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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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YoLoHogwomanay · 12/01/2018 17:13

thanks for your wisdom stunt. Can you give me any advice about high blood pressure and water/salt intake on this woe?

BadlyParkedRangeRover · 12/01/2018 17:18

Thanks StuntNun!

PrincessPeaPod · 12/01/2018 17:21

Thanks for the advice. I have put it behind me now. Having salmon and veggies for supper. Going to draw that line. No point feeling like rubbish and beating myself up. Next time I feel the urge, I'm going to have a hot drink and distract myself!

BerylStreep · 12/01/2018 17:26

Hello all. Haven't been to the thread in a couple of days.

I had 2 NSVs in the last 2 days. Firstly, I was at a leaving do for a colleague last night, and lots of photos being taken. I didn't cringe when I saw myself in the photos, which is a rarity.

Then a colleague texted me to say she thought I was looking radiant. It was a lovely thing for her to do.

Smile

WRT the tea discussion, don't forget about Twinings Buttermint tea. It is to die for. I find that one teabag will do 2 cups - I just keep the teabag in the cup, and once I have finished the first one, just top it up again with boiling water.

They stopped making it, and there was a FB campaign called Bring Back Buttermint. I suspect that I put lots of weight on when they stopped making it as I started drinking soy lattes instead. I've since done some reading about soy and it's really not that good for you.

StuntNun · 12/01/2018 17:26

Princess my first two periods after going low carb I nosedived into the carbs earning myself a whack from BIWI's big stick but the cravings settled down after that. Blame your hormones and now get back on track.

YoLo high blood pressure often reduces on this way of eating. Remember that your salt intake will have dropped when you went low carb because you cut out processed foods that would have contained a lot of salt, especially if they were low fat and needed extra flavour to make them more satisfying. So your salt intake may seem much higher but it should just be that you're adding more salt, not that you're consuming a lot more salt overall. I never used to add salt to my food at all but now I need to put a lot on. If you're really worried about your then you could try using My Fitness Pal to get an idea of your salt intake (bearing in mind that it won't be totally accurate because it's only as good as the data entered into it.)

SayrraT · 12/01/2018 17:33

I wee WAY more than 8 times a day!

prettybird · 12/01/2018 17:44

Ooooh Beryl - I hadn't mentioned Buttermint tea as I thought it wasn't made any more . It's lovely with after the first 2 weeks a square of dark chocolate. Smile Brew

OP posts:
blackteaplease · 12/01/2018 17:51

Onwards and upwards Princesspeapod. You will get there, just don't use this as an excuse to eat more carbs today. The support in this thread can be marvelous if you are having a wobble. There is usually someone around to talk you through. I know that I have received and given support on the last bootcamp and will most likely be needing some along the way again.

PennyMise · 12/01/2018 17:54

Hello
Does this sauce sound compliant for after two weeks? Need to check if cornichons are pickled with sugar. food52.com/recipes/22883-sauce-gribiche

TheSeasonOfTheWitch · 12/01/2018 17:54

Evening everyone,

After my pmt blip of eating leftover pasta, I've been on target today!

B- Parmesan omelette with a glass of Kefir and 2 white coffee's.
L- crispy bacon salad with sherry vinegar
D- 'egg fried rice' - first time I've ever made it, delicious! Thanks prettybird for the suggestion.

Lots of fizzy water, and that all came in at just under 20g carbs, feeling stuffed so hopefully I'm in my way to adjusting.

ScreamingValenta · 12/01/2018 17:59

Well done, Witch!

prettybird · 12/01/2018 18:03

I've held off the Big Stick for Princess because she seems suitably contrite Wink

But she must promise to come back here for support to stop Carby Twatdom in future or next time I will definitely have to get it out Shock

It is soooo important that we complete 2 weeks "clean" so that we give our bodies a chance to learn to fat burn (as per the science that StuntNun has so brilliantly described) and to break our addiction to sugar in particular and carbs in general. It's not just physiological - it is psychological as well.

OP posts:
TheSeasonOfTheWitch · 12/01/2018 18:11

Thanks Valenta

Also, I had a spoon of marmite which was slowly licked! It's so strong tasting it helped my cravings for something larger. It is salty and full of B vitamins too, so would recommend if you like the taste and your taste buds need a good smacking!

ScreamingValenta · 12/01/2018 18:19

I do like Marmite, so that's a good tip, Witch - I will get some at the weekend.

thedayismine · 12/01/2018 18:34

Hello all - struggling to keep up as usual but the main thing is i am KOKO and feeling good !
Will re read all the science bits - thanks stuntnun . What always occurs to me though is how damn good this WOE makes me feel - that's got to mean something !
I know so many SW attendees - no one ever seems to lose weight and stop going ( maybe just the people I know - I don't discuss it !)

Loving the chorizo cauliflower recipe and will see if Tom Kerridges soup can be done in my soup maker .

Ilovecherries that is really depressing about the Kids .

b- eggs , mushrooms , m and s crispy bacon
L - leftover shepherds pie

Grimbles · 12/01/2018 18:47

Going back to the advice given by doctors and other HCP's, I can only echo the thought that things are changing and the benefits of lchf are being recognised and accepted. Both my GP and consultant have been supportive when I told them about my woe!

DrDiva · 12/01/2018 18:47

I am still here. Just about. What is it about bootcamp that means my life instantly turns into a soap when I’m on it??! Grin
As always, struggling with water. If anyone has any bright ideas to help out please do share!
And apologies but haven’t rtft. Blush

Wh0KnowsWhereTheT1meG0es · 12/01/2018 18:52

I was on Slimming World last year. I have to say, as far as fitting in with normal family eating goes it's a lot easier (for me) than BC. You can do it with full fat foods, you just have smaller quantities. But the meetings I went to were dreadful and I resented paying £5 a week for them. BC makes a lot of sense and I like the support on this thread. Actually the SW threads on MN are very supportive too

prettybird · 12/01/2018 18:56

DrDiva - are you also drinking herb teas and/or bouillon/Bovril/Marmite/Oxo Cube? That's one way to drink more - and the warmth is nice when it's cold outside Smile

StuntNun did a good post earlier today about fluid intake (and the science behind it). She said that 2 of the cups of "ordinary" tea and coffee can count towards the required intake. I hadn't realised that - so that has immediately improved my running total Wink

OP posts:
PrincessPeaPod · 12/01/2018 18:56

Thank you for being super kind to me prettybird. I promise to use the thread for moral support from now on!!! TEAM!

Wh0KnowsWhereTheT1meG0es · 12/01/2018 19:01

I looked at Oxo cubes today they did have some carbs so I wasn't sure if they were ok. I had a spoonful of marmite in hot water instead but it wasn't very nice (and I love Marmite).

AthelstaneTheUnready · 12/01/2018 19:02

Still here, still keeping on; second day in a row without cravings or ups and downs, which is fab. Have discovered a filthy greedy lust for belly pork, so must watch portion sizes.

DrDiva, I found the water hard as I was just sort of hoping to drink more, without taking any practical steps to do it. I now have three 750ml bottles I fill first thing in the morning, and make sure I always have one in front of me so I can't forget about it. Those, plus a couple of coffees and couple of mugs of hot water, see me comfortably over my goal.

abbey44 · 12/01/2018 19:51

That sea salt butter is gorgeous - those little bursts of salt flakes on the tongue... We don't have a Waitrose, sadly, but Tesco and Morrisons both do a Normandy/Brittany butter with sea salt. Haven't found anything equivalent in Sainsbury's though.

As for the marmite...I mix it 50:50 with butter and keep a pot in the fridge ready to use. It's lovely when you lob it onto shredded stir-fried sprouts. Yes, I know - but just try it, it's lovely.

Today's meals:

B: Bacon & scrambled eggs
L: Coffee with double cream
D: Aubergine & mozzarella gratin (Diet Doctor recipe, swapping their feta for the mozzarella I needed to use up)

Rshard · 12/01/2018 19:52

So much support and guidance on this thread!

Today’s food
B - half avo buttery scrambled eggs
L - cheese salad mayo
D - leftover chicken and chorizo kale in butter brussels cauliflower

IAmSamSamlAm · 12/01/2018 20:04

Forgot to take my lunch to work today so just skipped it - could never have done that a week ago; I'd have been straight to the shop for a sausage roll, crisps and chocolate Grin

B - 3 soft boiled eggs
L - none
D - pork belly stir fry with courgette, spinach, pak choy and a bit of cheese

I started on Sunday but last weighed myself on the proper scales at work last Friday. This Friday, I'm 6lbs down! My face is so much less puffy, my skin's so better and I can do my coat up again GrinGrin