Low Carb Bootcamp challenge - lose half a stone before Christmas

[BIWI]

If we start next Monday, there are 6 weeks leading up to Christmas.

Hopefully that means that we can drop 7lbs in those weeks - but only if we're properly strict.

It's entirely up to you if you want to do strict Bootcamp, or Bootcamp Light across those 6 weeks, although I'd suggest that if you haven't got too much to lose, you veer towards a stricter approach.

It's also, we need to bear in mind, a more difficult time of the year to think about losing weight as there are likely to be more social occasions, so a stricter approach around all of those events is probably a good one!

Who's in?!

Thanks for these, BIWI, some delicious looking recipes there.

I'm managing to staying on track - despite a whole day in the car yesterday on deliveries. I was prepared and took along some homemade rolitos. I did succumb to a Diet Coke from a service station as I was getting pretty knackered by the end, but last time I did this, a couple months ago I bought sandwiches, and cookies and goodness knows what else to keep me going! Definite improvement.

Morning all, thank crunchie (veg!) it's Friday, I'm exhausted after the last couple of days but a splendid time was had by all 🤘. Not enough water Wednesday and yesterday, but largely on purpose as I didn't want to have to stop every 5 minutes on the journeys or spend all of the gig in the toilet and miss out 😂. Will be extra on it today to make up for it, had definitely too much wine Wednesday night but hopefully the bouncing and then the walk home balanced that out. Gorgeous food before the gig, swerved the poppadums then had lamb tikka to start and veggie balti. DH finished it off for me (after his own poppadums and main course!) . Late drive back yesterday after a fab bimble down to Mumbles and back, and had the leftover caulflower and leek bake with chicken breast pan fired in lots of butter. Just writing a meal plan now and a shopping list...........
Will be roast chicken tonight - I absolutely love roast parsnips, way more than roast potatoes but will skip those in favour of sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower, DH & DD will have the works. Omelette again for brunch (I've got eggs to use up) but will have cherry toms, mushrooms and pepper in it with a fair bit of cheese on top

I seem - finally! - to have broken through my weight set point. And have seen a number on the scales this morning that I haven't seen for quite some time.

Makes it seem like my target of the scales starting with a 9 instead of a 10 achievable - hopefully in this challenge!

(Incidentally I was never really sure if a weight set point was a 'thing', but Dr Andrew Jenkinson - a bariatric surgeon - talks about it in his book Why We Eat (Too Much)

Why would you think they're not allowed @LC4life? Sounds fine to me.

If you're ever in doubt, always check the back of the packet for the carb count. If you don't have a packet in front of you to check, I find that Sainsbury's website is a great source of information - go to the Groceries section and search for the food you're looking for, and there will be a nutritional breakdown.

... and it shows that flaxseed is only 3g carbs per 100g, so you're fine!

My 3 year old requested buttery toast and diced cheese for tea. I made myself scrambled eggs to eat with her. She demolished half of my eggs and offered me some mangled toast in exchange 😄

Well done @BIWI!

This is brilliant news @BIWI. I had been the stuck at the same for years with nothing working. Then I gained a bit more and although I lost it by following some healthy eating principles last year, nothing else shifted. And I gained it again. LCBC feels just the WoE that my body needs although I'm feeling very coldy all of a sudden today. Needing hot 🫚 🍋. I had my favourite avocado, tomato and burrata salad with olive oil for lunch today and looking up some cauliflower cheese recipes for supper. Managed to stick to one square of dark chocolate with orange last night. Naughty but a nice alternative to yoghurt and double cream which was feeling a bit too heavy in the pm.

Hi everyone, had an OK day today, chicken for breakfast, left over corn beef hash made with swede and some ham for lunch and mousakka and salad for dinner.

@BIWI I only use mumsnet on my phone so haven't been able to use the spreadsheet. Am I on to keep in the group though? I am finding it so helpful.

Of course you can stay!

Just let us know what you want us to enter on the spreadsheet and we'll do that

Thanks @biwi, my weight at the beginning of the week was 100kg. I know that is an awful lot still to lose but it is significantly less than when I started bootcamp with you in September.

Well done, @BIWI. I've also heard things about set points but never been quite sure about it.

My plan was the stick to strict Bootcamp until Christmas but I've had 2 squares of 90% dark chocolate this eve. (Maybe I'll allow myself one day a week of Bootcamp light?)

No need to be apologetic @Frumpyunicorn - we're all here for the same reason, regardless of where we started.

I'll convert your weight to lbs, as that's what everyone else is doing. (By the way, have you downloaded the Google Sheets app? You need that to access the spreadsheet on your phone)

@Magnolia82 I think 2 squares of 90% chocolate is entirely forgivable/allowable!

Yesterday had cottage cheese for breakfast, eggs and chopped ham for lunch. some leftover roast cabbage with cheese on it. Then slightly fell off the wagon as had gluten free (i'm coeliac) coated shredded chicken for dinner. But have paid already on the scales!

Drinking black coffee and goign to have soem cottage cheese then do some work then go for a walk!

Yiu need more veg @yesyesitsaparkingone

@BIWI sorry I haven't added anything to the spreadsheet yet. Not doing too well mental health wise at the moment so can't quite get myself together enough to weigh myself but will do for Monday

I'm sorry to hear that @cardboardbox24

No worries - I'll leave you on there - don't let this add to any anxiety though. Hope things improve for you

@BIWI thank you, I really appreciate the kind words

Well, I have had a few slips the last few days but that's with two meals out and a catered meeting with sandwiches, crisps and cakes. Main slips have been a few of the crisps (I love crisps more than anything) and a couple of chips (close second). Stuck to BClite pretty well apart from that and drinking plenty of water / herbal tea.

One thing I am trying really hard this time is avoiding snacking. I find it far too easy to munch on pieces of ham, cheese, bits of dark chocolate whatever in between meals which dulls my appetite at mealtimes but doesn't entirely fill me up either. So far doing pretty well. Reaching for the water bottle instead.

Good morning everyone. I haven't posted in a few days. @BIWI I made your baked hamburger recipe - it was so good and wolfed down by everyone - definitely a keeper!

It has been mostly good but I had a bad day on Friday. I was working in my old office for the day and there was a celebration for a colleague who was going on in maternity leave. There is a bakery next door that make amazing gluten free Bakewells (hi to @yesyesyesitsaparkingone - fellow coeliac here) and they had bought one in for me. A piece was put in front of me and I was told I couldn't possibly be the only one not eating cake! Most of the time in social situations it is easy to avoid cake etc because I am coeliac but when someone goes to the bother and expense of buying something gluten free so I won't be excluded it is really hard to say thank you but no. I had a strict day yesterday and did a day of IF so hopefully that will have me back on track.

Today it is wet and windy where I am so I am going to have my morning coffee with cream and have a little Sunday morning lie in with Maggie O'Farrell's The Marriage Portrait and think about what I will eat later. Have a great Sunday everyone..

Well, I stupidly allowed myself to be led astray last night and am sitting here with a thumping hangover (serves me right).

I had a very busy morning and afternoon and didn't eat - just wasn't hungry - and had about 1l of water in that time. The evening was the 40th anniversary party of our drama group, in a pub function room, and a lovely friend I haven’t seen in the flesh since lockdown had specially come back from abroad for it - we'd agreed to meet early at the pub proper for a catchup and eat beforehand so I thought fine, I'll drink fizzy water and have a cheeseburger and ask for no bun/salad on the side.

Got there to find they only do Thai food (which I can’t eat as I vomit every time, over 30 years of it). The only alternative was the kids' menu, which was all beige food. And said lovely friend had got there before me and was waiting with an open bottle of sauvignon blanc...

So like a moron I had a glass of wine, and then another, and then... and by the time the party started, a handful of prawn crackers and a few chips from the (beige) buffet seemed like a great idea...

I think (wishful thinking?) that the lack of food and the ton of booze may have cancelled each other out as I am somehow down another lb this morning, but dear God, does my head hurt... 😫

Have already downed 1l water and about to have another.

LC4Life I have avoided even looking at Aldi's middle aisle of Christmas food because I will see their mini stollen, which are like crack to me. If I had the self-restraint to buy it and put it away for Christmas I wouldn't need to be doing bootcamp... 🫣

Hope everyone else's weekend is going better. I have my niece's baby shower this afternoon so will be eating at home beforehand (lesson learned!).

And congratulations BIWI! Fab news.