Week 2 - January Low Carb Bootcamp - the first moment of truth!

[BIWI]

Good morning! Already seen that there are some good losses, even for those in the dreaded week 3

Come and confess all on the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

I love this point in Bootcamp. It's such a leap of faith for so many people when they first start low carbing, because it seems so strange to eat all the fat we're told to eat. But then when the scales show the result, I love it!

Yesterday's food:
B: 2 boiled eggs with butter and salt
L: bacon (butchers thick cut streaky) with avacado, courgette fried in butter, spinach, oily dressing and pine nuts
D: fish, green beans, spinach, oily dressing mayo. Slice leer damper dipped in mayo.
W2.75 ltr
E: workout med level

Appetite decreasing, water intake increasing, all good.
Without TMI, can feel certain fat store areas significantly smaller saggier and less filled....have already visibly lost weight as now lost 31lb since end of sept, but this is one of those patches of body fat that never seem to change even with a lot of general weight loss. So I guess the ketosis is really kicking it just now.
I have, however got a social occasion later which is likely to be challenging....

Thrilled to report also, I will be making my own pork scratchings later! Can't wait!

Morning.

Yesterday dp had a day off as his company car needed servicing, so we had a nice day in town shopping and brunch. (Sausages, bacon eggs and mushrooms) and then tapas again. Gave it the kids this time too and they loved it.

I have put 2lbs on this week and then down a lb today. It just seems to be the way it is. It doesn't freak me out or put me off because I want to eat this way forever.

I think it really helps to read the reason why it's better to eat this way, instead of seeing it has something you are doing to lose weight and if it isn't coming off fast enough to give up.

Some YouTube videos are really good as a lot of the literature is very sciencey. (Fine if you like science obviously)

My favourites are Gary taubes, peter attia, Stephen phinney. All have talks on YouTube. Peter attia has a blog- the eating academy, but the guy is a serious intellect, so some of it is hard going. Some isn't though.

So I was 14 again yesterday and today I'm 13,13 again. Meh. I still managed to get my favourite jeans (size 14) over my ass this week!. This time last year, I could only just get them over my knees!

The button and the hole for the button are at east and west of my protruding belly, but they are still over my ass.

Thanks BIWI :) I do think it's hormonal. Also have to confess to doing a tweaky version of Bootcamp - I've been following the Bulletproof diet since November with good results - I've lost 2 stone since then although there's plenty more where that came from. I don't agree that a BPC isn't 'breakfast' - mine has MCT oil, butter, and today raw cacao butter and added collagen so is basically carb free but full of protein and healthy fat and very calorific. Most days of the week I 'fast' until 2pm having two cups of BPC, and then eat what amounts to a dairy free low-carb diet. Having a BPC has revolutionised my day - I am bounding with energy and not hungry until 2pm!

sass - I read Taubes' "Diet Delusion" a few years ago and absolutely LOVED it, although I'm not sure I'd have the stamina now to read such a lengthy and intense book on the subject. It was so depressing after that book was published how little effect it had on mainstream thinking - that even a book so comprehensively researched by such a a prestigious journalist essentially sank without meaningful trace. It's a long fight, fighting the low carb cause!

Hi Teapot i have a BPC for breakfast ( i now use coco oil but did use MCT oil) and then a green smoothie for lunch with more coco oil.

Last BC i did a 5:2 sort of thing and on mondays and thursdays i would have BPC for breakfast and lunch and then a low carb dinner. I was warned that i wasnt eating enough but i lost 1st 7lbs in the 10 weeks so it worked for me. I love love love BPC it gives me tonnes of energy and its a good way of getting fat in without carbs or protein. I miss them when i dont low carb - although coco nut flavoured coffee is taking some getting used to.

A 2st loss is amazing well done

Aah another convert Mrs :) I've actually been using the Brain Octane oil for the past few days and really love it, I almost feel rocket-fuelled sometimes. (Which is saying something as a 44 yr old single mother of 5yr old twins!)

There are some great losses here that are inspiring.
We are out to lunch with friends today and I forgot to mention that lcing fingers crossed it's not a bowl of pasta...

Green smoothie done, i also added a lump of frozen spinach and a stick of celery :)

Brain Octane oil sounds fab, Teapot! I stopped doing BPC after Christmas as loss had stalled; but I think ditching the nuts for BC has also helped. Not exactly sure what the weight loss has been yet, but waist line is going down again. I guess it is a balance - because I felt more human on the BPC and nuts version, but also stuck weight wise.

I am going to keep off nuts for the foreseeable because it obviously makes a difference; not sure about re-introducing BPC. I tend to have the occasional coconut milk latte, they are lovely.

B - indulgent three egg omelette with courgette, a bit of cheese and a slice of chopped salami. Bought loads of sparkling water again yesterday and migraine is clearing.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone. I read Taubes in the BMJ and I am convinced enough to buy the book. Looking forward to reading it.

teapot well you have done better than me, because I haven't got through it yet! It is a bloody big book. He did write an equivalent one, with less science, and research, called why do we get fat (or something to that effect) but I like originals.

And I'm a glutton for punishment!

I start uni again on wed. (Its been 17 yrs since I was last there. )

It is 1 day a week from 1 till 8. So I need to figure food out. I think they offer to give an hour for dinner but also the alternative of just having breaks and finishing earlier, which I think everyone will choose. So I will need quick to eat food. Any ideas welcome.

Morning all.
Glad the fish pie went down well Mrssteeve that kebab sounds lovely. I'm going to try that next week.

What coconut oil do you all use? I use the KTC one which doesn't taste of anything really, I'd quite like the coconutty taste in some things.

Also if I cook potatoes in a curry or casserole but don't eat them does it still make it more carby for me? Would I be better off just cooking them separately and adding once I've taken my portion out?

notso I remember having 10 month twins and being 5 months pregnant and dp being sent to afghan. It was awful, so I feel your pain.

Hope it goes quick for you.

Forgot to say congratulations to you natural 2 stones is great. Well done.

Can you all come an give me a bit of a shove please? I'm really not feeling it lately :( 10 month old ds isn't sleeping well, dh has been ill for years with chronic migraine that won't seem to stop no matter what's been tried, and now stomach pains and I'm understandably worried. We're in the middle of buying our first house. I've never felt such stress and my eating is all over the place. I'm either not eating cos I don't feel like it, or then maybe I'll just need something to tide me over and I'll eat something I shouldnt. Not like a bowl of pasta or anything but still, not bootcamp. I'm tired, and quite unhappy and I recognise I'm a comfort eater so I'm fighting against that too. Haven't been able to do a big shop yet so I'm a bit limited. I just want to sleep, tbh. God knows what my weight will be on Monday. I'm going to see if I can muster the energy to get ds in the buggy and go for a walk.

Sorry for the moan, I'm usually more upbeat than this. Xx

BPC may or may not be breakfast - but it isn't Bootcamp.

There is a reason why I say you should have breakfast in the first two weeks. When you move onto Bootcamp Light it's fine.

But the whole point of these two weeks is to get your blood sugars stable, and to eat 'real' food

Guy - I'm sorry to hear that

Why not just give yourself some time off? We'll still be here in a week or so's time. Stress won't help the weight loss anyway.

Why haven't you been able to do your big shop? Can you not do it online? That would be the key thing - to fill the cupboards/fridge/freezer with lovely low carb treats that you can comfort yourself with.

And just a reminder - as you wanted a bit of a shove - those things that lure you in with the promise of comfort? They are false friends. How can it be comforting to know that those crisps or that chocolate will end up as fat on your body?

Liveinthepresent

I need to know what you (and your friend) have been eating in order to help you.

But are you making sure that you're getting enough sodium, magnesium and potassium? Are you cooking with salt/putting salt on your food?

Salmon, spinach, avocado and natural yoghurt are all good sources of magnesium/potassium too.

Are you drinking lots of water? Eating lots of fat?

List out for me your menus over the last 2-3 days, with everything you've been eating and drinking.

Meanwhile, here's an interesting thread from Marks Daily Apple

Hi Guy no wonder you are struggling you have a lot on your plate -so to speak!

When i go to reach for something i shouldnt (and when giving up fags) i tried repeating that its short term pain (ie not eating choc) for long term gain - mostly worked. Then i would go and brush my teeth.

I am a comfort eater as well and this diet is forcing me to address that which is hard esp without my fall back of fags.

Hope things improve soon.

I am noticing a lot of difficulty 'getting into it', struggling to find the motivation etc on this thread, far more so than on the previous bc. For those of us in the UK, in the dark days of midwinter, could this be a reason? Christmas, whilst lovely, is a stressful time for many, and stress events can take a while to get over. Small children cooped up indoors are always harder work, colds and flu are everywhere. I used to suffer quite badly from SAD but for me it got better after a period of living somewhere where spring seemed to appear just a little earlier, the snowdrops would be out in the woods surrounding my DCs school when we went back at the beginning of Jan for example. I don't live there any more, but I am very tuned in to the changing seasons now, I notice how much lighter it is day by day when leaving work and this cheers me, I make sure to go out for walks and notice the subtle signs of spring. I'm in a rush to go out now, don't know if it makes sense, I guess I mean my attitude has changed, even if January hasn't.

Maybe there's something in that Charlie. I'm definitely finding it harder this time around. to everyone who's struggling.

B two boiled eggs, coffee (no possibility of fat, am not at home, just trying to limit damage by keeping off the carbs
L and D will be out, wish me luck!

Thanks for replies. We're going to get a shop done later so I'll make sure to get proper things. I completely agree with what you've said about the false friends, and I know that before I even eat them. Anyway I'm back in the game now, I've just had a quick stank around the block (too cold to stay out! Brr!) and had a couple of glasses of water when I got in.

I think I'm shutting down and switching off from everyone because I'm so scared about what might be causing this in dh. I'm think I'm preparing myself in case the worst happens. How ridiculous is that He needs me and I'm struggling myself. He's got more tests soon. I'm a self sabotager.

Mrssteve- thanks. I think I should make something comforting and very low carb friendly for dinner tonight!

Charlie - I agree with you. I'm getting a bit fed up being cold and walking the kids to school in the rain. January is always a difficult month for me I think. I do get what you mean though. Theres a tree in my front garden and I can look at the top branches when looking out of my bedroom window. Having gradually watched all the leaves turn brown and fall off and having the tree completely bare, I can now see the new green buds starting to appear and that encourages me. It will eventually bloom into loads of tiny white flowers. I love this tree. I've no idea what it's called but Ive loved watching it change through the years we've lived here. I'll miss it.

Thanks for letting me offload, I'll leave the thread get back on track now. We've got to view the house again later so Im going to occupy myself with lovely home ideas on Pinterest. Xx

BIWI - sorry to pull this out of your lovely post to Guy but I was intrigued after you said "fill the cupboards/fridge/freezer with lovely low carb treats that you can comfort yourself with" - during full Bootcamp my cupboards are empty and my fridge is full - am I missing some lovely store cupboard BC appropriate treats?

Checking in early, am away for a week now so can't update chart
Now 165lb, down 2lb since Monday but likely to go out of window today.
At airport 1 glass of champagne down, only olives nibbled so far
Have a great weekend everyone

Avoiding the "socially obligated" carbs is difficult, but it is possible. I wrestled with the situation of meeting a friend in a cafe yesterday... and in the end I did succeed in just having a cup of tea only. I had to remind myself that when I first did bootcamp in 2013 I managed to not cheat for 10 months, through many different social and work situations!

Some of my strategies included getting very used to making myself "packed salad" lunches - a salad in a lunchbox, with a fork - and bringing my own breakfast ingredients (eggs, mushrooms, butter) when I went to stay with other people!