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
............................................................................................................

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!

............................................................................................................

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!

Wow @pinknsparkly that's a great achievement, well done for keeping up the momentum between BCs!

@Jezzballs2000 how can you mindlessly eat a few roast potatoes?? They are one of my special delights, kept for Christmas with every glorious bit savoured and enjoyed 😊

Managed some good choices yesterday, chose rabbit and grilled veg (with olive oil) for lunch. But they came with potatoes AND polenta, and a glass of wine. Seems I'm currently in the polenta capital of the world and every dish includes it. I left both carby stodge items.

Dinner in our camper van was cold hams, cheese and salad.

Avocado for breakfast today and cheese / mushroom omelette for lunch.

Morning all.

Thanks for the new bootcamp @BIWI and thanks for managing the spreadsheet of fabulousness @Baystard, don’t envy you, spreadsheets are my nemesis!

We are away for my other half’s birthday at the moment, in the most glorious hotel with its own kitchen garden. I have managed to keep almost on track, which is pretty good in the circumstances.

B- cheese and chorizo (not great, but was desperately working at home on reports in order to get away)
L - x2 babybel at the petrol station (again not great, but more bootcamp friendly than a sausage roll and crisps which was the alternative)
S - glass champagne and piggy bits (pork crackling and pigs ears😋)
D - charred savoy cabbage with asparagus and purple broccoli, with a yoghurty dressing - delicious!

I accept the big stick for the champagne, but the rest I was pretty pleased with! The vegetable based dinner just about cancelled out the cheese overload of the rest of the day I hope.

I’m off to peruse the breakfast, lunch and dinner menu for later. Love a good menu 😊

Good luck everyone!

I am finding drinking so much water difficult.
It is oknon days at home but on days I am teaching, I can't just go to the loo whenever, there are 2 hours between breaks abd yiu can't just leave a class and my pelvic floor has seen better days so I am trying to work a strategy that doesn't put me in a difficult position 😀.
What do you all do if you know access to a loo is restricted?

Hi everyone, starting a day late as I was travelling yesterday and had no control over food at all! I’m a few pounds heavier than the end of last boot camp but not as bad as I feared after a week away so that’s good! Hoping that a few days of drinking lots of water which I have not been able to whilst away (out and about a lot so not always near a toilet) will help.

good luck everyone - I’m really looking forward to some delicious food over the next few weeks! 😊

Morning everyone, onto day 2. I had a shocking restless sleep last night, I remember having a rough few days last time I went keto too. I'm a sensitive sleeper so it doesn't take much to mess it up. I know it's only temporary and have been drinking all the water, electrolyte supplement, loads of green veg etc any other tips?
Food plan for today is

B - bacon eggs and spinach
L - salad with smoked salmon, avocado and capers
D - diet doctor keto Italian cabbage (fried cabbage, leeks and mince)

Good luck with day 2!

@comfortablyfrumpy I have exactly the same problem. Tuesday is my day off but will be back teaching for the rest of the week and the toilets are the other side of the building, so I can only go at breaks and lunches. I also have an hour's commute esch way so I'm very averse to drinking much before setting off in the car as well.

I think that in time, your body does adjust to all the water but i'm not looking forward to it tbh and suspect i'm not going to have as much as I should.

@venusandmars i was testing the temperature for my toddler, i guess my mothering instincts came before own low carb needs- where's my halo?! The other one that I ate after is entirely my own fault and surely an excellent example of how moreish carbs are? i was testing the the therory! where's my diploma?!

Morning all. Just a quick hello before I write to MNHQ and tel them what I think of the “re-platform.” Three guesses. (Aaand just discovered I can’t even put in a Mumsnet emoji because even though I finally found it, it didn’t work.)

ANYWAY!

All good BC-wise from my end. For anyone who had a bad start yesterday, consider this The First Day. And as Grah—a Bootcamper from way back—used to say, “Nobody cheats in The First Day.”

WATER WATER WATER!!!

I have always taken the tactic not to drink too much during the teaching day, because it's not that easy to get to the loo... but that doesn't really fit with LC!

I think I'm just going to have to drink as much as I can first thing, drink reasonably through the teaching day and then hit the bottle (so to speak) as soon as classes finish!

Hopping onboard for to be inspired by other people's meal ideas. I've looked at the menu threads too, but the more enjoyable food suggestions I see, the more likely I am to stick to it.

Good morning everyone

Ive bootcamped before for not for a long time and it shows

Ive realised how important it is for me to have food that is visually pleasing. I’m hoping this will help with variety.

Is a cappuccino with soya milk ok to have or are the carbs too high (I normally have one daily from my local barista to perk me up mid-morning

Soya milk is OK @Ollieharriet, as long as it's unsweetened.

I'm not officially on the list but following you all for food ideas. I made a nice frittata yesterday;
Fried red pepper, couple of tomatoes, onions, broccoli and any other low carb veg you want in olive oil. When softened transfer to a square baking dish lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with goats cheese (about 100gr). Separately mix 8 eggs with salt n pepper and pour over the veg. Bake at 180 fan oven for around 20-30 mins. Cut into 5-6 portions. Should be about 300 calories a portion.

Very tasty.

Just coming on to ask some advice if that’s ok.

Been doing low carb for over a month but I still feel ‘on edge’ and unsatisfied with meals. I’m definitely in ketosis (I’m using a breathalyser!).

Am I doing something wrong?

That sounds lovely Turmeric, stealing that one!

@hudsonrose - are you having enough fat? The fat (and water) is key to this way of eating. That should stop you feeling unsatisfied.

This is not just a Low Carb WoE, it's a High Fat Low Carb Woe.

Try posting a few days' menus and we can advise.

Can you list out for us what you've been eating and drinking over the last few days? That will help us see if we can identify anything.

Morning all, good to be back on bootcamp, thanks a million to BIWI and Baystard for running the show. I am a previous bootcamper with a name change since last time I joined in.

Didn't have a great start after the bank holiday completely threw me off and I forgot to start yesterday. Then forgot to weigh this morning but I will do tomorrow.

Starting with lunch today (as a seasoned faster). Have a couple of prepped bowl in the fridge that I'll use to create lunches. One of chopped salad veg so I only need to add lettuce, one tuna Mayo and one egg mayo. Managed to add three different fats to today's lunch so hoping it will keep me full till teatime.

Also getting back on the water is hard. Saw some chat upthread about water volumes. I have lots to lose and always find this hard. I think I'm officially supposed to aim for 3.5 - 4litres but i rarely manage that. 3 seems to be about as much as I can get down in a day, and that's with counting herbal tea . It does make a difference though, someone on bootcamp recommended the waterlogged app to me and that's very helpful for a nudge, plus agree with starting early.

Good luck campers, hope I can keep feeling motivated for the full 8 weeks!

Hi all, so good to be back on bootcamp - thanks as always to @BIWI and @Baystard for the big stick and spreadsheet shenanigans.
I lost a magic 14lbs on the last bootcamp and I'm here for the last 7 or 8lbs, fingers crossed. Found a few snacks sneaking in over Easter eg salted licorice (it seems savoury!) and the occasional evening of chocolate, so I'm banging that on the head tout suite. This week's menu includes a massive moussaka and mountains of green veg - although I'm having to shoogle on the hob as our microwave has broken. Anyone shoogled with an air fryer?!
Grateful to be here, bring on the butter...

Very inspiring to hear seasoned bootcampers' stories of success.

I think I'm doing ok today:
B -yoghurt with double cream.
Might need to research what I could put on it to cut through the dairy. I normally used dried fruit/seeds so can't use them.

L - Baby bistro salad leaves, prawns, mayonnaise, avocado, olives with feta cheese and a homemade oil/cider vinegar vinaigrette.

2 X 750 ml High5 water so far, plus 2 cups of tea with almond milk and one with a splash of full fat milk.

@CrystalTits - I haven't done it with the famous shoogled sprouts but I cook French beans or runner beans on the hob: boil till al dente, drain, add a slab of butter (and maybe some finely chopped garlic), leave to melt in the residual heat (or a very low heat) and then shoogle to coat

I am not on the spreadsheet but joining to keep me on track. I have been low carbing for a while and managed to maintain until Christmas. Put on half a stone followed by another when on holiday. Keep losing that second half stone and putting it on again. Went daft over the bank holiday but back on it again today. Got a delivery of SLC bread so that will help but trying not to have too much. Got a shoulder of lamb cooking slowly in the oven for tonight.

@prettybird Thank you - can't beat a slab of butter (and a good pinch of salt)!