Week 4 (or is it 3?!) Jan '25 Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Morning all.

Whether it's 3 or 4, this is the point that you can switch to Bootcamp Light if you wish - which means allowing fruit (some - mainly berries), nuts and seeds (just be careful with the carb counts - check the spreadsheet/back of packet) and chocolate (some - at least 70% cocoa). But still no alcohol. Sorry!

As ever, Here's the spreadsheet

I was trawling for something different to cook this week, and there was a great recipe in The Guardian's Feast magazine on Saturday, for pork chops, with manzanilla-braised leeks. It's 100ml manzanilla between 4 people, and obviously the alcohol will cook out, so I think I might try that. (I was trying to find a link, but for some reason the recipe isn't online).

Anyone else cooking something new/different this week?

I know the aim isn't necessarily for ketosis but I'm finally in it - very thirsty and funny taste in mouth today. Doing wonders for my water intake. I'm hoping now my cravings will subside - I still naturally want to chase my lunch with something sweet!

However have finally given in to the fact that tinned tuna just doesn't work for me, anyone else find it just feels like it's sitting in your stomach for hours - gives me the worse fishy burps too!!!

B. 3 eggs fried in butter
L. 2 boiled eggs, tin of tuna , half avocado
D. Courgette buttered & steak

Thank you.,

They're a brand called Applied Nutrition. I found them cheap in Asda and thought I'd give them a go. Best £4 I've spent!

@RatatatCat still thirsty means you need more sodium. Definitely worth getting some electrolyte tabs to help with this!

I had a couple of bad days on Sunday and Monday so am delaying this week's weigh-in till later in the week.

Wine was the trigger. I cracked, after a lovely long day outside. Wine felt like part of the cosiness of coming home. Plus I had read how much less carby wine is than beer. But I think it does (in me) generate some of the restless craving that leads me off track with my eating.

The only forbidden food I had (other than the wine) was a pear👿. But I ate too much in general and felt really unbalanced, foodwise, the next day.

The encouraging thing is how quickly my appetite snapped back into its 'good' regulated state the day after. I must remember that in future. When we fall off the wagon there is a temptation to say: "All is lost so I might as well carry on failing." But all isn't lost. Your body is ready to KOKO even when you are not.

In fact, yesterday evening was rather dreary because I simply had no appetite whatsoever (after a healthy lunch) so none of the cheeriness of preparing and eating food. It felt how I imagine the effects of those injections to feel -- all 'food noise' completely shut off.

My "chilli" last night with halved brussels instead of kidney beans was very tasty (Dh enjoyed his "standard" one )

It was chock full of veg as the soffrito was full of blitzed veg: for 700g of mince, there was 2 carrots, 4 shallots, a leek, the floppy remains of a celery (from Christmas ), some garlic blitzed together and then once the mince had been added and browned, I also added two cubes of frozen spinach, a can of tomatoes, a can of chopped tomatoes and a small carton of passata.

I pre-microwaved the halved brussels before adding them to my spiced mince to make my portion.

I have another serving left for tonight

Ive been away for a couple of days so weighed today and stayed the same , which is fine . Hope everyone has a good week

Not my official weigh in day until tomorrow but a small NSV last night. I opened some dark chocolate, had a couple of squares then put it back. Usually I would have eaten the entire bar!

A silly question if I may, the last couple of days I’ve had quite a few heart palpitations. Is this normal for this WoE? I’ve had them before when my iron levels have been really low so don’t know if it’s a side effect or if I need to do battle with the GP appointment system.

Hi @LamontNutrition I'd love to be added to your trial group!
Please do DM me.

@MrsTerryPratchett I mentioned it to her last night and she said that back in the distant past when she did the Atkins diet it did her IBS/colitis a lot of good. However, she's worried about cholesterol on high fat/low carb. While I wouldn't say I'm a spring chicken I've decided I'm too young to worry about cholesterol (maybe I'm deluded, but please don't spoil that for me!), but if anyone has anything to share on that front I'll pass it along. I'm invested in this now, as the temptation of being able to put mushrooms and other delicious vegetables in communal food is strong.

Otherwise a good day for me. I had no breakfast as I'm rarely hungry at that time, and lunch around midday. However, the 5pm hunger struck. I have been mindful of suggestions that it could be habit, but I think it is hunger. If I didn't need to eat socially (i.e., with other people) I think I'd be very happy with two meals a day, at 11-ish and 5-ish. However, need to think about what that means when living and eating with others. I think perhaps a midday lunch, a planned for 5pm snack + willpower to prevent me minesweeping the kids' food, and then dinner. Will give it a try.

Today I have a late pilates class (thanks again to my mum for the childcare🙏) so will try and have a nibble around 5 - maybe some more mackerel pate, and then a late but light dinner. Scrambled eggs or similar.

KOKO everyone

I wasn't really hungry this morning after my GP appt which was their first appt of the day.

I had a bowl of FFGY and tea then coffee with cream which is my luxury item atm.

Lunch was quick and easy chicken, mushroom, onion and red pepper with seasoning and sour cream so basically stroganoff flavour which I love atm

Dinner no idea yet - see how I feel. Probably chicken and veg and or salad 🥗

I feel sort of chilly in that cold bone fu way. So I've got a hot water bottle & blanket to feel cosy instead of turning the heating up even more.

I did slip a bit yesterday and the day before. For me it was a few Candy Kitten sweets of DDs.

Not great but it scratched an itch

KOKO

Arg I ate a fish cake yesterday and was feeling really guilty!
Then I got my period today and put on a lb 😳

@BusyFrizzyLizzie I'd be interested in ways to balance this woe with cholesterol too - it's the only thing that helps lose and then steady my weight (as evidenced by how much went back on when I stopped paying attention). My latest blood test has shown higher than normal cholesterol which the ANP is phoning me about tomorrow and I'm sure that they will recommend a high-fibre low-fat low-dairy diet for. Potentially CKD on it's way as well but I have another week to stress about that one before I see the dr himself so parking that one for now.
Not been very active on the thread but sts this week after a less-than-mindful weekend away which I'll take! Not feeling hungry at all over the last few days so quite a lot of (compliant) snacking and roast veg - highly uninspiring

I think it is @stuntnun who is able to explain and reassure about cholesterol in an easily understandable way . Iirc, it's not about the absolute levels but about the ratios between HDL (good) and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Often medical practitioners don't differentiate - although they should.

@BusyFrizzyLizzie

@BIWI can probably educate us on the actual science. But anecdotally, my cholesterol is a tiny bit high. Crucially though, I've been doing this WOE and it's heading in the right direction. Last test (recent) still a little high but lower than it was. Not medication worthy.

Knowing that this is the only way I can control my weight, and I've tried everything but injections, I think on balance it's good. It also stops my migraines completely and those are a stroke risk. All in all, I'm calling it a net gain. It might not be for your mum if what she's doing is working for her.

You could do this WOE eating salmon and spinach drenched in olive oil. There's lots of 'good' oil and fat. I use all the butter instead. In the summer I'm more about the salads with vinaigrette and avocado so it's probably better then. But my cholesterol checks happen in January so I get no benefit of that

My doctor bangs on about them all including triglycerides. I glaze over but the general feeling is that she's on board with what I'm doing as long as I still exercise, eat real food, lots of fibre (and she gets that FLGV is fibre) and am sorting my weight out. She might disagree a little about the salt.

She's young and really sensible. I love her. Very 'whatever works'.

She sounds a good GP.

Our GP is like that - although as we've been going to him for more tgg he an 30 years he must have been newly qualified when we registered with him and he's now the senior partner we' re realised that he's going to be returns soon

So this is what we learn during our studies as medical professionals regarding high cholesterol in a diet

We can't unsee it and of course it contributes to heart disease

In a nutshell obviously

This is at the most basic level just to convey this

Leading to the need for a stent or more significant heart surgery

So yes eat healthy fats but don't go bonkers

And back LCBC

Carbohydrates give your body energy, but getting more than 60% of your daily calories from carbohydrates can increase your cholesterol levels because your liver thinks it's time to make more cholesterol. Try to keep white bread, sugary cereal, crackers and other processed foods on the grocery store shelves.

As I understand it, it's LDL that does that, not HDL - which is why it is important to reduce LDL

This article talks about the two kinds of cholesterol https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/hdl-cholesterol/art-20046388