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.

I was wondering about running and this WOE. As part of a hopefully healthier lifestyle I started running a few weeks ago and have my first official 5k run tomorrow. Would anyone have any advice on what I should eat before and after? Do I need any carbs beforehand for energy? Feel a bit confused on this...

Blacktea I had one last night as well.
I dreamed about eating chips with fried chicken. But in a moment of clarity I opted for the chicken only.

I was happy it turned out to be a dream. I’m really feeling good about this WOE and I don’t want to slip up this early in the bootcamp.

Good morning to all the ladies hereIt's almost weekend, still can't believe how quick the week went by! And not feeling hungry since Wednesday is a huge thing for me as well, that's why most of the diets/ lifestyle changes failed I guess.
Bit of a setback yesterday after a low carb dinner some yoghurt with sugar in it  Didn't see until later that was in it

Anyone exercising these first weeks? Any experience of how feeling afterwards?
To all the ladies feeling not too well I hope you're doing better soon 
Goal for today: drink the 3.5 litre of water and perhaps half an hour of HIIT!!!

Day 2 for me & feeling so positive. Loving all the menu suggestions and recipes!

I'm at LC maintenance thanks for Bootcamp (first one this time last year). I was at the upper limit of my buffer zone having snuck on a few lbs in August. I was struggling to shift them. I've been alcohol free since last Sunday (nearly 2 weeks) I've not changed my LCHF eating and lost 5lb! 

BlackTea I have carby dreams sometimes, about shit stuff that I don't even like

Portion control - If you're used to big, starchy portions it can take a while to get used to not feeling so physically full after meals. But once your brain has worked out that you're feeling just as satiated with fats and protein you will start to feel satisfied with less mass.

Yesterday:

B - three eggs fried in butter
L - salami and cheese salad
D - Ham joint leftovers in a stew with kale, french beans and bone broth.

And too many coffees!

@Peaches2018, I went to the gym last night for the first time in a fortnight. Was absolutely fine until my last 10 mins of cardio when I went a bit lightheaded. Sorted with taking a bit of a breather and more water on board.

Think I'm getting used to drinking the water now, not dashing for the loo quite so much!

Anyone else kind of looking forward to Monday's weigh in? I swear my stomach is already looking a bit flatter.

Bacon and half an avocado for breakfast, 2 boiled eggs with asparagus and salad for lunch. Either chicken or prawns with roast vegetables for dinner.

KNPepper - once you are fat adapted, exercise on this WoE is fab as you can more easily access the fat in your own body for energy.

Before your 5k, make sure you have drunk plenty of water and have a protein/fat snack (eg a pepperami or a Babybel).

I find I am easily able to do the Shred/Ripped/go for a run/cycle to my Pilates class "fasted" (as I've been doing this a long time, I often do 16:8 and miss breakfast) with no noticeable impact on my energy levels

Kokoloco - both those are fine - as long as neither of them are low fat versions I like to snack on teaspoons of Lidl's Ardennes pâté

Thanks for the info Butterfly44. It's useful to know what sort of portion sizes to aim for. Funnily enough I don't feel hungry today and couldn't finish my salad at lunchtime! I've put it back in the fridge and might have it later.
B - parma ham rolled around some cream cheese
L - salad with spinach, tuna, hard boiled egg and mayo
D - will be either lamb chops or salmon with plenty of veg of some description

koko everyone!

Kokoloco I was just coming on here to say the same! I'm a daily weigher and I know it fluctuates, but this week....up 3lbs, down 5, up 3... It's a net loss, but not much and I'm doing everything right. I think it's just a case of gritting your teeth and sticking with it. Bloody frustrating though. I was really pleased yesterday with 5lbs down, thought that was the start of a lovely whoosh, but this morning....nah.

We're all different, some people will show a good loss on Monday, for others it might be slow and steady. Hang on in there.

Hi @Kokoloco I really was surprised on the scales having lost 5.7 pounds  After I had my son I struggled so badly with losing weight I couldn't be happier now! Hopefully it'll pick up for you soon too!

Thanks @Collectorofcookbooks I really wanted to start my insanity again to bump up the weight loss a bit but wasn't sure how others felt during these days that your body adapts with the change in foods. I'll definitely be starting again with the amount of energy that I got now 

Kokoloco - I've found that the more Boot Camps I do, the smaller the initial "whoosh".

This week I have lost 2.5lb so far. Some of that is purely because I had replenished my glycogen stores having fallen off the wagon in the previous 4 weeks. So in fact, I'm losing more than I should if I had continued Boot Camp properly since the last one - but at least I was still relatively well fat adapted.

I know that this will settle down to an average of 1lb a week. I am hoping for the occasional 2lb, so that I can get to at least 10st 9lb (and normal BMI) by Christmas - but I'm going to be realistic and not beat myself up if I don't. But I might do an egg fast towards the end

Hi @prettybird what's an egg fast?! Sounds delicious 

Is anyone here not weighing themselves?

I find I tend to get very obsessive and weigh myself far more than I need too. My scales have actually run out of battery and I’m quite relieved! I have picked out an item of clothing and am going by how that fits rather than weight.

An egg fast is not for someone who is new to BootCamp

It is essentially just a minimum of 6 eggs a day, together with plenty of fat (think it is a tablespoon of fat per egg - but I'd need to check) and (some) cheese, for 3-5 days. You then need to manage your return to "normal" eating, so as not to have a rebound.

Wow @prettybird that sounds really strict 
But I actually might try that when I'm closer to the weight I want/ need to be.
Is this the only boot camp or are there several others a year? Curious me with all my questions 

There are usually 3 a year: the pre-Christmas one, the post-Christmas one to undo the damage and a late spring/summer one.

Well I'm hoping to sign up for the post Christmas one as well!! It's so much easier when you've got a bit more support and people you can ask your questions and who can give advice or point in the right direction.
Do you know if low carb can be combined as well with fasting (got quite a bit of experience there) @prettybird

Yes it can be - once you are fully fat-adapted and are comfortable with the rules of this HFLC WoE. It's not encouraged for newbies because it is too easy to get hungry (if you're not fat adapted) and then fall face first into carby twatdom

^knpepper, like prettybird* I’ve had no problem exercising on this woe. I mostly runabd have found my pace has quickened. Not something I’ve set out to do, but has happened naturally. A result of being lighter. Am still very much a plodder though..