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.

Which 0% gin did you try @venusandmars?

I've had a medicinal hot toddy this evening and now an early night. Thanks for the spinach recipe BIWI, I may give that a go if I can find psyllium husks - whatever they are!

@PurpleWhirple firstly, I realise that I made a mistake copying out that recipe! It should say 10g psyllium husks, not 10! (I've asked MNHQ to edit it)

You can buy them from Amazon

Thanks @venusandmars I think my problem was I had a very stressful week and hadn't planned properly. I am also getting a bit bored so need to have a good look through the recipe threads again for ideas. I stuck to it yesterday, and today am planning melty cheese with veg sticks and ham for lunch, and moussaka for dinner (I make a kind of savory eggy custard instead of bechamel). I also need to take vitamins as i am feeling really exhausted, I have some b vitamins and vit d / calcium but as I don't eat breakfast regularly I don't take them. I have also bought some 'treats' (85% chocolate and pork scratchings) so I have something bootcamp compliant in. I saw some amazing looking blood oranges but managed to resist, I think oranges are one of the foods I miss most though.

@AllTheBlackCoffee how are the headaches going? I get regular migraines - had one last Sunday but I've been waking up in the early hours every night since with a headache, which is a bit unusual. I'm hoping headache that I can solve by drinking more water rather than a migraine I've no hope of avoiding.

They're much better now @AIBConsiderate They lasted about a week and we're just in the mornings but they seem to have passed. I don't really get headaches/migraines so it was very weird and not something I've ever noticed on LC a before but I'm thankful they've stopped. Fingers crossed yours will fade off soon too.

@BIWI I seem to be missing from the spreadsheet. I forgot to fill it in on Tuesday, went to do it now, and I'm not there.

Gin: Gordon's 0%

Went out for breakfast with dc and dgc today - had garlic mushrooms on spinach with pine nuts, truffle aioli, topped with poached egg. Lovely sunny walk by the beach too.

Tonight is hake on a bed of red pepper and fennel with oregano. But probably need to add more fat somewhere along the way...

Not sure why you're not there @venusandmars - will make sure you're back!

Something for @FinallyHere as I don't want to mess it up

Hello everyone,
Congratulations on the continued losses. My goal for this week before restarting BC proper is to experiment with carbs (nothing to wild) and keep on with the intermittent fasting.

We had friends for dinner last night and I made a big salmon stuffed with fennel and lemons, greens and berries for pudding. Non BCers had chips and ice cream with theirs. They brought us a lovely box of chocolates with mini bars light and dark ones so everyone was happy. All felt v mangeable though not having drink for a while, had to keep an eye on that.

Chicken soup for dinner with a LC roll.

Have a lovely weekend all!

@mimosa1 what kind of carb experiment? How and what will you measure?

When I was doing low carb alone, before I discovered bootcamp, I used keto sticks and gauged my carb intake and response against those. We are all totally different but I could tolerate a small amount of beetroot, OR a small amount of puy lentils. I could even get away with a quarter slice of sourdough bread smothered in butter

But, it was very much one small addition a couple of times a week. It very quickly failed if I had a bit of beetroot on Monday, some lentils on Tuesday, peas on Wednesday, corn on Thursday... etc.

And I also found that I could tolerate some alcohol OR some carbs, but definitely not both. That combo put me instantly out of ketosis - and took 3 days to reover from.

Weight loss/gain was a more distant relationship. I could drink some alcohol and lose weight the next day (maybe dehydration); I could eat carbs and see no gain. But then steadily and cumulatively it would all have a very measureable weight gain.

Had a lovely tea tonight - chicken fajitas on a seriously LC wrap. Because I was only having one wrap, I stuffed it full of chicken, peppers, shallots, avocados, salsa, sour cream and grated cheese and it was lovely. Now having a glass of red wine - Saturday nailed!

Here's the chat thread for next week

@FinallyHere can I please be moved up to the February class.
I’ve been away skiing all week - still here; back tonight. Haven’t LC’d so not looking forward to the scales tomorrow morning. Be good to get back on it.

done @NotDonna Hope the skiing went well, glad to have you continuing

I am late seeing this @venusandmars but thank you you are right I shouldn't give up my March 1st goal! The water is definitely a factor. The days I am office based it is easy but this past week I have been on the road without regular toilet access and it definitely affects how much I drink. I need to work on this and schedule more regular toilet breaks (though not always possible in very rural areas).

Friday I started my morning at 5 with a coffee and a little cream. Mid morning I had a breakfast of black coffee, bacon and scrambled eggs. For lunch I had a green smoothie of cucumber, avocado, mint and spinach with Apro protein milk, a cup of tea with a splash of milk and two very thin slices of The Londoner"s low carb bread with a thin scraping of almond butter. www.thelondoner.me/2014/03/mums-low-carb-bread.html

Dinner was salmon with celeriac air fried chips and a small spoon of M&S coleslaw. I also had a smoked salmon starter. I had a square of M&S 100% chocolate and a cup of tea with a splash of milk.

Yesterday I had a coffee with cream early and then a later breakfast of a boiled duck egg and two this slices of the bread as above with a think scraping of almond butter. Lunch was low carb bread with a little cream cheese, smoked salmon and dill, green salad dresses with olive oil and a cup of tea and a splash of milk. Dinner was a BFree protein torilla wrap (4gr carbs) with tomatoes, prosciutto crudo and rocket. I also had fried scarmoza, olives, a packet of M&S chorizo chips and a glass of white wine.
I had about three black coffees throughout the day and had all the water.

I have been using Apro protein milk instead of my usual almond as it is my daughter's favourite and I try not to have two plant based milks open at the same time as they usually end up being dumped. I need to check the carbs on that again. It is low if I remember correctly but not as low as the almond I usually use so maybe over the day the cumulative affect is a problem. Maybe I should just use water and dump the plant milk!

I have been trying to cut back on my dairy and I do think that has an affect. And yes I think I am slower to lose weight generally.

Today I am mostly at home so water intake will be fine. I have just had my coffee with a splash of cream.

Breakfast will be tea with a splash of milk and the low carb bread with almond butter. I may have a few blueberries in a spoon of FFGY as well (small protein).

Lunch is roasted veg (eggplant, celery, courgette, pepper, tomato soup with either an egg or ham.
Dinner this evening is roasted chicken with either swede or celeriac mash, brocolli and fried green peppers.

At some point i will likely snack on a few brazil nuts or walnuts and there will probably be a square if M&S 100% in there too.

That's the plan for today.

I mentioned in an earlier thread that I need to get some HIIT or other cardio integrated into my day. I usually get my steps in but I do feel I am missing out on good heart healthy exercise. I am not the best sleeper either though I am doing better since I started LCBC. And in a win I have lost 5cm of my waist this BC so I know even if scales loss is slow the overall direction is right.

Thanks @venusandmars for a very insightful post. I have been treating this week like a week "off" / more what would it look like to be at maintenance but I have every intention of doing the BC again come tomorrow and I totally take your point that adding carbs and/ or alcohol frequently is a slippery slope.

Just thought I show you all this - it's a salutary lesson!

This is my weight chart, from daily measuring from the beginning of January. You an see that it's bouncing up and down, but overall going down quite consistently. Then suddenly a big blip upwards. Why? End of Dry January!

So just goes to show the impact that alcohol can have. I can, hand on heart, swear that apart from the 3 chips I nicked from DH on Thursday, all my food/meals have been Bootcamp-compliant. And the alcohol? A couple of glasses of red wine, the rest gin with 0 calorie tonic, or a rum with sparkling water.

That's not to say we can't drink when we're Bootcamping, but it's better to be prepared and to understand the impact it can have on weight loss.

@Goodiewhemper I've just made that bread. Thanks for the link. I coudln't get flax meal so just used whole seeds. The texture is a bit 'seedy' but it's surprisingly light.

It is very satisfying and tasty. It was one of our fellow bootcampers that posted it originally (I think week one ). Unfortunately I can't remember her name.