Low Carb Bootcamp starting 13 January 2020 - getting ready!

[StuntNun]

If you haven't signed up yet then add your name to the sign-up thread. If you have any questions then you can ask them here or on the chat thread from the last Bootcamp.

If you haven't Bootcamped before then make sure to read the ten Low Carb Bootcamp rules. To summarise them:

1. Eat three meals a day, plus snacks if you're hungry.
2. Avoid processed foods and choose real foods as far as possible.
3. Eat lots of fat. We're replacing carb calories with fat calories.
4. Eat plenty of low carb vegetables and salad.
5. Be careful about dairy apart from butter which is unlimited. Milk is high carb. Cheese, full-fat yogurt and cream are lower carb but I suggest no more than two portions per day.
6. Drink a minimum of 2 litres of water per day. This can include herbal tea, bone broth, and bouillon.
7. No alcohol for at least the first two weeks.
8. No fruit for the first two weeks.
9. No nuts/seeds for the first two weeks unless you are vegetarian.

10. No sugar or artificial sweeteners.

You will not be eating starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice, cereals (yes even porridge), or flour. You will not be eating sugary foods such as cakes, desserts, sweet drinks including fruit juice, biscuits, honey, agave syrup, or balsamic vinegar.

You will be eating real foods: meat, fish, eggs, full-fat cheese and yogurt, healthy fats, and plenty of low carb vegetables. After the first two weeks you can move to Bootcamp Light and reintroduce some low carb fruits, nuts, seeds, and dark chocolate.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How quickly will I lose weight?

If you follow the Bootcamp rules and move to Bootcamp Light after the first two weeks then you can expect to lose an average of 1-2 lb per week. Note that you won’t lose weight every week; the typical pattern is to lose several pounds in week one, 1-2 lb in week two, nothing at all in weeks three and four, then 0-2 lb per week in weeks five to ten. A lot of factors affect weight loss: how healthy your previous diet was, whether you’ve been on a low-calorie diet, your sex (men lose more quickly than women on low carb), how well you follow the rules, underlying health conditions such as PCOS or thyroid issues. One person will lose 9 lb in week one, another might actually gain weight in week one, most people will be somewhere between these two extremes. If you’re concerned about your rate of weight loss at any point then don’t give up! Ask on the current Bootcamp thread and an experienced Bootcamper will help you. The most common causes of weight loss stalls are not drinking enough water, not eating enough fat, and eating too few calories.

1. Why don’t I need carbs?

Some people may tell you that you have to eat carbohydrates to fuel your brain. While carbs are indeed a useful fuel, your body has more than one source of energy. When we cut carbs our muscles switch to directly using fat for energy. The brain can’t use fat directly but the liver is more than capable of making enough glucose to meet the brain’s requirements.

1. How does a low carb diet work?

Strictly speaking Bootcamp is not a low carb diet, but a low insulin diet. The hormone insulin is released when we eat carbohydrate and one of its effects is to block the release of fat from fat cells. Lowering our carb intake, and therefore our insulin levels, allows fat to flow freely out of fat cells and be used as a fuel source. Over the first couple of weeks your appetite will naturally reduce and your calorie intake will drop without hunger.

1. Why should I eat three meals a day plus snacks if I’m trying to lose weight?

This isn’t a ‘diet’ that asks you to starve yourself to lose weight. Eating regularly keeps the metabolism going so that once your body switches over to fat-burning you will be able to effectively use up your fat stores. Eating regularly also makes it prevents you getting too hungry and grabbing something carby. It’s much easier to avoid bad food if you’re already full of good food. You should never be hungry on Bootcamp. If you’re hungry then eat something.

1. Can I avoid eating more fat?

Absolutely not! Fat is processed differently by the body when we eat low carb, because of the effect of insulin mentioned previously. On Bootcamp, a steady intake of healthy fats actually speeds up the release of your fat stores. Eat full-fat dairy, add butter to vegetables, roast or fry your food, and it’s fine to eat the natural fat in foods such as crispy chicken skin or pork crackling.

1. Won’t I miss bread/dessert/fruit?

It’s called Bootcamp for a reason! But we aren’t suggesting a life of complete denial. Once you’re happy with your weight then you can reintroduce some of these foods. Bootcamp is only ten weeks and those foods you miss will still be there at the end of it.

Getting started

Bootcamp begins on Monday 13th January. Use the time before that to clear out your cupboards. Get rid of sugary foods and drinks if you can. You can take them into work, or donate unopened packs to the food bank. If you need to keep some for other family member or housemates then try to move them to somewhere less accessible or buy types you don’t like. I find it hard to resist a chocolate digestive but I can easily stare down a Bourbon cream so I buy those for my kids.

Get ready by reading the rules and planning your meals. Don’t forget to buy low carb snacks such as olives, cured meats or Peperamis, celery/cucumber sticks, snack or string cheese, pork scratchings. I like to keep a couple of boiled eggs in the fridge for snacking. They’re lovely with a little mayonnaise dip, and a boiled egg really fills you up.

If you want to get going before the official start of Bootcamp then you could start with cutting out sugar. Sugar can hide in the most unlikely foods such as crisps, yogurt and beef jerky, so read ingredients lists carefully. Alternative sweeteners such as honey and agave syrup are just as bad for you as sugar. If you’re used to taking sugar in your coffee or drinking fizzy drinks then it can be tricky to cut these out but don’t worry, your sense of taste will adjust very quickly and you won’t miss them for long.

If you want to jump in to low carb right away then make sure you’re on the chat thread from the last Bootcamp so you can get support.

Thought it would be a good idea to resurrect this thread - useful products for low carbing that you can find in the supermarket.

I have started BC early ... because on Monday we decided to get married at the end of February! Somewhat unexpected as we’ve been together for nearly twenty years - and now I only have a few short weeks to get rid of my winter belly. I’ve LC since Jan 2016 but I’ve had a bit of carb creep / too many cheats and treats over the last six months and have gained a stone. Please don’t beat me with the big stick!! When BC starts on 13/1 is it ok if I input my wk 1, 2 and 3 weights into the spreadsheet?

Congratulations sheepysheep

Thank you BIWI and StuntNun

Thank you @BIWI and @stuntnun ! I'm looking forward to being fully low carb again. My clothes are too tight and I'm heavy again and I know that this works for me. Looking forward to the Bootcamp

Can I ask how PCOS affects the BC? Does anyone know?

@MrsTJOsbornee low carbing is very good for PCOS and usually people have done very well on Bootcamp.

I'm in, a rough few weeks/months saw my diet and comfort eating go off the rails, I'm only 1 or 2 kg heavier than I'd like but my cholesterol is moderately high, I'd like to work on that. Also doing RED Jan, running walking etc every day, plus cutting down on booze, so hopefully it's not too much to take on.

@BIWI excellent news!

@MrsTJOsbornee PCOS can potentially slow your weight loss at the very start of going low carb. It might not but it's important to be aware so you don't get disheartened if it takes a little longer for the scales to get moving. On the plus side, Bootcamp is excellent for improving insulin sensitivity and regulating hormone issues so you may well find your health is much improved on a low carb diet. You may also benefit from adding on some 16:8 intermittent fasting further down the line.

@StuntNun thanks very much. I'll bear that in mind. Hopefully things will move.

So, in readiness for bootcamp, I went for my first run for a long time. DD came with me, I made her. She very kindly signed me up for Run at Your Pace for January. 30k in stages, across 31 days of January.

It didn't go well. 2 minutes into the run and a friendly staff decided to jump at me. It's official, exercise is not good for you!

The first one is on my forearm, through a hoody and a jacket!

Ideas for breakfast? I can only think of eggs- omelette, quiche etc that's quick to go.

Thanks stuntnun and BIWI.

I’ve already started and am enjoying being back into this woe.

Congratulations sheepysheep!

And ouch maureen, hope they’re not too sore? What did the owner of the dog say/do? I’ve found some dogs are alarmed/startled by runners.

Lots of bootcampers don’t restrict themselves to traditional breakfast foods piixxiiee, leftovers are popular. Egg muffins, crammed with lc ingredients are good portable breakfast.

Apparently, the dog just wanted to be friendly. . If that dog had jumped at a child who was running, it would have taken them off their feet!

Ouch Maureen. I had a dog nip my bum a couple of months ago while I was running. Ripped my leggings but didn’t break the skin, although I had a nasty bruise. It really upset me. And as it ran towards me with its fangs, the owner is shouting ‘he only wants to be friendly’. Yeah. Right.

Anyway, I’m back on boot camp. I lost nearly 6 stone with boot camp in 2017, stayed on boot camp forever basically and never had more than 3lb variation in my weight either way. But since October I’ve been less committed/more distracted. Couple of surgeries last year, the first one really big, house move etc, and I’ve had some carb creep. Not of the sugary variety, - mainly just lax with fruit/higher carb veg, toast when feeling rough etc, and I’ve gained 10lbs. I really don’t believe that I’ve eaten 10lbs of excess calories in a relatively short time, but it is clear to me that I can’t afford to mess around with higher carb levels, my metabolism just won’t forgive me for it, so I’m back on it before it gets out of hand.

Thanks for this biwi and stuntnun
I have never done boot amp before but have successfully used lack of carbs to maintain
I have had a fairly stressful couple of years where I turned to comfort eating and stopped exercising and feel low about my weight which affects other health factors
I am about 2 stone over where I want to be but 21lbs would be great to lose too
I am reading a book about tiny habits and how they can help too
Need to clear out the cupboard of shame too

Am joining!!! Am new to all this... saw a pic from NYE and was utterly horrified, have been on stress leave for 7 weeks and back to work next week but after 2 kids and 3 stone heavier , i am a mess!

Plus hugely hypo thyroid and had GD in pregnancy and paranoid i will get diabetes for real!

Day 3 and lost 3 lbs but cant seem to eat enough fat according to MFP. Too much protein and peeing like a pregnant women!!

Help!

Stuck don't worry about your macros for now; just follow the rules as best you can. Macros usually only become a focus when you're close to your ideal weight and can't shift the last few pounds. If you're losing weight then your own fat that you're burning contributes to your fat macro and there's no way to measure it. If you're really worried about it (some people do like to measure macros or count calories) then give me three days of details and I'll assess it for you.

Also Stuck it's virtually impossible to overeat protein unless you're eating very lean meats. Some people follow a carnivore diet and their protein macro is much lower than you would expect. Peeing a lot is to be expected at first as your kidneys will be flushing out water as your glycogen reserves are used up. It will go back to normal over time.

Thank you! Am
Loving it so far! Making steak with cheesey cauliflower rice and a side salad ...

Main thing I miss is fruit and porridge but needs must. Have three stone to lose after all...I did sw and got from 14'4 to 13'12 in a grand total of 11 months. Clearly not the diet for me.

Phew on the macro side!

I need breakfast ideas. It needs to be portable, not cooked and in a pot. I have no access to cooking facilities. I don’t mind eating the same thing every day for 5 days.

I usually have blueberries, Greek yoghurt and a sprinkle of Spoon granola. But that won’t cut Bootcamp.

Do I recall Atkins steed Apple, raisins and Greek yoghurt? Again not good during Bootcamp.

Just saying hi!
I lost 6st eating this way a few years ago, put must of it back on, and have been back on it since about September. Lost 3st since then. Current weight is 18st 6lb. I aim for a loss of half a stone a month, so far that's been doable.
I turned 40 at the end of last year, and am resolved to make this decade more healthy than the last. I started running too, regularly run 5k now, and have started training for a 10k, which sounds impressive, but feels completely out of my reach right now! I'm hoping that was the weight continues to come off, the running will get easier...
Anyway, I've followed the boot camp threads for years, thought I'd stop lurking and actually comment for once!
@TSSDNCOP, I sometimes have FF Greek yoghurt with berries and walnuts and flax seeds for breakfast :)