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Low-carb bootcamp

Join discussions about low-carb bootcamp plans, meals and progress. Consider speaking to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Jan 2023 Low Carb Bootcamp - Week 1!

857 replies

BIWI · 08/01/2023 22:20

Welcome everyone! We have over 160 people signed up this time, so things are going to move quickly.

Here's the link to The Spreadsheet of Fabulousness which has been carefully and lovingly curated by the very lovely @FinallyHere

There are a few bits of admin that I need to post before we get going. The first of which is the usual disclaimer:

I am not a medic, a scientist, a dietician or a nutritionist. Everything that I post here is based on my reading and my own experiences of low carbing gained over the last 20 years. You follow the guidance here at your own risk - although I very much hope that there are no risks!

Very importantly, though, if you are on any kind of long-term medication, please talk to your GP/nurse about low carbing. This is especially important if you're on drugs for hypertension, cholesterol and/or diabetes, as a low carb diet should have a positive impact on all of those conditions, which would mean that your dosage may need to be decreased, if not removed altogether.

The second is about etiquette:

Please, please, please read all the posts on the thread before you make your own post. These threads work so much better when we're all here interacting with each other, as that means we can offer help and support when it's needed. Don't just jump on the thread to plop down your meals for the day, your weight that day and then just fuck off. That doesn't help anyone.

More than anything else, it's incredibly irritating when someone posts a question which has already been answered early in the thread. I, and lots of other Bootcampers, spend a considerable amount of time responding to people's questions and concerns, and it's pretty insulting when it's obvious that these haven't been read.

(Oh, and it's very obvious if you haven't read the thread, so take that as a warning Wink)

OP posts:
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BIWI · 08/01/2023 22:22

For those who haven't yet seen the prep thread, or those those who need a reminder, here is a list of foods that you will not be eating AT ALL when you're on Bootcamp:

pasta/rice (of any colour or type)
bread, in any form
pastry
cereals (which includes porridge/oats)
biscuits/crackers
sugar (which also includes honey, agave syrup and fruit sugar)
flour
cakes
full sugar fizzy drinks, and squash/cordial
fruit juice
potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweetcorn, beetroot
balsamic vinegar (all other vinegars are fine)
grains/pulses/legumes (which includes peas)
sweets

For the first two weeks of Bootcamp, you must also exclude:

all fruit
nuts/seeds*
all chocolate
all alcohol

*if you're a vegetarian there are different rules for you, and you can include nuts and seeds - in moderation, being careful which ones you choose - from the start

After the first two, strict weeks of Bootcamp, you can add in:

some fruit - berries are the best
some nuts/seeds - in moderation, and choosing them carefully as the carb counts can vary dramatically
some chocolate - dark, high cocoa-content chocolate only
some alcohol - dry wines, clear spirits and only occasionally!

OP posts:
BIWI · 08/01/2023 22:26

And here's a short version of the rules for the first two weeks (you can read them in full on the spreadsheet)

  1. Eat three meals a day
  2. Avoid processed foods
  3. Eat lots of fat
  4. Make sure you are eating vegetables and salads with your food
  5. Be careful about dairy (apart from butter, which is unlimited)
  6. You must drink a minimum of 2 litres of water per day
  7. No alcohol
  8. No fruit*
  9. No nuts/seeds*
  10. No sugar or artificial sweeteners

*Vegetarians may add some fruit, nuts/seeds into their diet from the get go.

OP posts:
BIWI · 08/01/2023 22:29

As there are so many of us, please be prepared for the first week's chat thread to move very quickly!

Use the bookmark facility to keep your place, but please try and read everyone's posts - you can learn so much more, and be so much more supportive if you do that.

And please don't lurk! Don't be intimidated if people seem to know each other. We all had to start somewhere Smile

OP posts:
DryWhiteagainW · 08/01/2023 22:42

I’m ready. Fridge full. Thank you for organising this

Mercedesbenz2022 · 08/01/2023 22:43

Placemarking !

for we ride at dawn

will post starting weight tomorrow

Backstreets · 08/01/2023 23:05

I have not been good over Christmas period at all 😶not looking forward to seeing the number on the scales tomorrow morning, but v much looking forward to chucking the bad habits of the past weeks!

SteaknSalad · 08/01/2023 23:18

Thanks for setting this up, @BIWI !

I‘m really looking forward to getting stuck in - I’ve got over 30kg I want to shift. I’ve got my fridge all stocked and ready to make a low carb meatloaf tomorrow.

BSky · 08/01/2023 23:24

Thanks @BIWI &@FinallyHere for setting this up.

Batteries have died on the scales so I need to sort to face the damage. Will be using clothes as a measure too.

Feeling nervous but positive 💪

Good luck folks

prettybird · 08/01/2023 23:38

Looking forward to this Smile. Hopefully I've reduced the Christmas damage over the last few days Blush

IncompleteSenten · 08/01/2023 23:40

Oooh I really don't want to put my weight on that spreadsheet! Can I just say somewhere between hippo and elephant and leave it at that?

This is the end of my first week of low carb. I have a spreadsheet where I list what I've eaten and the carbs and sugar. Today I had under 20g of carbs and under 10g of sugar (not free sugar. Sugar that's listed on the nutrition info.
I didn't subtract the fibre from the carbs so that is not net carbs.

I'm really not confident that I know what I'm doing so I'm looking forward to learning.

Hopeislost · 08/01/2023 23:51

@IncompleteSenten If you don't want to put your actual number, you could just put 100 to start and and then subtract your losses from there? But also don't worry about the number, none of us are here because we're svelte!

You don't need to count anything on Bootcamp, just follow the rules (and in the UK, carbs on nutrition labels are net carbs).

Lucienandjean · 09/01/2023 00:04

@IncompleteSenten please don't feel embarrassed to put your weight on the spreadsheet. I felt like that, and I was definitely one of the heaviest people on the last few bootcamps. But I've had nothing but encouragement from other bootcampers, and it's good to be able to celebrate milestones together on the journey.

But if you decide not to use the spreadsheet, that's fine too.

HungryHazelEyes · 09/01/2023 00:08

Thank you BIWI and FinallyHere for doing this bootcamp!
I'll do my best to keep up with the thread, I'm 7 hours behind you lot!

IncompleteSenten · 09/01/2023 01:17

Thanks for clarifying re net carbs. I didn't know that.

I'll maybe brave the scales later on

Lalalalalaaaa · 09/01/2023 02:27

@SteaknSalad I've also got about 30kg to lose. Seems a long way to go.

Guessing I'm the first to actually start as I'm a few hours ahead of you. Here we go! I've been lCHF since first of Jan but today is the day I get serious and drop the diet soda.

Breakfast will be Portobello mushroom with cheese, lunch chicken thigh and Brussel sprouts and dinner BBQ chicken with leeks maybe.

DontGetEvenGetEverything · 09/01/2023 05:55

💕 Let's do this!! (Australia already in full Bootcamp mode!)

Lalalalalaaaa · 09/01/2023 05:57

@DontGetEvenGetEverything - you beat me in timezones!

Rayna37 · 09/01/2023 06:32

Can't weigh until tomorrow as I'm away disappointingly but at least gives me chance to undo the damage from my birthday weekend- will stay fully on plan for my actual birthday this week!

Scrambled eggs planned for breakfast and I have some Lidl rollitos and mini cucumbers with me for lunch. I had limited options for workwear when looking for something for today's meeting so I really need to get on top of this! WFH with just a few trips out meant I hadn't quite realised how lots of things no longer fitted or just looked awful!

Good luck everyone! Driving for hours today so I won't get ALL the water but that doesn't mean you shouldn't Grin

JustAPony · 09/01/2023 06:46

Thanks so much for this,hopefully the kick up the bum I need.
Have just mucked out the horses (daily exercise!) and now enjoying my mushroom omelette. Felt strange cooking with a big dollop of butter when starting a diet but it tastes really good!

MuthaHubbard · 09/01/2023 06:59

Weighed 😮🙄and recorded. Hard boiled eggs on the go as don't normally do breakfast and two glasses of water down. Tuna salad planned for lunch and steak for tea

TheMagicSword · 09/01/2023 07:09

Morning all, weighed in and just attempting to persuade my phone to operate the spreadsheet properly. Waking up with an espresso, will start on the water imminently!

As someone behind one of the higher numbers on the spreadsheet, please don’t anyone worry too much - we’re all here to get control of our weight, no one is judgemental. But putting 100 and taking the weight off is a good way to track too.

My food plan for today:
B - eggs, bacon, spinach, butter
L - salad, halloumi, cardini Caesar dressing
D - salmon and pile of veg, cooked in butter

NotDonna · 09/01/2023 07:11

Morning!
formatting of the spreadsheet weigh in is really weird for me using both links. I can’t move it see my name etc. What am I doing wrong?

Jan 2023 Low Carb Bootcamp - Week 1!
Backstreets · 09/01/2023 07:17

That's weird @NotDonna - maybe try a different browser?

Anyway, god, Christmas with first the family and then new year's with a bunch of Italians has done me no favors. Feel like I'm showing up at the AA meeting with a lampshade on my head, hugging a traffic cone. Time for a massive glass of water and a fried egg.

Jollyholibobs · 09/01/2023 07:20

@NotDonna you are line 108 click in the cell and you should be able to scroll across. Are you on a phone? Me too and it looks like this for me too but if I click on the cell I can scroll it across and see my name. Hope that helps.

Jollyholibobs · 09/01/2023 07:26

Thanks for doing this @BIWI and @finallyhere I’ve weighed and am on the spreadsheet . It’s a big birthday this year and feeling motivated to enter a new decade in better shape. Exciting. Next few weekends are birthdays or holidays but I won’t let that divert me.