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

[BIWI]

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.

Just about to have my scrambled eggs and am planning something with cauliflower rice later! I'm ok using soy sauce right? I have the kikkoman brand which seems to be pretty low carb.

Linnet this might be a bit out there, but what about a mini hot plate, would that be allowed? It would only be you using it so shouldn’t be a COVID issue.

Or a very small fondue pot (probably electric rather than the kind with a live flame ) you could just pour the soup into the bowl for a quick heat.

If that’s daft, feel free to tell me.

Titsywoo soy sauce is fine and good on you for checking the carb content. It is always worth a look. I remember being caught out by the most delicious and tender pack of beef jerky which contained about three times normal carbs on other brands. Aargh.

Buffy you sound so excited—well so does pretty much everyone else—but wanted to say I did this way of eating quite a while ago with my husband and it definitely made things much easier. Both very much on board with cooking so no surprises, and we’d bung the occasional potato or rice on the side for the children.

He’s not doing it anymore, and it shows if I’m honest, but his head isn’t in the right place at the moment. Plus he’s one of those irritating people who still hasn’t absorbed the fact that weight is all about what goes in your mouth. He thinks he will be able to cycle it all off—and he will—but he can’t quite grasp how unsustainable that is with age.

Has anyone had psoriasis/eczema etc and found LC helps their skin? I am suffering with horrendous, sore psoriasis plaques atm which my usual treatments aren’t touching. I’m hoping I’ll see some improvement because ow!

Quick question for anyone who has done this before: are there any pre-made sauces, meat rubs, marinades etc that are particularly good for bootcamp? I cook with a lot with these (health issues = hands aren't always up for chopping and blending), but just double checked and most of mine have loads of sugars! Had a look on the photo product thread/ spreadsheet, but couldn't see anything obvious. A buttery/creamy one or a BBQ one would be great.

Menu for the day:
B: coffee, bit of milk, baby bel cheese
L: Chorizo & mozzarella salad
D: Taco bowl with mince, lettuce, dash of sour cream & avocado.

And finally: my dress. At not my lightest, but my happiest and strongest, this fit like a glove. If I could get back towards this size, I'd be delighted. I'm keeping it hanging outside my wardrobe as a reminder of what I have to look forward to by sticking with it!

Ras el-hanout is great: I rub it into lamb, duck breasts (score the duck fat, rub it in, cook for 8 minutes from cold over a medium heat, fat side down, turn, cook for another 2 minutes, pour off fat and then cook at 200C for 10 minutes in the oven, leave to rest for 5 minutes) and turkey steaks (bashed flat, coated in olive oil and then the ras el-hanout rubbed in).

Yummm

Arghh I RTFT then had to scroll all the way back for the link to the spreadsheet! If you're new to google sheets it's worth knowing you can just go straight to the spreadsheet each week or whenever you need once you have entered into it for the first time; it's just there when you pen the app. You don't have to wait for the new thread to go into the file and log.

@IncurablyCurious - BBQ sauces are generally very sugary although you may find a rub that works for the smokiness. I don't know of any pre-made sauces but a creamy sauce is easily made with no need for chopping or blending. I had a great chicken in a creamy sauce last week and although it calls for chopped mushrooms and minced garlic I just buy those pre-done. cafedelites.com/chicken-thighs/

@rayna37 thank you that's really useful to know

@shagmeriggins I really need to know about the 4 way 🙏🏻

To the poster who had happily maintained - thank you for sharing - I'm curious to know whether you stay on plan 100% of the time or if we can hope to eat the occasional treat e.g. birthday cake?

Hello BIWI and everyone else.

I'm starting 31 pounds down on my starting point for May bootcamp, so I'm already delighted at my progress.

Didn't really stop once last bootcamp finished so just need to rein in some of the carbier veg and odd glass of wine so hoping for a fair loss this week.

Nice to 'see' everyone!

@BIWI , I see, thanks a mill, I'd been plateuing for far to long. I wander how many pounds on average we can expect to loose?! Naturally I don't expect you to really know

Sorry that was meant for @greebolsmyspiritanimal

@verylittleowl I love those photos. Here's one I took of myself at the end of July in 33" jeans I'd bought but never worn. Having lost 2.5st they now fit but I'm looking forward to that fit being a lot more comfy

TeddyIsAHe - yes, me. I get eczema on my scalp and going low carb really helps it. It's cutting out sugar that does it for me, sugar makes it flare up really badly.

I aim to swim Mon, Weds and Fri before work and then I use them as my fasting days because if I have to bring my breakfast in, I can eat it later. If I'm having breakfast before I leave, it has to be about 7am.

Today's plan:
B: two boiled eggs after 16 hour fast
L: leftover roast chicken with mayo and pesto on salad (spinach, tomato, cucumber, olive oil) and greek yogurt for "pud".
D: planning a cauli mash topped fish pie, green beans on the side (frozen, roasted in olive oil on a tray in the oven with the pie).

I have a babybel in my bag for "emergencies"

For Linnet I bought a lunch cool bag which I use with an ice block when work took the fridges out of action and I love it. Thankfully the fridges are back but I still use it as it does the job. Mine was from Lakeland, Tatay 5 piece "urban lunch pack"! My weekday lunch is pretty repetitive, salad as above or with tuna mayo/egg and cheese mayo/Greek salad etc.

Another HFLC marinade that works well is FF Greek yoghurt with some cumin, coriander, chopped/grated garlic and ginger (could use the prepared stuff). I also use chopped chillis if I have them but I'm sure some dried chilli flakes would be fine as an alternative. I use it on chicken pieces (drumsticks, thighs, skin on) that I've scored and then run in - but if your hands aren't up to the scoring IncurablyCurious , they'll still be tasty without that step. I've also made them in advance, put it all into a big plastic bag and then leave it in the fridge (and any that I don't use go into the freezer). I then bake in a hot oven on some foil and turn half way through.

Great to be back! Thanks @BIWI

Thanks again, BIWI, StuntNun and Athelstane for all your hard work on this.

Afternoon, boot campers, and hello to many recognised names. I lost just short of 6 stone with bootcamp in 2017. I’m sure it saved my life. I maintained easily with only a 3 lb variation allowance till Covid happened. A totally unexpected shielding letter threw us a curve ball, and as we decided to shield as a household rather than have one person having to shield within the house, we were entirely dependent on a combination of snappy shopper and local farm shop delivery for weeks. So that meant bring on the sourdough, the local honey, the handmade pies. You get the picture. By June I’d whacked on 12 lbs and I’ve half heartedly tried to lose them, but it been on a 2 on/2 off basis. I’ve been feeling totally miserable and sad over the last week, probably worse then I have during the whole of lockdown, and have decided that one thing I CAN control is what goes into my mouth. I feel much better on proper LC anyway, so that’s one motivation. The other is the stupidly expensive leather joggers I bought in the sale last winter!

[quote Solongsugar]@BIWI , I see, thanks a mill, I'd been plateuing for far to long. I wander how many pounds on average we can expect to loose?! Naturally I don't expect you to really know [/quote]
I don't really know!

However, I'd say it's not unreasonable to be able to lose around a stone over the ten weeks assuming that you don't cheat!

It also all depends on how much you have to lose - the more you have to lose, the quicker your rate of loss is likely to be.

Overall, expect an average loss of 1-2lbs per week and you shouldn't be disappointed. (MInd you, one Bootcamp we had someone who lost a stone in their first week!)

superspecs I like the app Waterlogged for logging water, worth paying the few quid for ad-free.

Thanks again for this BIWI and also enjoyed your 'story' on the last thread which like most I'd not really heard before.

I'm back again with my boomerang half stone, this time a Covid-ten really. Not having a beach holiday as a target in the summer didn't help!

Long term low-carber but not terribly strict in maintenance. Lost my baby weight here in 2018 and then keep popping back in when I get sloppy, the pounds creep up, the zips get tricky and I start wondering "what's the point in not eating potatoes, pasta or rice at home if you then keep eating pudding and custard?!"

128.8lbs/9st3lbs today which is a BMI of 22.8; target of 119llbs/8 and half stone which is a BMI of 21. I'm 5'3" and have a very small frame; natural apple shape with fat round the middle being a concern. Never really been overweight but I'm definitely healthier and better suited to the lower end of the healthy BMI scale and I'm vain, basically

@ShagMeRiggins ahh the age old question.
At its very basic it was a plate of fries which I wanted and had after 10 months of enjoying the LCHF way of life. Hell didn’t freeze over and I didn’t see a huge change so I started to Incorporate more and more carbs and the creep began.
Of course since then there’s been babies and a reckless abandon of anything health related since COVID entered the game and I’ve found myself circling round and round. It’s like I know what to do but just. Can’t. Do. It.
So I’m hoping this boot camp and it’s support will keep me on the right path for the hardest bit for me which is the beginning. Once I’m rolling I’m ok. And then it will be working out what I want maintenance to look like for me. I shall be very keen to read what it looks like for others on here!

Hey everyone, long term lurker here! Looking forward to getting onto a healthier path via this well-timed bootcamp. Nice to be sharing the journey with you all! I'm terrible at drinking enough water, so going to try harder with that. I also fear that dairy is quite stalling for me, so will try to limit my love affair with cheddar...
B: leftover roast chicken
L: mixed veg + cheese omelette
D: aubergine parmigiana - is that low carb?

(That's a lot of cheese already...)

Sufffering a bit of a fun deficit here, so welcoming of any suggestions for sparking of joy!

It's great to read all the posts, very motivating and makes me feels like I'm 'part' of something. COVID has left me feeling isolated and not a part of anything much, so it's a good feeling to be here. Thank you all.

I've got out an old evening dress (bought about 30 years ago when I was a slender young thing), which I could slip into easily last summer, and which I last wore for a zoom dinner party at the start of lockdown. Now I can't get any part of the zip up. Every week I'm going to try it on to see how much progress I'm making with the zip. A bit difficult to take photos as the zip is at the back, but I'll see what I can do...

Margherita, maintenance for me looked like bootcamp. I held steady on an 80 lb loss for three years. But during that time, I stuck to bootcamp. Then I found covid carbs - 12 lbs in 10 weeks 🤬. And it wasn’t that I was shovelling cake, wine and haribos down my throat. I was just eating toast, lentils, the odd baked potato, very occasional pasta. But I expect my tolerance for carbs is shot, other people can be more flexible.

@Linnet you should be able to keep food cold with an insulated bag and a freezer pack. Otherwise I used to have a wide mouth thermos that you could keep hot food in if you want something more substantial than soup such as stew.

@TeddyIsaHe if there's a food triggering your psoriasis then Bootcamp will help. It's also good for reducing inflammation which should definitely make a different with psoriasis.