Next Low Carb Bootcamp starts on 5 May!

[BecauseImWoeufIt]

If you're interested in joining us, sign up here. Bootcamp lasts for 10 weeks, and starts with two strict weeks, before you move on to Bootcamp Light for the remaining 8 weeks.

You aren't allowed to eat:

potatoes
pasta
rice/noodles
bread
sugar
flour

And for the first two weeks you can't eat fruit or drink alcohol

The idea behind Bootcamp is that whilst it should be strict (and therefore, hopefully, work!) that it should also be easy - therefore there is no weighing or counting of anything. Just ten rules that you need to follow.

So if you're interested - put your name down here!

Because, as I'm not a medic, nor a scientist, nutritionist or dietician, I don't want someone starting to do Bootcamp who has any kind of medical condition that might be compromised by doing it.

Following a low carb diet affects the impact of hormones, and thus can also interfere with the drugs that people might be taking.

I do not want to be held responsible for a change in someone's condition because they have changed their diet without changing their drug regime!

If you're in good health then there's no problem with low carbing, but if you're taking drugs that affect things like your blood pressure or your thyroid, then it makes sense to talk to the GP first.

I'm in, I've been doing dukan and this will fit in with the next phase

I'm back in! Got a wedding 24th may and have fallen of the wagon.

I also think, BIWI, that even if one was a doctor ;) that the standard advice of checking with your doctor is wise if you have: more than 20% body weight to lose/ BMI over 35; are diabetic managed by diet/ tablets/ insulin; have other metabolic disorders, such as hypo/hyperthyroidism, hyperlipidaemia.

Whether your doctor will be the slightest bit of use/ trot out the standard NHS diet advice/ witter on about cholesterol and saturated fats and statins is another matter (no, yes and yes, probably...) but on the interweb where you have to take responsibility for what advice you take, seeing your doctor remains good advice. It's optional, and as swlondonnanny points out by being a handy case study the vast majority of people will be fine.

Thank you

It is very exciting. I have had success on previous bootcamps (under different names) and am looking forward to this one. I am underway already and have just had some ham and cheese for lunch. Delicious.

People who have followed other diets in the past, esp WW with their fake food and Dukan with the horrid Muller lights, are in for such a treat.

Be prepared to wee like a racehorse though!

I'm in!

Yes, please!

Thank you BIWI and littlemiss I had my share of discussions with NHS dietitian who was trying to prove that if I don't eat bread and cereals my body will be lacking in minerals and vitamins ( so had to have quite a few blood test just to prove her wrong!).
Also I have my thyroid checked at least every 3 months ( or whenever I don't feel 'right') and the medication adjusted if/when needed.
I talked to my GP briefly about my diet when I was anaemic ( lost quite a bit of blood when I miscarried so nothing to do with my diet) and she had now problem with me not eating procesed food / grains and eating vegetables/meat/ oily fishg fruit etc ( just said not to each too much fruit as too sugary/ too many calories etc if I want to loose weight).
I was asking why you recommended to discuss with GP just because I thought there might be some new research proving that hyporthyroid and low carbing don't go together - I noticed that you have loads of knowledge about low carbing and nutrition so genuinely thought there might be something I missed.

Im in! Again!

I'm in again :)

I'm in again too! Without the weekly weigh-ins and the weekly thread to lurk on I've become a bit of a carby twat .

swlondonnanny - the thing is, I don't really have loads of knowledge! It's all based on stuff I've read over the years, as well as my own experience of low carbing. But I'm very aware of my responsibilities in this whole thing, and it would be foolhardy and very irresponsible of me to not warn people that if they are taking long-term medication that they need to check all this out with their GP

swlondonnanny your GP sounds very enlightened! A link I saw on a previous bootcamp is this:

drcate.com/going-low-carb-too-fast-may-trigger-thyroid-troubles-and-hormone-imbalance/

which seems to say - give it a more gradual start if you have thyroid issues, then you avoid becoming a hibernating bear.

just a little hypothyroid shout out to Swlondon. I have followed the last bootcamp while having my thyroxine levels adjusted. I can most definitely say that had I not been following bootcamp & a high fat/low carb way of eating then I would've been in a whole heap of bloated overweight crapness by now. It's so much easier to cope with fatigue, hair loss and rubbish skin when you are prancing about in your first ever pair of size 10 jeans My doctor also had nothing negative to say about this way of eating.

(disclaimer - I'm not a doctor either so check with yours first)

Thank you BIWI & I'm most definitely in for the next bootcamp

Thank you Eva really interesting read

Thank God, so need this!

Count me in. I do follow a reasonably low carb diet but need a push to drop a few more lbs before the summer!

Count me in! Have just been on holiday and the sight of myself in a swimming costume made me want to throw myself off the balcony (though did have a good time!) Will need lots of advice though, especially on what to eat for a quick breakfast when don't have time to make eggs etc before work - ideally need something I can eat at my desk, lunches and dinners not such an issue. Also, two questions - 1) can I have almond milk with protein powder and 2) where can I find the allowed vegetable list?

Thanks - really need to do this!

If you look at the spreadsheet for the last Bootcamp you'll find the allowed veg list on one of the tabs at the bottom

Count me in! I've been low carb for 10 months now and could do with a pre-summer holiday motivating kick up the bum.

Yes, yes, yes I'm in. I've just skimmed the thread so far so apologies if this has been asked already. BIWI I see above you suggest reading up on low carb as a general intro in advance. Are there any particular titles you recommend?

Oh yes!

"Escape the Diet Trap" by Dr John Briffa. A more general book about food/eating, but explains the science behind low carbing really well and is easy to read

"Dr Atkins; The New Diet Revolution" - Atkins' diet is actually quite complicated, but this is a really good book in terms of explaining low carbing, and has some recipes in there as well

"The New High Protein Diet" Dr Charles Clark

"The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Eating" and "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance" by Drs Volek and Phinny. The first of these books was written for the medical profession, so some of the science is a bit involved! The second one was written for people who are seriously into sport - but there's some really interesting stuff here about various pieces of research that they have done into the impact of low carbing

"The Diet Delusion" ("Good Calories Bad Calories" in the US) by Gary Taubes; a massive tome, and a really well researched book. Takes a while to get through, but it's not difficult to read

"Why We Get Fat (and what to do about it)" also by Gary Taubes; a slightly more user-friendly book

That little lot should serve you well!

I'm in please