Week 3 Pre-Christmas 22 Boot Camp

[prettybird]

Good morning!

Here we are at Week 3 already

So today you have a choice: you can move on to Bootcamp Light, if you wish - which means you can re-introduce some fruit, some nuts/seeds and some (low carb) alcohol (drye wine and certain spirits). Note the use of the word some! This means in moderation - and not all of them at the same time

If you wish, you can also now introduce/re-introduce intermittent fasting - most people drop breakfast, but it's up to you how you want to do this. @StuntNun has a thread about how to combine fasting with low carb for anyone who is interested in this approach.

You can, if you wish, remain on Bootcamp, if it suits you and it's working for you. Alternatively you can adopt a hybrid - so Bootcamp during the week and Bootcamp Light at the weekend.

Whichever route you decide upon, good luck!

A reminder re weeks 3 & 4 (and even 5)

It is very, very common for weight loss to slow or stop in weeks 3 and 4. If this happens to you, know that it's not just you! It's also very unlikely to be something you're doing, or not doing, if you've lost in the previous two weeks.

Just KOKO and things will get going again for you.

It is, though, also something to bear in mind if you do decide to switch to Bootcamp Light.

I’m tagging @FinallyHere to ask her to link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness so that I don’t link to an out-of-date one

Good luck to everyone - hope you're continuing to see results either (or both) on the scales or NSVs (Non Scales Victories - leg clothes fitting better or better skin or more energy)

In good news, I'm down 2lb to 12st 8lb

So that's me now well reached my first interim target of getting into the "3 digits"

Next interim target is only 1.5lb away - ie under 11.5 stone.

Roast pork for us tonight: got a joint reduced to £4.36 on Friday night, but I need to cook it quickly. Will probably have it with celeriac dauphinoise and buttery leeks.

Thank you @prettybird for running this bootcamp for us

Link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

Morning!

NSV have had so many compliments about how fabulous I'm looking! You forget how to take a compliment when you so rarely get them!

Doing ok, I weighed yesterday.

Today I'm fasting then going to see what's on offer at the purvey later on. I know there will definitely be some form of meat and cheese, maybe salad so can fill up on that!

Thank you @FinallyHere for tending to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

(Mutual appreciation society here )

Boot Camp is a communal effort with everyone contributing their experience, ideas and support . It wouldn't work anywhere near as well with just me (or BIWI when she's around/running them)

Morning bootcampers. I'm down so I'm happy, only about 3.5lbs off my target for this bootcamp.

I have a few social events this week as I'm on annual leave so will try my very best to be good.
Pt session this morning.
I had a realisation yesterday, when I first started I just wanted to be happy with how I look but I realised it's a bit more complicated than that, I am happy with how I look in my clothes have been for quite a while. More recently I am happy with how I look in gym clothes. The thing I haven't achieved is being happy with how I look in my undies, and then I guess I want to be happy with how I look naked. Being nearly 50 with 2 dc I'm not sure the last 2 are achievable.
Anyway thanks @prettybird and @FinallyHere for doing this. Good luck everyone.

A disappointing 2.4lb on BUT my period is imminent and I have lipoedema so weight loss is incredibly hard at the best of times but during ovulation and just before my period, I'm always heavier. Hoping to lose it later this week.

I'm still down overall so staying focused on that.

Only a small loss this week but as expected, have been feeling a little blue and half hearted about… well, everything, and have definitely not given the same energy as I did the first week. But: period over, 2 glasses of water down, here’s to a new week!

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the new thread @prettybird . Thanks too to @FinallyHere for the spreadsheet.

I'm down 1 pound this week and 5lbs since the start of this BC. So this is great for me. I'm currently weighing in at 10st5 (or 65.6kgs which is what I work in).

I've really appreciated reading everyone's contributions on thread 2. I found it a difficult week because for days I stuck at the same weight despite doing everything I was supposed to. Then, towards the very end of the week, a few grams shifted each day.

It was great to feel the support here - just by being a part of this group. Knowing that the journey downwards is not in one simple straight line is one thing. Living that bumpy journey is easier when I don't feel alone. So thanks everyone for being here. It helps me to make more sense of the bumps.

Well done to everyone who's shifted weight last week . And well done too to anyone who's having a hard journey but not given up. I'm glad you're here and I wish you lots of staying power for this coming week.

Hello everyone can I join in? I started yesterday and went for a long run so hopefully used up loads of my glycogen stores , we’ll see later I’m doing a fun run tonight dressed as a pumpkin. I’m running a marathon in March so I need to get used to running without carbs, I have done it before but recently each time I try I get disheartened by speed slowing down, hopefully I can keep at it this time.

Morning everyone. I'm down a pound this week, making me 10st 6lb. Very happy with that. I've switched to almond milk in my tea, and cut back the cheese and yogurt so I'm hoping this will push me on a bit. Have a good week everybody.

@WitchWand - sounds like you might be better to weigh weekly if you get demoralised by stating the same day-to-day. There is inevitable fluctuation up as well as down if you weigh daily.

I'm a daily weigher - but I use it to keep me on track (if I stop, it's usually because I'm falling off the wagon and sticking my head in the sand about the inevitable consequences ) and probably even more importantly to remind me to drink more water if the scales tip upwards

But that's me

Morning all, 4lb down this morning! I'm really pleased with that!

Bit disappointed with a 0.6lb loss this week. I have stuck to bootcamp so I know I’m doing the right things and as stated in the first post it’s not unusual for this to happen in weeks 3/4 (I started a week before bootcamp started).
Just have to keep going and hope I’m rewarded with a loss next week!

I've lost 4lbs this week, which must be a record for me! I'm pretty sure I have been in ketosis at least some of the time this past week, and it's had a good effect.

I checked in on the last thread before this one opened - sorry! I'm down just over 1lb again this week :) Not a huge amount, but probably more than I deserve given how shockingly bad I was at drinking water last week (and I weighed in last Tuesday, so that's a 6 day loss rather than a full week)

Couple of questions for all you lovely people:

1. How can I make mashed swede taste more potatoey (or perhaps just more tasty)? My husband is willing to eat the same meals as me but really doesn't like mashed swede. The first time, I made it with a potato masher and it was rather lumpy. Second time I used a hand blender, so it was nice and smooth but definitely still tasted "swedey". I don't mind it, but he could do with losing weight too so I'd like to make it tastier for him rather than making him mashed potato on the side.
2. Does anyone (@StuntNun perhaps?) have any information on combining intermittent fasting with low carbing, and the effect on fertility? I've been referred to the fertility clinic after taking >1 year to get pregnant with baby number 2, and then promptly losing it at 6 weeks. But as it's secondary infertility, and with a recent miscarriage, the GP warned that I'm looking at about a 1 year wait, and I'm already 36 so time isn't on my side. I enjoyed intermittent fasting in the past, but Google isn't really throwing up much information as to whether it's a good idea or not when TTC!

@KitchenFishCurry - welcome

You should find that if you stick with it, your times will improve. It's amazing what can be done once your body is using fat for energy. And at least it means that you won't hit The Wall in your marathon as you'll have already got your body used to it.

It's a looooong time since I've run a marathon (managed to break 4 hours in my third and last marathon but that was 30 years ago ) and it's over 10 years since I last ran a half but I'm trying to get back into running now. Have got up to the heady distance of 3.74km and am running km at a pace I used to run miles . But I'll get there . To be fair, the "Faster Beyond 50" training approach that I follow says that training runs should be really slow and relaxed and that you should walk briskly (which I never used to do before during a run) for 60-90 seconds every 3km and only do one shirter "pace" run a week. I just haven't built up enough yet to do the pace run

@pinknsparkly - can't help you on the fertility issue but on the swedes (neeps as we call them in Scotland): do you have a potato ricer? That's what I use to "mash" them once they're really soft. I add plenty of butter, generous seasoning and some nutmeg. You could try adding some olive oil for added pepperiness.

I've never tried it but adding cooked leeks to celeriac before "mashing" apparently makes them more mashed potato like so maybe you could try it with swede?

Morning all I’m up today and appear to have put on 1.5 lbs (but 2lbs since yesterday). I think because I had an off roast beef joint (found out when carving) so dinner was totally messed up. Hoping it will slip off as quickly as it went on.
I rang the company who supplied the beef today and spoke to a lovely lady who refunded and put a goodwill amount on. We are very fortunate to be able to have nice food and on the bright side I thought how lucky we are that it was such a minor inconvenience.

I am going to do a mix of bootcamp and bootcamp light.

@pinknsparkly an alternative would be celeriac mash which is easier to get smooth. BIWI recommends adding some leek fried in butter to get the best texture. On the intermittent fasting front then 16:8 shouldn't have any effect on your fertility (and may even improve it in some health conditions) but I would steer away from longer fasts to be on the safe side. Dr Mindy Pelz recommends women don't try to fast in the week before their period is due but, again, that's for longer fasts rather than intermittent fasting 16:8. I'm sorry to hear about your difficulties. I had secondary infertility and a miscarriage as well and ended up with a 6.5 year gap between children. They do say that you're more fertile after a miscarriage so fingers crossed it won't take as long to conceive again.

Morning all.

@pinknsparkly I'm not sure how to make swede taste more potatoey - but I always add lots of butter to mine. I also add a sprinkling of chilli flakes (because everything is better with chilli IMVHO!). Then I blend it so it's very smooth, with a hand blender. It makes it more creamy that way.

Alternatively, why not try making swede chips, and roasting them in the oven with lots of olive oil? They won't go crispy like potato chips would, but the caramelisation from the slight charring gives them a good flavour.

You could try making a mash with half celeriac and half swede - I haven't tried this, but it could work.

For those of you who haven't come across them, The Seriously Low Carb company have launched some interesting new products.

Their low carb bread is the best I've come across, and I always have a loaf or two in the freezer. It's great to be able to grab a quick sandwich occasionally.

Yeah I’d load up a swede mash with butter too, but cauliflower mash tastes more potatey to me

Morning all! I stopped commenting last week, but am sticking with it and happy with my 4lb loss. I really do need to keep upping my water intake though, I hadn't expected it to be so challenging.

@pinknsparkly have you tried making rumbledethumps? It's basically swede and cabbage and a sharp cheddar (though lots of recipes add regular potatoes, just I stick to swede, sometimes with some celeriac). You can have it as mash or baked in a tin to crisp the cheese or fried in patties. I also sometimes add grated courgette to the mix and make thinner fritters.

welcome @KitchenFishCurry

I've added your name to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness in case you want to log your progress. Lots do here, but there is no pressure if you prefer not to. Stepping on a scale invariably gives me a bit of a wobble, whether good or bad news, so I tend to keep track with a tape measure and how my clothes fit.

There is loads of information here in the other Spreadsheet tabs and the other threads in this low carb boot camp section including the FAQ and the recipe threads, too

Volek & Phinney's approach set out in The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance if you are interested in low carb for sports performance

1lb off this week so happy with that!
Got DD off school for a teacher training day today and think we will go for a long walk.

just had a coffee with cream this morning, not sure what lunch is going to be yet.