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

Was absent yesterday, had a lot on work wise.
Had a fitful nights sleep while waiting to find out DDs school. We got the first choice place
Need to go shopping this morning and top up my greek yog and FLVG supplies.
Greek yog, chicken thighs & salad and fish and green veggies in my plan today. And ALL the water 😁
Like the idea of a water champion @FusionChefGeoff 😁

@ouchmyfeet same here, I can't keep up, so I'm just posting my menu daily for now.

I think all things considered with this last year, wine and chips in a pub is such a rare treat, no one will judge you. Not me for sure! It's my DP's birthday on Sunday, so although I'm not planning on visiting Planet Carb, we may go for coffee and cake.

I'll weigh on Sunday if needs be for flexibility.

B: Scrambled eggs
L: Tofu stirfry with FLGV
D: Cheese plate, cucumber, celery

Happy Friday everyone!

AND 3l water...

Good morning all!
I've been struggling with my running in the last few months, when I've been eating carbs, reluctant to go out and just not going so far.
Anyway, I ran 4km on Tuesday, and wanted to run 5km yesterday, but when I got out I actually managed 6km with ease. I run so much better without carbs, and no one believes me! That was fasted, too, at 7am. Big breakfast of sausage and egg when I got in.
I was sooo tired by the late afternoon, though, and was dropping off watching TV later.
Does anyone else have trouble sleeping, at least initially with this WOE? I'm struggling to sleep past 6, and I'm dozing really from 5am, despite not going to sleep till about 11.

Doh @prettybird.... I knew the idea of lidl doing proper Greek yogurt had popped into my head from somewhere Thanks for the recommendation. It is so very good. Way better than their pretend stuff and I prefer it to the fage ones as well. Cheese burger pie was a winner as well! Have lovely days everyone!!

Sorry guys I am just about keeping up, I’m not lurking. Trying to juggle 2 kids who don’t like any attempt to meet my own needs, plus work (I am supposed to be in annual leave!) and decorating.

Generally breakfast is the same - scrambled eggs, creamy coffee.

L - salad, usually with chicken, bacon bits, maybe Mayo, avocado.

T - last night was stir fried veg and chicken.

My partners on lates do been giving my fussy eaters their tea ( one child hates most sources of protein so woe does sometimes pose logistical challenges) and then having mine later when they have gone to bed.

Definitely struggling with my water intake but I keep challenging myself.

Morning all, happy Friday

Can totally relate to the chat about roots, I’m resembling a badger here but have to wait until 2 May. I have thick curly hair and it’s so long now, it’s receiving mentions in online meetings.

Morning all!

Loving all the apple chat those drinking ACV consider using a straw, it is very acidic and therefore bad for your teeth.

Love the pigs @TheGoodShipObvious do you eat your own or do you get too attached. My great aunt used to keep a goat. She always called it 'yum yum' and then it was slaughtered and eaten!

Off to visit mil who can be pretty difficult today, and involves a 4 hour drive. At least I can be in control of the food as we are staying in an air bnb.

Dh bought some different yoghurt for me thinking it would be good, the 'collective, straight up'. It is awful! 5g fat, 7g carbs! Sour and thin too. Even he admitted the far cheaper lidl is far superior!!

Food olan:
Egg and mayo lettuce wrap for breakfast
L feta salad
D tofu stir fry.

Oh that darling pig, @thegoodshipobvious! Completely adorable. I'm seriously fantasising about pig-keeping now.

Well, I was quite hungry this morning, so I've cooked a big cheese omlette with mushrooms and rocket. But I started to feel full halfway through, which is a very unusual experience for me. Usually eating seems to make me hungrier and I finish my plate quite quickly.

I've put the rest to one side for now. Ii will be interesting to see whether I gravitaate back to it in the next 10 minutes or so -- and, if I do, to analyse whether the hunger has come back or I am just finising it for reasons of greed or self-comfort.

I’m still on it with you all, just super busy (14 hour days and falling asleep at 8pm!) I’ve kept up with all the rules and water and feel less bloated already. Will read thread on Saturday. Have a great day all

@AthelstaneTheUnready

Thank you. I managed to just have herbal tea, and ride the cravings out. I always get them when I'm tired.

Wow. A struggle keeping up! Morning All!

Birthday today. Nanny and kids made me some LC baking. Think it started off as a cake but the consistency was wrong. So it ended up as cake pops. All good until they coated them in chocolate and sprinkles Plus there is an almond flour biscuit thingy. Quite nice as stodgy/chewy. Again with a dollop of choc in the middle. 🤦‍♀️ Think the nanny is a bit confused on what is and what isn't a carb. She's used almond flour and the artificial sweetener beginning with E that I can't spell. I'll only have one. (Have a nanny because we've got twins and it was always cheaper to employ someone than nursery etc. I'm not as knobby as it sounds )

@Bestbees these are for the freezer (to the horror of some of my friends, but they struggle to argue against our wish to become more or less self sufficient in meat, so we can ensure welfare) - first time I’ve had them, DH grew up raising pigs and has been desperate to move to somewhere big enough for them, finally managed that last year!

@Random789 feeling full was a totally new experience for me too! If I don’t finish something I now pop it straight in a Tupperware and in the fridge - available if I’m genuinely hungry, but out of sight out of mind. Makes a massive difference, if I leave it out I’ll just mindlessly snack on it.

I think that is a wonderful ambition, @thegoodshipobvious - becoming self-sufficient in meat. Giving your pigs a happy, natural life.

I feel guilty about eating pork. Even the higher-welfare farming options in the supermarket must be way short of offering these lovely intelligent animals the quality of life that they need.

Years ago, Mumsnet made me start fantisising about chicken keeping. I got as far as buying a book and salivating over hen coops advertised online, but then I controlled myself. I feel the same thing happening with pigs.

@50FootWave

I think all things considered with this last year, wine and chips in a pub is such a rare treat, no one will judge you. Not me for sure! It's my DP's birthday on Sunday, so although I'm not planning on visiting Planet Carb, we may go for coffee and cake.

Well.

Has Cathy Twat been whispering in your ear?!

Why not just go for coffee? If you have that slice of cake you will be visiting Planet Carb! Seriously. We're only in week 1 and you'll be cheating already.

Similarly @ouchmyfeet - did you have to have the wine and chips?! I'm very, very envious of your pub visit but ...

Sorry to be waving the Big Stick around in such a judgmental fashion (is it not always?!), but just think about what you've done/are planning - you'll be sabotaging all the hard work you've done so far.

And most importantly, you need to remember that the whole point of these first strict two weeks is to make sure we're in fat-burning mode, rather than carb-burning.

@BrassicaBabe don't apologise for having a nanny! It's not knobby at all. (I have to say that as we had one too ). There's no way I could have done my job without one, as it really wasn't a 9-5 job. And although DH's job was more predictable hours, he had a long commute at either end, so we really did need that kind of care and consistency, with someone in our own home.

@Random789 appetite suppression is one of the best side effects of low carbing. It's a sign that you have your three key hormones (insulin, grehlin and leptin) in balance, and therefore that your blood sugar levels will be stable.

@debka I believe you! There's a really good book called The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance, by Drs Volek and Phinney where they explore how this WOE can improve performance.

Conventional 'wisdom' has it that you have to carb up before any serious exercise. That makes sense if you're using carb for fuel, as the body only has limited supplies of carbs - hence why runners talk about 'hitting the wall' or cyclists talk about 'bonking'. But if you're switched to fat-burning, even endurance athletes have enough body fat to fuel their race.

@BrassicaBabe Happy Birthday! We also had a nanny for our twins. It save our life really, no need to get them dressed int he morning, and she did their washing etc. Wonderful.

@TheGoodShipObvious amazing to be self sufficient! We have bough 1/2 pig locally before and this has inspired me to do that again!

Thanks, @BIWI. I put the leftover omeltte in the fridge and I haven't craved it. Go me. Or rather go my insulin, grehlin and leptin.

I hope it lasts. We torture and punish ourselves so much for our greed and lack of discipline, but actually the stuff going on at the biochemical level seems to be such a big part of it. Obv discipline has to play a part too, but I think you just CAN'T consistently resist cravings while they are in full force. It's like blaming problem gamblers without addressing the slot machines in betting shops and the late-night online gambling ads.

Too right.

It was a real lightbulb moment for me when I realised/came to understand that hunger (at least for us in the wealthy Western world) isn't driven by an empty stomach, but by our hormones.

Oh yes - sorry @BrassicaBabe I forgot to wish you happy birthday .

I’m not on the spreadsheet as I can’t update it on my iPad. Also I want to follow @BIWI and @StuntNun and make this a habit for life. I am changing my weigh in day from Monday to Friday . My goal is not to let my weight go up and this will give me time to fix the damage done at the weekend. If it doesn’t work I will be switching back to Monday’s. I have lost 3lbs since Monday. (2lbs had gone on from the last bootcamp). 4lbs to 25bmi. I am taking a day off on Sunday for a slight end of lock down blowout . Back on it Monday. Just had two boiled duck eggs in butter for breakfast watching the activity at the bird feeders in the garden! Feeling slightly guilty. Different species obviously 😀. Mutually beneficial arrangement

Sorry, I am not relying to derail bootcamp with that post and set new rules. I am trying to work out how to maintain.

Not a problem @Pleaseandthankyou - sounds to me like you're trying to work out how to maintain, which is a) a huge achievement to have reached that stage and b) actually the hardest part of this weight loss lark!

I think it's also reflective of real life, allowing that the weekend might be more indulgent/more carby, so it sounds like a good plan.

Key thing is that you keep a keen eye on things, which it sounds like you're going to do.