Week 1 - Back-to-school Bootcamp!

[BIWI]

Morning all. I hereby declare this Bootcamp open

Here is the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

... with many thanks to the lovely @FinallyHere for creating (and managing)

I know you're all keen to get going, so will post this now and then come back with some important housekeeping notes

Oh bum! I only had one (quite big but shared with the dog) but will take notice. I can’t eat celery. Maybe red pepper? I’ll look on the carb counter.

B. Ffgy
L. Omlette with bacon
Snack. Boiled egg, blue cheese and celery
D. Bolognese on cabbage with cheese

I’ve been really craving sugar today. Which is strange as I don’t usually have a big sweet tooth. Wondering if my body is missing hidden sugar in bread and fruit (wine!). I’ve probably overdone the cheese instead.

B: 2 x black coffee and FFGY
L: mixed salad with feta and prawns
D: omelette with cheese, red pepper and spinach
s: A carrot and babybel

2 litres of water and 4 peppermint teas.

I’m out all day tomorrow so have made myself a packed lunch of FFGY and a feta salad.

I worry that I’m not getting enough calories (I know that we shouldn’t worry about calories but should I be eating more?)

Bit of a planning failure for dinner tonight. Forgot to buy celeriac for mash so ended up with sausages and a mound of roasted broccoli. Didn't give in to the mash that the rest of the family were eating though so I call that a success even if not ideal.

Still feeling quite queasy and cannot shake the awful headache.

I'm off to prep lunch and dinner for tomorrow so I can be a bit more organised!

I’ve not had the best day 😞.

My sleeping is all over the place, tbh I don’t think that’s due to LC, it was already like that due to CFS and peri. Really struggling to get back into the school routine. So woke up knackered, no breakfast, took dd to school, came home and tried to get a bit of a snooze and failed, went to meet a friend for lunch and I was so proud of myself - I had a halloumi burger without the bun, gave my friend the chips and ordered a side of charred broccoli. And then I got yet another call from the school about DD’s behaviour (lost count of how many now and she’s only been at that school a week), I was in a right old funk and had a dark chocolate mousse for desert. I know, a total fail 😞.

Picked the delightful child up from school, came home and passed out for a few hours, just been for a run and going to have a tomato and mozzarella salad for a late dinner.

Oh also got a call from the docs about my bloods which were done on Tuesday, I’m deficient in B12 apparently, got a phone appointment with the doc tomorrow to see what I need to do. Might explain why my CFS has been so awful this year, I recently had to give my job up as I just couldn’t manage.

@PowerTulle (fab name) I'm a heavy drinker who goes through long dry phases, and I ALWAYS find when I stop drinking, I crave sugar. I'm sure it's the sugar in booze my body misses, (but I sleep and feel so much better when I don't drink and its v hard - if not impossible - to lose weightif youre drinking)

@Tubelight and anyone else struggling I take loads of stuff into work with me. Today was a pack of cherry tomatoes, a big bag of rocket and a tub of cottage cheese. And I shovel those in when I get food cravings.
As well as shed loads of water, of course
And remind myself (a) about the conversation up thread about emotional eating and (b) to remind myself every treat I deny myself is me getting thinner and healthier.

But for those struggling (don't eat those!)

Hi all

B- FFGY and a cup of tea
L- home made chicken kebab and salad
D- chicken stuffed with pesto and wrapped in bacon. With fried courgettes and Haloumi
S1 - babybel
S2- pepperami - was out in the car and had a massive craving for something.

Positive- Have lost a couple of pounds already
Negative- found myself craving carbs. DH/DD had potato salad with their dinner and I picked some up and popped in in my mouth. I had to spit it out before starting to chew.

I'm stuffed today!

Didn't eat until 1.30pm (long time intermittent faster) as work was mental 😬

Cheese, chorizo, coleslaw, picked cabbage and asparagus (odd combo but delicious 😄)

FFGY with double cream

Roast chicken with crispy skin with loads of roasted veg (courgette, shallot, asparagus, broccoli and small amount of carrot) with mayo

@MyShinyThing well done for resisting the mash!

Sorry to hear about the headache, but it's probably a bit of carb flu. You need salt - have a hot drink made from a red Oxo cube, or Marmite or Bovril (depending what you have at home!).

@Sunshine1606 @Tubelight @PowerTulle the sugar craving is definitely the carbs that your body is missing - just shows you how addictive they are! You need to power through it for the next couple of days. Snack on something really tasty, like cheese or full fat yoghurt.

@Gnomegnomegnome are you hungry? If not, then no need to worry about calories! If you are hungry, then eat more. This WOE isn't about deprivation.

@VeryGoodVeryNice I'm sorry to hear about your news from school. But you really do need to think about why you felt the need to sabotage your good work because of that. Did it really make you feel better?

@adviceatthislatestage well done on the spitting

It did momentarily yes but then I felt like a big eejit.

@VeryGoodVeryNice sorry you're having a week of it and CFS is affecting you so badly. Anecdotally re: B12 I've been in and out of the dr's for bloods since the early part of this year as I've been horrendously exhausted, they've all come back "normal" but one thing I've noticed after getting a copy of the results is that B12 has been the low end of normal. So along with a multivitamin and vitamin d and the veg from LCHF I've started to take a B vitamin complex as well. It's got various B's but notably is something like 40,000% of the rda for B12 and I do feel better - not exactly turning cartwheels in the morning but not having to drag myself out of bed either. My experience is nowhere near your CFS but hope that you can get some progress on helping
Terrible day food wise, didn't eat at all at work - that will teach me to faff on MN I'm the morning instead of getting cracking - sandwiches weren't nice and all mushy fillings so no chance of picking it out but did get plenty of water and herbal tea. Scrambled eggs and ham finally at 8pm and just about to flake, will do better tomorrow 😢.
Oh and haven't done my bloody meal plan yet ugh!!!!!

Thanks @TheOnlyMrsW, I think I need a pretty hefty dose of it as I already take a menopause supplement which allegedly has 500% of the daily recommended dose of B12 in it. I’ll see what the doctor recommends tomorrow, hopefully injections! This year has been a complete washout for me and I’m really trying to focus on my health and get better (or at least functioning again), but it’s bloody hard when DD2 is trying to give me a nervous breakdown. DD1 also has SEN and is really struggling at the moment too 😞. It’s all just a lot.

@BIWI no I don’t think I am hungry (brain says I am but I think it’s more an automatic must eat crap than actual hunger). Thank you.

I had years of being underweight (undiagnosed ill health)and then put on lots making me overweight (medication and cutting out foods that made me ill) and now although I’m a healthy weight for my height I don’t really know how to eat. I think that’s why I’m enjoying these rules for this WOE. I’ve already noticed that I feel a lot less bloated.

Finally posting, I haven't meant to be a lurker but I keep running out of time!

So far so good, although I had a v overactive tummy issue on tues (poss all the dairy, I don't normally have much), and a splitting headache yesterday. But I have peed so much the my bloating has gone way down and I dropped at least half a dress size already.

B scrambled eggs in butter & smoked salmon
L mackerel salad w OO & Hellmans real mayo
D mince, shallots & tomato purée topped w feta & grated cheddar, served with broccoli
S FFGY w cream

I reckon that's only about 4 portions of veg tho, so will add some spinach to breakfast tomorrow

Oh yes, and lots of water. My skin's going to look amaaazing.

Today was good eating but am totally exhausted. Could be the change to LC or could be the hectic 3 weeks I have just had.

today was

B:LFGY with cream
L: chicken and coleslaw lettuce wraps. And cherry tomatoes
D: Creamy pork with mushrooms and spinach and spaghetti squash
snack: olives

Have a flight to France tomorrow to watch some rugby at the week. So will just have to see what my options are there.

I was a bit exhausted today and am surrounded by everyone's coughs and colds

B FFGY coffee
L more FFGY tea
D chicken curry but with tomato and yogurt this time (next time I'm going to add tamarind sauce I never know what to do with for that sour kick)
S FFGY

I was only eating today to keep from being hungry. I wasn't really into it hence all the FFGY. I guess its now my easy go to comfort food

I dreamt about a bakery last night.

Yesterday was good. Didn't manage to get lunch as felt like I was 10 minutes behind all day.

B: salmon paté cherry tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber
D: cod fish curry w buttered green beans and Brie/Roquefort for dessert
S: 2x babybel, olives, 2 pieces of smoked salmon (grabbed throughout the day, not in one go)

Today will be
B: FFGY with cream
L: scrambled eggs with sautéed cabbage
D: chicken thighs with yet to be determined veg

I'm worried about tonight and heading into the weekend. Going for pizza with the kids, and then back to back kiddy parties on Saturday and Sunday (the horror!) and then pub Sunday lunch. I'm terrible for mindless grazing, so this is going to be hard!

I don't think I'm eating enough fat or fibre.

Yesterday I had
B FFGY
L Salad with mozzarella and Parma ham
D chicken thigh fajitas with red peppers and onions (forgot about the onion), sour cream and cheese
S some more Parma ham.

I was really hungry when I got up to go to the loo. Also constipation is still an issue. I'm definitely drinking enough water.

Sorry to hear about the tough days with DC and CFS and bowels.

No DC but I did have CFS many years ago pretty badly and I found that a lower carb (still had oatcakes) diet was one of the stepping stones that helped. Hope docs are helpful re results.

Yesterday went ok. Was a bit hungry before going to bed to had the FFGY then and didn't wake up at 3am. Result.

Also tired, but that could be period coming up plus all the stuff that's going on here atm. Trying to plan a chill out day tomorrow.

Getting a bit bored of the ragu! 😆 Might have the last portion for breakfast today (with cabbage), so then its gone!

Lunch will be be cheese, ham, salad bits again

Supper will be 100% beef burgers, halloumi and more salad. FFGY for afters.

Thanks @BIWI I thought I'd be starving after just broccoli and sausages but DH had drown the broccoli in olive oil so I was fine.

If I'm using electrolyte powder and adding salt to everything do I need to up my salt even further to shake the headache? It's still lingering, I'm starting to wonder if it's more from tiredness as I've been sleeping appallingly.

Hope everyone has a good day today, roll on 5pm!

Finally made it the the end of the weird Greek yog from the co-op and so glad they only had two tubs when I popped in cos I was going to buy three! It's been a slog, I tell you, but I've made it out the other side

Weight is inching down, which I'm pleased about, keeping me focussed and determined to stick with it.

Potential tricky sitch this weekend as we're going to a BBQ (fine) but the forecast is a bit dodgy so, as an alternative, the hosts are planning a chip shop run. I've checked and there's an option for a chicken portion which will have to do but the thought of all those chips is worrying me. Right now my resolve is strong but I know that one wrong move chip in the mouth and it could be game over. I know I need to learn to navigate these types of things if I want to lose weight and have a bit of a social life but it's just a bit tough.

Anyway, todays plan:
B: Greek yog, cream, cinnamon
L: shakshuka
D: TBD bit low on food so will see what I can rustle up

@MyShinyThing, hopefully it will be gone soon, as your body gets used to its new regime - but don't suffer! Take some paracetamol. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water as well

@fruitstick Could you have something different for breakfast, so that you're getting more veg? And try snacking on veg instead of meat, so celery/cucumber with cream cheese or pâté, for example?

@VeryGoodVeryNice sorry to hear about the CFS - that really isn't helpful, is it?! From what I've read, there is some suggestion that a low carb diet (keto, actually, which is very low carb) might help - but there's an equal amount of stuff saying it's not good!

I came across this piece, from a Canadian website, that I thought was interesting. (Apologies if you know all this and I'm your granny telling you to suck eggs).

When you next see your GP, I think it would be a good idea to tell him/her about Bootcamp, and the foods you're eating, just to make sure they are happy with that and your condition/any medication you might be taking/prescribed.

@AllTheBlackCoffee if the weather turns out to be bad that day, then the best suggestion would be to have a really big breakfast - The Full English is a great breakfast on Bootcamp! - then hopefully you won't be so hungry when it's time for the chip shop run.

@RooRooCooChoo sounds like your weekend is going to be testing! However, it's good practice for when we've finished Bootcamp/when you get to your target.

If you're a mindless grazer, then it sounds to me like you ought to have a small cool box with you, with low carb snacks that you can reach for when you feel the need - e.g. hard-boiled egg, cooked low carb sausage(s), little pot of olives, celery/cucumber slices, cubes of cheese, etc.

Where are you taking the kids for pizza? Do they have anything other than pizza on the menu that you can have? If not, then you'll have to go without I'm afraid . Eat something before you go so that you're not sitting there, starving hungry, while they tuck in.

Alternatively, if the restaurant you normally go to hasn't anything other than pizza, is there another pizza restaurant you could go to that does? Or another restaurant that the kids would like, that has things you could eat?