Pre-Christmas 22 Boot Camp Week 5: in the 2nd half

[prettybird]

Here we are into Week 5, the 2nd half . Hopefully you’ll have got beyond the “Stall” period of Weeks 3 and 4, but be aware, it sometimes it lasts into Week 5.

Keep the faith, keep focussed, keep drinking the water and you will see progress. Remember all the other benefits you're enjoying

The challenge this week is to start doing little things in preparation for Christmas . That way, we can relax when Christmas arrives as we’ve got every ready in advance in our dreams . If you don’t want to do that yet because it’s too soon, why not do something that has been on your list of “To Dos” for ages and you’ve procrastinated so never quite got round to it. You’ll feel so much better once you’ve done them

@FinallyHere will be along shortly to link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness and also to the sparkling new thread that links to all the recipe threads. There are sooooo many tasty recipes, so we can enjoy our food

Oh just look at her, do her paw pads smell like biscuits? Susus always smelt like biscuits. I could so easily get puppy broody. Then I remember that my house already smells like dog farts all the time without adding more in 😂

Oh I don't know! I'll have to sniff her paws when I get home 🤣

@debka - sorry you were having a tough time at work. I hope the day got better Good on you for KOKO - it's the one thing you can control

@ditavonteesed - sounds tough, having to cope with the thyroid issue as well. I hope you've had plenty of water Today is a new day!

@ZiggZagg - I'm not a dog person (although our Siamese are really dog-cats ) but Iris looks lovely

In my own news, I'm still sticking just above 12.5 stone, to my frustration .

But I'm KOKO and also trying to up the water. Off to Murrayfield today with dh, so might fast for the day while drinking lots of water during the day in the car on the way there/back. I'll take some Pepperami with me in case I feel the need to eat something. Taking a couple of cheeseburger pie portions out the freezer so we've got something to eat when we get home.

I'm still managing to get to bed just before midnight. I've also got out the Christmas wrapping to check what I need to get. Need to sort it a bit to make it organised. I have an old suit carrier which works to keep the rolls together and the tags, scissors and sellotape in the pockets. Still to find the box with the Christmas cards (which includes the list of those I send them to) to work out how many more cards I need to buy - but dh has been tidying the stuff in the loft and I have to leave it to him to get out

I've booked my cut & colour for Christmas Eve (usually I forget to until much later so sometimes can't get an appointment for the day), so that's another thing ticked off Big Christmas dinner is on Christmas Eve so it's an incentive to be sure I've got everything as prepared as possible in advance.

Morning all, hope those who have been ill are feeling a bit better.

The scales are moving downwards again, which is fab. My challenge is to keep it off for Monday’s weigh in as I always seem to go up a bit after the weekend. I think it’s because I relax and probably eat a little more of everything as meal times are more relaxed and social. So my thoughts are to drink even more water and put even more green veg / salad on the table.

That sounds a good plan @Sunsnowsun

And congratulations on the scales moving downward again I just wish mine would

Hello all. I'm sorry I haven't been able to keep up with the threads but I have been reading along and cheering you on!
I am 2 months in, 16 pounds down and the lightest I have been in 10 years. Slightly apprehensive about all the festive eating next month but really happy with where I'm at so far. Biggest challenge is unlearning all the things I've been missold about healthy eating during my adult life! KOKO.

drink even more water and put even more green veg / salad on the table

Going to join you and adopt that, thank you @Sunsnowsun

Gratters on the scales moving again

High five for @PopSingersFearOfThePollenCount

Congratulations @PopSingersFearOfThePollenCount - that's a great achievement

You'll have seen that we've been chatting a bit about our different strategies to cope with the Festive Period. The best comment I've seen was to throw away the "extras" if the rest of the family aren't eating them. It's going to waste if you eat them just because they're there or if you throw them away. And you're not a human dustbin

We've been talking a bit about self-care and valuing ourselves. This is one of the ways that we can put it into action

We'll still be around over the Festive Period anyway on the continuation thread from the end of the Boot Camp (maybe not as much as now - so if anyone is needing support or to be told to step AWAY from the Quality Street that'll be me then we'll be here

I’m in a pair of skinny jeans right now which have never felt loose before but they do now :)
have done well this week, been good about planning lunch and snacks, kept meals sensible, definitely upped water intake. Two more weeks til Christmas party season kicks off, so I’m buckling down!

That's great @Backstreets

I still daren't try on my "good" pair of smart black trousers - they'll be a bit tight around the thighs and not hang well.

At least I can still get into the midnight blue velvet jeans that I bought in the New Year (belt I wear with them is a bit tight though )

I have a big Christmas lunch a week on Friday - it's the one time in the year that I dress up and put make-up on! I finally plucked up the courage to try my dress on.

Let's just hope that the next two weeks will be good to me ...

You'll get there @BIWI - you of all people know how this works

I've just organised the Christmas lunch for my group of Pilates friends for 7 December (at Brian Maule at the Chardon d'Or for those that know Glasgow: their lunch/pre-theatre menu is excellent value for fine dining). I wore the dress I'm planning on wearing at the wine dinner in Shropshire. It was a bit lumpy then (line of tights and slip showing through ) so I'm hoping it will be less lumpy in 2.5 weeks If necessary, I have one of those tight slip things (that goes up to just under my bra) that I can wear - but it makes going to the loo very long winded while I try to wiggle it up to get my tights down and then wiggle it back down again..... The dress itself hangs well as long as it is able to do so

I know what to do @prettybird. It's the doing of it that's always the issue

I don't know what you mean

Seriously though, it's good to demonstrate that we all have ups and downs, with "life" getting in the way.

I should have been well on course to get to my real target by Christmas if I hadn't got out of the Zone after working hard to get in my ball dress in May, so I've had to adjust what's realistic to achieve and not beat myself up about what "should have been".

Another night just getting to bed before midnight. That included making a batch of tablet before going to bed - and not even tasting the soft ball test

I've started to write my food shopping list for Christmas and will start buying the non-perishables the 1st week of December, when I'll have a 10% off voucher at Lidl. I can include the shedload of tomatoes and mint I need for the tomato & mint soup and get that made and frozen.

I'm not normally this organised in advance but Boot Camp has inspired me

Plus, keeping busy and focussed helps me stop snacking when I'm not really hungry

I've woken up from nights with the slightly insane thought that I might like to run a half marathon, I looked and it's 26th March so about the right time for training. I'm sure it will wear off when I go back to sleep. I'm currently googling training plans. This woe has done weird things to my brain.

Training during the winter months is hard though @ditavonteesed!

@BIWI it's ok I think it was just a passing phase I woke up more sensible

@ditavonteesed - I was going to say "Go for it!" The advantage of starting to train in winter is that as your runs need to get longer, the days are also getting longer

But there again, I did a lot of my training in the dark after work as I used to (when I was much younger) have to train for the London Marathon from a zero base (did that twice - you'd have thought that I'd have learnt the first time ) (I've run 3 marathons but they were a loooooooooong time ago - London was Marathons 2 and 3). After every marathon, I would stop running for years months

I've had a lovely big whoosh this morning after the past few weeks of STS or putting weight on. Onwards and downwards! Congratulations to all the losers, and hugs to those struggling this week.

Talk of marathons made me smile. I've always wanted to do one, but can't imagine actually getting my arse into gear enough to train for one... I've done a half, several years ago, but I feel like a full would require way more preparation and planning!!

Apologies to those who are actually good cooks. You may wish to look away now. But I have discovered scrambled eggs this week. I've always eaten them but never particularly loved them. However, a big wodge of butter and a splash of milk, microwaved in 30 second blasts or shorted, scrambled, put back in and then stopped when it's still a wee bit undercooked (it'll continue cooking but won't turn rubbery) is AMAZING. I don't wish to admit how many scrambled eggs I've eaten this week! I've only ever added a splash of milk and cooked them until set (aka rubbery!).

@prettybird that’s true!! For once I have a target in mind rather than trying to do as much as possible strategy ( which usually means, I stop and then put all that back )
yesterday was a bit tricky, but let’s see how the machine takes it today. For the whole week, it was all good. Shopping done for the week, but need to cook tonight!!
well done for everyone who started on Christmas shopping, I have all my family coming over and only planned my gift lists. Nothing bought yet :(
Will have to act on that from now on. Food wise it will be difficult, but lets see

Week 6 thread here

Pre Christmas 22 Boot Camp: Week 6 http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/lowcarbb_bootcamp/4681976-pre-christmas-22-boot-camp-week-6