Jan '26 Low Carb Bootcamp - final weigh-in and ongoing chat

[BIWI]

Morning all!

Already seen great results from @KellyonaHeli and @Almahart - really well done!

Spreadsheet for its final outing:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gsWvWpGzTSJld1avBi9-uLJveFZes9Qa2ORKthPMl8E/edit?gid=1415293539#gid=1415293539

Just because it's the end of this Bootcamp doesn't mean we have to stop chatting - and many of you have talked about doing Ubercamp as well, and I look forward to hearing how that goes.

I seem to have settled quite comfortably into this way of eating, and am still gradually losing weight. I am currently 143.8lbs, down from 156 when we started BC in January, which I’m really pleased with. I find it helpful to set mini targets on the way to the bigger goal - firstly getting (and staying) below 150lbs, then 145, etc. Next goal is 142 - then I’ll have lost a stone.

I tried on some dresses at the weekend, they had been uncomfortably tight, and now they’re wearable, so that was a huge boost. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the one I wanted to wear, and I think I must have donated it to the charity shop, thinking I’d never fit into it again. Initially I was annoyed about it, because I loved that dress, but I’m trying to reframe it that I’ll replace it with something lovely when I get to my target weight. (I’m also in the 135ish camp.)

Thank you to @BIWI for running BC, I know how much work it must have taken. It’s this thread and the accountability in the group that has made all the difference for me.

Ah that’s good @Castlerigg and @RightTurnClyde, sounds like we’re all at a similar weight and moving towards the same goal, so we can cheer each other on.

Day one went well yesterday, I made a broccoli cheddar gratin for dinner which was delicious but they’d run out of normal double cream when I went shopping so I used extra thick, it was really nice but then I felt a bit queasy later on, I think maybe that was a bit too rich! I also didn’t eat until 9pm because I was out and about during the day and I’m trying to also do intermittent fasting and get all of my meals in an 8 hour window so I messed up a bit there.

Today I’m having a ricotta roasted veg bowl for lunch and stuffed peppers with cauliflower rice and mozzarella for dinner. I’m a vegetarian so my LC meals tend to be pretty cheese heavy!

@RightTurnClyde You can buy low(ish) carb wraps - from Mission:

https://www.missionwraps.co.uk/our-products/mission-wraps/better-for-you/mission-carb-balance-wraps/

or from Srsly:

https://srsly.health/collections/srsly-low-carb-collection/products/low-carb-low-calorie-high-protein-wraps

The Mission ones are higher in carb, at 9g per wrap, with the Srsly ones only 6 - but you can buy the Mission ones in the supermarket so a bit more accessible - and a lot cheaper too, at £1.80 for 4 compared with £4.47 for the Srsly ones.

Thanks for the wrap suggestion @BIWI they look very tasty.

Mostly salads and cheeses this week, lots of quite random meals to help clear out the fridge a bit. The scales are moving though and I'm back to where I was just before I went on holiday.

@SemmaLina one of my favourite late1980s dinner party starters was avocado, grapefruit, mayonnaise and mint. I sometime have it for brunch. Or a salad of avocado mashed with mayo and grated cheese, on lettuce leaves. Or the classic 1980s avocado with prawn marie rose.

Ooh! Weren't we sophisticated!

I am currently on a long holiday in northern Spain, home to Rioja wine and tapas / pinxtos, neither of which are bootcamp friendly. There is delicious tortilla but with potato. Everything served on bread (which I sometimes avoid and sometimes don't). But loving the classic 'gilda' s : olives, anchovies and pickled chilli on a cocktail stick. I guess it's the Basque version of cheese and pineapple Counteracting some of the excesses through intermittent fasting, just a herbal tea in the morning and a cortado before lunch.

We're in our campervan so cooking on 2 rings. It's not so easy to keep dh's carbs separate but I'm sticking to the healthiest grains rather than pasta. And loving the gazpacho.

No scales, of course, but feeling happy in shorts. After spending my fat 40s hiding my body I feel surprisingly liberated in my 60s. And thanks to bootcamp for showing me a way to mostly stick with it.

I'm making the most of my holiday, enjoying being active and relaxed and resolute that my return in June will coincide with the salad season.

Sounds lovely @venusandmars We have had some brilliant trips to San Sebastian, and the pinxtos were amazing.

First weigh in today and I’ve lost exactly 2lbs in the first week. I’m a bit sad it wasn’t more because I have been sticking to LC meals completely, other than when I literally had to eat a mini Colin caterpillar because DD bought some for me as a present, I only had one though! It’s a start though. I could probably up my water intake too, I have been a bit slack some days with that.

I'd have eaten Colin too @Aloealoealoe45 sometimes there isn't a choice! 2lb is still a good loss though. Thanks for a reminder about water, I've not been drinking enough recently.

I restarted running at the weekend but it brought carb cravings with it and I ate alot of bread. Back on it today though and hopefully I can maintain the momentum with exercise but not bread .

I’m glad you understand the Colin situation 😂. Running is off the menu for me because I have arthritis in my knees, but I’m a dog walker so I’m usually walking for a few hours a day. I’ve been feeling a bit dizzy and lightheaded today, I’m sure a sandwich or a bowl of pasta would sort that out but I’m standing firm.

Now I want a Colin the ruddy caterpillar !

Enjoy the holiday @venusandmars my first aboard holiday as a 7 year old was in northern Spain at camping calagogo , I’ve just googled and it is still going ( though It has progressed over the (cough) nearly 60 years )

I’ve had the most awful cold and cough which has floored me , lost my appetite and only wanted toast
Feeling better now , nearly normal thankfully , though I won’t be tempted by the scales as we’re eating out the freezer and it’s sausages tonight , no green veg left , though there is ratatouille …. And peas

@Aloealoealoe45 make sure you're having enough salt / electrolytes if you're feeling dizzy, including magnesium. Others on here will be able to recommend sugar free versions. I don't take electrolyte tablets but I find a bit of salty cheese and a few olives works wonders.

Thanks, I’ve got some electrolytes so I’ll take one of them next time, I hadn’t thought of that. I feel ok today, I actually had an unbroken night’s sleep for once which helped, I’m looking after a nightmare dog at the moment who tends to get me up several times a night. Only two more days of him though!

Currently having homemade broccoli and cheddar soup for lunch, it’s really tasty although it looks like sick according to DD.

Can't look like sick if there are no carrots in it!!

Only 1lb loss this week 🤨. Not sure where I’ve been going wrong as usually things move a bit faster when I’m strict with LC. Maybe it’s an age thing, I’m that bit older now. Or maybe it’s too much fat - the recipes I’ve been making have been very dairy heavy, is too much fat a thing?

Too much fat shouldn't be a thing - but dairy could be the culprit. Some people definitely find that dairy/too much dairy impedes their loss.

Back from my lovely long holiday and facing up to the damage. 4lbs up from where I started in January, and 8lbs up from where I finished on the last bootcamp. There's some bootcamp work to be done here! But I had a glorious holiday and I felt great. Hopefully I'm brining back some of the best of Spain food ideas - anchovies, olives, pickles, eggs, hams, seafood, salad, fabulous olive oil, simple meals made with roasted peppers and lamb. ditching the paella, wine, bread and custard tarts

Tapas / pintxos for lunch today, and smoked fish on spinach with hollandaise for dinner. And tomorrow it will be lamb, feta and mint meatballs, on a bed of roasted peppers and tomatoes.

For accountablity I'm going to post here every week - hopefully with progress reports!

I haven’t weighed in a few days, I’m pretty much maintaining a steady 144lb, which is 12lb less than I started BC at. I’m about ready to crack down again though, and get below 140.

I made yogurt in my Instant Pot this week, strained so that it’s like Greek yogurt. I think I’ll be doing that again, as I’m getting through quite a lot of it these days. So good for gut health too!

I’ve put back on a few pounds , going to be mindful this week , before hell breaks loose and DS and his partner arrive for a week with us ( I’ve already been asked to make sausage and mash , chocolate brownies , fruit cake to name a few )

I’m 5 weeks in now (I think!) and still stuck on a 3lb loss. I’ve been sticking at it and normally I keep losing but it’s like treading treacle this time, which is depressing.

List out for us what you've been eating and drinking over the last few days @Aloealoealoe45 - let's see if we can spot anything that you might need to tweak.

Was thinking of you lovely lot yesterday when I made the low carb moussaka. Inspired by the aubergines that came in my veg box this week.

I'm doing OK, mostly sticking with bootcamp lite, and staying at a stable weight. I'd be happier half a stone lighter but for now I'm fine. We grew some tiny tasty potatoes and I wasn't going to let dh eat them all, plus some fresh peas from the garden too.

I had a challenging time 2 weeks ago when the combination of guests and family meant I was catering for dairy allergy, nut allergy, vegetarian. The result was a lot of carb! Plus enjoying some wine. When they left after 3 days I was so bloated... Glad to be back to this woe.

Hello lovely people, I’ve come through some ‘life stuff’ earlier this year, which Sadly I made mean that I ‘deserved’ all the ice creme and cookies that I could swallow.

Completely lost touch with how much better I feel when low carbing.

Ive only been back a week and delighted with myself. Those aches and pains , and the constantly runny nose and the lethargy are all as if they never happened. I’m back and feeling so much better for leafy greens and delicious meat and fat, too. Trying not to think about why I treated myself so badly for those months.

Thank you again @BIWi,Stuntnun et al for introducing me to this way of eating. It’s really up to me to keep on it.