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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.

Week 2 - Jan 22 Low Carb Bootcamp Thread

533 replies

BIWI · 23/01/2022 22:49

As I'm doing more and more often, I'm starting the next week's thread on a Sunday evening.

This is because, since I've retired, I am no longer controlled by the tyranny of my alarm clock, and so will often sleep too late on a Monday morning for all the keen Bootcampers!

I love the first post of week 2, because for all those who are new and/or are sceptics about low carbing, this is the point at which they may realise just how effective a low carb WOE can be.

Anyway, here is the spreadsheet, and I really look forward to seeing everyone's progress

Flowers for us all

OP posts:
Thread gallery
41
byebyecarbs · 25/01/2022 05:14

@ShagMeRiggins thanks for clarifying re the emoji after the water/alcohol/eyebags statement - I was feeling a bit Confused when I saw it so was relieved when I saw your later post Smile!

I can't remember the name of the poster who was doing this on a tight budget but just wondered if you had a Morrison's near you as they have big bags of wonky avocados that work out very cheaply - about 25p each I think. Also I've noticed that some supermarkets have a set time on an evening where they reduce all their meat etc to really cheap prices (like 50p for a chicken) so if I ever happen to be in at this time I buy things and freeze them.

Frenchpoodle · 25/01/2022 06:49

@Theghostofchristmasarse you could try the egg foo yung from the Chinese takeaway. Basically a giant omelette.

Oneborneverydecade · 25/01/2022 07:06

You probably needed to be there but 3yo DD just asked me if there's anything blue I like to eat. No I don't think so (all I could imagine was energy drinks). Blue cheese! she says. She knows me too well Grin

ditavonteesed · 25/01/2022 07:07

Half on for me but that's ok.

I have a week off work and intend to be so on it with exercise and eating and general self care. I always set myself weekly goals and I have set big ones this week as I need the focus. I'm still within my acceptable range but I have 2 items of clothing that are a little snug so the aim is to be able to wear them comfortably.

DollyDingleberry · 25/01/2022 07:20

Urrerrrgh I’ve got to go in to the office today for an all day meeting and it’s properly thrown me - we have an on site bistro we’ll all be eating at but I have no idea how to stay on track while I’m there Sad

There isn’t a menu and it changes every day. I’m thinking of ordering a salad and grabbing a pot of tuna or cheese to have with it? They do jacket potatoes so it would basically be a jacket potato without the potato?

I can’t take my own food in because that would look really odd and I’m panicking a bit if I’m honest.

I’ll have a good breakfast. Does anyone have any other ideas? It’s typical cafe food.

ThatsAllFolks · 25/01/2022 07:26

I hope this hasn't been answered already. I have stuck to the rules, lost a little weight, waist measurement coming down nicely. How can I be sure I'm not losing muscle mass but fat? Have spent lockdowns doing some weights and cardio and musculature between the fat layers is hard won and coming on nicely

DearZoom · 25/01/2022 07:27

Good morning!
I posted yesterday but something went wrong and my post was lost into the ether…

I was really hungry yesterday for the first time on this WOE. I don’t think it helped that my classroom is freezing (no central heating in my stand alone building and just one small blast heater which is high up for safety reasons! Sad (cold))
I had yogurt for breakfast and a too small slice of cheeseburger pie with salad for lunch. I was snacking on cheesies and chorizo wrapped cheese but was still hungry.

So today, as well as wearing my warmest clothes, my plan is…
B:Omelette with ham and cheese
L:Bigger slice of cheeseburger pie with green veg instead of salad
And hopefully no snacks today!
I’ll also be adding water from the kettle to my big water cup as water from the tap was icy and really not easy to consume when I was so cold yesterday!
D:tbc

Hope everyone has a lovely day.

Willlow · 25/01/2022 07:32

I think until you see todays menu you are a bit stuck, would they do an all day breakfast alongside it? I think having a huge breakfast will keep you full most of the day and keep drinking water, even a few bits at lunch should see you through to dinner hopefully.
I'm sorry I can't suggest anything more useful.

Willlow · 25/01/2022 07:33

That was for @DollyDingleberry

DearZoom · 25/01/2022 07:34

Are you sure people would think it odd if you took food from home in @DollyDingleberry ? Is your canteen free?
I’d at least take in a LCHF back up. A can of tuna and sachet of Mayo or something that you can eat just incase they don’t have that or anything else compatible on the menu today.
However I think you should just take in a lovely HCLF salad or something and proudly eat it in front of everyone!

Random789 · 25/01/2022 07:36

Morning everybody,

I have to apologise for the fact that I just can't keep up with the thread. Busy evening after work last night with vet appointment and then puppy training class and I got back to five pages of the thread, which has now become seven!

I managed to lose a couple of pounds this week but I do need to step up my game. Overdosed on ricotta and cocoa nibs yesterday evening, and also the portions I make of my healthy low-carb main meals are just too huge. It's not that they are giving me excessive carbs or calories (the bulk is mostly vegetaables). The problem is that it means my eating is catering to a sort of greedy anxiety, a need to comfort myself by prolonging the eating.

Baystard · 25/01/2022 08:10

@ThatsAllFolks provided you're eating enough your body won't use muscle in preference to fat, in fact I'm pretty sure LC is a way to increase muscle mass. Look into 16:8 intermittent fasting too, it also supports muscle mass (when you are in a fasted state you produce more growth hormone) but you need to start gently and make sure you refeed properly, it does work well with LC.

Icaru · 25/01/2022 08:33

@ThatsAllFolks

I hope this hasn't been answered already. I have stuck to the rules, lost a little weight, waist measurement coming down nicely. How can I be sure I'm not losing muscle mass but fat? Have spent lockdowns doing some weights and cardio and musculature between the fat layers is hard won and coming on nicely
There's a reddit community out there about eating keto while building muscle. Mostly male but some female, could be helpful? You can definitely see it's possible and that people have gone from being obese to fit and muscular while eating v low carb.
UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 25/01/2022 08:46

My day:

B: two boiled eggs with butter
L: ham salad
D: chicken and vegetable curry with cauli rice

I've done a brilliant Pilates class so feeling very positive.

dogmandu · 25/01/2022 09:13

I'm getting lost on some of the acronyms used on here.
Could anyone enlighten me to three I've seen already today
KOKO
FTGV
YWA
I think the last one is you're welcome

Many thanks

venusandmars · 25/01/2022 09:21

KOKO keep on keeping on (ie stick with it)
FTGV / FLGV fuck ton green veg / fuck load green veg (ie a heap of cabbage, broccoli, kale, sprouts etc. preferably slathered in butter)
YWA is nothing to do with bootcamp and I think it's yoga with Adrienne (free downloads available)

Jezzballs2000 · 25/01/2022 09:41

I'm a late Bootcamp starter and have woken up with a proper case of the fear today, feel super anxious. Could this be a low carb flu symptom or just the fact that I have a ton of life admin that is crashing down (hello tax return). Thanks for any insight!

Food wise i think i've only been properly following the rules for the past few days and have just made a batch of frittata muffins to eat on the go when I head into London tomorrow for work.

I'm really loving reading everyone's posts, it feels like a constant companion! Star

prettybird · 25/01/2022 09:45

@Jezzballs2000 - could be either or both. Thanks to you.

The good news is that carb flu passes and I find that this WoE helps my mood and to feel more on top of things. I think it's a combination of/result of my hormones being better regulated and the fact that I'm in control of what I eat rather than food (and hunger Wink) controlling me Smile

Jezzballs2000 · 25/01/2022 09:54

Thank you @prettybird, I actually feel better just saying it out loud. I didn't want to google it so good to have an experienced take on it. It will pass. I've just had some salty avocado, water and a creamy coffee. If in doubt one of those things is bound to help!

BIWI · 25/01/2022 10:12

Morning all. Answers to some of your questions here - apologies if I'm repeating anyone else's posts, but easier to deal with this all in one go.

@FrenchBoule, yes venusandmars is quite right - thirst, despite drinking plenty of water, indicates that you need more sodium. Along with potassium and magnesium, sodium is a key electrolyte.

So - add salt to your food and make sure you're cooking with it. Try also the salt + lemon drink suggested. It could also be worth getting hold of an electrolyte supplement, like Zero by High5

@oviraptor21

I've been having 'fresh' soup for some lunches. Varies between 2 and 4g carb per 100g. I presume this is OK?

When you say 'fresh', using speech marks, I presume you mean chilled, branded soup rather than soup you've made yourself?

That carb count per 100g is OK, but it also depends on how much you're eating. The New Covent Garden Soup Co packs are 560g, so that would be 22.4g carbs if you ate the whole lot, which is quite a lot! Obviously if you're only eating half the pack, and it's 2g carbs per 100g then it's a different story!

Which soups are you buying, out of interest?

@DollyDingleberry why would it look odd to take your own food in? Plenty of people take a packed lunch to work. Sounds too risky to me to wait and see what's on the menu, and could be setting yourself up to fail. Lots of people will be on diets at this time of the year, so it should come as no surprise to anyone else if you want to bring your own food in. Or - is there any chance you could call the bistro manager and ask what's on the menu today? Then at least you're prepared and can work out your strategy. If they're cooking something impossible to swerve, like pasta or pizza, then if you really can't take in your own food, make sure you have a very decent breakfast so you're not hungry at lunchtime

@ThatsAllFolks you won't be burning muscle, you will be burning fat. That's the whole point of this initial strict fortnight - to switch our bodies from burning carbs to burning fat. As long as you're burning your body fat, you have no need to access your muscles for energy

@DearZoom as you're still adapting, it's possible that you will still find yourself hungry between meals - especially if you're cold! It's perfectly fine to snack on low carb things at the moment. Also, make sure you're getting plenty of fat and protein at meals and in any snacks.

@Random789

I managed to lose a couple of pounds this week but I do need to step up my game. Overdosed on ricotta and cocoa nibs yesterday evening, and also the portions I make of my healthy low-carb main meals are just too huge. It's not that they are giving me excessive carbs or calories (the bulk is mostly vegetables). The problem is that it means my eating is catering to a sort of greedy anxiety, a need to comfort myself by prolonging the eating.

I understand the emotional element of this - but speaking practically, be careful if most of what you're eating is vegetables, as this will push your macros out of whack - remember, this is high fat, medium protein and low carb. Although we do advocate most of your carbs coming from vegetables and salad, it's also very important that you're getting more protein and lots of fat - sounds like you might not be doing this. And that will also result in real hunger, not just emotional hunger.

@Jezzballs2000 I am totally with you about the tax return fear! I made myself sit down and do mine a couple of weeks ago and (like a lot of things that you put off doing) it was a lot simpler than I had imagined. And - a definite NSV Grin) - it worked out that HMRC owed me money! Which they also paid me very promptly. It was in my bank account within a week. So there's an incentive to do it!

If you Google 'low carb' and 'anxiety' you get all manner of conflicting results - some say yes it causes anxiety/depression, some say it improves both conditions. From a non-scientist's POV, I'd say that if you are suffering from this (tax return to one side), it's most likely to be a temporary thing while your body adjusts.

However, just to be on the safe side, can you list out for me what you've been eating/drinking over the last few days and let's see if there's anything we can help you with. It could be, for example, that you're going too low on the carbs.

OP posts:
Jezzballs2000 · 25/01/2022 10:30

Thank you @BIWI I really appreciate your insight. And you're right I need to just handle the pile of life admin! And a grouchy toddler, which too often makes a good excuse to ignore everything else.

Sun
B bacon mushrooms egg with butter, cup of tea and creamy coffee
L cream of broccoli and leek soup with cheddar
D chicken breast with roast (non carbs) veg with greek yog and cream

Mon
B 2 boiled eggs half an avo, cup of tea and creamy coffee
L cream of broccoli soup
D low carb meat lasagna with veg and cottage cheese

Tue
B yog and cream, half avo and cherry toms, cup of tea and creamy coffee
L bacon and veg cheese frittata
D chicken thigh and veg

Jezzballs2000 · 25/01/2022 10:32

Oh and pretty much hitting my target for 3.5l of water x

BIWI · 25/01/2022 10:35

All of that sounds fine @Jezzballs2000 - just make sure that you're getting plenty of fat in those meals.

Couple of (small) things - is the soup home-made? If not, do you know the carb counts?

And veg is never 'non' carbs. This is low carb eating, not no carb eating!

But it doesn't look as if you're too low in carbs, so hopefully the anxiety/fear will dissipate soon. (And doing your tax return must surely help you?! Grin)

OP posts:
queenofcauliflower · 25/01/2022 10:37

@DearZoom

Are you sure people would think it odd if you took food from home in *@DollyDingleberry* ? Is your canteen free? I’d at least take in a LCHF back up. A can of tuna and sachet of Mayo or something that you can eat just incase they don’t have that or anything else compatible on the menu today. However I think you should just take in a lovely HCLF salad or something and proudly eat it in front of everyone!
Please don't take in a HCLF meal *@DollyDingleberry, I think @DearZoom* meant LCHF! Seriously though, fab advice for Dolly, Zoom.

I am feeling really positive and happy and the weight is falling off nicely. I don't feel bothered by food I can't have at the moment. The water (4l for me) and the fasting (18:6) makes a HUGE difference to me.

I'm having poached chicken and mashed neep for lunch (my family had haggis, neeps & tatties & whisky sauce last night - a day early so I am having the leftover neep today, with added butter and cream!), I've just got to navigate baking with my 4yo first!

SpottyBumPony · 25/01/2022 10:55

Bugger, my boss has just said we back to working in the office from tomorrow so that's another level of planning and prep to consider

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