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

[BIWI]

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

Oh and the supplements issue... I feel so healthy on this diet I don't feel the need. I'm very suspicious of vitamins anyway, I'd rather make some stock at home for things like glucosamine (not that I've managed recently), and since starting this woe I've not had a bug since last October...miraculous for me. I really feel the healthiest I've ever been, my chronic conditions aside.

I am interested in the chromium though; is that the one that helps with cravings? It might be really useful long term. Was a bit worried about the lack of research on it though.

I take a miltivitamin - it's about a tenner for a normal bottle, and I take high dose vitamin d3 in oil solution. I've just ordered some acidophilus to help my traumatised guts, and whilst browsing I saw spirulina which looked great according to the reviews, so thought I'd give it a whirl. I have been feeling tired and sluggish for quite a long time, so wondered if I'd get an energy boost.

I take multivit/minerals, fish oils and extra vit D3 daily. While I was in the UK over April, I kept forgetting to take them and after a few days, my knees completely stiffened up! I'd forgotten until it happened, but it was just like when I was in my mid 30s, and I started to wake up with stiff knees that would take a while to ease off. Then when I was TTC I started taking Pregnacare and Mum Omega fish oils, and I've basically been taking them ever since (through pg, bf'ing, ttc again, pg and still bf'ing DS2) except when I forget. It gave me the hint that they do actually do something!

I actually take 4,000IU vit D a day - I am low in vit D if I don't take the extra, and because I'm bf'ing, it can drop even further. Plus it's very difficult to OD on vit D (I think it gets toxic around 40,000IU/d, so 10 times what I'm taking) - and it's beneficial for the immune system as well as bone strength and its anti-cancer properties.

Urgh I have really struggled today. Meals have been fine but bored of salad now. But ate dark cooking chocolate when potty training toddler decided to push newly standing baby into the wall banging her head!

Cleaning up wee and a screaming baby pushed me off the wagon. I feel crap now though.

Where's the big stick? I need it

So so thirsty all the time today must need salt so have had salmon for tea

B - 2 eggs in butter with some ham
L - chicken breast cooked in butter and Chinese 5 spice, salad and mayo
D - 'interesting' concoction of leeks fried in butter, tin of pink salmon thrown and a little grated cheddar over the top

Hope you've all had a good day. Still stuck on the scales here too but battling on

Salmon won't give you salt! Add salt or drink some boiling water with Oxo/Marmite/Bovril

Oh ok, I'm sure I read that if you need salt eat salmon, cheers I'll drink an oxo now x

Actually I've just had a packet of sea salted pork scratchings, much nicer!

Not doing very well on my uber bootcamp as had to go to a work thing lunchtime. The menu was limited and I did ok for the main which was salmon and green vegetables but the starter was Tom Yam soup. Very light but no idea how carby it was. Came home and DH had done gammon and eggs as he couldn't face making burgers. I'm really hungry now though which I haven't been yet.

I'm still a little bit eating out of habit, or fear of hunger rather than actual hunger. It's definitely getting better though, and I'm getting more controlled with portion size.

I just had a bit of a cleaning frenzy in the kitchen. I can't believe how much crap I found in my cupboards, meal replacement shakes and bars, slimming pills of many varieties, acai, raspberry extract, green coffee beans, stuff that's supposed to stop you absorbing fat. Basically anything that is essentially labelled 'we can sell you anything because we know how desperate you are'. They are all now in the bin!!

I've just had a yummy dinner of fried prawns and chorizo with aubergine and courgette fried on butter.

Have a great holiday Biwi

Thumb I've decided today that I'm basically illiterate and unable to string a meaningful sentence together . The thing is, it all makes sense in my head! Love the idea of the secret wheat ban. He's as thin as a rake with chronic diarrhoea, there's got to be something wrong with him!

Re: supplements, I take a multivitamin, fish oils and I sometimes add in magnesium or potassium if I've been peeing a lot. I've been meaning to sort out some vitamin D but haven't got around to it yet.

Today:
B: BPC

L: coleslaw and chorizo and olives

D: cooked "shit in a pan" as we used to know it at uni - otherwise known as "do something with the random stuff from the fridge". I roasted celeriac, aubergine, leek and shallot with lots of oil and added sumac, cinnamon, cumin and garlic umami paste. I mixed it up with some leftover roast pork that I'd fried until it was crispy and it was the best thing I've eaten all week!

I could do with some help for dairy-free flavour- I'm getting really bored of olives and I need to break my processed meat addiction. I've never been a meat and veg person and I'm not terribly bothered about lamb or beef so I'm struggling a bit for variety.

My favourite dairy-free meals, if it helps anyone:

Streaky bacon with avocado
Indian scrambled eggs from the IPD cookbook
Shit-in-a-pan as above
Coconut chilli chicken from the recipe thread
Sausages and coleslaw
Butter chicken
Chicken thighs in Moroccan spice rub
Shit-in-a-pie-dish (mince based pie, normally with celeriac)
Celeriac chips because they rock.

Have a fab holiday BIWI

Trash all that talk of shit in my post and I never once said that I hope your bum feels better soon!

Sarah Beeny it gets so boring without the dairy, right? Snack wise I mean.

I love pesto (handmade, you can leave the cheese out). Also lots of Moroccan spices, but I see you use those already. Your shit in a pan sounds amazing.
This morning I've had smoked sausage, that was a real treat.
Lots of fruit teas.
I adore roast duck.
I think I need to go through my recipe books; it's so important to keep trying new things.

Hello

Just coming on quickly to say hello, I've been away for a work thingy and got back last night. Will catch up on the tread later but I see that someone managed to update the spreadsheet for you spamm

Work event was a bit shit for LC eating, we were originally going in two vehicles so I thought I could sneak off and buy LC lunches etc but it wasn't possible with the hours we had to do . Then eating carbs makes you more hungry so you eat more. I am armed today with LC snacks in case the hunger comes on but back on the wagon I go.

Hi everyone

Not a great couple of days. Has 2 small bags of haribo, gin and tonic, cocktail and bottle of wine and a kebab. Oh and mainlining diet pepsi. Dd gave up sleeping and I was just so tired.

Will be very strict over the weekend and get back on track.

Today so far I've had some Greek yogurt and a cup of tea with cream.

Lunch will be chicken, cucumber and tomato wrapped in lettuce.

Tea I have some black farmer sausages. Probably have scrambled eggs and mushrooms with them.

Snack if I need one peperami

And lots of water.

Oh dear Glen Clamber back on the wagon and be aware that the carb cravings may clobber you so have some low carb snacks handy and don't let yourself get to hungry. I find that it's two days after the carbfest that the cravings are at the worst. And everybody chant: DRINK MORE WATER!

morning all
like you alleypalley i find i am still snacking out of habit, also when i'm tired. last night it was 85% dark chocolate, and rather more than 2 squares . need to just learn to go to bed earlier!

breakfast was FF greek yoghurt, cream and coconut cream with a coffee cream on the side (too much dairy), lunch will be a salad, not sure yet about dinner but i love the idea of shit in a pan...

off to chug some water now, hope everyone has a good day

Ruby my cure for late night snacking is to have an afternoon snack. That seems to carry me through to the next day without those evening nibbles.

Morning everyone
Hissy thinking of you, hope the night was ok and ds is as settled as possible.

Biwi have a fab holiday, sticks would take up too much of your baggage allowance.

Minty I'm staying on bootcamp too, managed to dodge the carb fest that is the cinema last night and sat with a sparking water. So unlike me and I didn't feel that I was missing out, just didn't care - weird.

Even weirder as this morning TOTM arrived, none of the usual fanfare of foul moods, cravings or pain.
Eczema which has been horrific has gone and I can't work out if it's the water or maybe wheat. Always thought there was a dairy connection but as I'm eating cheese and cream I'm sure it's not that.

Enjoy the long weekend everyone

Just checking in ..... I know it's not really done on MN - but this pic made me chuckle and think of ..... Erm ..... Who is having a 'shit storm' at present ?? ( not chemically induced I know ....) but trash - how's your shit storm darling ?
On a theme ....
Liking ShitInaPan - beeny I think this could be the new dolphin pose .
I have random veg leftover from the weeks meals in the fridge .... So will try SIP !
Can't super post as phone not up to it but waving hello and great news alley on binning the bastard marketing peoples wares .....

Roaring did you drink milk before this woe? That might account for the eczema improvement. I'm sure lots of water helps all kinds of skin complaints too.

Thanks all, things are improving, talk of leaving next week. Tues/Weds perhaps.

So I wanted to ask; doing this woe do people struggle emotionally?

I wasn't when I was eating dairy, but now I've cut that out I guess I feel really deprived and it reveals a massive thing for me. Basically that I comfort eat to deal with things in my life. Everytime I diet strictly, this happens, I feel like a crutch has been taken away and I really struggle to cope. I have booked a session with a counsellor and I know I need to find alternative ways of coping but it's a really difficult situation right now.

It's not like I was eating lots when I was comfort eating, a little chocolate here, some sweets there, a scone of some nice bread perhaps. Just everyday I think I used to eat something Carby which was emotionally satisfying.

Glad things are improving Hissy