Feb '24 Low Carb Bootcamp - week 8 - the last week!

[BIWI]

Morning all

So we reach the end. Final weigh-in will be next Monday.

I'm away right now, but will post later this afternoon when we’re back. Just wanted to get this thread up and running!

Morning all, still only half way through the longest short work week in history - will I ever make it to 5pm tomorrow?!

Don't feel like I have much to talk about on the thread at the min. Weight still high for no reason, period still not arrived despite raging PMT for almost a week now and food still complaint. Could probably drink more water but I'm having lots of hot drinks. Essentially KOKOing but not really reaping the rewards.

I have decided that after the school hols are over (we break up tomorrow and I have a few odd days off work over the next fortnight) I'm going to go hardcore BC and see if that helps. I'll have 17 weeks til my holidays and really want to lose at least another stone (more if at all possible) and think the only way to do this is to really focus on higher fat, less dairy, nuts, alcohol and gallons of water. I'm deffo more BC lite at the min.

@AllTheBlackCoffee I'm planning on being super strict after Easter too , we have a houseful for the weekend , which will be lovely ( but foodie )

One thing on holiday , which was lovely and I’m trying to keep going , was as soon as you sat at a table in the restaurant, they’d pour us a lovely glass of iced water
I can do without the ice at the moment 🥶 but keeping the water habit going

Will we keep chatting on here @BIWI ?

Yes @LilianaVikavanovich - we always keep a chat thread going until the next Bootcamp (whenever that might be)

Braved the scales yesterday and I was 12st - so not as bad as I feared

Feeling better today - almost human again.

I meant to post these photos of some protein bread I found on Madeira - only 3.8g per slice. It’s very tasty - dark and slightly chewy, more like a heavy rye bread. It was a good vehicle for cheese - especially some pink peppercorn soft cheese that I’d also bought.

So after my whingeing that I couldn't find anything to eat yesterday in town, I did go to a place that does delicious poke bowls. Usually they're with rice, but they do green rice as well, which is shredded cauliflower and broccoli. I wasn't sure if it would be nice, but it really was!

So tonight, I made one for myself, and it was so yummy I want to share it with you all.

I had 4 jumbo prawns, marinated in olive oil, onion power, celery salt, chopped parsley, Worcester sauce. Then grilled.

chopped up cauliflower, broccoli, radishes, red cabbage, spring onions , red pepper and cucumber, and avocado. Add soy sauce and garlic mayo.

Was SO delicious, and you could probably tweak it to have with chicken or beef strips.

I could eat this every day!

That sounds delicious @Appalonia

I’m going to try that minus the red pepper

Morning all. I'm feeling a bit disappointed today as we are on holiday in southern Spain and the much longed for sunshine is non existent ☹️. Last week was beautiful with temperatures in the mid 20s and glorious sunshine, the day we leave is forecast to be gorgeous as is the following week but the whole time we are here we have unusual heavy rain, cold and windy. We have an apartment with a gorgeous soaking wet garden geared to eating outdoors. We even have a small pool.

I know I shouldn't moan as we are lucky to have a holiday when so many can't but IT HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY BLOODY TIME WE GO AWAY ☹️☹️. Two weeks in Italy last year and we hit the freak storms and had two days of good weather. We tell our friends we are the weather curse and not to book the same dates as us as it's bound to rain!

Anyway, enough moaning, we have tickets to visit the Alhambra which will be fabulous, great local wine, beautiful fresh vegetables and flamenco 💃 It's also Holy Week so there will be lots of Semana Santa processions which will be interesting. There seem to be some good local restaurants and of course, tapas. Avoiding rice, potatoes, pasta, cakes but am indulging in a little bread with our meats and cheese! 😋

That’s bad luck, @catwithflowers :( I’ve always wanted to go to Spain for Holy Week, but I’d always imagined it being sunny too.

Euugh, I feel your pain @catwithflowers DH and I used to joke the government should send us to drought ridden countries to end their dry spells. We've been to Greece, Portugal, even New York in the middle of summer and taken the great British weather with us every time. I hope you can make the most of it and maybe get a glimpse of sun at some point.

Feeling a bit meh today, tired and in need of a break. Roll on 5pm and a four-day weekend! Greek yog for breakfast, something for lunch and carnitas in LC wraps for tea if I have time to pop it in the slow cooker at some point.

I really struggle with lunches. I don't really get hungry but kind of need to eat, I'm not a huge fan of eggs, get bored of salads and don't have much time as I'm usually in and out of meetings. Toast used to be my 'go to' and I miss having something quick and easy that I enjoy.

@AllTheBlackCoffee and @Whicker Thank you, we are having a great time anyway. It's just bizarre that this seems to happen every time we go in search of sun!

Flamenco booked, out for a Moroccan dinner this evening, wine and free tapas at lunch was very nice and the sun made an appearance for an hour 🥰. Plus we've figured out the heating in the apartment and I remembered to pack a thermal vest!!

Fab 'exhibition' today in a local church from school children depicting Christ on the cross. I especially loved the one using Playmobile characters 😇

Still here - and reading with interest. Recipes are all gratefully copied.

I'm deeply buried in work (seasonal thing) and struggling with a few outside issues but the one thing that is going well is eating.

On this way of life I feel good - really good. -So: not craving sweet stuff/thinking of food all day - not bloated - not suffering IBS despite usual stress triggers - not aching in bone and joints though older than ever - and lighter of foot and with more physical energy .

I've no home scales (and still have that fear of the ones in public accusing me of being two people). However, I've been told twice that I look thinner and better.

I've been back on this since last September and have no desire to change.

I do worry sometimes that low carb might be another 'fad' thing and that the next generation will shake their heads over all the articles we are reading and depending on ... but it feels good. I feel healthier.

Thank you!

I've done low carb 4 times since 2002, when it was originally called The Atkins diet. The first time I lost 2 stone, which was great but I stopped because I got a bit freaked out about how fat is supposedly so unhealthy. And of course I put it all back on again. The only way I make this WO E work for me, is by making the things that I would NEVER eat normally. So I make cakes and biscuits with almond flour, desserts with cream et c. Also, my cholesterol levels are REALLY high ( I think it's the hereditary kind ), so I do worry whether eating high fat is bad for me?

having said that, I know I feel so much better eating like this. When I eat wheat I not only feel really tired afterwards, I often have the sensation of my heart pounding really loudly and fast in my chest afterwards. Feel v conflicted about what actually IS a healthy way of eating, once I've lost the weight I want!

One more thing, I'm 59 and I decided I only wanted to lose a stone because if I lose more weight off my face, I start to look haggard. I'm an Apple shape, so I carry my weight on my tummy and boobs, the rest of me is pretty slim! am thinking I might try and do lots of ab work to tighten up my tummy muscles, whilst keeping my face intact!

@catwithflowers I hope the sun makes an appearance for you!

@Appalonia you have such beautiful skin!

I'm making chicken thighs for dinner. They've been marinating in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and oregano and then go in the oven with courgettes and asparagus. They smell good and I'm starving!

@Appalonia my blood pressure is always within normal range for my age (58) after a few months of low carbing. If I eat 'normally' it tends to be on the high side. Another benefit 🥰

@UnOeufIsEnough that chicken sounds lovely, I had asparagus for the first time this year earlier in the week!
@Appalonia I get that heart pounding from takeaway (not that's a regular thing), not very pleasant at all.
Busy busy here so not posting much sorry, but at the end of a busy work period here and now off until 8th April 🎉bar a couple of hours over the weekend to tidy up. My sister arrives tomorrow with kids, family pie day on Saturday plus nephew's birthday, DD's 18th Sunday and away from Wednesday!!!!!
Need to do a food shop and a meal plan but first tea.........

This morning was my final weigh in and I am down another 1 1/2 lbs. That puts me 2lbs below my Easter target, which I am thrilled about. And half a stone away from my target for next bootcamp, which will be to get into the BMI overweight zone.

THANK YOU to you all for helping me get this far. See you on the chat thread and the next BC.

Today I’m up 3lb on my lowest weight but period has finally arrived so I’m praying it’s a hormonal blip rather than a thyroid related metabolism rebellion!!

We’ve got salmon for tea right as you have to have fish on Good Friday but in another act of rebellion over my catholic upbringing I’m going to wrap it in Parma ham. Sorry mum

@AllTheBlackCoffee we always have steak on Good Friday as the ultimate act of rebellion 😂. Paired with a very lovely bottle of red wine I've been saving!!!!

A very quiet weekend for us - we spent so much on holiday that we won't be doing a lot!

I have a leg of lamb in the freezer (Sainsbury's half-price offer), but no idea if there will be 2, 3 or 4 of us here to eat it. I might roast it anyway, and make a curry if there are leftovers.

I'm considering doing it over a rack, with a celeriac sliced underneath it, as you would do with potato.

I'm struggling to find celeriac! Our local Tesco isn't stocking it at all.

I made a low carb potato salad this week but you substitute the potato with cubed and boiled neeps. Once cooled, mix with fried crispy bacon and shallots and mix with mayo. It was pretty good!

Beautiful day here, I've actually got washing out 😍.......steak not eaten yesterday as DH got stocious drunk with work friends and I s now very much in the doghouse! DD working and then we're off to family pie day so I'll be eating here and then picking at the insides!!!

@BIWI your lamb sounds lovely, I have that Monday and might do the same with swede. Hope everyone is having a good weekend

Yesterday I was in town and had lunch out. I had calamari, fried in batter with salad. OMG I felt dreadful afterwards! Not only was my heart pounding in my chest, but I was so tired, I felt like I could have just fallen asleep afterwards. I've not eaten wheat since January and it just really showed me how much my body doesn't like wheat. Despite my whingeing about my fears about eating high fat, I NEVER feel bad after eating a lot of fat. Maybe I just have to accept that I can't eat wheat, and when I finally transition out of low carb, I could just eat small amounts of rice and potatoes, but not wheat, that feels manageable to me as a long term lifestyle. It's weird how such a food staple, feels like poison in my body, have no idea why, but guess we all react differently to different foods...

Struggling to keep low carb this weekend, despite my best efforts!! We're staying at my parents' house and they know I'm low carbing so I phoned on Wednesday and ask about their food plans so I could arrange to bring my own.

Mum said she was making pork loin with apples and I said that sounded good and I would bring extra veg for everyone since I'm not eating potatoes. When we got there the pork with apples was literally layered with potatoes and baked together so I had to scrape the potato off the pork. I actually felt really quite hurt that I'd spoken to her about food and it was almost like she went out of her way to make it almost impossible not to have the potatoes.

I've never been one to make a fuss over food but I've always bent over backwards to accommodate other people! Mum has always been weird about food and weight. We went out for lunch recently and i ordered a Caesar salad. She kept asking if I wanted one of her chips, despite me explaining that it's a slippery slope.

Sorry - that's quite a long moan!!

Other people trying to sabotage you is really hard, as well as hurtful @UnOeufIsEnough. Often it's because you are showing them up - usually it's done by other people who are overweight and either not doing anything about it, or who are struggling to lose the weight. They dislike seeing someone who is succeeding.

Of course, if you challenge them, they will deny that. And they may be doing it unconsciously, rather than actively and deliberately doing it!

My mum could be guilty of this - although in our case, it was when I started buying organic foods, when my DC were babies/little. She obviously felt it was a criticism of her parenting of me/my DB, and that in some way I was 'doing it better'! She really got quite angry when I was buying organic fruit/veg/milk/eggs, which was really bizarre. (I didn't like to tell her about the organic gin I'd discovered )