Summer 23 Boot Camp, Week 6: beyond the doldrums

[prettybird]

Here we are at Week 6 already, the one where - ideally - you get beyond the Weeks 3, 4 and 5 doldrums . And if, for whatever recent, you're not, then KOKO, drink all the water and maybe post what you've been eating so we can see if there is anything you can tweak. We're all here both to support and be supported.

@FinallyHere will be along shortly to post the link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness. It truly is fabulous to see the results coming in

There are a few newbies who have either only started recently or only recently de-lurked. Welcome . We're a friendly bunch and as long as you follow the Rules you'll see the Results And if you're not seeing the results that you'd like, then post what you've been eating on here and ask advice.

Remember, as with any healthy diet, weight loss will stabilise (after the initial whoosh) at an average of 1-2lb a week.

I’ve been doing really well with my water intake today.

B: coffee with coconut oil & a splash of cream.
L: chicken thigh with mayo, salad & feta. small bowl of yoghurt & cream with a few strawberries. Coffee with cream.
D: Lamb steak with cauliflower cheese & spinach.

Is it too late to join the bootcamo? Only started on Monday!

You are always welcome to join us @bowiesmum and it's always a good time to join.

You will notice that the experience in the first few weeks til your body gets used to eating low carb high fat (which is a bit of a difference for some of us) will be different to the generation chat now we are mostly used to it.

Best way to catch up is to read the threads starting with the prep thread and then though the weeks. Lots of useful background in the tabs to the spreadsheet of fabulousness, link further up the thread.

Give me an @ mention if you would like to be added to the list of people tracking their weight (if you are comfortable updating Google sheets you are welcome to add yourself. Happy to do it for you.

Welcome.

Well I finally binned the artificial sweetener today - only taken me 6 months
I've clung to my old comforts longer than I should but I'm just gonna have to tough it out, like everyone else has on bootcamp! Still keeping the dark chocolate for now though
Have eaten loads today - strawberries with a dollop of mascarpone and leftover chilli with butter fried cabbage ribbons. And it's only lunchtime really.
Hoping to go and see Barbie later, so want to be so full I don't fall face first into the popcorn. The UPF book is helping.

Great! I'll have a read over everything!
I'd love to join the weight chart too!
I have google docs, is it through that?

I was 10stone (was 9.13 today!) but will weight in next Monday officially.

So food today:
B- scrambled egg feta cheese, smoked Salmon, green beans
L- tuna with beetroot and full fat mayo (wrapped in lettuce leaf)
D- salmon darne, cauliflower mash and green veg (broc and beans)
Snack tonight, strawberries and cream

I'm loving it all so far, had been calorie counting and got sick of it so loving the change. It's great to be able to have full fat products

@bowiesmum welcome! and the full fat products would now change your life. I honestly have no idea how I ate food without any fat on it trying to reduce weight. This suits me better, eat less but rich and tasty.
So far going well at my end, cauliflower cheese tastes like Mac and Cheese and apt for the weather we are having.
Nothing planned for tomorrow, but eggs and Spinach would do for lunch.

I just can't get over how full I am! Loving the full fat everything!

Ooopps, didn't expect that to post

@bowiesmum Ive added you to the sign up sheet. Any issues, please let me know with an @ mention. Enjoy.

Argh I'm struggling this week. I'm a week behind you guys but had a wedding at the weekend and whilst I avoided all carbs at dinner I drank way more than I should have and snaffled all the late night nachos! I was doing so well and had got to stage where anything remotely sweet tasted vile, but this week I'm really hungry and craving late night snacks. Trying to be as strict as possible....
B: 2 eggs in butter
L: Spinach salad with avocado and 2 boiled egg plus mayo
D: Meatballs made with mince, mayo, cheese and mustard plus some lettuce
Snack: FFGY with raspberries, 1x square 85% dark choc

@bowiesmum welcome! and Yes, isn't it glorious to find you can eat such delicious food, with butter, mayonnaise, coconut cream... However, beetroot is a very high carb veg... 13g / 100g and on this way of eating we try to stay below 4g / 100g. I don't blame you because I bloody love beetroot so if you are adding it, do so in very small amounts.

@RatatatCat I also find that alcohol has those terrible tripple effects: 1) it is the fuel that our bodies use most easily, so while that is happening we are not burning fat; 2) it makes me 'munchy' - and when we're out the easiest way to satisfy the munchies is through all the available carbs on offer; 3) it affects my ability to make good decisions - so I don't eat 7 almonds to ease my munchiness / I don't go to M&S and buy chorizo crisps / I don't produce an boiled egg from my handbag / I don't drink a pint of water and wait for the munchiness feeling to go away...

I was out this morning from 9.30-12.00 which made it easy to fast - a HUGE mug of roobios tea before I went out. I know I am not at all hungry during those times, but sometimes when I'm at home it is more difficult.

L - coffee with cream; left-over chorizo, cheese and veg frittata, with extra veg and butter
D - chicken wrapped in parma ham, lots of salad: lettuce, spinach, watercress, radishes, cucumber, tomato (and a tiny bit of beetroot).

@venusandmars didn't know about the beetroot! To be fair I just had a small amount but will cut that out!
I'm down another lb this morning!! I'm trying not to weigh until Monday but can't help myself!

Woohoo 1/2 a stone down this morning 😍, definitely inspired to be on best behaviour this weekend now!!!

@TheOnlyMrsW well done, that's amazing!!

It's google sheets you need, @bowiesmum and welcome. Had a busy week with days and nights out and think I've navigated fairly well. Scales are encouraging this morning. Handbag full of boiled eggs has really tickled me @venusandmars, I carry a portion controlled tiny tupperware of nuts in mine for those occasions. Crisps are my undoing. B: boiled egg, L: Chicken salad, mayo. D: pork steak, mashed swede, buttery cabbage. Rollitos or kabanos for snacks.

My weight is dropping off and my clothes are shrinking. I put it down to all the cheese and ham and the big breakfasts I was eating along with a ton of walking.

So basically I have to incorporate longer walks into my daily routine.

The dress that was too tight around my boobs just gets looser and looser. I need to ensure my skin stays toned so I'll have to exercise properly once a day.

I'm off on an AI holiday next week so I'm looking forward to choosing all the LC food items. I'm not a big drinker any more because it tires me out and gives me huge dark bags under my eyes plus of course I make shocking food choices as it makes me ravenous

Thanks @bowiesmum it was my target for this BC so I'm definitely going to aim to get under 12 stone by the end. Sausages & bacon cooked and in the freezer along with a mushroom & spinach omelette for this weekend's breakfasts, a boot full of water as the site we're going to doesn't have it's on supply and the weather forecast is improving by the hour!!!! I'll do strict BC when I get back until our Ibiza trip and will hopefully stay on track...........

I buy these Tesco packs of almonds. Each pack has 25g and 1.72g of carbs for the whole pack.

They’re 50p each but always on offer as 3 for 2 so a good bargain.

I always have a pack in my handbag and in the car.

Brunch- chicken caeser salad
Snack, pastrami and soft cheese, Greek yog
Dinner garlic chicken, cauliflower cheese, green beans and spinach

Nice day today:
B - coffee with cream
L - left over chicken with salad
D - chicken tikka with green beans and broccoli; blackcurrants and cream - so sour and rich and creamy!

Spent a lot of time cooking. We've got a dinner party on Sunday and I'm busy for the next 2 days. So there was duck and pork belly in the slow cooker to make a cassoulet. There was also a pudding being made, but by the time we get to that stage in the meal after a veg course, a fish course, a meat course, a chees course... I will have absoloutely no appetite, nor space.

@MrsL81 At the risk of sounding patronising, planning is your friend. Whenever you have a bit more energy and space to think, plan out out meals for the meal. And if it keeps it simple, then repeat it week after week. When I've been in exhausted places I cold have a larder full of food but cannot think of a singel thing that I could make - a meal plan really helped me - even if it only said boiled egg.

So, get organised, meal plan, do an online shop (or maybe we can meal plan for you if you tell us what kind of foods and meals you like).

Whatever you make, make 2/3 portions so you can minimise your prep and cooking on other days.

Maintain a supply of 'easy' things - avocados, tinned sardines/tuna, chorizo, halloumi, eggs, smoked salmon.

Research the best supermarket products - low carb soups, thing you can stick in the oven. For example (all er 100g): Tesco chicken and veg soup 3.2g carb, Waitrose pea and ham soup 6.1g, Covent Garden Lentil & smoked bacon 4.1g, Covent Garden mushroom soup 3.8g

Or main meals that you can stick in the oven with no prep. Waitrose chicken and asparagus wrapped in parma ham 0.5g carb, Sainsbury's salmon and greens (ditch the potatoes), M&S slow cooked duck 2.9g carb, Asda slow cook coq au vin 4.7g. Serve any of them with your veg, covered in butter.

@MrsL81 Here are some ideas for breakfasts, lunch, dinner. Plus never forget that all meals are interchangeable. There is no reason not to have soup for breakfast - what a great start to the day! It is only Mr Kellog who convinced us there were specific 'breakfast' foods.

Breakfast
low carb granola (we can send you the recipe and you (or a friend) can make a big batch)
avocado, mozarella, tomato, olive oil
smoked salmon and cream cheese
kippers with butter
cheese and almond muffins with peanut butter (we can send you the recipe and you or a friend can make a big batch)
full fat greek yogurt, mixed with double cream, topped with rasperries from the freezer, and a spoonful of granola
Eggs, boiled, scrambled, fried (poached always seems like a bit of a faff!!)
Bacon, sausage, mushroom - just stick them all in the oven, no need to grill or fry
Spinach cooked in butter topped with a fried egg
Any leftovers from last night's tea

Lunch
Broccoli and blue cheese soup
Curried cauliflower soup
Smoked mackeral pate with salad
Mushroom pate with salad
Green peppers stuffed with feta, mint, pine nuts
Roasted halloumi and veg - onion, peppers, courgette, tomato
Aubergine, ricotta and spinach bake
Ceaser salad with chicken and anchovies
Prawn cocktail with lettuce and cucumber
Mushroom base with pizza toppings
Frittata (an omelette with veg, cheese and maybe some chorizo or ham)

Dinner
(all with loads of buttery green veg)
Steak with a creamy blue cheese or peppercorn dressing
Salmon wrapped in parma ham
Salmon with oven roast veg (tomato, onion, etc) with a sour cream dressing - sour cream blitzed with avocado, basil, mint, corriander)
Cassoulet: duck breast and sausages cooked in a slow cooked with tomatoes
Chicken, chorizo, red pepper and chick pea stew, served with all the dark geen veg
Portobello mushroom with pizza toppings
Cauliflower cheese - with the easiest ever sauce (double cream, pre-grated cheese, a little mustard and a squeeze of lemon juice). You could add ham or bacon

I apologise if I'm overwhelming you with information. Take your time. Tell us what foods you like and are good for you. I'm happy to dm you and send information in a document if that helps you to process it in your own time.

@MrsL81 I'd generally encourage you to list what you currently eat so we can see what you like, what works for you, but that is maybe a big ask at the moment. Any information you could give us is good.

Hi, I had lost 25 pounds by last week since the January bootcamp and this bootcamp.

Have had two meals out this week that I couldn’t get out of, where I had some carby bits.

Suddenly weight has shot up by 5 pounds.

What could this be? If I’d known the effect It would have (up from 146lb to 151lbs), I would have stuck like glue to BC rules!

Thanks for all that @venusandmars

I had Greek yogurt and strawberries during the night (working night shift) and it was delicious but didn't realise they are actually high enough in carbs.

Can anyone recommend anything to have with yogurt as it's a nice snack