Summer 2023, the final weigh in & ongoing chat

[prettybird]

I started, so I'll finish.

I've agreed with the lovely @BIWI that I'll start this thread as I started the Boot Camp and I wanted to finish it.

She's going to jump back in with her much bigger Big Stick until I feel more up to it.

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

Thank to both of them for their support - and to you lot too!

I hope you've got what you wanted from this Boot Camp. We'll stay around here for chat and support until the next Boot Camp is organised.

I started Boot Camp early myself in early June at 12st 12.75lb. Having got down to 12st 1.75lb, I then had a massive blip in July for various weird reasons and sent back up to 12st 6lb ( above where I'd started on Week 1 of official Boot Camp ) but had got back to 12st 4lb 2 weeks ago.

Since then, I've dropped to 11st 12.75lb, so that's a whole stone. A bit drastic, but I'll take it as a minor positive but for a sad reason

I might manage to get under 11.5st before we go to South Africa next month

Hi @prettybird thank you for the new thread and for starting the Bootcamp. I'm sorry this time has been so hard for you

I'm a bit scared to weigh - I have had a blip for the last couple of days and also have my period, so I'm up on where I wanted to be.
But all in all I've had some good losses and will be continuing long term. I'm around 12.11 now so have a way to go, but it wasn't so long ago that I think I was above 14 stone, which is a hell of a lot for a 5'2" woman!

Good luck to everyone weighing in today

I should think that is eminently doable @prettybird!

I know that the recent loss was for a sad reason, but I'd see that as a definite positive, and one that you can capitalise on before your trip.

Thank you very kindly @prettybird and of course @BIWI and all the lovely bootcampers who contribute to this thread and our lovely community. Ill be grateful for anyone who continues to hang out here beyond the actual bootcamp.

[[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-rBSRgexwWV_BIF6-nakA6U9buIFsgl2XU8tdYG5xOM/edit?usp=sharing

I'm a monthly weighin-er, on a very, very gently downward trend since Jan 22, thanks very largely to the inspiration and support I've found here in LCBC. Today's delightful NSV to share with you is that I fit into all the 'someday I'll fit into that again' things in my entire wardrobe, storage etc I fit into any and all of them and some are even too big and a bit sloppy.

An amazing feeling :-) for which I am very grateful.

Brilliant @FinallyHere! Fitting into clothes is much more satisfying than the number on the scales, somehow.

Definitely agree about fitting into clothes, being able to wear jeans comfortably is a revelation (and needed as even though it's mid-August it's still flipping raining and cold 😡). Up on last week but not by much which I'll take as I've woken up this morning with a cold, cough and my period - happy Monday!!!!

Two cups of herbal tea down, couple more to go with breakfast which will be an omelette and then will start on the water for today and a meal plan. Lots in the freezer which I need to get to grips with in between work and washing............

@prettybird hope things go well for you this week, grief is a very strange beast I've found and there's no right or wrong way to get to grips with it . Thank you for the new thread and also @BIWI and @FinallyHere for their help..........

and another go at a link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness SofF

Many thanks to @prettybird, @FinallyHere and @BIWI for the summer bootcamp. Stayed the same this week but progress since my first bc in Jan is a steady trend downwards so I'm determined to stick with it. I think I've only gained weight on one or two occasions since January. I'm going to track what I'm eating for a few days as I suspect its how much rather than what is on the plate that is slowing my progress. Will really try to cut snacks completely as it has become a habit rather than a need. KOKO everyone, onwards and upwards downwards!

I'm happy to have ended this Bootcamp lighter than I started it! I'd hit a terrible plateau, and didn't seem to be able to get motivated again. But now I'm losing weight again, admittedly in an up and down way, but it's progress.

During this Bootcamp, I've been on holiday twice (so less in control of meals), been to a wedding with disastrous food, had visitors staying who brought chocolate and wine, and I've also had a small health crisis. Despite all that, I've still lost some weight, so I'm happy.

I'll be KOKO-ing for the foreseeable future. I've accepted I'll be eating low carb for the rest of my life.

One NSV for me: at the beginning of each Bootcamp I've always felt embarrassed / ashamed that I'm the heaviest person on the spreadsheet. This time, I was fine about it; I'm focussed on losing weight and getting healthier, and I've proved (to myself) that I can do it. I'm enjoying buying new clothes, being more active, and feeling good about myself for once.

15.2 pounds off! Am so thrilled with my progress, after a rocky start. I have another stone to go and hope I can keep on going until the next boot camp starts!

Thanks @prettybird @BIWI and @FinallyHere for keeping everything going.

I more or less stayed the same. A little disappointed not to have got to a healthy BMI on this bootcamp, but I'll get there eventually. I'm definitely going to be hanging around on this thread - holiday in 4.5 weeks...

Food today:
L - 'chef's salad' which was chopped chicken, ham, grated cheese, mayonnaise, creme fraiche and parsley, service with letticce, tomatoes, radishes, cucumber; and a cup of creamy coffee
D - soup from the chicken carcass - it's been in the slow cooker all night and smells lovely. There will be lots of green stuff in it - left over leek, stalks of asparagus, a lot of spinach. Will also have some delicious mushroom pate on lettuce cups.

@cardboardbox24 great progress - you must be delighted! and @Lucienandjean we are all on our own journey and it sounds like you've navigated some tricky challenges during this bootcamp - well done on KOKO

@Lucienandjean enjoying buying new clothes, being more active, and feeling good about myself for once Sounds great. I'm also glad to have company on the 'this is it, eating low carb from now on' bench

@cardboardbox24 (interesting name)

keep on going until the next boot camp

I'm always glad of company here , would be great to have you around.

@FinallyHere it's taken me 19 months to fully accept that I'll never be able to say "the diet is over" and eat exactly what I want, when I want. But this WOE is sustainable indefinitely, I think, and I'll be doing it even when I get to a 'normal' weight. And I do feel better when I avoid high carb food - less arthritis pain in particular.

It's completely different to all the low fat / calorie counting I've tried before (and failed at).

Well done losers!

I'll hang around here too if that's OK. I've not lost much this time but neither have I gained anything and as a former yo-yo this is a big achievement in itself. I'm going to KOKO and see what happens.

I've lost 11lb in total which I'm ecstatic with (sorry wasn't on the spreadsheet!)

I was doing it for health and weight reasons but I also wanted to cut out/down sugar. I'm really pleased to say it's changed a lot of bad habits hopefully for the long run. My water intake is up massively, I've cut down on alcohol. I'm currently on holiday and all my meals have been LC/high fat and I've been enjoying them! Whilst I have had desserts here and there, I find anything sweet very sickly and can't finish it. I got very excited and ordered a pizza the first night. I managed 2 slices and then just felt uncomfortable and ate the cheese off the rest, it's kind of made me realise that carbs are just a craving and not enjoyable in that starchy form!

I'm going to continue this way of life. Thanks for the encouragement!

Very disappointed to see that I don't need to wield The Big Stick

@venusandmars thanks, I'm really happy!
@FinallyHere happy to keep you company, I'm really determined to carry on

Send it my way @BIWI, I make soup, stews etc for DH's lunches most weeks and freeze them in batches, largely made up of whatever is in the fridge at the time and leftovers. Just defrosted one for my lunch as still a bit ropey and it was delicious 😍. Then remembered that it was the one I made before we went away so had leftover roast dinner (incl potatoes and mash) and a load of carrots as needed to empty the fridge before the holiday!!!! It was lovely and all but definitely not BC-friendly

@TheOnlyMrsW I think a light tap, rather than a big thwack! (pleading to @BIWI on your behalf).

And the 'tap' is for not being better at labelling things in your freezer says she who recently put gooseberry compote into a savoury dish, thinking it was asparagus and watercress

And carrot and potato - while way off bootcamp - is more natural than a sugar jam donut.

I took my car to be serviced this morning and had a lovely walk back in the sunshine, along the seafront. I walked past all my favourite breakfast food places - ignored the lure of black pudding rolls, the bacon sandwiches, the various things on muffins.

I know some of you struggle with ignoring sweet treats, and luckily this is not one of my addictions, but doing that breakfast run was hard! I know I could have had the bacon and egg without the bun, the salmon on spinach etc. But sometimes it is just easier to keep on going and not to stop and salivate at all. still thinking about a bag of crisps as a reward though!

Plus, it extended my I/F until I got back and had boiled eggs mashed with butter and coffee with cream.

Tonight is a sort of Chinese stir fry - lots of veg, chicken, and some noodles for dh

And carrot and potato - while way off bootcamp - is more natural than a sugar jam donut

And while it is more 'natural' if we're on this way of eating, neither is OK - eventually they all break down into sugars.

@venusandmars strangely enough DH and I had a conversation about freezer labelling yesterday (we're so rock n roll!) as I had to guess at a fair few tubs when I went through it! Am paying for my transgressions now - one of the reasons I wanted to join this BC and carry on is that a lot of carbs have started to disagree with me - feel bloated, give me heartburn so cutting them out isn't really any great loss apart from convenience.
We'll have an odd week or so whilst I empty the freezer and put roast veg with everything then have a reset when I fill it again!

Dh cooked me a slice of square sausage for lunch. While there will be some filler in it, they were deluxe ones so majority beef.

I did have it with some tomato ketchup but in my defence, I was having it without the morning roll that dh was having his with and b) I was eating something

Hello all. Nice to see the chat is still ongoing.
I found soufflé in Waitrose yesterday, 6.5g carb each so a bit high but delicious for breakfast. Had one with cucumber sticks and cream cheese and a couple of slices of ham.
Lunch was shocking - pork scratchings and sugar free jelly with mascarpone cheese and a strip of diabetic choc. Don't know what happened there - maybe it's totm making me want all the junk food.
Am skipping dinner - don't think I can afford the calories tbh. Had some creamy coffee so not at all hungry now anyway!

Thanks @prettybird and @BIWI for the new thread! I will be here for updates and chats.
Well done to those who did very well on the BC and others who are trying to continue doing!
still haven’t got on scales, but lots of clothes fit nicely now (NSV) than trying to digging into my body <shorts> I will be here for few more weeks until I reach certain weight.

After the last comment about sensitive gums, I made the mince with BIWI’s recipe with courgette and left over veggies. Today I then cooked a chicken noodles with bare naked noodles and lots of veggies. Trying to add a pic now! Need few of these proper meals each week, otherwise I am getting into the habit of filling up with cream coffee and whatever is left.

@LadyBird1973 this way of eating is not about skipping meals (unless you're deliberately doing intermittent fasting), nor is it about counting calories. Your lunchi was only 'shocking' in that it was more processed than usual and had no veg. We all have those moments, and better than crisps and biscuits.

This exactly the time when I might find a nice green soup in the freezer (deliberately green, mot mouldy!) to restore the balance. For me, skipping dinner might leave me feeling hungry later and risk a repeat of the snacky lunch. Alternatives are to prepare some ticks of cucmber and celery and dip into cream cheese (St Agur blue creame is my favourite).