Jan '23 Low Carb Bootcamp: we come to the end of the first half!

[BIWI]

Morning campers

Here's the spreadsheet

So this week marks the end of the first half - doesn't time fly when you're having fun?!

Remember that this week is still renowned as a tricky one in terms of weight loss, so if things have slowed down or stopped (or even reversed) for you, don't panic. Just KOKO - remembering the water, fat and veg in particular.

Re the statins @MotherBuckets, I'm not a medic - so if your GP has advised them, it would be irresponsible of me to warn against them (especially with your family history). But as you say, it will be interesting to see what happens as a result of low carbing (although it will be difficult to attribute any improvement to either diet or medication, I suppose). And hopefully your results will be good @Jenasaurus

@JanieRead - apart from the noodles! - why don't you list out for me your menus over the last few days, and let's see if there's something we can spot that might help you

Well, I've just ordered Keto Kitchen - I'm a sucker for a recommendation!

Tonight's dinner is salmon (with lots of mayo) and oven baked veg with cabbage fried in lots of butter.

I've just spent a happy hour perusing the recipes on Monya Kilian Palmer's website and am about to buy Keto Kitchen.

I'd worked out before I read some of her intros that she was South African due to the number of braai inspired recipes and references to boerewors, droewors and biltong

It's put me in mind of making another batch of boerewors - my dad's special family recipe (he was a cattle farmer in South Africa before we emigrated to the UK to train to be a doctor).

64kg - maintaining.
Greek yoghurt, several mini Baby Bel cheeses and two bananas so far.
Club swim session later so will have a chicken breast with veg in half an hour.

@Lucienandjean @Linnet week 3 and 4 are notorious for not losing as much weight. Stick with it.

@Baystard sweetheart, not sure how to say this gently, but you are never again going to look like you did 20 years ago. Sorry.

I had to do a similar mind reset when I realised I would never again be 30, or be a doctor, or be 5 inches taller!!

Food today has been really patchy, but just about to have slow cooked pork and veg (once I've been out to the postbox).

@Gingerwarthog BANANAS!!! No! Something like [[https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-fairtrade-bananas-x5?productId=143380&utm_campaign=15424330555&utm_medium=cpc&storeId=10151&gclid=Cj0KCQiA8t2eBhDeARIsAAVEga2sCg7nxcSc-CdBxAf1wmNoXkV9MwV-GPd61YvNt7OZgp2bhszVYpQaAp98EALw_wcB&catalogId=10241&langId=44&utm_source=Google&krypto=DxmdIKVwdnuiIk%2FaVsnpO91A0BCTNxmu8zv%2FlpJTDb9TtLK5iEwQskXpqiY%2BTqg1%2Ft0QKBY5A54whxStFHO7l%2F6Tw4HWLkAdRxaCeqZeRVhJPbgxK%2FIqpQyvb17Y8hR7XOjCihYsvaFNsbrUxctGTaLiTfgbMMjzNcGEuXDV7LfgO12ebVr7HMI%2BKpMw%2F%2Fg0q5CM2j2qHcaq4XBBXUTCSCDMSrnVGE3GA7jDtTqv77l770HBHsnMVyinJCjPwNE3RKOB6zFj04g0G7SZoZTEPprOsItbE8ZY%2BApDSpIR%2BRWVi%2FI%2FkLJGzfRT2nXLIPxX47I7MJnyNNwePNBDByfVRUaWdelFiSNM9PymL4dQSzLDtqOpyi%2F7CSrTg%2BBKuwip76AlvZMz6XBTnuq20NcBhp%2BsR50xMiZzzJU0vZkMPweEIwZSITvw5JkOOzaSZSjiqE1xKTJgQf7kJmmd3%2FpmtE2HTJnuzfTu8%2BK6peWKDBg%3D&ddkey=https%3Agb%2Fgroceries%2Fsainsburys-fairtrade-bananas-x5 19 or 20g carb per 100g.

@Gingerwarthog better link

Bananas have 19 or 20 g carb per 100g, and we're looking at mostly less than 5...

Ok. Thanks. Will go back to berries tomorrow...

Really interesting piece from The Diet Doctor here - Are all calories the same?

@Baystard you do look like you did 20 years ago, as do I, want to go clubbing and see if we can snog some good looking boys? In reality I'm having the same problem, I get so pissed off that I can't get my stomach flat despite all the exercise, dd pointed out it never will be and it's her fault.
I'm pleased that I'm going down Even if only a little, 1lb off a bmi of 25.

With regards to the statins, the reason the biggest research groups are men 50-75 is because men 50-75 are always started on a statin after having a heart attack so the most available group for research, however they are very effective at preventing heart attacks. If they can be tolerated the are a very easy way to improve 5e chances of not having a heart attack. I don't know how this woe would effect the need for them though. People are started on statins post heart attack regardless of their cholesterol levels.

Weight stayed the same (bet it goes down tomorrow!) I’m happy with that. Have really stuck to BC and will do until I reach goal weight. Clothes are fitting better (not the pencil skirts yet).
Tandoori chicken and cauliflower rice, salad with yogurt and mint dressing for dinner….nice. Thanks for the new thread.

@Janieread I go through spells when i can't tolerate broccoli, kale, or savoy cabbage but other brassicas are ok (even other varieties of cabbage). I don't really know why as they're all cruciferous veg. Is there a specific reason you're avoiding dairy?

I’m sticking to low carb fruit; I had a melon off the green carb fruit list yesterday and an hour later the sugar cravings were insane. Might knock that off the list for the future!

Hi all,
I've been having some mild leg cramps lately, which I think are LCHF related. They're not too bad, but I was wondering if @BIWI or @StuntNun had an idea of what could be happening?
Thanks
T

Feeling slightly too pleased with myself: found a convenient cheap EV charger I can make regular use of when away, done my Duolingo and some yoga with Adriene (it's been a while), and just ordered sparkling water, ribeye steak with veg, bearnaise and no chips!

Plans for the rest of my premier evening include a bath, hair mask, tidy my nails and some Netflix (which I'm new to). Worth coming away for!

Sounds like you need an electrolyte supplement. I believe they're caused by a lack of magnesium.

Joining for the chat & recipes/tips.

Have never done low carb before but nothing is working any more now I'm post-menopausal. I used to do 5:2 but the last time it didn't work.

I'm not weighing myself as I can be quite reactive about that.

For breakfast I am taking 2tbspns of milled chia seeds with 400mls almond milk & a little sweetener/vanilla essence. I make it the night before in the fridge & heat it up at work. It comes to 1g from the seeds & 12g from the milk.

Lunch is hummus 13g with carrots & Greek yoghurt (5.4g) from Lidl.a few raspberries.

Dinner was a prawn & vegetable stir fry.

I feel so much better already, clothes are looser.

I've got 2 DC age 14 & 9 so it's a bit of a juggle getting meals to suit everyone.

Going to my exercise class tomorrow night & have started running again - albeit slowly.

Am going to try the Keto roasted cauliflower soup someone suggested above - it sounds delicious.

Hi Mimosa
I get leg cramps and magnesium rich foods help alleviate this. Spinach, peanuts and bananas are rich in magnesium - I know I've been told bananas are too carbs but they help!

Thanks @venusandmars it's daft isn't it. I feel my age without a doubt, but just hadn't quite processed it properly due to being so preoccupied with my weight.

Yes @ditavonteesed let's go! Though nowadays I'd want to be home in bed earlier then I used to leave the house and @biwi will give us a thrashing if we neck the voddy-and-coke, have you any idea how much sugar they have?!

In a parallel universe I'm going clubbing and the mild hypothermia I'll get wandering about town in January wearing not much more than my underwear will mimic the effect of cold water swimming. In this one, however, I'm considering my half-made greek yogurt and wondering if it's ready to start straining - it looks good so far. Might have a buttermint tea and, as a treat, a couple of squares of Lindt 90%

Nice to read all the foodie things and victories. I've just realised that stock made with onions is still carby, is this right? Also, I've given up caffeine. I wonder which one might explain the mystery as to why I'm just not getting into fat burning...

Am now 2lb down on the start, was 2 lower for a day or two. Very weird and very frustrating as I've always been able to pop back into keto and fling weight off. But, the stock and lack of coffee are a new thing and without exception I'm dropping out of ketosis when I eat. Also very peri and basically on fire all night so maybe my belly is here to stay, seriously hope not.

On the statin front, I have a friend who is an NHS psychiatric nurse and her husband is a GP prominent bin the low carb community, and she was asked to go on statins. She is strict keto and has been for many many years. She had two of the same test - one on the NHS and one privately for £200 - which was a heart calcification scan. Sadly the cholesterol score we are given combines both the dangerous in terms of calcification (ie heart attacks) and 'good' cholesterol together. She was being pressured to take statins (you'll see below why) but her argument for the scan was fair, so they did it, and her score for calcification was zero, no heart calcification. I understand the statistical reasons why statins would lower cholesterol on average, as most people will have a mix, but my friend knew she was an anomaly and statistical outlier because of her diet and was right to check her risk. The post-scan agreement by her doctors was that she did indeed not need statins. I had fasting bloods done last year with HA1c of 3, and 'high' cholesterol, I'm glad I know about these scans now. My wish here is to share about these scans and that they exist, I'd never ever heard of them! Only that. I'm not medical but would want accurate info before taking any meds esp when we know the brain and heart thrive on the good cholesterol and that older women with higher 'good' cholesterol live longer. By the way, her cholesterol was and still is around the 19 mark. Bonkers.

Sorry a bit of a ramble but hope that it helps in any way with research and food for thought.

It's day 1 for me agaaaaain tomorrow. No stock and fingers crossed.

@mimosa1 I take magnesium glycinate to prevent cramps. I've been deficient in magnesium for years and have to supplement. Modern agricultural techniques mean the soil is magnesium depleted so it's much more difficult to get enough from food than it used to be. I take a half dose of magnesium glycinate every other day. I used to take this one which is great but now I take this one instead because it contains zinc (which my physiotherapist says I need) and B6 (which my dental hygienist recommends for good gum health.) I also take vitamin D which I think pretty much everyone in the UK should be taking. I take vitamin C as well but that's because I got scurvy six or seven years ago and now I'm paranoid about it. Bonus points for magnesium glycinate is that it can help improve sleep quality. Most magnesium supplements aren't easily absorbed so if you're taking a multivitamin or electrolytes it won't help your magnesium levels. It's also really difficult to test for deficiency as it's stored in the bones with only a tiny amount in the blood supply at any one time. I know I'm deficient because if I stop taking magnesium for any length of time my cramps come back.

Thanks @Gingerwarthog @StuntNun @BIWI

Really interesting about the magnesium glycenate helping sleeping. I've been sleeping poorly so anything that helps is a + !
I've ordered some.

Also scurvy?!! Are you a pirate ? I'm only teasing, that must have been scary. Thanks for the supplement help @StuntNun glad you're all better.

The scurvy was due to a particular set of circumstances but, yes very scary. My gums started bleeding and I had bruises forming on my legs and was utterly knackered. There's no reason to think it would happen again but I take the vitamin C as a safety net and it's not going to do me any harm.

Wow StuntNun that must have been so scary.
Littlemy I have a honeydew in the fruit bowl but now wonder whether having it after no fruit for so long might be a mistake.

Foods I’ve discovered since being in this thread:
celeriac (I’m obsessed)
frozen cauliflower rice
frozen whole leaf spinach
FFGY (a game changer, tastes so much better than low fat and doesn’t split in sauces)