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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.

2020 Pre-Christmas Low Carb Bootcamp. The first week!

906 replies

BIWI · 11/10/2020 22:17

Welcome all.

Well what a strange year this has been! If you're anything like me, food, meals and eating have been all over the place. And that's before we think about the booze.

I found lockdown an odd mix of feeling like I was on holiday but it was also the end of the world. So what was the point of worrying about my diet?

I am lucky, relatively, in that we don't have small children to worry about educating. We also have a nice house and garden, and as me and DH have recently retired, don't have to worry about work. So we were very much advantaged over many people.

But still, the diet/drinking was all to pot. And with the inevitable result.

So we're now in the run up to Christmas - traditionally a time when diets go out of the window, and we start to indulge ourselves. Who knows what's going to happen this year though?!

So with that in mind, it's a good time to try and be focused and aim to have a bit of discipline! This Bootcamp, as with most others, will last for 10 weeks, which will take us right up to Christmas week.

(I truly hope that we'll all be able to spend Christmas with our loved ones, but who knows?)

With grateful thanks to @AthelstaneTheUnready, here is the Spreadsheet of Exceptional Fabulousness .

You should find that you're on the spreadsheet. A couple of things:

  • if you don't want to record your weight every week, that's absolutely fine. Just don't do it!
  • if you're not on it, just add your name to the bottom - don't try and re-alphabatize it - we'll sort it out later

The spreadsheet isn't just a place to record your weight though - have a good look at it, and the tabs - there's loads of information on there, including a veg carb counter and lots of stuff about low carbing in general. You'll also find Bootcamp rules there.

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NigellaAwesome · 12/10/2020 23:42

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal Shock wow! What an enormous difference! Well done.

Benvolio · 12/10/2020 23:52

I've enjoyed reading back all today's posts and im really glad ive got everyone here on my team. It's much more motivating than Weightwatchers app (Note to self to cancel that pronto).

Loved the photos - keep em coming. Im not good at namechecking.

I did ok today. Long work day, which meant I snacked on too much salami and didn't eat enough veg, but I have broccoli and cavalo nero in the fridge for tomorrow. Also a steak.

Tomorrow's Breakfast plan: greek yogurt. Lunch: raid the mini-supermarket. Buy 2l bottle of fizzy water too. Almond milk in coffee.

TeddyIsaHe · 13/10/2020 06:23

Morning all! Hope everyone is good today.

I’m resisting the daily weigh-ins, last time I did low carb I loved seeing the weight dropping, but as soon as it stalled I lost momentum. Won’t be making that mistake again!

Black coffee and water before the nursery run, and I’ll have eggs when I get back later this morning. No carb flu yet which is a plus.

BIWI · 13/10/2020 06:31

@didireallysaythat

Reporting back: not a perfect first day (1l of water but 1l in the form of herbal teas) as I had a block of dark chocolate mud afternoon but other than that, fairly good.

I'll have lost 25kg overnight, right???? Grin

Well, that's not even a Bootcamp day, is it?

Please remember this isn't a very forgiving way of eating, and you can't cheat.

The water is one thing, but a whole block of chocolate?!

So no - it wasn't a fairly good day!

Seriously. If you want this to work, you must drink the water and you really can't eat chocolate.

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Totalshambles · 13/10/2020 06:37

Also resisting daily weighing in for same reasons @Teddyisahe. Going to try and keep it once a week.

It was so hard to resist my habitual evening tv and chocolate time that I just went to bed.

Can someone tell me how long it takes the body to get into ketosis? I find it much easier from that point on as it feels like a motivation not to mess up (you know that If you mess up you sort of have to start from scratch to get back there). I think it’s about 3 days is that right?

All my jeans are too tight to wear comfortably. I am literally living in joggers and fed up with it. Blaming Boris.

PurBal · 13/10/2020 06:49

Been low carbing for a while but obviously never realised how many nutty or cheesy snacks I was eating in the afternoon. Been used to no breakfast but woke this morning hungry for the first time in ages. Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon: I'm coming for you.

PurBal · 13/10/2020 06:52

@totalshambles everyone varies but I understand 3 days is about average (can be 1 day to 1 week). The first week is tough as your body adjusts and the first 2 weeks of any diet is hard. If you can persevere it becomes easier, I haven't craved carbs since getting past that initial week (except for gbbo, bread week). DH couldn't last 4 days, he was miserable.

SulisMinerva · 13/10/2020 07:14

It’s funny to see how many people had celeriac yesterday. I also had some as part of my dinner. Grin It’s been my favourite vegetable discovery since starting lower carb eating.

I’m also not a weigher as I lose heart if the number doesn’t change or it’s a gain. I’ve learnt that the best thing for me psychologically is to ignore the scales and keep plodding on, checking clothes fit every now and then. Also, a psychological adjustment to vegetables being the accompaniment to fish/meat rather than pasta, rice, potatoes.

TeddyIsaHe · 13/10/2020 07:25

@SulisMinerva yes to clothes fitting rather than weighing. I have a pair of jeans that look amazing when I’m a size 10. I can just about get them up to my thighs atm Confused

I’ll weigh for the spreadsheet, but must remember the number isn’t the be all and end all. Those jeans are Grin

Superspecs · 13/10/2020 07:31

Day 1 done, 3l of water (and lots of weeing!)
B 3 scrambled eggs, small cube of feta.
L salad, chicken breast, 2 eggs
D Broccolli and stewed beef from a can plus a bit of FF greek yog to make it feel like I'm having pudding!

Well done everyone!

Rshard · 13/10/2020 07:34

Checking for day 2 after a good first day. Up in the night twice for a wee so definitely drank all my water!

PaddlingAlong · 13/10/2020 07:38

Morning all. Thanks to BIWI and AthelstaneTheUnready for setting this up. Found the Lockdown Bootcamp in Week3 and have been lurking since. Lost 25lbs in total since June. Looking forward to joining the chat this time. Good first day yesterday and managed 3L of water which is normally where I fall down!

Doilooklikeatourist · 13/10/2020 07:41

Making myself a shopping list from all the menu ideas !
Re the unfitting clothes , I tried to squeeze my fat body into wear the dress I bought for DDs graduation , as we were going out for afternoon tea on Saturday ( birthday voucher to be used ) it's one of the fiddly dresses where the zip is under the arm at the side ... I couldn't even get the sides to meet , let alone do the zip up !
So that's my target ! don't know when I'll get a chance to wear it again
Will be brave and get the tape measure out later 😫
I really want to succeed this time , I've been a dropper outer too many times before
B Greek yog
L egg mayo salad
D spicy chicken with FLGV
Water , water and then a glass more water

Paisleycountry1985 · 13/10/2020 07:56

Morning all!

Ok day one for me. It was pizza Monday in our house and I had an omelette. Definitely not prepared enough and reading through have now got lots of ideas. - I love Brussels sprouts.

I managed 2.1litres of water BUT it gives me horrendous heartburn! Would fruit teas hot and cold count towards water total? Can usually manage up to a litre of plain water per day without symptoms.

Food day one - Monday

Tea with splash skimmed milk
20gr cheddar cheese
700ml water

Apple and pear green tea
Tuna and mayonnaise

20gr cheddar cheese
Tea with splash semi skimmed milk
700ml water

Tea with splash of skimmed milk
Omelette with cheese
Slice of turkey breast
700ml water

poorbuthappy · 13/10/2020 08:05

Morning all.
I have a lot of clothes that don't fit right so I am going by belt notches.
Currently having period from hell as well (peri) so bloody bloated!
But the satisfying food is helping a lot and I'm not reaching for the crisps and chocolate which is fab news.

I love celeriac - celeriac dauphinoise is truly the food of the gods.

AthelstaneTheUnready · 13/10/2020 08:12

I'd echo what someone said above - once you get used to the idea that you've swapped out pasta/rice/bread for more veg, it becomes second nature. No more 'trying' or 'resisting', you just unconsciously reach for the green veg instead.

I look back and think it's no wonder I had issues with weight, digestion, skin, and mood don't I sound gorgeous when my meals were basically STARCH STARCH starch, bit of meat, lettuce leaf.

Crisps and wine are still my nemesis, but even that gets easier after a few weeks without. Planned meals today:

B: full fat greek yoghurt
L: tuna mayo salad
D: remains of Sunday's roast chicken with broccoli, garlic, creamy mushroom sauce

AthelstaneTheUnready · 13/10/2020 08:15

@poorbuthappy I hear you on the TOM, I have been having angry cramp all night

I had to stop making celeriac dauphinoise (made with alternate layers of celeriac, layers of stilton, with nutmeg and a bucket of cream poured over and baked) as I couldn't stop eating it. I mean, couldn't. stop.

prettybird · 13/10/2020 08:30

As expected, I was up three times during the night to go to the loo Shock. Fortunately, I know that that settles down. Smile

I'm going to try to move to weekly weighing but did step on the scales this morning ( after ablutions Wink) and they showed a 3.5lb loss Grin I know it's all water at this stage

Last night I had a lovely stir fry of a bit of left over steak, cauliflower, green beans, spring onions, shallots & garlic, done in coconut oil and soy sauce, finished off with some sesame oil.

ZiggZagg · 13/10/2020 08:37

Good morning all!

I, too had a few trips to the loo through the night! I definitely drank about 4l of water yesterday and really had to push myself! I realized that I do not drink enough water by far at other times.

I'm fasting until 12, then for dinner will have egg mayo and salad and for tea will have steak with mixed veg and cheese melted over the top.

Hope everyone has a good day Smile

20bloodypounds · 13/10/2020 08:39

PaisleyCountry where were your vegetables?

BIWI · 13/10/2020 08:40

For those of you missing crisps, these are really worth a try

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prettybird · 13/10/2020 08:42

I like cheese but I found those just too cheese Confused

Puffed pork crackling on the other hand......Smile (Golden Crunch is the best)

20bloodypounds · 13/10/2020 08:43

Not going to stand on the scales for 2 or 3 days, but I feel thinner mentally. I'm standing up straighter, not slouching, looking forward with determination and as a consequence I'm feeling less bloated and blobby. Already.

B - cheese, ham, avocado
L - left over coronation chicken with a heap of salad
D - wilted spinach and kale, topped with smoked cod, topped with poached eggs. A side of broccoli in butter.

prettybird · 13/10/2020 08:48

"....too cheesie "

Bloody autocarrot deciding what word I should have written Wink

BIWI · 13/10/2020 08:50

A note about weighing

Although we focus Bootcamp around the weekly weigh-in/spreadsheet, weighing isn't imperative. As already discussed, if you prefer to take measurements or monitor progress by how well your clothes fit, that's perfectly fine.

I have no desire to make any of a slave to the numbers!

However, if you are weighing, you need to decide which approach is going to work best for you:

Daily weighing

Lots of us weigh daily; for me, it's what keeps me on track. The day I stop doing it is when I know I'm slipping off piste. I track and plot each day's weight on an excel sheet, and create myself a graph of my progress.

HOWEVER, if you're going to do this, you need to recognise that your weight will fluctuate quite naturally day-by-day, and even if you've been the goodest of goodie Bootcampers, it's possible to see the scales going up rather than down. This is especially the case around your period. If you can't handle this - and it can be really quite demotivating - then consider moving to weekly reporting/weighing.

If you're going to record your weight weekly then there are a number of different ways to do this.

  1. weigh each day and then take the average for the week and record this
  2. weigh every day and then use the lowest weight you've seen as the result for that week
  3. or simply just weight once a week; it doesn't have to be Monday if there's a day that suits you better

Whichever way you choose, remember that you weigh first thing in the morning, naked* and after you've been to the loo. Don't bother weighing during the day, as all you'll be doing is including the food and drink you've had!

*unless you weigh yourself at Boots

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