Week 3 - Leaving Lockdown Bootcamp

[BIWI]

As ever here is the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

I rather suspect, given the confessions/visits by Cathy Twat, that a lot of Bootcampers aren't going to have much luck on the scales at the end of this week.

As I've warned, cheating really won't help - and this is a very unforgiving WOE. I have all my fingers and toes crossed that you will be lucky, and will see a good result on the scales, however. Or with the tape measure - or that you're fitting into your clothes better.

So now you have a choice

After the first two strict weeks of Bootcamp you can, if you wish, move on to Bootcamp Light. This means that you can re-introduce some fruit (mainly berries) and some nuts/seeds, and alcohol in moderation - and restricted to dry wine and clear spirits.

BUT

... you also need to remember/know that weeks 3 & 4 are notorious for seeing little or no weight loss - sometimes you may even see a slight gain.

So it's up to you if you want to relax things.

If you haven't been totally on plan over the last week, I strongly recommend that you stay on strict Bootcamp for another week

If you feel you're ready to move on, then you can go to full-on Bootcamp Light, or you could consider a hybrid - so strict Bootcamp during the week and then Bootcamp Light at the weekend.

Whatever your choice, I hope that week 3 is kind to you!

Please, please, please remember that this week/next week are our infamous 'Doldrums' and so don't be disappointed if you don't see any losses on the scales

This is also another good reason why you should be taking your measurements - the scales might not be moving, but your body shape may well be changing.

Anyway, whatever you decide, good luck!

@FusionChefGeoff and @BestIsWest - hope all goes well on your 2WW. It’s a worrying time so take good care of yourselves. It is a fantastic pathway that will hopefully rule out any nasties- most referrals are fine as MilesJuppIsMyBitch says. Thinking of you.

@ListenLinda really hope your little one feels better soon. What a stressful time.

@BIWI glad you’ve been having a lovely social time catching up with friends. Also that all ok with the BP. Thanks for advice on the maintenance. I’m currently at my lowest weight in a long time. I still say I’m losing my baby weight (youngest is 9!! 😳) and working out what my normal weight is. I always intend to tighten the reins when my weight creeps up but that’s not always worked out. However I do feel so much better on this WOE so feel determined to lose a few more pounds and then really work to stay in range this time. I’m less worried about sugar as my taste buds seem to have altered but I don’t know if that will change when I relax from Bootcamp. Sometimes carbs just lead to wanting more carbs...and then it’s a slippery slope. So it will have to be slowly slowly...

I’m so inspired by people here and their honesty about their relationships with food and the emotions that go alongside eating and the progress people make - nsv as well as the scales. This woe has really helped me focus on how much better my body feels on this diet. My choices are influenced by how I’ll feel physically if I eat certain foods but also question why I want to eat - hunger, a treat, stress release, bored so I’m much more mindful of what I eat. In the past weight loss has been more vanity based but now I’m more focused on feeling and looking healthy. (Although I do look back at that very unflattering photo last autumn to remind myself why I started this Bootcamp. (Bloody awful chipmunk cheeks & double chin)!

Anyway that’s a bit of a ramble! Off to bed now. Night all 😴

@BSky totally with you on the 'food emotions' thing. I am awful for bored eating and being mouth hungry. I also have terrible over eating tendencies - searching for that over full feeling as a substitute for something else no doubt. The honesty and space to explore it all is a massive part of why this is working so well for me.

I also feel so much better physically even when the scales don't show any progress.

The food festival was torture in so many ways but I remained strong! We came home with brownies and doughnuts for everyone else and the pizzas the kids had looked incredible. But I had delicious halloumi fries (sauce was probably off plan but they were all touched with it and it was sooooo good!) and my back up pack up.

But although I was soooo tempted, I didn't have the grumpy I'm being deprived feeling too much as I KNOW how shit I would feel - gluten related pain then bloating then sugar hangover the next day.

@MrsKoala that sounds gorgeous and will be me tomorrow as we're seeing my neice for the 2nd time since she was born in Feb 2020 and have planned an outside pub lunch - the forecast is horrendous 

@MilesJuppIsMyBitch thank you so much and I'm sad to hear it sounds like you are familiar with the thread . It's a reassuring way to put it that most people don't stay - because they don't need to. That's really helped me thank you. Is that flour gluten based? I guess it is. Your loaf looks amazing! I'm also going to read up about WOOP as I'm in a huge transition period at work so sounds like it could be very useful.

It's my virtual race today!!! I'm aiming for a half marathon PB and my lovely friend is joining me for the last hour to hopefully pace me to victory!!

Long runs seem to do weird things to my body and weight so I've weighed this morning and my strict return to BC after fire pit indiscretions was worth it. Lost the gain AND another couple of lbs so am at my lowest since starting AND my lowest for several years!!

Right, off to streeeeeettttccccchhh now.

See you on the other side

Best of luck today Fusion! What a lovely friend to pace you (though the "last hour" bit made me shudder involuntarily ) How long will you (hopefully) be running? Is it outside or do you do it on a running machine?

Today's the day of the much-trailed trip to South Wales. I'll try to keep up with the thread as far as possible

@ditavonteesed - another vote for Renpho scales, I bought some after seeing them recommended on boot camp and they're great.

@FusionChefGeoff - very impressed with your willpower in getting through the food festival unscathed, I don't think I'd have managed it. Good luck for the race and fingers crossed for a PB.

Small NSV here this morning, I can just see the ghost of a vertical line appearing at the top of my abs. I have never had a visible abs crease in my life, so I'm ridiculously excited about this!

@FusionChefGeoff good luck with the run today.

for those waiting results and medical tests.

@MrsKoala my parents have a place by the sea. It's only 40 minutes away but it is lovely to get away. Your place, and meal, sound great.

Plan for today
MMM: 5k run plus a beach walk.
L: random salad of leftovers (bits of ham, olives, cheese, egg, avo)
D: random bit of cooked beef from freezer, fried mushrooms and green veg.
Out for drinks to a friends tonight so there will be booze. I am taking feta dip, cucumber sticks and marinaded olives so can snack on plan. Then tomorrow back to no snacks.

Have a great day everyone.

Good luck for today, Fusion. Hope you get your PB.

BSky everything you say about how supportive it is to hear people's honesty about their relationship with food, and to observe all the non-weight benefits of eating well in the recommended ways, resonates vey much with me. I do feel I have a chance of improving my relationship with food via the bootcamp -- and also of losing weight properly, slowly and permanently. Instead of just having intermitent spasms of painful food restriction, alternating with depressed and chaotic grazing.

If I don't succeed I think it will be those habits of shame and judgement and self-recrimination that hold me back. Even though I haven't had any major failures since I started, I can feel a strange tendency to be secretive about anything less than ideal. For example when I have THREE coffees with cream, or when I fill my plate excessively full, I feel extremely tempted to under-report it here. Furtive.
And I can see how I sabotage myself on the scales by striving to get the lowest weigh-in possible (for example by undereating the day before a weigh-in). All that does is set me up for disappointment at the next weigh-in. And I do it because I am ashamed. I will feel flat and embarrassed if I post another no-loss weight tomorrow, despite the million wise words here about how that doesn't matter.I even ty to weigh myself without others at the gym seeing the result.

It is all so daft and irrational. It isn't really about weight I suppose. It's about finding a precisely measurable stand-in for your general sense of self-worth.

Oh, I also wanted to say, prettybird, your supper last night looks delicious.

@FusionChefGeoff good luck today. Keeping stretching and hopefully you won’t feel it too much tomorrow!

@MrsKoala that studio will be fab now we can all get out and about - I’d love a place by the sea 🏖🏖. @Bestbees jealous of your beach walk too!

@BIWI I’ve been out and about too having a bit of a social life take it out of you!!

Been on plan this week, no indiscretions so I’m hoping that the scales are kind to me this week. Probably helped by the fact that I had my COVID jab yesterday so didn’t drink anything last night just in case I felt rough. In fact I feel pretty good after a great nights sleep and have a clear head - bonus!

Does anyone else find that they have more energy on this WOE? Don’t get me wrong, I still get tired but when I used to have a car by lunch or dinner I’d just want to nap about 15 mins afterward. One of the things I’m enjoying about this is that I don’t get that same sleepy feeling during the day.

Anyway KOKO everyone...bank holiday tomorrow - yay!!!

I'm glad it helped @FusionChefGeoff . I qualify for life membership unforunately, but I don't go there any more, as I like to focus on the good stuff instead. I have a very good life!

Oh @Random789 it might seem daft and irrational but it’s so so human, can so relate to that sense of pressure to post a loss on Mondays. You’re right, it’s more about relationships with food than actual loss - it’s liberating to be able to post about that anonymously to many who can relate to what you’re saying.

Thanks @MilesJuppIsMyBitch . Not heard of WOOP but I will definitely investigate.

It's this stuff . I'd failed at using it for pancakes, but this worked out really well!

Yesterday's Food

B: bacon & egg
L: celery sticks with cream cheese.
D: bolognaise with green beans & cheese crsckers.

S: Greek yoghurt.

All the water

Sorry I’ve nit been around much, busy couple of days but been keeping to plan. I’m due on this weekend and feel so very bloated, so not expecting a loss on the scales tomorrow- it’ll drop off again next week so not worried.

I’m meeting a friend for lunch tiday for the first time in ages so will just make the best choices I can from the menu.

Food today
B. Greek yoghurt and some frozen berries
L best choices available
D bbq food for us today so some kind of grilled meat and salad.

@BIWI thanks for your reply.

When I say I think I'm following the plan, I mean to the best of my knowledge. I am wondering if I am doing something wrong or misunderstanding something.

I thought that using a tracker app would be good for keeping track of what I've eaten, because I find it hard to remember.

When I look at yesterday's food I think I should have eaten more veg. I have been feeling quite bloated/slightly constipated.

I've also been taking a course of anti-viral medication since Thursday last week and don't know if that might play a part ( probably clutching at straws).

Thanks again. Will go over rules carefully again and eat more veg.

@Random789 what a great and honest post. Thank you. My weight and self worth always seem measured against my dsis. And always fall short. Even now and this age (and dm passed) I can still feel her disappointment that I didn't come up to the standards set by dsis who excelled at school, married her childhood sweetheart, is successful with beautiful children, moderate in all her habits and who has never weighed above 9 stone in her life

Was at an island wedding yesterday... photos attached...

B - yogurt and a few strawberries eaten sitting in the sunshine outside our campervan (the best part of the day before the icy wind gets up)
2nd B - egg, mushrooms, tomato, bacon on a CalMac ferry
D - seafood and veg

@Random789 so much of your post resonates with me. I even try to lie to myself...

Photos...

And more...

@ElasticFirecracker I find the best way to 'track' my food is to take photographs of everything before I eat it. Sometimes it stops me boredom eating or makes me put more veg on my plate too!

@venusandmars that looks amazing. So beautiful.

Beautiful photos venus.

Apologies for not being around much, migraine yesterday so stayed off screens. But today I’m having my hair cut and colour, so excited!!

Lovely photos @venusandmars - very !

Yay to the hair cut @Rshard. Had mine done last week, and what a relief. So much grey.

That looks stunning Venus!