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?

So I’ve not gone berserk with the high fat part of this but I was diagnosed with NAFLD last year ? Fibrosis ( scan tomorrow with hepatology) , so I assumed the fact that I’m over 2 stone lighter would be good for my liver but in reality is this WOE the right way to go ? Anybody who gets it better than me care to have an opinion ?

That's a question for your consultant or the relevant HCP at your appt or whoever deals with your condition

All can tell you @Floralnomad is that after my period of illness/weight gain, I started low carbing again, lost 11lbs, started to do more exercise and cut right down on the alcohol. Then I had my fibro scan and the results were better than the normal person.

Hopefully that will be the same for you, seeing as you've lost even more!

www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354573

@Floralnomad this is helpful link

Thanks both . @BIWI I’m teetotal anyway so at least have that in my favour . 🤞🏻for tomorrow .

Mine is the bad sort that's high - 3.6 when it should be no higher than 1.9, I keep all of my blood results and it's gone up from 1.5 in 18 months 😥

How frustrating @TheOnlyMrsW

I really should get my bloods done - but when I asked the nurse while I was getting my blood pressure taken last week (did I mention that she said I had "the blood pressure of a teenager"? ), she said I had to request it via the GP. I'll maybe wait until April when we're back from Oz.

I'm getting an annual check-up type thing in a couple of weeks and I am v much looking forward to getting some info about my cholesterol levels. My blood pressure is pretty high, though not quite high enough for them to have pressed me to take medication (they said it was up to me). So I do worry about the possibility that I may accidentally push my bad cholesterol up too.

Hope they do blood sugar test too, so that I can see if I have the blood sugar levels of a teenager . No chance that my blood pressure will earn that praise.

@TheOnlyMrsW do you by any chance have Familial Hypercholesterolaemia?

I don't think so, it's not something that's been mentioned by either dad or mum when she was here and having looked on the nhs website the symptoms aren't familiar. If I'm honest the cholesterol is concerning but can be reversed from what I've read. Kidney function is more worrying for me as there is a history there but that's next week's appointment 🤦‍♀️. Will report back after the nurse.....

Hi all, just to add to the cholesterol chat...my total cholesterol and LDL increased this year (could be because of LC, or perimenopause), but my HDL and triglycerides are excellent (I like to think because of all the good fats I eat!). I'm not worried about it, but I'm going to try and get an advanced lipid test in a few months (just because I'm interested in this sort of thing) to find out which subtype of LDL has increased (there are 2 types, one is okay to increase, and the other is best to keep lower). For those of you with any concerns about cholesterol, it might be worth looking into this (I'm not sure if it's available on the NHS?).

Morning everyone.
Is it ok to speak about something else (I don't know anything about cholesterol)?

A couple of things from me...

@BIWI thank you for the shallot v onion info on the last thread.

I'm sorry, but I fell off the wagon this week. There were a shed load of cakes in the staff room, and I cracked. I had the TINIEST slice, but a slice nonetheless <tremblingly holds out hand ready for the slap on the knuckles>. I haven't lost anything for the last 2 days, so that's my punishment in reality.
My question on that is, is 3 mouthfuls of (basically) sugar enough to take my body out of the ketoic state so that it's once again burning food rather than burning my (considerable) fat reserves? And am I effectively starting again?

And one last thing. I bought some electrolyte tablets. I've not bothered with these previously because dh LOVES salt, so I always figured I got enough, but I have been getting that dry mouth feeling, and as @BIWI recommended them to another poster in that situation, I got some.
I REALLY like them, so happy to incorporate.
But sorry, not sorry, do any of the <ahem> slightly older posters find they sing to themselves "oh, ooohhh, me electrolytes" when they get their tablet out?
Please take this ear worm as a gift 🎁 😘

One tiny slice shouldn't be a problem, I wouldn't have thought. As long as everything else was LC that day. Did you enjoy it?!

Thank you for the ear worm @RockyRogue1001 😆 I know nothing about cholesterol either but did buy the electrolytes recommended earlier in the thread. The lemon and lime ones are lovely.

I also seem to be spending the equivalent of a bottle of wine a week on Perrier water. A little bottle with a slice of lime and a couple of ice cubes feels quite indulgent with dinner!

Weigh in this morning and have lost 7lb since the start. And despite the tape measure not really budging, I put a pair of jeans on last night and they felt a little loose. I struggled to do them up just after Christmas.

B - yoghurt
L - soufflé omelette
D - tbc depending on what’s in the freezer!

I'll, add "oh, ooohhh, me electrolytes" to:

"Bra, bra Rasputin/Russia's greatest love machine", which pops into my head every time I am looking for my bra

And:

"one more cup of coffee 'fore I go to the valley below", which pops into my head every time I have one more cup of coffee

And:

"Got my arms, got my hands/ Got my fingers, got my legs/ etc", which pops into my head when I am trying to leave the house and dementedly checking that I've got my phone, got my keys, got my purse, etc.

Between times I may have some normal brain function, on a good day.

Apologies @RockyRogue1001 didn't mean to derail! I haven't been taking electrolytes (apart from the first week or so of my first BC) mainly because I have so many other supplements that I'm reluctant can't be arsed to add any more, but am very tempted to try some now. Whilst I've lost weight since starting this woe, and also witnessed it going back on when I stop, I've never experienced the energy boost that other posters report, and am so so fed up of being always tired so am going to try a tube for a week or so.
Yesterday's food was haphazard again - omelette for brunch with peppers, mushrooms, chorizo, cherry tomatoes, spinach and cheese, then not very hungry at all so FFGY when I came in from volunteering in the evening. Still mainly on herbal tea rather than water as our house is baltic even though it's warmed up slightly outside. Office today so temptation everywhere but am going to stay strong!

It's not derailing @TheOnlyMrsW! Anyone is welcome to talk about anything here. Possibly not about irritating earworms

I've been having a really frustrating time with the MN site - the screen keeps going blank, and once it starts it happens every few seconds which makes it almost impossible to read back to other posts or to post myself. Others seem to be having the same problem and it only happens here not on any other site. Grrr.

Anyway, I made the stuffed cabbage leaves that someone posted on the previous thread. My cabbages were too small to wrap the sausagemeat balls so I made a sort of 'lasagne' effort: layer of tomato sugo, layer of blanched cabbage leaves, layer of saugemeat balls, layer of cabbage, layer of tomato, topped with cheese. It was delicious. And some left for tonight.

On the earworms... a friend of mine is taking the weight loss drug Mounjaro, and every time she talks about it, or I see it mentioned, the Cat Stevens song 'Moonshadow, moonshadow' is in my head!

How frustrating for you @venusandmars

We wouldn't want to lose you

If it helps, I don't seem to have experienced any problems with the (iOS) app. Although it does mean you lose some functionality.

Thank you.

The taste in my mouth was gorgeous (coffee icing. My favourite 😋)
But it was sickly sweet, and I hated myself.
So no!

You didn't derail AT ALL, it's completely relevant to the spirit of this thread/board.
I just don't know anything about it.

@Floralnomad there's a school of thought that NAFLD is driven by fructose consumption and that's why it has increased so much in recent years. Since you are consuming a minimal amount of fructose on this way of eating, it shouldn't cause any issues for you and may, in fact, be protective. However, this is not a medical opinion and you should, of course, continue to have your liver tests done regularly and take seriously any medical advice from your doctors.

@Iheartmysmart palpitations could be an electrolyte imbalance. See your GP if they don't resolve quickly.

@BusyFrizzyLizzie cholesterol levels / the lipid profile tend to improve on a low carb diet but LDL cholesterol can temporarily increase at the start.

@AlbertCamusflage blood pressure drops pretty quickly when you start eating low carb so when you have your annual check up, you might find that it has improved.

@StuntNun Thank you for responding. The palpitations were much reduced yesterday so I’m hoping it is some sort of electrolyte imbalance. I will get in touch with my GP though if they don’t resolve.

@StuntNun blood pressure drops pretty quickly when you start eating low carb

...,that would explain why I had "the blood pressure of a teenager" when I had it tested last week have I mentioned it before?