The Low Carb Bootcamp Continues!

[BIWI]

The other thread was almost full, so here's a bright, shiny new one.

And here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

And just in case you haven't discovered it yet, here is the recipe thread. Some truly lovely recipes on here that are worth a try.

Hello everyone! I'm a sporadic poster but I've been doing this since January and mostly sticking to it apart from wine. Which is not ideal, I know.

Can anyone help with an embarrassing problem? I've been feeling for the last week or so that when I go to the loo that I'm not completely empty as it were and then I need to go later, which is unusual for me. I'm taking my supplements, eating spinach, green beans, other (low carb) veg, fish, cheese, meat...it's 'normal' when I go though.

Any ideas? I'm a bit asking but thanking goodness for anonymity.

Do you think it's drinking wine at the weekend (only time I drink)? Or just one of those things?

Goodness me! Such a lot of posts since Sunday.

Sorry for radio silence, I've been away at my dad's and he doesn't have wifi.

But I'm back now and will read through everything.

IBO - sorry to hear that you're struggling, but try not to stress about things. If you're enjoying the food, it will be fine. Just hope that you're not suffering too much from the migraine.

I've been reflecting today on the gulf in difference there now is between my woe and my children's way of eating. Their diet seems about 95% carbs. Today:

Breakfast:
the kids: sugary breakfast cereals me: scrambled eggs, salad with oily dressing

Mid-morning snack:
the kids: toast with chocolate spread

Lunch (out at a cafe):
the kids: cheesy chips, sugary drinks me: tuna mayo salad

Dinner:
the kids: pizza, pasta, broccoli, apple me: smoked mackerel, roasted aubergine & swede, broccoli

And this is a good day - they didn't have ice-cream or cake or crisps as they often do!

I've got to change this haven't I. After all, I am enabling all this to happen. Aarrggh. I guess I've got to find a sort of half-way house between their current diet and my current diet, for them.

Hello.

Have caught up with the thread, finally. Well done to all the losers. Sorry to hear that some of you are struggling. Keep on keeping on!

Stunt glad those two recipes worked!

Lily I made some changes to DD's diet when I started this and after the initial adjustment it suits her eating a lower carb diet. I cut right down on the pasta, although she still has it sometimes, and rarely give her rice now either. She's always liked beans (cannellini, butter, kidney, black etc) which helps. I do worry about giving her tinned /foil packed foods but beans are so nutritious that I figure it evens out. She's not big on vegetables so I still give her loads of peas (which she likes) with everything, and smaller quantities of sweetcorn. She'll eat small amounts of roasted or fried broccoli, and a bit of spinach. Do yours like veg? DD loves almonds so often has those for breakfast £5 for a huge bag in the world foods section of Sains). She loves the greek yoghurt thing I do too, with cooked berries, double cream and flax seed, and asks for that every day. I noticed her moods are far more stable since I cut refined sugar out completely from her diet.

I've basically got her onto a low GI WOE, which I think is more doable and sustainable for kids. DD loves meat and fish too which helps as they make the beans and veg a bit more appealing for her.

BIWI, just wanted to say thanks again. I was previously BOBBLY GUSSET*S and fell off the spread sheet. I have, however lost about 16 pounds at least since I took part in your boot camp at the end of April. What really has made me happy has been quite a few people noticing I have lost weight just this week.

I must say, I am no longer stictly low carbing: I have fruit and pulses and less meaty/cheesy stuff now, so I won't be in ketosis, but I seem to have got the portion control and listening to my body when it's full thing.
I am off on holiday tomorrow to France and will have the odd croissant for breakfast, but I reckon a good few lengths of the pools will sort me out.

There you go, another success for you and I am not finished yet.

Thank you IBO for pointing me toward the water info. I need to be in 4.5litre territory and I think I am managing that as I can easily drink 2 2-litre bottles a day. Good to know I'm on track on that front.

Last week I was away for 5 days and when I came back I reported how I'd gone off piste. I didn't weigh myself on my return but I'm pleased that less than a week later after sticking to the diet I've definitely lost the very noticeable bloat from those days away.

Good news, Parvati! And have a lovely holiday.

Coming up to week 4 now for me and a sneaky midweek step on the scales shows another 1.3lb off! I'm amazed. Had a slight wobble yesterday and scoffed a couple of quadruple chocolate chip cookies that my dsis had bought! Felt slightly ill after that......

I think it helps that I am essentially vegetarian and only eat fish once or twice a week. For those that have stalled, perhaps increase the veg and reduce the meat?? I was thinking of my diet in ww terms (old habits die hard!) and realised I am having a very low point intake despite the oil / cream / cheese as those are all the points I would be consuming.

Morning all
Wasn't a great day yesterday - all low carb food, but a lot of it was processed. I was in work and came home exhausted & too tired to cook, so just had what was easy.

B - 2 boiled eggs & 2 LC sausages
L - Butter Chicken Curry (left overs from what I'd made in the slow cooker the day before)
D - 3 slices of corned beef & half a mattesons sausage.

I only drank 1 litre of water too (In my defence, I was providing one to one care for a gentleman at a severe risk of falls in hospital. If I needed to go to the loo, there was no one to look after him & he would def have hurt himself. It was a very stressful day & like I say, I was exhausted when I got home - it's all excuses, isn't it)

No veg though, apart from a tiny bit of spring onion & garlic in the curry. No food in the house, so I need to buy whatever I'm going to have today. Any suggestions? I'm thinking braised cabbage maybe? Or cauliflower cheese. Need to plan better for work as I'm back in tomorrow.

Sorry - that was all very self pitying.

Well done everyone on their losses - you all seem to be doing so well & it is inspiring to read.

SamanthaJones - I have had similar problems and have been taking psyllium husks , just two in the morning with loads of water at least half hour before breakfast. Got them from Holland and Barrett . They're brilliant!

Wyn it didn't sound self-pitying or like an excuse at all. Hope you have an easier and more hydrated day today.

Beryl, NigellasG I agree that the good thing about this WOE for me is that when I go off piste I do seem to be able to get back and although I have at times gained 4/5lbs from my lowest weight since starting thing WOE, I have always managed to rein it in and lose it again in the next week or so. In a normal diet, I am sure I would have broken it and put on a stone and have no roadmap back so am grateful for this WOE for that alone.

Wyn don't be hard on yourself. I have days of lots of processed food don't tell BIWI but so long as I am sticking to this WOE then I am reasonably happy. Previously I would not have thought twice about a day of eating that was
breakfast: cornflakes and milk
lunch: shop bought sandwich with diet coke, poss handful of crisps or chocolate biscuit or 2 plus fruit
dinner: supermarket pizza plus news potatoes, broccoli. Plus wine.
That is a pretty processed diet and it would not have even crossed my mind that it was unhealthy, just would have seen it as a non-diet (ie weight maintaining) WOE.

Hooray I have lost 3lb overnight!
Well of course it's not overnight really - but I can't help but weigh myself everyday. This goes to show how I need to look at the bigger picture, ie., weightloss over a couple of weeks perhaps.

I had that bacardi last night, and I also had a sneaky few bits of icing from a leftover birthday cake. Icing was made 50% from white chocolate (very bad) and 50% full fat cream cheese (good)! I'm carrying on with the WOE again today though and feel I have these little treats under control, rather than using them as a massive excuse to fall off the wagon big style.

I am going to France for 7 days next weekend, and I would love to lose a couple more lbs by then. I am also going to try very hard to keep it LC whilst there... I'm hoping there will be lot of options. I will definitely be having wine, but will I hope be able to avoid croissants, crepes etc.

Well done NigellasG !!

I too have lost 2 pounds over the last 2 days just from sticking to the WOE strictly ish since Monday. I also had half a small bar of v dark chocolate the other day - 6 carbs - but at least that was that. Also whizzing through the end of the whisky so can justify buying BIWI's recommended golden rum

We are also going on holiday to Majorca weekend of 24/25 and also want to lose a couple more lbs before then. We need to be strong!

Good afternoon lovely ladies..

WYN sit down and relax for a sec.. I will make you :) It sounds like a stressful day.. i hope today will be better..

BIWI Welcome back :)
BERYL 86 miles!!!!!!!!!! OMG you deserve as well :) I hope it will do well for you and I will keep my fingers crossed :)

NIGELA NEGRONI I am with you.. Keep losing and gaining the same 4 lbs. :) But like you guys said it is still better than just gaining :)))

LILI i was just thinking about my kids menus when they are back as well.. I was never very keen on giving them breads, pastas and esp sugars but my DD has an addiction to sugar (!!!) I make 'power balls' for her - chuck dried fruit (dates usually), nuts and/or seeds + ginger and sometimes a bit of pure coco powder into food processor and leave it on for about 10 mins. All that mixture becomes oily solid ball. Then I just leave in fridge for a few hours and make little balls for her to eat. I know it is not low carb but at least no white sugar too..

I am very proud of myself.. I went out last night and all I had was 2 bottles of water :)

B 2 boiled eggs and mayo
L roasted pork belly with lettuce and oily dressing. But I felt still hungry so I had Greek yogurt with poppy seeds and few walnuts
D Green Thai chicken curry with some wilted spinach and 1 square of 85 % chocolate...

I know it is not ideal but still not too bad :)

wyn it looks like you do a fantastic job and that old gentleman is/was very lucky to have you, we all owe a debt to you (I'm imagining if he was my dad and no family was around, puts it all into context for me.. and I also have a very ill DH

And Nigella - all those 5 days ubercamping did brill job hey! Well done :)

Still on straight & narrow. Been drinking gallons of green tea too.

Hi everyone. So I'm going to continue to try and post my daily eating in case I am doing something wrong!

Yesterday:
B: 2 eggs fried in butter. Decaf coffee with cream.
L: chicken caesar salad with parmesan (no almonds this time). Decaf coffee with cream.
S: small piece of cheese
D: Beef goulash with guacamole and cheese (slight mix of cuisines there but it worked!)

Today:

B: 1 LC sausage and 2 fried eggs. Decaf coffee with cream.
L: 6 celery sticks, 3 thick slices of blue cheese, 30g peanuts. Decaf coffee with cream.
D: will be: thai red chicken curry with cauliflower rice. Decaf coffee with cream.

I am trying to drink more too but only managed 2litres yesterday.

thanks IBO and Negroni and of course BIWI

keep going everybody......

keep pedalling Beryl.....

RedRabbit = looks good - except the peanuts (I know, I can't resist them either)

My menu today - too much dairy. Dp will insist in buying me Lidls greek youghurt and it's gone in 2 days!

Breakfast - yog, rooibos tea with coconut oil
Lunch celery sticks with blue cheese, 2 cherry toms, yoghurt
Dinner will be homemade burgers with coleslaw.

Thanks Crabby and IBO for kids ideas. I'm impressed you've cut sugar out of your daughter's diet Crabby. I think its very unlikely I can persuade my kids to do that straight away!

DD often chooses salad (especially if she sees me eating it) and is OK with veg. But she does love carby breakfasts (if she's not eating sugar puffs she'll be making herself pancakes). She likes my Total greek yogurt... but only with fruit and honey!

DS is almost a stranger to any veg or fruit so he will be a bit more of a challenge.

Hmm I will think about whether I can do anything more healthy for their tea today!