Jan '24 Dry Bootcamp - our last week

[BIWI]

Morning all. Hope Storm Isha didn't do any/too much damage.

Here's the spreadsheet - hopefully fixed now!

Although this started out as a 4-week challenge, I realise of course, that January is the never-ending month, so we'll continue right to the bitter end, which will be a week on Wednesday!

Don't panic though - I will be starting another one for February, only this time it doesn't have to be a dry one.

I'll start the next one 'afresh' so it gives other people a chance to join us, which means that (if you want to) the first two weeks will be the usual strict Bootcamp. If you're happy on Bootcamp Light, or you simply want to be able to have a drink (!), then it's entirely up to you.

So thinking about our last ten days - what do you realistically want to be able to achieve? I'm still hoping to get the scales to start with 9 rather than 10, but that does mean I'm going to have to be super strict, as that leaves me with 3.25 lbs to lose. I have two meals out before the end of the month, but they're both in places I know I can make good choices, and I'm finding it easier to forgo the alcohol too, so I'm not too worried about those.

For me, then, it's a weight challenge - but it doesn't have to be weight. It could be a specific item of clothing (thinking about those of us who have holidays coming up), or your measurements, or anything else that you think you can work towards over the next ten days.

Morning all, 1.4lb off for me today, with a running total of 12.1lb for Jan. I'm so pleased with that, I couldn't string a week together of healthy eating last year. The illness and migraine have abated at last and I managed to avoid the carbs that I usually seek out to make me feel better.

Would have liked to have made a stone by 31st Jan, but that's not important. What is important is that I hit my mini targets that I set along the way, whether it was sticking to the plan, recording a loss (however small) for each week.

I'll be continuing on with February, and I've got some space to think about the next set of goals. They will probably be around social events - this month was quite quiet but I'm going to be tested a bit in Feb on that front. None of the events are worth fuckits, so a plan ahead of time will be helpful.

I'm finally on a downwards trajectory again weight wise, wahoo!

@LadyBird1973 I also really struggled with motivation this time round. Every day I'd start off saying I'd stick to BC and every day I'd fall off. I managed to properly knuckle down again this week by recording everything I ate. Might that be useful for you? I used MyFitnessPal so I could look at the carbs, but if seeing the calories is problematic for you, maybe just write it down in your phone or a notepad? I found writing everything down before I ate made me think twice about the contents of the actual food!

@FinallyHere the spreadsheet is misbehaving for me. I think it's the same issue another user had last week but perhaps the fix wasn't applied to me as I was hidden in the spreadsheet at the time. My total loss since originally starting bootcamp is wrong. There's no rush at all, it can wait until you update the whole spreadsheet for the Feb bootcamp. But I didn't want to tinker and break it 😁

Thank you for letting me know @pinknsparkly

At work now, shall lift up the bonnet at lunchtime 😀

@AIBConsiderate - love your comment of 'none of the events are worth the fuckits' - that's got me thinking about my approach to my two trips away this weekend and next, thank you!! 🙏

Morning all! Sorry for my late arrival, but the 'oh you'll sleep really well if you're not drinking' finally seemed to happen last night.

Anyway, I'm not going to start a new thread for this week, but just a reminder that we still have three days left in January!

I know that isn't going to make a massive amount of difference, but it might help!

As you might have noticed on the spreadsheet the very lovely @FinallyHere has amended it so that we can carry on for February.

February's Bootcamp will be an 8-week one, starting on 5/2 and with our final weigh-in on Monday 18 March. (This means I will be absent for the last two weeks, albeit back in time for the weigh-in). Between me and @prettybird and @FinallyHere (sorry to rope you in to Big Stick-wielding ) hopefully we can herd all necessary cats.

The February challenge will be a conventional Bootcamp - at least for new joiners. If you're comfortable with following Bootcamp Light, then there's no need to have the strict two weeks. I think, personally, I'll be following the hybrid path - i.e. strict during the week and Bootcamp Light at the weekend, so that I can include alcohol occasionally. But totally up to everyone individually to decide what works best.

If you want to carry on - hurrah! - if not, I hope you've enjoyed the challenge, and that it's been successful for you.

APOLOGIES - THE FINAL WEIGH-IN WILL BE MONDAY 1 APRIL!

Got my counting all wrong there

Sign-up thread for Feb is here

Just added a small loss this week despite falling off over the weekend, realise I was quite good with food but did drink. Looking forward to Feb with you all. Love the kitchen towel analogy. Currently able to wear things I haven’t for a while and hoping to remove more layers this month 🤩

I'm definitely up for continuing with a Feb bootcamp. Thank you.

I have not entered my weight on the spreadsheet today. I'm going to wait until tomorrow, if that's ok? I weighed this morning and had gained (?!) 3 pounds! No idea why! I have been completely strict with bootcamp all week. I'm hoping that if I weigh again tomorrow it will disappear again?

@Magnolia82 - you could always leave it till our actual last day, which is Wednesday?

@BIWI Yes - good idea.
(I'm so confused by the gain, but know it can't be 'real' fat gain as I've not eaten anything that could cause this.)

Well done to everyone for such great progress this bootcamp.

Weighed in this morning , and off with another 2lb , 6lb in total , so haven’t quite made my target of under 11 and half stone , but I’m on 11 and a half .. and there’s a couple of days left to January 👍

Will be in the Feb Bootcamp , but not all of it as we’re heading off on holiday in March as well 🇧🇧, probably 5 weeks of it

I use MFP as well @LadyBird1973 and @pinknsparkly , not for the counting of carbs , calories , but trying to keep track of what’s actually going in ( after watching that Michale Mosley programme and seeing the difference with what people think they eat , and what they actually eat , it made sense )

One thing that I often suggest (but forgot to this time around, and also stopped doing myself) is to keep a food diary. Where you record absolutely everything that you've eaten and drunk. It helps enormously to be able to compare this with the weight losses/gains - so you can pinpoint things that have helped or hindered you. And also, to allow yourself to recognise that if you've had a gain out of the blue, that it was just 'one of those things'.

It's also useful to add into that if you were somewhere/with someone/doing something that might have conspired against you - e.g. if you've been out for dinner or had dinner with friends, where you had no say in what you were eating.

@Magnolia82 join me on the hoping-for-a-miracle-by-Weds bench!

I've googled Night Nurse and it contains 13.8g per dose!!!!! So not difficult to see why I've STS. Cough slightly better, so drinking all the water and bring v careful for the final furlong.

@cathyandclaire I'm always amazed by how much sugar lurks in medicine, both prescription & overthecounter. And by how I associate being 'looked after when poorly' with sugar: honey and lemon (and whiskey) for colds, throat lozenges etc

I've been looking out for replacements, sadly without those soothing associations, so far I have found only raw garlic for running sinuses and chicken stock (chicken soup without the rice). And actual ibuprofen/paracetamol rather than the 'enhanced/extra versions which always have more sugar.

'Total Loss since original start' (on Jan 24's weigh in sheet) has been updated, with my grateful thanks for everyone who flagged it up including @BIWI @pinknsparkly Do please continue to shout out anytime you spot anything not quite quite. There is nothing like an incorrect cell reference to completely distract me from that nagging thought I really deserve a snack.

I'll weigh in on the last day - just drinking loads of water today to continue to reduce the impact of our Burns Suppet on Saturday

It was mostly bar the haggis Boot Camp compliant except the alcohol

Looks lovely @prettybird !
I forgot to weigh this am - in a rush today - so will add weight on wed.

Trying to catch up on all the posts after a week off Mumsnet (v v busy) - well done everyone!

Forgot to weigh this morning so will add to the spreadsheet tomorrow.

Food todays:
11am - creamy coffee
L - chicken soup with cabbage (a huge bowl)
D - going to a Nepalese restaurant and will probably have lamb mince kebab to start, then either saag paneer or paneer makhni...

Gah. I had a small increase this week with a severe case of funeral fuckits and bff brownies.

im going to cut myself some slack and come back motivated again in Feb. Thanks @BIWI i am overall down for the whole BC and hopefully can get further towards my overall goal weight next month.

@Nestnearlyempty why wait till February? There are still 2 days of January to go, you can do a lot of good by getting right back in there for those final 2 days.

Chnged my mind on the dinner choices tonight and had CHICKEN TAKA-TAK: Julienne of peppers, mushrooms & chicken tikka, served on a bed of sizzling onions. Was delicious, just the right kind of spicy. And I did have a quarter of a popadum

@Nestnearlyempty I agree with @venusandmars. Hop back on the wagon now. I saw a brilliant video the other day from a fitness influencer (annoying as they are). It was a series of analogies eg when you spill a drink you dont throw the whole lot away. If you clip your car you don't stop driving. It basically boiled down to accept the blips. They happen but aren't the end of the diet plan.

I went off piste over the weekend but had a very low carb day yesterday and all the water and the creep is already heading back down again.

@BIWI is nausea common when adapting to low carb. I've really struggled to fully commit to LC this time round but finally managed it part way through last week. I was up all night feeling really nauseous (to the point of doing a pregnancy test this morning which is thankfully negative!!). Wondering if it's due to LC or something else. I've had headaches and fatigue when adapting before but not nausea. I've had a HI5 tablet (found in the back of the cupboard from a bootcamp several years ago!) in a pint of water so am hoping things will feel better soon.

@Nestnearlyempty how about thinking of your fuckits as a test for the rest of your life? It's unreasonable to say that you'll ever stay off carbs and sugar for ever and ever. There will always times that you really want a roast potato or a small dessert. So long term we need to be able to mindfully eat a small amount of carbs and then GET STRAIGHT BACK ON. Admittedly, mindfully eating the carbs is a long way off for me yet, but I am working on the getting straight back on part at least (next meal rather than next day/week/month)

I think nausea can be a symptom of carb flu, @pinknsparkly - for which the 'cure' is electrolytes, so good job you had a High5 tab to hand! Are you eating enough salt, in particular?