The final weigh-in thread: March 2021 Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Here's the spreadsheet

I think this has been a really fantastic Bootcamp. Lots of really great losses.

As well as that, though, like every Bootcamp I'm always amazed and often humbled by how much we get to know people. We may all be here because we're trying to lose weight, but there's so much more going on in people's lives.

Tomorrow is the final weigh-in, but I hope very much that people will continue to check in and update us all on 'their journey' (sorry for the cliché)

@Dailyhandtowelwash look here!

@Ninkanink I'm sorry to hear that your DH has been so poorly and can quite understand why he would want to give up work. I hope he's feeling better for having made the decision. And hope we have a lovely summer so that he can really have some time to relax - plenty of time to make a decision about what next.

Thank you all, your kind words are truly appreciated. I’m feeling quite tearful now. Anxiety starting to set in, in the cold light of day...

But we will be okay.

That sounds scary but absolutely the right thing to do @Ninkanink , I hope you feel better about it soon xx

@Ninkanink 18 years ago I was working in a truly nightmarishly stressful job (for a big UK charity). Lots of travelling, horrendous hours and terrible culture - bullying and harassment and legal claims about said behaviour. In the end I decided to leave, with a plan of working self employed for 6 months till I recovered and felt ready for another corporate job.

Self-employment went so well that 18 years later I'm still doing it. And I've re-invented myself and my career a bit during that time, so for the past 10 years I've been doing work that I love with people that I like and respect. It is possible. And in the meantime, just take a little space...

Food today:
Very chilly morning so B was a big mug of coffee with cream, and boiled eggs mashed with butter
L - left over vegetables in cheese sauce
D - cheese and vegetable omelette (got a zoom meeting at 7pm so need something quick)

Hmmm... that looks like a lot of eggs in one day, but at least they're not chocolate ones. Actually with all dc being adult and living elsewhere there were no chocolate Easter eggs in our house.

Nink! I'm really pleased for him, although that may sound perverse. The first six months may feel the same as grief (particularly if what he does is bound up with his identity), but he will come through the other side.

When I left the hamster wheel five years ago, someone told me to do absolutely nothing for six months in order to let the sands settle and assess what I wanted to do next. Really, really wish I'd have listened, but I didn't: my mental health was much worse for a time as a result of living in a state of blind panic about getting something else. Please beg him to do nothing and allow me to relive that time vicariously

It's natural for you to be anxious too as nothing's in your control, so

...and, like venus, I'm now completely unemployable five years down the line #bossbabe #thisgirlcan *

*I do not sell yooneek to my dwindling circle of mates

@Ninkanink good luck with everything, health and well-being is infinitely more important than the daily grind. I have learned that the hard way this last year. Fortunately for me, I start a new role on 26th April away from the work culture that has made me so ill. Your DH being well is the most important thing.

DS decided to have a day off nursery so we are just sitting watching TV under the blankets

L is boiled eggs with leftover feta cheese salad
D is beef burgers with Mediterranean veg and cheese

Happy birthday @prettybird.
@Ninkanink good luck with everything , hope the anxiety isn't too bad. Health comes first.

@Ninkanink good luck to you and your DH. Well done for prioritising health and well being.

@FusionChefGeoff @nowlook @Ninkanink thanks, helps having a bit of empathy. Just about to have a good dog walk on the beach with a couple of my teens, that’ll blow my tiredness away!

Prep thread for next week

Most of you should know all this stuff, but thought I'd post it here anyway!

I'm so sorry to hear about your DH's ill health, @Ninkanink. I bet with a year or so you'll be looking back on this on this as the best decision you've ever made though.

Sorry to hear about your dh @Ninkanink - but you're both making the right decision . I also worked in a toxic, bullying environment and as the sole salary earner was about to hand my notice in one year after Christmas as the bully had hired a new manager in between him and me and I dreaded to think what she would be like. Turned out she was lovely and I was able to survive another 2+ years before the company was taken over and we were made redundant. I decided to take a minimum of 6 months off to cope with the burn out and 10 years later I've still not gone back to work (although I've done the odd bit of consultancy work).

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal

I'm so sorry to hear about your DH's ill health, *@Ninkanink*. I bet with a year or so you'll be looking back on this on this as the best decision you've ever made though.

Echo this. Xx

As a postscript to my March earring challenge, here are the Georg Jensen earrings (together with a matching necklace and bracelet) that dh got me for my birthday. He's made me promise to keep the case(s) and put them into it whenever I take them off

Thank you all

We’re both feeling more confident today that we can make this work. Even though it’s still very daunting.

Sorry to hear that @Ninkanink how frightening. I hope this works out for you both.

@MrsOmelette I feel you with the tiredness. That is how I have gained so much too. I don't eat so much anymore when I'm tired but drink way too much coffee. Working nights for 3 years has taken it's toll on me and I feel trapped because it works out well for my family.

Didn't post yesterday but had a good day on plan. Made chicken fajitas for dinner with lovely pan seared chicken breasts. The husband and chicken had their with wraps and salad and guacamole, I had mine with some steamed cauliflower which I finished off in the pan which I had seared the chicken in, also with guacamole and salad. It was really good.

Made some soup today, celeriac, leek, celery and spinach with butter and a dash or cream and nutmeg. Very comforting and just what I needed. Tonight is meatballs with courgettes and some more fecking purple stemmed broccoli.

Took the children to the French bakery today and had a flat white for myself.

A lot of my clothes are looser on me this week, I'm looking forward to weigh in next week despite my period on the way.

Order some shorts and tshirts online in a M size and might have to return for a small as they fit well now but they may not come summer!

Pretty earrings, @prettybird!

Checking in with my latest challenge - last run of week 6, C25K. 25 minutes of non-stop running.

It was not a pleasant run, mainly because it was so cold, and running into the wind was bitter. But I did it.

Week 7 is three days, each with the same run - all 25 minutes. I'll start that on Saturday, according to the app.

Well I thought DDs birthday yesterday was the last distraction, my cousin has invited me and my sis and cousins around for a rule of 6 girls night friday, new patio furniture and a fire pit. I assume we will get a chinese so will have a scroll back through to choose some low carb options in preparation for next week.
And oh I am so ready ha the jeans in a size smaller that i bought at the end of last BC were feeling a bit uncomfortable yesterday. It’s period week and I havent been drinking a lot of water but food choices have been okay. I suspect (hope!) it’s just a bit of bloat!

I know exactly what you mean about buying jeans and feeling them getting a bit too tight!

I have been the carbiest (Cathyest?) of carby twats and I'm struggling to get back on track so posting here for accountability. DH managed to have a bit of chocolate Easter Sunday and get right back on it. I... haven't. I'm 2 kg heavier than the end of the last BC in a matter of days so i'm ready to get back on the wagon as for one thing, I bought lots of lovely clothes to celebrate my weight loss and I don't want them getting too small now.

@BIWI congratulations on week 7 - I'm super impressed!

Hi

Is the post Jan BC chat thread? Can I indulge myself in a me-me-me post for some support? I'd like to chat outside the focus of BC. And def outside the early days of BC when I don't want to derail newbies next week.

I was on the Jan BC but stopped posting and reading a few weeks in. I was in a bit of a tailspin. I was diagnosed with ADHD. Learning to adjust to the diagnosis plus medication plus usual seasonal misery hit me really hard.

I'm aware that stress impacts weight loss. Which is an additional kick in the teeth as far as I'm concerned.

I am still trying to shift Xmas weight which is really getting me down. If I think about my upcoming May UK holiday the prospect of an additional fast weight gain and incredibly slow lost fills me with dread.

ADHD meds has been the cause of me not eating enough. Mostly missing lunch and not eating until evening. Even that hasn't bought about the shift of Xmas lbs.

I've "only" got 4lbs to go. But happier at 6-7lb I know being close to goal makes it hard.

BIWI has told me many times to "be kind to myself". But I'm afraid I literally have no clue what that means in real terms.

I think my only transgression is wine each evening. (But I did dry January which didn't have a positive weight loss impact). I know I'm not having enough water. And the adhd meds makes dehydration worse.

I've found myself heading down a rabbit hole of wanting a LC/keto Coach. (Stunt kindly put me in touch with someone. But I haven't followed up). But maybe that's another reaction to my own navel gazing.

I am happy fasting and either OMAD or 16:8. I never have breakfast.

Oh, and this is exactly the same pattern as last year...much stress, navel gazing and misery with weight not getting to my happy place until June. I really cannot think what bought about that final shift last year. I daily weigh and find the graph similarity to last year equally depressing!

Right, so onwards. Please can I list out my eating over the next few days for help? Sorry, not strong enough for the stick this time!

Yesterday:
L: fried egg in LC roll
Dinner: home made chilli with sour cream and home made guacamole
Snack: a couple of roilitos (cheese/salami things) and a sm pepperami.
Drink: 5 cans of DC. 1 pint of water. (!)
Wine: 500ml white.

Don't know about lunch today. But dinner will be roast pork and butter cabbage.

If you stuck this far then thank you!!!

Hi Brassica you have a lot going on mentally at the moment by the sound of things. What is your number one goal for the short term, say within the next three months?

Get under 10 stone as a minimum. (Happier at 9.10-12) 10.5 today.

@BrassicaBabe for you to make your day better (I wish there was a way we could send real flowers, perhaps a little pot of pansies). And I hope you don't have hayfever or the flowers might make you feel even worse.

I can see lots of positives in your post. First of all you've come on here and posted, and that can sometimes be the hardest step of all. You are able to look back at the past 3 months and recognise what a lot you've been dealing with - that takes insight, effort and a bit of bravery. The other good thing is that your body did this before, it knows how to do it, your body knows it can get to that happy weight. It's not impossible. And despite your despair (and the stress of life) it doesn't sound like you are continuing to gain weight.

I was at my happy place 21 months ago. I bounced up a few pounds (so maybe my body has a different happy place to my thinking?). But then in lockdown I just couldn't shift weight at all, up and up and up. This bootcamp I have done well, but, like you, I don't really know why it's worked this time. I often eat 16:8 but I've been trying to mix it up a bit, so that my body knows it will be well fed and can give up some of the fat. So sometimes I have a couple of boiled eggs mashed with butter for breakfast, or a ham, cheese and cucumber 'sandwich' (slices of cheese, buttered, with ham and cucumber between the cheese). I deliberately eat more on a couple of days - good healthy veg and high fat. And eating more seems to help me to lose more. I too am close to my goal, so the loss is slow and gradual, some weeks it feels like nothing. But I keep on.

You will know that the wine will be having an impact, probably an extra 400 calories per day (that's the equivalent of 4 or 5 eggs mashed with butter or 3 cups of avocado salsa or guacamole). And your body may be responding to the diet coke with an insulin spike?? However, with all the other changes in life, those habits may be part of what keeps things on an even keel - for the moment. Maybe you could reduce it a little e.g. by alternating the night when you drink wine with drinking something else, or swapping every second can of coke for a glass of sparkling water?

Good luck.