16 st Low Carbing part 2

[ProfYaffle]

As the first thread is full, I thought I'd start this one to dip a toe in the water and see if anyone else is still around. At the end of the last thread I think a few of us had decided to have the summer off and come back to it in September - so here I am.

Hope a few of the old gang are still around

Glad you had a good holiday, sounds like it was exactly what you needed Good luck with the detox. Good news about the house too, hopefully all the jobs that need doing will burn off a few calories!

I think building muscle is a good idea too. I've read it's particularly good for women as we get older (I'm 43, not yet menopausal) because being muscley keeps your metabolic rate up and helps stop middle aged weight gain plus it builds bone density. I really want to get my health under control before I do hit the menopause - no signs of it yet though - as I think it'll be way harder after.

I'm in this weird halfway house muscle wise in that after kettlebelling for 9 months I'm proper fit and toned, but I still have a blanket of fat over the top so don't really look it. It's like that phenomena we talked about on the last thread, you go out feeling like Kate Moss but then realise that you're actually still quite chunky despite losing a few stone.

I think my 'goal' isn't a particular weight but more that I want to look like someone who works out - and at the moment I definitely don't!

Keep with it Prof you will get there, I am jealous of fit and toned, that's what I would like. Def off to investigate your kettlebell recommendations, might make a great xmas present.

I have been a busybee so far, I have cooked up a storm. Had a BPC and bacon with mayo for breakfast. I am making chicken stock in the slow cooker, roasted chicken wings in the oven and have a yummy chicken and sweetcorn soup on for lunch - I know sweetcorn is a bit carby but I am easing myself in gently.

I am feeling very positive today, now to tackle all the washing from our holiday!

Good luck everyone, slim by xmas

I have had a good weekend food wise, lots of green smoothies, BPCs and soups. Today i did roast pork for lunch with loads of green veggies and had my first sprouts of the year. After the week of convenience food we had it felt great to eat some actual vegetables. I have made a chinese style pak choi and chicken soup for the week and i might have some for supper later.

Def not in ketosis yet but feeling very full and well with lots of fat and with the exception of when i went food shopping without eating first i havent felt hungry. Tomorrow will be a bit harder but hoping to crash through the carb withdrawal wall then. I do a 4 mile walk taking DD to school and back but after all the walking in Wales up some very steep hills it should be a breeze.

I actually feel glad to be getting back into some sort of routine after our hols and moving house we have been a bit all over the place. Needing to be prepared and organised for the diet and DD starting school will give us some much needed structure.

Hope everyone had a good weekend.

That all sounds very positive, ketosis here you come!

We had a very quiet weekend. Dd1 has just started High School and is absolutely exhausted, it's like having a stroppy over tired reception child in the house again! We deliberately had a couple of lazy pj days to give her a chance to rest up a bit.

I'm a bit frustrated that my weight hasn't changed despite me being really good and exercising loads. I'm hoping it's that old cliche about replacing fat with muscle as I do feel thinner despite the numbers not changing.

Lots of positives on this new page of the thread!

I've lost 2lbs on weighing this morning, which means I've seen off that 5lb gain (if it was actually a gain as opposed to water retention etc).

Annoyingly, I didn't get a chance to try the kettlebell dvd. The weekend was rather manic. We had the house decorated while we were on holiday, so there was lots of moving things back to their proper places, as well as the usual cleaning and mounds of laundry. I did get a reasonable amount of exercise with all the housework though, plus I walked to the optician and we were out in London on Saturday night, so a fair bit of walking there too.

I've got some ironing and a few other bits to do after work today, but tomorrow is perfect for some kettlebelling. Finishing work shortly after lunch as the accountant is coming to our house. After she goes my OH will take the dog out, then the kettlebells can come out to play!

I really don't want to let the KBs slide - I know what I'm like, if I don't do it within the next few days, it might be a few months before I actually use them (if at all). Whereas if I start soon while my interest is peaked, it should be very easy to introduce them as a regular feature of my week. Here's hoping anyway....!

Prof def muscle in place of fat, its your dress size not so much the number on the scale that matters but thats easy to say.

Good luck letme with the kettlebells, i have them on my amazon wish list for xmas. I plan on digging out 30 day shred, probably but then i have been saying that all year!

I am feeling great miraculously, i think my body is just happy to have some veg. I have supplemented my BPCs, smoothies and soups with a few bits of cheese and pepperoni - i plan on knocking that on the head just trying to get in the zone first. I am struggling with the water but have discovered that i actually like black coffee.

Morning all, i had some good news, due to a set of complicated reasons my mother is taking me to Madrid for an all expenses paid trip in a months time yay.
So this evening i am going to get the house presentable - i cant believe half the stuff i own is still in boxes and we are in a much bigger house yet the house looks like a bomb has gone off. I have friends over this week for a play date and then a little house warming to thank my friends for all their support and childcare during our move.

Then i WILL start the 30 day shred. I need to lose the pounds i put on over the summer so i can fit into my nice clothes i bought just before i fell off of the wagon!

How lovely, someone I work with just got back from Madrid yesterday and was raving about the tapas! It should be heaven for a low carber, tapas seem quite well suited to that way of eating.

I full sympathise with the stuff still in boxes, half of my stuff is still in boxes in the loft from when I moved in about 3 years ago!! Sounds like you're going to be very busy, but it's all good exercise.

I know why they say not to weigh every day, I weighed this morning and was 2lbs up from yesterday!! I KNOW that's not really right, because all I ate yesterday was a chicken salad for lunch and a risotto for dinner, which surely isn't enough to see me gain 2lbs in 24 hours.

Just got to keep plugging away. I WILL be doing the kettlebells for the first time later today, that should help with getting a loss!

Struggling to get motivated at work today, got soaked on the dog walk earlier and still haven't warmed up.

Ooh, yes, good point about the tapas, I always find something good in La Tasca though I suspect the tapas in Madrid will be of a different order!

I'm the same with weight LetMe, I think it was last weekend my weight fluctuated by 4lbs in about 3 days Think I gained 3lbs, lost 4lbs then regained 1lb. I never know what to record so I'm leaving it til I get a consistent result.

Good luck LETME with the kettlebells. Repeat after me... its just water or your body having a moment, you will probably be due to whoosh any day now, lucky you.

I have made an executive decision, whatever boxes arent unpacked by xmas are going to the charity shop - i am trying to kondo but that too is going slowly. I obvs dont need the stuff in the boxes if i havent unpacked them in 3 months.

I did google restaurants in Madrid and the tapas does look amazing i just need to steer clear of the churros! I was learning spanish at the start of this year and i am going to dig out my books and cds as this will be the perfect chance to practice.

I just had the best lunch, tesco sell little tubs of courgetti and i had that fried in butter with chilli pesto and cheese, i think about 6-8g carbs and it was lush!

I've just done the kettlebells. After the first 10-15 mins I was thinking this is easy, when I've done this I'll go straight on to the next one. I was not thinking that in the last 10-15 minutes!!

It's a good little workout, and very low impact on the ankle, so perfect for me. I think I need to do the technique section a few more times as I'm sure my form wasn't great on some of the later moves, particularly the lunges.

Prof, do you find that when you do the move which brings the KB up by your head that the KB bashes against your wrist/arm? I guess that's why they may have been wearing wrist pads!

I was trying to really grip the KB and control the rotation of it as I lifted it up, but it was quite difficult with sweaty hands!

Assuming, I haven't seized up completely, I plan to do it again tomorrow and Thursday, and rest on Friday and Saturday.

Yes, you do need to watch your form on the lunges, if it's not spot on you can end up in pain because there's so many of them.

The bell does bash your wrist a bit in the rack position. I got wrist bands off Ebay (cost pennies) and some weight lifting gloves too which solves the sweaty hands/segs on the palms problem.

Glad you enjoyed it!

Good idea, thank you. I shall get some gloves and bands.

I think I'm just going to do the techniques section tonight, rewinding any ones I could do with a bit more practice on. Then drills tomorrow.

I'm not feeling too bad ache wise, thankfully. Was a little stiff last night, but fine for the walk this morning.

Dinner last night was leftover risotto, but it was quite a small portion so I topped it up with garlic bread - whoops.

I seem to be doing well on good lunch choices (consistently go for salads or soup), but need to try a bit harder on dinners. Hopefully the KB workouts will give me motivation there - I always seem to find it easier to be better on food when I'm exercising, as I don't want to waste the effort!

Have planned what we're eating for the rest of the week, which should make things a little easier.

Hope you're all doing well!

Just remembered this morning I saw some weight lifting gloves in Poundland the other day. I think I did the clinic part a few time before progressing to the normal workout. Even just the clinic rendered me incapable of walking the next day!

I'm a bit stuck for ideas for lunch at the moment, could do with some inspiration. I think I'm over salad just now. Today I'm making chicken and mushroom soup which I'll have with a muffin in a minute. Need to browse pinterest and the like for ideas I think.

I'm working from home today, so lots more flexibility on lunch.

I did a warm chicken salad, by frying some garlic, red onion, peppers and cherry tomatoes, tipping onto a load of rocket. Shredding some rotisserie chicken on top and drizzling a bit of lemon juice and olive oil over.

A salad I always like is tomato, avocado, red onion and mozzarella with crispy bacon bits and sun dried tomatoes (sainsburys taste the difference are my favourites). But if you're over salads...

How about steak with dressed spinach leaves? Omlettes? Ratatouille with bacon/chicken? Meatballs (had some lovely ones at the weekend at a restaurant in a creamy spinach sauce which made a nice change from the usual tomato sauce), chorizo and butter beans?

I'm quite lucky on that front. I don't really get bored of meals so I usual rotate some incarnation of tomato soup and some form of chicken salad for lunch, which I'm quite happy with! I'd probably rotate only a handful of meals for dinner to if my other half didn't get bored so easily!

LETME - well done on the kettlebells.

Prof - lunches for me are usually soup, just finished a chinese chicken and pak choi, later on i am making broccoli and creme fraiche.

Today i am making scrag of lamb stew and i have lamb bones in the slow cooker for bone broth.

My DS was up from 12-2.30am! so i have had too much coffee today. I need to reduce my cheese and pepperoni intake! I have done alot of reading and i am sure reducing my dairy intake would benefit my short term weightloss but its just so yum! Cheese is the first thing on the hit list.

The scales are still packed (which is a good thing) but i am itching to weigh myself, however i know i am still loads over my lowest before i fell off of the wagon. Still struggling with water, so i have filled loads of bottles and popped them in the fridge.

Anyone know any good lamb soup recipes that arent scotch broth?

Ooh, meatballs and spinach sounds good. I love sag paneer so I might try and make something similar. I love the warm chicken salad idea too, I'll give that a go. I'm out for lunch tomorrow and Friday though so it will probably be next week.

Hmmm, I don't really make lamb stew but I can imagine something a bit like goulash with passatta, cream and smoked paprika would be good. If I have lamb/mutton leftovers I usually stir fry it so it goes crispy and have it with stir fried greens.

Morning all.

Afraid I don't know any lamb soup recipes. I really probably shouldn't admit this, but I have never made soup! I don't know why. Just seems so easy to buy (the fresh tubs rather than tins). Now that I'm eating soup a lot more regularly, I'm sure I'll give it a whirl at some point.

I did the techniques section of KBs again last night and for dinner had a couple of chicken thighs cooked in tomato sauce with olives, with peas, rocket and samphire. So a good day. I weighed again this morning and the 2lb gain from Tuesday has gone but no further loss. TOTM is due shortly, so perhaps the fluctuations are related to that.

My muscles have caught up with the KBs and my legs felt quite heavy on the dog walk this morning. So I think I'll do the techniques again tonight rather than the drills, have a couple of rest days, then do the drills on Sunday.

Prof, when did you move up from 4kg to 6kg. I have no intention of doing it any time soon (right now it seems physically impossible), but I like to have something to aim for!

I can't remember tbh but it did take me ages! I probably could have pushed myself a bit harder but it kind of felt impossible for a long time. I progressed to the Drills/Kombos workouts, which are longer and harder than the beginners DVD, with the 4kg. Then I went back to the beginners one with the 6kg weight and slowly built up from there.

It's probably because I is dim (!) but it took me ages to realise that you can use different weights throughout the workout, you don't have to stick to one. So now I use mostly 6kg but use 8kg for swings and 4kg for triceps/overhead press as I find those really hard.

It didn't occur to me to use different weights either!! I might try incorporating some 6kgs in a month - something to aim for anyway.

I did the techniques section of the beginners dvd again last night, found it tougher than the previous two nights, so I think that means my muscles are in need of a rest! I don't plan to do KBs again til Sunday (and may have to defer til Monday as we've got a busy weekend).

Bolognese and veg for dinner last night and a lb off this morning. Brisk dog walk this morning and have bought in tomato, borlotti bean and kale soup for lunch.

But I plan to enjoy a few glasses of wine watching tv this evening. I want to cook pork belly and cabbage for dinner, so hoping I get home early enough to give it enough time in the oven.

Hope everyone else is doing well. Mac and all the newcomers, where did you go?!

1lb off this morning but my weight's fluctuating all over the shop atm so I won't take it as a definite loss till it's stayed off for a day or two.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Hi....can I join you please. I do low carb but not bootcamp style. More paleo. I don't eat dairy either. Have lost just over a stone since end of June and am really happy with this way of eating. I do weights but with traditional weights.

Hi Blod, and welcome. I don't bootcamp either but love the LC woe generally, it's not like a diet it's more like being vegetarian or something. That's a great loss since June, how much more do you think you want to lose?

Has anyone tried that avocado/chocolate mousse thing that always seems to pop up on Pinterest and low carb boards in general? I made it this weekend and guess what? It tasted like avocado and coco powder mashed together - went straight in the bin!

Haha!! I tried Ella's sweet potato brownies and they were pretty disgusting and went out for the birds (who loved them.

Thanks for the welcome. I agree, it is just a different mindset rather than a diet. There is really no deprivation. If I really want toast then I will have it but I usually have an oatcake and honey if I am desperate for something like that. I tend to look at food from a medicinal point of view too so if it is not going to help to keep my body healthy then I avoid it.
Im not sure how much I want to lose. I had been trying to lose weight for the last couple of years and although I was eating mindfully and didn't gain weight, I didn't lose either. So I decided that as I was approaching menopause that eating clean and the healthiest I could was the way forward. This tended to eliminate processed foods, dairy, wheat (and most carbs) sugar etc. It was then that the weight really started to come off and stay off, slowly but surely. Since dropping dairy I have got rid of hot flushes and headaches etc. Something to do with the oestrogen that is in milk.
So, I am approaching another stone marker and will be thrilled when I break through that. Think I would like to lose another stone and then go for one more. We shall see.

What about you Prof?

I lost roughly 3.5 stone this year so far. I'm not sure how much more I want to lose though. To get my bmi under 25 it'd have to be another 1.5 stone but I don't think I can do it tbh. I'm quite muscley now after doing kettlebells 3 or 4 times a week all year too so I think I probably weigh heavier than my size iyswim.

Plus I seem to be struggling a bit now, the weight came off steadily for the first half of the year, then I gave myself the summer off with the aim to maintain (which I did) but getting back into actual loss is proving more difficult than I thought.

To try and break the stall I've upped the exercise a bit, heavier weights and longer workouts, but it's not working so far. Maybe I'm gaining extra muscle or something, I don't know.

Anyway, it doesn't actually seem that important. I'm happy with what I'm eating so I've got no intention to go back to eating carbs. I'll just koko and see what happens.