And off we go! Christmas Low Carb Bootcamp - Week 1

[BIWI]

Welcome everyone. We have over 150 people signed up this time, so it's going to be pretty busy, and the initial chat thread is going to be very fast-moving!

Here is the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness for you to post your starting weight.

Remember, you don't have to input your actual weight if you don't want to - you can index it, which means starting at 100 and then for every pound you lose, you take off a point.

If your name isn't on the spreadsheet, don't panic! Just add your name to the bottom, and then the lovely @AthelstaneTheUnready will re-alphabetise the list.

If you're on the spreadsheet and you don't want to be, don't worry - just don't enter any info, and then you'll be deleted after the first couple of weeks.

Good day food wise with one small aberration
B: egg muffins
L: chick & mush soup
D: venison steak with broccoli and green beans and a herb butter
S: too much really....was hungry and going to the gym so ate some rollitos and some calimari and had yogurt with cinnamon and cream after dinner.

My aberration was that my 8 yr old dd does a cookery club after school and she presented me with scones today. I did one for everyone and she looked at me with those eyes and said aren’t you having one mummy?? So I chose the teeny tiny one (honestly not much bigger than a 50p piece) and had no jam (but lots of clotted cream). Sorry

Well day 3 done and dusted. Can’t believe I’m not fancying biscuits and chocolates that were around in work today

A few questions to you LC pros if you can help!

• Is it possible to have too much fat? I’m getting a bit butter crazy and having 2-3 coffees with a dash of double cream each day... plus fat on meat, 15% mince etc. Has anyone’s cholesterol been negatively affected? (I did see that a couple of posters said theirs had dropped or remained stable on another thread)

• are edamame beans low carb? I buy them frozen and love them with chilli salt, but I’ve not touched them since starting boot camp as I’m not sure.

• is tinned ratatouille ok?

TIA

That recipe looks yummy Brassica I've been searching for some good low carb slow cooker recipes as I love using mine when the weather turns colder.

Chester could you not do "oooh, thank you. I'll save that for later" with the candy floss? There are a few obstacles to navigate and get familiar with but generally it's a really easy way to eat.

@MumOfAPickle
My daughter had cookery club today too...came back with a fruit Swiss roll. Couldn't not try her efforts and felt awful about it! Blip but back on it tomorrow.

@Chesterfield have you told your family you are doing bootcamp? Can you get them to support you then they won't derail you unintentionally.

Where are your dinners out? Can you share the menu so that we can help make LCHF choices? I ate out last night and had smoked salmon starter and roast pork main. I swapped the roasties for extra green veg.

@blacktea is right, I’m sure we can suggest some low carb options for your dinners out. I quite often have a couple of starters instead of a main. Restaurants are usually really accommodating.

Hi! Can I join...came on here looking for a blast if inspiration as I've a birthday coming up in a week and I need to have a positive mental attitude on! I know lchf works & I'm going to put a vegetarian focus on this time. I will add myself to the spreadsheet later this morning & make some scrambled eggs for breakfast! Excited

Thanks @Rshard I can do the theory pretty well. I fail at the practical application though. I am determined to make a permanent change this bootcamp. (Ignores the 4 times I have said that before).

Thanks, Babe! Will save that, as all my food is bought for the next two weeks - am going to be ultra strict for that period, so peppers will need to wait.

Good news - another 1lb down today, after yesterday's pristine effort of pork belly, broccoli, leeks, coffee with cream, chicken mayonnaise salad, and eggs.

Chester, it's hard when people just pitch up with stuff, for sure, but I don't know about restrictive - I end up eating a much wider, more varied range of food after a few weeks, because I'm deliberately looking. And restaurants these days are excellent at highlighting what's in their meals. As for the coffee&cake date, well the date is the social part of it! Have the coffee and the social, and just say your stomach's a bit dodgy, or you think you may be starting toothache or something. (Not usually a fan of making excuses, but if it's tough at the start, whatever helps!).

Tight, I have not yet found it's possible to have too much fat, and I'm 20lbs down and still counting. And I'm one of those people who eats slabs of butter on slices of cheese for a snack. I find the more butter and animal fat I eat, the better my skin gets. And external signs of improved health usually go hand in hand with internal health, iyswim. I would have thought the ratatouille was too carby with the tomatoes - what does the tin say?

Morning, Fabulous! And welcome.

@MumOfAPickle
@Chesterfieldsofa
@Butterfly44

Who are you on Bootcamp for? I thought it was for you, so that you could lose weight? Or is it, after all, to keep your family appeased?

We are only on day 4 and you're already off the wagon!

Yes, this is restrictive. It's 'Bootcamp' remember?

The whole point of these first two weeks is to switch your body away from burning carbs for fuel to burning fat. If you keep indulging with cake, scones and sugar (candy floss is the worst!) then this simply won't work for you.

This is not a very forgiving WOE and you can't compensate one day for bad behaviour on another, as you can if you're low carbing.

So you need to be really clear with those around you why you're doing what you're doing. So tell your partners, and don't accept things from your children. Tell them you're not hungry and you'll eat [x] later.

If you're going out for a 'cake date' make it a 'coffee date' instead. And just tell your friends that you're low carbing and can't eat cake for now.

And when it comes to meals out I can reassure you that - unless you're going somewhere that only serves pizza or pasta - then it's very easy to eat a low carb meal. It's certainly easier to eat out than if you're trying to count calories or stay low fat!

I have never been told that I can't switch one veg for another, in the 6 or so years that I've been a low carber. On Tuesday, for example, when DH and I were out for dinner, the dish I chose came with truffled potatoes. I switched those for green beans with garlic.

You have to be really committed to this WOE for it to work. If you're already looking for excuses and reasons not to follow it by day 3, then perhaps you need to think about your motivations?

This is a brilliant way to lose weight and, perhaps more importantly, it's also very good for your overall health, as many others here will testify. It might be a good idea to read up a little bit more about low carbing and its advantages? Head to the spreadsheet and have a look at some of the links there. Or go and have a read of The Diet Doctor's website.

@TightPants

Well day 3 done and dusted. Can’t believe I’m not fancying biscuits and chocolates that were around in work today

It is one of the best side effects of this WOE that you can look at sweet stuff quite dispassionately, as well as not being hungry! It's the best way to keep yourself focused.

A few questions to you LC pros if you can help!

• Is it possible to have too much fat? I’m getting a bit butter crazy and having 2-3 coffees with a dash of double cream each day... plus fat on meat, 15% mince etc. Has anyone’s cholesterol been negatively affected? (I did see that a couple of posters said theirs had dropped or remained stable on another thread)

are edamame beans low carb? I buy them frozen and love them with chilli salt, but I’ve not touched them since starting boot camp as I’m not sure

No they're not - they're 10g per 100g. So I'd leave them for at least the next two weeks, but then introduce them very carefully.

is tinned ratatouille ok?

Impossible to say without reading the label - what's the carb count per 100g? If it's much above 4g carbs per 100g then go easy.

Sorry - missed out your question about fat and cholesterol!

Is it possible to have too much fat? I’m getting a bit butter crazy and having 2-3 coffees with a dash of double cream each day... plus fat on meat, 15% mince etc. Has anyone’s cholesterol been negatively affected? (I did see that a couple of posters said theirs had dropped or remained stable on another thread)

Don't worry about having too much fat - for a start it's very satiating, and I doubt that you're really having too much, you're just worried about it because it goes against everything we've been told for the last 40 years.

This WOE should be beneficial for your cholesterol levels (unless you have a more serious underlying or genetic problem). But if you're concerned about it, then go and see your GP.

But as I've said to others, read more about low carbing. Zoe Harcombe is particularly good on cholesterol, but I think The Diet Doctor also writes about this.

... and welcome @FabulousUsername

Am at a conference today and don't know if the lunch will be low carb friendly.... Am hoping for buffet style with a salad option but have packed a lunch just in case.

Re meals out - if you can get the menu in advance it can be quite easy to plan and still have something tasty.

Steak and salad with mushrooms is usually my go to, but I am finding that I can get something satisfying and low carb at most places with a bit of advance planning.

Feeling quite pleased that I've not been tempted by the goodies in my office - we have cakes for any remotely auspicious occasion (birthdays, anniversaries, just because....).

A colleague did pick me up on the whole 'but you need to treat yourself sometimes...'

But it's not a treat. It's four bloody days out of five most weeks. And they're never as good as they look.

Chesterfieldsofa I think of you’ve tried other diets where you can have a bit of everything and compensate for it another day then his diet can come as a shock at first. But I’ve tries every diet under the sun (WW, SW, 5:2, Cambridge, slim fast, calorie counting) and this is by far the easiest to follow long term as you don’t get the cravings for the bad stuff after a couple of weeks.

I do understand what you mean by dealing with social stuff. I also feel a lot of peer pressure to “join in” with social eating and drinking. I find the folllowing things helped:

1. be upfront with the person you’re meeting before you go out. Tell them your trying to lose weight and so won’t be having cake. If they are your friend then they will be supportive and probably not order cake themselves. Also it will put a bit of pressure on you not to “cheat” in front of your friend.

2. if you are in a situation where you can’t avoid having a drink for example, choose dry white or red wine or vodka (fresh) lime and soda. And just have one. Definitely check menus online before you go out and not decide what you will order. Sometimes I even write it on a piece of paper and then don’t look at the menu when I arrive so I’m not tempted to order other things.

3. echo what BIWI said- explain to your husband/ family what you can and can’t eat. Be clear you don’t want them to buy sweets, treats, alcohol for you. If you’re worried about influencing young children re weight loss, tell them you can have sweets as you don’t want to rot your teeth.

4. the rules of Bootcamp are strict but you have to make the diet work for you long term. If this means having one small bite of whatever your children have cooked for you and making a huge deal about how delicious it was before sneakily binning the rest of it then that’s what I do. Sorry BIWI feel free to hit me with the big stick

Also, trust all the very experienced Boot campers (who have been doing this way longer than me) - it’s hard at first but really does get easier if you stick to it.

I’m other news I’ve seen my first movement on the scales this morning - big whoosh and a 4lb loss!

I’ve decided to join in, I’ve done it before and felt amazing. Right now I feel huge and sluggish - looking forward to having lots of energy and enjoying the LCHF way of living again!

Morning, bootcamp threads moving as fast as normal which is always really helpful to dip in and out of.
I'm doing fine, always manage to blank out the carbs, love how suddenly I can just switch to lc and then remember why as my body begins to thank me again.

Just need to up the water a bit now, I had an interview and cut back a bit to get through the day. Got the job though so new start, new body.
Have a good day everyone.

@banano

4) the rules of Bootcamp are strict but you have to make the diet work for you long term. If this means having one small bite of whatever your children have cooked for you and making a huge deal about how delicious it was before sneakily binning the rest of it then that’s what I do

This is very true in the longer term. But not the best idea in the first two weeks of Bootcamp!

Congrats on the job @FuriousFifties! What a great start for the new you.

I had a good day 3 yesterday. I've been working longer hours than usual, so not been able to get stuck into the recipes. But I've been doing fine with lots of salad, veggies, chicken, fish, cheese and cream. I hope I'll have more time to experiment this weekend.

Good news is that scales look like they're starting to move downwards.

Have a great Day 4 everyone!

Morning campers

I am already noticing how well I feel, eating this way. Already, I have more energy. Lots of little things at home, which every day I felt I was too busy to do, I have sorted just in passing.

On the topic of eating out, I have found most places very accommodating, swapping spinach for the bread at breakfast and for potatoes/rice/pasta for other meals.

My sweet tooth is in abeyance, hurrah and thank you boot camp. The one thing I do miss are red lentils, in the soup my mother used to make with a ham bone, in dahl Sigh

I am definitely better as an abstainer than trying to moderate. And I am in awe of ilovecherries Go girl !

Hi everyone, I'm jumping in with both feet, I've never done this before so it is a little daunting but I've seen several friends on FB that have achieved fantastic results through low carb eating.

I've already made huge changes in the last month by quitting drinking, smoking, joining a gym and starting C25K - I had been on self destruct since losing my Mum last year so really needed to get my act together!

I don't have a massive amount of weight to lose, but It has crept up and is noticeable due to my height and small frame so I need to lose 8lb as well as toning up.

It's day 3 for me today, sat typing this with a coffee and cream (feels very odd at this time of the day - only really had it as an Irish coffee after a meal), I am reading all of the great tips and recipe ideas you guys are posting, loving the support on this thread, good luck everyone :)

You’re absolutely right biwi I need to find a way next time. I have just messaged my friend who I’m babysitting for tonight to tell her that I’m low carbing so not to leave any sweet treats out for me (she usually buys me all sorts of sweet stuff as a thank you) and she replied “too late, I’ve already bought it, you’ll just have to take it home” arggggh!!

Buttery eggs and black coffee for breakfast .. (cant bear cream in cofjee)

its been a tough and very upsetting week so far (but not for bootcamp reasons), which has meant I've actually struggled eating anything, or drinking anything but tea black coffee and water . I didnt make my fish pie in the end because i just couldnt face anything at all. will do that at the weekend. (anyway enough about that )

The cheese and broccoli soup yesterday whilst not possibly the lowest carb option i could have gone for , seems to have got me on track again , and I actually woke up hungry today.. scales have n moved a little downwards this morning ,

I think I might roast a chicken with lemon later

What is this 'Bear cream cofjee'? I referred to? . I couldn't eat a whole one, even though I expect they they are low carb