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!

Although it’s low on veg, that does look delicious @venusandmars!

B: Rollitos
L: Greek salad with prawns and chorizo
D: Lamb cutlets with veg. Husband very sweetly got me a Wardolf salad to go with the lamb, thinking it was low carb - I’m considering picking out the apple, grapes and walnuts and just eating the celery 😁

Yummy!

B- Greek yogurt with double cream
L - baby bistro leaves, cucumber, salmon, feta, olives and baby plum tomatoes, with a garlic infused olive oil dressing.
D -??? Need to decide.

Fluid so far: 1x750ml High5 water, 3 cups of tea (1 full-fat milk, 2 almond milk).

2 boiled eggs for me this morning

Lunch was - literally winner, winner delicious dinner. I bought one of those ready prepared mediterranean vegetables tray things, wacked a good handful of cheese in with 3 eggs, whisked it up and poured it on and then cooked in the oven for 35 mins. enough for 2 but OMG lush

Dinner - chicken curry on bed of cauli rice

I didn't manage to write yesterday, was working, travelling and feeling rough. I feel better today, hopefully I'm through the worst of it. I forgot that I get a racing heart that makes me feel anxious along with headaches. I went to the gym this morning and I think it helped equalise things a bit. I have bought some LO-salt but I don't really know what to do with it. Any advice?

I just made a banging Caesar dressing (anchovy, mayo, parmesan, garlic and cider vinegar). Think I'll have this for lunch a few times a week.

Yesterday
B eggs with Emmental and cherry toms
L frozen blueberries and ricotta. I KNOW!! I'm sorry, I was staying at my parents who are away and there was literally nothing else and I couldn't leave as I had Zoom meetings.
S M&S rollitos and crackling on the train- hope the man next to me wasn't a veggie!
L LC lasange

Today
B Boiled eggs mashed with butter (I always remember I don't like this as I eat it)
L romaine, cherry toms, avo, chicken and home made Caesar dressing
D steak and FTGV

@Lougle glad you got to see a dr so quickly!

B: smoked salmon (running out the door for an early hospital appointment)
L: large salad with avocado, lettuce, chicken, bacon and Caesar dressing
D: Will be ribeye steak, flat mushroom, asparagus and rocket

Must up the water though...I've been so good this week but need to keep the momentum up!

@Jezzballs2000 following a suggestion from @StuntNun in the Jan bootcamp i also do this - I just add some lo-salt into cooking instead of table salt (or I use a mixture).

I survived polling day and ate well, lots of small bites in between voters - I fasted until 1pm, then had rollitos and an fresh olive/cheese mix from Tesco. Then about 4pm, I had some cooked veggie sausages & tzatziki then around 8pm, I had a homemade salmon red Thai curry. Thanks for all the ideas!

I fasted today until 3pm and have just had some smoked ham with mayonnaise. I am hoping to make the Diet Doctor's chicken alfredo for tea if I can manage to stay awake!

Great stuff @heliosfountain!

Glad it went well @heliosfountain

Can I join? I am trying to lose 2 stone for my wedding in 11 weeks. Had a baby 6 months ago and put on about 4 stone, have already lost 2.5 stone doing calorie controlled and exercise but need to step it up to shed another 2 stone to get to goal weight and to fit into dress.

So yes Keto! Been doing it two weeks and weight is falling off. I've cheated a bit - had a few beans and some raspberries one day, and had some wine and potatoes at a bbq, so have not been perfect, but exercising a lot included fasted HIIT.

Also having acv in the morning and lots of green tea.

I fast from 5pm - 9am-ish.

I have to say, I feel bloody great!

Today

B - scrambled eggs with dill, Kim chi, wilted spinach, homemade chilli sauce

L - shake with almond milk, full fat Greek yog, Purition choc orange protein powder, tahini paste

D - mackerel fillet with miso aubergine and chilli garlic okra

My first day is done!

B: coffee & cream
L: tuna mayo, leaves, avo, olives, tomatoes, cucumber and olive oil
D: salmon with broccoli, asparagus & lost of butter and more salad
Had another coffee later and brought my cream with me!

Drank 3L of water and 2 cups of dwcaf tea too
That is the hardest part, I never drink water (I know..) but thanks for the tips re hi5,made it easier to go down

@heliosfountain that's good going - well done on the planning on that one, me at home is fine but me out for the day is when it all falls apart, I guess with the right planning all is possible!

Checking in...

B - boiled eggs with butter
L - tuna salad with feta and olives
D - roast salmon and cauliflower and broccoli with a fuck load of garlic butter
S - cream in coffee and Greek yogurt

Thanks everyone! @bella1426, it helped that we couldn't leave the polling place, so no opportunities for sneaky trips to the newsagent for sweets when the 3pm slump hit!

Water, water, so much water! 💦

B: Greek yogurt and cream (really missing my berries now)
L: Cold sausage, Serrano ham, mini cucumbers, pepper strips, mayo
D: salmon, avocado, green salad, hard boiled egg
S: mini satay sticks.

Got on the scales this morning and I've not lost an ounce! Hoping I'm due one of those sudden losses soon.

So hungry today, eating loads and all the allowed stuff but think I just have the period munchies. Any tips apart from trying to drown the bastard thing in water??

Good on you for the water!

But there's a fair bit of processed food in your menu today - and it doesn't look like there's much fat.

And you need to be patient! It's only day 5!!!

You're not on the spreadsheet so I don't know how much you weigh/how much you need to lose. Remember that loss WILL be slower if you haven't got that much to lose.

@bella1426 we always say on this WOE that if you're hungry, then you must eat. It isn't about deprivation!

That said, if you're eating enough protein and all the fat, then you shouldn't really be hungry. So I'd say have a look at what you're eating and make sure it's genuinely high in fat.

(And continue with the drowning!)

quick check in for today:

B- Greek yog, coffee with cream
L- cheese and mushroom omlette with green salad
D- pan fried chicken in cream and mustard sauce, FLGV
S- 2 sausages again! (Cooked some for cold snacks yesterday, they are becoming a habit!!!), 2 cups tea

Not much veg in your day!

@bella1426 my advice is to just make sure you eat the right things if you have munchies and reassure yourself that it will pass. Lump of nice cheese, few big spoonfuls double cream with a small amount of grated dark chocolate, a few slices of cold ham, a mashed up buttery egg, even just sipping a fruit tea.

B- black coffee (fasting)
L- fasting (not much appetite today and experienced faster so just went with it)
D- the last of the gruyer, big helping of leftover roast veg-and-feta from yesterday and desert of double cream and a square of 95% choc.

I measured the fluids had today, I've had 1.2 litres of black coffee in the AM and , 0.8l sparkling water PM and will have a bit more water before bed.

@Baystard & @BIWI that's what I did thanks, cheese , cream, yogurt...feel a bit sick now and have out eaten my urge to eat but all LC/HF at least! Don't think it was even true hunger more if a TOTM mouth hunger thing 🫤🫤🫤

Oh no BIWI I thought I’d done well for veg today!

shrooms and green salad for lunch (with the omlette)

FLGV at dinner included half bag of spinach, bunch of purple sprouting broccoli and half a head of ordinary broccoli

should I be eating more?

I'm the opposite today. Really having to force myself to eat today. But I'm almost 2 weeks in. It's been a while since I've did this WOE so I'm struggling to remember if this is a thing. We're going out for dinner tomorrow, so every cloud...

@BIWI I am on the spreadsheet. I have a lot of weight to lose!

I've been eating low carb for a while and this does seem to be how I lose weight - nothing for a week or two, then a sudden loss of a couple of pounds. I'm not discouraged really.

I take on board what you are saying about processed food (meat in my case). This week my dh is working away so I've been a bit lazy about cooking for 1.

Onwards and upwards! (But not on the scales 😉)

@failinghard i appreciate you've got a deadline to get into your dress, but this woe is not strictly keto, but more importantly we try to eat real food, so no shakes, artificial flavourings, protein powders.

The rest of your food for the day looked good. I wonder what is in your lunch (nutrient wise) and how you might achieve a similar balance eating real food? Is acv apple cider vinegar? What's that for?

2 stone in 11 weeks seems a tough target for any diet, especially when you've already lots a lot.

@TheRealShedSadie I thought your veg for the day looked OK - better than my lunch anyway!