Summer 2023 Boot Camp, Week 5: into the 2nd half

[prettybird]

Apologies for being AWOL - life git in the way, wrote a big long post which I lost and then never got round to re-writing it .

Anyway, here we are into Week 5, the 2nd half already . 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

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

Water, water, water

I’ve just stumbled across this. I wondered if anyone has any experience of low carb helping with long covid? I don’t particularly need to lose weight but I’ve had long covid for over 3 years. (Debilitating fatigue is biggest symptom - gone from a marathon running, deputy headteacher to a completely housebound 42 year old).

@Goodiewhemper don't worry too much about the exercise, and post virus it is really important to take it easy and build up gradually. Walking, swimming, gentle stretches... I read that exercise is great for toning, but makes a much smaller contribution to weight loss. What and how you eat is the main thing.

@MrsL81 sorry I can't answer your question, and sorry to hear about your long-covid. I think the general benefits of this way of eating are the empahsis on lots of veg, drinking lots of water and eating food that is not over processed. If you have enough energy try making some of the delicious recipies suggested on the recipe threads. Most of them can be made in large batches and frozen, so you can have them when you're feeling less well.

The variety of vegetables, and unprocessed meat/fish will provide essential nutrients, and the nuts, seeds, oils will give you energy. And eating no refined sugar, less alcohol and fewer processed carbs can only be good (for everyone).

You might also find you benefit from the support and encouragement on here, rather than feeling alone in your approach.

I'm not qualified to give nutitional advice but if I were you I'd try starting stright on bootcamp lite, so including nuts, seeds and some berries. I would also plan at least one meal a week that includes some pulses - lentils, beans, peas... I assume that establishing and maintaining a healthy gut biome would be one of your aims. I'm sure that does happen on the low carb regime but if your immune system is still low then pulses are a good way to add a boost.

I'd suggest three proper meals a day, plus snacks (since you don't want to loose weight).

For example:
B - low carb granola (rose Elliot's recipe is lovely) with full fat greek yogurt and a few raspberries
Snack - vegetable sticks with avocado dip
L - salmon fillet with buttery spinach and buttered cabbage
Snack - a mini cheese and almond muffin spread with low carb peanut butter
D - a lovely vibrant coulourful salad with your favourite protein (egg, mayonnaise, low carb coronation chicken etc). Dress you salad with olive oil / herb vinegrette or mayonnaise

And throughout the day, drink lots of water (still or sprkling, but not drinks with artificial sugar), herbal teas etc.

Having a reasonably good week so far and am trying not to weigh daily as similar to previous pp, I either celebrate and treat myself, or despair and console myself! B: boiled egg, cycling snack half a protein bar, lunch streaky bacon, chicken breast, olives, cheese. D: Chicken curry, steamed veg with butter, 2x creamy coffee. Night out so possible glass of wine. Good luck to all the campers trying to stay on track!

I’ve crept up a bit over the last couple of weeks - got sloppy during a marathon of houseguests and travel.

Am traveling AGAIN and will be for a while, so I need to get strict with myself. I’ve also been doing the bunless burger/give chips to grateful family member thing, but I’ve been too lax and having the occasional soft drink or bit of ice cream. Enough! Time to get serious. On the plus side I’ve been walking SO much, I think it’s helping limit some of the damage.

I certainly am managing two litres a day, but I know I need three, so that’s something else that needs attention.

I've been reading the Rose Elliot book on doing the vegetarian low carb diet. It's not exactly the same as bootcamp but not massively different. She recommends whey protein powder for shakes/smoothies, which isnt encouraged on bootcamp I don't think, and she does measure carbs and protein (20-30g carb and 60g protein per day for phase one). She likes measuring and weighing. But I guess you do have to be more precise if not eating the naturally low carb meat. She also allows some meat replacement products and artificial sweeteners (not aspartame) and soya. I think her way might be a bit more processed, but I'm going to be selective and use some of her recipes. Like bootcamp there is lots of eggs and limiting cheese (no more than 50g per day) if it stalls weight loss.
But in all honesty I'm not a big fan of meat and if I could manage it I'd prefer to eat more vegetarian food.

Todays food
Lunch - one egg on one slice low carb toast and chunk of feta.
Dinner - 2 vege sausages (5.5g carb) with salad and home made coleslaw.

Snack - 2 sq dark choc and creamy coffee.

@Okaygoahead if I order a burger out I ask for it without bun and chips and ask for extra salad/coleslaw instead. Most places make a good effort to make it look like a proper meal and might even offer mushrooms or some other side. Doesn't feel like you are missing out with a pathetic semi plateful

@BloomingHazel - hopefully you've managed to get off that extra water/TOTM off by now. Sounds like you're continuing well in difficult circumstances 

@SummerSazz - I find the cheesies too cheesy - but maybe I should try to chilli ones Love your list of camping foods.

@TheOnlyMrsW - I know what you mean about wanting crunch . It's something I struggle with too sometimes. Doesn't really help while you're away, but sometimes I'll make Parmesan crisps/exploded Babybels or microwave some slices of salami and let them cool, just to have some crunch I've also started keeping any extra chicken skin to make into chicken crisps.

@LadyBird1973 - I'm about to order this cook book, having read a comment about it on a review of Dr Briffen's "Escape the Diet Trap"
The Low Carb High Fat Cookbook By Sten Sture Skaldeman https://amzn.eu/d/4bxGUhM

@venusandmars - as ever your advice and experience is so helpful - even if you then had a challenging time as a result of the best intentions of the people you'd been working with . You weren't that far from me (although I've never actually been)

@Newlease - glad the thread helps. I know it helps me to see that we all struggle with balancing different requirements/the need for crunch/the fuck-its That's what the support on here is all about.

@Goodiewhemper - congratulations on your progress. Remember that, like all healthy diets will average out at 1-2lb/week after the initial whoosh (and the occasional "whoosh" after stalls).

You're doing well to avoid too many carbs if you're in Paris @HappiDaze - I'll admit that proper French patisserie is one of my weaknesses

Glad that you're now comfortable enough to wear a tunic dress. That counts as a NSV

@MrsL81 - I'm not a medic but the wee bit of research that I've done after you asked the question suggests that this WoE might help with Long Covid. One of the issues seems to be insulin resistance, as well as inflammatory response, so a keto based approach might address that. I found this medical article https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12967-020-02600-9 - although it seems to be looking at very low calorie keto diets as a way of addressing obesity to help address Long Covid, whereas this WoE is not a very low calorie diet, nor are you trying to lose weight.

I'd agree with @venusandmars that it's worth giving it a go, but going straight on to Boot Camp Light.

Adapting your body to being fat burning rather than needing regular top-ups of sugar might help with energy levels.

Good luck

Here is evidence of my nail buffing - nice shiny thumbnail The rest of my nails are equally shiny and having done the full multi texture buff, I'm trying to top up with the smooth buff on a daily basis.

My nails should get lovely and healthy with all that buffing of the nail bed

I've still to book my facial though.

@prettybird my weight is heading back down, in the right direction, but still not as low as it was 😪 however, my fat percentage is dropping, so that's good. I don't have much to lose, about 12lbs, and I know it's tougher the closer I am to my goal weight. I am a long term LCer and have reached my goal weight previously (and maintained it for a while) so it is possible!

@prettybird well done on buffing your nails, you can definitely see the shine!

@prettybird and @venusandmars - thank you so much for your thoughtful & helpful replies. Really appreciate your thoughts.

@MrsL81 when you've got the energy, post on here about what we could most help you with: meal plans, simpler recipes, ways to manage your freezer to make this as easy as possible.

Do you have anyone who helps your with cooking/meal prep? Or are you trying to manage that alone?

Forgot to say that last night I made the lovely Robert Carrier recipe of avocado, cucumber, Cheshire cheese , almonds and tomato salad (in the veggie recipe thread) for supper after rugby training. My mum's amendment of toasting the almonds really makes all the difference. I had the small amount of leftovers for lunch.

Tonight I had griddled lamb steak (with a brief marinade of olive oil, oregano and lemon juice) with green beans, butter and garlic.

Must go and have some more water

Just to say don't overdo the buffing @prettybird - I've buffed mine in the past and if I did daily top-ups with the fine buffer I soon ended up with weak and breaking nails. I go very short with Essie Hard to Resist now (clear with a hint of pink).

Sorry for my protracted absence. It's been mainly due to hospital admission, followed by an array of clinic visits and further unrelated surgery. But I kiko.

Hospital wasn't too bad for low carb as I need the allergen menu, so mostly survived off meat and veggies and the occasional apple. Back home I can now stand for around 15 minutes to prep meals, so tapas type things have been my priority. Having reduced from 15k steps to 1.5k steps post surgery, I am pleased to still be losing weight and centimetres.

If anyone has thoughts on food that is both quick to prepare and reasonably inexpensive (had to swerve a lot of decently paid work this month), I'd welcome your bright ideas. I am lactose intolerant, so most milk products are out. The camping discussion has given me inspiration already!

Bit of a fail yesterday. Niece brought a box of chocs back from her holidays and I couldn't resist, followed up by a fresh crust of the new loaf slathered with butter as of course, the sugar went straight to my head 🤦‍♀️. But I did manage the self care project and sorted out my tops and t-shirts. I find if I don't put scruffy old tops in the bin, I will keep wearing them and end up popping to the shops looking like a bag lady. Before and after shots. B: Egg, L: chicken salad, D: Cod with veg of some sort, have to see what DH brings back from the shops. Snacks - pork scratching sticks and rollitos if required.

Wrong photo - boots don't fit yet

Not my day! Pile is the discard pile!

Good progress with the self care @OldandTired66 Get drinking the water and put yesterday behind you puts down the Big Stick

This was my effort at clearing out my T-shirts drawer back in January. Should Could probably have been a bit more ruthless I learnt a new way of folding them (off YouTube) so that I could put them in the drawer vertically and make it easier to pick them out when I'm choosing what to wear. You fold the bottom half up first (onto the back), then the two sides and then the back up again. So it's not quite rolled, but closed to it.

BOOK FACIAL @prettybird
oh and while I’m here, here’s a WATER reminder

I did my vest, pyjama and gym top drawer today, they were rolled before but had got a bit messy over the last few months so I folded them using the Marie Kondo method (that space is for some that are on the washing line)

I've made some bad choices today (ate a couple of chocolates that visitors left as a gift, and some bread), but I've given myself a metaphorical slap and I'll be back on course for dinner tonight.

Oh! Well done. This is exactly my problem as well, and that dangerously hidden my growing tummy. Result, from a comfortable 10 to a tight 12. You described me properly when you said, walking into the shops like an old lady- definitely need to change this. And I figured it would only change if I feel I can pull nice dresses!!
I am very determined this time, may be because I am getting old. But last year I did LC twice and then went back to eat normal in between, I was under the impression that I can do this three weeks anytime I want and reduce 5/8kg easily. Since then though, I struggled to find the right time, even though I started many times, had to give up for various reasons, like staying at sisters for a week with kids or them coming over to stay.
I am glad at the point where I am, and definitely want to continue until I reach the point to what I lost with LC very first time.

I have only started my journey, so not ready to throw away anything yet. But I am keeping that in my NSV lists to achieve
Kudos to everyone who is trying their best💐💐