to not pick at the kids chips etc but I physically feel better. And things like seeing clothes fit better, or having a bit more energy (did you bit do a huge run without needing gels recently), different markers aside from the scales, which only tell part of the story really.

If you were on a high carb, low calorie diet what would you be eating just now, and how would your hunger be? Would you still be denying yourself “treats”?

Just bought some more ground almonds to make the muffins again - last time I used almond flour so will be interested to see the difference

Also going to make the peanut butter cookies this week @ragz

DH bought me some SLC chocolate brownies but I'm resisting them after @StuntNun lukewarm review

Oh you lucky thing @plumstone! I can't wait to be out and about again now.

@biwi thank you so much for taking so much time to help me out I feel genuinely very touched.

Don't worry @Ninkanink I am no where near throwing in the towel. Just having a (Monday and kids are off isolating whilst we wait for test results) sulk!!!

I have a history of disordered eating which, most recently, includes bingeing / vomitting (I am calling it that as I think purging is avoiding the issue and I want to be honest) so I am concerned that I've lost a sense of what is normal 'full'. Counting eg. calories is very dangerous for me usually as it leads to very restrictive eating. So that's one of the reasons I wanted to give this a go - as the focus is so much about nourishing your body and listening to your body and that's what I'm absolutely terrible at.

I am really enjoying it - I need to focus on that as well, I think. All the new vegetables I have discovered I LOVE and also rediscovered some which I stopped cooking as no one else liked them.

I LOVE that I'm learning / making the effort to make more things from scratch and getting rid of processed crap. And sugar - so much sugar that I used to shove down my neck. I feel better, I know I do, I have way more energy, I'm sleeping well (apart from all the weeing , my skin is better, my mood is better.

Maybe it's the psychological trick that you are all coming to the 'end' and I keep forgetting I'm only really just starting!!

I've ordered some new plates too as we've only got a couple of what I would call 'normal' ones, the rest are gargantuan IKEA numbers that encourage some vast portions.

I will take some photos as it will be interesting to see if my portions are out - I do strongly suspect they are but happy to stand corrected!!

Again - thank you so much everyone for the support. This is truly a wonderful place to be.

We have someone here cleaning our oven. He seemed surprised to learn that it's only 2.5 yrs old and suggested we must use it a lot. I don't know whether to feel ashamed or oddly proud - yes, yes we do use our oven daily.

@FusionChefGeoff ❤️❤️❤️

You’ve got this!!

Just to be clear, I absolutely don’t believe in actually counting calories, especially if you have struggled or do struggle with disordered eating, so that absolutely wasn’t the point I was trying to make - I just meant, at some point you have to be careful not to expect to be able to magically take in extra every day without it having an effect on weight. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a little of what you love here and there. I hardly ever choose to cook with cheese, for example, because I know I’d rather have it on its own here and there with charcuterie and antipasti. I also know that if I don’t have cheese 3x a day, I can have a little more chocolate on those days where that’s what I want or even ‘need’. I know that I can have a mindful bit of potato once in a while and it’s not going to derail me weight wise or mentally/physically with cravings, but I also know that if I choose to have a croissant (for example) I then have to be very strict with myself straightaway again otherwise I’ll probably end up having some of X, a bit of Y, maybe some Z too, for the next few days.

You sound as if you’re making progress in addressing deeper and very complex issues relating to how you approach food and eating. Keep doing that. It’s truly the key to balance and a happy, contented life.

@FusionChefGeoff I'm so happy it's not just me! (Not happy for you obvs!) But I'm exactly the same in terms of losing 2lb at the start with no change since - and no reduction in appetite at all so I'm assuming it's gotta be the amount of food I'm eating.
I'm going to carry on as I am enjoying this woe and I'm eating a wider variety of veg and being more creative in cooking.
I'm just no smaller!!!

@Ninkanink oh gosh - the counting calories comment was purely part of my internal musings and not directed at anything you said don't worry!!

I'm about to start assembling my lunch so will post a pic soon. Thanks again so much.