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)

@MrsKoala for you to dh and job.
Pity he didn't wait for redundancy.
If he doesn't pass probation will he be able to help you in your business.
@StuntNun that was a big change in your sons grade.
Do they do one year of Alevel where you live.
Mine go to school in NI and its 2 years so she done assessments in her 3 subjects each week from they returned and now they not using them at all it was a lot of extra work for teachers to not use them

Prettybird and MrsKoala, I could bore on for hours about my "so that's how you are meant to do it" epiphanies. After years and years of hearing simple instructions like 'engage your core', 'keep your elbows tucked in' (and even 'stand up straight'!) I think that, at last, a combo of yoga and trying to follow some very simply suggestions from a physio has given me the ability to notice what goes on in my body when I perform certain simple movements.

As a result I have learned to isolate and engage muscles that have been on holiday all my life. The result is that some horrible chronic pain and weakness in my shoulders and upper arms is allieviating, AND I feel more and more cradled by core muscles throughout my back that come to me unbidden like a best friend to help me out whenever I am lifting anything.

It has been really brilliant. The improvements just seem to build and build, just from that original act of noticing.

MrsKoala I am in awe of you doing an hour's spinning and then wishing for more. I stagger out of 45 min spinning sobbing with relief that the pain is finally over.

@Random789 I have a Parson Russell, I cannot imagine life without him now. He is such a menace, but so entertaining and affectionate. Mine came from a breeder in Chester called Auld Toby and His father was a Paciolito dog, I know someone else who bought one from Pacolito and she was very happy.

@Andi2020 no it’s not really that sort of business. To cut a tedious story short. We took out a massive second mortgage to pay for FILs care and after 6 months he got chc. So we now had this lump sum and a forfeit of £25k if we paid it back before 5 years. So we decided to set up a property development company where I use the money to buy and do up and rent or sell etc. H wanted to do his own consultancy and training courses in a few years and the idea was he take a less pressurised and time consuming job with more flexibility while he start putting this all together and then in the 5 years the property would be looking after itself and bringing in 50% of our income and he could then take a drop to do his business. This job on paper looked perfect. But it’s not turned out like that. They set up all his client calls in the evening so he’s rarely finished before 8 and rather than him being the ideas person he is, they expect him to be a details person- which he isn’t. He’s dyslexic and very creative, but he’s never going to know the right there/their or here/hear. The team have worked together for years and have been picking on every thing he’s done since he started. It just seems like a bad fit. ☹️

@Random789 when I started Pilates it was because my core was totally wrecked after a 3rd degree tear birth then a section within 2 years (and 2 10lb babies). I could hardly move and the physio said I’d really be in trouble if I didn’t strengthen my core. I thought, because I was so fit I must be strong too. But that wasn’t the case. Well, not evenly strong - strong legs, overdeveloped calves but not much else. I could easily do 2 hours spin/aerobics/step but a plank or similar no way. So now I’m trying to rebalance myself and not just have stamina but be able to strengthen my body and not be in pain constantly. I do feel irritated that I’ve attended so may exercise classes and not one instructor has told me I’m not doing it properly. It’s amazing the work out you get when you really think about your muscles in isolation, rather than just flinging yourself round vigorously to disco music 😂

Thank you elastic. That is really helpful. I've just looked up Auld Toby and it is really good to learn postive things about another breeder, especially since Pacolito may not have availability for quite a long time.

Yes, menace is quite a good word! My old dog's bad point was his very stern attitude to other dogs, especially dogs that had the temerity to try and be friendly with him. But so entertaining and affectionate as you say. So much enormous zest and intelligence and quite clearly the very best dogs in the wide world no matter what owners of other breeds might claim

Two 10lb babies, MrsKoala! No wonder you think an hour's spinning is a breeze! I'm sorry you've had s much pain, and really glad you have found a way of addressing it.

Isn't it funny how unbalanced our fitness can be. I'm always sitting in random body balance style classes and watching women who might be older or plumper or just generally less fit looking than me who nonetheless can do particular things with ease that are way beyond me. Like opening their hips -- someone broke into my hip joints when I wasn't looking and poured concrete into all the moving parts).

Yes, I find that weird too. I’m hyper mobile so my hips are too open (ooh er not a posh euphemism I assure you 😂). And I actually had 3 10lb babies (well did was a dainty 9lb 2oz) but I’d done Pilates for a year before getting pregnant and it really made all the difference with my 3rd birth. I bounced back so much quicker and with way less pain.

Mrs K I had to do a load of glute bridges recently as I was experiencing lower back pain due to sitting around on my arse for the best part of 12 months anterior pelvic tilt.
It sounds like you are already on it but in case this helps, I came across this video which really helped me work out how to recognise when I wasn't doing it correctly. www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+how+to+do+glute+bridges&docid=608034543053462771&mid=FB892F95639A55C6E603FB892F95639A55C6E603&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
Lower back pain disappeared after less than 2 weeks just with doing 10 sets of clenches twice a day (plus some ham stretching). I also liked the reminder to stop when your muscles become tired rather than plough on with crap form.

@MrsKoala that sounds super stressful for both of you. I hope it works out.

The pool has just called me to say they have a space in the session I was wait listed for. Very pleased as I didnt want to run!

I had two 10 lb-ers, Mrs Koala, both sunroof jobs given my diminutive height and lack of pilates

You write with much common sense about DH's predicament. If you'd like a legal slant at all, just pm me. (Always free on BC; never free anywhere else. It's not the best strap line, but all the same).

I have two springers. Ruby (aged 4) is a goddess. Evie (8 months) is a menace, but her story involves gypsies and wondering if I'd ever get out of Stoke alive. She'll do

Oh @MrsKoala that's a shitty situation to be in as it seemed like such a great position / plan originally. Has he got any comeback on the hours??? That sounds a bit off if it's all into the evening and not his choice?

For those who want arse improvements I can strongly recommend split squats. Great for core as well as glutes and hamstrings.

Or this from YouTube is a killer but easy to do whilst waiting for kettles / on calls without video!!

@FusionChefGeoff - those split squats are a killer but you do feel worthy doing them as you just know they are working you hard! The others don’t look as bad - but maybe because I haven’t done them - are they very deceptive 😬

@TheHoover - interesting to know about those bridges for strengthening backs. Mine is a bit dodgy at the mo so not been running for ages. Might give them a whirl.

My ten minute cycling seems even more rubbish now with all these weird squats!!

Weird and very impressive!

@cheeseisthebest

My ten minute cycling seems even more rubbish now with all these weird squats!!

NO!! Hold firm.

Exercise if you want. It can only ever to be to the good. But if you don't want to, it's not going to impact your BC results.

@BSky believe me your cheeks will be burning after Tracy's innocent looking chair workout!!

We don't realise how heavy our legs are until we have to lift them beyond normal movement for a while. DH had a hip op a few years ago and I had to do his physio and my God an adult male leg weighs an absolute tonne if the muscles aren't working.

Andi2020 we have the opposite problem as they're using old test results to calculate grades from when DS1 wasn't putting any effort in because they didn't count for anything. He was only in school for one day a week for half of his first A level year anyway so his education is incomplete. It's a complete pain as I suspect employers aren't going to pay any attention to A level grades earned in 2020 or 2021.

Those split squats look "interesting." I need to rev up my exercise routine but I'm not sure what to do. I want to quit Pilates because it's £15 a session now and I have crap lower back and hamstring flexibility which is really hampering me as I get more advanced. I can't do an open leg rocker (Google it, it looks cool) because I can't straighten my legs, it doesn't matter how good my core muscles are. But I'm worried that the Pilates practice is all that's holding me together (I have osteoarthritis of the spine) and if I quit then I'll end up even less flexible and in a lot of pain.

Thank you @nowlook, you are my own personal cheerleader!

I have a NSV, someone really really pissed me off today. I then went to M and S garage for petrol and my god I wanted a cream cake. All of the cake. I looked at them, I picked one, I walked around a bit but fellow bootcampers I did not buy one! Nope, I walked out with nothing!

I did pay for my petrol, in case you were worried.

@FusionChefGeoff - I can believe it. Anything that looks simple whilst someone smiles innocently is hiding something!! Next time I make a tea I’ll try them out.

Sorry to hear the difficulties of teens doing exams. It sounds a nightmare so stressful for all.

Hope you can find something to replace your Pilates @StuntNun - sorry to hear about your back. I know Pilates really helped a friend out with her back problems but she’s got a bit tired of it now too. Hope you can find something else that you enjoy, challenges you and keeps you together. Back pain is awful.

Just checking in with food.

B: black coffee and 2 squares of dark choc
L: roasted pumpkin and bacon salad
D: chicken and veg stew

W: for once, I think I might actually have hit my target!

@nowlook thanks. I’m not really sure what legally he can do. He says they never mentioned hours of work. It seems that they think as it’s a permanent work at home job he’s available all the time. But with 3 young kids the idea was he’d be finished by 6 most days and able to see them. Now he’s often working till the same time he walked through the door when he commuted to London precovid, and we really didn’t want to go back to those hours.

Thanks everyone for the bum exercises. I think I’m going to set myself a Buttcamp challenge. I’ll do some form of glute workout for 15 mins every day for the rest of BC and you can all judge if it’s made a difference. I’ll do before pics in the morning.

If I ask h to photograph my arse so I can show people on the internet, he may think I’m trying to offset any possible future income reduction 😂

Gosh just realised this week has been a huge bump up and i didnt weighx
Since being back at the office my head is a shed on an evening.
It’s surprisingly easy to get 4 litres of water down when at my desk though!
Today was AL day. Me & DH went to White Rose to spend some of his bonus on getting the kids sorted for our holiday and summer. Got myself some bits too, including a pair of shorts in the size below which I am determined will fit nicely! I wore my size below jeans today that fit fine until after we had lunch
I bought some bras in my usual size that are really tight across the back. Putting that down to dodgy sizing though.
Came home, and did the gardens together and it really lifted my spirits. Can’t wait to see all the colours!
We had pork chops, green beans & broccoli for tea. Must improve on the water tomorrow.

@prettybird @MrsKoala I agree about the importance of having a skilled instructor making tiny adjustments, plus when I go to 'real' classes, I stick with it through the tough parts, when I'm doing it online, I just sit on my mat and drink a mug of coffee

@stuntnun I sometimes go to a 'movement shiatsu' practitioner. It feels to me like a sort of gentle pilates, but very individualised, and the practitioner does the work, not me. When I've had musculoskeletal issues I've had weekly sessions for 3 months - sorts me out for the next 3 or 4 years usually.

@MrsKoala that sounds so stressful, it's hard to bite your tongue in situations like that. I think the key thing is not to rewrite history and imagine the 'what ifs' - that way lies madness.
And I thought I had it bad with nrdh wanting to 'show me' all the ring tones on his new phone . NB never let a newly retired man get a new phone!

Loving the idea of buttcamp but a little uncertain about opening photos...