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Low-carb bootcamp

Join discussions about low-carb bootcamp plans, meals and progress. Consider speaking to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Original poster

May Low Carb Bootcamp - the questions thread!

254 replies

BIWI · 10/05/2015 22:07

Welcome! From experience, the first couple of weeks of every Bootcamp sees very fast moving chat threads, and so if you have a question, it's easy for it to be missed.

So post anything you want to ask on this thread and I and the other experienced low carbers will try and keep and eye on it and give you our best answers.

OP posts:
shebedee · 12/05/2015 09:09

Thanks Crabby. I use Alpro fresh almond milk which is 0.1g carb per 100ml.
However, I am going to leave the flax out of my diet for a while though as I didn't realise it could be a problem.

Do you think the almond milk is OK in coffee for bootcamp? I do have my first coffee of the day made with double cream but couldn't have more than one. Thanks

CrabbyTheCrabster · 12/05/2015 09:34

sheb the almond milk sounds fine for coffee at that carb count. Fill yer boots (or rather your coffee cup)! Grin

I've personally never had a problem with flax and I think it's a great source of omega 3s and a brilliant, gentle bulk laxative. If you're happy to cut it out that's great, but otherwise I'd say see how you get on with it and if you're not losing weight at a good rate, then think about cutting it out.

Patapouf · 12/05/2015 11:25

How much flax tends to start causing problems? Is 10g per day okay?

Is the purpose of the high amounts of fat to keep us feeling full only? Or is there a scientific reason we need the fat? I.e. Won't lose weight unless we have loads?

I'm enjoying having everything slathered in butter, I just want to understand how it's helping me.

ewanhoozami · 12/05/2015 11:46

Patapouf regarding the fat it's both the reasons you mention. Firstly fat is satiating and also reduces carb cravings by regulating blood glucose levels. This is especially important in the transition to LC eating of course.

Secondly (the sciencey bit) we're looking to adapt our bodies to use fat as energy - to be fat-burning machines, rather than glucose. Eating a high percentage of fat enables your body to burn both dietary and stored fat for energy. Lipolysis, I think it's called. I'll have a hunt for a good link, hang on..

ewanhoozami · 12/05/2015 11:52

Mark Sisson writes really well on this

Also there was a good comprehensive blog in the BMJ recently

ewanhoozami · 12/05/2015 12:02

dillite I'm a wimpy coffee latte lover too, I feel your pain Grin

I don't do dairy at all ATM so I make a half cup of decent instant and top it up with unsweetened almond milk.

Patapouf · 12/05/2015 13:03

Thank you!
So if I don't eat enough fat I won't lose as much weight?

millionsmom · 12/05/2015 14:11

ewanhoozami
Thank you for those links! I 'trained' for 9 months, always eating every 3 hours, worked out every stinking day at the gym, yeah I lost weight, but I was always hungry, craved chocolate and hated every minute of the day. Recently, my weight had plateaued, but I continued the 'diet' and blamed the drop in gym attendance for the plateau. I upped the gym 2 months ago and all I lost was a pound. The Mark Sissons article sums the trainer thinking perfectly. My DH can't get over me losing 6 lb in just a week WITHOUT being in the gym for 2 hours every day.
I'm still not brave enough to show it to my old trainer though.
It's such a relief not being tied to the eat protein and carb every 3 hours, train for 2 hours. The realisation I can now eat full fat anything is mind blowing! Chicken Korma is now a treat I can look forward too. Cheese omelettes, oh my. I've had one everyday this last week. It doesn't get old.

dillite · 12/05/2015 15:02

Another question- how on earth do I print that spreadsheet? When I send it to my printer all that comes out is an A4 sized green block with stripes all over it.

weegierama · 12/05/2015 21:40

really enjoyed the sissons article too as had been confused also about the high fat bit

SayraT · 12/05/2015 23:55

dillite I don't know, I've never tried printing it but its huge! You might eb better copy and pasting the relevant bits (rules, allowed foods, whatever) to a word doc and printing that instead?

readyforno2 · 13/05/2015 00:16

Someone has asked on the main bc thread, but is it possible to drink too much water. Think I've drank around 10 pints today.

Original poster
BIWI · 13/05/2015 00:21

That's a lot (just over 5.5 litres) for someone of your weight, and I'd be concerned about your electrolyte balance. You need to make sure you're getting sodium in particular.

Why are you drinking so much?

OP posts:
readyforno2 · 13/05/2015 00:26

I don't know. I used to drink loads of tea/coffee. I've just swapped over to water, I eat a lot of salt. How do I find out if I'm low on electrolytes?

Dumdedumdedum · 13/05/2015 07:21

Please could someone be kind enough to put up a recipe for aubergine crisps and quick Hollandaise sauce (I think someone mentioned no bain marie and a stick blender?) on here?
Thanks a lot for any help with this! I have trawled through 5 of the 9 pages of the LCBC recipe thread (I can't expand it to be able to search 1000 messages at once because I joined MN too late) and am going spare. Will carry on searching but bet you lovely ladies reply before I find either of the recipes I want!

SayraT · 13/05/2015 08:20

dum for aubergine crisps I just slice aubergine finely and cook on a low heat in the oven sprinkled with oil and salt. No idea about hollandaise sauce sorry, that is rubbish about the recipe thread.

Have you tried looking in the recipe bit of the LC section? I know that a while back a poster (winegless?) transferred a lot of the recipes over from the recipe thread.

TheHappyCamper · 13/05/2015 09:35

dum made a super easy hollandaise without even a blender. Quantities are per person.

In a pan heat 1 TBS water and 1 tsp lemon juice. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 egg yolk. Return to a low heat and whisk in 2TBS chopped butter, one cube at a time until thick. Season and serve immediately.

It was lovely Smile

Tetley650 · 13/05/2015 13:26

There is definitely a problem with drinking too much water here is a link about Anthony Andrews ( Brideshead revisited if you are old enough to remember) who 'overdosed'!!
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/3044502.stm

Dumdedumdedum · 13/05/2015 16:15

Thanks for the recipes, ladies! I've just made a disastrous mayo with a stick blender using a recipe I found on the net, so it's lovely to have your tried and tested methods to hand!
Anyone got any good pork mince recipes to hand (cannot contain coconut or lemon grass as H hates one and I hate the other), please? Thank you!

EmpressofBlandings · 13/05/2015 17:29

Dumdedumdedum - M&S is the one of those I know best because it's right by my office, and my standbys are:

Greek salad, comes in a plastic bowl:
Avocados (theirs are the only "ripe and ready to eat" ones that actually are)
King prawn cocktail
Little packs of flaked hot-smoked salmon
Cucumber and/or celery sticks to dip in the king prawn cocktail or into taramasalata
Baby button mushrooms
Luxury roast and salted nuts to carry for emergencies

Might be worth carrying a little bottle of olive oil or salad dressing with you?

Also, Pret's crayfish and avocado salad is very nice and filling.

LexLoofah · 13/05/2015 18:39

dum

tried and tested pork mince recipes, - hope the links work, I am a bit hit and miss at doing them

gyoza meatballs I don't always put all the ingredients in, usually subsititute a grated courgette for the cabbage, you can play around with what you have

and

cantonese egg custard with minced pork again just use what you have, I used regular mushrooms instead of shitake for example and soy sauce instead of the coconut aminos - check carbs first, the kikoman one is good if you can get it

and

never failed me mayo

SayraT · 14/05/2015 07:50

Just wondering if anyone knows of a way to keep courgetti noodles? With cauli-rice you can freeze it (as I discovered on the inbetween BC) but wondered if there is anything you can do with courgetti. I assume freezing it will make it go mushy?

StuntNun · 14/05/2015 08:12

Sayra uncooked courgetti keeps well in a plastic bag in the fridge for a day or two but I haven't tried it for any longer.

CrabbyTheCrabster · 14/05/2015 09:54

Sayra I've kept them on a plate in the fridge for a day or two and I think they actually improve with a bit of drying out. When I've made them I put them on kitchen towel and leave them on the side for a couple of hours to let them dry out a bit before cooking as then they're more noodle/pasta like. You probably lose some of the nutrients doing that, but still more nutritious than spaghetti I reckon. I did consider oven drying them/gently dehydrating them for better consistency.

TheCowThatLaughs · 14/05/2015 13:27

I've just got a question about being in ketosis. When you're in it do you not feel hungry at all, or do you just feel reduced hunger? My hunger is definitely much much less than it would normally be, but not gone completely. I wonder how I would know when to eat if I wasn't at all hungry