Jan '24 Dry Low Carb Bootcamp - Week 3

[BIWI]

Morning all.

So I've put the Big Stick down, and let's start this week afresh.

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

Remember, this is only a four week challenge, and we're now half-way through. For the next two weeks, if you want, you can do Bootcamp Light (which simply means that you can add in some fruit (berries mainly), and some nuts and seeds. In moderation only, please.

But NO ALCOHOL!.

Whether you started on 1 or 2 January, we've now completed a whole fortnight without booze. Hopefully you should be feeling the benefits of this beyond just it helping with weight loss. Having moaned about not sleeping better, which is supposed to be one of the key benefits, last night I did sleep very well (having had the worst night's sleep the night before!), so hopefully it's all kicking in now.

New scales have raised me by 6lbs 😩

I know I haven't actually put on 6lbs since last Monday but I'm feeling ridiculously low about it. I'm just so much further away from where I need to be. Going to pick myself up and get on with my Sunday. Kids sports this morning then a roast chicken for Sunday dinner. No roasties for me but I intend to enjoy everything else

Morning campers!
😱 daily weigher and I’m 149.8lbs this morning. Which I’m blooming ecstatic about as my goal was 150lbs for this boot camp. My BMI is now 24.4 so that’s a bit better too. Annoyingly though my renpho says I’m still obese with 35% body fat & too low a muscle mass. Tbf I’m more doughy than muscular but maybe I need to work on that. I’m 54 and still f’ing peri so I probs need to watch muscle wasting. Not too sure where to start though. I do Pilates and play a bit of tennis but it’s obviously not enough.

DH is really into teas. We’ve cupboards full but they’re usually vanilla ish which makes me feel nauseous. He got an hibiscus one the other day and it’s bloody lovely!! Quite a strong flavour and great for curbing the ‘I need wine’ felling.

This morning I’m going to make a pot of whipped feta that I’ve still not got around to trying, the shawarma thing and a moussaka. Take the dog for a long walk and drink all the water. Oh and boring laundry.
bfast - 16:8
lunch - maybe Halloumi & peppers & spinach.
dinner - roast beef, carrots, broc, cauli, (pots and Yorkies for carbies)

Oh no @PurpleWhirple they are new scales though. Super good day today and let’s hope for a whoosh!! 🤞🏼

To be honest @PurpleWhirple, although I know the actual number on the scales might be depressing you, it's the change that's the most important thing. Everyone's scales will tell you something different! (It's also one of the reasons why relying on weight and things that measure weight, like BMI) are much less accurate than things like how well your clothes fit, or your measurements.

Try not to let it get you down - easy to say, I know! - and don't let it distract you from just how well you've done so far

Morning all, happy to report my weight is down to 19st 12.2lbs today, which is basically 1lb lower than it was before it decided to migrate back up to 20st .

On the rewarding yourself for progress question: personally I buy myself a houseplant off my wish list each time I hit a new target which really helps to motivate me. My best friend treats herself to new makeup or skincare, and my other friend likes to treat herself to a spa day or treatment when she breaks a stone barrier. My DH buys himself something for his hobby and his best mate who’s also losing weight at the moment treats himself to some money on his favourite mobile game he plays quite competitively. There are so many things you can reward yourself with that aren’t food or drink, we’re just conditioned to see food as the default ‘nice thing’.

I love this chat about non food rewards. I think I will book myself a lovely massage when I get to under 80kg. I weighed today at 81.1kg but I've been ill so not sure how much will stick. I can't afford a massage every time I lost a kg so I will need to think about another less expensive reward! Mariage Freres makes a gorgeous tea called Opera Blue made of mallow flowers which is blue and delicious. I think I'll order some (still expensive at £20 something per box but lovely and indulgent).

I will make the moussaka today which I'm looking forward to.

Morning all

It is really interesting reading back through the comments, I can really identify with feeling sugar is addictive and the treat / reward.

The other thing I struggle with on this woe is lunches out. Yesterday my plan was for a subway salad but it was so cold I just couldn't face it. I ended up in m and s getting an antipasti platter with olives, chorizo etc which somehow felt more substantial.

Today I am going to have whipped feta and saucusson with cucumber abd celery sticks for lunch, and a nice dinner of roast duck leg done in the air fryer with cauliower cheese and some green veg.

How about rewards like a manicure, facial or a haircut when you've reached targets?

If you don't have the funds to go for a manicure or facial, reward yourself with the time to do it for yourself. The Lidl face masks cost something like 89p, so don't break the bank.

Even if you haven't reach a target, they're good as acts of self-care, because we are worth it.

My reward for when I'd reached by stretch target was going to get myself the cut 'n' colour I wasn't able to get before Christmas as she was booked up (), so now I need to call on Monday and book. I was going to anyway for 9 March, in preparation for going off on holiday on 11th. In the mean time, I'm going to buff my nails. So it's all coming together

I've given myself a new stretch target of getting below 11st by 10 March That's an average of 1lb week, so should be do-able, right?

I’ve yet to make the whipped feta , have the ingredients ready …
planning pulled pork for dinner with cauli and leek cheese not macaroni on the side
DH will have roast potatoes, luckily for me I’m not keen on roasties anyway

My treat is a lay in this morning , then a lazy bath with posh bath oil and reading a book ( before I try on the shorts of truth )

All the lovely food ideas are so inspiring. Still to try whipped feta though. I had forgotten how much I loved roast celeriac chips had them last night with pan fried sea bass and delicious green veg (FLGV).
Had to re buy the sea bass. I had been shopping in nearest town after getting off the train from my long commute on Thursday. After 8.00 when I got home. DH ravenously hungry said to stop putting away shopping and get on with cooking while he put away shopping. Friday morning sheepish DH admitted he’d found bag of shopping on kitchen chair containing 4 sea bass at room temp all night. WWYD? I hate to waste but binned them.

Have started 16:8 again which is so much easier on this WOE as just not hungry. Was collecting from airport ( and popping to Tesco for more fish)at lunch time and didn’t actually have lunch yesterday until 16.00 but it was ok. Today will be challenging. Difficult family event. MIL’s birthday lunch at BILs. No way I can be prescriptive about what I will eat. Difficult family dynamic going on. Hoping I can leave the carb and decline desert without causing offence. I am pretty determined as the scales are moving down again and most importantly the cravings have subsided. I will focus on water will take some sparkling with me in case they don’t have any.

Could I have the recipe for your cannelloni please @Metabolicallycomplicated ?

Morning all, the scales still hate me, up another 0.2 lb today which I think is a 0.2lb gain for the week. Unless I have a miracle
whoosh overnight it’s not looking good for tomorrow’s WI. I will eat all the fat and drink all the water and see what happens but I’m not hopeful of a loss

Am in my usual Sunday place, Sat in the car at DS’ football. Kick off’s not til 10.30 so I’m planning to do my menu for the week and my Sainsburys shop while I wait in the warm with my coffee.

Today is looking like:

B: nothing
L; fry up
D: roast chicken, Cauli cheese, buttered veggies

A bit late to the tea party 😉 but this one is lovely and not expensive .I think I paid £2 in Waitrose

Is onion salt the same as onion powder? I don’t have the latter. Also what temp do I bake it for - 180’c? Huge thanks @PurpleWhirple!

This is one of DHs - they’re all lovely.

Sorry to hear about the scale hate @AllTheBlackCoffee! I think mine are enjoying tormenting me. This week has been up/down/up/down/up - but finally today down again!

I chart my weight, on an excel spreadsheet, and - like those who use an app - being able to see that the overall trend is downwards does help.

It's also useful in that it helps me to recognise what might be leading to the 'ups' - like cream/dairy. Also, interestingly, the day I had my biggest upswing this week was after I'd been drinking my 0% alcohol rum with slimline tonic. So making me wonder just how much of an impact the artificial sweeteners do have on weight. Yesterday I drank it with just sparkling water, and saw the biggest drop this morning. Could just be a coincidence, but given that my food on both days was also very Bootcamp-compliant, I wonder.

I'm up this morning so might use yesterday's weight tomorrow

Going to concentrate on drinking all the water today

Oh, and at the gym this morning, I wore a t-shirt I haven't been able to wear for a very long time. It's not tight-fitting, but it's more close-fitting. Still a little bit of a bulge over the waistband of my leggings, but only really noticeable every now and then. (I tend to carry my weight round my torso, above and below the navel, so this is a really big marker of progress for me, that I've been able to move away from my usual baggy top).

Woohoo @BIWI

You are going to look even more fabulous by the time that you go to Barbados

After a fortnight of no change, am down to 143lbs. Seems like quite a sudden shift!
This is my goal weight so I just want to stabilise now. I have a flatter stomach and interestingly am much better able to focus and concentrate for longer without getting distracted or having to get up and walk around.

Apologies for not posting much (at all?) this week, I have had a difficult/busy week (close family member received a cancer diagnosis, thankfully low grade/early, doing DS's PIP renewal and a family birthday) and fallen off the food wagon. Planning to get back on it tomorrow. I have stayed off the booze though.

Sure! It’s super simple.

add olive oil to thin slices of aubergine and grill or fry until soft enough to roll.

in a bowl mix a tub of ricotta, handful of raw spinach and good glug of lemon juice

Add ricotta mix to each slice of aubergine and roll them up, then put them in a baking dish.

Then make a basic tomato ragu sauce however you like to make it, and pour over the aubergine.

Then grate parmasan on top and bake in the oven on 180 until the cheese is melted and it’s bubbling :)

Ha ha ha @prettybird

Nowhere near fabulous. Just moving out of the 'scares all small children out of the water' territory I think.

PSA

There is a handful of people who haven't posted their weight for this week - if nothing is posted tomorrow, then I'm going to remove those names from the spreadsheet.

It's not mandatory to be on the spreadsheet, and I understand that some prefer to lurk, but it would be nice to know if you're participating at all!

(No names, no pack drill for now)

Sorry to hear about your week @EffortlessDelegation - well done for staying off the booze. Hope the fall off the low carb wagon hasn't had too much of an impact