My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Low-carb bootcamp

18 January - the next low carb Bootcamp!

268 replies

BIWI · 10/01/2016 10:03

Come and sign up here! Bootcamp is 10 weeks long, the first two weeks being the most strict.

We don't eat any of the following in the first two weeks:

potatoes
pasta/noodles/grains/oats
rice
bread/cakes
biscuits/crackers
sugar/sugary drinks/sweets
flour
fruit
chocolate
alcohol
nuts
artificial sweeteners

But we do eat plenty of:

meat
chicken
fish
seafood
eggs
vegetables
salad
butter
full fat yoghurt
cheese
cream
olive oil/coconut oil

Bootcamp is designed to be easy to follow - no weighing or counting of anything. If you just follow the rules (only 10 of them) then it will work for you.

Ten rules of Bootcamp

  1. Eat three, proper meals a day.
    You must eat breakfast. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but you must have something. For the rest of the day, if you’re eating enough food and you are in ketosis then you shouldn’t be hungry. But if you are hungry, eat something. (Hard boiled eggs make a great snack)

  2. Avoid processed food, and focus on pure, natural protein as the basis for your meals – meat/fish/eggs. Things like sausages, ham, bacon, pre-prepared burgers etc should be avoided as much as possible. Avoid foods marketed as low carb, e.g. Atkins Daybreak bars.

  3. Maximise your fat intake.
    Fry in butter, add butter to vegetables, eat salad with a home-made vinaigrette dressing (not made with balsamic vinegar though), add mayonnaise where you can (just check the carb count on your mayo first). Eat fattier cuts of meat – e.g. pork belly, roast chicken with the skin on and/or eat the fat off your lamb chops. Absolutely no low fat/light foods of any kind!

  4. Make sure you are eating vegetables and salads with your food
    – this is where your carbs should come from. But choose only those vegetables that are on the allowed list. You don’t have to weigh/count carbs – this is one of the great joys of this WOE (way of eating), but if you’re new to low carbing it can be helpful to weigh your portions of veg in the early days, just so that you know how many carbs are in the sort of portions that you like to eat

  5. Minimal dairy (apart from butter, which is unlimited).
    If you are drinking tea/coffee with milk or cream, try to restrict yourself to max 2 cups per day. You may eat cheese, but only in small amounts.

  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.

  7. No alcohol

  8. No fruit

  9. No nuts/seeds

  10. No sugar or artificial sweeteners
OP posts:
Report
BIWI · 10/01/2016 10:04

After the first two weeks you can move to Bootcamp Light, which is a little more relaxed, and you can introduce nuts/seeds, some berries and have the occasional drink.

OP posts:
Report
BIWI · 10/01/2016 10:04

So if you want to join, add your name to the list!

BIWI

OP posts:
Report
TheDailyWail · 10/01/2016 10:07

TheDailyWail - I'm one week in. Grin

Report
BIWI · 10/01/2016 10:09

How's it going? Are you going to join us?

OP posts:
Report
BIWI · 10/01/2016 10:09

Ah yes - misread your post Blush

BIWI
TheDailyWail

OP posts:
Report
Mookbark · 10/01/2016 10:14

Yay! I'm ready for this. I bailed our half way through the last one, but have been back at it for the last week.

BIWI
TheDailyWail
Mookbark

Report
mustbemad71 · 10/01/2016 10:59

Can I join please? Need to shift 2 stone. Doing Dry Jan and be following BC lite this week - 4 pounds off!

BIWI
TheDailyWail
Mookbark
Mustbemad71

Report
InkyPinkyPonkyPoo · 10/01/2016 11:54

Can I join as well please? I've a stubborn stone that I can't seem to shift and after 2 years on slimming world (lost 3 stone in 7 months!) I've had enough of all this fat free, sweetner and syns nonsense!

I dabbled with low carb before I did sw and got good results for a couple of weeks but wasn't in a good place mentally so didn't stick with it. I want to commit to it properly this time as I believe this is a much healthier way of eating. I'm doing bootcamp light in preparation at the moment Smile

BIWI
TheDailyWail
Mookbark
Mustbemad71
InkyPinkyPonkyPoo

Report
BIWI · 10/01/2016 12:02

Here's some information about low carbing for anyone who hasn't tried it before, or who doesn't know too much about it:

What happens when we eat carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are a great source of energy for our bodies. However, the amount and type of carbohydrates that we typically eat in the Western world is too much for our bodies to use as energy, and the excess ends up being stored as fat.

When we eat carbohydrates, the body converts them into glucose. It is the responsibility of the pancreas to release a hormone called insulin to deal with this glucose. The insulin does three things:

  1. It moves the glucose in your blood stream into your body’s cells for immediate energy (think of that sudden boost you get when you eat a biscuit or a piece of chocolate)

  2. It transports what is left into the liver, which converts excess energy into glycogen, which is stored in the liver and the muscles, readily accessible for future energy needs

  3. Once the glycogen stores are full, what is left over is converted to fat

    If we eat protein or fat, we do not see the same insulin response.

    When we consume a lot of carbohydrates, and carbohydrates that are easiest for our bodies to access – e.g. sugar or white bread/pasta – the level of glucose in the blood rises rapidly. Therefore, the body has to produce a lot of insulin to deal with this. The more insulin we are producing, the more fat we are likely to lay down, as not all of the glucose will be required for immediate energy.

    Worse, when we eat a lot of carbohydrates in one go, e.g. at breakfast – where a typical meal might be a piece of toast, a bowl of cereal and a glass of fruit juice – our blood sugar levels spike quickly. Lots of insulin is produced to sweep this excess glucose away, which then results in a swift fall. This leaves us with low blood sugar, which is as much of a problem – it makes us feel shaky and irritable – and hungry.

    Thus our typical breakfast of cereal and toast with fruit juice will generally see us hungry again around 11.00 am, and reaching for the biscuit tin. A lunch of a sandwich, packet of crisps and a chocolate bar will see the same effect on us at around 3.00 pm – when we might have a cake or another biscuit. Then our evening meal of pasta or rice or something with potatoes will have the same effect – resulting in late-evening snacking.

    When we eat like this, our blood sugar levels are constantly peaking and falling. The peaks mean we produce insulin, which lays down fat in our bodies. The troughs encourage us to eat more, meaning that we produce more insulin, meaning that we are laying down more fat.

    Our typical, ‘healthy’ diet in the UK, therefore is anything but.
OP posts:
Report
shouldiblowthewhistle · 10/01/2016 12:08

Can I join? I've been considering LCHF for a while now and started a week ago - although I've had copious amounts of alcohol (red wine) and a few almonds this week. So I guess I'm starting properly now and will be one week into Bootcamp before you.

I don't think I've lost much weight Sad but I certainly have a lot more energy and feel far less sluggish. Even been craving exercise, so if that's the only benefit, I guess I'll have to take it.

I have about 70 lbs to lose so I'd really like to see some weight loss.

BIWI
TheDailyWail
Mookbark
Mustbemad71
InkyPinkyPonkyPoo
shouldiblowthewhistle

Report
BIWI · 10/01/2016 12:42

Welcome!

Good to hear about the energy levels. I'm sure you'll lose weight on Bootcamp. Sadly those copious amounts of alcohol will have impacted on things. I wish there was a way for that not to happen Grin

OP posts:
Report
WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 10/01/2016 12:48

I'm in, not sure I'll stick it but will try!

Report
BIWI · 10/01/2016 12:53

Welcome! It isn't an easy way of eating - the clue's in the name 'Bootcamp'! - but it's as easy as it can be to at least follow. However, you do have to be committed to it, and need to plan for it. The world isn't designed for low carbers - look at any high street cafe or restaurant and places where you get food on the go and you'll see that they're all carb-based. Crisps, chocolate, muffins, sandwiches, cakes, etc ...

So it's great that you'll give it a try, but you will have to be committed to stay the course, and for it to work for you.

OP posts:
Report
BIWI · 10/01/2016 12:53

But I've put you on the list anyway Grin

BIWI
TheDailyWail
Mookbark
Mustbemad71
InkyPinkyPonkyPoo
shouldiblowthewhistle
WhoTheFuckIsSimon

OP posts:
Report
SquadGoals · 10/01/2016 12:57

Been waiting for this to start Grin

DH and I started low carbing early December. Even with a 2 weeks break over Christmas, he's lost 5kg and I've lost 4kg.

Currently 75kg and looking to get down initially to 67kg and see how I feel/look there.

Really looking forward to this!

Report
NaturalBlondeYeahRight · 10/01/2016 12:57

BIWI
TheDailyWail
Mookbark
Mustbemad71
InkyPinkyPonkyPoo
shouldiblowthewhistle
WhoTheFuckIsSimon
NaturalBlondeYeahRight

I'm in. BC light at the mo, just while I get back in the swing of it.

Report
TheDailyWail · 10/01/2016 12:58

We have planned our shopping for next week and I've made some food ahead. My week one weigh in is tomorrow. We're in the zone!

Report
TweenageAngst · 10/01/2016 12:59

Yes Please! I have actually started bootcamp by my self after reading your old threads. I am on day 7, but happy to do a bit longer. Have lost 2 kg

Report
BIWI · 10/01/2016 12:59

BIWI
TheDailyWail
Mookbark
Mustbemad71
InkyPinkyPonkyPoo
shouldiblowthewhistle
WhoTheFuckIsSimon
NaturalBlondeYeahRight
SquadGoals

One word of warning - don't aim to compete with your husband/male partner - it's a very irritating fact of life that men will lose more, and more quickly. Bastards.

OP posts:
Report
NeverHadANickname · 10/01/2016 13:03

BIWI
TheDailyWail
Mookbark
Mustbemad71
InkyPinkyPonkyPoo
shouldiblowthewhistle
WhoTheFuckIsSimon
NaturalBlondeYeahRight
SquadGoals
NeverHadANickname

Report
TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 10/01/2016 13:10

I'm in! I have managed to put on a stone between Halloween and now. Grr. I want to lose that and then another one. Am doing BC lite atm.

Report
BIWI · 10/01/2016 13:21

BIWI
TheDailyWail
Mookbark
Mustbemad71
InkyPinkyPonkyPoo
shouldiblowthewhistle
WhoTheFuckIsSimon
NaturalBlondeYeahRight
SquadGoals
NeverHadANickname
TweenageAngst
NeverHadANickname

OP posts:
Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

shouldiblowthewhistle · 10/01/2016 13:48

Thanks for the welcome BIWI. Damn that alcohol-effect. Never mind, the house is now emptied of alcohol and it will have to stay that way Wink.

Report
ApplySomePressure · 10/01/2016 14:05

I'm in!

Determined to make it all the way through this one Blush
BIWI
TheDailyWail
Mookbark
Mustbemad71
InkyPinkyPonkyPoo
shouldiblowthewhistle
WhoTheFuckIsSimon
NaturalBlondeYeahRight
SquadGoals
NeverHadANickname
TweenageAngst
NeverHadANickname
ApplySomePressure

Report
Earlybird · 10/01/2016 14:12

I'm in too. My bad habits have caught up with me, and all my good results from Bootcamp 18 months ago have mostly disappeared. Time to get back with the program!

BIWI
TheDailyWail
Mookbark
Mustbemad71
InkyPinkyPonkyPoo
shouldiblowthewhistle
WhoTheFuckIsSimon
NaturalBlondeYeahRight
SquadGoals
NeverHadANickname
TweenageAngst
NeverHadANickname
ApplySomePressure
Earlybird

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.