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Low-carb bootcamp

Join discussions about low-carb bootcamp plans, meals and progress. Consider speaking to a medical professional before starting any diet.

May '19 Low Carb Bootcamp - week 1

919 replies

BIWI · 13/05/2019 07:27

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. Star

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! Smile

OP posts:
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HypatiaCade · 16/05/2019 11:05

Feeling pretty crap yesterday so didn't check in. But I've kept it going, which is great, I've tried to start low carb about 5 times this year on my own, and keep succumbing either at the end of day 1 or 2, absolutely no will power.... But here I am, day 4 and still going strong, thanks to all of you! I have a friend's birthday party at the end of June, and I've promised myself a new outfit for it, and I want there to be much less of me when I go shopping! Grin

Yesterday:
B: bacon, fried mushrooms and scrambled eggs
L: salad with tuna & mayo
D: low carb sausages with veg
Snack: Pork scratchings (mainly to get my salt intake up!)

Today:
B: asparagus dipped in soft boiled egg (with added salt)& low carb sausage
L: Salad of some sort
D: Chicken thighs , not sure with what yet....

Today my headache has gone, and I'm feeling calmer, my carb induced mood swings don't seem to be happening.

This week's weight loss is going to be large, but not all of it will be 'real'. I'm in perimenopause and only have a period about twice a year, and Monday's weigh in was just before my period started.... So I was a bit heavier than I usually am.

This morning I really didn't feel hungry for breakfast, but I made myself the egg and asparagus anyway, and it got my appetite going and I also had the sausage (leftovers from dinner last night). It makes a change to Tuesday when I felt ravenous all day.

Nyon · 16/05/2019 11:18

Happy Anniversary @prettybird!

Today’s menu:
B: baked eggs with spinach, bacon and blue cheese
S: calamari
L: salmon pate, cheese and salad
D: Korean tapas (out for dinner) how does this sound? Grilled seaweed, quail eggs cooked in soy, soy garlic pork and kimchi (cabbage).

Also, @BIWI, my weight seems to be going up ATM rather than going down. Not sure what the issues are but I’ve not had this before and it’s disheartening.

ilovecherries · 16/05/2019 11:21

Congrats on the job toots.

DH’s birthday yesterday so we were out for dinner. I had a seafood platter to start with, ate the lobster and prawns, left the calamari as it was breaded, skipped the ‘artisanal bread’. Then rib eye steak with herb butter, asked them to leave off all accompaniments (onion loaf, potatoes, more bread) and give me salad. Which was the smallest salad I’ve ever seen - why do they DO that? Then peppermint tea while DH had dessert. Felt I’d eaten a lot, but all on plan.

TheWayOfTheWorld · 16/05/2019 12:04

Happy anniversary @prettybird sounds like a lovely menu for your dinner. I do find myself having to plan like a MOFO for all these things which get in the way of my nice LCHF ways Confused

I am definitely feeling less hungry. Had lunch at gone 3pm yesterday and didn't feel that hungry for dinner (although I ate it all - asparagus and mushroom "risotto" with cauliflower rice and plenty of butter, cream and salt Smile

Menu today
B: 2 sausages and a creamy coffee
L: chicken salad with mayo
D: not sure

MeltedEggMum · 16/05/2019 12:05

I had the weirdest lunch today. Leftover buttered cabbage from last night, with an ageing half avocado, some cheese and 2 kippers heated in microwave. Definitely a fridge meal. It wasn't bad, very satisfying, but I don't think I would choose those combinations on purpose!

Bought a size 10 top today. Unreal.

BIWI · 16/05/2019 12:31

@Nyon - it's only day 4, so don't stress too much at this stage.

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BIWI · 16/05/2019 12:32

@MeltedEggMum - that's a great feeling, isn't it! Best thing I have ever, ever heard myself say was "Do you have these in a size 8?"!

OP posts:
Ninkaninus · 16/05/2019 12:35

Just had my lunch - chestnut mushrooms, streaky bacon and two eggs, fried in olive oil and butter.

Dinner is going to be roast chicken. Don’t know what veg I’m going to do yet, maybe a ratatouille.

Slacksandblouse · 16/05/2019 12:44

Thanks @Chippinginlowcarbing. Okay
, if that works, I’ll go on the spreadsheet please @AthelstaneTheUnready. Thank you. I’ll weigh myself then add it next to my name when it’s there. Thx

Ninkaninus · 16/05/2019 12:46

Happy anniversary prettybird! 🌷

prettybird · 16/05/2019 12:49

18pages - I'm creeping closer to the front Wink but am keeping schtum about what I got to while I was AWOL Blush

The important thing is that I'm back Smile

prettybird · 16/05/2019 12:58

18pages - it is possible to fall off the wagon and get back on. I've done it twice - and am still 2 stone lighter than the heaviest I'd got to Halo

But it's better not to dive off the wagon Blush as that makes things harder and you have further to make up. If you're away and know you won't want to be able to continue on HFLC, continue as best you can with plenty of water and when you do find yourself making choices that aren't HFLC, do so mindfully - and ask yourself: is this truly a never to be repeated occasion? If the answer is no, then say no Grin

Try and full yourself up with nice HFLC "treats": cheese and saucisson in France, Greek salad and tzatziki in Greece, continental breakfast of ham, cheese and bolide eggs in Germany. That way, if you go off-piste, you don't have much room left! Grin

MrsBertBibby · 16/05/2019 13:01

About to be reunited with utterly boiled eggs. Hmmmmm!

VeryLittleOwl · 16/05/2019 13:02

ChippingIn - I shall up the veggies, thank you. I'd happily eat vegetarian a couple of days a week, but DH is a massive carnivore. I can definitely have more vegetarian lunches than I currently do though.

Prettybird - Happy anniversary!

I am now a VeryHydratedOwl and it's worked!

1stMrsF · 16/05/2019 13:55

Day 2 for me. Managed to cut out the wine last night, always the most difficult thing for me, and have kept up with water consumption too.

B: Fasting (hot water with lemon)
L - salami, avocado, boiled egg with salad and coleslaw
D - salmon with stir fried veg

18pagesfrontandback · 16/05/2019 14:01

I hear you Prettybird. Unfortunately not unfortunately it is going to be a one off experience so I will absolutely have to step off the wagon momentarily for a week Grin

Fortunately, it’s Greece, so lots of yummy LC options. Think it will mostly be all the wine and occasional pitta and ALL the pastries and honey but at least it will be delicious, fresh, wholesome food and wine - so it’s the old ‘if you’re going to blow it, blow it on something good. Make it worth it’ rather than any old crap from the junk drawer So practically Halo

18pagesfrontandback · 16/05/2019 14:04

P.s no pressure but you will now be my inspiration for getting back on the wagon (which I will have stepped gently down from rather than a head first dive Grin)

prettybird · 16/05/2019 14:08

It's a yoyo route but I will get to my target, even if I'm not nearly quite as colse to it as I'd got at Christmas.

But I fell off the wagon last year and got back on Smile - and ended up the year significantly closer to target than I started. If I can have the same ratchet effect this year, I'll be happy! Grin

ChippingInLowCarbing · 16/05/2019 14:15

doilooklikeatourist. Thanks for recommendation & the link to the Chilly bottles. I nearly ordered one (pretty pink retail therapy!) but I really try not to buy ‘stuff’ so I thought I’d think about it for a day or two, then came back to your thread and saw the bit about TK Max. £5 sounds much better than £20!

18pagesfrontandback. 🤣 Chirp away when you feel that way! Your Perky Positivity was great to read. it’s good to post when you’re feeling positive, it helps others who aren’t. Then it’s good to post when you’re not, so others don’t feel alone. It all balances out in the end!

Periods and carb flu really don’t help the first few days of BC - it makes it hard to stay up on the wagon.

Love the rest of your post. It resonates 😖🤣. I’ll drag you back up on the wagon if you drag me back up after my trip to the SoF. I actually eat quite well when I’m there as the veg is so nice, lots of olives and cheese. Unfortunately they also make Rhum babas to die for and alcohol. Oh and croissants of course. I walk loads (hopefully my knee won’t be so bad by then!) so that helps a bit to mitigate the eating.

Prettybird

That’s a shame about it being a real cold, hopefully it’ll bugger off soon!

But at least dh and I can sniffle together

It’s so easy to see how you made it to 21 years. It’s the small romantic things you share...

🤣😘

HypatiaCade. It’s great you’ve made it to Day 4 this time, the worst is over!

I’m peri menopausal too - it’s a weird old thing. Periods all over the place and other things I wasn’t expecting like foggy brain and anxiety. I don’t normally suffer from anxiety at all - it’s SO weird and I’m hoping it buggers off soon!

Nyon dinner sounds interesting. I’m not sure how Korean food is cooked, but it sounds like you’ve made the best choices you could. Could the ‘weight gain’ be tummy issues (not ‘emptying your bowels’), hormonal or perhaps just some water retention if your electrolytes aren’t in balance. It won’t be ‘real’ weight.

Ilovecherries sounds good! I’ve no idea why they short change you so much with salad either. Plus it’s usually some what uninspiring 🙄

ThewayOfTheWorld. Did you say in a previous post that you buy your cauli rice? If you do can you please let me where from. I’ve only tried one and it was horrible, but it was a packet one. Bleurgh.

VeryLittleOwl I’m glad things are ‘on the move* 😊

Siameasy · 16/05/2019 14:19

Ugh I have some hideous virus - temperature, no appetite, chills. Just managed to go downstairs to make a mug of stock because water tastes hideous so my urine is dark orange sorry TMI
I’ve tried lemon juice in the water but still foul so
Why is it when you’re ill you just want junk?

ChippingInLowCarbing · 16/05/2019 14:21

At a construction site near me there’s a sign that makes me laugh ‘Wagons Turning’. I mean, since when did we use the work WAGON for a truck or lorry in the uk 🤷🏻‍♀️ It gives me a vision of proper horse drawn wagons in this most unlikely setting.

I’m sure it’ll still be there when I get back from France so it’ll be a twice daily reminder that there’s a WAGON I should be on!

Hopefully self discipline will have me straight back on the wagon, but it’s goid to have back ups just in case 🤣

tootstastic · 16/05/2019 14:21

Thanks @18pagesfrontandback and @ilovecherries!

And happy anni to @prettybird!

I had a bit of a trying on sesh earlier and despite only losing a few lbs in the last couple of months, quite a few things that were unwearably tight now fit beautifully. I'm still a 16, getting into the odd 14 (@meltedeggmum, I dream of being a 10!), but I think the toning effect of the exercise is starting to show. My back fat roll has gone and my hips and thighs are noticeably less podgetastic and I've only been doing the tougher classes at the gym (bodypump, HIIT and total conditioning) for about 6 weeks. I am fitting in at least 4 tough classes, as well as 4 yoga/pilates classes each week now, so I've really stepped it up a gear since the last BC.

With over 9 stones to lose altogether, I'm terrified of the dreaded loose skin that massive weight loss can cause. I'm hoping that the exercise should prevent, or at least reduce it. I'm halfway there and no loose skin to report thus far.

ChippingInLowCarbing · 16/05/2019 14:27

siamessy I’m sorry to hear your so unwell, it’s grim isn’t it. Have you tried hot water? Maybe make some snacky bits to help you avoid the junk? I’m veggie so I’d have avocado, cheddar, yogurt, cold veggie sausages etc and if someone else was willing to cook for me mashed celeriac, butter cooked cabbage & broccoli. If you eat meat there’s lots you could add to that that’s quite bland and feels quite Carby but isn’t.

Hope you feel better soon 💐

ChippingInLowCarbing · 16/05/2019 14:28

Obviously NOT all that food at once! 😖

ChippingInLowCarbing · 16/05/2019 14:32

tootstastic. That’s fabulous!! Well done. You must be feeling great!! 💐