General Low Carb Bootcamp Chat

[BIWI]

Although I generally keep a chat thread going at the end of each Bootcamp, I think it would be better to have an ongoing chat thread that isn't linked to a specific Bootcamp.

So here it is. A sparkly new thread, for all things low carb and Bootcamp chat. As well as anything else you'd like to chat about!

Feel free to chat about anything you like here.

Whole sprouts or shredded?

Tonight's tea:

Aubergine and courgette Parmesan bake. Recipe from Diabetes UK.

I've discovered Whisk today (an app) which saves any recipe I find on the internet and creates not only a shopping list, but also breaks down each recipe into its nutritional values, giving it a 'health score' and showing its GI and GL rating. I'm very impressed! And it's free!

@BestIsWest - whole sprouts

Thanks very much for mentioning the app called Whisk, SweetPotatoDumpling. I've just downloaded it and it looks really useful.

Happy New Year everyone
@BIWI thanks for new thread
Looking forward to joining everyone for next bootcamp had a break from it over Xmas and ready to get back to healthier way of eating in 2022

Happy new year.
Today is the day that I face my indiscretions, scales have not been kind and I know what I have to do.
I read why we eat too much, was brilliant and really explained the science behind this woe.

Wondering whether to get the mm book, I could get it on my kindle but is it the sort of book that it's better to be able to flick back into?
I don't know why I have eaten and drunk so much rubbish over the last 2 weeks because generally speaking I have felt awful, tired and bloated the whole time.
I'm desperate to get out and have a lovely long walk but no one else is up yet.

I wouldn't bother with the MM book @ditavonteesed there are plenty of recipes on the pinned threads. I don't agree with the Fast 800 at all, I don't think it's appropriate for most people. I've coached people trying to move on after it and they find it hard to establish a new way of eating and they all gain weight - just like with any other starvation diet. Mosely is piggybacking on the University of Newcastle research by Prof Taylor however that was designed to reverse diabetes by mimicking the effect of gastric bypass surgery - which is known to sometimes spontaneously reverse diabetes. Most people can lose weight perfectly well on a less restrictive diet and without potentially damaging their metabolism. Also, Bootcamp teaches you a new and sustainable way of eating. In my opinion the Fast 800 approach should only be used by people who urgently need to lose weight, for example in order to have a surgery or if they're facing life-threatening complications. As a society we're stuck in the mindset that it's safe to lose weight quickly and people can reasonably expect to lose a stone a month. 800 calories a day is ridiculously low. On the Minnesota Starvation Experiment the volunteers were given a "semi-starvation" diet of 1570 calories a day for six months and they experienced fatigue, apathy, irritability, depression and became obsessed with food.

@BIWI

Thanks, that’s really helpful!

@SweetPotatoDumpling

Tonight's tea:

Aubergine and courgette Parmesan bake. Recipe from Diabetes UK.

I've discovered Whisk today (an app) which saves any recipe I find on the internet and creates not only a shopping list, but also breaks down each recipe into its nutritional values, giving it a 'health score' and showing its GI and GL rating. I'm very impressed! And it's free!

Wow! That’s fantastic!

I’ve attempted bootcamp before but fallen off the wagon quite quickly as I’m vegetarian and find it really hard not to eat pulses etc and still have enough protein. Last time I ended up eating loads of nuts and didn’t lose anything so gave up. Also is tofu definitely ultra processed rather than just processed?

Hello - I got on the scales this morning for the first time since mid-December. Bad idea.

Got down to 10st 3lbs by June 2021, went to visit my mother for the first time in ages, decided to treat myself to some M&S chocolate-covered butter toffee popcorn at Paddington station, have not stopped eating carbs since, which is why this morning the scales say 12st 4lbs (though I'm telling myself the 8 slices of wholemeal bread yesterday are responsible for the 4lbs and I'm not really over 12 stone...).

I don't think I could even get the target shorts over my thighs at the moment. I have three stone to lose and thanks to discovering last month that every single female member of my mother's family in the last 3 generations has died of either a stroke or a heart attack, 2022 is going to be the year of sorting my shit out and getting properly healthy.

Welcome back @VeryLittleOwl I remember your inspirational shorts. You know that you will be able to get back into them ....there's plenty of time before the Scottish summer

And that's a real motivation to get back into this WoE, even if it is a sad and shocking one. But knowledge is power

Happy new year friends.
I've started the new year the way I intend to continue- with a run and some scrambled eggs. It feels great to be making a fresh start.

TBH, now I've read it, I wouldn't bother with the MM book. It's pretty much his Fast800 plan, just with a bit more emphasis on low carb - but he mainly emphasises the importance of protein, which is obviously different from what we advocate on Bootcamp.

And although it's called Fast800 Keto, his recommendation for carbs is around 50g a day, which I always thought was too high for real Keto - my understanding of Keto (which may very well be wrong!) is that it's no more than 20g a day. So I think he's using the word as it's more 'in vogue' than simply saying it's a lower carb plan.

I'll write a short summary of it at some point over the next few days, if anyone is interested - and if anyone wants to borrow the book I'll happily post it to you.

On another thread, someone recommended this blog which looks amazing - the writer is also the author of what look to be great low carb cookbooks, if anyone has some book tokens they want to use after Christmas!

Fishlegs I would continue to eat pulses as part of a low carb vegetarian diet - obviously try and choose the lowest carb ones. Ultra-processed usually refers to food containing added salt, sugar, colourings, flavourings, additives and preservatives. I think there's a judgement call to made as to whether tofu is appropriate for you. If it keeps you eating a healthy low carb diet and gets you to a healthy weight then it's worth keeping. You could choose to limit how much you eat, for example no more than twice a week, and limit other processed foods. Nuts are great in terms of micronutrients but they aren't particularly low carb and they're extremely calorific. It sounds like tofu might be a much better choice for you.

BIWI keto is the buzz word at the moment and it's really taken odd. Realistically the only difference between low carb and keto is that keto restricts protein intake as well as carbohydrate intake. Unless you have a medical need such as medication-resistant epilepsy or you're trying to treat cancer, I don't think keto offers any advantage over low carb. And definitely not over Bootcamp where we don't have to worry about counting calories or carbs or protein intake. Also I notice the US approach to "keto" is towards processed foods so instead of our approach of focussing on healthy low carb foods they're all about making keto frappuccinos and keto cheesecake and everything has artificial sweeteners in. The beauty of Bootcamp is that it's an easy, healthy, nutrient-rich, sustainable, low carb way to lose weight without any weighing foods or counting calories. Look at how much we go on about Brussels Sprouts on these threads... and barely a mention of keto fat bombs and artificial sweetener-laden desserts.

• taken off

I think your right about Keto being the in word, I know when people ask me what I'm doing I generally say keto as people know what that is and I can't be bothered to explain.

I have started the year strong with a lovely 3.5 mile walk and scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Hoping all the crap that has been in the office at work will have gone when I get back as I know everyone was saying about getting rid today. The potentially only up side to the horrific decision to stop hospital visitors might be that they stop trying to feed us up.
@VeryLittleOwl I also remember the aspirational shorts, you will wear them again.

Good morning all ☺️

Breakfast/brunch this morning was a hit!

www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/keto-egg-casserole-with-zucchini-and-ham

I used smoked streaky bacon in place of ham, frying it up nice and crispy in butter before adding it to my mixture 👍 Had one 'slice' and it was incredibly filling! I now have 3 Tupperware boxes in the fridge, as it keeps well apparently 🤷‍♀️

I just want to share more of my motivation with you...it also helps me to stay on track too.

I told you that I had been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, which was a little scary for me, and a huge wake up call to improve my eating and overall health and self-care.

I lost my sister in February to diabetes. She was 48, and had been Type 1 diabetes since contracting PID aged 21. She was unfortunately one of the few who did not recover, and went on to have many complications over the years, including having a leg amputated below the knee. Devastatingly, in February, she went into a diabetic coma and suffered complete organ failure.

So you can imagine how this diagnosis now has shaken me. I have to reverse it...and I know my situation is lifestyle induced, so not at all like my sister's (I am overweight and eat all the wrong things!) but still, it is a worry at my age (57).

I AM going to do this! 💪

Sorry to hear about your sister @SweetPotatoDumpling - and I can quite see why a diabetes diagnosis would give you a shock in those circumstances. A diagnosis without your bereavement would be enough.

@Fishlegs it's possible to lose weight/low carb as a vegetarian, but your rate of loss might be a bit slower as, inevitably, you will be eating more carbs than if you were a carnivore. Rose Elliott has a low carb vegetarian diet, and recipe book, which might help you?

And according to NOVA tofu is a processed food, rather than an ultra processed food. And an interesting article here about tofu

@StuntNun

BIWI keto is the buzz word at the moment and it's really taken odd. Realistically the only difference between low carb and keto is that keto restricts protein intake as well as carbohydrate intake. Unless you have a medical need such as medication-resistant epilepsy or you're trying to treat cancer, I don't think keto offers any advantage over low carb. And definitely not over Bootcamp where we don't have to worry about counting calories or carbs or protein intake. Also I notice the US approach to "keto" is towards processed foods so instead of our approach of focussing on healthy low carb foods they're all about making keto frappuccinos and keto cheesecake and everything has artificial sweeteners in. The beauty of Bootcamp is that it's an easy, healthy, nutrient-rich, sustainable, low carb way to lose weight without any weighing foods or counting calories. Look at how much we go on about Brussels Sprouts on these threads... and barely a mention of keto fat bombs and artificial sweetener-laden desserts.

@StuntNun I find it interesting/puzzling/annoying that MM has chosen to call his plan 'keto' when it is obviously not! His plan is higher in carbs and also protein than a keto diet would be.

And yes, totally agree about the importance of the emphasis on fresh/unprocessed foods on Bootcamp. I follow a couple of keto food writers on Facebook, and almost invariable the recipes they post seem to be sweet things/desserts. Nothing wrong with those on occasion, of course, but the other thing we're trying to do here is break the hold that sweet stuff has on us, not continue to indulge it!

You can do it @SweetPotatoDumpling you've got all the motivation you need and guaranteed support on the Bootcamp threads. The best way to reverse diabetes/pre-diabetes is to combine low carb and intermittent fasting. If you're new to low carb then do start that first and then add in intermittent fasting in a few weeks or months. I used to coach people with diabetes on their diet and I've had clients that were able to come off insulin and metformin once their diet was well controlled. I know it seems daunting at the beginning but it can be done. I started Bootcamp in 2013, lost 35 lb, and I've maintained a normal BMI ever since. I even had a low carb pregnancy in that time.

Thank you so much for your thoughts BIWI and StuntNun . Good to hear that tofu is ok. I guess for me meal planning will be the crux of this, otherwise I eat the kids’ leftover pasta whilst I think about what to have for tea 😬.

So sorry about your sister SweetPotatoDumpling

Sorry to hear about your sister sweetpotatodumpling

Back on it today. I’ve been doing 16:8 over Christmas despite eating all the rubbish so I’m hoping the impact won’t be too bad.

Clutching a large glass of water with a slice of lime in one hand and tea with almond milk in the other. And typing at the same time.

I have two events in April that I need to lose weight for so plenty of motivation for that but also because this WOE does make me feel better, I sleep better and it makes me think about what I’m putting into my body.