Jan 24 Dry Low Carb Bootcamp - Week 2

[BIWI]

Morning all

I've started a new thread as the first one was taking so long to load (and also because I kept forgetting to change my Christmas name each time I posted!)

Here's the spreadsheet

@TheSoundofMusic23 you are definitely on it! I've put in your 8lb loss, as I can't see why that wouldn't have been a real loss, but feel free to change if you need to.

Great to hear that things are going well for you @MetabolicallyComplicated - especially re the bleeding.

@Metabolicallycomplicated I'm rooting for you so hard to hit the next stone bracket!

Successfully dodged the Welsh cakes from the market that someone brought in today. Can't shake the slightly resentful feeling that I've missed out, and really what would one cake have done, but it's a slippery slope and I am feeling strong for having done it.

My first social hang tomorrow night at my cousin's house, where there will be wine aplenty. So I'm working out my plans now.

19st 13.4!!!!!!!! WOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!

👏👏👏 round of applause for @Metabolicallycomplicated

@Metabolicallycomplicated bloody well done!!

I realise how mad it is for most people that I’m HAPPY about being 19st something but when you’ve been 25st at your heaviest, 19st is a big deal! Officially out of the 20’s and my weight starts with a 1!

Bravo @Metabolicallycomplicated. That must feel great!

I've had a good week, stuck to the plan but the scales don't seem to have shifted at all this week. Just 0.2 up or down from Monday's weigh in each day. Hoping for something off by Monday.

I wonder if there's anything wrong with my meals. An example of yesterday.

B: Greek yogurt with cream
L: a mixed salad from work. We have a great salad bar so had 2 big spoons of tuna mayo (very mayonnaisey), a boiled egg, cucumber, diced peppers, broccoli, roasted aubergine, roasted veg with olives. A spoon or so of each. I don't know for certain how these are cooked but they mostly just seem to be roasted in oil.

D: pan fried sprouts (in olive oil) with halloumi and chicken.

Probably 2.5-3L of liquid in the form of water and lots of peppermint tea.

I think I'm getting enough fat. Don't feel hungry. Debating doing 16:8 today to try get a shift on the scale.

I don't think ANY of us on this - or on any other Bootcamp thread - would think you're mad. We totally get it!

Well done you.

Well done @Metabolicallycomplicated.

I understand, it's still a victory even though it's one step along the way. I will be having my own little celebration in a few weeks hopefully when I get below the 300lb barrier. My scales do pound rather than stones and pounds so this one is staring me in the face every morning.

@SpinningTops

How tall are you? At 122lbs, or 8 st 7lbs you probably don't have very much to lose, so you weight loss will be much slower than someone who has a lot to lose.

Is yesterday's meal typical? Because it looks OK - possibly a little light on protein, especially if the tuna was 'very mayonnaisey'. Lots of veg, which is great - but it could end up being a little carby if it's out of proportion.

Why not try adding an extra egg, and some cheese, and dropping one of the veggies at lunchtime? And make your breakfast pure protein, e.g. a cheese omelette, or scrambled eggs - don't forget that the yoghurt will have carbs in it too.

The other thing to consider is the size of your portions - we don't count calories on Bootcamp, but it is important to be aware of how much (overall) we're eating. Could you have had less of the salad? Are you having a lot of yoghurt and cream<, for example?

But to be honest, these are just tweaks - and without seeing what you've eaten on other days, it's difficult to really help!

Ultimately, given your current weight (and not forgetting that you have already dropped a couple of pounds!) I think you're just going to have to be patient and accept that loss will be slower from now on.

Great stuff @Metabolicallycomplicated - so good to stick to the salmon and to see the results from it!

Well done @Metabolicallycomplicated thats great news!!

I also like a splash of orange oil in my yogurt and cream from time to time, which I think I got from Waitrose but sure other places do it. I imagine with a bit of dark chocolate that would be even better!

Am on my own today as DH and DS are out all day and in the past this has been dangerous territory for me to binge. I fell positive but a bit unsettled as I know it can all go wrong in a split second if I’m not careful. I have plenty of things to keep me busy and my resolve is strong at the minute. I’m just praying I can do it!

I started low carb eating at 356 6 years ago, got down to 276 in the first year and then rewarded myself with a year —5 years— off and back on less carbs, but still carbs . I had a baby in that time and while pregnant my hormones were well controlled by the pregnancy and I naturally got down to 156 (18.5 stone) eating a ‘normal’ diet which was the weirdest experience ever. Then once he was born (he’s 3 in March!) the weight crept back on as I focused on being a mum and carbs came back in a big way, although I got back up to 20st 7lbs over 2.5 years so still didn’t regain everything thankfully. That’s where I’ve started bootcamp, so seeing a 19 is just a sign I’ve started making progress again and I’m ready to get going and finish what I started 6 years ago

@BIWI I'm only 5ft so quite short. I do realise it will be slower going. I think my happy weight would be about 115lb but don't want the lack of movement on the scales to ruin my motivation. The article you posted earlier this week definitely helped with my thoughts on that though.

When I'm not at work I tend to have an omelette for lunch. Dinner is often a take on traditional family meals so this week I've had bolognese, salmon, chilli, curry but with the carb portion replaced with something vegetable based.

I might be a bit heavy handed with the yogurt. I'll have 200-250g for breakfast. I it at about 6am and need it to get me through a busy day teaching to lunch at 1am. But the hunger is diminishing so perhaps I can rethink that.

Objectively I have to think that I'm eating much better in terms of veg and not stuffing my face with chocolates so even if I'm not losing weight it must be better for my health.

Can i just say thank you thank you thank you for creating such a supportive and helpful community. Sometimes in the offline world it can feel like you’re on your own eating this way because everyone is so conditioned to think low carb eating is faddy or extreme. Having little cheerleaders in my pocket who completely ‘get it’ is something I never knew I needed so much.

God bless BIWI and all who sail in her!!

I was struck, reading this bit of your post @AllTheBlackCoffee:

Am on my own today as DH and DS are out all day and in the past this has been dangerous territory for me to binge. I fell positive but a bit unsettled as I know it can all go wrong in a split second if I’m not careful. I have plenty of things to keep me busy and my resolve is strong at the minute. I’m just praying I can do it!

By the similarity to some of the posts made on the alcohol support threads. This one, for example:

DW is going away this weekend and in the past that has been a trigger for me to drink but I really don’t want to, and I'm very nervous about it. I’ve asked her to put all the booze in the shed and hide the key.

(I've tweaked this slightly to make it a little less recognisable, and obviously I'm not naming the poster!)

But this is all about addiction, isn't it? The really strong grip that carbs can have over us, just like alcohol can.

All of us on this challenge should not underestimate just how difficult it is - and we're giving up on alcohol as well as the carbs!

Morning all.

Thanks v much for all your soda stream feedback. One to think about.

@BIWI Unlike glad your funeral went as well as these things can.
@Metabolicallycomplicated, willing you to get down that stone bracket.

Unlike most of you (I think only 1 other posters said similar???) I'm still getting huge cravings, especially mid-afternoon for chocolate and carbs. I'm not giving in to it (apart from my blip on Wednesday), but the urge is very strong. I'm assuming I took myself out of ketosis with my blip, so I'm seeing myself as starting again.
The urge for alcohol isn't too bad at all though, so thats a plus.

Today is a fast day for me, so enjoying my peppermint tea this morning.

Have a lovely weekend everyone

@SpinningTops

Your BMI shows you are in the healthy region

I've made certain assumptions here - I assumed that you are white - but it's important to recognise that you're already in an acceptable weight range.

I know that the BMI isn't the most specific way to measure weight, but overall I think it's a good indicator. So be reassured that you are already doing well!

(IN case the link doesn't work, your current BMI is 23.2 based on my assumptions)

There was some research done in rats that suggested sugar is as addictive as opioids and nicotine. It made headlines a couple of years ago and I remember thinking at the time how true it rang:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23719144/

Apologies, my thread hadn't updated somehow.

Many, many congratulations @Metabolicallycomplicated . Fab result. Keep going. You're doing brilliantly. 🥳

Thanks for the words about addiction, @BIWI . I know I've got addictive traits, so that definitely applies to me

I have just checked this on Amazon and if you have Audible this is part of their plus catalogue. Happy days 😃

Good morning everyone. I have been busy all week and not had the chance to post since I weighed in on Monday. I was reasonably happy with my 3lb drop on my first week. It has been a complicated week wokwise with lots of challenges which thankfully were all resolved by yesterday and I managed to stay on track. Yesterday I woke up feeling fluey with some gastro upset. I thought first I might have been accidentally glutened but today it is clear I have a virus. I was getting really poorly last night and dh made me leek and potato soup which I ate. Potatoes are one of my weaknesses and when sick can be comforting in. Today is another day and I will refocus on keeping low carb. Not really feeling up to eating anyway 😞.
@Metabolicallycomplicated. 🎉 Woohoo at hitting your first goal. I made your chicken haloumi dish last weekend and my teenager said it was one of the best things I have ever made.
@LC4life would you mind posting your bread recipe again. I have tried scrolling back but cannot seem to find it. Bread is another one of my weaknesses 😩

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

I'm feeling unwell today with a stomach upset and am parenting 2 preteen boys. Dh and dd are out all day on a ten tors practice walk. I'm planning to sip water and have protein shakes today. Not entirely on plan but about all I can manage for now.

Really interesting to think of carbs in terms of their addictiveness. I definitely have an addictive personality - I'm very all or nothing, have smoked, can't say no to another drink and have dabbled in other recreational substances over the years. I wonder if it might help to reframe carbs and sugar as something I can't have in moderation? Not quite ready to do that with wine

Another question - has anyone found that LC has helped with skin conditions like eczema? I have terrible eczema on my eyes and it's driving me potty. I am hoping that a reduction in carbs might help, though I have no evidence to back that up.

I’m late to the chat but another Aarke owner here. I love it.

Finally finished a piece of work yesterday that was hanging over me including over the Christmas break. Huge sense of relief and feeling of being able to relax this weekend for the first time in about 4 weeks. DD coming tonight and as it’s her birthday on Monday will cook something nice for her.

The sugar addiction thing is very interesting. I have read people liking sugar to heroin. When you think that it has no nutritional value and how it makes you feel particularly if it triggers cravings and leads to more unhealthy behaviors with food I don’t think it’s far off. Someone mentioned resisting office ‘treats’ but feeling resentful that she was missing out. I sometimes find it helpful to consider this Heroin comparison and remind myself that I would never feel I was missing out if hard drugs were being offered and maybe sugar is no different.

I also read Ultra Processed People recently which was a good reminder to help my mindset around eating for wellbeing.

DS has gone skiing this week and brought me the remainders of his fridge veg drawer yesterday. Planning to make soup for lunch.

@SpinningTops it's also worth considering if you're losing any inches - muscle is denser than fat and over time by reducing carbs your body composition will change and by being a bit more muscular and less flabby it's possible to see more of a change in measurements rather than weight. It has only been a couple of weeks though and loss isn't linear.

@AIBConsiderate well done for swerving the Welsh cake. Do you think it would have really been as good as you imagined? How would you have felt afterwards if you had eaten it? In my experience these things tend to be a let down, in your mind you imagine it being amazing and then you take a bite and you do get a slight rush (a dopamine hit in the brain from the sugar probably) and then you eat the rest because you are chasing the feeling of that first mouthful (which you can't ever repeat - that moment has gone forever). I quietly binned a peppermint slice someone gifted me once, ostensibly because I was doing bootcamp and "roolz" but mainly because I knew it couldn't live up to the perfection I imagined and I'd only disappoint myself I ate it.