Evening all!
Well, only 5 days now until we get started. We have a huge number of people signed up this time, and so I'm assuming that lots of you are people who are new to low carbing.
It's really important to be prepared. Eating low carb can be quite challenging - simply because the world isn't designed for us. It's all about low fat and low calorie, neither of which we will be doing.
You also need to know that if you're used to a high carb diet, and you suddenly switch to a low carb one, that you might suffer from what's often called 'carb flu'. You might feel lethargic and headachey and generally rubbish.
So. This is my advice to you.
First, please make sure that you've read the rules of Bootcamp before we start:
Here they are
Print them out, keep reading them, and understand that they will the key to your success.
The idea of Bootcamp is that it's an easy process. There's no counting and no weighing. That's not to say that Bootcamp (or at least the first two weeks) is easy - the clue is in the name 
- but if you follow the rules it will be straightforward and as easy as possible.
Second, start cutting down your carbs now. Hopefully this will help you avoid carb flu.
The best thing to do is to try and make one meal each day as low carb as you can - why not try with breakfast? If you were to have bacon and eggs, or an omelette, for example, this would be totally carb-free.
Third, make sure you've got rid of as much carby stuff as you can. So all that chocolate left over from Christmas, the biscuits, the crisps etc - get shot of it all. And try not to buy any more! If temptation is there, it's hard to resist. You don't need it - and, being frank, neither do your children or your partners.
Fourth, have a look at your diary for the next couple of weeks, and plan your meals as much as you can, as far ahead as you can. And then make sure that you go shopping so that you have all the necessary low carb options available.
If you have the kind of lifestyle/job that takes you out of the house/away regularly, make sure that you've thought through how you're going to stick to low carbing. What low carb options are going to be available to you?
Fifth, as well as weighing yourself, it's a really good idea to take measurements. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, the scales will show no change, but your measurements will change.
Another thing to consider is to find an article of clothing that currently doesn't fit - something that's a size too small. Have this to hand, and try it one once a week, as well as weighing, so that you can really see your progress. Even if the scales are showing a loss, sometimes this can be a bit 'conceptual' compared with the reality of an item of clothing being obviously looser.
Finally, it is really helpful if you know more about low carbing than we can impart on these threads. You are very likely to come across people who are very anti low carbing - and it can be very easy to crumble in the face of their criticisms. This is especially true if it's coming from a partner, or a parent/best friend. So arm yourself with some information about the science behind low carbing (and be reassured that there is plenty).
One of the best books to read is "Escape the Diet Trap" by Dr John Briffa. Or, "Why We Get Fat (And What To Do About It)" by Gary Taubes.
To quote a very cheesey cliche:
Failing to plan is planning to fail ...
And very finally, if you've done Bootcamp before, perhaps you could add your own tips to help everyone prepare for next week?
Many thanks, and very good luck everyone
