Week 3 - Back-to-School Bootcamp - Introducing Bootcamp Light

[BIWI]

Morning campers!

Here's the link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

... where I can see that already we have 7 Bootcampers who have lost half a stone or more! That's really amazing.

It's not a competition though so don't be downhearted if you haven't lost as much, or if your rate of loss is slower. We all start from different places and rates of loss vary from one to another.

If you've been reading my posts (you have, haven't you?!), you'll know that week 3 (and sometimes 4, even 5) can see a sharp slow down in the rate of loss. This is because by now, you've lost initial water weight and you've used up the glycogen - made from glucose, aka carbs - which is stored in your liver. And you're burning fat. The transition from carb-burning to fat-burning should now be well on the way and this is why it's now particularly important that we keep our focus on low carb foods, and resist the temptation to cheat.

It's easy to become complacent, but remember we're trying to create new habits here, and the general consensus seems to be that it takes 66 days to create a new habit. Today is day 15, so we have a way to go!

If you're struggling, post here. Ask for help. It's so much better when you know other people are going through the same thing.

Enjoy your meal out @RooRooCooChoo

Thank you to the person who suggested some grated mozzarella in the LC cheese sauce. Did that tonight (well, DH did) and finally made a thick sauce.
Delicious, although v rich (a salad with a sharp vinaigrette cut through the richness nicely).

He also precooked, drained and left to stand the cauliflower and broccoli, which further helped reduce the water.

Gorgeous meal on a not-so-nice evening

I've managed 3l of water already today, for which I award myself a gold star

However, the craving for chocolate, especially after lunch isn't going away. I'm not indulging it, because it's too much of a slippery slope, but the urge is strong.
I'm also MASSIVELY craving alcohol this evening.
Again, I won't cave, but the urge is strong.

Am also musing that TGBB is perhaps not the best TV choice when one is low carbing

I'm also watching Bake Off and musing that I am always on a diet when this is on! Just had a piece of dark chocolate to take the craving for chocolate buttercream away!
I love this show but it really is a hard watch when not eating sugar!

Had a scare with my blood pressure last week (was 178/100 at the doctors on Thursday 😱) so am sticking to sober bootcamp for at least a couple more weeks! One sip of wine usually sends my carb cravings into overdrive so it's a brilliant excuse to keep off the booze and keep on the downward trend!

Another bake off fan here questioning my life choices. I had a chunk of cheese to nibble on during the show which helped but, by god, some of those cakes looked amazing.

Bloody hell @MotherBuckets , that's a scary reading.
I hope that comes down soon.
Are they making you test at home? And giving you drugs or something?

Thank you @Rogue1001MNer. It was lovely, although I am being punished - unfairly, I think - for the wine. It really wasn't that much! I stuck to mussels with a side salad, which was lovely.

Today shall be
B: FFGY w cream
L: tuna Mayo w lettuce, peppers and cucumber
D: meatballs w celeriac and leek mash

@MotherBuckets that is scary. Hope you are okay.
My dh was diagnosed as being very close to diabetic and was having to do blood pressure tests at home and glucose tests. He started this woe with me a few months back and everything has returned to normal levels. It's amazing how quickly you can come back from some quite serious numbers

Hi everyone - checking in and catching up on the thread.

Thank you @BIWI for the thread and (I think) for the pic of the fat. 1lb is a lot of fat and quite disgusting.

@FinallyHere Interested in tracking hunger signals here too, but not sure that I'm past the carb signals yet. This morning I do feel hungry (tummy) but for protein and fat, not sugar/bread, so for now I'm taking that as a truer hunger signal. Will see how things develop ...

I have mostly avoided the chocolate so far - apart from a small square (very restrained for me) last weekend. Anyone else noticed how sweet cooked cabbage is?? Weird. At least my husband thought I was weird / imagining things when I mentioned it. Tastebuds are changing, cabbage ice cream anyone?! 😆

I am a historic self-saboteur but managing to stay on track, pretty much apart from some very baked in tendencies (licking spoon when mixing cake batter ... 🙈), by reminding myself just how sluggish and yeuchh I feel after eating carbs. It's working so far. Plus I'm thinking of all the wonderful clothes I can invest in once I'm a consistent (smaller) size!

@MotherBuckets That must've been scary. As others have said, do you have an at home monitor? DM has high BP when measured by a nurse but it's a lot lower at home (white coat syndrome). Mine can be a bit high too and am having it measured on Friday so hoping that eating this was for the last couple of weeks will mean I'm in the normal range. 🤞🏼

So we're way next week and one of the places we're eating is a Thai restaurant. I find Thai v difficult on BC but I do love Thai food. Could I have some help please in navigating this menu? Anything that looks BC compliant - or the least worst option? Thank you!!

💦💦💦

Thanks for the concern guys 🥰
They put me on tablets and I bought myself a blood pressure monitor. First time I tried it was still 180/100 at home and I was expecting to pop my clogs at any minute... anyway it's come down loads already so am very relieved 😂

Feels weird to be still tucking into buttery veg etc but I definitely will carry on doing it, just not eating the carby stuff. Another lb off this morning!

@agnesmartin good luck with your reading on Friday 🤞

@MotherBuckets high BP was the main reason I started this diet at the end of August, I was getting readings of 196/115 😱 when I had to wear the 24 hour monitor. Now my BP is pretty much normal (still a little high), and that’s through diet and exercise, though I haven’t been able to exercise much due to CFS, so I’d say its mostly diet. But the doctor said that meds would do more harm than good at the moment as my readings are only slightly elevated. Amazing how quickly a LC diet can help. I’ve got a monitor at home too and just keeping a close eye on it.

@agnesmartin

how sluggish and yeuchh I feel after eating carbs.

This is so on point for me.

Choosing what to eat by how I'll feel after I have eaten works really well for me when 'eating boot camp' low carb high fat. I think it's been key to finally (sic) slipping out from under the self sabotage, too.

When I focus on weight loss as the primary goal, as others have reported upthread, after a period of success, there comes a point where I start to rebel against the restrictions and go off piste falling head first into all the carbs. Short term euphoria and longer term guilt and shame.

When I focus on how I'll feel after eating, I want to avoid feeling sluggish and so avoiding the starchy carbs makes loads of sense. My focus is also ahem on keeping regular so cram down as much as I can of the leafy green stuff.

This truly gives me hope that this is a way of eating that will be sustainable long term. While I enjoy the benefits, I can't claim any credit for this approach, which all belongs to Gillian Riley https://eatingless.comm*

Yes, I think the trick to sticking with this is to think about how you feel when you self sabotage - not only physically but mentally. I'm always so disappointed in myself when I mess it up. It has a massive affect on my self esteem.

I've been running amok on Vinted to 'reward' myself. Instead of buying big bags of minstrels I'm treating myself to new boots and jackets!
I'm also on a 'princessing' thread and I feel this is helping too. Making an effort to do nice things for myself and decluttering the house gradually, are helping to keep my mood higher and stop me falling head first into cake!

@LadyBird1973 I have also been going a bit wild on Vinted the last couple of weeks 🤣, if only I could find the same motivation to list for sale the mountain of stuff I need to get rid of.

Another lb off today, despite scoffing the entire bar of dark chocolate yesterday, so that’s 10lb lost since I started on 27/8 🥳. Half way to my goal.

@agnesmartin goodness, that's not a very good menu is it?! Thai food is hard at the best of times, but such a short one is really hard.

The best options would be the salad, the wok and probably any of the bowls, apart from the Thai Fried chicken which comes with sweet sauce. But ask for the bowls without the rice.

Avoid the Fried section as it looks like they will all be battered, and the BBQ section as the sauce will probably be very sweet.

Thank you for having a look. Yeah, it’s not very BC friendly at all - will go with your suggestions and hope for the best. We rarely do Thai for this very reason but we’re on hols and I do need to let DH have some choice in what we eat!

In better news, the sushi restaurant we’re going to has an amazing sashimi plate plus lots of other non-sushi bootcamp friendly options.

We have a lovely Thai restaurant near us, and there are three staples that I usually go for:

starter - chicken satay
main - Crying Tiger (sometimes called Weeping Tiger) which is just a steak, griddled/sliced, with a sharp dipping sauce
side - stir-fried vegetables

@VeryGoodVeryNice I hear you on Vinted sales, I have to really motivate myself to do the listings (which takes seconds!!!) and then I get irrationally annoyed at having to pack up the parcels and ship them 😂😂. However I have sold quite a lot recently but keeping my profits at the moment as I'm between sizes in a lot of things so want to wait a bit before splurging.......

@RooRooCooChoo I have found that since starting this WOE in the June bootcamp my alcohol tolerance has gone through the floor and pretty much anything gives me a hangover which is going a long way to keeping off it! I sleep terribly and feel dreadful after just a couple of drinks

@TheOnlyMrsW I did also sleep very badly, so this is interesting to hear. I'm starting a new job next week which seems to include a fair bit of socialising. I was worried about keeping alcohol consumption down but, if this is what is waiting for me after a couple of glasses, it should be easier than I feared! 😬

@TheOnlyMrsW 🤣🤣 yep selling things is the only thing worse than listing them. Every time I get a sales notification I say “fuck sakes” or something along those lines out loud. Inconsiderate bastards, buying my bloody stuff 🤣

I fit (nicely) into a pair of trousers that’s been just that bit too tight for quite a while!

This is why MN needs a "like" button!!!!

There is a 'like' button! It's called 'Thanks' on MN though.

Yesterday:

FFGY
salami snack
mushroom and cheese omlette
’cottage pie’ with a cheesy broccoli topping instead of mashed potatoes

Today I’ve had FFGY and kippers with an egg. Roast chicken thighs with veg tonight and I bought some dark choc as a treat.

It’s been warm here this week so chugging all the water has been easy.

You need to keep an eye on your veg @PowerTulle - in that, there isn't much of it in your days!