January 2019 Low Carb Bootcamp - Week 1

[BIWI]

Well happy new year!

Here's a sparkling, brand new, Spreadsheet of Fabulousness for us all to get this new Bootcamp off to a good start.

Remember, you don't have to be on the spreadsheet if you don't want to - and if you don't want to declare your actual weight, you can index it - which means that your starting 'weight' is 100. Then for every pound you lose, you take off one. So if you lose 4lbs in week 1, then your 'weight' starting for week 2 will be 96.

There are over 170 people signed up, so the thread will move very quickly - but please, please, please read all the posts. Don't just jump on and post your own stuff without reading what other people have posted. That's especially the case if you're posting with a question - read the thread to make sure it hasn't already been asked.

Have a good look at the spreadsheet and all the tabs at the bottom, as there's a huge amount of information there - not just the rules, but also the list of vegetable carb counts, and some really interesting reading/videos too.

I hope everything there is clear, but if not - just shout.

Looking forward to getting going!

@BIWI the cauliflower steak is as per Marcus Wareing on one of the Masterchef skills tests. There’s a video of it if you’ve not seen it before. It calls for all the butter, so perfect for this woe.

Dinner was SO good! Fried chorizo and mushrooms up with leftover steak on a bed of salad and (leftover) roast brocolli with a fried egg on top and side of coleslaw

Well I'm not having much joy with my food

Friday night is takeaway night, and as I know the menu well of the particular restaurant we used tonight, thought I'd be safe.

Ordered spicy chicken lollipops to start. Fine. Except they turned out to be heavily battered - which hadn't been written/explained on the menu.

Then my main course had been cooked differently from normal, and the meat had clearly been coated in cornflour to add thickness that the sauce doesn't usually have.

I was starving because I haven't eaten much today, so did end up eat a bit of it. But I'm cross now.

And I can't have a drink to make myself feel better

Jus checking in after a couple of busy days. Managed to keep to the diet disputes have my 2 challenging children at home ( normally I’d be reaching for the chocolate).

Appetite had completely subsided until this morning whin I was woken to the sound of my stomach rumbling meaning I have stuffed my face today (all allowed items) but now feel like a right pig! I am just I will pay for it on the scales.

Typos galore in that last message!

My computer is playing up and keeps returning me to the bottom of the page, so everytime I try to scroll up I get thru a few posts and then i’m back down at the bottom again. I've had to type this on another doc and paste it over to stop it being lost halfway thru (which happened three times yesterday).

The conversations I have seen quickly are the liver one -I love chicken livers cooked with bacon lardons, leeks, mushrooms and cream. And the how to make a filling LC stir fry one – I only feel satisfied if the stir fry is with a fatty meat so wouldn’t feel full with king prawns but I do if I do the veg and serve with pork belly or chicken thighs marinated in 5 spice, ginger, garlic and soy. Sorry I can’t contribute any more ☹

My day yesterday was hectic and tempting, I had 7 kids over after school to do Chinese new year crafts and make your own pizza. I also did a tray bake chocolate cake. I managed to resist tho and had a sausage instead. But after they left I couldn’t face cooking dinner so DH picked up an Indian takeaway. I had Brinjal Bhaji and tandoori chicken.

Today has been busy too so I didn’t have time for breakfast at home and picked up some corned beef slices from Lidl when out.

B – 6 corned beef slices (220g)
L – Salad of rocket, cucumber, green pepper in an oily dressing with tuna, 2 boiled eggs and black olives and mayo
1st dinner – 2 sausages and broccoli
2nd dinner – haddock baked in cream, spinach and leeks topped with cheese with green beans

Hope to catch up properly tomorrow. Well done everyone!

Feeling good today, not at all bloated.Having a weird experience of smelling smoke all the time though, other people can't smell anything. Does ketosis make the sense of smell more sensitive or cause olfactory hallucinations? Obviously it could be something else!
B- coffee with double cream
Lunch- frittata with broccoli and goats cheese
Dinner- chicken and salad
I'm still snacking in the afternoon on cheese and cold meat, not because I feel hungry, but because I like to sit down with a coffee and snack when I get home from work. At least it's not chocolate/ cake!

Checking in, I'm so bloody exhaused today I could happily go to bed now..but due to my kids being proper pains in the bum about bedtimes we haven't even eaten yet..DH is making steak, with celeriac chips, blue cheese sauce and mushrooms. He's done beans too but I'll just eat one to be polite, he's doing his best.
B. Yoghurt and cinnamon, was nice
L. Massive salad, cauliflower quiche again...made a massive one and it does feel like all I've eaten.
I'd gone from 61.5 kg to 60.2 this morning, which is fab, plus I can see little hollows appearing again on my waist, they've not been there for a while.
Made a cake for DH birthday tonight, got to ice it tomorrow..have to hold out! Plus we are eating lunch in Camden and dinner near excel, going to the avengers exhibition..who know what I'll find to eat!

Anyone getting really spotty in the first few days? I seem to be breaking out, not sure why.

Doing well even managing to drink enough.
My breath is rotten, smells like sickness (so I’m told)
B scrambled eggs with cheese
L smoked salmon and salad
D chicken thighs and stir fry
Still on 6 coffees with cream

MrsKoala and boldly , my DS was nearly 3 and half when we stopped BF. Whenever I mention this to anybody, they consider it rather odd/disgusting/hippyish etc. For me and my son it was the most magical part of his babyhood. It took quite a long time to wean him off and at the end I just had to hide from him at nighttime when he expected his bed time booboo.
He is 5 now and still tries to have a grope whenever he gets a chance to be near my boobs. This is rather annoying and I tell him off constantly .

Anyway, food today was pretty good, no cravings, plenty of variety and I felt really well the whole day. Even managed a session of Joe Wicks HIIT

I know BIWI mentioned my portions seemed small and not having enough fat/protein.
I am not a big eater and my portions have always been on the smaller side, but obviously haven’t been making the most healthiest choices in the past.
I will make better effort to add more fats and protein, whenever I can.

B: fried egg, green smoothie
L: salmon, cream cheese, cheddar platter
D: fried chicken, mayo, salad ( rocket and few cubes of owen roasted sweet potatoes and couliflower, drenched in olive oil )
W: just over 2 litres, this could’ve been better.

Just been out for a group dinner to a pub where dinner was loads of mini starters buffet style so feel your pain @Threeminis

I ended up having mini sausages that were unfortunately cooked in a honey glaze plus a few grapes and some cheese and some green herbs as there was not much else I could eat. I resisted the wine and the bread but it's annoying. Still, onwards and upwards!

I'm alone next week with the children, DH is off skiing with some friends, so I am stocking up the fridge for lchf food for myself. Think it will be easier without having to cook for him as well.

I weighed myself this morning and am stunned that I’ve lost 8lbs!

B. Greek yoghurt
L. Cheese salad inc leaves, cucumber, olives etc
D. Bacon and eggs fried in bacon.

More veg tomorrow

I’m doing ok with the water and had matcha green tea, chamomile tea as well as coffee with cream. We’re out for breakfast in the morning I usually have avocado on toast with poached egg, so will just ask for no toast.

Checking in late with yesterday’s food
B - bacon scrambled eggs
L - Greek salad, chopped cold sausages
D - peri peri chicken, salad

Feeling ready to tackle the first weekend of boot camp!

Hoorah, Chango! And everyone who's sneaked a preview

Re liver and spots. Liver's one of those foods that is SO good for you I feel guilty about not eating it more often. But although it's occasionally amazing, more often than not I find I don't really want it (read: can't choke it down) after a few mouthfuls. The answer for me is pate, although it's quite hard finding a brand that isn't also full of really strange ingredients.

Spots, oh yes. Not so much this time, but on previous bootcamp I used to get those bumpy red hormonal spots occasionally - the good news is that they were always the precursor to a whoosh! (I'm still sticking to my theory that as fat cells hold hormones, when you burn the fat off the hormones are released. Whether it's in amounts substantial enough to be noticed I don't know, but it makes me feel more positive about the spots, which helps!l They always went down again really quickly as well, not like 'normal' spots.)

This is near the end of a third week for me, as I started early, so no loss on the scales so far, BUT... another 1/2 inch off the hips since Monday, and that's important if I'm going to get back into the remaining 1/3 of my clothes by the end of this BC!

Ok yesterday was back on track.
B - FF plain yog
L - leftover grilled broccoli with two eggs, yoghurt & feta 👌🏻
S - cauliflower mash & sausages.

Also tried the philly pancakes & finished DDs egg mayo.

Managed to squeeze in 3.2 L water despite getting into it late in the day.

@athelstane yes I remember now that last boot camp I had really odd periods, every couple of weeks, so guess it's all linked. They are the lumpy hormonal kind, really sore.
Off out for the day, London on the train, think I'll do a fry up breakfast for DH and me, it's his birthday, so that lunch isn't too much of a problem if I can't find something. Then later they'll be a burger place or something, can just not eat the bread. Water might be an issue, I'll carry a bottle and I'll just have to buy more during the day, can't lug around over 2 l with me!
To be fair I'm still full from last night's dinner!

Good morning, please may I join, late I know. I have been trying to do a low carb version of my own, but I see on reading the 'rules' here that I have been doing some things wrong. Had some red wine for example. I will correct that. I don't have scales but I can tell from my clothes that I have put on weight rather than lose it. I'm rather down about it

I also feel very constipated. I have drunk loads of water, many litres. I walk briskly a lot. I have tried taking Andrews salts but that is not helping. I think this is also affecting my mojo!

Thanks for all the stir fry tips and yes mine was full of liquid. Totally get what you were saying about veg being steamed rather than fried.

TMI update. I haven't had a poo since (at least) Wednesday. I feel 'fine' have been eating plenty and drinking lots of water. Should I be concerned? Is this usual?

Wanted to post about bowel movements, so glad someone else did first. Last time I did BC, I was definitely a bit constipated, but it settled after eating lots of veg.

This time I seem to have pale coloured poo, however, I did have a stomach upset and wondered if this had caused it? I have terrible health anxiety, so I’m going into total panic mode (and ate chocolate last night as a result 🙁)

I'm 4lb down since Monday! That's huge for me, I'm normally a slow loser. My appetite hasn't stabilised yet but I know it will and I think part of the reason is mother nature messing with me and sending me a horrible period when I haven't had one since October and thought I might be finally out the menopause gap. That also explains the sugar cravings but I'm holding firm. I've two weddings and a foreign holiday this year and I would love to stop playing
"dodge the photographer" all the time

I think not having a poo since Wednesday is fine but I am a 2/3 times a weeker anyway so might be abnormal! I usually worry after day 5 and gulg a couple of extra bottles of water

cherries running is so good for a thigh gap! I had one for a few weeks but slowed down running and started going to the gym more and it's pretty much gone now!

Just came on for a moan about DP. He did the food shop last night. I've been eating this way for nearly a year so he knows what I can have. He's come back with low fat yoghurt and cream cheese and honey cured bacon. And unpitted olives for DD (she's 2.5 so I'll have to deal with them!). I hate waste and we try to stick to a budget so it's really irritated me. First world problem I know.

I'm 6lbs down now but also experiencing lack of bowel movement. I feel like I need to go but nothing there. It's frustrating as I know it's working but I'm usually very regular.

@WhatThreeWords I've done my own version on and off for about five years and this is my first Bootcamp (having only recently de-lurked on MN; never got round to registering again post-Jeffrey). It feels TOTALLY different doing it alongside a group of people who share meal plans and otherwise keep you on the straight and narrow. Jump in!

Dear @nowlook thank you! I really feel the support would help me.

Breakfast - some greek yogurt with diced cucumber and drizzle of olive oil; coffee
Lunch - will be in the car so planning some chorizo and cheddar, I have just checked that dairy can stem weight loss but would it be ok?, I thought I would add egg mayonnaise (homemade) and more cucumber sticks (I need to go shopping - fridge is bare! - to buy dinner etc)
Dinner - duck breasts, asparagus, cauli mash. I will add peas and fries for the DDs

I already feel better knowing you guys are here :-)

I really want to work out some way of exercising effectively - I work full time and I am on my own with two kids. I had a very good spell last year where I got up at 5.30am to exercise and I KNOW I have to get back to that - it makes me feel so great. I just need to actually DO it. I'm in a flat so I thought that Jillian Michaels intense yoga might work, not too much jumping around for the people in the flat below. I also am thinking of running home from work when I can.

@WhatThreeWords I use this mayo because it's low-carb and delicious.

groceries.morrisons.com/webshop/product/Thomy-Mayonnaise/246867011?from=search&param=Thomy%20Mayo

If you have read through the rest of this thread (takes time, but there's loads of ideas and Q&As) and all the tabs on the spreadsheet linked to by @BIWI, you'll not go far wrong!