April Leaving Lockdown Low Carb Bootcamp - week 1

[BIWI]

Welcome everyone!

Here, as ever, is the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness created and lovingly managed by the wonderful @AthelstaneTheUnready

Hopefully you should find that you're already on the spreadsheet - but if not, just add your name to the bottom of the list. Don't try to insert it in the right alphabetical place - Athelstane will do that for you. And don't touch the blue cells or try to enter any other data or comments!

For those that are new, each week I'll start a new chat thread, on Monday, and we'll start off with recording our weight.

However

You don't have to use your weight to measure your progress - and you don't have to be on the spreadsheet if you don't want to be. Instead, take your measurements each week (bust/upper arms/waist/hips/thighs), or find an item of clothing that's just too tight/small right now, and keep trying it on each week.

The rules of Bootcamp are on the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet - but here's a quick summary of the rules for the first two weeks:

1. Eat three meals a day
2. Avoid processed foods
3. Eat lots of fat
4. Make sure you're eating vegetables and salad with your food
5. Be careful about dairy, apart from butter which is unlimited
6. You must drink a minimum of 2 litres of water a day
7. No alcohol
8. No fruit
9. No nuts/seeds

10. No sugar/artificial sweeteners

Make sure you have a really good read of the spreadsheet for the full detail of the rules. Also, check out the tabs at the bottom - there's a huge amount of information that will really help you, especially if you're new to low carbing/Bootcamp.

There's also a thread here of FAQs which should be helpful.

Some thread etiquette

The thread will move really quickly - especially at the beginning.

But please take the time to read everyone's posts, rather than just plopping on with your own comments/thoughts/questions. It's very frustrating when someone comes on to the thread to ask a question that's been posed and answered already!

Don't lurk!

I know that not everyone is confident about posting - and also that there are a lot of posters who are regular Bootcampers, and who know other Bootcampers. Please don't think this is a cliquey thread. It couldn't be further from the truth!

Everyone's views and experiences are welcome and valid, so jump in and post.

Any questions, please just post. Or PM me. There's always someone here who can help - and if I or they can't, then we can always find someone who can!

Above all, very good luck to everyone.

I very much hope that by the time we come to the end of these ten weeks, that we really are (as a country) completely ready to leave Lockdown well behind.

Wishing everyone all the luck

I second the low mood. I’m defo a bit more down in the dumps and I just feel like sitting around doing not very much.

Nate thanks for the laugh re your dream! I would have been the same re pizza, cake and gin... in fact prob more gin.

Alcohol and home made/good bakery cake are the things I miss most...

A lot of that is probably because you’re used to eating away your feelings so if you’re not having chocolates/biscuits/cakes/crisps/bread/wine/etc you’re more aware of your negative mood(s).

It’s really helpful to learn to ride the wave and be okay with it.

@prettybird

If you're making celeriac "chips", make loads more than you think that you need as a) they shrink and b) your dh might want to eat too many of them rather than leave them for you or is that just my dh?

Good point @prettybird! Yes, if I was just using celeriac, I'd use a whole celeriac to feed the three of us. Could even go another half celeriac too!

@nowlook I am happy with deception in this case It is all in a good cause.

I think I will go with the poorly one as I then have an excuse to bugger off early if they become tipsy and I become jealous.

I really can't have one either , and I know if I have one then I am likely to have 4 and all of the crisps

@Timetobuckup swede is 4.8g carbs per 100g, so it's fine. It's also truly delicious with lots of butter!

random and jellcat have you come across Konjac noodles? Almost no carbs. Get them on my sains online (not cheap) but do an ok job of pretending to be pasta/noodles...

www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/bare-naked-noodles-380g

[quote BIWI]@JimmyJabs

On the other hand, after a very mild headache on the second day, I haven't had carb flu or any really desperate hunger pangs, which, me being a natural worrier, has led me to panic that I'm not doing it right! I'm having cheese and cream every day, is that OK for this stage of the BC?

I never had carb flu either, so don't worry about that! Caffeine withdrawal, on the other hand, was horrendous!

Cheese and cream every day might be OK, might not be - you'll just have to 'suck it and see'! If there's no or not much weight loss by the end of the week, then maybe cut back on one/both?[/quote]
Ah, well, I don't drink caffeine anyway, so at least I don't have that to contend with. I think I will cut out some of the dairy for now, as I weighed myself this morning and hadn't had as much of a loss as I might have hoped. Less yoghurt for starters, I think.

@MrsOmelette

Could anyone help me with a really daft question? How do we in-bookmark posts on here??

I posted up thread about this ...

are you using your phone or the desktop site? If the former, then when you get to the end of the thread, swipe the last post to the left and you'll see an option to bookmark

On the desktop, move your cursor to the bottom righthand side of the last post and a box saying 'bookmark' will show

To clarify, as I don't think my post was obvious enough, when the box saying 'bookmark' comes up, you need to click on it, and it will then change to saying 'saved'

@Timetobuckup you could also always use that well-worn excuse of being on antibiotics?!

@Timetobuckup if you're eating out, try to get a copy of the menu and decide what you're going to have beforehand, so you're not tempted by other options in the moment, or if someone says 'lets get a big plate of X (carby stuff)' you can decline and say you were already looking forward to 'whatever you'd chosen'. And if you can post the menu here, someone will be around to help with good choices.

On drink. From experience, I'd say that even if you plan to have 'just one' drink, the longer you can put that off the better. So when you arrive and the first order is going in, be ready with something like "actually I've been rushing around all day and I'm really thirsty so I'm going to start with a huge glass of sparkling water" or "I've been standing at a bus-stop for hours and I'm freezing, so I'm just going to have a coffee to warm up first" or "actually I've got a bit of a headache so I'll have a 'whatever' and then see how it's goes. You'll probably find that once everyone else has had a couple of drinks they won't even notice what you're having.

The risk with having 'just the one' as your first drink is that your resistance is lowered, both for all the subsequent drinks, and for eating off plan.

Also make sure you've drunk loads of water before hand so that you're not thirsty and tempted to 'glug' a glass of wine.

I realise that I've forgotten to post my usual disclaimer. So here goes.

I am not a medic. I have no medical or scientific training. I am neither a nutritionist or a dietician. All that I post here is based on my own experiences, as well as the reading I have done over the years about low carbing.

If you are on any form of long-term medication, especially for diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol, you should consult your GP about this WOE, as it's highly likely that your dosage will need to be altered (i.e. lowered)

Also make sure you've drunk loads of water before hand so that you're not thirsty and tempted to 'glug' a glass of wine.

Advice for life, this. Never glug.

Thanks all for the tips, I think I am going to go with salmon for dinner and stick with lime and soda. I will just say I am feeling a bit bleurgh and then I can leave early if needed.

And that is a really good point @venusandmars after the first drink no-one will even notice.

It is weird that not having a drink is something to be remarked upon but I know that it will be.

The first week of being able to go to pub again and I decide to do this Great timing!

@colouringindoors I’ve seen folk talk about them but I’ve not tried them, I usually go with broccoli or cauliflower if I’m making a pasta type sauce but I’ll add them to my shopping at the weekend.

Food today

B. Greek yoghurt and vanilla paste
L. Prawns in garlic butter and chilli flakes with salad
D. Homemade chilli, I’ll have mine with kale fried in butter and broccoli. Lots of tiny chopped mushrooms in the sauce too (hiding veg in the sauce for the kids)

I am a bit late to the party but in desperate need of some motivation to stick to this and shift some lard! Tried to add myself to the spreadsheet but it won't let me 😢

It’s how everyone knew I was pregnant from the first week- because it was so unheard of for me not to be drinking. I remember once going to a family event pre dc and I had 3 pints of Guinness and it being whispered that I must be pregnant because guinness is practically a health drink and 3 pints is not much really. I had to keep insisting I wasn’t and people were doing the winking and nose touching ‘yeah, right I getcher, wink wink’

@Random789 I’m exactly the same - I think because I’ve never excluded beans from a low carb diet before and would usually have had a massive beef & bean chilli by now! Feels like an anxiety thing but isn’t! I’m going to have a Bovril and see if it helps.

I am a fan of the konjac noodles - are they acceptable at this point in BC?

Phew, this thread moves fast.... have had many giggles at it today.

I can’t remember who said they were moving to Dubai, I’ve lived there so please feel free to PM me.
@Nowlook thanks for making me laugh

Where is @shagmeriggins I miss your humour, in her absence I am going to say Drink the water it makes a huge difference .

Also be careful with both liquorice tea and green tea , both should be drunk in moderation, green tea is surprisingly high in caffeine.

@Thinnerlikeachickendinner

I am a fan of the konjac noodles - are they acceptable at this point in BC?

They're fine in Boot Camp. In fact, you've reminded me that I have some left over cooked steak in the fridge, so I'll do a stir fry tonight with bare baked noodles, baby sweet corn, neeps and cauliflower.

Any ideas for what I could use to flavour a prawn stir fry? Would normally use sweet chilli sauce...

@Orcagirl I'm watching as I'm after some inspiration but I'd usually do garlic, ginger, chilli, fish sauce and soy sauce. Sometimes five spice too.

@nowlook fabulous list of excuses for not boozing!

And to all feeling glum, hear hear about the not eating your feeelings. I had exactly that a week in and felt VERY sorry for myself.

Now, I spend nearly all day every day absolutely BUZZING with how good I feel and feeling so proud of how well I am taking care of myself and my body.

Stick with it!!!

I'm watching as I'm after some inspiration but I'd usually do garlic, ginger, chilli, fish sauce and soy sauce. Sometimes five spice too.

This, plus lime juice is good, and lemon grass paste/fresh coriander if you want to go with Thai flavours. Yes it’s a little more difficult to get the perfect balance without the sweet element but it’s still really delicious.

@Thinnerlikeachickendinner

I am a fan of the konjac noodles - are they acceptable at this point in BC?

@Thinnerlikeachickendinner

Absolutely they are! Very, very low in carbs.

If you have an Asian/Japanese/Chinese supermarket near you, you can also buy them there - they're shirataki noodles, often used in Japanese cooking.

a piece about them here

When you take them out of the pack, you'll notice a fishy smell - rinse them well in a colander/sieve, and then dry fry them in a frying pan for about three minutes before you use them.

They're great in stir fries or noodle soup dishes; I sometimes use them in place of spaghetti, although they're not quite the same. Very occasionally I come across them made more like tagliatelle, and those work very well, but you don't often see those.