May '19 Low Carb Bootcamp - week 1

[BIWI]

So here we are!

Lots of us signed up this time, so inevitably the thread will move very quickly. Please, though, take the time to read the whole thread!. Although this is a place where you can post your daily menus, or your thoughts and questions, please don't just do this, but read what other people have posted too.

A bit thank you to the very lovely @AthelstaneTheUnready who has set up the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness.

The Spreadsheet

If your name isn't on there, don't panic! Just add yourself to the bottom of the list. Don't worry about trying to alphabetise it - that will be sorted out for you. (And if you're on the spreadsheet but don't want to be, don't worry - if you don't post on it your name will be taken off)

Here's a brief recap of the rules:

1. Eat three proper meals a day
2. Avoid processed foods
3. Eat plenty of fat
4. Make sure you are eating plenty of vegetables and salad
5. Be careful about dairy (apart from butter which is unlimited)
6. You must drink a minimum of 2 litres of water a day
7. No alcohol
8. No fruit
9. No nuts/seeds

10.No sugar or artificial sweeteners

The full rules are here . They're supposed to be stickied at the top of the Low Carb Bootcamp topic (along with the recipe threads), but for some reason they're stickied at the top of page 2!

Remember that after the first two weeks we can relax some of this, and move on to Bootcamp Light, which means that you can add some fruit (berries mainly), alcohol (in moderation) and nuts and seeds (again, in moderation), but the point of the strict initial phase is to help push your body into burning fat for fuel rather than carbohydrate.

And remember - if you cheat, you will only be delaying this process from happening!

Good luck to everyone. Any questions or problems, just shout!

Can anyone tell me what this WOE is going to do to my cholesterol levels ?

1wild

Thank you. I can ‘talk it’ (because I totally believe in it) I just need to be able to ‘walk it’ consistently!! I need someone to make a no carb fatty protein that replaces meat & fish and I’d be fine (I do eat tofu but not Quorn) but there’s not much variety.

Lagan I absolutely can. Despite what your head is telling you makes sense, your cholesterol will be far better on this WOE. I haven’t known anyone in 6 years say anything else. Mine went from high to normal in that 3 months (probably sooner but that was my first review).

@MightyWings You need to read the rules! Please. It's really important that you follow them. You've already broken five of them and we're only on day 2 . That's the reason why I posted them in my OP!

B: 2 slices almond keto bread (1g carb per slice) & 2 boiled eggs

First rule broken: No nuts in the first two weeks of Bootcamp.

L: No time!

Second rule broken - in the first two weeks of Bootcamp you need to eat three proper meals. You need to have something to hand that you can grab in these situations especially in the first two weeks, as otherwise you'll a) get hungry - which leads to temptations and b) you won't help to even out your blood sugar levels

D: 1 x fried aubergine, 2 x quorn sausages, some mozarella and some pesto

Did you check the carbs of the sausages? 8.9g for two of them. Third rule broken - most of your carbs should be coming from veg and salad. Are you a vegetarian? If so, then OK - but be very aware of the carb count in (processed!) foods like this.

Now that would have been a good day, if I hadn't found an open packet of crisps while i was frying the aubergines. Unfortunately I ate them!

Fourth rule broken. You didn't just 'find' a packet - you went and hoovered them up. Why?

However still think I wasn't too high on the carb count for the day, so apart from that all good

Well not really. No lunch and hardly any veg - and a packet of crisps. Don't know what crisps you were eating, but a packet of Walkers ready salted is 12.9g carbs, which is a lot. The only way your overall carb count will be low is that you're not eating much veg. See above re third rule broken

Totally full now, and having one gin and soda

Fifth rule broken! No alcohol in the first two weeks of Bootcamp.

Sorry to have to be so brutal with The Big Stick so soon, but it really does seem that you're not following Bootcamp rules here.

@Nankaninus

When I’m being careful I find that no cal Indian tonic with a dash or two of angostura bitters and a slice of lemon, on ice, is a perfectly good drink to relax with and I really don’t miss the gin at all.

I don't understand the concept of not missing gin ... [grin

But that said, beware that no calorie tonic isn't really a good idea either on Bootcamp as it's full of artificial sweeteners. It's a really difficult one, I know, but try and avoid it as much as you can.

Yes, this is talking about careful outside of bootcamp, sorry, should have made that clear!

@LaganBubbleCruises Everything I've read about low carbing, as well as the anecdotal reports from other Bootcamps indicates that your cholesterol levels will improve (assuming they're problematic now).

@StuntNun is much more knowledgeable about the science than I am and hopefully will be along to explain things at some point

I'd forgotten about your horrible diabetes nurse Chipping!

Chipping That’s exactly why I don’t do it. I’m obsessive and I don’t want to be that way about food and eating. It takes all the joy out of it.

My cholesterol was over 9 in January its now come down to just under 5 with statins but I'm worried that statins can increase risk of diabetes and also if you eat low fat you are going to increase carbs.

@LaganBubbleCruises if you eat more cholesterol, your body will simply produce less. Foods high in cholesterol (like eggs) won't necessarily raise your cholesterol levels, saturated fat will. Even then it's not a massive contributing factor, there's new studies to show that smoking causes higher cholesterol than saturated fat and diet so this way of eating shouldn't see a rise in cholesterol. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong I've only just say my exam at work on it).
Because this is a high fat diet get some fat from unsaturated fats like olives/olive oil/avos, not all needs to be.

Ouch at the poster who tripped on the pavement (sorry, thread moving so fast). Hope you’re on the mend now.

So...I’m worried I’ve messed up already. I went to the gym this afternoon and when I came out I was so hungry and exhausted. Desperate for a snack but not sure what to have. I ended up having half a bar of the Ketosource choc bars I bought a couple of months ago crumbled in a large dollop of double cream. The leaflet that came with the bars states, 100% ketogenic. I’m now feeling very sceptical. Have I messed up?

I had cottage cheese with a few prawns and more spinach for lunch.

Dinner is two portabello mushrooms stuffed with more mushroom, garlic, chilli flakes, olive oil, anchovies, parmesan and a few pine nuts (previously okayed by BIWI!). I'm serving them with asparagus, padron peppers and some courgette. Does that all sound ok @BIWI, and would you recommend cooking the veg in butter or olive oil? Or is it just a matter of preference?

I've actually found it easier to drink more water than normal - probably because I'm drinking less tea and coffee (don't really like it without milk) and adding more salt to my food than usual, so I'm thirstier than normal.

Missed the fall someone mentioned upthread - ouch! Hope that you’re ok

I'd go for butter Greebo as it tastes nicer.

TheWaiting it wasn't the worst thing you could have eaten. Draw a line under it and move on (only with more snacks available!) Pork scratching are good if you're missing crunch. When I first started Bootcamp I kept a pack of Peperamis in my car for emergencies only the drafter kids kept eating them.

Lagan most people's cholesterol levels, and the more important ratios, improve on low carb high fat. Some people, with the catchy description of Lean Mass Hyper Responders, find their cholesterol goes up. If that happens then it might be preferable to get the bulk of your fat from olive oil, nut oils, avocado oil, and fish oils, rather than adding butter to everything.

Youwana I put a fruit teabag in a 2 litre bottle of fizzy water when it's hot, no need to pay extra for those posh Cold Infusion ones. You can get Sour Cherry or Raspberry Lemonade flavour teabags! Alternatively a slice of orange, lemon, cucumber, strawberry or a combination of the above makes flat water much more enjoyable if you don't like plain water.

I missed breakfast due to a poorly child so had a lovely huge brunch of burgers and cauliflower cheese to keep me going. DH is cooking dinner so hopefully he'll pile my plate high with lots of butter veg.

Thanks for that @biwi @nameuser and @stuntnun I'll give it a go but I won't go on the spreadsheet as I just want to maintain my weight as I'm mid bmi range.

Dinner will be salmon with roasted( in olive oil) cauliflower, mushrooms and broccoli .

I was ravenous this morning but not hungry at all now - I think the steadying of my blood sugar is kicking in. I have huge ravenous crashes when I eat bread or sweet things.

Today
B: scrambled eggs and ham
Still hungry so had a small bit of cheese and some olives
L: courgetti with melted cheese and tuna mayo with olives, capers and anchovies
D: salmon and broccoli - lucky I’m not hungry coz everyone else is having pizza

Menus are sounding lovely. I'm failing in that my lunch was minimal and I didn't get time to buy anything and now I've finished work but have a meeting until 9pm and will be home about 9.20pm, by which time I will want to eat anything and everything. Planning an omelette but I might grill some halloumi instead. Must avoid bread

Hello all still Koko-ing
I’m within BMI so I’ve got other non scale goals in mind now like sporting goals as well as maintaining and staying motivated.

I used to go to gymnastics class when I was 2st heavier. I started it back up again and am amazed at how much easier sport is when you’ve less body fat and how less intimidating things feel!
Plus weirdly low carbing gives me a “go getting” attitude rather than the lethargy I felt on higher carb.
Good luck all-if you stick to it this WOE is amazing and changes your whole attitude to food.

Thanks, stuntnun. I don’t eat red meat so low carb snacks are tricky. However, someone up thread mentioned chicken pakora from m&s so I’m going to try and pick up those.

Lots of good food ideas on here, thanks. MFP is not liking the fact I had a snack of double cream and I feel full to bursting now so I’m not sure it was a good move.

I’ve got a stew type thing of broccoli, courgette, cauliflower, asparagus, shallots, garlic and chilli that’s been sitting in olive oil in the slow cooker since 9am. Smells delicious, and I’ve got pork medallions to go with it. Pork probably a bit lean but there is a LOT of olive oil and I generally do prefer to keep my saturated fat intake lower (while drinking oil oil out the bottle!)

Joining the salmon for dinner brigade.
D: chilli and garlic salmon fillet s, olive oil and salt roasted broccoli, pan fried spring greens in butter. Half a ton of mayo.

Most of the meals I eat for dinner are standard fare in this house for few years now, sans the extra butter/mayo/oil, so I find no carbs in the evening easy. It’s the lack of porridge for breakfast, or my fave lunch of mackerel and mayo on crunchy toast and ice-creeeeeeeeam that I really miss! Though have to say, raspberries and cream/Greek yog (obvs after first 2 wks ) is not a pud to be sniffed at!

Dinner today was quiche Lorraine (filling only scooped out of my half), with a side of fried courgette, some salad leaves and a tablespoon of coleslaw. Not my favourite combination but we’d bought the quiche before I’d decided to join bc.

Feel quite full now, I think I ate too quickly.

Haven’t got any snacks for this evening so will have herbal tea(s) if I start to feel jumpy/agitated (can feel a bit of a mood coming on).

Totally agree with you Siam re go getting attitude with this WOE. I also think the same is true with exercise, once you get into it, it can def create extra energy. Between feeling fully adapted now and about 1.5 hrs dog walking a day, I am feeling a bit Rocky Balboa running up the steps - full of energy . Also supposed to be doing when cba a couple of classes/gym a week. Obviously this will pass like all good things do and next week I’ll be back in sloth mode but I’m totally riding the smug self-satisfied wave while I can