Week 2 - May '24 Low Carb Bootcamp - my favourite week!

[BIWI]

Morning all!

I see a few have braved the spreadsheet already, and some nice results coming in

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_zdJLFAioyDd3ePLj7Tg5HnIu6E8JbdmsVyqP28Xsak/edit#gid=1892381976

I love this week because it's so often a (lovely) surprise for so many - especially anyone who hasn't low carbed before.

I have noted several lapses already, however! Remember, this WOE isn't very forgiving, so it is really important that you don't cheat. (Hospital stays etc are clearly something you can't do anything about, however).

But let's put last week behind us, and focus on a good, strict, week ahead, before we move on to Bootcamp Light.

We've been invited to friends' this evening, for a music night (choosing an album from '1001 albums you must hear before you die' - a bit like a book club). It's pizza night, apparently, so I've made the shallot and Gruyère tart from the recipe thread to take for us.

Here's to a good week

Oh yum! I'm getting those. Any more ideas? I'm hunting for the best pickled cauliflower.

😂At my work, every Friday luchtime they all troop down the chip shop as Friday 'treat'. It smelt wonderful today, but I persevered and just sat with my bag of scratchings! 😂

High five to everyone resisting the Friday treaters. Our staff room has been heaving with cakes and sweets this week as Half Term loomed and we all 'deserved it'. I had to just stay away.

Good strength @PunksVersusBrats!

I'm going to need some good resolve tomorrow...I'm on the tea and cake stand at our village fete. As long as it's stops raining!!!

Thank you everyone for all the food wishes. I am feeling so much better. I have finished my antibiotics and since yesterday the swelling has gone completely down.

I have to confess to being a bit naughty yesterday. It was dd's 21st and I had some prosecco and a small piece of pistachio and raspberry cake. I enjoyed both but am back on track agsin today. Breakfast was bacon and eggs. Lunch was roasted veg soup and dinner was salmon, asparagus with potato for the rest of the crew. Water intake has been good so I hope I didn't do too much damage yesterday!

I'm really disappointed and, I have to say, disheartened that - apart from @HelloDaisy and @prettybird, none of the posters I tagged yesterday have bothered to come back and let us know what they're doing and/or if they want to continue.

@BIWI Maybe they didn't realise just how strict the rules were until they saw the prep thread and decided it wasn't for them? But yes, it wouldn't hurt to post a quick message to say they have bowed out.

True, and true @MissBeck - but that's 20 posters out of a total of 92 on the spreadsheet.

@BIWI Give them another week to appear then delete them. Tidy the spreadsheet up a bit.

Me too. I have so many clothes I love in UK size 10/12. I have lots of size 14 too but not as nice because I tend to spend more on clothes when slimmer. My aim is to get into those 10/12s. I'm going to buy a blouse from a shop a read about on Mumsnet a couple of weeks ago, as a treat when I reach 147 lbs though.

@alwaysonadiet1 it's M&S Turmeric Cauliflower Florets.

I will try those tomorrow.

Thanks

I love the sound of those gerkin stuffed olives too @PunksVersusBrats - going to look for some later.
Five pounds down since Sunday but it's my first week. Need to stay strong over a busy bank holiday weekend. Yesterday was:
B: 2 poached eggs on a bed of steamed pak choi that needed using, with grated cheese.
L: tuna mayo mixed with chopped gherkins and spring onion and more leftover ratatouille. Bowl of FFGY sprinkled with a very few transgressive pistachios ground in my pestle and mortar
D: salmon skewers, harissa halloumi skewers, roasted asparagus, salad. Had some of the Citra low alcohol IPA as suggested by @BIWI in the bath and enjoyed it - thanks for the recommendation.

I’ve stayed on track all week but today will be a challenge - I have a friend visiting for the weekend and plan is to go for a spa visit this morning followed by a boozy nice lunch out to a place which is known for its amazing home baked bread 😬😬😬

side question - I have noticed this week that my running has been really tough, my legs feel heavy and I struggle with stamina. Assuming this is because my body is used to burning carbs for exercise - any thoughts on good, non-carby fuel for running? What’s better - protein or fat?

@OpalTiger you will adjust, and you'll find that you have just as much, if not more, energy. You have plenty of fuel in your body fat to sustain your running. Even endurance athletes have enough body fat for that. Just keep going, and it will be fine.

What time of day do you go running?

Morning all! Just had 3 slices of bacon and now off to MIL to do her shopping and errands. This also entails 4 hours of endless moaning about all her aches and pains and a very woe is me attitude. Catch you all later!

@OpalTiger that's common when you first go low carb. The problem right now is that you've completely depleted the glycogen stores in your liver and your muscles aren't used to directly burning fat for energy yet. It takes 2-8 weeks to fully adapt to burning fat instead of carbs but, once you do, you will probably find exercise easier than before. You should be able to run in a fasted state and there's no hitting the wall when you run out of glucose stores. It even reduces muscle cramps as the body will break down lactic acid faster once you're fat-adapted.

I have the same trouble with getting double-cream for coffee when out.
Apparently it is an old-fashioned thing to want!
I always ask (even if I have cream with me) -to create a demand :)

(Double-cream is truly wonderful as a cool float on top of black coffee and makes a satisfying substitute for cake.)

These tiny (screw-top) flasks (on Amazon for £8.90) are perfect for carrying cream
-they wash-up easily
-don't leak
-keep the cream cool
-are phone-pocket size so easily fit into a handbag or jacket pocket :

150ml Mini Cute Coffee Vacuum Flasks Insulated Cup Small Capacity Portable Stainless Steel Travel Drink Water Bottle Insulated Cup (Coffee)

I take one whenever temptation might be included in a day's outing.

I am tending to drink tea when I'm out now, either herbal or normal with just a teeny bit of milk (about a teaspoon). Those flasks look great but I really hate having to cart extra things about and only take a small bag with keys, phone and wallet most of the time, maybe a tiny bottle of suncream in summer. I get shoulder ache with heavier bags. I hate carrying water bottles for the same reason.

I wonder if the missing posters have tag alerts turned off? I turned them off when they were first introduced because I didn't want to be tagged all the time especially if arguing (not that I do much) and no idea how to turn them back on, I keep forgetting to look.

I'm struggling a bit, this always happens to me, I just feel that everything tastes too greasy and rich after a while and even when hungry I don't feel like eating anything, leading to snacking and slippery slopes if I'm not careful. I know the WOE works, I know it's good for me, but my goodness it's hard.

On the plus side I felt slim this morning and grabbed a tape measure, I have lost 2" from my waist since whenever I last measured, which was some months ago but still good.

How about trying a salad, with a sharp vinaigrette dressing? So you'll still have the fat from the olive oil, but it will be nicely vinegary - or lemony, if you prefer? I always feel that cuts through the richness of other foods.

(And I suspect you're right about most of those posters)

@LiesDoNotBecomeUs good tip with the flask thank you.

I do have salads for lunch most days alternating with mayo or vinaigrette, it’s breakfasts and evening meals that are the main problem times, I can get round breakfast by just not having any, but evening meals I struggle, especially because as I have mentioned previously I live in a house of adult carb-munchers and we all go out a lot in the evenings which makes meal planning hard (not so much out out, we all just whizz off to the gym or allotment or walk or cycle at short notice depending on the weather so end up grabbing food on the hoof). I have just got some pork steaks out of the freezer for this evening. The rest of them tend to grab sandwiches or pasta a lot, I always want to join the sandwich team, I really need to look into the low carb breads (high postage and lack of freezer space put me off last time I looked).

Unfortunately I am impulsive and somewhat short on willpower. I do try and keep the mindset of feeding myself healthily and the rewards it brings but before I know it I’m just reaching for “a little bit” of rice or bread or whatever without even thinking about it. It is definitely a mindset thing.