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!

Welcome @Ollieharriet!

@MrsCoyote when cooking for the family I cook an extra vegetable. So my kids might have salmon, new potatoes and green beans, while my husband and I have salmon, green beans and courgettes fried in butter. It does make for a bit more washing up but it works well. Alternatively look at low carb versions of meals such as cottage pie made with swede mash, bolognese served on fried mushrooms or fried courgettes, bangers and celeriac mash (Waitrose sell cheap bags of frozen cubed celeriac,) or Fathead pizza, or chicken and celeriac chips, or curry with cauliflower rice. Most meals can be easily adapted and, if they can't, ask for suggestions on here!

@Lougle butter is essentially unlimited! Don't worry about the calories, especially at the beginning. You only have to think about calories if your weight loss stalls for more than a few weeks. Also, when people are near to their ideal weight they often find they need to increase their fat intake to shift the last few pounds.

Re the water: just an advance warning but as you're starting this Way of Eating or in my case, starting back , you'll almost definitely find that you wake multiple times during the night to go to the loo.

Trust us, it does settle down. Your kidneys (and brain) get used to the extra fluid you're having - and also, you'll have flushed out a lot of the extra water you'd been retaining to metabolise the carbs (that's also part of the initial "whoosh").

So please, don't be put off by all the loo trips initially. They can be mitigated to a certain extent by front loading the water, but some of it is just a part of the process and will settle down in about a week.

@MrsCoyote I've developed the habit of cooking the same thing for family meals but swapping the carbs for extra fat on my plate or bunging on an avocado or an egg or three two. So the meal might be fajitas and family are having wraps whereas I'll have mine deconstructed but with an avocado or extra cheese and sour cream (or all three normally). I find few things that can't be improved by an egg or avacado!

If dinner was a traditionally carb heavy one (my family like toad in the hole with chips) and i don't want an egg I skip the carbs but, in order to eat enough, I'll follow it with some double/clotted cream with bit of stewed rhubarb or grated 95% cocoa chocolate.

Hi all! my first boot camp and first time trying a lc diet, I LOVE pasta, bread and alcohol so this should be a challenge. Got to do something though, I am heavier than ever and intermittent fasting and calorie counting just wasn't helping, too many opportunities to fall off the wagon. I am hoping the bootcamp format will help with that!
Not a bad first day except waking up with a shocking hangover so not having carbs to get through it was tough, the fats helped there though! Then we were having Indian food later which was tough and I think some hidden carbs probably snuck in with the sauces, but the prawns and paneer were more than enough without all the extras I'd normally have like rice and naan and samosas.

Nice to meet everyone!

Welcome @Ulelia!

Reporting in on the new BC. I started in January and have lost around 2 stone. I find I'm more in touch with my appetite now.

For years I've been afraid of being hungry, I'd take sandwiches or snacks if staying with friends incase dinner was late or not enough (and did the thing where you're overweight but only eat tiny portions in front of others). But I've started to enjoy the healthily hungry feeling, by that I mean that the last meal I had was satisfying but time has passes and now I'm ready for the next meal.

No breakfast today, took my horsey for a walk up an evil hill. Whizzed round at home getting ready for friends to come for a bbq. I got a bit woozy so had a baby bel and creamy coffee then had a lovely bbq. I had a low carb roll, first bread in aaaages so it was really good. 👌 I don't know what dinner will be, there's a sausage left and some sort of eggs I expect.

Welcome @Ulelia

Once the first two weeks are over, the Tom Kerridge flat breads are really nice - and easy I'm pretty sure I posted the recipe on the veggie recipe thread.

I now make a double quantity as the rough dough lasts a few days and you can flatten and cook them as required.

Do I need to eat 3 meals a day? After my blowout breakfast (who knew that you could pack so many calories into 2 eggs, some mushrooms, avocado and butter?) I haven't really felt hungry yet. I'll have dinner but was it ok to skip lunch?

Also, with the fluid thing...I have had 2 x 750mls High5 water, plus 3 x 450mls tea with almond milk, plus one 300ml tea with full fat milk (at Mum & Dad's house, don't want them to think I'm fussing). Is it 2.5litres of water target, or 2.5 litres of fluids? If it's water, then I need another bottle of High5 water. If it's just fluid then I'm over by 650mls already...does it matter if you go over?

Can you see that I like things pinned down? 😀

For years I've been afraid of being hungry this has been a big thing in my life @SpottyBumPony

The stranglehold is now certainly loosened and I actually find myself wondering 'what really is the worst that could happen'?

I've been overeating in order, yes, to avoid overeating. Goodness. To know that I can easily go for four hours without eating and also without eating everything in sight when I do come to eat , has been a revelation.

So much of my life had been arranged around eating or recovering from the slump that followed overeating.

@Lougle I'm sure someone will be along to explain it properly in a minute but I think it's covered in the rules, where especially in the first two weeks while your body is adapting, you are encouraged to eat three meals a day, to keep your blood sugar stable.

This is relaxed after the first two weeks when you will probably already have noticed that you really are sometimes just not hungry at a mealtime.

Keeping to three meals has been helpful for me, to get a better feel for how much I need to eat at a meal, too, once I've had that experience of just how long it takes for a really sustaining meal to be digested.

It's so, so different to what happens when eating carbs, especially the starchy / processed ones, where a few hours later hunger seems to come roaring back to me, stronger than ever.

@Lougle iirc, two of your teas or coffees can count towards your water allocation (that is, ordinary tea).

Herb tea without milk (like Buttermint or rooibos/redbush) count towards your overall allocation.

You don't need 3 meals a day (in fact, many of us IF - 16:8 or so intermittent fasting) but initially, until you're used to it, we recommend 3 meals so that you don't end up being hungry/hangry and falling face first into easily accessible carbs

I've added my name so just checking in here. Great info so far for low carb ideas .. thanks to all for organizing

Thank you!

Thank you everybody for advice re family cooking, it sounds doable.

3 litres is A LOT for me. There were days I drank half a litre only no problem. So it is a lot od effort but I did it today. 😇

DS is having garlic bread and it smells amazing. Any ideas for getting that hot, buttery, garlicky feeling without weird Keto fake foods?

Hello everyone! So happy to have caught the camp this time!

I actually started 2 weeks ago using the previous threads and prep advice. I’m going to join in officially now to keep the motivation going. Visitors staying and lunch out today, but I managed ok.

B- chunk of Wensleydale
L- charcuterie platter, olives, feta
D- boiled eggs with prawns and mayo. Asparagus and butter.
S- tea, coffee

Mushrooms fried in garlic butter? I wish I liked mushrooms, the smell of them frying is divine but I cannot tolerate the texture of them. You could make garlic butter and cook some greens like cabbage or sprouts in it (or spinach, that's another no for me as I can't cope with the mouth-feel of it).

I found some cauliflower rice in the freezer that I made months ago, so I had that with my chili. Made a separate chili for DS2 using a tub of previously frozen spag bol and a tin of chili beans. Have enough chili left over for lunch tomorrow, a portion for the freezer and 4 more portions for DH to make another dinner with this week (enchiladas, chili cheese fries or jacket potatoes). I've made 'eggchiladas' before, using thin omelette as a wrap and baking like normal ones, that works well. Ragz' dirty fries could definitely be topped with chili. No substitute for a jacket spud though!

Regarding water, I drink my coffee black apart from breakfast creamy coffee, so I tend to count it towards at least half a litre of my allowance.

The last paragraph on your earlier message really resonated with me @FinallyHere :

I find myself wondering why in earth I let my self fall off the waggon so badly, given I always signup to Bootcamp. Looking forward to hearing everyone else's experiences on this Bootcamp.

This 100% me!

Made a hot roast side of salmon for dinner, delicious and leftovers for tomorrow.

Hope everyone has had a great day 1!

hot, buttery, garlicky feeling @SpottyBumPony Would prawns in garlic and butter perhaps with some cabbage turned on the buttery juices ?

@Rshard 😀

Such nice food ideas.

So today for me:
B - mushrooms fried in butter, 2 eggs, and an avocado.
D - Bolognese sauce with fried courgetti

4 cups of tea with almond milk, one with full fat milk. 3 bottles of High5 water.

Glad you've joined us! However, your menu today has virtually NO veg or salad! Rule no 4.

It's really important that you eat plenty of veg and salad as this supplies you with important nutrition.

I made a chicken dish last night, from the Guardian's Feast magazine as it looked nice and was also appropriately low carb - but I wish I hadn't. It really wasn't very nice.

So tonight I salvaged the chicken from it (thighs and legs), took the skin off and removed the flesh from the bones, and we're having a weird kind of bake - fried onion with chorizo, smoked paprika, garlic and yellow pepper, and a green chilli. With a tin of chopped tomatoes, a head of cauliflower cut into small florets and topped with a mix of chopped fresh coriander and basil, with a bit of ricotta/yoghurt and lots of grated Pecorino and cheddar. It smells nice so hopefully it's better than yesterday!

B: scrambled eggs and avocado
L: roast chicken drumstick with olives
D: chicken and chorizo kebabs, big flat mushroom cooked in garlic butter, big salad with avocado oil.

Lots of water...450ml to go until my target!

There's something funny happening with the spreadsheet...I inputted my weight this morning but I just went back on to check the carb count for something and noticed that my weight has changed...it looks like as new people have been added, all the cells haven't adjusted...

Is it just me?!