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?!

I'm exactly the same weight as last week, which is very annoying as I appear to have put on 3/4 of s pound overnight!
Still, new day!
Best of luck everyone

Weighed in. Although I have struggled in the last 6 months (having lost 2 stone between Sep 22 and this Easter) I am taking comfort from the fact that many good habits have stuck and that although I haven't lost any more weight I have only been fluctuating up and down by about 3lb. In the past I have yoyo'd so much.

Hopefully the next few weeks will help you break that stasis!

I have lost a little bit since last week, but I wonder if this has something to do with not getting enough sleep. I worked extremely long days last week and ended up feeling completely exhausted. I was pleased that I kept on the wagon, in terms of eating and drinking the water and avoided visiting the vending machine, which was a win in itself.

I'm feeling much better after a more restful weekend. So onwards to Christmas!

@BIWI coming in late to this but going to jump on the in the boot camp today. Got Mediterranean vegetables and gammon in for tea tonight anyway and plenty eggs and mushrooms to make an omelette for breakfast. Is vegetable soup okay for low carb? Home made so I could reduce the stock if that’s a culprit. No lentils etc- was thinking a carrot and cumin one might work?
thanks and hope everyone else is doing well.

Stock won't be an issue, but the carrots could be, as they're a more carby vegetable.

Check out the list of veg carb counts on the spreadsheet to see which veg would work best - ideally you should be aiming for those in the green section.

I and @fourelementary I've added you on to the spreadsheet

Morning all, as I was a week behind on the September bootcamp I have just stayed on bootcamp lite. I weighed on Saturday morning and had lost another 2lb. Then Saturday night we had a family emergency and I ended up travelling, and at the restaurant yesterday there were no low carb options so I went for the roast. I only had a mouthful of potato as it tasted of vegetable oil and a mouthful of parsnip and stuffing. But I did have half a yorkshire pudding (I gave the other half away as happily could have had all of it) and lots of thick gravy. Anyway I have put on 2lb! I am straight back on to low carbing, had cheese and ham last night and planning lamb kofta for today so I know it will come off but it just shows how well this way of eating has been going for me.

I need to steel myself to stick at it today, as I have got past the little high of the first couple of days, when the novelty of it all makes it easier to be disciplined. Plus it is Monday, filthy raining, and I have a stonking cold. All things that may make me prone to seek comfort in food. I'll focus ultra hard on drinking lots of water I think, which is a relatively easy hit and will boost my morale (as well as helping my cold).

Halloumi fried with spinach for lunch, i think. And a kind of spaghetti-less spaghetti alla puttanesca for dinner

Try drinking hot water with a slice of lemon @GoodOldEmmaNess - it's very soothing, and much more palatable in this horrible weather

Your lunch sounds delicious! Do you use chilli oil.? I wonder if that would be kill or cure for your cold. It's my first proper day on boot camp so wishing you well, and hoping you feel better soon 🍋🫚🍵

@BIWI so interested that IF can be considered too. My DH has been religiously scoffing a cooked breakfast ( and losing weight!) but it really doesn't work for me. I'll revert to my usual brunch around 11 and see if that helps. Usually gets me through until early supper. At least we are eating earlier in the dark evenings. The thing I can't resist is my first cup of tea of the day. Wondering if anyone uses a dairy substitute? Is that splash of milk twice a day holding me back?

I've finally braved the scales: back at 12st 4lb

Still, I'm lower than I was this time last year when I was still over 12 and a half stone

I managed to get to just over 11.5 stone last year, so that will be my objective this year.

Weighed and I'm not surprised, I seem to be hovering around the 167-170lb mark (with not much trying tbh, and too much alcohol over the weekend!) however I need to lose at least another stone to be considered in the healthy BMI range. Omelette this morning with mushrooms, peppers and fresh eggs from our lovely friend's hens, that should keep me going until dinner which will be sausage and mash, mine is made from cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage.
On my 3rd cup of herbal tea and then will switch to water, have a big pack of wonky mushrooms which I think will turn into soup - I've got an open tub of single cream that needs to be used up as well, will this freeze ok does anyone know?

I've reweighed this morning (autocorrect originally had me resigning this morning but that's a bit drastic I think ) and updated the spreadsheet - I've been BC lighting over the weekend and have already lost a bit of the bloating.

My go-to this BC will be creamed cauliflower mash, it fulfils my psychological need for hearty winter food and is good with casseroles and stews. I finely chop cauliflower, microwave in a Pyrex jug and then add a blob of butter (and some mustard and/or cheese if that works with whatever its accompanying) and blitz in the jug with the stick blender until creamy.

I'm also to up my IF @BIWI Strictly black coffee until midday and trying to extend my fasts until 4 or 5 pm a few days a week. What I really need is more exercise but between a busy spell at work and horrible weather that's been challenging.

I've been losing and gaining the same pound for weeks so hoping to lose it and some of its friends for good over the next 6 weeks. My mantra is 'if nothing changes, nothing will change' so focusing on water, which I've never managed to keep up with, and my snack habit this week. Strategies for upping water intake please. It's too cold to drink cold water so today I am going to make a large jug of tepid lemon water and chug away at that, see if that works.

@islandtiger there's a lot of dispute as to whether or not a small amount of calories will impact your fast. There is a view that as long as it's not more than 50 calories you will be fine - but I have no idea where that started. But it gets repeated all over the internet!

Why not measure out your 'splash' of milk, and then work out how many calories that comes to? The other thing you could do is to restrict yourself to just one rather than two cups?

@OldandTired66 I'm going to try lemon water, thank you, I find it difficult to remember to drink.
I leave a beaker in the bathroom and try to drink one every time I visit 😉. And I will have my second tea in the pm. And measure my milk in the meantime , thanks @BIWI. We have never measured anything in the past, hence eating rather more pasta than is good for us! Measuring will be a new thing. ☺️

Hello I joined years ago and fell off and would love to return. I don’t have much weight to lose - maybe four pounds - but I am seeing a load of health niggles I want to get on top of.

i have had an enormously stressful year. I still reach for a soothing “treat” in the form of very dark chocolate. At least three times a day. Anyone managed to break this?!

I can remove almost all other sugar, carbs, and joy but this is my last crutch!

@BeethovenNinth if you're eating chocolate with a very high cocoa content there shouldn't be a problem with that, really - although perhaps not three times a day!

My current 'go to' is Montezuma with orange and cocoa nibs. It's 8g carbs for the whole bar, 2.7g for 30g - but you'd be hard pushed to eat 30g in one sitting as it's so dark. (It's also expensive, which keeps my consumption down.

Oh, and I've added you to the spreadsheet @BeethovenNinth

@islandtiger - you don't need to weight/count anything else on Bootcamp! We don't count carbs or calories - the measuring of your milk is only to help you decide if it's likely to impact on IF.

@BIWI ok. Got it. After LCBC we'll see. I think it might help me in the long term 😊

Thanks BIWI!

it’s generally 85 or 90 per cent. It’s like I have to have a daily crutch. I could eat it all day to be honest. I will work out the carbs…

Oh I started at 144 pounds. My goal is 138.