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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.

New Year, New Start Boot Camp: Week 1, Now we get down to it in earnest

999 replies

prettybird · 08/01/2018 08:37

Stepping in to BIWI's big shoes and with a loan of her Big Stick, I take a big gulp and lead the first Boot Camp of 2018. ShockGrin

Here is a link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness If your name is not on it, because either it got lost in one of the many copy and pastes, or because you "signed up" after 0732 on Friday, which was when SayrraT produced the spreadsheet, you can add your name add the bottom and at some point it will be re-ordered alphabetically. NB: there is no obligation to add or your name or to weigh-in weekly - this is for those that find the weekly weigh-ins useful for motivation or accountability Wink

These are the Rules for Boot Camp. They are also on one of the tabs of the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness (SoF).

You need to follow The Rules for the first two weeks of Boot Camp. This gives your body a chance to "fat adapt" and for you to learn to eat because you are hungry, not because you crave carbs/sugar. As you get used to this Way of Eating (WoE), you will be amazed to find how often you are not hungry. You will find your fat stores give you sufficient energy.

For newbies, it is important to eat 3 meals a day - even if it is just a nominal breakfast/bulletprooof coffee (coffee blended with butter). Otherwise, you may find that hunger - or habit - will lead you to fall face first back into carby twatdom and then you need to start that process of fat-adaption all over again. Some of us who have now been low carbing for a while have found that we can follow 16:8 fasting or even the occasional 24 hour fast - but this is not something to be done in the early weeks. Don't try to restrict your fat because you think you are having too many calories, as they are important for the process of encouraging your body to change the way it uses its fuel.

So, here are the Rules. After 2 weeks I (or whoever takes over the next stint of the BIWI Replacement Programme ) the rules will be posted for Boot Camp Lite. Many of us who are still actively trying to lose weight tend to follow "full" Boot Camp during the week (maybe with extra berries and nuts) and then allow a small amount of alcohol at the weekend).

1. Eat three proper meals a day.
"You must eat breakfast. It doesn’t have to be a lot, and it doesn’t have to be absolutely first thing, 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 between meals. But if you are hungry, eat something. (Hard boiled eggs make a great snack).
After the first two weeks of Bootcamp we will relax this, but these two weeks are critical in terms of helping you switch easily to a low carb way of eating - and if you start to feel hungry, it makes things much harder! Eating this way will ensure that your blood sugar levels are kept stable, which will mean that you are much less likely to experience hunger.
A typical high carbohydrate diet can mean that snacking is a routine part of your day. Once your blood sugar levels are stable, by eating low carb, you should find that you no longer want to snack. But the rule of thumb here is ‘if you are hungry, eat!’. (Just make sure you are only choosing low carb snacks, of course!)"

2. Avoid processed foods.
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. You can have them, but just not every day. Avoid foods marketed as low carb, eg. Atkins Daybreak bars.

3. Eat lots of fat.
Eating fat will not make you fat. Honestly! But it will keep your appetite satisfied, and it sustains your body’s energy requirements perfectly. Fat does not provoke an insulin spike, unlike carbs which do (a lot) and protein (a little). Fry in butter, add butter to vegetables, eat salad with a home-made vinaigrette dressing (not made with balsamic vinegar though, as this is too sweet), 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, and this is non-negotiable. But choose only those vegetables that are on the allowed list. Make sure that you focus on eating those vegetables that are 3g carb per 100g or less, and this will ensure that your carb counts are kept low. 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. Be careful about dairy (apart from butter, which is unlimited).
Dairy can impede weight loss for some people. If you are still drinking tea/coffee with milk or cream, try to restrict yourself to max 2 cups per day. There are a lot of carbs in milk, so if you are having several cups of tea/coffee per day, you will quickly rack up your daily carb count (e.g. 1 medium latte contains more than 12g carbs!) You may eat cheese but again, don't overdo it. Full fat yoghurt is the best way to include dairy in your diet - but beware, it does contain carbs. Total Full Fat is the best

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. This is from www.low-carbdiet.co.uk/. Water is essential to weight loss for those who eat low-carb. The minimum consumed in a day should be:
Your Weight----Litres
140lbs-----2.5
160lbs-----3.0
180lbs-----3.0
200lbs-----3.5
220lbs-----3.5
240lbs-----4.0
260lbs-----4.5
280lbs-----4.5
300lbs-----5.0
320lbs-----5.5
340lbs-----5.5
360lbs-----6.0
380lbs-----6.5
400lbs-----6.5
High levels of ketones in the blood stream can lead to a reduction in ketone production, therefore being well hydrated could aid in keeping the levels low and ketone production ongoing. Consuming enough water can have many other positive side effects: aids your kidneys with the processing of protein, reduces the retention of water, helps with preventing constipation, and reduces the levels of ketones released by your breath, which in-turn will reduce breath odour. However, drinking a lot of water can mean that you also need to keep an eye on your electrolyte balance. You need to make sure that you are consuming sufficient sodium and potassium. On a low carb diet we can eat more salt, so make sure that you are cooking with salt and adding salt to food, if you like it. Good, low carb, sources of potassium are spinach (raw), avocado, mushrooms, courgettes and asparagus, as well as salmon and yoghurt."

7. No alcohol.
Alcohol is the easiest source of fuel for the body to burn, so it will always use this first before it starts to burn any fat - which is why you need to restrict it, especially in the first two weeks of Bootcamp, when we are encouraging the body to stop using carbs for its source of fuel and turn to fat-burning instead. If you really can't do this - at least try and restrict it to the weekend. Vodka with soda is the best thing to drink. Or Champagne, red wine or dry white wine.

8. No fruit.
Really. Seriously. Honestly. None at all. Zilch. Nada. After Bootcamp you will be able to introduce certain fruits, but at this stage fruit is simply too carby. We are also trying to break the addiction to sweet things, so cutting fruit out is part of this process. If you are getting all your carbs from vegetables and salad, you will be getting all the nutrients and fibre that you need.

9. No nuts/seeds (unless you are veggie: check the SoF for veggie rules)

10. No sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Sugar is an obvious ‘no no’, but artificial sweeteners are also an issue. One of the aims of this way of eating is to eat pure and natural foods, so including sweeteners is not recommended. Some people find that artificial sweeteners can impede their weight loss, and there is some suggestion that your body can respond to sweeteners as if they were sugar, by releasing more insulin - and therefore laying down fat. Given that the aim of Bootcamp is to help us lose our sweet tooth and addiction to sweet things, then it is a good idea to avoid sweeteners altogether in this first two weeks.

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Thread gallery
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Hippywannabe · 10/01/2018 13:16

Just downloaded the app to do the spreadsheet and no matter how many times I add my name ton t, it will not save!
If someone could add me to it, I would be grateful!
Starting weight this morning is 16.4. A ridiculous 3lbs up overnight so the scales have gone away.
I intend to stick to the eating plan but not weigh until 01 April.
Breakfast and lunch was a big salad split into 2 portions.
Spinach, iceberg, olives, stilton, a few bits of tapas meat leftover, 2 hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, springonions and a grated carrot.
Dinner will probably be more of the same.

CointreauVersial · 10/01/2018 13:18

Scabbersley - just checked up on the noodles I buy in Holland & Barrett - these ones.

Look OK to me.

Polkadotties · 10/01/2018 13:31

Afternoon all
So far today:
B - 2 x babybels
L - chicken Caesar salad, minus the dressing and croutons but lots of oil. Some mozarella balls.
D- not sure yet. I won’t get home until about 10 and sometimes I just go straight to bed.
Snack - pork scratchings.

Anyone else have PCOS and is insulin resistant? I find this to be the only way I can lose weight

OldBooks · 10/01/2018 13:38

Polka I have PCOS and I think a few others do too. Low carb is definitely the only way I can lose weight.

My scales said I had lost 13 lbs this morning! I had a heart attack, stood on them again and they said 3lbs off. Maybe I need new batteries!

prettybird · 10/01/2018 13:42

Some nice recipes there Rshard - but also some to be wary of - eg using peas, corn flour, wine and concentrating on low fat ingredients Hmm

Useful for inspiration!

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prettybird · 10/01/2018 13:48

Welcome Leo Smile

Your menu looks good. At this stage, there is no such thing as too much butter. Just enjoy it - and try to start listening to your body as to when you are actually hungry.

If you're phobic about stepping on the scales just yet, you'll miss enjoying the initial whoosh Wink If you can face it, at least take measurements now and/or choose an item of clothing, so you can see the progress when you're finding it difficult or think you are stalling.

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LeoTimmyandVi · 10/01/2018 14:05

Thank you for the encouragement prettybird - measurements might not be so scary Smile!

mrsreynolds · 10/01/2018 14:08

Just done 7 minute work out app
It was ok
But underlines how unfit i am!!

prettybird · 10/01/2018 14:15

I've mentioned the set of measurements I take - but if you only want to take one, take your waist measurement. It's the one that will show the reduction of the unhealthy visceral fat around your organs.

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prettybird · 10/01/2018 14:22

Good on you Mrsreynolds - you have to start somewhere. Smile

I do the Shred 4 days a week, Pilates on the 5th day, usually cycling there (3.4 miles there, but didn't yesterday because I was concerned the roads were icy) and have weekends off (but have to spend c1.5 hours standing by a rugby touch line)

The Shred was difficult when I started but I can now do most of the exercises without rest/reverting to the "easy" version.

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Rshard · 10/01/2018 14:29

Welcome leo

Good work mrsreynolds!

That’s good prettybird, I clicked on one, the Italian meatballs I think and spotted low fat spray!!

prettybird · 10/01/2018 14:34

Rshard - we'll need to try and few recipes with appropriate adaptions - and if they're good, post the adapted recipe on the Boot Camp recipe thread. That way, ilovecherries doesn't need to be upset/annoyed/triggered by the low cal spray and low fat ingredients. Wink

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ilovecherries · 10/01/2018 14:41

NSV - my waist today is only an inch away from being half my height! When I started, i think I was rounder that I was tall. Well, slight exaggeration, but it really was embarrasingly awful. I've now lost 14 inches from my waist. When I first started to measure, I was so round I didn't actually know where my waist was, so for weeks just went with 2ins above my belly button. My waist is now quite clearly defined, and I've gone from a very rotund apple to an hourglass, and suspect I am heading for an inverted triangle as my arse is disappearing by the second. My boobs on the other hand are relentlessly hanging on!

prettybird · 10/01/2018 15:04

That's brilliant ilovecherries - what an achievement. You've done so well Flowers

I've not got quite there yet: waist 34.5" (middle of December) versus a height of 5' 5.5" - but getting there Smile

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Twoo · 10/01/2018 15:28

That’s fab ’Cherries. Well done!

I bit the bullet and measured myself today. I’m totally gobsmacked. 48 fullest part of boobs, 34 underboob, waist and hips both 39. My torso is strange though as I have disability and also have some stomach issues which cause bloating. I wished I’d measured a couple of days ago as I already feel more svelte and I know I’ve lost some girth.

Oh no Sayrra’ , that’s why I don’t touch the spreadsheet. Total fear of accidently deleting something.

I’d like to thank Both Sayrra & Pretty for all they do!

ShagMeRiggins · 10/01/2018 15:40

ilovecherries that's a brilliant NSV and the 14 inches gives me hope. For your bottom, have you considered cycling? I've never seen a cyclist who didn't have a great arse. Or take up ice skating, (possibly true of roller skating as well, not sure). Also consider more stairs or joining a step class.

Polkadotties why no caesar dressing, it's perfectly LCHF friendly. Or is that a taste preference?

LeoTimandVi here's another Welcome to you (and to all who have joined us for the first time or after an absence). I'll second the "no such thing as too much butter." As my Mémé used to say, Tous est meilleur avec du beurre.

MasterFlamingo am pleased you got a laugh out of that. LCHF and Texas forever, baby.

Raindrops it is absolutely normal to already feel less bloated. I experience the same each time I go back to BC, and it just highlights how certain foods can inflate us.

LeapinLizards and pumpkin I was also considering a spiralizer but have decided to try courgettes on the Julienne setting of my mandoline, as recommended in a blog I found. As for the best one to buy, BBC Good Food has tested spiralizers and come up with some recommendations

Twoo you're doing great, now where's your veg?

Rshard · 10/01/2018 15:45

That’s awesome ilove. I’d not heard of the waist to height ratio but I will calculate tonight!

I can confirm shagme’s comment about the arses of cyclists. My dh has the 🍑iest bottom

ShagMeRiggins · 10/01/2018 15:50

Regarding constipation, despite eating plenty of magnesium-rich vegetables, I'm one who has struggled and finally have it sorted (thank fuck) with one psyllium husk capsule (sold at Boots and on Amazon) per day.

Sometimes I take one magnesium tablet for a few days if I need even more help. Hmm

ShagMeRiggins · 10/01/2018 15:52

Rshard, I was actually thinking of my own husband when I wrote that, but glad to hear yours (his) is peachy, too Wink

cathyandclare · 10/01/2018 15:54

Struggling to keep up with all you chatty campers! I started on Saturday but weight was totally stuck until this morning, now I'm down a pound, my fat is squishy and there's a hint of pink on the sticks today, so hoping for a woosh soon.
Yesterday
B: Ham omelette
L: low carb muffin with salad
S: leek and cauliflower cheese
Today
B: Creamy coffee (long time low carber)
L: Chicken salad ( Pret, picked out the toms and pepper)
S: Have some leek and celeriac soup I made, so probs that

Well done everyone :)

Twoo · 10/01/2018 16:01

’Riggens I’m getting plenty of veg Grin.

Cauliflower
Broccoli
Green peppers, onion, garlic blitzed into sauce.

More broccoli sauce later and perhaps some Brussels sprouts with my cod fillet.

TheHoundsofLove · 10/01/2018 16:02

ilovecherries 14 inches from your waist is amazing!

I have Hashimotos Thyroiditis and, after doing a bit of reading, think it will probably be better if I stick to Bootcamp Light. I hope this is okay - I promise to keep a low profile until the first 2 weeks are over.

LeapinLizards · 10/01/2018 16:03

Riggins thanks for the spiralizer link - I bit the (LC) bullet and ordered one online yesterday. It arrives in the next day or so. Opted for an electric one because I know that the handheld one will be too much of a faff for me.

Well done to everyone so far. Some inspirational achievements being mentioned from earlier LCing sprees, esp cherries - amazing loss!

mrsreynolds · 10/01/2018 16:03

I'm 5.5 And my waist is 34" - could be more now after Xmas ridiculousness but I will know from my clothes as I did last time
I weigh once per week...i dont like to get too hung up on numbers when I can feel the difference iyswim?

ilovecherries · 10/01/2018 16:06

Cycling is sadly an absolute no-no for me. Loads of ortho surgery and pinning after an accident, and a lot of nerve damage at the top on my right leg. It's a movement that agony for me. Step classes and stair masters also put an awful lot of stress on that leg. And skating just too risky. Over the last year though, crutches, wheelchairs and walking aids have all been consigned to the loft (they are mine, not stolen from the NHS!!) and I now walk at least 5 miles every day and run (slowly and very carefully!) three times a week. My husband does have a nice cycling-related bum though!