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!

@Justmuddlingalong it's a small piece of cheese with meat (usually ham) wrapped round it. Very tasty and very filling!

Hi all, late joiner here. I just came home from holidays yesterday and was following this as I really want to get started, I hope that's ok?

I don't want to mess up spreadsheet by joining late, please can you at me @Baystard - I am 11st 5lbs today 🙈

Going to have my coffee and cream now and some water, then off to do the grocery shop post-holiday, have a meal plan made out for the week

@Justmuddlingalong @prettybird @Lucienandjean thanks for clarifying re rollitos as I was going to ask!

Have a good day all, I'm excited to be joining you

Welcome @IveNeverTriedThisBefore

Quick question:

This morning I had quite a severe vasovagal episode. I was having a wash then I got intense aching across my shoulders and my arms went really weak. I sat down and my eye sight went 'sparkly'. I was hot and clammy and thought I might vomit. I managed to get myself on to the floor and my feet in the air on the toilet seat. After 5-10 minutes my DD took my BP and it was 81/54.

DH asked me if it could be anything to do with the diet. I feel like I'm eating plenty, I'm having lots of fluids and I'm having the electrolyte tablets in my water, so I don't think it's that but I thought I'd ask?

According to the scales I've lost 2kg since starting.

Morning everyone 😊

Well, I've lost half a lb which is great. It's not just water weight either because I lost all that prior to starting this due to the low amount of carbs I was already eating, although I wasn't eating properly.

Breakfast today is bacon and vegetables and greek yoghurt and cream, cheese and avocado and salad for lunch and chicken and salad for dinner with more greek yoghurt afterwards. I'm not feeling hungry and have a lot more energy. Took tesco herbal sleep aid to help with sleep last night and that went a lot better 😴

Hope everyone has a lovely day 💗

I decided to take one for the team and offer the boot camp trouser goal. I tried to post this the other day but it wouldn't post so will try again now.
The pink pair I bought a year ago and I love them but I have never worn them as they chop me in half and the purple pair are new. This boot camp goal is to get these trousers to be comfortable and look good ie minus the muffin top.
Sounds like everyone is doing well, my food has been boring salads at work but no problems this week.
I am having a planned drop of on Saturday (best mates 50th cocktails) so will use Saturday mornings weight for this week.

@Lougle do you get hypotension anyway? If not you should talk to the gp, do you know what your heart rate was?

@ditavonteesed I do have a tendency to it. My initial pulse was recorded as 741, which is plainly rubbish. As my BP started to rise, my heart rate was 82-100. I'm normally quite tachycardic (I take meds to bring it down) so that's ok for me. My HR rose as my BP rose. My BP is 114/75 now.

Ok, not being bossy but keep a really close eye on it, if it happens again talk to gp.

If you're on medication then you really, really need to talk to your GP about low carbing. As per my disclaimer in the OP!

Low carbing is likely to bring your BP down, and if you're already on heart medication you may need to have your dosage altered.

I'd also suggest that you stop the electrolyte tablets for now - if you're eating well and you've got through the first initial days of low carbing you may no longer need them.

@Lougle sorry I'm not nagging just thinking, a lot of tablets that reduce heart rate also reduce bp so you definitely need to get it reviewed.

Ok thanks and sorry. It didn't occur to me that it applied to me because I don't take them for strictly cardiac reasons, simply because I have a high resting heart rate.

@ditavonteesed that's a really good idea, I'm going to do that this weekend! Not sure if brave enough to post but we'll see 🙈

Hello all, just sliding in to mark my place. I'm only starting today as I have had a lot going on in the last couple of weeks and I just couldn't have focused on bootcamp as well.

But I'm here, starting today. My family will thank me as I have been very farty with all the bread products that have been consumed recently.

Will catch up on the tread later.

Nice one @ditavonteesed. you’ll be looking slinky very soon. I remember the shorts from an earlier bootcamp - verylittleowl was it?

The doctor called and he's asked me to go and see him for (overdue) bloods and ECG. He thinks the antihypertensive that I take for my migraines might just been overdoing it, so he's cut the dose in half, too.

@Lougle

So it transpires that you're taking 2 lots of medication - this is exactly why I post in my OP about that!

I'm glad that your GP wants to see you. Hopefully he can help you - and hopefully he understands about low carbing. Definitely make sure you tell him about it, and what you've been eating. I'd also ask about the electrolyte tabs too.

Morning all, really enjoyed my duck last night, with some Savoy cabbage I cooked with sour cream and cheese (using things up!). Nice 16 miler on my bike in the sunny evening beforehand.

Cooking for a veggie tonight but have decided to play "veg box roulette" so just wait and see what arrives later then plan something with that. The Roasting Tin ratatouille is a strong contender, that fit that tip!

Big SV (scale victory) as it turns out the aesthetically pleasing number of 123.4lbs I hit this morningyes I'm very short and small framed is the lowest weight since I got my Renpho scales this time last year! I honestly hadn't realised (or maybe admitted to myself) that was the case. So not just water weight off this week, though some of it definitely was.

A note on milk- my advice (probably against bootcamp?!) is not to sweat the small stuff, a few carbs from milk isn't the worst thing. Stick to whole dairy milk rather than buying all those fake ones unless you need to or someone else in the house already uses it, and just try not to have more than a couple of teas or coffees. A few that you enjoy are better than loads of weird ones. Ideally the goal is to replace all those additional habitual milky caffeinated teas with water or something herbal which count towards your water intake.

Morning all, @lougle hope everything checks out okay; I know if you read the success stories on Marks Daily Apple there are a lot of people on there who need to adjust their medication when they start losing weight with low carb, especially blood pressure medication, so perhaps this is what's happening?

Doing good here, the high-5 tabs have made getting through the water much easier so thanks to whoever recommended them (@StuntNun ?) the meal planning is tricky at the moment due to DH massively over catering for a bank holiday barbecue, so it's been use ups all week. Fortunately bbq chicken goes with almost everything and we remade the burgers into meatballs with a tomato sauce.

It's his birthday this weekend so he is getting a surprise party on Saturday. Fortunately I'm in control so its tagine and couscous for most, tagine and cauli rice for me, cake for everyone and greek yoghurt for me... lots of booze for all but probably just tea for me, gosh I love being in control it's so much easier than worrying about what I will get to eat and how many people will be offended if I decline their cooking.... Although I am rubbish at keeping secrets so the surprise bit has been very difficult!

Anyway today's menu:

B: sausage, fried egg, tomato, mushrooms
2nd B: Greek yog and cream
L: big tuna salad & mayo
D: Butter chicken curry with cauli rice

and all the water!

Oh, and on trousers- I was looking for shorts the other day in the spare room, as you do, and came across a pair of trousers I bought on a whim for my holidays 3 years ago. I've never worn them as I've never been able to do them up 😣I randomly tried them on, and I can do them up and even breathe in them, although sitting down might be more of a challenge! If I can get into them by the end of May I shall be well chuffed. Sorry no photos (probably as well, frankly)

That's a great start @ChiefDogsbody!

GP visit was fine. ECG normal. Taken bloods. Blood pressure good. He thinks it's the antihypertensive, so that's cutting in half. He doesn't want to stop my other drugs.

He seems fine with the diet and he was pleased that I was using electrolyte tabs. He wanted the bloods that are overdue anyway but also to check that I haven't dumped my sodium or potassium levels. I'll be surprised if I have because I always add salt, use salted butter and have been having 3 electrolyte tabs per day.

Again, apologies @BIWI. In my defence, I don't have any of the cardiac drugs for pure cardiac reasons. The BP drug is for migraine, the angina drug is to bring my HR down because I have (benign) sinus tachycardia and the corticosteroid is, ironically, to prevent syncope, which I'm prone to. So as I didn't have hypertension, it didn't occur to me that my BP would be affected.

Office day today, hard-boiled eggs for breakfast and salad leaves with ham and cheese for lunch. Sausage & mash planned for tea, I'll have veg instead with mine.
@Baystard your traybake looks much nicer than mine!!!!

I'm very glad everything checks out @Lougle!

In good news, I've lost 3.5lb already this week

In bad news, I tried on my strapless red ball gown again and the side zip is still not doing up (and dh didn't want to force it). It's going to be touch and go to get into it a week tomorrow

In good news, I tried on an Austin Reed heavy long silk skirt (almost floor length on me) and waistcoat (there's also a jacket) outfit that had belonged to my mum and although the skirt zip doesn't quite do all the way up, it's hidden by the waistcoat, so that's a backup plan

Off to drink some water.

After posting about the importance of veg yesterday, I ordered mixed antipasti for lunch. It was 6 different types of meat/salami, 3 cheeses, a single gherkin and a small slice of tomato

Will find veg for dinner.

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