Week 4 - Low Carb Bootcamp - Keep on keeping on

[StuntNun]

Helloooo! StuntNun here filling in for the lovely and dedicated BIWI who is off on her hols. So how are you all getting on? I'm sure lots of us are seeing the scales go in the right direction fingers tightly crossed for a pound off myself this week but please don't worry if the scales aren't budging, it's pretty common for there to be a weight loss 'pause' as your body adapts to a low carb diet. Please post your progress and say whether you're continuing on Bootcamp or Bootcamp Light. And if anyone has any questions please ask as it's great to get into the science behind low carbing so we have some ammunition against accusations of being on a fad diet.

As always, the rules are on the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness and you can track your weight on the cunningly named Weight Tracker.

By way of inspiration I've put together some info on how we got into this mess in the first place...

Why do we gain weight?

Before I started low carbing I wondered about squirrels. Yep, squirrels. I've never seen a fat squirrel, have you? But squirrels, as I'm sure you know, hoard up huge quantities of nuts and seeds and store them in little caches all over the place. So why don't they eat them all? I assume squirrels like nuts and seeds and yet they manage to resist the urge to stuff their admittedly cute little faces until their food is all gone. Humans on the other hand... humans are rubbish. We eat too much, we know we eat too much, we feel bad because we eat too much, and yet we keep doing it. So why are we so rubbish compared to squirrels? The paleo/primal nutters like me community will tell you that it's because we're eating a diet that is too different from the diet we evolved to eat and that the biggest problem of all is too much carbohydrate.

When you eat a carbohydrate-rich meal, your body releases the hormone insulin to signal the muscles and liver to store carbohydrate. On a conventional diet, however, our muscles and liver are constantly kept at full capacity. Since these glycogen stores are permanently full, any glucose that can't immediately be used by the body is stored as fat. Another action of insulin is to shut down the release of fat from our fat cells so our own fat stores become inaccessible. Then when we get hungry again we eat yet more carbohydrate and the process starts again, more and more glucose is stored as fat and the weight piles on. Worse still, the constant bombardment of our muscles and liver with insulin when their glycogen stores are already full causes them to become less sensitive to the effect of insulin, or insulin resistant. The pancreas responds by releasing more and more insulin and our blood sugar levels start to drop too low as the body frantically clears glucose into its fat stores. Eventually we find we are hungry all the time, starving only two hours after we last ate. And because our blood sugar levels are low, what do we crave? Yet more carbs. So we end up trapped in a viscous cycle of carb addiction, hunger and weight gain while our ever more ample fat stores are unusable.

Hopefully this has described the process by which the weight creeps on. In next week's thread I'll put together some info on how a low carb diet reverses this process, allowing us to use up our fat stores and achieve the weight we want to be at the same time as improving our health and our energy levels and reducing our risk of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Good luck all for the coming week. Onwards and downwards!

[Best1sWest]

My weekly weigh in should be tomorrow but I am going to record today's as it's 3.5lbs off. This is great as I only lost 1.5 lbs in the first two weeks of BC. I'm sticking to Bootcamp too.

[JaneParker]

I chose not to go on the chart but am doing pretty well now. 1 - 2 pounds off this week (10 stone 2 today - interim goal of more lost by our holiday in mid July). The following seems to have helped:

Bigger gaps between eating (in a loose sense intermittent fasting) - basically eating less - later breakfast

Gelatin (Great Lakes unflavoured gelatin from Amazon) - 2 tablespoons a day although I have some broth ordered from laverstokepark.co.uk along with some meat which will be a more natural way of getting more gelatin. (Don't have time/patience to buy bones from the butcher and make own stuff)

[teawithlemon]

Well. Just under a pound down, know it's not dehydration as I drank nigh on 3L yesterday. Better than expected! Congrats to everyone else, have a good day!

[readyforno2]

Just checking in so I don't lose the thread. Have been a bit AWOL over the weekend but finally went to the doctors and it turns out I'm recovering from tonsilitis.
Definitely nothing to do with the diet!!
Well done to the losers. Will try to make it along to the personal trainer tomorrow as that's where I've been weighing myself and would prefer to stuck to the same scales.

[glenthebattleostrich]

Morning everyone, well done to those who've lost and keep going those of us who've put on or maintained.

I'm quite pleased with my maintain, pmt last week - munched through haribo and lots of wine.

A family christening yesterday, avoided most of the buffet so just had some prawns, cheese and pickles. Then a visit to MIL who I'm quite concerned about. She forgot our entire conversation on Friday about no bread or cake. I said I'd provide tea and had bought lots of bread and a huge cheesecake. She genuinely was confused :-( but won't go see a doctor.

[rubybricks]

morning everyone - thanks for the new thread stuntnun!

i'm down another couple of pounds which is a bit of a miracle, i've been so good up til now but for some reason have just completely set out to self sabotage this weekend - there has been wine and chocolate - there was no need for either will haul my sorry backside over to the other thread presently...

back on bootcamp, no lite for me, just want to get back into ketosis but don't expect to see any more movement on the scales this week.

[Notsoskinnyminny]

STS this week. Hoping to be able to post a bit more as its half term, although I'm still working anyone who thinks a school office job is a cushy number should try a day in my shoes catching up on things that don't get done in term time due to constant interruptions - I should be 6 stone with all the running around delivering forgotten PE kits/packed lunches

Stunt thanks for the advice especially yesterdays about the percentage of fat/carbs/protein, I've reduced portion sizes but need to look at my ratios if I'm to shift this last 1/2 stone, I'm fed up losing and gaining the same 2lbs.

Lamb shank in the slowcooker and must get of MN and tackle coursework on time management thats due in next week.

[Suzymoo09]

Well one pound up this week. I am cross with myself - I lost 2 when weighed on Friday, felt fantastice, came out the house & a neighbour exclaimed "Wow you've lost loads of weight, how did you do it?....blah blah" - felt so pround of myself - became lax over the w/e and now I'm 3 pounds heavier than Friday!!!!!

There's a lesson there somewhere - must remain level headed and keep plodding on no matter what.

Well done those who have lost and commiserations to those who haven't - know how you feel.

[lowcarbforthewin]

Thank you Stunt. I have sat here going over everything I've eaten and whether I really feel slimmer and whether I could have done better but without a doubt I have had a good week and do look thinner. It'd definitely coming off. The only things I could have changed was not have eaten the cauli pizza which maybe had a higher carb count than I thought, and ditch fruit altogether, but having ditched dairy I just don't think that's sustainable for me.

I had a look at a site which works out your ideal macros, and I've been putting in today's meals into my fitness pal, which I've never done before and they're actually pretty spot on in which is fascinating. I think some days I'm not getting enough fat and a little too much protein and my carbs could be a few grams lower, but generally I'm doing well.

Just have to ditch the scales for a bit, I think.

[harderthanitlooks]

Hello, another 1lb down although my midweek sneaky creep on the scales showed a 3lb loss but never mind. I tend to loose 'size' instead of weight, my work uniform is getting looser again thank goodness. I'm down from 226lb to 218lb so its the right direction!

[trashcanjunkie]

Morning guys - some great losses, and a big ol' hug for those diligently following the rules and feeling stuck/gaining. If anyone was on the previous thread they may remember how long I sts gained half a stone ...nearly two months at the start... which was practically the entire fucking bootcamp. Then I had an enormous six pound whoosh, and I was off! Fast forward to now and I'm almost at the two stone mark. I still have 3 4 at least to go, but in essence, I'm almost halfway -a third of the way-- there! And they real joy is, it's not like a diet... I know we all keep banging on about that, but one of the things I felt strongly last bc was that the more you do this WOE the more 'fluent' you become... 'carbinating' becomes second nature, and the thought of going 'off piste' becomes repulsive as I associate it with feeling sluggish, and getting a sore/bloated tummy. The water aspect I found the most difficult, but even that has become ingrained.

I am definitely on the mend from my bout of food poisoning. I will confess that in the past I have wished for a bug to help with weightloss I can safely say, I don't recommend it - it's been hell. Worse than anything I've known, and such a slow drawn out recovery. I'm nearly convinced it's moved into my spine - but dp reckons I've just been on my arse for too long (results tomorrow, fingers crossed)

Hissy really don't fret about the short term - there are a core of us sticking with bc through and beyond the end and into the next one. Big love to you and your little man xxx

I will stick mainly to bc but have berries in my yoghurt and ff milk up to twice per day in tea. That's it though - no other digressions. It works for me and I still lose. Others may not tolerate the same so find your limits. This means I have a longevity and can really keep on keeping on relentlessly. I too must beware of cauliflower and broccoli. I can over eat on those bastards. I mainly stick to dark green or dark red/purple veg (from the allowed list) with occasional courgette-ness

Thanks stunt for excellent posts, the graph really puts things into perspective, and for the new thread.

Am eating actual foods again now - so can post a menu

B - yog
L - steak pie 'innards' and green veg
D - Lamb shank and green veg

I avoid snacks if possible as they can stall me.

Obviously at least 3 litres of water (often more, that's a minimum)

[Thumbwitch]

Marking my place and might do the weigh in tomorrow morning - weekend just too fraught with sick child, everything went out the window. :(

[SirNoel]

Glad to hear you're finally on the mend trash, that shit sounded hardcore

1lb off here today

[Ohwhatfuckeryisthis]

Hijacking, but Glen, could she have a water infection? I was convinced several times that my dm had Alzheimer's/a stroke. Few days antibiotics (and drinking lots, she was a bugger for only drinking tea).
So what to make today? Dd has friend over, so they want crap. Got lots of chicken left, so think some type of salad is in irder.then make stock with carcass.(it's not a magic chicken though)

[StuntNun]

That's the thing about the rules Lowcarbforthewin, if you follow them then your macros will end up pretty much correct without having to weigh everything.

That was a long time with no weight loss Trash. Your body must have been healing from something before you could lose weight. Could there have been something like insulin resistance or a thyroid issue, or metabolic stress from previous diets?

[antimatter]

I am looking at fitness pal
How do you change settings to have output in %?

Besides it gave me goal of 1200 calories! Can I change that?

Or are you using some other tool to track % of fat,carbs and protein in your diet?

[lowcarbforthewin]

Trash your story is really inspiring, sorry you've had such a horrible time with food poisoning. I once lost 6 pounds in 2 days from norovirus. It was utter hell, definitely not a good way of dieting.

I am going to make some fat bombs and maybe have one for breakfast the odd time as others stick to having BPC (can't stand coffee). I really don't want to start playing around with what I'm eating but it would up my fat and enable me to eat less fruit. They look delicious.

Well done everyone on your losses.

[SirNoel]

antimatter you go to Home> settings> goals> change goals I think. There's a page where it asks you if you want to use the default goals or custom goals- tick custom goals. You can change your %'s and your calories etc

I log everything via MFP, I find it really useful

[antimatter]

thanks SirNoel! thats what I wanted

[ImSoOverIt]

Marking place. On my way out but will be back later.

[antimatter]

lowcarbforthewin - I like snacking on butter and I think this helps me from being hungry

but that's not scientific reasoning at all

are we aiming at ratio:
60%fat
20%protein
20%carbs

in this WOE?

[LittleMissDisorganized]

Hi everyone,
I just ignore the goals on MFP and laugh at it getting cross with me!!
I have wondered can you do %calories from rather than grams of things but I don't know, I tend to go from my ballpark figure of 1g carbs = 4cal, 1g protein =4cal, 1g fat=9cal and 1g ethanol=16cal. Why I remember that all these years on I don't know, probably because the numbers are squares (most of my mildly autistic traits have to do with numbers and how I relate to them!)

Well done to all the losers - a good week really considering it's week 3. IF you are following the rules, and you have a BMI above say 28, no major health problems, you don't need to count stuff, worry about portion sizes, or change anything - you WILL lose weight, even if you haven't lost this week. I really believe that is true (tho maybe sleep deprivation can stall people in that category in it's own right, I'd not be surprised!)

I've gained 3/4lb after last week's whoosh of 2.75 - which is odd but the average is still 1lb a week and I do think it goes like that.
I also had a proper bleed the last 4 days - though I know it happens, this has come over 4 months into LCing. Although I've never had a Mirena keep me completely bleed free for more than 3 years so maybe the two are combining. That could account for the slight gain if I've got breakthrough hormones. Anyway, it's fine. As, I'm just about to butterfly and marinade a leg of lamb to barbecue for tonight's tea, then off with my friend and her children to the park for the afternoon now the weather's finally cheered up. Feel very lucky :)

[Hissy]

Thanks trash some mornings i've accepted toast, but then i've not eaten anything else all day. I can't wait to get back onto LC, and will go back on BC.

To begin with though, LC feels so 'self-absorbed' somehow as it's all fabulous/extravagant flavours and ingredients I think, and I just can't be in that frame of mind when DS has been suffering so much. I know that's guilt based, and I've been existing as a result these past 8 days, life on hold. when he's home, i'll be more able to be in a routine that's not so artificial, and more restorative for us both.

I miss Bacon! :) have some awesome lamb sausages waiting for us in the freezer!

Nurses here told me that I couldn't do 24hour care. But what they didn't know is that life's inadvertently prepared me well for being holed up in a small room for an extended period of time, I spent 3yrs in a shithole of a country, with an angry man indoors, and despicable citizens outdoors.

even so, it's been hard, mentally exhausting. Now he's on the mend, we don't have the hourly observations, so can get more sleep.

I'll possibly find out tomorrow when we're going home.

I'm so glad you're recovering, take things easy and you'll get there! Get some vitamins and minerals down you!

[CQ]

Afternoon all, congratulations on some good losses again this week. And to those of you who can feel the loss even if the scales disagree.

I've lost a modest 0.2 lbs this week, but it's still a loss. I've started using the True Weight app and it's great to see the downward trend even when my daily weight is up and down.

I have found this really easy to stick to so far, my indulgences have been deliberate and mindful rather than a blind binge so I feel in control and happy with the way it's going. As you said, LMD, with a BMI of 32.9 I know I can be a little lax at the moment with portion sizes, and I do have several cups of tea/coffee with milk each day, but I'm conscious that these may have to be reined in at some point. But I have also been surprised at how full I feel after some meals that previously I would have snarfed down and been looking for seconds & dessert.

Glad to hear DS is on the mend Hissy, fingers crossed for some news tomorrow about going home. Get as much sleep as you can, but I know how hard it is in hospital - so uncomfortable and noisy.

[IWillIfHeWill]

Still in - ish. Haven't lost anything, in fact, have gained a few pounds but... things are changing.
Used to be I couldn't walk upstairs without holding on. Bad days saw me hauling myself up by pulling on the rail rather than actually walking. From the end of last week I can just walk up stairs like anyone else. This is a ridiculous joy which you can't imagine unless you've been unable to do it! There are other health benefits too, which make me less disgusted with myself but to go into them would be distasteful for the reader.
I want to lose more weight, I hope I get that right soon, but the other things are making it worthwhile to carry on.