Summer 23 Boot Camp, Week 3: (maybe) you can relax (a bit)

[prettybird]

Welcome to week 3 . This is the week where you have a choice.

PLEASE READ THIS POST CAREFULLY

If you wish, you can move on to Bootcamp Light, which means that you can now introduce fruit, nuts/seeds, chocolate and alcohol.

SOME.
IN MODERATION.
NOT AT EACH AND EVERY MEAL!

So with fruit, this is mainly berries - check out the fruit counter on the Spreadsheet, which the lovely FinallyHere will be along shortly to link to, which will show you which fruits are best to introduce. Similarly nuts.

With chocolate, make this the highest cocoa content that you can - certainly 70% should be a minimum - and restrict yourself to a couple of square, not a whole bar.

And as to alcohol - it's dry wines and clear spirits, with low calorie mixers or, even better, soda/sparkling water. Your body will choose to use alcohol rather than its fat for energy but some of you have already seen how the disinhibiting effect of alcohol can result in falling into carb consumption

Remember we're still on Bootcamp - so be very careful how much of any of these you introduce.

However, week 3 (and 4 and sometimes even 5) is infamous as this is the point where you may see your weight loss slow, stop or even reverse

It's very, very, very common for this to happen, so if it happens to you, don't panic! It's not a stall. It's all about your body settling into this WOE, and what you'll see once we get through the low carb doldrums is your weight loss will continue, albeit at a slower rate of around 1-3lbs a week. (How much you lose will depend on how much you have left to lose).

Bearing this in mind, you may want to stay on strict Bootcamp. There's nothing wrong with this at all - just make sure you are following Bootcamp rules, and that things haven't started to slip and I've seen talk of quite a few slippages . In particular, make sure that you're sticking to rule 4 - i.e. that the majority of your carbs are coming from veg/salad. And don't forget the water!

Some Bootcampers like to do a hybrid, which means strict Bootcamp during the week, relaxing into Bootcamp Light at the weekend. The choice is entirely yours.

All the best! And remember, if you're not seeing the scales move as quickly as you'd like, then look at the NSVs: looser clothes, better skin, better sleep - and simply no longer being in thrall to carbs

The lovely @FinallyHere will be along shortly to link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

Good Morning, @prettybird and all you lovely boot campers, thank you very kindly for opening up the shutters and getting us started on Week 3.

Here is the link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness SofF

Good morning all. Hope everyone has a good weigh in today!
I think the spreadsheet has gone a bit funny for me - I can't see dates on the columns just letters. I'm on my phone though with no access to a laptop, so this might be why. Today's weight is 185.75 - if someone could add that for me, I'd be grateful.
Had a reasonable weekend despite going BC lite yesterday. I've been eating less because appetite is reduced and my jaw is throbbing from root canal!
I think I will try to do hybrid method and not make fruit routine as it acts as a gateway for me to wanting sweeter food. I will just have some occasionally. Knowing myself. I will eat a couple of squares of chocolate though.

Nowhere near my scales till Wednesday. Place marking so I can find you all later today.
Just off to have bacon and eggs (while everyone else has bacon rolls). Have used the spare roll for dh's lunch, I will have a big salad.
Dinner still to be negotiated amongst extended family.

Hope there is happy news for many on our 2nd weigh in. If not, then look at where things went wrong last week and see what can be adjusted.

Just copying my post from the other thread - doh!!!

So the Toby Carvery was a bust - really busy and we didn't book (looking at you DH - you had one job!!!) so ended up in a Wetherspoons a short walk from the venue which I was fairly miffed about but the only other options were a v expensive Italian restaurant, Subway or KFC 😡. Ordered the spicy half roast chicken with a mediterrean salad hoping that would mean lovely olives and feta but it came as a bowl of salad leaves topped with couscous. Picked the couscous of the top as best I could and nicked one of DH's onion rings, lots of water and a good time was had by all. Bands were ace and because the venue is in a residential area the headliners finished at 9 so I was home and in bed with herbal tea by 10.30 - v rock n roll!!!!!

Scales are down slightly this morning but I can definitely feel the after effects of a weekend lacking in veg - very sluggish this morning. I'm doing a new class this evening at 7.30 so awkward time, plan is to eat a big meal at lunchtime and have a snack afterwards. Am probably going to start IF as my only real concession to BCL during the week, nuts and berries aren't really my thing and if I relax the rules on alcohol it will be too easy to have a glass of wine every night so best to keep off it completely...........have a good day all, looking forward to hearing all about eveyone's losses!!!

Link from previous thread said ‘oops we seem to have lost this page’. Found you anyway. Spreadsheet no dates for me either, just letters but popped my weight in the next column along so assume that’ll be correct. I’m also on my phone.
Im not relaxing as had an off piste weekend plus started a week late. Good result though at 5lbs off. Back to pre-holiday weight but I had been a pretty constant 150lbs give or take a pound. I’d like to get a bit lower - say 145lbs and maintain that. So the aim is for another 9lbs, which is doable over the next 7 weeks (I’m a week behind). IF I’m good!
Friends visiting today with their dogs so I think we’ll go for a decent walk with mine too and have a pub lunch - I’ll have a Caesar salad no croutons or something similar. Dinner tonight is this peach & Halloumi salad with pitta that my husband (weirdo) wants to try so I’ll have Halloumi salad (no peaches, no pitta). It’s probs not a bad option for my youngest. As a few of you know it’s a battle as my she is VERY light so I have to constantly feed her high carb/high fat, which is blooming hard as she’s fussy too.

Thank you @prettybird and @FinallyHere . No spreadsheet for me but checking in at 3lb down this week and 8lb in total, pretty happy with that. Back later.

A small gain so another few days on BC for me. The 200lb barrier continues to elude me 😥. But I did try on all my too tight size 18 dresses this morning and they all fit nicely. Writing down every morsel that passes my lips for a day or two and checking the carby veg list to make sure I'm not slipping up there. Too many minor lapses. So far today, boiled egg and 2 creamy coffees. Lunch - chicken salad, mayo. Dinner salmon, buttery savoy cabbage. Snacks - cheese, cucumber and ffgy, olives, anchovies if and as required. I have been feeling hungry so suspect carbs have increased without me realising. Some great losses, well done, everyone.

I'm not going to weigh in for a day or so - had supper at my dad's and even though I do my best, I always end up having more carbs than I would like

A very strict couple of days and I'll be back on track

Hello! I forgot to weigh myself this morning so I will be a day late on that. I'm still here though! Went out for a set taster menu on Saturday night and it was a bit hard to dodge the carbs but I did my best! Other than that it's not going too badly. Looking forward to a small glass of wine tonight though.

Thank you for the new thread prettybird.
Good luck to everyone with your weigh-ins.
I might not weigh myself today as I had a major slip-up on Saturday. If you couldn't find your Big Stick on Saturday evening, prettybird, that was down to me -- I stole it for a while and beat myself black and blue. Sorry if it's a bit splintered in places.
Started with drinking beer (I know, I know), then of course I was disinhibited and ate a bit more than I should. Then became demoralised and ate most of a bar of Montezuma 100% black, which I normally eat just a couple of squares of (and which actually tastes horrible if you eat more than a couple of squares). Then I just dropped right down into the gutter and ate DH's pretzels.
Sunday was better, except that I went a bit fuck it with the water target.

Climbing wobbily back into the saddle now.

Climbing back on the saddle for another week after a slip up on Saturday. I was wrestling the big stick off @Random789. Annoyed with myself as it was stress induced re DHs health and I’ve been working hard on breaking the stress and junk food trigger which has had it’s grip on me for too long. Any way back on it now.

Egg salad wraps (egg mayo with salad wrapped in lettuce leaves) for lunch and the salmon and roast veg for dinner.

If anyone is starting on the wine this week seeing as we're into Bootcamp Light then consider a spritzer instead. Soda water is carb free and can make a small amount of wine go a long way plus the fizz makes it more refreshing this time of year.

We’ve all been fighting over that big stick this weekend haven’t we! But back on it is good.
@OldandTired66 I’ve not seen your weights so no idea if you are actually stalling or if that’s just a perception but I found coffee with cream held me back a bit previously. Even stopping it for a few days made a difference. I’m not keen on black coffee so gave that a swerve but LOVE strong flavoured teas like the pukka liquorice and mint, and all of the fennel ones. I even like them cold. Is that something you could try for a few days instead of coffee with cream just to see?

I think creamy coffee is stalling me, too, @NotDonna . I've nearly run out of my Nespresso stash and I think I will hold back on ordering more. (If it is in the house I will drink it. It is flipping cocaine.)

I'm very grateful to the poster a week or so ago who mentioned putting salt in cocoa. It remined me that my Nana always did this (sugar too, though!).

Last night I tried cocoa with salt and with NO CREAM (OR MILK) AT ALL. It was palatable. Not delicious but palatable. And unlike herbal teas etc it did sort of fill the coffee space by being round and heavy and dirty.

I’ve got a hideously sweet tooth and can’t imagine cocoa without sugar. It’s sooo bitter. I could probs do it without milk but would need the sugar. I don’t mind black coffee but love a latte. I think that’s why I like the flavoured teas as they’re actually quite sweet.

3lb less of me this morning which I am very pleased with
I’m well into the 11s now

The Monday routine is DSIS and I go for a run ( look at me , I’m sporty ! )
we run ( plod ) about a mile which takes about 12 minutes , then walk back and have a coffee at a cafe , luckily , I like black coffee which makes things easy
DSIS has a latte with 2 sugars / sweetener , she’s about 2 inches shorter than me a bit slimmer but wants to lose a bit of weight , her goal weight is 20lb lighter than mine , body shape , weight and size are strange things … maybe I do have heavy bones !

Home now and had a lovely brunch of a bacon , cheese , mushroom and spring onion omlette and a couple of glasses of water

A small loss this weekend but I'm very happy with that.

In absolute terms it's very small (less than a pound) but as a percentage of my excess weight it's probably similar to when I was 4st heavier and losing 4-5lb in a week. Also as I get lighter I find that even a small loss has a disproportionate effect on how well clothes fit.

Thanks for the new thread and well done for all who have lost and to the KOKOers.   to @Random789 for beating yourself up with @prettybird's big stick - I was doing the same on Saturday evening at my son's end of School ball when, having virtuously swerved bread rolls, potatoes and pudding I passed the "sweet bar" and helped myself to the jelly babies (of all things). Not even one or two either. Grrrr. However I'm 3 lbs off for the week and 18 lbs off since I started on 5 May, which Im REALLY happy with. Back under 12 stone for the first time since I came back from holiday last July. I know extreme work busyness has helped me and I have a week off this week (first of the year and I'm knackered), so I'm hoping to use the extra time at home to make extra delicious meals and not to visit the fridge every 30 minutes looking for a snack. Next mini targets (per the @venusandmars system of maintaining inspiration) are to have lost 10% body weight (1 more pound) and then to 1.5 stone (2 pounds).

Cold wet and miserable today so my planned dinner of fajita salad is looking extremely unappetising! I have a swede which I was going to make chips out of but now thinking about some sort of comfort food gratin - does anyone have a recipe?

Congrats to all on their losses. Have caught the virus that a lot of people seem to have and my body just wants to eat and eat and eat.

Sunday

B: omelette, mushrooms, green beans, Coffee with sugar free Coffee Mate, one small biscuit
Snack: 6 cashew nuts
L: Tesco Caesar salad pack without croutons and stuffed red pepper
Snack: 6 cashew nuts, 1 x Edam slice and 2 x vegan wafer chicken slices
D: Sea bass fillet with brocolli and green beans
Snack: 2 strawberries and 10 blueberries
Water: 500ml, due to scratchy throat

Friday and Saturday were similar.

Net effect: scales have stayed flat this week, which I was expecting.

That's too much snaking isn't it?

I was another 3lb off this week, I've a stone since I started a couple of months ago.

But I'm now AI on holiday.... been good with food so far as I love salads and don't have a sweet tooth but have had a few beers and cocktails. I know I'll put on but the damage will be less if I've eaten ok and drunk water so I'm focussed on that. For a long term woe it has to work in all scenarios with the ups and downs that brings. It's a long term game...

Managed 10k steps (just) yesterday and swam 30 lengths of the pool this morning which I'm aiming to repeat every day

A small loss for me today as wasn’t very good with the water over the weekend and I did have two Gins at the weekend.

Will do another strict week and see where I am then, and will bear in mind it is week 3 😬

Afternoon all, I think I'm going to have to step back for a bit. I've had a really blocked ear for a couple of weeks and this morning had a full-on vertigo attack. I have Menniere's Disease so not completely out of the blue but haven't had an attack for a couple of years so it was very annoying.

Some of low-carb is compatible with a vertigo reducing diet - no wine, chocolate, low sugar. Other parts are not, and I think I've been over doing dairy and salt - meant to be limited to 2mg a day - as well as smoked salmon, salami.

Anyway I'll rejoin later in the month if it's just a one off which I'm very much hoping.

De-lurking for advice, have been following threads but don't usually post . Have been following the food rules I think and drinking vast amounts of water but only lost 1lb last week and nothing this week. No obvious nsvs, clothes not feeling looser. Not sure where I'm going wrong. I've done boot camp before and not had this problem. Feeling a bit stuck. Yesterday's menu for ref was

B - none as got up late

L- chicken and ham salad with a boiled egg, cheese and mayo

D- rump steak with fat on, buttery mushrooms, loads of broccoli, cabbage, mayo

W- about 2.5 litres water and a coffee