Week 6 - Leaving Lockdown Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Morning campers

As ever, here is the spreadsheet

So we start the second half of this Bootcamp.

I sense that things are quietening down a little on the threads, but I hope that doesn't reflect commitment and progress?

It's interesting to hear the chat about maintenance, and very positive that people are starting to realise that it might not be long before they have reached that stage.

Glad to hear you're feeling a bit more positive @FusionChefGeoff

@NigellaAwesom - your cloakroom looks lovely. Love the need to provide for the cat as well

@Moonswimmer and @venusandmars - sailing sounds, to me, like a week/weekend from hell! I'd rather do an SAS outward bound course than be stuck on a tiny boat worrying about how I might go to the loo!

@StuntNun - very impressed that you could just get up and run 2K without training for it! I've completed my C25K so I'm running now for 30 minutes at a time, but I know that I'm nowhere near 5K yet, and it took 9 weeks to reach this stage!

Very envious of you @Andi2020 - wish we were near a beach somewhere.

@ElasticFirecrackers those cheese things sound lovely. What kind of cheese is Maasdam?

@ListenLinda - what do you have in your fridge/freezer/cupboards? We can try and do some kind of 'ready steady cook' for you! Tonight we're going to have a stir-fry, with pork tenderloin and either egg-fried cauliflower rice, or a sort-of pho, using Bare Naked Noodles.

@BSky I'm afraid it's inevitable that too much wine won't help. Bloating is generally dealt with by drinking more water, but I'm sorry that you're having issues with that. If it doesn't resolve itself soon, and you're still having the abdominal ache, I'd get that checked out with your GP. Just to be on the safe side.

Busy next few days here - we're having our Christmas this weekend! Off to pick up SIL from Cardiff and BIL from Bath (DH's brother and sister) and bring them back to us - along with DS2 who will come and join us. So lots of prep work to do to keep us all fed and entertained.

Presents are under the 'tree'; all the beds now have Christmas bedding and we have a couple of Christmas candle ornaments on the mantlepiece as well as little stash of Christmas loo paper in the bathrooms

(Oh, and plenty of Champagne and fizz in the fridge)

Just want to say that one doesn't have to be a 'more experienced bootcamper' in order to post things that are wise, empathetic and really, really helpful. I feel a bit embarrassed when I'm included in that cohort, I still feel like a newbie at times. And at other times I feel like .y 'experience' has just been making the same mistakes more often! Bottom line - Never hold back, post what you feel is right. It possibly is.

Anyway for me today "the best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agly..." translation = thing go tits up!

Planned lunch in the sunshine in a seafood destination were thewn aside by a combination bad weather, and then the bad weather causing travel disruption. Ended up in a city renown for it's lack of sophisticated options. Had cauliflower fried things to start, which inevitably came in some kind of flour batter with a sweetish sauce, then an Asian chicken burger (no bun, and only ate 2 chips) and had Asian slaw but again all with a spicy sticky sauce which must have had a fair whack of sugar. And a BIG glass of wine (as compensation for all the sugar ).

And just found out that on Saturday, dinner with SIL where I've requested "no pasta, too much flour isn't good for my tummy" we're having... home made pizza !!! And this is from SIL whose dh is following the fast 800 diet. But intermittently I think.

I've not yet experimented with a fathead pizza. Does anyone have a foolproof recipe?

Dinner tonight will be an egg and a lie down in a darkened room.

And I blame all my typos above on the poor internet connection on the train, nothing to do with my typing, or the large glass of wine..

Sorry to everyone who is having a tough time this week.

I haven’t posted much on this thread but just wanted to come back to say I had my biopsy results back today and all is clear thankfully.

But I’m still having bleeding - possibly due to oestrogen being released by fat cells as weight is lost which might mean I’ve lost some weight. All a bit weird.

What on Earth is a fathead pizza?

@nowlook I think that sounds useful tbh. For example DH and I have just been out for our first meal post lockdown. Both took afternoon off and I massively overate but it was all on plan, it was all gorgeous, there was lots of veg and a great variety of nutrients and good stuff. I didn't have dessert but did get exactly what I wanted to eat. And I feel great!!

Past attitude I would have not had sides or the main I wanted as it was expensive - I know now I deserve good food.

I would also have had tonnes of carbs AND fat AND meat and not a lot else. Plus a huge dessert I was not hungry for. Then would have come home and had chocolate. And then crisps and dip and more choc when I would inevitably be hungry in the evening.

So the 'new' version is so much progress it makes me feel good. No shame, no guilt, don't care what it does to that number.

Will be interesting to see what happens so yes I'm going to do that thank you.

@venusandmars definitely yes - that's a much better way to look at it I'll give it another go with that angle in mind.

I've done this pizza twice and it's AMAZING. Just be careful with egg to cheese ration so it's not too sloppy. Also I think using very mild cheese for the base is better as it can be a bit overwhelming otherwise.

@Random789 @bestbees as you may have gathered I am in exactly the same boat. It's so helpful seeing someone else articulate it and try to work through it. Thank you and boo hiss to the horrible negative voice we have to listen to sometimes

@Bestbees completely recognise that binge behaviour (when we feel unobserved / in secret?!) too. God knows where it comes from but you're still here and that's what ultimately counts.

@bestiswest that is great you got the all clear.

I recognise the secret binging behaviour too. Guilty pleasure maybe?

@BestIsWest

Sorry to everyone who is having a tough time this week.

I haven’t posted much on this thread but just wanted to come back to say I had my biopsy results back today and all is clear thankfully.

But I’m still having bleeding - possibly due to oestrogen being released by fat cells as weight is lost which might mean I’ve lost some weight. All a bit weird.

What on Earth is a fathead pizza?

Yay! That's fantastic news (apart from the continued bleeding, obvs).

What will you do to celebrate?

Yeah, sorry about that @venusandmars. When I see people are really struggling, I do go into panic mode. I want to make it right and feel awful if I don't have the answer. Hence the bat signal.

Not sure why. Too much testosterone, maybe? Immediate response is to solve rather than empathise. Might explain my hairy arms and top lip

To celebrate I am going to have a bath,eat all the leftover Spanish chicken I made yesterday, watch several old episodes of Call The Midwife and allow myself a couple of squares of 95% Lindt.

Excellent Best. I love a good old cry to Call The Midwife.

🎉 @BestIsWest! I'm so pleased for you!

@BestIsWest woop di doop amazing news!!!!!! Enjoy indulging in all your favourite past times without the cloud of worry!!!

Congratulations @bestiswest! Really pleased to hear that, and hope the bleeding stops soon.

B: ham and cucumber
L: bag of puffed pork scratching things - slightly disgusting but very morish, all at the same time
D: posh sausages and oily salad

Great news, bestiswest

Good news @BestIsWest!
I’ve not been on the thread this week but I’m carrying on. I was away last weekend but made sensible choices where I could so only a pound on. I’ve been to the gym twice this week.
A NSV (I think!) is that I’ve been craving a cider all week. Tonight I opened a can and it was horrible, far too sweet so I haven’t drunk it. On the flip side I can now eat 85% chocolate like it’s dairy milk 😂.
B: SLC bread and peanut butter
L: cauliflower cheese and chicken breast
D: salmon with roasted veg

Excellent news @BestIsWest so pleased.

So is this what maintenance would look like? I'm actually 2kg above where I planned to end but I have been stuck losing and gaining the same kg for nearly a month now. It's the first time I've stalled in this woe and I wondered if it's my body's saying this is where it should be. I was talking to a friend who has also lost a lot of weight this last year and she was questioning why I'm trying to get to a number when I fit in the clothes I want, look how I want to and in theory that extra 2kg won't make much difference.

So I need to decide if I keep pushing harder to get that extra 2kg or I work on maintaining now. My bmi is 26 currently and my aim was always 25. I feel a bit deflated with it which is ridiculous when I've lost over 20kg since new year. I don't really plan to change what I eat anyway so the decision makes no difference to anything but my head.

I get that dita. I want to lose another half stone but my clothes fit and I looks much better! I need to tone! Any tips for getting rid of c section overhang??
Great news bestiswest

I think I need to up my exercise, I was tons but I need to tone up, but I absolutely hate exercise.

I have no idea about the csection problem, would core stuff help? My tummy is the last bit I'm not happy about as well.

I wanted to start swimming but I can never get booked in.

@BestIsWest - that is great news. So pleased the results were clear. You must be relieved - or will be once you’ve processed it.
Must have been such a worry.

@ditavonteesed - 20kg loss since new year is incredible . I hope you feel proud - that is such a significant loss. There must be some NSV too. I do get the wanting to get to a certain number on the scales/BMI and working out what that is. You’re doing so well and have not only lost but are maintaining and over sometime. That is a brilliant achievement.

Can you revisit what your original goal was? Maybe reevaluating with all you know and what you feel now is helpful. What are the NSV you want to achieve/maintain?

I say this but know I am reaching another milestone & not sure whether that will become my maintenance range or if I will add in an extra goal I would never have considered it feasible a year ago to be the weight I am now. However I have achieved a healthy BMI, my clothes fit better, I feel better, sleep better. I need to think why I want to achieve another goal. I know it’s in part because today I have just tipped for the first time the weight I was at 12 wks pregnant with my second child - 10 years ago. I never got back to that pre-baby weight and always feel like I’ve failed because of this. However I know I’m physically fitter than I was then have more muscle lead a healthier lifestyle but it’s the scales I look too. But should I?! 🤷‍♀️
Sorry - complete ramble recognising what you’ve achieved and the struggle of knowing what is ‘enough’. Whatever you decide you’ve done brilliantly and it’s ok to reevaluate your goals. (Must take own advice and confidence in feeling ‘ok’).
Bloody mind field this weight loss business. Plays into so many different things.

I totally understand what you mean, I think it's because I have reached a place that I never actually thought possible. I lost weight about 12 years ago and I got to where I am now, I couldn't lose anymore and I got into a very bad place where I was barely eating and completely obsessed. I saw myself one day and decided that i wasn't going down that road. I put all the weight back on and never managed to lose weight again.

This woe has been so much healthier for me in both body and mind and I feel full of energy and healthy. I don't want to end up restricting myself for the sake of a number in the scales when I have really achieved what I set out to.

This woe has been so much healthier for me in both body and mind and I feel full of energy and healthy.

I feel like this too and I do see this as an achievement. I think the struggle for me is knowing when I have achieved what I set out to. Is that what you’re trying to get to as well? We both seem to have got to a place we didn’t know we could arrive at and we’re now unsure whether it’s the right place. I know I am healthy where I am but have not known for a long time what my healthy is. I’ve see sawed between more acceptable weights than others but not gone back to what I thought I should be. Like you I’m looking back to over a decade for a weight range. I only know I was lucky to naturally be slim up until I had some tricky life events which impacted on my sleep, had to take medication etc. Then had kids & never really knew what getting back to ‘me’ was/is. Think I’m still redefining that & at a different time of time of my life.

Been reading all posts and just finding it really hard to keep up as not got much to post at the moment, i’m just KOKO!
Trying to make good choices where I can with being out of the house during the day now. Just finding foods a bit boring if im honest. Don’t want to fall into carb creep though.
Hope you all have a lovely weekend and will try get back on here more often!

Like @ListenLinda I'm another one just KOKO and enjoy reading posts and ideas. Also really appreciate those sharing lapses and feelings about them - all very familiar territory. So enjoying this WOE at the moment, though definitely easier while I am still working from home and hardly going out. Getting better at adapting my evening meal so I can eat with the teenagers when they want something carby - made pasta bake for them this week, kept some of the tomato based sauce aside for me, roasted some veg, then when nearly done I put the sauce and some torn up mozzarella and basil on top of the veg and put it back in the oven for five minutes until cheese melted So simple, but so nice they both wanted some of that too.

@pangolinfan that sounds delicious.

I'm with others finding it a bit harder at the moment. I'm two weeks behind so coming to the end of week 4 and haven't really seen much movement (on the scales) since end of week 2. I think this is to be expected but it still makes it a bit harder. I've also been pre-menstrual all well - period finally arrived a bit late yesterday, so I'm hoping that will stop the cravings. And this weather makes me want to comfort eat. Do you tend to start losing again in week 5 or 6, or is now the time I need to cut down on dairy to get better losses.

Interesting talk of pre-children weight and BMI. I thought BMI had been slightly discredited as an accurate weight measure? Based on my BMI, it says I could be a stone heavier than I am now. And my pre children weight is still a stone lighter - kids are 9 & 11 so am aiming for half a stone lighter! But my build is quite petite - narrow shoulders, skinny wrists & ankles - so there's no way I could carry an extra stone without looking unbalanced.
I do find all the psychology around it so hard. DM has been obsessed with having a slim figure for as long as I can remember, tales of her 17" waist when she got married, and weight being linked to happiness. I'm trying very hard not to put the same obsessions on my DDs, but they are aware we're dieting.