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Low-carb bootcamp

Week 3 - Low Carb Bootcamp - the hard work is over!

418 replies

BIWI · 19/05/2014 07:07

Morning all!

Well done everyone for getting through the first two weeks. Still a bit of carb flu around by the sound of it though. Remember it's really important to keep your electrolyte levels up, with all the water that we're drinking. This means plenty of salt!

I know we're all told to keep the salt down, but it's (yet another) thing when you're low carbing that runs counter to expectations. Cook with it, and put it on your food.

Here's a really good post about salt and why we need it

As well as sodium, we also need magnesium and potassium - salmon, spinach, avocado and (full fat) natural yoghurt are all good.

Bootcamp Light

So now, if you want to, you can move on to Bootcamp Light. The rules for this are on the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

(Oh, and don't forget [[www.mumsnet.com/bootcamp the Weight Tracker as well)

Essentially the differences are that you can, if you want, start to skip breakfast if you're not hungry - I know that lots of people have problems with eating first thing. By now you should have stabilised your blood sugar levels, so if you're not hungry in the morning (or at any other time of the day) you don't have to force yourself to eat. Just make sure you don't end up ravenous later on and without anything appropriately low carb to eat!

You can introduce some fruit - berries or rhubarb only (although bear in mind that rhubarb will need to be sweetened, which will mean using an artificial sweetener; stevia is probably the best one to use - brands are PureVia or Truvia.) But be careful not to go mad - it's an occasional thing, and in moderation!

Similarly with nuts and seeds. These can be introduced now as snacks, but go easy. They can quickly add lots of carbs to your diet. Almonds and macadamias are the lowest in carbs. And if in doubt, check the carb count on the back of the packet

And you can also introduce alcohol, but with the same warnings about moderation! Spirits like vodka and gin are the best, as these are low carb - drink them with sparkling water or - if you have to - slimline tonic. Champagne, dry white and red wine are allowed, but these do have carbs, so go easy.

The week 3 (or 4, or 5) stall

PLEASE NOTE! IT IS VERY, VERY COMMON FOR WEIGHT LOSS TO STOP ALTOGETHER AT THIS POINT.

This is to do with your body switching from carb-burning to fat-burning - StuntNun posted a really good post about this last week, I think, and I'll ask her to re-post. It is entirely normal and doesn't signal that you're doing anything wrong.

However - you may feel, knowing this, that you want to stay on Bootcamp for a bit longer. There is no problem doing that, as long as you are getting your carbs from vegetables and salad. You may want to consider doing Bootcamp during the week and Bootcamp Light at the weekend.

So good luck everyone! Here's to another good week Flowers

OP posts:
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HolgerDanske · 19/05/2014 07:10

Dammit I keep forgetting the chat threads renew every week :-)

148.3 Modest, but in the right direction.

Hope you all have a great week!

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F1onajb · 19/05/2014 07:12

2lbs lost :) very happy. Thanks BIWI and everyone else for your support.

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NeverHadANickname · 19/05/2014 07:14

Well I haven't lost anything since last week. I had lost 4lb up until Friday night then it has gone back on over the weekend. I'm going to keep an eye on this over the next couple of weeks to see if it is fluctuations (although 4lb is a lot) or if it's a weekend thing. I knew weekends would be hardest but I haven't cheated once so I'll need to look at things like water which I know I probably let slip a bit on a weekend.

Keep sticking at it everyone, sounds like this week end next might be hard going if people stop losing. I'm going to stick at bootcamp at least until the weekend and after that if I can.

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StuntNun · 19/05/2014 07:19

One pound down so far this Bootcamp and I'm very happy with that.

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StuntNun · 19/05/2014 07:26

The Week Three Stall

The dreaded week three stall doesn't happen to everyone when starting a low carb diet but it is very common. The best thing is to keep doing what you've been doing, and the scales will start moving again, usually by week five.

During the first couple of weeks of your low carb diet a number of things have occurred. You have depleted the glycogen stores in your liver and along with the weight of glycogen lost, you have lost three or four times that weight in water. You have also been using up your fat stores. So if you have lost 10 lb then approximately two of that is glycogen, seven of water and one of fat stores. By using up your glycogen store you have forced your body to turn to other sources of energy. Your body has been producing new enzymes to process the different diet and your brain and muscles have adapted to using ketones instead of glucose.

At three weeks your body has adapted to the new diet and your metabolism has changed from carb-burning to fat-burning. Your muscles have switched over to burning the free fatty acids that are continually released from your fat cells when insulin levels are low. But don't think you can rapidly lose a few pounds and your body isn't going to notice! Since you have also lost a lot of water your body releases a hormone (vasopressin antidiuretic hormone if you want to be precise) which is usually released during dehydration. This causes your body to retain water. So while you are still burning fat, maybe half a pound up to two pounds a week, your body is hanging on to water and this will mask the loss of your fat stores. One way of helping is to keep drinking lots of water. Once your body recognises that it isn't dehydrated the hormone levels go back to normal, the retained water whooshes away and the scales start moving again.

Just to reiterate, a stall in weight loss in weeks three and four is normal, expected, and you are still using up your fat stores even if the number on the scales isn't changing.

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lookingforhope · 19/05/2014 07:28

1lb on here, so 145.5lb

Still 3lb down though. Meal out on Thursday didn't help, though I wasn't too bad and swerved a lot of the carbs, but when I ate the double cream it was packed with sugar - ugh.

Measurements still down though since the start. Am going to stick on bootcamp with Horse and Glen. (and maybe stay off the cheese) On train to London - packed - wondering how offensive it would be to eat my boiled eggs and chicken slices - not to mention weird!

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antimatter · 19/05/2014 07:29

I shall stay on the same rules and won't go light, i only lost 1 pound this week. I think I indulged in snacking on butter with salt which is yummy.

I am slow at loosing weight and if I was to add fruit and skip breakfast I feel I will stall for good Grin

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emmoB13 · 19/05/2014 07:32

Can we skip lunch instead of breakfast? With a little one i tend do to be busy in the afternoon and forget to eat! Only a pound down this week, going to stick on bootcamp too for another week at least. It's my birthday at the weekend so i'll wait and treat myself to some strawberries and cream then!

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Suzymoo09 · 19/05/2014 07:33

Good morning

1/2 pound off - so back to weight I ended with on previous BC! seem to be losing 1/2 each week so hoping to be 9.5 st by my 50th birthday at end of June. I am small, so really should be below 9st - getting closer but my it's slow to come off!

Good luck this week everyone - happy chatting

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CQ · 19/05/2014 07:34

Another 2 lbs off for me this week Grin

People are starting to comment and I feel so much more energised. I have been rattling through my 'to-do' list this weekend and got LOADS done. So I'm happy with the while WOE, not just the weight loss.

My DH has been away with work since Easter and he comes back next Friday so I'm going to carry on with BC until then. I like the idea of BC during the week and BC lite at weekends.

Hoping I don't stall too much……

Thanks for that comprehensive post, Stuntnun, and thanks as ever to BIWI for making it all happen Thanks

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SirNoel · 19/05/2014 07:36

Good morning everyone

4lb off for me

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CQ · 19/05/2014 07:36

*whole, not while. Too early.

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CQ · 19/05/2014 07:36

Impressive SirNoel Grin

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readyforno2 · 19/05/2014 07:37

Just signing in. Will weigh tomorrow as I started on the Tuesday. I think I might stick to boot camp and possibly boot camp light at the weekend.
Well done fellow campers!

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calzone · 19/05/2014 07:38

Morning!

Just marking my place here.Smile

Warm and sunny start so enjoy your day!

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HolgerDanske · 19/05/2014 07:39

antimatter it's not due to overindulging on butter! Don't start cutting back on fats...

I'm staying on boot camp as well, will probably do so for at least another four weeks. Maybe. If I can stick with it. Otherwise I might b c lite at weekends. But for now I'm sticking with it.

Today I will have some kind of omelette for breakfast, I think, or maybe pork sausages. Don't know about lunch yet, will wander down to town later and see what I come upon.

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Seri77 · 19/05/2014 07:44

Well done those who have lost.

I can't weigh until tomorrow which is probably a good thing as I've felt really bloated and heavy all weekend. TOTM not due but suspect that I ingested more carbs than I thought during two lunches out last Thursday & Friday. It's also difficult to drink enough water at work.

Plan: continue on bootcamp proper this week, minimal cheese. Mushroom omelette for breakfast. Salmon and salad for lunch today and chicken with leeks for dinner. Olives if I need a snack.

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IWillIfHeWill · 19/05/2014 07:44

Hmm. Still here. After my glorious one stone loss in the first week, I have lost nothing at all in the second. But I think that's fair, even though its not as much fun as sudden and impressive weight loss. I'm going to look at 'light' but might try to stick with the current w o e.

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antimatter · 19/05/2014 07:51

HolgerDanske - you don't know how much of it I ate Grin

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SayraT · 19/05/2014 07:54

Just signing in Grin Lovely morning here, hope you've all got a nice day too.

I weighed in this morning at 1lb down (was 3lbs down midweek but I just record my actual weight, those other lbs will come off at some point) so very pleased. I am heading in the right directions and I think that I might now be the lightest I have been for a long time Grin Thanks BIWI Flowers

I just wish someone would notice, at work the other day people were talking about other people they know who have lost weight and how you could see a difference. I wanted to shout "I've lost more than 1.5 stone...notice me!! Grin" But I didn't. My aim is for the end of June when I will see friends I haven't seen since last year to notice that I have lost weight, if they don't it doesn't matter, I can see it!

Food Today

B: Pork sausages, coffee with cream
L: Salmon fillet with salad
D: ?

Hope everyone has good news from the scales today but if you don't try not be be disheartened. Keep on, keeping on and it will come off Grin

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HolgerDanske · 19/05/2014 07:57

Fair enough anti Grin

TMI so don't read if you're just about to have breakfast, but I really need to remember to leave time for my body to do its thing in the morning before I weigh - this morning's poo probably would have counted for at least another half pound of weight off...

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SayraT · 19/05/2014 07:59

Oh, I will also be having some of my freshly made yogurt at lunch, it is amazing. So thick and delicious Grin

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alleypalley · 19/05/2014 08:02

I've put on this week, 0.8lb.

I'm going to keep with BC during the week I think and just do BC light at the weekends. I think I over indulged in dairy, cheese, cream and Greek yogurt lady week, so I'll be trying to moderate those this week.

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SirNoel · 19/05/2014 08:02

Thanks cq I'd gained last week, so I think my 4lb is only fair Grin

Well done everyone, have a great day Thanks

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Parsnipcake · 19/05/2014 08:06

I'm not weighing until tomorrow as I forgot this morning and have already had 4 glasses of water!

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