Pre-Christmas Low Carb Bootcamp - the questions thread

[BIWI]

The first couple of weeks see the chat threads moving really quickly, and so it's easy to miss questions.

If you have a particular question you'd like to ask, just post it here and I'll make sure that I get to it as soon as I can.

I have a question (not officially on the boot camp spreadsheet as I only got back from holiday today) but hey!

I tried my first low carb WOE for a few weeks and after 5:2ing for so long was surprised at how much you can eat! I'm not sticking get to it as religiously as some on here as I am eating a small amount of fruit and nuts as snacks but it is going well.

So I'm wondering, if you have a day where you don't do as well as others, would you still e.g. add cream to coffee or have a creamy sauce with your lunch? If I know I'll be having wine one night, I would stick with the low carbing during the day but would I still eat high fat foods too?

I think years of fasting are making me confused with the fact I need to up my fat intake when low carbing!

The answer is 'it all depends'! Sorry if that sounds too vague - but the difficult think about low carbing is that no-one can tell you how many carbs you should be eating each day. Different people have different tolerances.

I'd be wary, though, of doing what you're doing - particularly if you are doing this for weight loss. Every time you 'overdo' the carbs, you're encouraging the insulin response, which ultimately leads to laying down fat. It's the carbs that do this, not the fat. However, if you're eating carbs and lots of calories, which fat will be giving you, then you are risking putting on more weight.

The only thing to do is to see how you go, I'm afraid.

But given the other health benefits of low carbing, I'd be making sure I keep my off days/meals to an absolute minimum!

Thanks BIWI it really is a minefield, isn't it?!

I haven't got a night out planned until next Friday now so I'm determined that there won't be any cheat days until then! So 7 days of low carbing and exercise should start me off well - I hope.

I'll keep an eye on the bootcamp thread for some recipe ideas to keep me going

Are all carbs equal?

I've been eating Alpro Almond soya yogurt because it only has 2.3g carbs/100g, whereas Greek yogurt has 3.8g.

However the Soya yog does contain some sugar, while the Greek doesn't.

So should I go for the lowest carbs or the least sugar?

All carbs are treated by the body as sugar, so they're all equal in that respect. Go for the lower carb option if its the one you prefer!

Thanks BIWI, almond soya it is, it's delicious.

For anyone else who's also dairy-free I've just found some great recipes and meal ideas on Diet Doctor - here

I did start low carbing in June but was calorie counting as following the blood sugar diet.
I am an extreme lover of fat and protein and can not get full....
So for people like me is the guideline to stop when not hungry is it not??? Just double checking as otherwise I would just keep eating
( shamed about the above but is the truth)
Should I calorie count?

How much water are you drinking?

I drink 3.5 litres per day and weigh about 158lbs.
And I do not have a switch off button regarding food. I would happily chow on a 1.5 pounds of meat.
I keep my carbs around 25g or less otherwise it is much worse....

The sugar problem...
...So I've been following this WOE since the last bootcamp and my craving for sugar never really goes. I've been (mostly) resisting temptation but even if I go weeks and weeks with nothing sweet passing my lips the craving doesn't go.

As a temporary thing in order to lose some weight I can manage but my well of will power isn't bottomless and I won't be able to keep this up indefinitely.

Has anyone managed to overcome a persistent sweet tooth? And how did you manage it?

Visaste I was low carb high fat and dairy free for over a year while I was breastfeeding my DS4 who is allergic to dairy. I found breakfasts the hardest because DS4 is also allergic to eggs and coconut but otherwise it wasn't too bad. I made my own coconut yogurt (before I realised he was allergic) but Coyo is much nicer if you can get it. I like the vanilla Coyo.

Mothership if you're still craving sugar could your carb intake still be too high? I have to stay very low carb to minimise hunger and carb cravings.

mothership I also have to keep my carbs under 25g to be craving free and of course no sweetners of any kind. Dairy can be a trigger to remind me of sugar though. Particularly cheese. Maybe yeast reminds me sweet yeasted items

Thanks Stunt & Notso, I'm pretty certain I'm keeping my carbs low enough. I think my biggest problem is the constant exposure to temptation, at home, at work, in the shops.

The rest of my family are a healthy weight so I can't eliminate temptation at home, tell colleagues they can't eat treats or ban the shops from selling sweet stuff.

I've now managed to loose 2 stone so I can control myself but it's hard and I know I won't be able to do it indefinitely.

I think the hard thing here is the fact that we do have to live in the real world.

For most of us, going through life without the odd treat here and there makes things pretty unsustainable, and then you end up with the self-sabotaging mindset which tells you 'oh fuck it' - which harms only ourselves ultimately!

I'd say that the trick would be to find treats that you can incorporate into your diet without it causing things to go haywire. The question is, are these real cravings, or is it psychological? If you found something you could include in your diet is it likely to set off greater cravings that will mean you dive head first into the biscuits?!

We're not into Bootcamp Light yet, where these things are allowable, but this might be something to look out for

It's actually 5 separately wrapped bars of chocolate, each one of which is only 4.2g carbs. And each one is a decent size so that you really do feel you've had some chocolate.

Hi BWIW I've looked for this answer everywhere but can't find it.

How much carbs in grams per day should in not be exceeding?

I ask because I'm starting out and I'm obsessed with veg so would worry that I'm over doing it.

Also, would a broccoli and Stilton soup which is carbs 4g for every 100g be ok?

I'm planning meals but also trying to plan 'easy to grab when in a rush' back up foods.

The reason you can't find an answer is because there isn't one! Everyone has a different level of carbs that they can tolerate.

Being obsessed with veg isn't a bad thing, except for the fact that they are where your carbs are coming from. And on this diet, you should be making sure that you're eating food in the following proportions - fat: protein: carbs

That soup sounds OK - but how many grams overall would one serving be? And what else are you eating a day?

Just to give you an idea, if you were doing the Atkins diet, the first stage (induction) is only 20g carbs per day.

Dr John Briffa says that for general weight maintenance, around 100g carbs a day is OK.

So somewhere in between is the level you should be aiming for

The only way you can find out what will work for you is by experimenting.

That's really helped me understand. Thank you!

Thanks for replying re. my sugar issues BIWI.

I guess I am disappointed that abstinence hasn't diminished my desire for sugar as it seems to for other bootcampers. In the short term, while I'm in the weight loss phase I think I'll be able to manage on will power.

I'm not at all sure how I'm going to manage maintenance, I know this is supposed to be a woe not a diet so eventually I will need to make it fit better with my life, including family, work and everyday temptations.

Hi BIWI another quick question if that's ok.

I cooked my own broccoli and Stilton soup this evening and it's utterly amazing. And ridiculously low in carbs.

Thing is, I rather love cheese and never have it because of its fat content. I've been looked at goats cheese, blue cheese etc and it's all

As long as you don't have a problem with dairy, you'll be fine!

You'll know if you have a problem, as you'll find that you aren't losing weight.

But your soup sounds lovely, so I'd say go for it, for now!

Thanks I will keep a close eye on it just in case.

Mmmm.... cheese....