The next Bootcamp starts on Monday 14 May.
In advance of this, here are some things to start to think about.
THE RULES
First, make sure you know the rules! I'll put those in a separate post, but it's a good idea to print them out, so that you have them to hand for each reference.
You do need to follow the rules to the letter. Low carbing isn't a very forgiving WOE. It's not like calorie counting, where one 'bad' day can be overcome by a 'good' day the next. And it's especially important in the first two weeks because we're ensuring that we switch our bodies away from burning carbs for fuel to burning fat.
After the first two weeks there is the option to move onto a slightly more relaxed approach, Bootcamp Light. It's entirely up to you whether or not you do this. But it's critical that you are strict in the first two weeks.
PLANNING AHEAD
Do what you can to get rid of as many of the carby things in your fridge/freezer/cupboards - especially things that you know are likely to tempt you.
Start planning your week in terms of meals and food. Make sure you have plenty of low carb ingredients available. Meal planning may be a bit of a chore, but in the early stages of low carbing, especially if it's a new WOE (way of eating) for you, it's vital.
In the initial few days, you may also like to have things available to snack on. Within a week or so of low carbing, you should find that you're not hungry at all between meals, so you won't need to snack, but while you're adjusting, it's good to have something you know you can grab.
Good low carb snacks:
hard boiled eggs (always a good idea to keep a few in the fridge)
cooked low carb sausages (The Black Farmer is a good brand, but all the supermarkets premium sausages tend to be lower carb. Avoid ones with extra ingredients, and check the back of the packet to see how many carbs they contain. As an example, Sainsbury's So Organic pork sausages are only 0.9g carbs per 100g, The Black Farmer ones are 1.0g carbs. Avoid like the plague 'ordinary' sausages, as they are very carby - Richmond Thick Pork sausages are 16g carbs per 100g!
olives
cheese
cucumber/celery
If you're at work but have a canteen, check out what they're offering that is low carb. If they have a salad bar that's usually an OK option, but make sure that you're getting plenty of fat with your salad, and not just adding low fat dressings. You may need to take your own lunch with you if their menu is - as is highly likely - heavily focused around carbs. And if they do a 'healthy' option beware! This is going to be low fat, which is not what we're doing here.
If your job means you're out and about a lot, this is hard and something you'll have to prepare carefully for. On-the-go food options are always very carby - sandwiches, crisps, chocolate bars. Even if presented as 'healthy', like cereal bars or Graze boxes, these will invariably be too high in carbs as well, because there's often a lot of sugar as well as higher carb ingredients like nuts and seeds.
M&S do some good things - individually wrapped pieces of cheese, they also do pork crackling strips and rounds, which are a good standby. Most of their salads have pasta or rice or noodles as a basis, but there are one two that don't - and along with some cooked meats or fish you can usually put together a reasonable low carb meal.
READ UP ON LOW CARBING
The more you know about it, and the science behind it, the more likely you are to be able to stick to it.
You'll find that a lot of people around you will dismiss low carbing as a fad. People will tell you that eating so much fat is bad for you - despite the fact that this simply isn't true.
But it can be very undermining when people do this to you, and you may find your resolve wavering.
When I post the first thread next Monday there will be a link to the spreadsheet where we all enter our weight. On the tabs on the spreadsheet you'll find links to all kinds of different resources that will help you.
But in the meantime, if you want to do some reading, have a look at The Diet Doctor's website.
Escape the Diet Trap by Dr John Briffa is also a book that's really worth getting hold of - it's very easy to read and explains low carbing really well.
LEARN TO LOVE FAT!
Olive oil, butter, cream, cheese. What's not to love?!
But you'll find it hard, if you've always been told that fat is bad, to fully embrace it. But it's essential. A low carb diet is a high fat one - which is often why it's abbreviated to LCHF.
Fat helps to keep you full. It's also good for you (apart from transfats). Importantly, it makes things taste lovely!
CONSIDER HOW YOU'RE GOING TO MONITOR YOUR WEIGHT
We have a spreadsheet to enter our weight every week, but this is by no means compulsory. There are a couple of other ways to monitor your progress - first, take your measurements, and repeat these each week. Second, take an item of clothing which its currently too tight, and try that on each week.
If you do decide to weigh, then weigh yourself first thing in the morning, naked, after you've been to the loo.
It's up to you whether you weigh weekly or daily. Some people find that weighing daily keeps them focused on what they're doing - others find it too hard, as natural daily fluctuations aren't always helpful!
DO YOU NEED TO SEE YOUR GP?
If you have a medical condition, particularly diabetes or high or low blood pressure, you should talk to your doctor or nurse about low carbing. Low carbing will reduce high blood pressure, and help improve your blood sugar levels, such that the level of medication you're taking may become inappropriate.
If you're in any way worried about a medical condition or medication that you have, and how this might interact with low carbing, then please take medical advice. I am not a GP or medically trained in any way. I'm not a dietician or a nutritionist, either. The advice given on Bootcamp is based on my own experiences, and the (considerable) reading that I have done/continue to do.
GET A JOURNAL TO KEEP A RECORD OF YOUR DAILY MENU
Writing down what you've eaten and drunk is incredibly useful, and can help to keep you focused. If, for any reason, you aren't seeing success one week, going back to what you've been eating and drinking can help you identify any possible issues.
It also helps to keep you honest with yourself! If you know you have to write it down, it can stop you cheating.
READ AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE CHAT THREADS
The help, support and general camaraderie on the chat threads is the most valuable thing about Bootcamp.
Please don't just jump on the thread to post your own progress or menus, but take the time to read what other people have written
The threads move very quickly - especially in the first couple of weeks - so make sure you bookmark them so you don't lose your place. But also take the time to help others out with any questions or issues that they have.
And if you have a question, please make sure you read the thread to see if anyone else has asked that before you. It's very, very wearing being asked to explain something that's already been talked about.
READ THE BOOTCAMP RECIPE THREADS
There are several of these, all stickied at the top of the Bootcamp topic. There are some fabulous recipes on those threads, and so you should have absolutely no excuse not to eat lovely food. And please feel free to add to them!
A FINAL REMINDER - THE 'BLACKLIST'
These are foods that you shouldn't be eating at all on Bootcamp:
pasta/couscous/polenta/noodles
rice
flour/cornflour (so be careful of things that come in sauces, as they are usually thickened with flour or cornflour, and absolutely nothing that's in batter of any kind)
cakes/biscuits/muffins/bagels/doughnuts (should be obvious, but just in case ...)
legumes/pulses/grains
potatoes/sweet potatoes/sweetcorn/peas (these are the carbiest veg; on the spreadsheet you'll also find a list of carb counts for veg)
sugar/honey/syrup/chocolate
balsamic vinegar (wine vinegar/ordinary vinegars are fine, at around 0.5g/0.6g carbs per 100ml, but balsamic is very high in carbs at around 22g carbs per 100ml)
BEWARE THE BIG STICK!
I think that's all for now! I look forward to getting going next week