Jan '20 - Week 4 Low Carb Bootcamp - One month in!

[StuntNun]

Well done for sticking with us for four weeks! You are fat-adapted now and getting the full health benefits of this way of eating. Add your weight to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness and let's see how everyone has done. Don't forget that it's typical for weight loss to pause at some point in weeks 3-5 but so long as you are following the rules you are still losing fat!

I know a few of you have been missing meals, whether by accident or design, so I'd like to start talking about intermittent fasting this week if anyone is interested? It's completely optional so don't feel that you should fast if you don't want to. I still think it's worth finding out more about intermittent fasting, how it works, when and why you might want to introduce it, and what it feels like to fast... spoiler alert it doesn't involve feeling hungry!

[ShagMeRiggins]

I had a lightbulb thought that im not on a diet. Theres nothing to fall off. Ive chosen a WOE to follow

Yes, Lion, yes. I agree.

Some are on Bootcamp because it’s a good weight loss diet. Some are here for a blast with not much to lose. Some are here for the long haul (like me) with much to lose. Some are here to find a new way of eating and then adapt it to lifestyles during maintenance.

This group is wonderful, all are welcome, and if patience can be had, and pleasure in food can be had, we will all get there, whatever our goals.

[StuntNun]

Intermittent fasting

Should I fast?
Intermittent fasting is an optional extra. If you naturally skip breakfast, or find yourself accidentally missing meals, or just aren’t hungry sometimes then you might be interested in giving intermittent fasting a try. If you’re a “three square meals a day” person then you may well feel that fasting isn’t for you. I do think it’s worth finding out more about it though because it can be another tool in the weight loss tool box. When you’re near your target weight and those last few pounds are taking ages it might be something you want to try to see if it aids weight loss.

What are some advantages of fasting?

1. Reducing hunger. Completely counter-intuitive, I know, but some people (myself included) find that if they skip breakfast then they are less hungry throughout the day. This can be due to the interaction between the stress hormone cortisol and insulin, perhaps caused by poor sleep quality or high stress/anxiety levels.
   
2. Aids weight loss and doesn’t slow the metabolism. Cutting calories on a low-calorie diet is renowned for slowing the metabolism down but this doesn’t happen during fasting, in fact the metabolism can actually speed up.
   
3. Improves insulin sensitivity and therefore blood glucose control – especially useful if you have or are at risk of diabetes.
   
4. Decreases inflammation, lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
   
5. May help prevent dementia and cancer, delay aging, and improve longevity.
   
   What are the different types of fasting?
   16:8 means fasting for 16 hours overnight. So, if you have dinner at 6 p.m. then you don’t have breakfast until 10 a.m. the next day. The health benefits start from 14-hour fasts so I suggest aiming for 14 hours to begin with and working your way up to 16 hours. It only takes one or two fasts to get into the swing of things. What usually happens is that you feel hungry at your usual breakfast time and then the hunger passes within about 20 minutes. N.B. if you skip breakfast then you don’t need an extra big lunch to make up for the missed meal; eat your normal amount of food. I recommend paying attention to your body’s signals while fasting. If you’ve done 15 and a half hours and you’re starving then don’t hang on for an extra half an hour just to make 16 hours. As you get used to fasting the length will increase by itself. Aim for a minimum of three 16-hour fasts per week.
   
   You also get longer daily fasting windows – 18:6, 20:4, even OMAD which stands for One Meal A Day and is effectively 24-hour fasting. The ideal fasting window is 16-36 hours after which the benefits don’t continue to increase. I suggest that people experimenting with intermittent fasting try a 24-hour fast at least once. It’s instructive to find out that you can go without food for a whole day and you won’t feel particularly hungry or need to stuff yourself at the end of the fast. The easiest way to do a 24-hour fast is to eat your dinner one day and then don’t eat again until the next day. Make sure you drink plenty of (calorie-free) fluids as you will be thirstier than usual since you are missing out on the considerable amount of liquid you usually get in food. Every time you feel hungry then have a drink. If you feel very hungry then wait 20 minutes and if the hunger doesn’t pass, it’s probably time to end the fast.
   
   Alternate Day Fasting is often the next step for someone that routinely fasts 16:8. It usually consists of three 24-hour fasts per week on non-consecutive days and can be combined with 16:8. So Monday you eat lunch and dinner, Tuesday you just eat dinner, Wednesday you eat lunch and dinner, etc.
   
   What is the 50-calorie rule?
   As a rule of thumb, many people say that you can have up to 50 calories during your fast period. This isn’t really true fasting but it does allow you to have a couple of cups of tea or coffee with milk while you’re fasting. It’s up to you how flexible you want to be. Personally, I hate black tea and I’m a total caffeine addict so I need a couple of cups of tea to get me through to brunch/lunch.
   
   What are the risks?
   Intermittent fasting is often not suitable for people who have had an eating disorder. You'll know if this applies to you.
   
   If you’re routinely missing meals and your calorie intake is low then you could end up short on vitamins and minerals. This shouldn’t be a problem on Bootcamp where we’re emphasising real, unprocessed foods with plenty of salad and/or veggies. Make sure you’re getting a wide variety of foods and not relying on nutrient-poor food choices like bulletproof coffee.
   
   When should I start?
   I know some people have already tried fasting or are about to give it a go. If you're not sure about it then why not see how things go for the next few weeks with those Bootcampers who are fasting. Then when the ten weeks of Bootcamp are up we could have a follow-on thread for people that would like to give intermittent fasting a try. Whatever you decide, don't be pressured into thinking that you need to fast. As I said at the beginning, it's totally optional.
   
   Any questions?

[HouseTornado]

Laughing like a drain at Rshard's typo.

[Twit]

Thanks for the info, @StuntNun. So if you don't eat after 6pm, you could have a couple of cups of tea until 8am the next day? I do that quite a bit, so maybe I'll try until 10am. Is there anything you should eat to break the fast, or is it whatever you were planning for lunch? (Sorry if that's a dim question)

[BrassicaBabe]

Wow! That's a comprehensive and helpful post Stunt. Thanks.

[BIWI]

Great post @StuntNun

This point:

Completely counter-intuitive, I know, but some people (myself included) find that if they skip breakfast then they are less hungry throughout the day

There's a really interesting book called Breakfast is a dangerous meal that talks about how breakfast has more of an effect on your insulin levels/blood sugar levels than any other meal - even if you eat the same foods. Really worth reading (and it's very easy to read)

[Mandelinka]

I’m a big fan of IF, I fell into it about 2 years ago while on BC ( played with the idea about 7 years back but wasn’t ready then).

My eating window is most days 2pm - 6/8pm. I love not having to worry about breakfast, my mornings are stressful enough with the school run and long commute anyway. I love how my body and head feels on empty, quite sharp and springy.
I usually have 2-3 mugs of green tea before I leave house, strong black coffee around 10 am and another 4 cups of weak green or herbal tea before lunch at 2.
One of my colleagues at work has been doing IF for some time, so we often share our results.

[Rshard]

Glad you liked it housetornado! 🐴

Thanks for all the info about IF stuntnun, I’m definitely going to give it a try.

[HouseTornado]

Stuntnun thanks, you've answered all of my questions about IF.

Rshard I'll keep you posted.

[RobinHobb]

Yay!! Stall is broken
@athelstanetheunsteady
I didn't want to hear it but
I have given up the glass of wine .... and increased the water, and I think that has helped. I'm finding the constant peeing really annoying though!!!

[StuntNun]

Some more points on fasting to clarify:

16:8 is a 16-hour fast usually from dinner one day to brunch or lunch the next.
24-hour fast is usually from dinner one day to dinner the next.
36-hour fast if from dinner one day, no food the next day, then breakfast/brunch/lunch the next day.

We talk about the fasting window (16 hours) and eating window (8 hours) but the length of the eating window is irrelevant and can vary from day to day. It's the length of the fast that's important and the benefits start from 14 hours.

If you fast 16:8 then you can still have three meals the next day if you like, or you can have two depending on how you feel. If you think you'll be really hungry then don't break your fast with an extra large meal, instead fit three meals (or two meals and a snack) in before your next fast.

The really interesting thing about fasting is that you can lose more weight while eating the same amount of calories. In studies, participants fed the same diet lost more weight when they ate it within an eating window than when they ate the same amount of calories without any time restrictions. This has been thoroughly proven in rodent studies, and human studies show the same effect.

Fasting has profound effects on the functioning of your body. We tend to assume that not eating will make you weak and tired but the opposite happens and many people report a feeling of euphoria or mental clarity during longer fasts. This makes complete sense from an evolutionary point of view. When your average caveman or cavewoman ran out of food then they couldn't afford to sit around the cave feeling listless! They needed to get out and hunt something right away, and to be able to perform both mentally and physically to maximise the chance of obtaining food.

[StuntNun]

Twit according to the 50-calorie rule it would be fine to have a couple of cups of tea in the evening. It probably isn't the ideal way to fast but fasting is a learned skill and the more your body gets used to it, the easier it becomes. The first time I tried a 24-hour fast I caved at 23.5 hours and had something to eat. Which is fine and I would still have benefitted from the extended fast. However the next time I tried a 24-hour fast I made it for 36 hours easily. I also think that hunger levels vary a lot from day to day, depending on your activity, what have eaten, especially if you haven't slept well etc. I plan to do 16:8 every day but some days I wake up and decide that it isn't a fasting day. So long as I get my three fasts a week I'm happy.

Eat whatever you like to break your fast. I have young kids so eat early in the evening so it's still breakfast time for me. If you're eating later then you will get all the way to lunch to break your fast. On Bootcamp we often move away from society's conventions on what constitutes breakfast foods anyway. You need to make fasting work for you, not be a slave to it.

I love that book BIWI. The whole "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" concept is really just an advertising slogan and in fact breakfast can be actively damaging if you have any level of insulin resistance. Dr Jason Fung has been achieving great results in people with diabetes by combining low carb with intermittent fasting.

[MrsBertBibby]

Boom! Exactly 1 stone off this morning!

Next stop, get below 12 1/2 stone.

I am not going to share my broccoli soup technique because, honestly, it was bloody revolting. I am heaving the remainder down the drain.

[BrassicaBabe]

Yesterday I simply ate too much. 3lb on. That'll take me to Friday to get rid of and that's another week done.

L: lo dough wrap with fried egg, bacon, cheese, mayo
D: Parma wrapped cod, sauce of sour cream and pesto, mashed celariac, Then unusually, Greek yoghurt, berries and double cream
Still no fecking wine and a lake of water.

I already IF

I feel like the only thing that works at the moment is an egg fast But I don't want to live on that!

[HouseTornado]

Trying out IF today (from 8pm last night) - so far, so good...I know 3 per week is the minimum which I should be able to make work.

B: Black coffee
L: Roasted aubergine with mozzarella, buttered cauliflower and sprouts, ham.
D: Omelette and FGLV

Water and also day 2 of C25K.....

[Almahart]

Ten days in (late starter), 4 ibs off, which I’m a bit disappointed about but is my own fault cos I have had wine. I think I need to get back into strict boot camp - no alcohol and possibly cut right down on dairy

Loving the food though.

[AthelstaneTheUnready]

Well done Robin and Bert! thoroughly well deserved

4lbs in 10 days is not so shabby, Alma!

Had first BC meal out last night - the lack of wine was surprisingly a bonus to the night not a drawback; I had a really lovely time and it reminded me I actually like my friends, not just use them as an excuse to sit and drink in public

The food was lovely - stuck to fish, seafood and veg, but the sauce was probably booby-trapped. My friend went 'oooohhh, tart', and I went 'shit this its really sweet, must be full of sugar!'.

[venusandmars]

MrsBertBibby Sometimes things just don't work. I once made aubergine soup, followed a recipe. It was vile. Grey, lumpy, like a slimy porridge. Down the toilet and one spoonful, and I'd made a huge amount. It put me off aubergines for a while.

B - nothing, iced water which is sitting in a lovely glass jug next to my desk
L - left over cauli-rice and salmon with a fried or poached egg on top
D - omelette with cheese, mushrooms, and something green from today's veg box.

Yesterday I did cajole dh into going out to buy a cauliflower. I made cauli-rice and roasted it in the oven with olive oil and spices (ground cumin seeds, ground fennel seeds, ground carroway seed). In oilive oil and butter I fried shallot, leeks, mushroom, garlic and chard. Then mixed in the cooked cauli-rice. Flaked the cooked salmon into it. It was sort of like a pilaff. Delicious and I've got some left over for lunch today (with an egg).

[Mimosa1]

Funny how your tastebuds change @almahart

I'm feeling a bit blurgh this am. I woke up at 3 am with a headache, which never happens to me, and didn't go back to sleep for ages. On the off chance it's belated carb flu and not just a headache, I have one of those foul electrolyte zero drinks.

Food yesterday:

B - scrambled eggs w feta an herbs
L - toast chicken and salad with feta and garlic sauce. Reader, it lingered. Yum though :)
D - picky bits: 1 pot of guacamole, 2 slices cheddar, 3 slices ham, a pack of raw asparagus as dippers. Reading back, maybe it's all the processed food that made me rough.

I'm tantalisingly close to a mini goal (getting under my post DC1 / pre DC2 weight) so I'll try IF this week and see if it helps.

[BIWI]

@BrassicaBabe I wonder if you have an issue with dairy? There's a lot of it in your menu.

When you say you think you're over-eating, what do you mean? If it's portion sizes, then that's definitely something to pay attention to. Although we say eat to satiation on this WOE, that doesn't mean pile your plate high!

[ShagMeRiggins]

Reader, it lingered.

[Rshard]

Nice one mrsbert!

It’s seems I’m joining you on IF housetornado, no time for breakfast as we got home late from dd’s swim session. So I’m in.

[BrassicaBabe]

Thanks @BIWI. Diary is def a problem for me. Maybe cheese I can get away with. But cream seems to be a killer. When I mention eating too much, I feel like if I eat anymore than a bird then I don't loose weight. I don't think portion yesterday were excessive. But I feel that I have to eat like a toddler to lose. Alll of that leads to me VLCD eating (even on LC) egg fasts and the like which is unsustainable.

I've got another piece of cod left over in the fridge. I might try the same basics as yesterday but without the cheese and cream. That does leave me struggling to keep the fat up. (I've bought an advacado. But )

[BIWI]

If you don't like avocado then why are you buying it?! As well as not being about deprivation this isn't a WOE that's about punishment!

How about making a butter-based sauce for the fish? A beurre blanc or hollandaise/bearnaise?

[waspfig]

Thanks for all the fasting info. It's definitely something I'll look into in a few weeks time. Right now I feel I've got enough on my plate, wrangling two small people and getting ready to return to work.

Managed to fix my scales and am the same today as last Monday 1lb up from yesterday). I did have champagne and choc mousse at the weekend though so to be expected.

I slept terribly last night, woke up with sharp pain in breast - blocked duct! So have planned an easy day at home today to try and get that sorted. I will have to stay strong with the food today though as my toddler likes to be out and about and will probably drive me bonkers if we stay in all day.

Started with a decent breakfast and have lovely Xmas ham in the fridge to look forward to later so fingers crossed I don't cave for the carbs.

B 2 eggs and smoked salmon, tea with milk
L salmon pate and cucumber
D turkey and ham 'pie' with celeriac topping
And FLGV
S May need lots to get me through (olives, pepperami, cheese)

Couple of herbal teas and lots of water!