Bootcamp Week 9 - wherein I may have to resort to the cat o' nine tails ...

[BIWItheBold]

I'm starting this thread early as I'm off to Athens tomorrow, and will be leaving at sparrows fart. (It's mainly for work, although I have a day off on Thursday)

I think we're now a band of mainly hardcore low carbers, although we continue to attract new followers - welcome to you all!

Hopefully, the longer termers will be finding it much easier to follow this WOE and food choices are more automatic. Although I have noticed lots of references to cheesecake and crumble which just will not do if you're wanting the pounds to shift

Let me know how you're all doing - and any tips to share for those for whom the weight loss has slowed down.

After falling off the wagon in week 4, I'm back and with renewed determination. I must be doing something ok though as I've not re-gained any of the weight I originally lost.

Sooooo, back to bootcamp on Monday for me.

Big hugs to Humphrey and heartstart, it is easy to turn to food for comfort when things are rough but you are both doing brilliantly. I have however haven't done brilliantly this week mainy due to lack of planning and to much wine. Working ing the morning so will be dry for a few days now. That again is habit, pouring a glass of wine. I also "treat" myself with alcohol - its not out of control or anything but just unneccessary calories

Welcome back Lacka and welcome cartimaunda. Betty and Sybil you are doing really well for first week, it really is about planning ahead

Thanks so much SharonGless. I am feeling so much better now that I feel more in control of my eating and exercise, thanks to all of you.

cartimandua that's interesting. I recall in the 70's when my mum was trying to cut calories she sometimes referred to so-and-so who was cutting down on carbs instead. There was definitely a theory out there then. Looks like the low-fat and low-calorie approach won out.

studying I'm plucking up courage to sample that goats cream
somehow it doesn't tempt me. BTW are your sugar cravings related to time of month? when in your cycle are they worst? or does it just feel like all the time or when you're stressed?

Can I just say thank you to BIWI and everyone else for your support.

Last Sunday morning I weighed 16 stone 12. This morning I weighed 16 stone 5.25! Woohooooooo! I feel so much better for it and someone said earlier about not feeling flabby a you lose and I feel like that too.

By the end of the week I had remembered to start replacing some of my cups of tea with peppermint tea and replacing my diet fizzy drinks with water. This morning for the first time when I got up I really fancied a peppermint tea instead of ordinary tea! I have eaten out for lunch and dinner a few times - had a lovely salad at the pub last night whilst every other one of the 10 people I was with had the traditional football burger and chips meal (I was very jealous at the time or ordering, but actually I love that salad and it was yummy!). I have already decided what I'm having there on Tuesday for the game (chicken and chorizo salad) so all good. My brother is the manager so I am working on getting him to stock up on the pork scratchings now!!!

Someone earlier talked about diabetics - I am diabetic and it is usually controlled by tablets and diet except when pregnant. When I got pregnant at end of December I was put straight back on the insulin and when I mc they have kept me on the insulin in preparation for (hopefully) getting pregnant again so that I can have really tight blood sugar control right from the start. This week I haven't need to have any insulin with my meals at all. Usually what happens is I have some with my breakfast (diabetic centre suggested porridge or weetabix with skimmed milk!) - in order to have enough that my blood sugars are the right amount after two hours I then have to eat something 2.5 hours later to prevent having a hypo, or have the hypo and then have to have glucose tablets. I think this WOE will be a much better control for my blood sugar in the long run and I do think that it is being recognised there are a lot of diabetics on another forum that I use that use LCing to manage their diabetes (both type I and type II).

Sry so long - I got a bit carried away with the excitement of it all!!!

No that is fantastic to read, Hercule!

My God. Have just watched The Men Who Made Us Fat. (It is on iPlayer if you missed it.) The food industry has a lot to answer for, not to mention spineless governments who have caved in to their pressure. No wonder low-carbing gets a bad press - there's a hugely rich and powerful lobby out there with a vested interest in keeping us eating their low-fat high sugar rubbish. And what's more, having created the weight problem they then have the cheek to blame the victims! None of us should feel bad about ourselves - we've been conned and manipulated and misinformed.

Hi all so sorry to hear about your parents heartstart

MrsHerculePoirot glad this WOE is working for you, I love it too

So here is my confession, went out last night to watch the footie and had a few to many drinks Woke up with a bad head and wondering why I did it was fun at the time though.

So in an attempt to counteract it I am now on my 3rd litre of water.

Brunch - bacon, mushrooms & egg(just what was needed)
Dinner - ??

cartimandua I am going to watch it later heard so much about it x

Goodness - lots of chat while I've been away eating the wrong things and drinking far too much wine

Heartstart I'm sorry to hear about your mum. Hope things resolve themselves and that you're OK.

studyingstudying - no balsamic vinegar! It has something like 16g carbs per 100ml compared with ordinary vinegar which has none! You might want to consider ditching the tomatoes as well, until things get going for you again. Olives are fine, but chocolate isn't - although I suspect you know that

cartimandua - welcome! I remember the advice in the 60s and 70s, because my mum was always on a diet - ditch the bread and potatoes (pasta wasn't really an issue in those very early days as it was still an exotic food that many of us didn't know how to eat/cook!). Remember Energen rolls? They were supposed to be a low starch alternative to bread.

MrsHP - well done! I'm constantly and by the dietary advice that is given to diabetics - it makes absolutely no sense at all, IMVHO. However, and this is why I have started to put a disclaimer in my threads, I an not a doctor nor a nutritionist nor a dietician nor a diabetic specialist - please be very careful. I'm sure you're monitoring your blood sugar very carefully, and I'm really pleased that the results seem to be positive/going in the right direction, but if your doctor is telling you do to something different from the advice I am spouting forth 'dispensing', then please listen to him/her and not me!!!

mummyduff - is there any room on the naughty step?
I am not even going to confess because I'm so ashamed. Although it was bloody good at the time

Oh. BIWI. have you been away?

I was working in Athens last week, OFFS, but managed to wangle the trip there with my business partner - and so that we had a whole day off to ourselves on Thursday! It was really hot - 35-40 degrees - and we went to the beach. Bliss.

BIWI! Energen rolls! How could I have forgotten those? God, they were horrible. Dry and tasteless with the most peculiar texture. One of the more awful examples of not-food the industry has come up with. My mother used to eat them, too.

Ah! The balsamic vinegar - I never thought that it would be very different to ordinary / cider vinegar. That explains a lot (I love balsamic vinegar on almost everything). Right, will be getting rid of that then.

Thank you for all your studying sympathy! Nigella, my chocolate eating/craving is entirely boredom/emotional fuelled. I feel that as I am in uni all day on a Saturday I therefore deserve chocolate. Not helped by the fact that there are no real food options on campus either! I think I'm just moaning...sorry for that!

Does anyone know of a low carb alternative to sweet and sour sauce? I was thinking that it would be a good way to eat lots of lovely fresh veg but I imagine traditional stir fry would be very high carb

really fancy a take away but not sure what is a good LC option

Hello everyone been a really foul day here again and I'm suffering slightly from too much red wine last night. But I have stuck to the plan!

Cartinmandua and BIWI, I remember my mum eating those Energen rolls. I seem to remember that as soon as they were opened they disappeared in a puff of what seemed to be dust! Horrible they were.

mummyduff, I seem to recall BIWI recomending Indian as the best takeaway, something like a chicken in a creamy sauce but obviously no rice, naan etc.

Betty, your mention of sweet and sour sauce has started me thinking of a chinese takeaway now ......... noooooo must not give in to the hangover urges. Not sure how you would do a sweet and sour sauce though tbh. Surely a major component would be sugar use sweetener instead possibly?

D - Salmon in butter cooked in a foil parcel, asparagus and spinach sauteed in butter (natch) and chilli prawns. Possibly strawberries and double cream if wanted afterwards. Yum.

Betty a quick google threw up the following instructions for a low carb sweet and sour sauce - For sweet & sour sauce, combine water, ketchup, vinegar and soy sauce. Heat till boiling. Add guar gum to thicken. Take off heat and stir in Equal.

Not sure how useful that is. Or where you would buy guar gum tbh.

SingingTunelessly thanks I will have a look at the menu - mine is a hangover urge

I was vaguely aware BIWI...

singing - that salmon dinner sounds lovely.

i had boiled egg and cheese salad for lunch and for dinner i just had haddock cooked in chilli and garlic, with broccoli, cucumber, and spring onions with cottage cheese. nicest dinner ive had in ages.

i honestly haven't enjoyed food for a long time since i started allowing myself to eat this nice food without feeling the guilt - thank you Biwi and everyone else for support :)

Jan am sure it will be lovely but I'm having problems getting the idea of sweet n sour chicken, crispy duck rolls, sizzling prawns, etc., .... out of my head. . Must not give in, must not give in.

BIWI - come on 'fess up! What did you have?