Week 1 - May 22 Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Just getting the opening of the thread started, as there's a lot I want to post before we get into tomorrow!

Firstly, here's the all-important disclaimer:

I'm not a medic. I'm not a scientist, nutritionist or dietician. Everything that I write here is based on the reading I've done over the last 15 or so years. You sign up and take part in Bootcamp at your own risk - although I fervently hope there are no risks!

Please note, if you're taking any long-term medication, especially for hypertension or diabetes or high cholesterol, you should consult your GP; low carbing (for most people) will bring high blood pressure and cholesterol levels down, and will help regulate your blood sugar levels - so the dosage of your medication may need to be reviewed, if not reduced
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A note about weighing

Each Monday I'll re-post the spreadsheet for you to add your weight. Weight is the most conventional way that we monitor progress, but it isn't the only way, and actually isn't always the most accurate way. It's not unknown for people to see no change on the scales, yet to know that they've lost weight as their clothes are fitting better.

You don't have to weigh (and nor do you need to be on the spreadsheet), but it is always helpful to know how you're progressing, as this helps to keep you focused. There are two other important ways to do this:

1 - take your measurements. Hips, waist and bust, as well as upper thigh and upper arms.

2 - find an article of clothing that currently just a little too tight - a pair of jeans, or a blouse - and try them on each week. This is the most tangible way to see how things are working for you.

You can do these as well as weighing of course!

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Also, before we really get going, a plea for good thread etiquette!

The threads will move very quickly (especially in the first couple of weeks). But please, please, please read everything that's been posted. Use the bookmark facility so that you don't lose your place. Don't just jump on the thread to post your own stuff without bothering to read what others have posted

It is very wearing when we have to keep answering the same questions, because posters haven't bothered to read what's gone before!

Good shout BIWI! Will have to bear that in mind going forward

Dinner was Angus Aberdeen burger with tomato and cheese on top , with mushrooms and cauliflower cooked the sprinkled with Parmesan and put under grill so it melts
was really lovely

I will try the feta traybake up thread soon that looks great

drank lots of water today so 😇

Why do short working weeks never actually feel shorter??

Everyone is doing so well! Me too, have made fish pie for dinner. Breadcrumbs on dh and dd and just Parmesan on mine - yum!

Got outside today, met a colleague for a walk. We ended up walking and nattering for two hours which was lovely.

hope everyone has had a great day.

B: Eggs, smoked salmon and avocado
L: Chicken drumsticks and olives
D: leftover roast chicken fried up with mushrooms and garlic with cream cheese and parmesan with fried spring greens on the side.

Fighting off a Diet Coke craving with a big glass of fizzy water!

I'm having Madhur Jaffrey's Prawn and Courgette curry tonight. Just realised that I can't have the nice low carb flat breads with it as we're in the strict 1st 2 weeks and they have coconut flour and physillum husk in them At least I remembered to get fresh coriander as I usually forget it.

Re milk in tea, I really must start drinking more rooibos - "ordinary" tea I need to have milk in and we drink a lot of it , but I can thole rooibos black

I'm still on it and missed checking in yesterday as I was out for a meal

Yesterday

2 Eggs
Greek salad feta/tzatziki with 2 slices of ham, wrapped with some cheddar and salad leaves in - a bit messy to eat, but I did not miss the bread at all.

Then I went out for a curry, had 1/2 a poppadom with lots of the chopped onion/tomato salad and some yoghurt/mint dip. Followed by butter chicken on a bed of fried mushrooms - my friend asked for mushroom rice so I asked if I could just have the mushrooms, which went really nicely with the butter chicken

Today

2 eggs
3 x portabello mushrooms cooked with some slices of tomato on topped with cheese
Tonight - I'm having tomatoes/chorizio/onion/small carrot blitzed with celery/tomato puree/tin of tomatoes with some chilli flakes in - the others will have it with pasta but I'll have it on a bed of cauli rice

I too have struggled with the milk side, so I have the soya milk which should hopefully help with that coming tomorrow, - thank you to all who suggested it - very helpful. Black coffee is ok, its tea I'm struggling with and I like 1 when I first get up then 1 with my breakfast, and that is the only thing I am finding 'odd' in all this. - which I suppose is really good in the whole scheme of things.

Huzzah for the WATER WATER WATER!!

Today’s meals

B- Greek yog, coffee with cream
L- asparagus, bacon, poached egg
D- Egg mayo & ham salad with avocado and slaw
S- two sausages!

I've just put some cauliflower and broccoli cheese, with facon and mushrooms in the oven topped with mozzarella. Smells delicious 🤤

B Egg Mayo
L Bolognese with beef and veg and cheese
D Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese

Still working on water, 3 l down, 1 to go!

Lots of great inspiration on the thread already. Meals today:
B: hard boiled egg, piece of cheese, creamy coffee
L: smoked mackerel pate made with Greek yog, sour cream, couple of chopped gherkins and spring onions with cucumber sticks
D: pork and chorizo casserole from the freezer with a big green salad.

Hi everybody.
B Greek yog
L clear broth, tomatoes and mozarella
Snack olives
D Fried mince with levels and cabbage, some asparagus
3l water

@BIWI what do you think about the broth, please? It was a vegetable soup but I had no carrots etc, just the liquid.

All the recipes here are an inspiration, thanks.

Today has gone to plan

B - mushrooms fried in butter
L - baby bistro leaves, cucumber, baby plum tomatoes, olives, feta cheese
D - pork chops in a sauce (onions, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, stock, double cream) with broccoli

Fluid: 3 X 750ml High5 water, 1 cup of decaf earl grey tea with full fat milk, 7 cups of decaf earl grey tea with almond milk.

How many electrolyte tablets are people having each day? I assumed you only had one, but should I be having more?

On plan day again. It's telling how habitual my evening sweet fix has become, but managing to distract myself so far.

I thought today might be tricky as I was meeting a friend for 'coffee and cake' so would have to resist the cake. In the end I had their breakfast, so it was easy.

B: scrambled egg and smoked salmon
L: cold sausage, some avocado, mini cucumber, cherry tomatoes, chilli mayo.
D: salmon, stir fried vegetables
S: Greek yogurt

Getting there with the water!

@Supersee I know you said you'd work on having more veg, but my reading of your food had only lettuce on day 1 and lettuce and avocado on day 2. (I'm reading on my phone with limited WiFi and struggling to scroll back, so please forgive me if I've got that wrong).

This woe is very different to Atkins, which you've done before. For me it is long term sustainable because it has loads of veg, with all the associated nutrients.

I try to get a couple of veg in before lunch. Maybe an omelette with mushroom and spinach, or avocado with tomato and cheese, or even vegetable soup.

The High5 tubes/box say max per day is 3, so I have 3.

I so nearly succumbed to a pastry today. Went for coffee and dh was 'encouraging' me to join him in indulging in something sweet. I ws on the verge of choosing, when I thought WTF am I doing? I won't even enjoy it. I was saved by the thought of you all being horrified. Just an expresso for me. Phew!

After a high energy day yeterday, I'm not so hot today. I went to bed late, then woke at 6am with dreams of my children drowning, and being unable to reach the. I think it is a side effect of HRT. There was no going back to sleep!
I was a bit seedy tonight so I'm drinking my last bottle of water with a zero tab in it. Thanks for the reminders upthread.

B. Chicken thighs with rocket.
L. Greek yogurt
D. Pork belly reheats FLGV

Bit boring foodwise, I miss my eggs & cheese breakfast.

FLGV = F*ck load of Green Veg. Usually I nuke in the microwave, and add butter at the end. I never let water NEAR brussells sprouts though. They are butter all the way!

I'm trying to keep the Zero tabs to 1 a day.

@APerfectlyGoodName - I'm with you on not letting water anywhere near brussels - although I add the butter at the beginning of the microwaving time and do the now famous shoogle in the middle

Thanks Venus, I know I just haven't been to the shops yet. I just have lettuce in! I realised I have sprouts in my freezer so going to try them in my air fryer to have tomorrow and will try and get to the shops for more green veg. Working crazy shifts at the mo.

I love spinach so will get some of that. I remember from my low carbing days that M&S used to do low carb creamed spinach. Wonder if they still do that.

Im just catching up…

posts from spottybum and finallyhere about overeating to avoid overeating really struck a chord with me. I’ve been worried about getting too hungry and then making bad decisions so I’ve been eating more to avoid hunger. I realised this is based on fear and I’ve had to shift my mindset to one that knows I can recognise my signs of hunger early enough to have time to make a decision. Also, my hunger doesn’t behave in the same way when I eat like this as I’m not dealing with the crashes.

The batteries in my scales have runout so until I remember to get new ones, I don’t actually know how much I weigh at the moment. What I do know is that I’m already noticing lots of benefits around sleep, mood, energy levels and my belly is definitely not sticking out so much. Just having a break from bread has reduced my bloat.

I was worried I’d struggle to get on plan at first but I’m doing well and can’t believe it’s already Friday tomorrow!!

What's a rollito? I'm panicking that I'm the only one who doesn't know and afraid I'm missing out. 😔

I think it's wee pieces of meat (beef?) rolled up with cheese and/or rocket. I've never bought any but I make something similar at home for myself as a snack.