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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.

Leaving Lockdown Low Carb Bootcamp - the prep thread

145 replies

BIWI · 17/05/2020 20:13

There's a week to go before we start our 5-week Low Carb Bootcamp.

So it's time to get ready and prepare ourselves - planning is critical to the success of Bootcamp - and hopefully this thread should give you all the info that you'll need.

First, a reminder of the programme.

There are 5 weeks

Week 1 is a super-strict week, where we count our calories as well as our carbs (not a usual approach for Bootcamp)

Weeks 2-3 are the normal first part of Bootcamp

Weeks 4-5 are Bootcamp Light, which is slightly more relaxed.

Bootcamp was devised initially as an easy-to-do programme (mainly because I'm a lazy arse and can't be faffed with counting carbs or calories).

But the times we're in now are exceptional, and I know that lots of us have found it really difficult to keep a focus on our weight and what we're eating, hence the idea of having a super-strict first week. The idea is that the first week will really help us to get our heads back into the right space and, ideally, trigger a satisfying amount of weight loss.

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Lockdownsnackathon · 19/05/2020 09:40

I'm struggling to eat high fat and keep my kcals under 1400.

I see from above I need to keep off the berries and nuts so will cut those today

BIWI · 19/05/2020 12:23

Why are you focusing on 1400 calories though? Apart from the first week of the next Bootcamp (which is a totally different approach from usual), we don't count calories.

Yes, it's much harder to keep fat levels higher and also reduce calories - it can be done, but generally that's by keeping your portions smaller and/or introducing intermittent fasting

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Velocity · 19/05/2020 15:50

Thanks BIWI for your offer to pull together some calories counted low carb meals - I have been trying to get back into the low carb habit but it's been tough when surrounded by requests for toast all day (and sweet consumption has gone up as well!). I've never calorie counted on low carb so that will be an interesting experience. I'm really ready for this!

BIWI · 19/05/2020 15:58

I have to say it's been a huge faff having to do this, and it's reminded me why I hated calorie counting so much! Grin

Anyway, here's a link to a Google Doc with some recipes to get going with - a few soups, light lunches, mains and sides

feel free to add to these

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1Wildheartsease · 19/05/2020 16:00

Looking forwards to trying this for 5 weeks.
Thanks BIWI!

BIWI · 19/05/2020 16:02

REMINDER/TIP

The spreadsheet that we'll post each week, as well as the recipes document, use Google Docs, so that everyone can access them.

If you're accessing Mumsnet on a mobile, then you'll need to download the Google Docs app

Here are the instructions for iOS

And here they are for Android

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TheClitterati · 19/05/2020 16:35

thanks BIWI

I'm not sure I will do the calorie counting part - as you say this can be a bit triggering for some. I find the weight numbers difficult enough to deal with - as soon as I encounter weights/calorie numbers re food it sends me to strange chaotic places. Its enough to cope with the weekly weight in without diving into doughnuts etc.

I have been able to get 10 portions of vege into my diet before so I will focus on that during week one instead of calories - hopefully it should have similar effect.

re water intake I did struggle last time with 4.5 litres - however I did learn last BC I can drink lots of herbal tea (caffine free). I now have a 2 litre thermos I make herbal tea in & I drink it all day at work. I can drink 2 of those a day without too much effort & I don't need to go to the loo as mush as if I drink plain water - which is weird. I have back coffee first thing and then start on the herbals (mostly avoiding liquiorice ones).

Lockdownsnackathon · 19/05/2020 18:24

Oh I'm not counting, i don't actually know how. But MFP tells me what my count is and I'm noticing it.

I'm trying so hard, day 3 here and i think I'm just fucking it up massively. Also the sugar with drawl is making me a little bit ragey

NigellaAwesome · 19/05/2020 22:27

Thanks for doing this BIWI. I'm really looking forward to it. I had completely fallen off the wagon, so looking forward to a bit of discipline.

Doilooklikeatourist · 20/05/2020 07:43

Tried the intermittent fasting this week , first day was fine went from 8pm to 12.30 ( lunchtime , not midnight ! )
Yesterday , however , I was famished in the morning , had buttery eggs and felt much better
Mapped it all out on MFP and still came in less than 1000 calories , and 57 g carbs , now I know it’s doable I’m feeling better about it and raring to go on Monday ( started already really I’m but using this as a preparation week )

It helps that DH has decided to give up wine too , the weekend has got a bit longer with furlough and lockdown ! It was starting to feel a bit like an all inclusive holiday

Picked up a tray of eggs from a friend who keeps chickens , ✅
Has a long list for the weekly trip to Tesco ✅,
Several long walks planned ✅

Thanks for doing all the prep work @BIWI it’s really appreciated

BIWI · 20/05/2020 16:00

Here's some information about intermittent fasting (IF), from this website :

How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?

To understand how intermittent fasting leads to fat loss we first need to understand the difference between the fed state and the fasted state.
Your body is in the fed state when it is digesting and absorbing food. Typically, the fed state starts when you begin eating and lasts for three to five hours as your body digests and absorbs the food you just ate. When you are in the fed state, it's very hard for your body to burn fat because your insulin levels are high.

After that timespan, your body goes into what is known as the post–absorptive state, which is just a fancy way of saying that your body isn’t processing a meal. The post–absorptive state lasts until 8 to 12 hours after your last meal, which is when you enter the fasted state. It is much easier for your body to burn fat in the fasted state because your insulin levels are low.

When you're in the fasted state your body can burn fat that has been inaccessible during the fed state.

Because we don't enter the fasted state until 12 hours after our last meal, it's rare that our bodies are in this fat burning state. This is one of the reasons why many people who start intermittent fasting will lose fat without changing what they eat, how much they eat, or how often they exercise. Fasting puts your body in a fat burning state that you rarely make it to during a normal eating schedule.

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BIWI · 20/05/2020 16:06

And from the same website, a piece about the benefits of IF:

The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Fat loss is great, but it isn't the only benefit of fasting.

1. Intermittent fasting makes your day simpler.
I'm big on behavior change, simplicity, and reducing stress. Intermittent fasting provides additional simplicity to my life that I really enjoy. When I wake up, I don't worry about breakfast. I just grab a glass of water and start my day.

I enjoy eating and I don't mind cooking, so eating three meals a day was never a hassle for me. However, intermittent fasting allows me to eat one less meal, which also means planning one less meal, cooking one less meal, and stressing about one less meal. It makes life a bit simpler and I like that.

2. Intermittent fasting helps you live longer.
Scientists have long known that restricting calories is a way of lengthening life. From a logical standpoint, this makes sense. When you’re starving, your body finds ways to extend your life.

There’s just one problem: who wants to starve themselves in the name of living longer?

I don’t know about you, but I’m interested in enjoying a long life. Starving myself doesn’t sound that appetizing.

The good news is that intermittent fasting activates many of the same mechanisms for extending life as calorie restriction. In other words, you get the benefits of a longer life without the hassle of starving.

Way back in 1945 it was discovered that intermittent fasting extended life in mice. (Here's the study.) More recently, this study found that alternate day intermittent fasting led to longer lifespans.

3. Intermittent fasting may reduce the risk of cancer.
This one is up for debate because there hasn’t been a lot of research and experimentation done on the relationship between cancer and fasting. Early reports, however, look positive.

This study of 10 cancer patients suggests that the side effects of chemotherapy may be diminished by fasting before treatment. This finding is also supported by another study which used alternate day fasting with cancer patients and concluded that fasting before chemotherapy would result in better cure rates and fewer deaths.

Finally, this comprehensive analysis of many studies on fasting and disease has concluded that fasting appears to not only reduce the risk of cancer, but also cardiovascular disease.

4. Intermittent fasting is much easier than dieting.
The reason most diets fail isn’t because we switch to the wrong foods, it’s because we don’t actually follow the diet over the long term. It's not a nutrition problem, it's a behavior change problem.

This is where intermittent fasting shines because it's remarkably easy to implement once you get over the idea that you need to eat all the time. For example, this study found that intermittent fasting was an effective strategy for weight loss in obese adults and concluded that “subjects quickly adapt” to an intermittent fasting routine.

I like the quote below from Dr. Michael Eades, who has tried intermittent fasting himself, on the difference between trying a diet and trying intermittent fasting.

“Diets are easy in the contemplation, difficult in the execution. Intermittent fasting is just the opposite — it’s difficult in the contemplation but easy in the execution.

Most of us have contemplated going on a diet. When we find a diet that appeals to us, it seems as if it will be a breeze to do. But when we get into the nitty gritty of it, it becomes tough. For example, I stay on a low–carb diet almost all the time. But if I think about going on a low–fat diet, it looks easy. I think about bagels, whole wheat bread and jelly, mashed potatoes, corn, bananas by the dozen, etc. — all of which sound appealing. But were I to embark on such a low–fat diet I would soon tire of it and wish I could have meat and eggs. So a diet is easy in contemplation, but not so easy in the long–term execution.

Intermittent fasting is hard in the contemplation, of that there is no doubt. “You go without food for 24 hours?” people would ask, incredulously when we explained what we were doing. “I could never do that.” But once started, it’s a snap. No worries about what and where to eat for one or two out of the three meals per day. It’s a great liberation. Your food expenditures plummet. And you’re not particularly hungry. … Although it’s tough to overcome the idea of going without food, once you begin the regimen, nothing could be easier.”
— Dr. Michael Eades

In my opinion, the ease of intermittent fasting is best reason to give it a try. It provides a wide range of health benefits without requiring a massive lifestyle change.

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BIWI · 20/05/2020 16:10

NB - in the two posts above, where it says 'I' that's the author speaking, not me!

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AnotheChinHair · 20/05/2020 19:27

@TheClitterati can I ask why you avoid liquorice tea?

BIWI · 21/05/2020 09:34

Because it can have some very undesirable side effects if you drink too much

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OldLace · 21/05/2020 09:40

I've wanted to do this a few times and not been able to commit due to health issues. I really want to try it this time!

JoyDivisionOvenGlovesx · 21/05/2020 09:41

Thanks very much for all this Biwi

Oof. That Foods we don't eat AT ALL list is basically my lockdown diet thus far. But it’s also exactly the reason I’ve put on a stone

So, let’s have a crack at this thing then.

AnotheChinHair · 21/05/2020 09:57

Thanks @BIWI
I consume quite a lot of it, sometimes 4 tea bags (Clipper) diluted in 2 litres of water which I sip throughout the day. I guess I should stop!

TheClitterati · 21/05/2020 10:11

We discovered on last BC that many teas (I'm thinking Yogi & Pukka) have sneaky licorice in them - so I was inadvertantly drinking a lot of it. I didn't have any side effects myself, but I wouldnt want to be drinking litres of it a day. I will still drink teas containing licorice, but one cup at a time i.e. in moderation as advised.

Lockdownsnackathon · 21/05/2020 10:49

Can anyone guide me as to expected weight loss, as in how quickly one might expect to lose say 3-4 st if religious?

Is this safe long term?

MarkRuffaloCrumble · 21/05/2020 12:49

From what I’ve read, and I’m no expert, it would seem that 3-4 stone weight loss is totally doable in 6-9 months if you’re doing it properly.

NoMoreMuchin · 21/05/2020 12:50

Thanks for doing this @BIWI
I once felt veeery bad on low carb due to low magnesium so I was about to order some of the zero by high 5 you recommended but it seems to have artificial sweetener? Is there a different one I'm missing or is the amount so small it's OK? Thanks Smile

Lockdownsnackathon · 21/05/2020 13:23

Thanks mark.

Final Q. I think I'm I'm managing ok. Im day 5 and i feel really well, no cravings or hunger at all so I'm now naturally able to fast (16:8 the last 2 days) unintentional due to work but it was no problem.

However, i cannot manage without one small cup of diet lemonade a day. I'm having a hard time letting go, although I've cut down drastically
Will this undo all my efforts?

BIWI · 21/05/2020 13:51

It's not great @Lockdownsnackathon - we avoid artificial sweeteners as much as possible on Bootcamp. There's also some suggestion that the body can respond to them as if they were sugar, so this is likely to impede your rate of loss. Why not try drinking sparkling water with slices of lemon and/or lime in it instead?

A low(er) carb diet is perfectly healthy for forever!

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BIWI · 21/05/2020 13:52

There's an interesting piece on intermittent fasting on the Fast800 website too see here

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