Week 2 - Leaving Lockdown Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Sunday night here is games night, so better that I start the thread now, before I forget as I've gone to bed so late!

I truly hope that this link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness works!

Apologies if it doesn't, but hopefully someone will come and post a working one if it doesn't!

I love week 2, as for those who haven't low carbed before the results are often spectacularly incredible!

But even for those of us who are more used to low carbing, hopefully this first week has seen you make a good start.

It's looking like some warmer weather is heading our way, which always makes things seem more positive - but also focuses our minds on things like skimpier clothing, so hopefully will help to keep us toeing the line!

I hope the scales have rewarded your hard work, and here's to a good week ahead

@Angliski I had my children via IVF. Third cycle after 2 miscarriages with the first ones. I have everything crossed for you. Surely this woe with all its healthy eating will be both a physical and psychological benefit during this difficult time.

I absolutely will keep everything crossed for you @Angliski! Wishing you all the luck in the world.

@Angliski wishing you the best of luck. Fingers and toes crossed for you.

Sending loads of good luck vibes your way @Angliski for a boot camp baby x

I am struggling to keep up with the chat too and find it a bit overwhelming to try and join in, at 52 my social skills are still quite poor... but I am reading every post and cheering you all on.

I started a bit late (last Thursday) so have weighed today(and every day, who am I kidding ) and am 2lb down on the week. Happy with that as had been sort-of LCing for a few weeks and had my initial whoosh at the beginning but stalled due to chocolate and birthdays.

That pesky chocolate @MotherBuckets, creeping in there and ruining our plans!

Best of luck @Angliski I really hope all goes well.

Thanks everyone. So warming and nice!!

@venusandmars god your period issues sound horrid. Vomiting 🤮 is a an extreme side effect. I wish we could do more to better manage them... they are pesky.

However your sandwich on the other hand ... toddles off to find a cucumber....

angliaki how exciting!

Sending all the positive vibes your way angliski!

I echoing ask those who said there’s no such thing as posting too much. I’m so enjoying the chat and banter on here, stuck working from home. It definitely brightens my day, especially photos of sheep, cows and eyebrows!

@debka ooohh IKEA means meatballs to me. I haven't been for tooo long but am sure they also do salmon poached and smoked.

@Angliski holding my thumbs for you

I have what I assume is horrific pmt today, or is it peri menopause, or just lockdown fever? (We’re still locked down in NI). I can’t tell any more!!

Just did the school run and there are some utterly lovely mums who are so slim and look amazing in their perfectly casual clothes! I mean the school run is literally the only time I see people so I notice! Would love so much to be rid of the extra stone around my tummy!

Making chicken kale and carrot soup today (will leave out the carrots in my portion and possibly low carb kedgeree with cauli rice.

@Angliski Good luck! I remember it well - we got a very unlikely success with our IVF on the first go - my combo of endometriosis and PCOS made it nothing short of miraculous.

I’m wearing a dress today because I feel like my waist is putting in an appearance for the first time in months! Kind of a NSV but not really, it’s mostly in my head!

Another recommendation for starting ibuprofen 48 hrs before period is due, definitely helps reduce heaviness and pain for me.

I did not know this about periods, but now after the recommendations on this thread I’m going to try it. I’m on day 2 at the moment and knackered and faint with the heavy blood loss. The problem I have is predicting when mine will start, atm I’m on a 21-24 day cycle (I know absolute merde -extent of my French) and then I bleed for 7-10 days. I feel nauseous and off food for the first 3 days and, not so much now, but used to be in such agony I couldn’t stand up. Drs just shrugged and said that’s normal.

@colouringindoors I am so jealous of the length of your eyebrows. Inspired by this thread I’ve booked a consultation for henna to see if they can bring mine slightly closer together without looking crayoned on.

I was watching Make up a glamour out history on bbc iplayer last night (well worth a squiz) and if you think our fashion for sharpie eyebrows are bad think again! In Georgian times the ladies often used to wear strips of mouse hide glued over their natural brows for a more ‘dramatic’ (ridiculous) look. Hhmmm I think I’ll stick with what I’ve got thanks!

@Random789 I once cross posted a monumentally trivial post (possibly about my tits or skincare or summat equally vain) when someone posted a message about a serious problem. I felt such a berk. But it’s part of the flow of these conversations which I actually like, when things are shit for me I like chatting about eyebrows or tulips or whatever and seeing that is often a bit of a mental break from my worries. I love reading all the posts on here and all the positivity. It’s by far the best part of MN - our own little toxic free supportive secret pocket.

Ds2 is STILL home with diarrhoea it’s been going on since last Tuesday and he’s missed a whole week off school. Dr has given me a sample pot so that’s my fun job today. Bleurch.

Yesterday
B - bacon, eggs, mushrooms, spinach
Lunch - chicken curry soup
Dinner- roast chicken Flgv

Oh and good luck @Angliski I do love a BC baby. Remember the rules, you have to name it after (me) one of us.

@debka and @FinallyHere I don’t think the IKEA cafe is open yet , just the takeaway part after the tills

Docs couldn't believe that I thought that level of pain was 'normal'. Agree with @nowlook if this was menz...

I had the same. When I had ds1 the contractions felt no different to my period pains. I had a 3 day labour and an oxytocin drip and forceps 3rd degree tear with only gas and air and the midwives said they’d never seen anyone do that and not ask for an epidural- it just didn’t occur to me to ask.

Best of luck Angliski.

I have pork belly for lunch and it's all I can do not have it now.... So yummy.

I’m wearing a dress today because I feel like my waist is putting in an appearance for the first time in months! Kind of a NSV but not really, it’s mostly in my head!

It’s lovely when you get the confidence to wear something you wouldn’t usually. I’m wearing a top I bought ages ago (that didn’t fit), I thought I’d better start wearing it before I got too small for it - it fits perfectly and I’m so pleased, it’s a Hobbs top I bought on eBay for a tenner, the labels were still attached when it arrived and the original price was £99 . So I’m swishing about my home in my lovely overpriced top.

Was supposed to get my hair cut today but hairdresser is off sick - wah!!!

Going away from next Thursday and seem to have an ever increasing to-do list to get completed before then, and an ever decreasing space in my schedule to get everything done. So if I'm not posting much it's because I'm actually getting on with stuff and if I am posting lots, I shouldn't be!!

dh had sudden abdominal cramps this morning. It's not like him to be unwell, but he's rolling around and moaning. I offered to go and get something from the pharmacy but he doesn't want me to leave him in the house on his own. I'm pretty sure it's IBS / some kind of gut spasm and not appendicitis, rupture or an ectopic pregnancy. He doesn't want me to phone the doctor or 111 'in case it's just wind and they think he's making a fuss' or 'in case they send him to hospital'. So we've had 2 hours of groaning and muttering and wincing that I can't do anything to help with...

B - smoked salmon, black pepper, squeeze of lime, on lettuce spread with mascarpone
L - last of the left-over mushroom 'risotto' with butter-fried mushrooms and fried egg on top
D - meat loaf and salad

Morning all, lots of lovely chat here! Random just remember we only "know" each other through posting so absolutely just get stuck in. No shame in waffling about porridge recipes or yogurt brands (me) immediately after deep revelations; something for all and the spice of life.

Scale victory for me today: first time under 9 stone this year! Thursday is often my best weigh in day. Just need to steer clear of Cathy tonight.

NSV alert! Instead of hauling myself wearily up the stairs I just found myself trotting up, practically like a mountain goat!

Everything crossed for you @Angliski.
Former victim of heavy periods here too. Be careful with long term use of ibuprofen if you're anaemic- as women who bleed heavily often are. NSAIDs can cause gut bleeding. Does help reduce period flow too though. I had some success with tranaxemic acid and hrt seemed to help in peri.
Have taken delivery of airfryer today. Might experiment with some kind of roasted cauliflower thing. I burn it in the oven. Anyone used seriously low carb bread to make breadcrumbs? Does it just ball up into a clump?
Happy sunny day everyone

Sorry I've been awol for a while as things are hectic here with getting the kids back to school again. I'll try and do a mega catch up now while I have the chance as things aren't going to settle down until Sunday.

MrsKoala if you have irregular periods then my suggestions is to start taking Ibuprofen as soon as you feel the first twinge or have any bleeding. Then keep taking it three times a day for at least the first 48 hours. I used to take it a couple of times, feel better, stop taking it and then when the pain came back the Ibuprofen didn't touch it. I have very heavy periods and I've been checked out for thyroid issues, nutrient deficiencies, fibroids, etc. It certainly isn't normal but you have to ask and ask before you get any help and even then they just want to put you on the pill as if replacing your "normal" periods with artificial hormones is the best solution.

Good luck with your transfer Angliski and give me a shout if you get a sticky one. I followed Bootcamp through pregnancy and breastfeeding and it was my easiest pregnancy yet - I felt great! Definitely don't worry about how much you're eating. It's only an issue if your weight loss stalls for several weeks and you suspect it's because of portion sizes. I regularly eat three sausages with my dinner or four eggs scrambled with bacon for breakfast and can't quite believe it when I see someone else having a single boiled egg for breakfast!

Jellycatspyjamas logging your food for the day on here every day also helps keep you on track. If anyone doesn't want to log on here then write it down somewhere, even type it into Notes on your phone. Honestly it's proven to help!

Don't worry about posting too much Random789 or anyone else. Some of us have been here for years; some are old hands popping back in; some have been here for two or three Bootcamps; some are brand new. We all learn something new every Bootcamp and every Bootcamp has its own particular feel made up by the people involved and the sometimes weird directions our conversations take. I have this terrible fear of posting and being completely ignored and I've been on every Bootcamp bar a couple since summer 2013.

BestIsWest and thanks for the bat signal Athelstane when we lose weight (by any method, not just low carb) then estrone is released by fat cells which can affect your overall hormone balance. As you continue to lose weight then your body reacts by producing less oestrogen to compensate but this takes a couple of cycles to regulate. This can cause return of periods post-menopause, breakthrough bleeding on hormonal contraception, and mid-cycle bleeding. So it's likely nothing to worry about. However, post-menopause bleeding can occasionally be a symptom of ovarian or uterine cancer so if you're at all worried then consult your doctor who may refer you for blood tests and/or a transvaginal ultrasound scan or hysteroscopy (camera into the uterus).

@StuntNun I’ve also had the same checks, especially because I had quite a lot of lower body hair (waxers often asked if I’d had PCOS checked out) the only thing that came up is I have a slightly higher testosterone level. Nothing bad or dangerous, just may have been a reason I was a little hairier, taller, broader, flatter chested and more gobby ill get some ibruprofen today and see if it makes a difference. I do tend to tolerate quite high levels of pain and discomfort unnecessarily. I think it’s from childhood. But I have to be purposely mindful of myself or my needs are not really recognised. Thanks so much for the tips.

@Tickledtrout I’ve not thought about doing that, I usually use grated Parmesan if I’m doing something usually done in breadcrumbs, it’s a good substitute and gives a nice crunchy finish.

@Angliski good luck!

@BIWI it's comforting to know that even our Fearless Leader has the odd day with Cathy Twat

I seem to have adjusted okay to my 2am flock checking alarm. The first night I didn't really get back to sleep properly afterwards, but three nights on I'm into the rhythm of clambering into my wellies and jacket still half asleep, waking up a bit with the cold air and then crawling back under the duvet about 20 minutes later and going more or less straight back to sleep until about 7 (DH so far hasn't had to wake me up due to one lambing, although I did get downstairs in my dressing gown at 6.45 this morning to his report of 'All well, nothing happening' and then looked out of the window to see one on her side, back leg kicking, just about to deliver her first twin!)

I have a question about self-image. When I look at my shorts pictures I can see I've lost weight. I can tell from my clothes that I've lost weight. When I see myself naked or in my underwear in a mirror, I see absolutely no difference to the body I had 18lbs ago when I first started. Anyone else have this problem? How do I start seeing what's actually there?