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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.

Jan '20 - Week 3 Low Carb Bootcamp - Ready for Bootcamp Light?

389 replies

StuntNun · 27/01/2020 05:57

Welcome to the third week of Low Carb Bootcamp. As always, log your weigh-in on the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness. If you're happy with Bootcamp then you can choose to stick with it. Or if you want to relax a little and incorporate some fruit, nuts/seeds and dark chocolate then check out the Bootcamp Light rule changes on this thread and in the next post. Or you can do a hybrid: Bootcamp during the week, and Bootcamp Light at the weekend.

It's really common for weight loss to stop briefly around weeks 3-5, some people even gain a little weight. Google "week 3 stall" and you will see post after post from people on Atkins, Fast800, keto, after bariatric surgery all asking why they haven't lost weight this week. The simple answer is that you are losing fat but retaining water. The stall will last a week or two and then your weight loss will resume its bumpy path downwards.

I've attached a typical weight loss graph which shows a brief stall at week 4. As you can see, weight loss is not linear; it varies from week to week but the overall trend (shown by the black line) is ever downwards hence our saying that "the trend is your friend." If you follow the rules you can expect an average weight loss of 0.5 to 2lb per week.

Jan '20 - Week 3 Low Carb Bootcamp - Ready for Bootcamp Light?
OP posts:
Thread gallery
17
bibliomania · 29/01/2020 13:18

Thanks ShagMe, that looks like a good thing to do with a leek.

Sorry BIWI, sounds miserable.

venusandmars · 29/01/2020 13:37

TheClitterati I think we're encouraged not to get too obsessed by macros, however I've looked back at some of mine and I my g of fat are pretty much 50-100 % more than carbs. And carbs usually less than 50g. So 50g carb and 75-100g fat

Can you list everything you've eaten for 3 days, and people can advise. Are you building muscle with your exercise? Muscle is heavier than fat,

CheddarGorgeous · 29/01/2020 13:39

Get well soon @BIWI.

@TheClitterati your experience sound a bit similar to mine. Except I use a very reliable scales (not mine - at the fitness class I use).

It's so frustrating but I'm hoping that as long as I stick to the rules it will all come good by week 10 and if it doesn't I'm giving up and living in elasticated waist bands for the REST OF TIME.

TheClitterati · 29/01/2020 13:53

venus I might be building a bit of muscle but while I do get a sweat on I'm not exactly working hard! I do a nice workout but as I have a lot of injuries I need to go slowly slowly.

I'll keep tracking food for a few days - I'd rather not though. I'll happily not be obsessed by macros but as I seem to be gaining weight, I think its probably worth a look.

prettybird · 29/01/2020 14:05

Don't track - post what you're eating on here Smile There is a plethora of people on here with experience who can then advise.

BIWI · 29/01/2020 14:21

Thanks @TheClitterati!

Let me deal with your post by first reminding you that we are in week 3 - notorious for seeing weight loss stop or even reverse. So it could well just be that. But for the rest:

I'm in a bit of a funk too - I seem to be gaining weight!!! I am sticking to the plan drinking the water and apart from a handful of raw almonds, I'm still on BC. Swimming 3 times a week, weights 2-3 times a week.

How many almonds, how many times a week? I know we're in Bootcamp Light, but it's very easy to overeat nuts.

My scales seem to be all over the place & I don;t trust them - but still even if the number are wrong they are still relative to each other.

First, are you only weighing once a day, first thing? There's no point weighing at any other time of the day, as all you'll be weighing is what you've eaten and drunk. If you are only weighing first thing, once a day, then are your scales on a hard, flat surface? If not, this could explain the variation. And if they're battery-operated, it could indicate that the batteries need to be changed.

I'm not giving up but I'm feeling confused. I'm committed for the 10 weeks.

Good! Sometimes we just have to KOKO even if we know we've been following the plan. And remember - the scales don't always tell the truth! Have you been taking your measurements? Are your clothes feeling any loose?

When your weight can fluctuate by 2-4lbs a day, you can;t really feel good about a 4lb loss - as it can be entirely transitroy

If you're getting stressed by daily weighing, perhaps step back and only weigh once a week? Your body weight does fluctuate naturally day by day, and especially around your period.

I've started logging food for a few days on MFP to make sure I'm not going way over calorie wise and I don't seem to be - Monday for example I was quite under for calories, (1600cals consumed)

Stop worrying about calories! They really don't matter at this stage of Bootcamp.^

... but my carbs were 66g apparently - I think a peanut butter/celery snack tipped me over the edge as everything else was pretty low carb and all from coleslaw/brocolli/peanut butter etc rather than any actual high carb food??

Peanut butter and coleslaw can be pretty high in carbs, depending on which brand you've chosen. And you'd be far better getting your carbs from other vegetables.

You may be learning that this amount of carbohydrate is simply too much for you. The problem is that everyone responds to carbs differently; some people can tolerate more than others. TBH, for Bootcamp, it does sound like it's a bit high, so I'd look to knock the peanut butter, almonds and coleslaw on the head for a bit.

Fat was 66gms on this day. Fairly typical days food too.

Your fat should be higher than your carbs, and your protein should be higher than your carbs as well - the proportions we're looking for are high fat, medium protein and low carbs. How many grams of protein did you have?

What cab count are we looking to hit? I feel like I've been so good and yet the carbs are too high?

See above!

As @prettybird says, list out for us what you've been eating and drinking over the last 3 days and let's see if we can spot anything that might help.

BIWI · 29/01/2020 14:22

@CheddarGorgeous

It's so frustrating but I'm hoping that as long as I stick to the rules it will all come good by week 10

Big thumbs up to this!

And a reminder to you all, it's Tuesday, of week 3!

The weight didn't go on quickly so it's not going to come off quickly either.

RobinHobb · 29/01/2020 14:37

@stuntnun
Thank you that's reassuring because I was just logging into say I've stalled!
Have decided I was cheating a little too much - the occasional nibble here and there from kids food- so back to being strict. Hope this stall goes away, it's demotivating

BrassicaBabe · 29/01/2020 14:51

Do any of our resident experts know what happens with loss if you are long term BC? I'm guessing the week 3 stall isn't a thing? It's just a common or garden stall? Obvs I had a week off over Xmas etc and eating has has moments of less than perfect (eg Sweden last weekend) but I guess being fat adapted isn't a switch and I don't go back to square one each time I digress?! TIA x

Teapotdespot · 29/01/2020 15:01

For all you regular weighters that are struggling to stay motivated as your weight fluctuates: GET THEE ON HAPPY SCALE.

It’s an app I found recently and it averages out your weights over time so you can see the overall trend, not the actual numbers.

It’s great for daily weighers as it stops you obsessing.

Also from my chart below, you can see I had a massive gain last week (my week 3) from 19st 1.2lbs all the way back up to 19st 6, but actually my moving average only showed a 2lbs gain and it’s already trending back down again. What looked on the scales like a massive step back actually was just a tiny bump in the road.

I’ve got 10st to lose and because of PCOS the most I’ve ever lost in 3 weeks is 5lbs, so to see an 11lb loss even including a gain last week is amazing to me!

Jan '20 - Week 3 Low Carb Bootcamp - Ready for Bootcamp Light?
Jan '20 - Week 3 Low Carb Bootcamp - Ready for Bootcamp Light?
rosesandsunflowers · 29/01/2020 15:20

Sorry I've been a bit absent - life took over. DH and I weren't that great in the second week and funnily enough I barely lost anything (also was about to start period). Anyway I seem to have had a massive whoosh and whoop whoop I have, for the first time in 4.5yrs managed to get myself under 11st/under 70kg (69.7 to be precise). I'm delighted that sticking with this WOE seems to be having the desired effect. Now to keep going and try to get to 65kg by the summer. That would be my ideal and super happy weight.

Rshard · 29/01/2020 15:23

Hope you’re feeling better BIWI?

I use the happy scales app too teapot, really like it.

latebloomingleo · 29/01/2020 16:20

Horribly late to the party but can I join please? Mistakenly thought Dry January would take care of weight loss but it wasn’t to be. Please can I go on the spreadsheet?

AthelstaneTheUnready · 29/01/2020 16:38

You're on, leo! Do you want to start with your weight, or from 100lbs and counting down?

Notwatchingtvtoday · 29/01/2020 16:45

Hope your feeling better BIWI Flowers

Been out all day and busy where could not eat so have had a light lunch, at 3:30 when got home, was really not hungry and then very hungry . Would have been easy to have fallen into a massive eat though as left it too long, so I’m clearly much better with 3 meals a day.

B total Greek yogurt
Late L 3 Rollitos and a small avocado
D gammon, celaric mash, leeks and cabbage

3 litres of water ...

ShagMeRiggins · 29/01/2020 16:57

I was just logging into say I've stalled! Have decided I was cheating a little too much

I don’t want to pick on anyone but that’s not a stall, it’s just cheating on this way of eating.

You can’t “stall” on a diet if you’re not following it, and I know we use “stall” to describe small or no losses in Weeks 3&4, but as mentioned previously a stall in a diet is really several weeks with zero change.

Even then, in my experience those stalls have been a way for my body to adjust. Plateaus are there for a reason because a big climb or long descent needs some resting time. Well, that’s how I think of it.

Which is not to say we haven’t all shared the frustration of not losing weight when we are doing so well with the eating, or even appearing to gain weight. Yes, it can be demotivating!

And yes, it is worth asking why and making adjustments such as not eating the children’s food Grin or upping the fat intake, so good for y’all and good for your commitment to the 10 weeks.

I can guarantee that unless you are one of very few for whom LCHF doesn’t work, all you have to do is follow the plan and you will likely be very pleased with your Bootcamp results.

WATER! WATER! WATER!

ShagMeRiggins · 29/01/2020 16:59

Oh, and BIWI*, I’m sorry to hear you’re so unwell, but my daughter has just come home with exactly the symptoms you’ve described so it’s very possible there’s just something “going around.”

It is January and we’re in Britain, after all. Get well soon.

TheClitterati · 29/01/2020 17:00

Thanks BIWI & Prettybird - I hear what you are saying and I think I have been playing by all the rules. I've only had the almonds once, and I will try and steer clear of peanut butter as it is easy to get carried away (though I haven't yet)

Here is what I've eaten over last 3 days:

Sunday
Creamy coffee
Brunch - head of broccoli with cream/blue cheese/spring onion sauce
Dinner - roast chicken, broccoli, coleslaw (homemade - red & green cabbage, carrott (little) spring onion, with some Hellmans mayo)
Snack - celery & peanut butter (tablespoon)
3 litres of water

Monday
Creamy coffee
brunch - 2 egg Omelette cooked in butter, mushrooms, rocket, knob of goat cheese.
Dinner - cold roast chicken, coleslaw (homemade - red & green cabbage, carrott (little) spring onion, with some Hellmans mayo) & salad (lettuce, toms, cucumber).
Snack - about 50gms of almonds
Taramasalata (5gms carb) with celery
all the water

Tuesday
Creamy coffee
B - mushroom fried in olive oil & 2 eggs in butter
L - cold roast chicken salad (lettuce, rocket, 4 cherry toms, fennell), knob of goat cheese, Hellmans mayo
D - corgetti in olive oil with bolognaise sauce (homemade with 20% fat mince, tom paste, tinned tom, leets, shallots, celery, 2 carrots, bit of stock - I made 4 portions).
3.5 litres of water (I should be having 4.5 ltrs)

ShagMeRiggins · 29/01/2020 17:04

rosesandsunflowers well done! You should post more often. Helps keep us on the straight and narrow!

CheddarGorgeous · 29/01/2020 17:26

Thank you @BIWI . I've been stuck in meetings all day with piles of biscuits and ignored them all. I can't tell you how unusual this is 

@TheClitterati

@Teapotdespot thank you for the happy scales tip.

My day

B - 2 boiled eggs with some mayonnaise
L - salmon salad
D - Broccoli soup with cream

Full disclosure. I also had a quarter of a roast chicken sandwich 🥪 Sad I was at an off site meeting miles away from my lunch, facing a cycle back and starving.

Off to the cinema in a bit. Going to take some water and ignore the popcorn

ShagMeRiggins · 29/01/2020 17:32

Welcome, leo!

Clit I’m about to do two household chores then will apply forensic skills to your menus. Thanks for sharing.

StuntNun · 29/01/2020 18:17

Diet Doctor have an excellent article on weight loss stalls that I suggest everyone reads.

OP posts:
1stMrsF · 29/01/2020 18:18

On my way home from conference in the city. Did not eat any of the sweet treats that conference organisers seem to think we can't manage without, but that wasn't very hard, my tastebuds are retraining.

B - creamy coffee
L - chicken in mushroom sauce, cauliflower, broccoli, salad with Caesar dressing. From the conference centre so can't be sure of the sauces but overall should be fine.
S - 4 chicken wings with skin and glass of wine in Nando's with a friend after the conference. Did not eat any of the fries!

Dinner will be some more chicken with hm coleslaw

Need more water though. Tried hard but not the same as sitting at my desk.

Yesterday
L - tuna & mayo, avocado, salad, pepper quiche without the pastry
D - chicken, broccoli and mushroom Alfredo

Doilooklikeatourist · 29/01/2020 18:23

B 2 eggs and mayo
L goats cheese and 1/2 pear , green salad leaves a few walnuts anf HM dressing
D pork shoulder steak with mushrooms , bit of HM gravy , broccoli, cabbage and courgette

Made the muesli today , it’s all packed up in a big kilner jar , and I will have some with Greek yoghurt , cream and berries ( weighing out the berries and muesli )

Rayna37 · 29/01/2020 18:46

B: two hard boiled eggs and a babybel (post swim)
Snack of approx 30g mixed nuts
L: tuna mayo salad, Greek yogurt
D: pork chop, kale and broccoli with a quick sauce made from sour cream, mushroom, shallot and wholegrain mustard.