Jan ’20 – Week 1 Low Carb Bootcamp – Here we go!

[StuntNun]

Welcome to the January 2020 Low Carb Bootcamp. I know some of you have already started eating low carb so please share your good experiences to give the rest of us some inspiration as we begin our weight loss journey.

Make sure you’ve read the ten Low Carb Bootcamp rules. There are some shopping list and meal plan suggestions on the preparation thread.

If you need recipe inspirations then there we have hundreds on the meat recipes thread, the poultry recipes thread, and the vegetarian recipes thread. Note that vegetarians may include small quantities of legumes, nuts and Quorn right from the start to make sure they’re getting enough protein. There is also thread of low carb products people have found in the shops.

We weigh in every Monday so add your starting weight to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness. If you’re on a mobile or tablet and can’t get the spreadsheet to work then please post your entry on this thread and someone will add it for you. Some people choose to record their starting weight as 100 if they don’t want to share their actual weight. I also urge you to make a note of your waist measurement as sometimes we can lose inches without losing pounds on this way of eating. Some people like to have a goal pair of jeans or a dress that they can try on throughout Bootcamp so see how the fit improves over time. Others like to take ‘before’ photos that they can use for comparison later on.

If you have any questions or concerns then please do ask. Bootcamp has been running for nearly ten years so we have lots of expertise to share with you.

notwiththeseknees try soda water with a dash of angostura bitters..

speckleddot the current Tesco magazine has a lovely recipe for Cauliflower Cheese Bites

@waspfig cheese can trigger an insulin response. For some it seems fine and for others it stalls their weight loss. But in the forst few (5-6) weeks of bootcamp I'd just go with your cheese fest...

teapotdespot so sorry about your loss and the insensitive cow from your work. Shame on her!

Food today:
B: 2 cups of green tea ( long time LC so usually only GT in the morning)
L: couple of sausages and roasted veg
D: salad w avo dipped in cream cheese, exploded slice of Edam
W: I’d say 2,5 l at least ( green and herbal tea, 2 black coffees and water)

Now onto my mood. Hmmmm
Slept really poorly and I’m normally a good sleeper. Was grumpy and tired the whole day. But not hungry! Also have itchy spot on my stomach. I usually get ketogenic itch on my belly or armpits but it’s only day 2...

I have only just finished working (I do a lot of school work after dd is in bed, so had my "downtime" between 5-8pm). I'm really, really craving chocolate right now, so I'm giving up on the work and going to bed. I know that's what I need rather than scoffing all dd's Christmas chocolate. Normally I'd have eaten all the chocolate by now, so I'm feeling proud of myself for resisting that temptation.

Hi all, I’ve been lurking and just wanted to pop on to say hello. I started the boot camp a week early because I was fed up with being fat and am also doing dry January so thought I’d just do it all together.

I lost 6lbs the first week but put a lb on as my period has started. I am also currently at home with a terrible stomach bug. The whole family has had it and I haven’t eaten for two days as everything makes me sick. I have been drinking as much water as I possibly can.

How long does it take for your clothes to feel looser? Mine feel tighter than ever if I’m honest despite a 5lb loss.... I know I’m currently ill but even before that I was feeling really bloated and fat. I’ve been drinking 4 litres of water a day and I’m 5ft 8 and 12 stone so overweight but not by much. It’s been getting me done because I really thought this might work for me, but now wondering it if will. Is this normal to feel so bloated and clothes to feel tighter despite losing weight?

@Summery1 italian wedding Soup does take a couple of hours, the annoying bit is rolling all the meatballs!

I stick my veggies in the magimix for chopping so that speeds it up a lot, how long you cook it depends on how good your stock is: good stock, less cooking because the flavour will be there without reducing. Enjoy, it’s the best soup ever

After not really eating yesterday due to not holding my shit together , I’ve weighed this morning 3lbs down since yesterday fully expecting this to go back on after a (hopefully) better day today.

The weirdest part about all of it is that usually when I’m emotionally exhausted, I just want to eat EVERYTHING. Yesterday, I had to force down a yoghurt at lunch time (only thing I could face) and when I got home I was so desperate for my bed, I didn’t want anything for dinner

I’ve woken up this morning still not particularly hungry, although I’m going to have a creamy coffee in a minute to make sure I at least have something.

I’m in meetings all day today so won’t be free for lunch until 3pmish, I should be ravenous by then so I’ve got soup ready for when I’m back.

Thanks for the support everyone

MsAwesome when you first go low carb you lose a lot of water along with your glycogen stores and your kidneys temporarily start flushing water as insulin makes you retain water so that all gets lost once your insulin levels are low. Once you've got through the first week or so then you won't need to pee as much. How much you should drink is weight dependent, according to the ten Low Carb Bootcamp rules you should be drinking 3.5 litres per day.

I'm sorry you're feeling so ill OneLittle it's probably the combination of the tummy bug and period that's prolonging the bloating. Once you're on the mend I'm sure you'll see a big difference. Once your appetite starts to come back you may find you want to nibble something carby such as crackers or dry toast to ease yourself back into eating. Don't worry about it if that's the case, when you're sick you need to put your health first and it's more important to get something to stay down. Then get back on track with your food as soon as you can.

teapot hope you have a better day today. Don't worry about the not eating/no hunger I don't think. I definitely had the same issue when I started BC originally. It's very odd. I can't remember what I did but I do think I made myself eat something, probably eggs, as I didn't think it was good to completely not eat. My hunger came back eventually but at a 'normal' person level.

Up at 0430 this morning as I'm looking after a friends smallholding so have to feed sheep etc and muck out/feed the horses before work.

Didn't eat all my lunch yesterday so had it for dinner.

Today

B: egg in a cup, coffee with cream
L: seafood mix (frozen from Tesco, contains mussels, squid, prawns and something else maybe) with buttery broccoli rice, FF yogurt with vanilla (I love my vanilla grinder)
S: mini cheese, boiled eggs (if needed, didn't have then yesterday)
D: parmasean crusted pork with FLGV and celariac/turnip mash

Awful treatment from the HR team teapot, you did well to avoid face planting carbs. Very poor.

Two days in and I have lost 3ib.
Very happy with that. Seeing the menu ideas is very helpful. Thank you everyone.
I've seen the good pork scratchings on amazon, but does anyone know in morrisons or sainsburys stock them? Can I have a bag a night?

Quick menu log for accountability.

BF: Cheese and cold chicken
L: Beef and avocado rocket salad with olive oil dressing
D: Mushroom omelette with steamed tenderstem brocolli

2l water, coffee, herbal tea

Hope everyone is ok.

So I've woken up this morning with a massive headache and feeling faintly nauseous. I'm not sure how much is due to the lack of carbs and how much is to do with the lack of sleep. Whatever it is, I'm skipping breakfast because I just don't want anything.

Awesome I'd really counsel a nibble of something. I woke feeling quite woozy and bleurgh but a nibble of cheese has really improved things.

Thanks for the info on dairy. I'm glad I can still eat my favourite cheese! I'll see how the weight loss goes and if necessary cut back the dairy.

I do have 2 cups of tea with milk each day (can't stand coffee but need the caffeine as I get very little sleep with night waking toddler and b feeding baby ) so will switch that to herbal if necessary.

Today's plan:
B - scrambled eggs and smoked salmon (feel very full after eating this!)
L - leftover chicken, olive and feta bake with spinach salad
D - sausages with tons of green veg
S - Greek yog with berries (BC light) or cucumber and dip

Any suggestions on sauce to go with sausages?

I would normally make gravy, ratatouille or have bbq sauce or similar but obvs too many carbs in those. Have had cream sauce a couple of times this week so would try for avoid that.

@Teapotdespot I just wanted to say how very sorry I am to hear of your losses. I’ve had 19 miscarriages and was treated horrendously by work during that time, I really feel for you.

I did this woe of eating just before and during my final pregnancy - I lost 6stone! Unfortunately I then got eclampsia and then kidney failure, ended up being put on an awful kidney diet by the hospital and now I’m 10 stone heavier, the biggest I’ve ever been. I’ve had a kidney transplant now so back on normal diet and hoping to get rid of all this weight for good.

I was too busy at work to post earlier in the week but just wanted to check in and wish everyone luck for this bootcamp —and make myself accountable—

Off for some scrambled eggs and salmon

Morning all
Thank you for your kind words stungun and teapot

Well 2 days in and 2lbs off, it is so good to hear how everyone is doing and the things that work. Shagmeriggins I love your “be one with the fat” it made me laugh but is so true.

I’ve done this before, but always learn something by doing boot camp and enjoy the posts through the day.

stungun Can I just check where coconut milk sits , is it dairy or fat ? The one I use is from Waitrose per 100g it’s 18g fat and 3.4g carbs. I’m trying to understand if my body will view it as dairy, so like cream.

I made a fab pork dish in my instapot (electric pressure cooker) last night that would also work with chicken, it used 50g of coconut milk, but I don’t want to have it too often if it’s counted as dairy.

I should say it was 50g coconut milk per portion.

Forgot to post food

B total Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon of double cream, 1 frozen raspberry crumbled and 1 teaspoon on linwwods fax seeds, coffee with a teaspoon on double cream
L I am going to be out from 9:30 to 4, so taking a snack box (rollitos, cucumber, celery and cream cheese) with me and water, just in case I can’t stop for lunch
Snack if needed olives, celery with cream cheese
Dinner Roast chicken, but cooked in my Instapot , FLGV with butter and Celaric mash with butter
Evening snack, I have not needed anything other than a hot liquorice tea after dinner, but as I know this is one of my week times, I have bought some coco to try a teaspoon of coco with hot water and a teaspoon of cream if I am desperate. Interestingly I have not needed it but knowing I have a plan has been a bit of a security blanket for me

3 litres of water, will tick off during the day

VeraPamill I am so sorry for your losses

So sorry, teapot, just read up thread. Hope you are as ok as can be.

I'm in awe of what some of you have gone through and sounding so strong!

Weighed myself today - I shouldn't have as (1) I lose weight slowly and (2) I am pre-menstrual. Exactly the same as Monday. I tell myself I would have been even heavier if I had eaten all those bloody pastries yesterday.

Today:

B - Spinach, feta, egg, mushrooms
L - Chicken salad
D - Cream of broccoli soup with blue cheese

And of course water water water water water.

@Teapotdespot I hope you’re feeling better today.

@sheepysheep That’s very useful. It’s really hard to find good food when out and about.
@MsAwesomeDragon That’s sounds like it could be what sometimes is called “low carb flu”. If so it will pass in a couple of days.

I’m going to the shop to get more veggies. I feel good and very motivated.

Oh Vera that's such a lot of heartbreak for you. I'm glad you already know this way of eating works for you and you will lose the extra weight. We're all here for you.

NotwatchingTV coconut milk doesn't count as dairy so not a problem. If you're using it or coconut cream then check carb counts as they vary hugely. I like the one that you buy in a block in a cardboard packet as that seems to be lowest carb. Also if you're using it in e.g. a curry sauce with lots of veggies that release water then the denseness not sure that's really a word, it should be density but that doesn't conjure up the right image makes the sauce lovely and thick.

Hope today is a good day Teapot

Blimey, Vera, what a series of events So pleased you're now able to start on this.

I am a sadfaced-baby-cheesus-reactor

Gives me a blotchy face. But ignoring that as it's so useful to get over the hump of the first week or so. I'll cut it out ARRRRRGH substantially down when I'm a bit more settled again.

Teapot
Vera

Felt like I over ate yesterday, and late evening ate out of boredom, so will adjust portions. Upping the water and herbal teas.

A bit annoyed to have gained in the first 2 days. Although I used to do bootcamps fairly regularly I fell off the wagon in a major way for a couple of years.
This is my first one since I’ve started taking Levothyroxine for hypothyroidism so I hope that isn’t screwing stuff up and I’m just on a slow start.

Was out with a friend yesterday, we were like angels. First we left the buttery, sugar encrusted shortbread that came with our coffees Then we didn't touch the fresh bread that was served before lunch . We both had salmon tartare with some kind of mayo, then quail with creamed spinach, broccoli and hazelnuts. The main was accompanied by a pearl barley risotto (which wasn't listed on the menu) and we both just left it on our plates . Then declined deserts . It's my friend's first foray into low carbing and she was surprised how easy it was to eat out and to make good choices.

Today - nothing as exciting!
B - Boiled egg mashed with butter (known in my childhood as 'eggy-peggy')
L - salad with tuna (I like the John West Tuna Infusions - basil or lemon varieties are lowest carb)
D - cheesy vegetable bake: leeks, broccoli, courgette topped with an easy mix of cream cheese, grated mozzarella, grated parmesan and a beaten egg