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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.

OP posts:
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Alwaysinmyheart · 10/01/2018 22:52

JingsMahBucket oh I made fathead pizza for the first time tonight! ( my recipe has coconut flour). I found it quite difficult to make into a dough, it was v sticky so I had to add more flour. Tasted ok tho but found the texture to be more like cake than pizza, maybe need to play around with it a bit. V filling tho, cd only manage 2 slices!

MumOfAPickle · 10/01/2018 22:55

Eek been meaning to post for the last two days but was trying to read all the posts and never quite managed it! Still haven't so apologies for that.
Days 2 & 3 have gone really well, I'm astounded that I've managed to not eat biscuits, chocolate, sweets, cake etc for 3 whole days!! Pretty damn epic for me believe me.
Breakfast both days: bacon, spinach, leek, mushroom & cheese frittata
Lunch yesterday: massive portion of broccoli & Stilton soup
Lunch today: small portion of soup (starter!) and then some curried chicken
Dinner yesterday: chicken paprikash type dish
Dinner today: tuna steak with samphire & broccoli cooked in butter
Snacks: pate with iceberg lettuce and some homemade meatballs, ff yogurt with cinnamon

Really surprised at how well this is going. I'm not craving sugary stuff at all as much as I thought I would be. I do still think about it and it's hard when I smell the chocolate that the kids are eating but if I just stop and think I realise I don't actually want it. Honestly the difference in my willpower on this woe compared to others I've tried has been remarkable.
It is early days though and there's lots of challenges to come but I'm feeling positive Smile

starsky22 · 10/01/2018 23:00

Evening all, just a reminder that the no alcohol rule isn't just because of the carbs, but because your body will prioritise burning off the alcohol over anything else, meaning it stops the fat burning you are trying to achieve by eating low carb. You may be lucky, but I found that on the weeks I drank alcohol, I either didn't lose, or I put on weight, you have been warned!

C4 hello! I've been struggling too, after a carby christmas. I've realised today, that I probably need some low carb snacks, I've been eating this way for a while so had got used to not snacking and fasting through breakfast. Thought I'd be fine to just go back to that after Christmas, but think I need some snacks to keep the cravings at bay. Bring on the cheese!

prettybird · 10/01/2018 23:10

A wee reminder that there is no need to "keep up with the thread" - read as much of it as you have time to, want to or need to for support. Ask questions if you want - or simply use the thread to post your food and/or menus for accountability.

Hattie - well done for resisting the sugar at the leaving party and organising your own (special) snacks. Fitted dresses rock! Grin That's an impressive number of steps and I'm sure you'll do better on the water intake tomorrow because you're aware of it.

Thewayoftheworld - can you also take some snacks with you for your flights - like Babybels or wrapped chunks of cheese, pepperami. Once you're through security, make sure to buy some bottles of water. Timbuktu has done good advice about restaurants.

Timbuktu - I found it took me longer than Day 3 for it to settle down, but it does settle down Smile I only woke up once last night to pee at 4.15 Wink - hopefully tonight it will be later, and soon I won't wake up at all. (it's only because I went off-piste over Christmas that I have to go through this again). Shagmeriggins is right - it is a case of our bodies becoming accustomed to it. There is a stage when despite drinking loads, your mouth feels constantly dehydrated because it's actually wanting even more Confused

Twoo - that is indeed a NSV WinkAnd these threads are moving so fast, it's not surprising you missed the acronym explanation Grin

C4 - welcome back Flowers. You've been through a lot so be kind to yourself. Not going to get the Big Stick out yet in your case but we are here to help you with motivation and to help you resist the cravings.

Jings - I too think in terms of 6 pint glasses of water. I fill a new glass every time I down the previous one, so that it has a chance to warm up (Shock) tap water is cold in Scotland at the moment In summer I think in terms of 3x (4x250ml glasses) of water, which I can drink straight from the tap (2 glasses every time I go to the loo so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy Wink).

OP posts:
prettybird · 10/01/2018 23:29

Alwaysinmyheart - where did you get your coconut flour? I have some desiccated coconut but I don't think that is the same. I did think about trying to blitz it in the good processor.

Did you use block mozzarella or the stuff in water? The latter is too moist; you need to use the harder stuff - which had the added advantage of being cheaper Wink. Beware of the pre-grated stuff though, as it can be more carby due to the flour/starch used to keep it unclumpy.

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Alwaysinmyheart · 10/01/2018 23:34

I got coconut flour in a big Tesco’s. Also used grated mozzarella, didn’t check the carbs! Blush

GrandOldDukeOfPorkiness · 10/01/2018 23:50

B ff Celery
L Beef and shallot casserole
S ff Greek yoghurt
D was out for dinner and chose olives for a starter and then seared steak on lettuce, cucumber and radish with a sweet chilli dressing which I suspect was carby but the whole thing could have been a lot worse.

Star2018 · 10/01/2018 23:56

Just checking in to keep it on TIO. So far so good! I know we're not supposed to be tracking calories, but I am out of interest, and my daily intake has gone WAY down...

BIWI · 11/01/2018 00:03

Can I just say that whilst it’s not obligatory to read the whole thread, please - if you have a question - make sure it hasn’t already been asked on the thread? It’s a lot of work running Bootcamp, and posting all the info and supportive stuff, so it can be frustrating when it becomes obvious that people aren’t reading it!

And also, the rule about not drinking alcohol is really important. Please don’t encourage others to give in. You’re effectively enabling them to sabotage their own weight loss! This WOE isn’t like other diets, where you can compensate on o e day for bad behaviour on a previous one.

Bootcamp is only for two weeks and it’s in your own interests to follow the rules!

Here ended the sermon
💐

bendyruler · 11/01/2018 00:27

B bacon and eggs
L steak and cabbage
S pepparami
D chopped up salad of salami cucumber mozzarella tomato lettuce and basil leaves with dressing made from olive oil and red wine vinegar
Not enough water must try harder

StuntNun · 11/01/2018 07:30

I'm another one that can't lose weight if I drink alcohol. There's the problem that fat burning stops while the alcohol is being metabolised. Also alcohol can lead to poor food choices or drinking more alcohol than you had planned - people tend to get drunk very quickly when they're on a low carb diet so your decision making is likely to be impaired even after one drink. Finally alcohol is very high calorie. A couple of glasses of wine will easily offset your calorie deficit for the day and stop weight loss in its tracks.

ScreamingValenta · 11/01/2018 07:38

I second @ShagMeRiggins recommendation for shallots - I think they taste better than onions too. They're great in an omelette or home-made low carb curry. I don't find them eye-watering to prepare, either. They're a complete win.

StuntNun · 11/01/2018 07:40

Timbuktu my DH has been to China several times and he says the food is usually brought out on serving platters and you only take what you want. So you can skip the carbs and choose meat and vegetables that look like they aren't in thickened/sweet-ish sauces.

prettybird · 11/01/2018 08:01

Good Morning Campers! Smile

I've obviously not been wielding the Big Stick enough and/or been too sympathetic l Blush, with BIWI's reminder about the demon alcohol BlushWink As she says, it is just 2 weeks. This WoE works - but only if you stick to it.

We're not, unlike Tom Kerridge when he lost his 11-12 stone, asking you to give it up forever. But give your body a chance to adapt to this WoE. It can't do that if you are "feeding" it with alcohol Hmm

OP posts:
ShagMeRiggins · 11/01/2018 08:09

GrandOldDuke what is "ff Celery"? Confused

blackteaplease · 11/01/2018 08:15

Checking in to catch up with the thread. I use leek instead of onion as I can't be bothered with the peeling.
Yesterday was not a good day, I need to take more snacks to work to see me through.

prettybird · 11/01/2018 08:26

Re shallots: the banana shallots are no more difficult to peel than ordinary onions - no need to pre-soak in boiling water. And they're not as fiddly as the wee shallots. Smile

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Wh0KnowsWhereTheT1meG0es · 11/01/2018 08:26

I'm still using onions (sparingly) as I have a load from the allotment last year. Think I'll try growing shallots this year.

I'm struggling with evening meals. It is hard enough trying to cater for fussy DCs without adding the low carb differences for me as well. I have to say Slimming World is a lot easier in that respect.

prettybird · 11/01/2018 08:37

WhoKn0ws - in what ways are the DCs fussy? The Boot Camp hive mind might be able to come up with some ideas for suitable meal combinations which are HFLC compatible.

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Twoo · 11/01/2018 08:46

Good morning all

I stook to plan again yesterday. I havnt felt hungry with this woe either, so that in itself makes it easier. I didn’t drink alcohol that often before, so abstaining isn’t proving a problem so far. And I’ve always been a water baby rather than drink juice/pop etc.

However, contrary to people reporting they are sleeping better with this woe, my sleep quality is worse. I’m waking up frequently then finding I’m unable to get back to sleep. Absolutely shattered this morning. I know I’m eating enough, so don’t think it’s that. Any suggestions?

Today’s intended menu:-

B Cheesy omelette

L Massive salad with spinach, radish, peppers, cheese.

D Roast chicken legs, kale, broccoli, mashed celeriac.

prettybird · 11/01/2018 09:01

You're a newbie Twoo , so it might just be your body adjusting to this WoE. When you're waking up, is it to go to the loo or are you just waking up and tossing and turning?

I actually slept through last night for the first time since I re-started. And that's with having drunk enough water yesterday Smile

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Wh0KnowsWhereTheT1meG0es · 11/01/2018 09:06

Pretty - one likes fairly conventional meat and two veg meals, so that's not so bad (but preferred veg are generally higher carb ones). The other only really likes "foreign" food, which is harder as the carby part is often more integrated. He has ASD and somewhat rigid tastes - he's quite keen on trying new meals but won't tolerate tweaks to favourite meals. Mexican, pizza and pasta are the only overlaps so we have a lot of those. Also DH is a veg-dodger. The other problem is lack of time in the evenings, we all go to lots of activities on week nights, the DCs are young teens so need to be ferried everywhere and plenty of homework in the mix too. Oh and I generally don't like frozen meals reheated for some reason, they never taste very nice. We went through all this on one of the previous threads and didn't really come up with solutions so please don't spend too much time thinking about this, I'm using the thread to vent rather than a request for suggestions if I'm honest.

By the way I was musing on alternatives to tea with milk on Monday snd someone suggested Rooibos (sp?), which I didn't acknowledge, thank you. I don't mind a very weak cup of it occasionally but can't say I really enjoy it. Same with herbal teas, the odd cup is ok but not all the time. So I've decided to buy a few different ones and rotate them so I'm not drinking the same one all the time.

prettybird · 11/01/2018 09:21

Ok, I won't spend too much time Smile I sometimes make chili (which both dh and ds like) and take out a portion of the mince for me, before I add the kidney beans and then cook myself brussels to serve with the chili mince while I serve dh and ds rice with their "proper" chili.

I often alternate different teas: Rooibos I prefer with milk but I can tolerate on its own, whereas I don't like the mix of Darjeeling and Earl Grey that we drink normally without milk (rooibos has the added advantage of being caffeine free); as well as Peppermint & Licquorice, there is also lemon & ginger and other ginger based teas, which are nice and warming in winter.

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Jerm123 · 11/01/2018 09:41

Hello all - happy new year,

I won’t be joining you for a couple of weeks, for all sorts of reasons but thought I would share some cooking cheats.

Waitrose sell chopped frozen shallots (own brand) which are pretty good. I find I add a desert spoon for each shallot in the recipe.

They have also started selling celeriac rice. I found it difficult to get even, non mashed “rice” but theirs is good. It is brilliant with chilli.

cathyandclare · 11/01/2018 10:19

Morning all. I've been up all night whooshing, so feeling a bit knackered but also rather chuffed as the scales show a 5lb loss for the first week so far (I started early on Saturday.)

I've come to realise that Bootcamp light is second nature to me now and I can maintain well- but when I fall off the wagon, it is the devil's own work to get back into keto. Sugar is like crack! I get so bingey and I'm also too used to the nuts and berries and wine, which I can have when maintaining but not after a cheat, the only way is to be really strict.

I hope that I'm back on track.
B: Egg muffin
L: leek and celeriac soup with a drizzle of cream
S:Going to make a curry, some sort of chicken tikka thing with aubergine.

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