Bootcamp - the questions thread

[BIWI]

From experience of past Bootcamps, in the first few weeks the chat threads move really, really quickly and it's difficult sometimes to see/answer everything.

So this is a place to post any questions that you might have. Those of us who are old hands at low carbing will check this thread regularly and make sure that we answer you as soon as we can.

[TooSpotty]

Biwi, thanks. I don't eat potato at all now, or squash or new potato very much. But we eat lots and lots of leafy green veg - kale, spinach, chard, cabbage etc - so I quail a bit at losing them.

[BIWI]

No need to lose them at all, TooSpotty! They are all fine.

[TooSpotty]

Hurray.

Once my Whole30 is over, I'm coming to bootcamp.

[BIWI]

Next Bootcamp is only a 5 week one, and it will start on 21/7, if you're interested!

[TooSpotty]

Ah, that overlaps with my Whole 30. I may let myself have some wine on holiday and join you guys in the autumn then. To be honest, the main difference that bootcamp will make to my diet is upping the fat, so I may do my own for a bit and then jump on board.

[BIWI]

Fair enough!

[DalmationStripe]

I'm not part of the official boot camp so I hope you don't mind me posting here. I started low carbing Yesterday.

I've woken up with carb flu and just wondering if it's meant to be this bad!

I can't stop shaking. I've got no energy, I can just about walk, but it's a struggle and I can't pick the baby up I'm sweating like mad and I feel like I'm going to throw up. I've got work tonight (waitress) and I literally don't know how I'm going to manage. I'm not exaggerating when I say I'm not going to be able to carry the heavy plates to the tables.

[BIWI]

Sorry not to see this yesterday, Dalmation - and I hope you managed to get through your shift.

Tips for dealing with carb flu:

• eat plenty of fat
  
• drink plenty of water
  
• you need salt - add to your food/cook with it, and try a drink made with boiling water and an Oxo cube, or Marmite/Bovril
  
• good foods to eat - salmon, spinach, avocado and natural full fat yoghurt
  

It should pass very soon, honestly! Hopefully you'll be feeling much better very soon

[Mrsmorton]

BIWI as the low cab subject matter expert, please please please could you look at my thread on the other low carb thread and help me out?

On the plus side, I just tried my jeans on (not worn them for three weeks) and no muffin top. I just feel a bit drained. Think I need some more salt.

[Treasures]

I have some questions as I'm very new to this and unfortunately don't have time to read through 16 pages of the thread.

1. How many grams of carbs should I be aiming for in total per day?
   
2. When you say 'butter is fine' does that include margarine? I usually use Bertolli, no idea if that is good or not.
   
3. damn, I've forgotten what my 3rd question was

[BIWI]

Treasures - it's impossible to say how many grams you should be aiming for as everyone responds differently. However, as a rough rule of thumb I would say that if you aim for 20-50g a day you should be fine.

Bootcamp has been designed so that you don't need to weigh/count though! Just follow the rules and you should be fine

Butter does not include margarine! Margarine is horrible, processed and artificial stuff. We are aiming to 'eat clean' on Bootcamp, so artificial additives and overly processed foods are not encouraged.

[Treasures]

OK BIWI thank you I had no idea margarine was so bad, I just googled and the first bad thing that came up was about Bertolli, which I normally use. Will convert to butter immediately!

[BIWI]

Here's some interesting reading for you:

What is margarine and why is it bad for you

[Mrsmorton]

I'm in day 12 of induction and I've lost about 5lb which is ace but I am absolutely funking exhausted today.

I usually do some exercise every day but I can't bear the thought of it now. I did cycle for an hour but that's just my commute and very easy. I can barely bring myself to get up to make some food. It's TOTM which maybe isn't helping?

I've done 3l of water already, 2eggs and smoked mackerel for breakfast, tuna mayo with green peppers for lunch and some full fat yoghurt for a snack. This is ok right?

[BIWI]

See tips for dealing with carb flu, above

[NoMoreCarbs]

Long time lurker coming out to seek Low Carb advice. I am on week two of bootcamp and so far am loving this new WOE. Thanks to all for all the info here!

I have been overweight my whole adult life and think this could finally be the way for me.

I feel great. My skin is luminous, I don’t feel hungry, my clothes are looser and I am starting to see the scales go down. I have about 5 stone to lose to get to a healthy BMI.

My problem is that I think I have read too much over the last couple of weeks and have information overload. Now I am worried about not eating enough carbs/eating too much protein. I'm also worried about getting enough fibre? I track on MFP and am not convinced of the accuracy of the data now after what I read about it being a US site.

I was wondering if some of the Low Carb experts here could take a look at two sample days menus and see if I am doing things right.

My questions:

Am I eating enough carbs / too much protein/ how can I get more fibre?

I had a horrendous cold the last few days, which has just disappeared, could this have been Carb Flu?

I have a persistent bad taste in my mouth which won’t go away, no matter how much I brush, can someone tell me if this will eventually lift?

And finally, the thing I am missing most, interestingly, is my diluting juice which I lived on. I am drinking 3-3.5 litres of water every day, but is there anything out there like my old diluting juice I can take? How I miss it so
Thanking you in advance!

Day 1: 3 litres of water

B: Two eggs with butter, Coffee with splash of cream
L: Roast chicken thigh, spinach, broccoli, half philadelphia stir in sauce
S: Tablespoon of peanut butter
D: portion of crustless quiche from recipe thread (leeks, bacon,eggs, cream, cheddar, mushrooms)

Day 2: 3.5 litres water

B: 100g Total, 2 tbs of Flaxseed cream coffee
L: homemade mushroom soup (shallots/mushrooms/veg stock cubes)
S: cream coffee and portion of cheddar
D: ribeye steak,spinach,mushrooms,melted boursin

[miffy49]

The food diary sites are notoriously unreliable as they rely on members to add the food info off packets etc. Given that some members are not the brightest candles on the tree and that food labelling laws vary a lot around the world its not ideal!

Don't panic about too few carbs. Carbs are the only one of the three food groups that you don't need. You need protein for amino acids, you need fat for fat soluble vitamins but carbs have nothing essential. Your body can get the energy it needs from fat and the tiny bit of glucose it needs can be made from protein. Just follow the Boot Camp lists and you will get everything you need to stay healthy without needing to count anything.

The nasty taste is a good sign! Its usually the sign that you are in ketosis and burning fat. Keep up your fluids and it will fade out in a few days as your body gets into the swing of fat burning. The cold could have been carb flu as some people get it later than others but I've noticed an improvement in my immune system so I seem to fight bugs off better.

[NoMoreCarbs]

Thanks miffy that's really helpful, I will not rely on MFP as much and will go over the rules on the Bootcamp lists. Hopefully the acrid taste in my mouth will lift soon!! Thanks again

[dixiejo]

Sorry if this has already been asked (didn't show up in my search) but are the following allowed in the 1st 2 weeks of bootcamp? or even after that?

• dates
• goats chees

I've seen a yummy-looking recipe for aubergine rolls with goats cheese, dates & bacon. If these foods are allowed ill post it on the recipe thread.

[SayraT]

Goats cheese will be fine. I don't think dates are ever fine! Sorry If you find the nutritional info then if the carbs are below 3g/100g then it is fine for BC. A slightly higher carb content is ok for occasional treats.

[dixiejo]

Thanks Sayraht for your help. On the pack of dates in Tesco it was over 20g/100g.....eek!!! I did the recipe without the dates and it still tasted yummy

[Mrsstevejones]

Hi i think i have found an amazing recipe for breakfast or snacks, can anyone let me know if its high fat low carb enough for bootcamp, please. Cant eat eggs and these are yummy without being too eggy.

Ricotta bites
1 cup full fat ricotta
0.5 cup of parmesan
0.5 cup of mozzarella
small pack of bacon lardons - fried off
bit of onion and small chunk of green peppers
Chopped frozen spinach( or broccoli )
clove of garlic
2 large eggs

Mixed up and cooked in muffin tins

These are keeping me on track at the mo

Thanks!

[BIWI]

They sound fine, but try substituting the onions with shallots. They're only 3.9g carbs per 100g, compared with over 7g carbs per 100g for onions