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I’m tagging @FinallyHere to ask her to link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness so that I don’t link to an out-of-date one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

Thanks for all the "potato" suggestions! I'll try adding leeks first and more butter with an improved blending technique, and then perhaps attempt to hack a celeriac into enough bits to mask it (I buy swede ready chopped so avoid the risk of losing any fingers!!). @TakeItCheesy (fabulous username BTW) - I have to try rumbledethumps just for the name 😄

Thanks @StuntNun - I'll stick to aiming for 14 hours minimum, 16 hours maximum of fasting to be on the safe side then. I don't have much to lose (last bootcamp saw me sneak into the very top of normal BMI) but as a previous pre-diabetic, and having had gestational diabetes (which also reappeared in the pregnancy I lost as soon as I tested positive 😲), I like the insulin resistant benefits of fasting.

@BIWI reminds me that I have made a very acceptable neep based "mash" to top a shepherds pie. I make it with any combination of (cooked till soft) neeps, celeriac and/or cauliflower (on their on or in combination, depending on what I have in the house) then blitzed in the food processor with an egg, some cream or yoghurt and a generous amount of Parmesan. Seasoned with salt and pepper and nutmeg (if I remember) and recently I've been adding a wee bit of grain mustard.

I'm going to continue to be very strict this week as on Saturday we're going to be "dahn sarth" (Shropshire is down south to us ) at a fine wine dinner where the winemaker (DP Burger of Glenwood in South Africa) will be talking us through the wines that have been chosen for each course. So I will be drinking - and it's a set menu so I won't be able to choose low carb options. But I'll make sure to drink lots of water

Morning all,

I've had a bad week so am drawing a line under it - half term and family staying have been difficult to eat well.

I will be sticking to proper bootcamp and not raiding Halloween sweets.

@pinknsparkly I prefer celeriac as a potato alternative, it's yummy roast. I find swede a bit tasteless.

Morning campers!
@pinknsparkly I do half cauli and half swede, tons of butter and a splash of cream, with hand blender. I’m not keen on swede taste so the cauli reduces that significantly. Swede and celeriac works well too. And celeriac and cauli. Haven’t tried adding leeks as worried it’ll look like it contains onions - then won’t be eaten by rest of family.

Anyone else peri-menopausal with periods all over the place? I’m wondering if weight loss fluctuates at time of month generally and if this is same during peri?

Ive lost almost 4lbs over the 2 weeks but Im going to stay strict boot camp and add 16:8. I want to stay strict as I’ve a shockingly sweet tooth that is still very much lingering. I need a bit longer to get it more firmly embedded. I also find bfast hard to fit in and don’t usually eat until 11/12 so think 16:8 should be doable. If I start late night snacking then I’ll have a re-think.
Today’s plan…
B- water
L- leftover roast chicken & veggies
D- Halloumi with ratouille

A chaotic start to the morning so didn’t weigh 😊
well done everyone

@ditavonteesed I think being happy how you looked naked requires something of an adjustment as you get older. I had a bit of an 'aha' moment when I realised that some of my ideals were based on being 30 again (I'm in my 60s) and also being 5 foot 7 tall (I'm 5'3"). I have a friend who is 91 and she hates how thin and frail she looks naked, but then she waves her arms around and moves her legs, and says to herself - look I'm moving, so at least I'm alive

@WitchWand we know weight loss isn't linear, but yet we would all like to see a daily downward move and never an increase - and the increase happens for lots of reasons. I'll try to attach a picture which is a schematic of what happens to fat cells...

@prettybird you wine tasting dinner sounds wonderful. In those kind of situations there are a few things that I do... I avoid all the excess carbs that I can (I don't have to eat bread just because it is there), I might just leave the potatoes - even roast potatoes or dauphinoise is rarely as good as I can make at home** (disclaimer below), and I avoid as much sugar as I can - especially sugar/flour combos like sticky toffee pudding - and opt for cheese if that's a possibility.

When I was doing low carb on my own (before I found bootcamp) and was measuring ketones, I discovered that I could bounce back into ketosis farily quickly after alcohol, ditto after carbs from veg (even potatoes). But the combination of alcohol, flour, sugar, had me right back at the start, glycogen stores well and truly full and it would take 3-4 days before I was back in ketosis.

@NotDonna when I'm doing intermittent fasting I try to adopt the mindset that after 8pm 'the kitchen is closed'. I switch off the lights and close the door, then I'm less tempted to go grazing in the fridge - which is usually not because I'm hungry, it's just that my mouth is a bit bored!

Had a great weekend away, such glorious autumn colours, and a dinner out with friends. Here comes the disclaimer: there were parmesan and truffle chips on the menu, so my friend and I shared a portion. Luckily it was a very small portion so I only ate 3, but they were delicious and not something I'd ever make at home.

Food today - sort of I/F but I had cream in my coffee, so I don't suppose it was really..
B - coffee with cream
L - left over salmon and veg frittata
D - slow cooked sausage casserole with buttered cabbage and fried mushrooms

Schematic of the fat cell

I'm going to have to bow out from the bootcamp sadly, I have a slipped disc and in lots of pain, and limited in what I can do at the mo. Will be hopping onto the next one hopefully. Good luck everyone and KOKO.

Sorry to hear that @Chocasaurus

Look after yourself and we'll still be around when you're ready to join in again.

Hope your back recovers quickly and you're in less pain soon

Sorry to hear you've got to go @Chocasaurus . I hope you feel better very soon.

Thanks to everyone who's got back to me about managing the "bumps " whilst shifting the kilos. I've appreciated your thoughts on this.

@prettybird , I realise that I want to learn about how my body works. Even though I know that the "linear line" is more a zigzag rather than a straight downwards one when it comes to dropping the pounds, I want to understand what's going on as much as I can. Sometimes I weigh myself daily to have more info. Sometimes I give myself a break from weighing because I want to surprise myself too. This is both a physical and mental experience for me.

It's not my first time on boot camp. The first time I came on, over a few BCs, I shifted almost 30kgs. It was an amazing experience. Once I got to where I wanted to be, I decided that I wanted to live within a range of weights. That way, I could fluctuate and enjoy holiday times and so on.

Before this BC, I'd gone over the top of my "range". I haven't had to buy new clothes or anything. But the choice of clothes from my wardrobe was dwindling. So, I came back because I needed to reign myself in and get back to low-carbing.

I love learning about what's going on in my body- understanding what I can about the ups and downs of the kilos. I think will help me to manage things when boot camp comes to a close and I'm on my own again.

Thanks enormous for the illustration of the fat cell @venusandmars ! I've had that process explained to me time and time again. But that picture is perfect. Really clear and really helpful !

Emergency how do I cook chard? I bought a bag yesterday from marks.

@ditavonteesed i sauté in butter

@Chocasaurus so sorry your in pain. Sounds awful. 💐

and garlic 😋

Felt a little peckish just now so had a prettybird yoghurt with a splash of cream - yum!! But I’m still peckish. It’s not hunger at all but a bored mouth/tastebuds. I’m going to make some herbal tea as think that’ll work. I’ve also noticed that I’m not drinking as much as I was on hols so need to up that too!
prettybird your meal out sounds lush but Shropshire = south 🤣🤣 Im now living south of London and so many ppl here class Birmingham as north. Cracks me up every time. Although we visited Lancaster for DD2 uni open days and jeez that is soooo north! Took all day to get there.

@Chocasaurus ouch!! You take care and hope it resolves quickly. xx

Love what you said about looking good naked venusandmars I think there’s a lot to be said for appreciating our amazing bodies and how brilliantly they function. I’d love mine to look good naked and/or in lingerie/bikini too @ditavonteesed but that’d need some serious toning not just weight loss.

‘Just now’ was 4pm. As DD2 arrived home starving so side tracked into making pasta to go with Halloumi and ratouille and hearing about her day before posting above 2 hours later!
No longer peckish as eaten the ratouille with Halloumi. Will close the kitchen for me but leave open for my other DDs & DH who aren’t home yet. I’ll stick to herb tea!!

Hah, thanks @pinknsparkly, pretty pleased it's so on theme for bootcamp! And the name of rumbledethumps was what made me try it in the first place too, wouldn't have done so otherwise, I normally hate swede.

@Chocasaurus so much sympathy for you, I had a slipped disc a couple of years ago and honestly, the pain was absolutely unbearable. Sure you know this, but baths and keeping legs propped up with pillows when you're lying down can help manage it a bit. Hope you've got the good meds too.

Today was ok food wise, still not drinking enough water early in the day though 😬
B: creamy coffee
L: avocado, smoked salmon, eggs, hollandaise
D: pancetta salad with a homemade Caesar dressing

@Chocasaurus Hope your pain eases off soon and it is all sorted soon.

Good call to take things easy. Bootcamp and the continuation threads will still be here for you when you are ready to continue.

That sounds horrible @Chocasaurus

I love the idea of rumpledethumps @TakeItCheesy , will give that a go.

Well done to everyone on their losses, or on managing to KOKO. I've not weighed this week but I'm enjoying BC so far and have been positively

I started late so won't be adding in nuts/alcohol until next weekend.

Sticking to strict bootcamp here.

It is apparent that I can’t allow myself any leeway at all, as I go completely the other way, chuffing idiot I am.
Drawing a line under today, hope I haven’t done too much damage & start again tomorrow.

Oh dear@ListenLinda have you not had a good day? Hopefully not all the Halloween cakes and chocolates? Tomorrow is another day. Dust yourself down and jump back onboard. Sometimes it’s worth thinking about the ‘why’ but never dwell on it. KOKO x

Hope you heal up quick, @Chocasaurus. Constant pain is so hard.

Scales haven't shifted this week but I know my measurements have changed because I'm getting measured for my wedding dress. I've lost a few cm from my high hip (over belly).

Big goal achieved for me not eating any Halloween sweets.
I'm feeling really good about this. I don't have the crazy hunger pangs anymore and I'm not auto-snacking.
Thanks, all. The group effort definitely helps.

@NotDonna kind of. I took DD to my Grandmas before taking them trick or treating, and she didn’t have much in but kept offering me cakes & biscuits which I declined. But I needed something so I had 4 or 5 grapes, which set off the sweet craving and did end up having the chewy refreshers the kids won’t eat from their TT buckets.

I’m up and getting ready to go to the office today, so just having a coffee with cream. Will have some greek yog before we go and raid M&S at lunch time!

@ListenLinda ah that’s easily done and a refresher & 5 grapes isn’t so bad in the big scheme of things!