Week 8 - Low Carb Bootcamp - Come on Andy!

[BIWI]

Welcome to week 8 where hopefully the tennis will distract us all from England's performance in the World Cup!

Come and register this week's weigh in on the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness or on your own Weight Tracker

And just a reminder re rule 6 - because I'm a bit of a broken record about telling you all to drink more - here's how much you should be drinking:

6. You must drink a minimum of 2 litres of water per day.

The more weight you have to lose, the more water you should drink. This is from another low carb website

Water is essential to weight loss for those who eat low-carb. The minimum consumed in a day should be:

Your Weight----Litres
140lbs-----2.5
160lbs-----3.0
180lbs-----3.0
200lbs-----3.5
220lbs-----3.5
240lbs-----4.0
260lbs-----4.5
280lbs-----4.5
300lbs-----5.0
320lbs-----5.5
340lbs-----5.5
360lbs-----6.0
380lbs-----6.5
400lbs-----6.5

High levels of ketones in the blood stream can lead to a reduction in ketone production, therefore being well hydrated could aid in keeping the levels low and ketone production ongoing. Consuming enough water can have many other positive side effects: aids your kidneys with the processing of protein, reduces the retention of water, helps with preventing constipation, and reduces the levels of ketones released by your breath, which in-turn will reduce breath odour.

However, drinking a lot of water can mean that you also need to keep an eye on your electrolyte balance. You need to make sure that you are consuming sufficient sodium and potassium. On a low carb diet we can eat more salt, so make sure that you are cooking with salt and adding salt to food, if you like it. Good, low carb, sources of potassium are spinach (raw), avocado, mushrooms, courgettes and asparagus, as well as salmon and yoghurt.

In this hot weather, remember that you will also be sweating a bit more, so you may need to try and squeeze in a little bit more if you possibly can!

Hi Ready. My cycles messed up completely when I first started this woe so I think it's normal. Something like the oestrogen being released from fat cells.

Is there nothing else your craving? The bread and biscuits probably won't taste as good as you think they will, that's what I found anyway and they make be poorly with heartburn and feeling sick. How about plan something really tasty for lunch?

Fluffy - it's not about coming out of ketosis. It's about an increased carb intake making it harder to lose weight/more likely that you'll gain weight.

What are you considering?

I'm craving anything sweet. The kids had a wee brown roll with jam between them after breakfast and it took all of my strength not to devour it myself.
Made butternut squash chips last night in the hope I would trick myself but to no avail.

Actually, I'm craving everything I'm not meant to be eating!

Nothing it's just the science part of me likes to know details and figures.

OK - well the first thing is that you don't have to be in ketosis to lose weight low carbing.

But the difficult thing to know/work out is how many carbs you can eat without gaining weight, because everyone is different. Some people have to keep their carbs very low, others can eat a much carbier diet without gaining weight. You have to work out for yourself what does/doesn't work for you.

I suppose you find out by eating carbs and if you gain weight then you know if its too much.

Yes?

Eventually I'll have a day off that coincides with my local library being open and I can order a book on it.

That's right. It's the foundation of the Atkins Diet actually. You do the first two weeks of induction at 20g carbs per day - and you're supposed to weigh everything and be really strict about the 20g. then after that, you move on to Ongoing Weight Loss, where you gradually increase your carbs - I think by 5g a day - until you reach the point where your weight loss stops and you start to gain.

After that you move on to pre-maintenance, where you keep your carbs at the level where you're losing really slowly - less than a pound a week - and you stay on that phase for a while (from memory I think this is about two months, but I'd have to check that). This is to get you used to the amount of carbs that your body can cope with. And then finally you move on to Maintenance.

I can recommend the Atkins book actually (The New Diet Revolution), as it's a really good explanation of low carbing, and it's worth reading about his approach to it.

If you've ever read any of the Atkins books Fluffy they tell you to drop to 20gr carb for 2wks and then you add back 5 gr a day for a week at a time until you find the point at which you stop losing. In the past I did the old Yudkin diet which was based around 50gr and lost well but these days I am struggling even on 20gr but I guess that's age and health issues! You just have to find your own level.

Just crossed posts with Biwi!

I agree that the Atkins books are a good starting point. Theres massive numbers out there but some are a bit weird and wonderful! Depends how deep you want to go but look out for people like Phinney, Volek and Westermann. They are all reliable sources of info.

And don't forget to have a look at all the resources on the spreadsheet - if you look at the tabs at the bottom you'll see them there

readyforno2 have you really lost 4.5 stone since January?!?!? That's incredible amount in that time.
I have had my Mirena a little over 2 years and since LCing I have started having very light, short periods and I'm sure I'm ovulating... not really noticed cravings/ weight fluctuation...yet...!!! Previously, when I started bleeding past a Mirena 2.5 years in, I had it replaced - I just feel so much better with the amenorrhoea and no pre-menstrual wibbles :)

Supermum get well soon, sounds really awful. Are you drinking and keeping it down ok?

spamm you do brilliantly in such tough situations - amazing! Glad your DS had such a great week - he'll have memories of that forever.

I'm struggling with emotional eating the last couple of days - no great surprise given it's days before back to work and everything changing. I hit 2 years sobriety tomorrow and am not rewarding myself with food, or stuff, just the company of people who care about me. That's real progress, just need to work on accepting myself as I am physically/ weight wise just now - and remind myself I'm doing ok.

Hello sexy ladies..!!
Yes, Thanks to all of you for your very kind words. I am a little better than yesterday, but regarding food, not there yet. All I have had today is waster. I can't bear to put anything in my mouth,even I tried yesterday night, today there is no way. That's funny; all year working with children and a won't catch anything at all ( well a few times head lices :) )and now that we have good weather , this insane bug, is driven me potty..!!

READY.... That's brilliant...!!!!! Many many congratulations on your loss .... U must b absolutely over the moon. Don't stop now and keep going :)

LITTLEMISS.... Don't despair....you are doing amaziling well. Take everyday as it comes :)
I don't drink but for me food is the answer to everything ... I know is wrong and I try very hard not to reward myself every time I lose some weight. :)

LittleMiss 2 years sobriety is just fantastic. for you.

I hope you aren't too nervous about starting work.

Finding this really easy right now. I think that I've battled so much with poor scale losses since I started this woe last July, and generally been a bit disappointed by myself. But I have these pyjamas which I always used to think were my skinny pyjamas and they are just hanging off me so much it's like my brain has gone 'oh, you mean this woe has actually worked?' There is no denying just how much I've lost when you look at them. It's given me such a boost. Everytime I think of eating something I shouldn't, I think of the pjs and think, ok so not eating that really will make a difference in getting slimmer still. I normally throw out clothes that get too big for me. I'm definitely keeping these!!

Also, I went to the doctor yesterday. I kept trying to look at myself in shop windows (so vain!). I used to dread catching sight of myself, I looked so dreadful. I wasn't feeling very well but I was standing so tall, it was the best feeling looking at my reflection going 'THAT'S ME!!'

LMD your plan for celebrating 2 years sounds perfect. Just spending time with people you love and who love you is ideal and well done

ready wow! that's amazing.

lowcarb I definitely think you need to keep those pjs, it sounds like they will help you keep focus even when things are not going as well as you'd like. I am at the thought of you looking at yourself and being happy. Must be such a great feeling.

hello minty good on you for being aware that this WOE might be to restrictive for you. I wish you luck with whatever WOE you decide on and if you've ditched the sugar and sweeteners then that's got to be a good thing.

I had a nice dinner tonight, chicken livers, bacon and green beans in a cream cheese sauce. I still want something though and preferably something sweet. I think I will make myself some crabbys crumble

I also learnt a lesson this week that if I am going to buy fruit as a treat (berries and melon this week) I should only buy one thing. I live myself and the fruit I bought this week was far too much for me once I calculated the carbs. I will have a no fruit week next week and then if I want some I will choose one thing to have over the week. Still I am glad my cravings are for fruit and not chocolate/sweets.

Thanks everyone. Yeah I'm pretty pleased with myself. Started on the 6th January at 16st 6, on Tuesday I weighed 11st 13. It's been a hard slog..

Hello there - good day today! Eggs and cream for breakfast, with some cucumber, as we were running late and I did not have time.

Then a quick 3.5 hour walk around 18 holes on the golf course - in very hot sunny weather - followed by the perfect low carb lunch. Hopefully this will help make up for the terrible transgressions earlier in the week!

I just wish dear cousin was playing better - he had a bad day, but at least he kept smiling! it is so nice to see him - it is rare that we can get together. But I hate the smarmy golf groupies - both DH and I were completely put off by the woman who is hanging around his neck this week. Urrgghhh - it make me feel so old!

Anyway - we are going again tomorrow - so I will certainly get the exercise in!

Thank you LMD - it is difficult, because I work in a very heavily male environment, which makes it even more difficult to mention anything about eating restrictions - they are generally nice men, but I do not want to make them roll their eyes. And I agree, your plan sounds fantastic - that is exactly how you should celebrate 2 years! And be so proud of yourself - well done!

Ready - I continue to be amazed, you are an inspiration! I hope to be able to say something like that next January! Although things are slow right now - but still in the right direction!

Sarya - I keep on craving fruit, but I am worried that if I open the flood gates, I will not be able to stop it and there is so much sugar in anything I fancy - like pineapple or a banana.

Minty if you find Bootcamp too restrictive then you could try looking at Briffa's Escape the Diet Trap or Atkins maintenance, or the Idiot Proof Diet stage 3. These all include healthier carbs such as sweet potato, white rice and wholemeal bread. You might find that the increased flexibility suits you and you might well find you continue to lose at a slower weight, particularly if you include lower carb days when it suits you.

Just run a half marathon. It was hard . Really hard. I have come here to confess my carby twatdom.

I was struggling. I accepted half a glass of Lucozade from some spectators. Also some jelly babies (x3). I finished somehow, and I had a slice of orange and a banana. And a pint of lager.

Started feeling nauseous and horrid on the way home and couldn't face an omelette or similar, so I had a cheese and coleslaw sandwich, a bag of crisps and a four finger Kitkat.

I feel physically better a bit better now, but have had to take to my bed for a rest, but shit about myself and bloated. I have decided to draw a line under this carby twatness right here and now.

I am a slow loser anyway, have lost 9.5lbs entire bootcamp, so am worried this may have set me back despite the effort I have put in today.

Have been really good up til now. . Hope you are all well. Used to post previously under a different nn, but haven't been around for a while.

Given my mobility issues I will never be joining you on any sort of run StoneThe so its not really my field of expertise! My son is into running and fitness in general and he eats fairly low carb on his off days but does carb up on training days so maybe if you get back in the saddle tomorrow you will ditch any glycogen you have stored pretty quickly. From what I've read it is possible to train your body to manage on ketones for sustained exercise like marathons but it takes awhile. A lot of runners carb up for a race.

In these circumstances its hard not to listen to your body begging you for sugar so don't beat yourself up! Have you read the Phinney and Volek book on low carb performance? I'm told its very good.

Thanks miffy.

I have got the book thanks. I have found that recently training had got a bit easier and my pace had picked up, so I had hoped I was reasonably "fat adapted", but that was on shorter runs and I guess it was just too much today.

I signed up for the half marathon ages ago, and really since my goal is weight loss and not performance I should go back to basics and do shorter/slower runs. Hopefully as my fitness builds up and I get more used to low carbing I will be training in a lower hr zone so it will be easier to just use fat for fuel.

Thanks again though.

Well done on the half marathon though! What an achievement

I suspect you'll be fine - plenty of water/fat and keep your food very low carb over the next few days.

And only 9.5lbs?! I'd kill to have lost that this Bootcamp

You've done really well. Honestly!

Wow well done on the half marathon!

Does anyone eat those weird no carb pasta / rice things? They smell a bit fishy when you open them but tasted okay. Is this permitted on bc / bcl?