Jan '23 Low Carb Bootcamp - Week 2 - how did you get on?!

[BIWI]

Evening all! I'm posting the week 2 chat thread this evening, as I know how keen everyone will be to post tomorrow. As I'm retired now, I no longer have to set an alarm to wake up, so I don't want to keep everyone waiting tomorrow morning to post.

I love this week. It's when we see how much people have lost, and it can be a significant amount. It can be a real leap of faith for anyone who hasn't low carbed before, and all those who really don't believe you can eat that much fat and still lose weight!

I'm really hoping that you've all had a good first week, and that your commitment 'to the cause' has been rewarded with a good result - be that on the scales, with your tape measure, or the currently-too-tight clothes that you've been trying on.

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

I hope very much that you've had a good first week, and that you're feeling supermotivated for the rest of Bootcamp.

However - if you haven't lost, or you have even gained, please don't be downhearted. We're all different, and there may be lots of reasons why this is the case for you. It's also really important to note that it's not a competition. We all lose at different rates - plus, anyone who is bigger will lose more/faster than someone who is smaller.

Hopefully there are other benefits to this WOE that will keep you on track - at the very least, I hope that you have been enjoying the food, and that you don't feel deprived, like you would be on a low calorie/fat diet.

Good morning everyone, lost nearly 5lbs last week so very pleased with that. Just got my period this morning so that would explain the sweet cravings I've been having. So weight loss might be slower this week
Has sea bass fried in butter last night with sea salt and lime juice and shoogled spring greens. It was so nice. I don't think I have ever cook fish in butter before!
The girls had pizza last night and I'm craving pizza topping on something, maybe a chicken breast for my dinner. Any ideas?

I'm 2lbs lost this week. Slightly annoyed as husband has lost 8lbs in the same time!
Struggling with all the fat to the honest. It's just sitting in my stomach now and making me feel a bit nauseous. On the plus side though - sleeping so much better with no wine in the evenings and feeling more focused during the day.
And not a single craving! A miracle really - I watched my son eat a ton of Xmas Maltesers last night and wasn't interested at all!

Pizza chicken is lovely @AlhambraQueen
I butterfly a chicken breast and put it in the oven for 15mins or so. Meanwhile cook up a pepper, onion, mushroom (whatever you like) with tomato puree until it's quite thick. Spread onto the chicken, top with whatever cheese you fancy and back into over until chicken is cooked.

Here's one that's only 8%

I like 90% - not quite sure I could manage the full 100% though

@Greatly - sorry you're struggling. I note, though, that there's a lot of dairy in your menus. Perhaps try a few days without the yoghurt/cream/cheese and see what happens?

@AlhambraQueen @BrendaLee if you buttterfly the chicken breast, and then bash it out with a rolling pin (cover the chicken with clingfilm) so it's about 0.5 cm thick, you can then brown it on one side in oil/butter, then turn it over and put your pizza toppings on the other side, then flash it under the grill/or oven bake, till they're hot/cooked.

This way it cooks much more quickly, and also it's a bigger surface area for all your toppings.

Don't worry about your husband's weight loss @BrendaLee - it isn't a competition, as we all lose at different rates. And annoyingly, men tend to lose more, quickly as well. Even if they're cheating! Just focus on what you're doing.

Are you really struggling, physically, with the fat? Or is it, perhaps, psychological, given everything that we've been told about fat and how supposedly bad it is for us?

Re planking - it's how I start my weekly gym/PT sessions (after a warm-up) - with a 2 minute plank.

We repeat at intervals through the session with different types of plank (hip touch, shoulder touch, reach forward, etc), each for 30 seconds or a minute.

Sometimes he says 'plank for as long as you can' - and when we were working on building up the length of time, a few years ago, I did get up to 6 minutes! (Couldn't do that now though)

up to 6 minutes!

Collapses onto the fainting couch

@BIWI I think you might be right about it being psychological to some extent.
And I'm not used to eating food that is so rich - I think I will get over it though as it tastes good!

Yes I'm eating more cream this time. Good plan. I'll have a break for a few days.

Collapses next to @FinallyHere
up to 6 minutes
🏆@BIWI

Loving all these trouser NSVs. I have a pair of summer trousers I bought before a big trip last year- I think they fitted me for about a week. Looking forward to wearing them this year!

I'm very close to the next stone bracket (0.2lbs close!) and rather than generally hovering in the 8 and 3/4 stone area (with a goal of 8 1/2) which is where I've been in recent years, I haven't been under 9 since 1st July last year.

Away this weekend and we're going to a Chinese restaurant DH and my SIL have fond memories of. There aren't many in my small city so I'm out of practice; what are your top tips for a Chinese? One of the family is pre-diabetic so I guess will also be looking for good options.

Also I tried black coffee and I LIKED IT! Who knew?! We do have a great coffee machine I bought for his last big birthday

(For context I'm short and have a very small frame)

@BrendaLee men often lose weight a lot quicker than women on a low carb diet, even with a higher carb intake. It's just not fair <stamps foot>

@Brassbumblebee multivitamin tablets often contain magnesium in a form that the body can't absorb. I take magnesium glycinate, either this one for magnesium alone or this one for zinc and B6 as well. I've been taking it for years and only need a half dose every other day to keep on top of my symptoms.

I made the Diet Doctor cheese crusted omelettee* that someone recommended for breakfast this morning and it was amazing - 11 out of 10 - I am never making omelette the usual way again!

@Rayna37 Not easy! Can you check out their menu online before you go?

If you can, link to it here and see if we can help.

One thing I always look for is lettuce wraps - same principle as duck with pancakes, except the 'pancake' is an iceberg lettuce leaf. The filling is usually chicken or pork, finely diced, with other veg. And hoisin sauce to add (which you can swerve)

It's usually on the starters list, but generally I find that there's enough to make it a main course.

Not feeling very well today Started getting very bad lower abdomen cramps late last night - no obvious reason am post menopausal so it's not that . Slept really badly as a result and still have the cramps this morning, although a bit better than they were last night.

The two pictures (from the Fitbit I got for Christmas) show the difference between a "normal" night's sleep and the lack of deep sleep I got last night.

Decided not to do my exercise DVD this morning (usually do it Monday, Wednesday and Friday) as that seemed the better part oh valour

Hope you feel better soon @prettybird

Plodding along nicely here, enjoying my food much more than I had previously to starting low carbing.

I've managed a massive amount of protein today, 84.7g in the form of chicken mainly but also a homemade sausage and lots of sprouts, on my app it tells me I have achieved 73% of my protein goal for the day! Not sure I can face anymore, maybe an omelette for dinner!

Shouldn't have checked but did jump on scales after noticing my measurements have changed on my tape measure - another pound down although I know this fluctuates with time of day, water etc.

Hope you feel better soon @prettybird

I'm treating myself to a pedicure and foot spa/massage treatment this weekend not sure what colour to have my nails painted, they are currently gold with glitter from Christmas, ridiculous as no one sees my feet, I am scarred from a time I visited my DS and DIL and they looked at my feet and looked horrified! At the time I was 4 stone + heavier and rarely managed to see my toenails let alone cut them, but my big toenail on each foot was long, jagged and manky! so embarrassed but they found it funny and I have been conscious of it ever since so now have a pedicure every 6 weeks to keep in check (even more important now I'm diabetic)

Then the weekend after I am having a hot stone massage, I was a little put off by another customer in the waiting room saying she strips completely naked for hers, but my DD reassured me you keep you knickers on! Again wouldn't have dreamt of having one before when so much larger due to embarrassment. All these treatments are funded by giving up smoking so no guilt felt about spending it on myself

Hope everyones day is going well.

Just a thought on the cramps, could it be constipation related or perhaps wind from the veg?

@Greatly I think I may be having too much cream and cheese too as this morning I’m up 1lb so back to my starting weight. I made a lovely cauli cheese as per BIWI’s recipe with mustard and lemon and kept eating it all day. No one else got a look in. Kept going back for another bit. Was even nice cold! Anyway, when I look at what I’m having it’s very cream & cheese heavy. I really need to have a plate that’s mostly buttery veg and lay off the cheese and cream for a bit. So for lunch had buttery courgette, mushrooms, toms with a small ladle of DH’s chicken curry.
Im making a cod and prawn masala tonight which I’ll have with shoogled cabbage. Not tried shoogling yet. I’ve got a hispi (sweetheart) cabbage so assume it’ll just be a few mins in the microwave.
6 minute plank???? 😱😱 We did a minute one at Pilates this week which was just doable. Then she had us pivot into a side one where I crumpled into a heap. I tried a few times with the exact same crumpled heap result. I don’t think I’m a plank person.

Leather trousers= Thush @Biwi haha I always think that too.

I too had a really rubbish night sleep. Was still wide awake at 2.30am!

Didn't have breakfast as it makes me feel sick at the moment.

Just had garlicky roasted sprouts and halloumi for lunch. Was amazing.

I have 3 holidays this year.
Big birthday for me next year so taking advantage. Haha.
First one is May and I'm really hoping by then I'm more comfortable in how I look and not the size of a fridge!

@Jenasaurus : don't usually suffer from constipation, so I don't think it's that

I have however (TMI alert ) been going little and often today (as opposed to my usual "once a day" movement . I also had a lot of Savoy cabbage the last couple of days so possibly some trapped wind from that.

I'm just being kind to myself today: currently drinking a chamomile, vanilla and honey flavouring herb tea, with one of the cats on my lap (ready made hot water bottle ) and once I've finished it, I'll go and spend a short time in the garden doing some m long overdue clearing

@prettybird Hope you're feeling better soon.
Another victim of insomnia over here. Wonder if it has anything to do with the lack of carbs. Think I read that it can be do with your body not producing enough melatonin(due to lack of carbs) to help you sleep but I could be wrong. Hopefully it's a short lived phase.

Today's food
B FFGY
L cheese and veg frittata and salad with mayo
D Roast pork and buttery greens

Sorry to read that your not well @prettybird Hope it all clears up soon.