Week 2 - May 22 Low Carb Bootcamp - our first weigh-in thread

[BIWI]

Sorry for the late start.

Here's the spreadsheet for you to confess all!

A quick peek shows some really good early results, with @UnOeufIsEnough and @loopylou3030 both hitting the half stone mark. Brilliant!

@ketoonfire We all have our own experience of weight loss, and our own challenges. For me, one of the challenges is that I have an (almost) life-long expectation that in order to lose weight I have to 'feel hungry' a doctor told me this

But, on this woe, I DON'T feel really hungry. And sometimes that messes with my idea of what is good and what is healthy.

Argh is Night Nurse LC? (Joking, absolutely nobody will be taking away my night nurse!)

But of a sore throat for a day or two, not quite normal appetite but thought I was over the worst today. Woke up 30 mins ago with a raging sore throat and head, and mucus cough. Catching up on MN while my night nurse tabs kick in!

Wow @prettybird your BC discipline really paid off, beautiful - hope you're having a fab night.

@ketoonfire we're not a keto here, more LC and LP (low processed) so some things that are ok on keto aren't BC friendly because of processing/additives (very sweetened sugar free things for example). Your menu looked good though. Re your feeling meh - might you just have realised that being overweight might make you unhappy but being lighter doesn't then make you suddenly 'happy'? I realised this about 5 years ago when I finally discovered intermittent fasting and LC. Being overweight and out of control made me very unhappy, and I'd expected to feel happy having lost weight and regained control. However, the fact was that I just didn't feel unhappy about it and it's not quite the same thing.

Welcome @GloriousAvocado (what a great name, after a bit of avo-disappointment this week I'm hoping to return to only every having glorious ones!

B- black coffee
L- little appetite. LC-bread offcuts deep fried in beef dripping
D- roast pork, roasting pan whole roast red onions (2 small), shoogled cauli/cabbage/carrots.

My fried crunchy dripping (LC) bread bits were a particular success!

@ketoonfire : weight loss after the initial "whoosh" on BootCamp (which not everyone experiences) weight loss will settle to a healthy average of 1-2lb a week. Some weeks we'll lose nothing - although we might still be losing inches if not pounds.

BIWI will no doubt warn us next week that Weeks 3-5 are notorious for stalls

I "enjoyed" a 10lb loss in the first 12 days of BootCamp mainly because I'd fallen off the wagon so badly for whatever reason the 4 weeks before BootCamp, so I got a really good water "whoosh"

I'll probably stall now for 3 weeks, or if I'm lucky will lose 1-2lb over the 3 weeks. Thereafter, I'll aim for an average of 1lb a week with (I hope ) the occasional 2lb.

Having got into my red dress I now have a new target of 5 July (ds' graduation). That's just over 7 weeks away. I got down 12st 2.25lb today (actually yesterday ) and I'd like to get to under 11.5st but I'll be happy with 11st 9lb (ie another 1/2 stone).

@prettybird you look amazing and that is a GREAT dress. Also enjoying the idea of the fight to get you into it; we've all been there!

@glamourousindierockandroll bloody good effort on the no bread, no chips Five Guys at 11pn, you have willpower of steel! What band did you see? I'm assuming someone great as per user name...

Saturday was:
B: scrambled eggs with cream cheese, butter and tomatoes
L: salad with feta, sauerkraut and butter-fried avocado ((side note, if you're having feta and sauerkraut, don't also put salt in your salad dressing unless you enjoy the taste of the sea)
T: Roasted cabbage, fried pak choi, creamy leeks (soy cream) and leftover salad. Plenty of fat in the dressings.

Just in case you're like me, and not sure how to cook cabbage so it's interesting, I followed the cabbage bit of this and it was glorious! www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/italian-style-roast-cabbage-wedges-tomato-lentils

(Won't put it on the recipe thread as the lentils and potatoes it includes are definitely verboten).

Forgot to say, had 4.5l of water alongside a coffee with cream, and four cups of tea 🌊, possibly as a result of my VERY salty lunch 😆

@venusandmars the plan today is to move my shop bought basil and lemon thyme into several pots, as theyare indeed tall but spindly. Thanks for the tip!

I am up because DD1 (16, SEN) has a tummy bug.

@prettybird I am still stunned by your photo. Especially after your description of putting the dress on because you'd never guess it was a battle! I chuckled at the idea of you shoogling into it. Would butter have helped, I wonder....? 😊

@glamourousindierockandroll go you!!

@Baystard so sorry you're ill. Ironically, I had similar thoughts about Covonia when I was coughing a couple of nights ago and decided it was far too sweet! Night nurse completely knocks me off my feet, though. I'm really sensitive to it and can barely walk the next day. Funnily, DH bought me some Covonia when I had Covid and he got the wrong one - it has a morphine derivative!! I'd have been completely zonked!!

I'm a bit disappointed that I'm not going to whoosh this week. I understand because I'm not trying to lose masses, but I thought I might get another kg off. Having said that I am feeling so much better. No wobbly feelings between meals. No bloating. No hunger. Flatter tummy. Bowel problems calming (I have IBD). So KOKO for me.

I am meant to have 2l water. Does it matter if I have more?

@prettybird you look amazing.

@Lougle sorry your dd is not well. Sounds like your doing really well. Do you know for there are any scales that are any good for muscle mass or do I just have to rely on the tape measure?
Sorry your not well @Baystard sounds awful hope your feeling a bit better this morning. I will second what you said about not being fat not making you happy, I actually found I had a lot of really weird feelings when I lost weight and it took me quite a long time to get my head round them, in retrospect the worst feeling I had was about how others treated me, like I was suddenly worth their time and it made me mad.
@ketoonfire could you look at why you started this in the first place, is there an item of clothing you really want to wear or something you want. I've been doing this woe since Jan last year and there are times when I fall of the wagon spectacularly but I always get back on because I remember my initial goals and look at how far I've come. I would never have actually believed it possible before I started.
@glamourousindierockandroll you get the will power 🏅 very impressed.
Birthday over, line drawn now to test out the new gym kit my mum bought me and undo the damage with all the water.

@glamourousindierockandroll
hope you had a great night , love the ‘going bunless ‘ phrase 😂
Somehow you make that sound really exciting !

yesterday
good day food and drink wise , I have a few weeks to a big bday so hope to lose 7 lb , my dress fits anyway ( it’s a wrap ((non carb lol ) so it automatically adjusts .

I won’t need to shoogle into it as per @prettybird ( luckily for me
) but it would be nice if my boobs were a little less the focus .

@APerfectlyGoodName
i think you are spot on with your analysis of the carb craving
I try to remember how horrible it makes me feel , and how little bloating I have now

happy Sunday everyone ! Koko
water water etc

@ketoonfire sorry you are feeling miserable. I find It can be really difficult to keep my resolve to eat healthily when my default at times of stress is to reach for carbs. It’s a learned self meditation for me. But it doesn’t work, it makes me feel worse and reinforces the bad habit. I try to remind myself that eating healthily helps my mental health resilience. I don’t always manage. Good luck.

@prettybird you looked fab last night we’ll done. Hope you had a good evening. Inspiring turnaround in two weeks. I’m a teeny bit jealous.

I have a big do in two weeks nothing that two weeks effort would even get me into in my wardrobe. No plan at the moment. Wondering about hiring something special that fits so I don’t need to keep something in a size I don’t want to be. Story of my life. Constantly yo-yo’ing weight. Never satisfied with myself. Far to old to be so obsessed with this but I am.

B black coffee as IF long term
L green veg soup
D Taking a low carb fish pie with celeriac topping to MIL’s today. Will serve with flgv including asparagus from the garden.

happy Sunday everyone

Lost half a pound this morning.

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, bacon, gouda cheese.

Lunch: salad with cream cheese and sardines followed by some cream.

Dinner: salmon fillet with pepper, courgette, shallots and then some cream.

I had a cheese slice last night at bedtime because I was hungry.

Morning all.

Sorry to hear you're feeling a bit 'meh' about your progress @ketoonfire - but I think you've been given some good advice and insight here, especially from @Baystard (and sorry to hear that you're poorly Baystard)

It can feel - and actually sometimes is! - a long, hard slog to get to where you want to be, especially after the initial euphoria that you've actually found something that works for you.

My advice would be to take a short term and a longer term approach.

Short term - cook yourself something lovely, delicious and indulgent that is a real treat for you. For me, that would be a really thick fillet steak, served nicely charred on the outside but beautifully rare inside. With a creamy Roquefort sauce. A green salad with a garlicky vinaigrette, and some celeriac chips. I'm not a massive dessert fan, but I'm very partial to a lovely chocolate and raspberry one, (on the dessert recipe thread, that uses 90% dark chocolate) and served with clotted cream.

Longer term - remind yourself how much more rewarding this WOE is compared with a low calorie or low fat diet. Take yourself back to a time when you were calorie counting - I'm sure you would have been at one point! - and remember how hard and disappointing it could be. All those Cup-a-soups and Muller Lights, full of artificial ingredients. And how difficult it is to eat out and still keep your calories (or fat) low.

Then, read up about the other benefits of low carbing. There is so much more to it beyond weight loss. Over the 10 years I've been running Bootcamps, people have reported all manner of things, e.g. blood pressure returning to normal, no longer being pre-diabetic, better skin, help with PCOS symptoms (even resulting in several Bootcamp pregnancies!), better sleep, better mental health, etc etc

I fall off the low carb wagon frequently. But ultimately I eat this way for 90% of my life, because I really believe a high carbohydrate diet is bad for my overall health.

@glamourousindierockandroll another one here wanting to know who the band we're 🎶🤘. We go to a lot of gigs, try not to do too many in the week but we have one Wednesday and Thursday this week so will have to try to navigate that (plus DH will just eat anything!!!). Was in Sheffield yesterday with DD for a festival - managed caprese salad for dinner while she ate pizza between bands but didn't get nearly enough water as worried about needing a bathroom stop on the way home -and didn't want have to go mid-set-

Life got in the way a little bit at the end of the week so not been posting much, apart from yesterday have been keeping up with water but hardly lost any weight. I have a feeling I'm not actually eating enough fat, and probably not enough full stop. My tummy looks less wobbly and inches have gone from waist and hips but I have to admit to being a little bit downhearted that there's no shift on the scales.

@ditavonteesed glad that DD has been granted study leave, we finished Friday lunchtime, no books since then for a complete break and back to it today ready for the first exam on Tuesday. She's still exhausted and way too pale but I firmly believe that being out of school is the best thing for her. Good luck to both yours this week ☺️.

@prettybird you look gorgeous, I can't remember the last time I actually dressed up for something!

Thanks for all the lovely compliments

I had a lovely time last night . It was actually nice not to be there with dh (he doesn't like the Rugby Club Ball as the Junior Section that he runs never gets recognised, so can get rightly curmudgeonly ) so I was able to sit with my team mates and dance with gay abandon

Didn't drink too much though, danced until 1, got to bed at 2.30 (after dh came and picked us up and we'd dropped them off at 3 different destinations (had to stop to let one of them be sick dh was not happy ) and then had a cup of tea to wind down.

I was still compos mentis enough to take my make up off though

And even better, I was still 12st 2.25lb this morning

@prettybird you look amazing! I'm glad you got that zip up, had a fantastic night in your first choice outfit and maintained your weight loss. I am in awe at your 10lb loss in less than 2w!

@Rayna37 thanks for cabbage carbonara recipe tips, it's now on my list!

@Frenchpoodle congratulations on your 5lbs off! I hope it stays for tomorrow's WI for you!

@ditavonteesed you have so much going on, I'm in awe. My exam years start next year and I'm dreading it as my DC is L-A-Z-Y. No mental health issues though (yet). I hope you get your van fixed. Also, a belated Happy Birthday! How were the M&S treats? And what did you have, please tell

@BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation how is the UTI now?

@SageCardy I love the sound of the mushroom ketchup (I've never tried this), egg, spinach, bacon morning roll! Do you wilt the spinach?

Thanks for all the pulled pork advice! It all went well and I had a lovely meal with friends last night and I ate sensibly. My friend had made little piles of blueberries covered in 90% Lindt chocolate for pudding (with cream and meringue and more berries - I didn't have the meringue!), which tasted absolutely immense, Id never tried 90% chocolate before. I know berries and dark chocolate are verboten until tomorrow but I was happy to eat a small amount a couple of days early. We had avo & prawns & marie rose sauce for starter. I was stuffed! I'm up a few hundred grams this morning, but I have still lost over a kg since Monday so I'm happy with that.

I walked my small DC to an activity yesterday morning rather than taking the car, about 1m there and 1m back - I'm enjoying the walking just now. I don't like to walk alone though and am not a podcast fan maybe I just haven't found the one for me? so avoid a walk if I don't have a friend or a child to go with me. I'm also considering doing some online exercise videos on the TV one or twice a week - any tips?

I think I might have sea bass today, I've got a nice lemon one in the freezer from Asda. With some tenderstem broccoli. I need to plan the rest of my meals for the week and probably go to the supermarket. I seem to spend half my life at various supermarkets!

Have a lovely Sunday everyone!

@TheOnlyMrsW

My tummy looks less wobbly and inches have gone from waist and hips but I have to admit to being a little bit downhearted that there's no shift on the scales

But less wobble/fewer inches are both much more important than what the scales are telling you! That's the reality. So it's really working for you.

@prettybird looking stunning in red, glad you had a great time

@venusandmars thanks for the tips about upping daytime veg intake, love the breakfast frittata idea, especially as it’s something I can just grab out of the fridge.

@BIWI and @Baystard some great advice about the down days in this WOE, I know they can creep up on me sometimes. I’m going to screen shot your comments to remind me if I ever start to feel a bit glum.

@heliosfountain Love the sound of berries with 90% chocolate - was the chocolate melted?

Pretty good day yesterday. Did a lot of gardening, so bacon and mushroom butty on LC bread in the sunshine for brunch.

Then went out for tapas in the evening, such great choices for this way of eating. Had pardon peppers, mushrooms cooked in garlic, chorizo, olives and Spanish ham. Absolute delight!
I succumbed to a gin cocktail (dodges the big stick!) - gin with lemon juice, soda water and mint. Perfect in the sunshine. I love how I never feel deprived eating this way 😋

Sorry to those who are ill. Hope you are all feeling alot better soon.

and those who are struggling also . I'm sure many of us have been there or will unfortunately hit that at some point. I have no advice, but be proud at least of how far you have come.

I'm just reporting in on my efforts with the yoghurt coffee and SUCCESS

I let my black coffee sit for a bit so it wasn't such a shock for the yoghurt, then frothed up a bit of milk and loaded it up. It would make a really good dessert or even a breakfast. Surprisingly very filling.

2 x Boiled eggs

I've got roast chicken for lunch - looking forward to the skin! - and I'm having it with roast onions and veg.

Some sort of salad probably, depending on how full I am still feeling after lunch.

Has anyone tried Montezuma's 100% dark chocolate? It only has 8% carbs.

I've got to keep persevering too @ketoonfire. I'm sure I'll see a shift in the scales soon but I'm up 100g today, which brings this week's loss to 400g 😕I wouldn't mind if I'd cheated but I've stuck to the rules religiously.

I can only eat Montezuma's 100% chocolate with a spoonful of clotted cream. The one with orange is particularly nice that way

90% chocolates vary: the Lidl one isn't nice (although it might be 95%) and I had to finish the bar by eating a square with a teaspoon of clotted cream; on the other hand, the 90% Lindt is a bit too lovely

OK - I'll ask what I always do in these instances!

List out for me all your food and drink over the last 3-4 days and let's see if we can identify anything.

@prettybird You look gorgeous!

11/05
B - left over cheesy Bolognese bake.
L - tomatoes, ½ avocado, olives.
D - steak, roasted veg (veg oil), creamy peppercorn sauce (double cream).

Fluid: 4 x 750 ml water. 5 X cups of tea with almond milk, 1 with full fat milk.

12/05
B - greek style yoghurt and double cream
L - Baby bistro salad leaves, baby plum tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, tuna, olives
D - roast belly pork, spring greens with butter, courgettes and baby plum tomatoes.

Fluids - 2 x 750ml water so far (1x 750ml to go), 5 cups of tea with almond milk, 1 cup with full fat milk.

13/05
B - Greek yoghurt and double cream
L - salad: Italian strong leaves, cucumber, baby plum tomatoes, olives, avocado, 1 slice belly pork.
D - left over spring greens, courgette, baby plum tomatoes, fried in butter. 2 slices belly pork.

Fluid: 5 cups tea with almond milk, one with full fat milk. 3 X 750ml water.

14/05
B - Greek style yoghurt and double cream
L - salad leaves, ½ avocado, olives, baby plum tomatoes, 2 hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise.
D - Roasted leek, broccoli, yellow pepper, mushroom. Fried halloumi and bacon lardons.

Fluids - 6 cups decaf earl grey with almond milk, 1 cup decaf earl grey with full fat milk, 2 cups normal earl grey with almond milk (@ Costa - I'm sure it was sweetened because it was horrible!)
2 X 750ml water. I need to add one more this evening.

@Lougle more experts than I will comment, but that food looks ok to me. 400g is 1 lbs, that's not a bad loss, is it, especially if you don't have much to lose?

Lots of socialising this weekend, which had made navigating some food choices a little tricky (eg a friend making a low carb salad but serving it pre dressed with honey dressing, etc.) and off to a birthday party shortly.

Hope everyone has a good rest of the weekend.

Lougle - from what I can see, your food looks fine.

You don't have a lot to lose, so your rate of loss will be slower compared with others. Are you taking your measurements as well? Often that is a more accurate way of recording your progress.

Two possible tweaks you could consider though - first, upping your fat. You don't say, but are you adding an oily dressing to your salads? And second, consider cutting out the dairy for a couple of days (which doesn't include butter) to see if this makes any difference.