Not bootcamping, but low-carbing.

[crunchyfrog]

Started 2 weeks ago on Monday and was 10lb down as of yesterday.

I have maybe another 28lb to shift I think. So cross with myself, 3 years ago I had lost 6 stone (not healthily), maintained using low-carb for about 18 months using low-carb, then gained back 2 stone from medication, and another stone and a half through eating crap.

So here I go again. Sigh.

Starting weight was 13 stone 3, weight now 12 stone 7. I'm not hugely hung up on weight, I'm always heavier than I look, but I am desperate to get my waist size into the healthy range, under 32".

I'm planning to do an egg fast at some point, but currently sticking to eating twice a day (all I want), something egg based in the morning/ early afternoon, and masses of salad/ veg/ meat etc in the evenings.

I haven't felt the need to snack much, but I'm drinking 3l+ of water a day. Skin looks great!

Anyone else without the discipline for bootcamp want to chat?

Middle - that is definitely not a lot of food. The great thing about low carving is that you don't have to weigh your food and count. And you should eat if you are hungry.

Well done on cutting down the booze. It's one of my downfalls too. I'm currently drinking slightly lower alcohol wine but it's still wine! Found a lovely Sauvignon Blanc which is 10% rather than 13% which WAS on offer in Sainsburys but it's now 10.50 a bottle! So will be knocking that on the head! And will switch to white wine with lots of soda.

Was doing well yesterday till DH cooked and did pasta with meatballs!

Went out for a kids' birthday meal, Italian restaurant so slightly limiting!

I had chicken in breadcrumbs (I know!) but instead of the spaghetti I asked for it with courgettes and green beans. I'm not a big pasta lover so I enjoyed it just as much as I would have done before.

Managed to swerve ordering a dessert but did snaffle a few mouthfuls of the kids' leftovers. Otherwise I've had a successful day, only eating things that are on my allowed list.

I have found today difficult and feel as if I have eaten too much.

Had:

MIM with almond butter for breakfast
A 100g bag of salted peanuts and two mini babybels for lunch (cause of work I am very time deprived at the moment so have to have lunches that I can eat on the go)
Some berries with greek yoghurt
An omelette with feta cheese and salami
A handful of almonds
Some more feta

I just feel as if I want to eat and eat today (prob emotional cause I am tired and overwhelmed). Also realise that I prob need to vary my diet a bit more to stop myself from getting bored. Also tried some clothes on in Peacocks tody and everything was unflattering (waists seem to have gone high) so have now convinced myself that I'm not losing weight.

Hi Ladies,

May I join you, please? I really identify with what Op and others have said here. I have tried bootcamp before and lost a little weight, but couldn't keep it up. I'm looking for something I can do for life, rather than a diet. I just can't do the starving myself approach any more.

So, I'm on day 3 and I started at 13st 11lbs - I have put an awful lot of weight on since Christmas (partly due to being post menopausal, I suspect). I would really like to lose 3 stone, but I am also doing this for health reasons. I fear I have become addicted to sugar - chocolate, white wine (an issue for me too, Middlethird), and too much crap generally - so I am going cold turkey on that. I am having the occasional teaspoon of peanut butter to help with sugar cravings. I am allowing myself milk in tea and a little full fat natural yogurt, but I am being really strict with cheese at this stage, as I love it. I'm not yet drinking enough water. I'm not going to count carbs or calories at this stage. I'm not even going to list what I am eating. I just want to avoid the bad stuff.

I do have a couple of concerns. Firstly, I am a self employed, and everything is fine when I am working at home. If I am out all day, I leave very early in the morning and have no time for my usual breakfast of omelette. I have yet to work out what to take to work that will work for me both in terms of ease and in terms of keeping the hunger pangs at bay. Secondly, providing family meals will be an issue. Due to health issues, DH severely limits fat in his diet and would be resistant to me providing meals for him or the kids that have a high fat content. I may have to eat on my own.

I may get bored with eating the same old thing (not much of a cook). Thanks for the list of meals, Penelope.

Congratulations to those of you who are already seeing results

Hope

Octopus, it doesn't sound a lot to me, In fact, it doesn't sound enough (although I don't know what MIM is). I think peanuts are something you have to be careful about. I've been eating peanut butter, but I think I need to find another type of nut butter instead.

Welcome Hope! I agree that it's difficult to eat properly when you're out and about early. That's one reason I have included the Atkins snack bars, even though they're not very natural and don't address the issue of craving sweet things. For me, when I'm out working, just taking a cup of tea in my insulated mug and one of those nut bars is a brilliant breakfast and keeps me going until I get home at lunch time.

I know some people pack a snack box to take out, with salad, olives, ham, cheese and all that, but as I'm driving I need something easy to hold.

I also don't love omelettes, which is a pain on this WOE as it's the perfect breakfast when you do have time. They just make me feel sick as they're too rich first thing in the morning. I can stomach one for lunch, just about!

As for your DH, you can make similar food for you both but just add a creamy sauce or some butter to your veg and add some potatoes or whatever to his. I have to do this with my DCs, I'll make lamb chops and then for them I'll make normal mash, but make celeriac mash for me, they get gravy and carrots, I'll have some green veg and a creamy sauce. It is a pain, but still easier than making totally separate meals.

The MIMs are Muffins In a Minute (or is it in a Mug?). Anyway, a quick low carb cheaty cake type thing. If you google it you'll find lots of variations. I make them like this:

Put 3 dessert spoons of ground flax seeds in a mug, add a big teaspoon of butter, one egg, 1/2 tsp of baking powder and whatever you want to flavour it with (some blueberries, cocoa powder, spices, you can make savoury ones too) then microwave for a minute (mine take 1.5 mins so they are technically MIMAHs!)

I make plain ones with a bit of salt in and then slice them into 'bread' to eat with cheese, bovril or sandwiched with egg and bacon.

They are super high fibre so excellent for keeping it all moving along too.

Thanks for the info on the muffins, Penelope. Maybe that's something I can prepare the evening before, if I have an early start. Good idea about using sauces for me too.

Actually, when I tried this before, the amount of fat I was expected to eat was a bit if an issue for me. Having been brought up with the 'fat is bad' mantra, I needed time to get my head around it. Food does taste better though.

I've always been the kind of person who has bread with her butter rather than the other way round, so that's one aspect of this that I love - it's finding something to butter that I struggle with!

I'm planning on getting very organised now that my big shop has arrived today, make up lots of portions of mash, bake a big turnip gratin, make a curry and pre-cook some chicken etc so that meal times are just about heating up and adding veg.

Just had some scrambled eggs with bacon and mushrooms. Drinking coffee with double cream in it, can't be bad!

Thanks for the feedback - I do hope I'm winning!

Weighed today, 1lb off but to be expected given the birthday baking in the house!

Struggling to eat enough calories, I think I had about 900 today. Will be better tomorrow!

My salad at lunch takes so long to eat, you can't get it down you as fast as a sarnie!

I'm baking a birthday cake today too, trying desperately not to lick the beaters and scrape out the bowl

I pre-cooked a load of food last night and DP thought it was ALL for dinner. Swede mash, turnip gratin, sausages, chicken, lamb chops - he thought it was his birthday! Most perturbed when he found out he only got chops and mash with broccoli.

I forgot to weigh myself before I started, but I think that's probably for the best as I start getting obsessed and weighing every day. I think I'm better off just looking in the mirror and seeing how my clothes fit me rather than aiming for a number as I just get disheartened if I think I look thinner but the scales say I'm not.

Decided to just concentrate on reducing carbs (no bread or biscuits) this week and am 2lb down this morning! I have had sweet potato, brown rice, pasta and fruit. And granola. Swapped my handful of biscuits after lunch for two oatcakes with peanut butter (sugar free one).

I have even had wine!