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Low-carb bootcamp

Join discussions about low-carb bootcamp plans, meals and progress. Consider speaking to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Week 2 - May 22 Low Carb Bootcamp - our first weigh-in thread

384 replies

BIWI · 09/05/2022 08:58

Sorry for the late start.

Here's the spreadsheet for you to confess all!

A quick peek shows some really good early results, with @UnOeufIsEnough and @loopylou3030 both hitting the half stone mark. Brilliant! Flowers

OP posts:
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prettybird · 10/05/2022 08:20

@boredsolicitor - you're right re the protein: it does make you feel full - but the fat helps you stop feeling hungry.

The best way to think of it is that rather than being a (Low Calorie) Low Fat, Medium Protein, High Carb Way of Eating Way of Eating, this is a (Calories aren't counted) High Fat, Medium Protein, Low Carb WoE. Protein stays in the middle.

Calorie intake does reduce over time as we learn to follow true hunger cues, rather than carb addiction Smile

BIWI · 10/05/2022 08:36

There are three common themes emerging in posts so far - ten days in - and all of these need to be addressed.

Emotional eating

This is, I think, the hardest part of dieting. Losing weight isn't, really, about restricting or watching what we eat. If it was as simple as that, none of us would be overweight. It's the emotional side of our lives that gets in the way and - massive generalisation alert - it's often harder for women in this regard.

Stress, anxiety, fatigue - and even joy - all impact on this. And to deal with it, we often reach for food. And as we can see on this and last week's thread, the wrong type of food.

There's a reason why sugar/carbs are often called comfort food. It's because they create a huge dopamine hit in the brain - also known as the reward centre. It's the part of the brain associated with addiction.

Other foods don't have this impact. How often do you turn to a plate of broccoli when you're stressed out?!

But this is learned behaviour. And it's reinforced every time we behave like this.

It's a very, very difficult pattern to break - but be aware that this is what's happening every time you reach for the chocolate or a glass of wine or a plate of chips.

Food in a social context

Going out for a meal or being invited to dinner or to stay in other people's homes can be very difficult to negotiate. It's very hard to tell people you're on a specific diet, as it seems rude to impose our own needs on their hospitality. (And, from my own experience, even if you do tell them, they often don't - sometimes won't - understand what low carbing means.)

The first scenario, going out for a meal, is by far the easiest to navigate as you are (generally) the one in control. Obviously if you're in a restaurant that only serves pasta or pizza this is impossible to swerve! That said, the vast majority of restaurants will happily serve you a meal without the carb component if you ask - so a burger without the bun, salad instead of chips, etc. I've never, yet, been refused when I've asked. But don't fall into the trap of ordering them and saying to yourself you won't eat the chips - because you will Wink

Eating in other people's homes is by far the most difficult. If they're really close friends or family members, it's easier to tell them what you're doing. After all, if they truly cared about you, they'd want to help you with your diet, wouldn't they?

A couple of things here though - first, you need to be prepared for the fact that some people want to sabotage your efforts. They'd be horrified if you told them they were doing that, but nevertheless it's true - jealousy over someone else's weight loss can lead to all manner of behaviours designed to disrupt your best efforts.

Second, be very specific about what you can/can't eat if you're telling them. It's also a good idea to consider taking something like a cheeseboard, as a contribution, so you can have that instead of pudding. (Without the crackers, obviously!)

In certain circumstances it will be impossible to avoid the carbs. In which case, it's far better to accept this, keep them as minimal as you can - rather than seeing it as an excuse to fill you face with them all! - but then be super strict for the next few days after you get home.

Alcohol

Alcohol isn't allowed in the first two weeks of Bootcamp, yet regularly it's being mentioned.

The reason we don't allow it - and then ask for it to be moderated during the rest of Bootcamp - is that all the while you're drinking alcohol, your body is using this for fuel rather than burning fat. Also, if you're drinking wine, you're consuming a whole load of extra carbs. (And beer and cider are a complete no-no.)

Clear spirits and a low calorie mixer might seem like the best compromise, but remember that there will be artificial sweeteners in the mixer - something else we're aiming to avoid.

Drinking alcohol will impact on your weight loss.

OP posts:
IveNeverTriedThisBefore · 10/05/2022 08:37

prettybird · 09/05/2022 20:30

I have in the past bought the 0% fat Greek yoghurt by mistake. It was foul. I threw it out. I'm now very careful about checking! Grin

I feel your pain, have done it many times; also happens if DH does shopping and he doesnt notice the difference in taste so doesnt mind the mistake!

bella1426 · 10/05/2022 08:40

Morning all...another 4 hour nights sleep of tossing and turning...really hoping the sleep disturbance settles down soon ☹️ I haven't gotten this many days into it to throw the towel in though, general googling of this says it can take a few weeks for sleep disturbances to calm down so hoping to come out the other side soon. ALL the coffee and cream in the meantime...

B - greek yogurt and cream
L - salmon fillet avocado and salad
D - diet doctor Keto Italian stirfry
S - coffee and cream, cheese

BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation · 10/05/2022 08:55

bella1426 · 10/05/2022 08:40

Morning all...another 4 hour nights sleep of tossing and turning...really hoping the sleep disturbance settles down soon ☹️ I haven't gotten this many days into it to throw the towel in though, general googling of this says it can take a few weeks for sleep disturbances to calm down so hoping to come out the other side soon. ALL the coffee and cream in the meantime...

B - greek yogurt and cream
L - salmon fillet avocado and salad
D - diet doctor Keto Italian stirfry
S - coffee and cream, cheese

Get some Tesco Sleep Aid herbal tablets. Honestly, they're great. Take two around an hour before you want to sleep. Their Stress Relief Tablets have the same ingredients as well.

I've lost another quarter of a pound, which seems to be the pattern now.

For breakfast today: vegetable omelette and then greek yoghurt.
Lunch: cheese salad
Dinner: steak, courgette, shallots, pepper, tomatoes and then greek yoghurt and cream.

boredsolicitor · 10/05/2022 08:58

yes i have read the faqs - sorry if my question appeared to give the impression i haven't . i eat everything else high fat and it's working . i've lost about 1 st so far and 1 st to go and have stalled a bit . i suppose my query was more about whether it would have a negative impact to eat the yoghurt i like .

boredsolicitor · 10/05/2022 09:01

thanks pretty bird for your explanation- it's helpful

BIWI · 10/05/2022 09:02

boredsolicitor · 10/05/2022 08:58

yes i have read the faqs - sorry if my question appeared to give the impression i haven't . i eat everything else high fat and it's working . i've lost about 1 st so far and 1 st to go and have stalled a bit . i suppose my query was more about whether it would have a negative impact to eat the yoghurt i like .

OK - with you. Well done on the loss so far. But as we often say on here, 'weight loss isn't linear' - it's very, very common for weight to come off in 'chunks'. Sometimes you can go for a while with no loss, then suddenly you drop by 3lbs. It's what we call a whoosh!

Just remember that even if the scales aren't behaving, you can still be losing fat. If you're taking your measurements you will see this. It's common for people to be losing inches while the scales stay the same.

OP posts:
teraculum29 · 10/05/2022 09:18

Morning all,
I weigh myself and I lost 4lb yay
Breakfast today: scrambled 3 eggs with red leicester , salad (mini cucumber, polish gherkins and radishes) surprisingly nice mix.

coffee with double cream

Lougle · 10/05/2022 09:38

Morning everyone. @boredsolicitor I think it all feels a bit counterintuitive at first but then we'll get the hang of it.

I'm going out for coffee in a bit but it often turns to lunch. I've already checked out the menu of the cafe so that I can order my lunch without any anxiety.

boredsolicitor · 10/05/2022 09:57

yes agree lougle it's so different to all the useless diets i have e done before . thanks biwi i need to get measuring again . i did do that at the beginning but got seduced by the flipping scales !

prettybird · 10/05/2022 09:58

@boredsolicitor - the other thing to bear in mind (and @BIWI alluded to it) is that low cat products tend to be full of additives to make them "work" and on this WoE, we encourage "clean" eating Smile

boredsolicitor · 10/05/2022 10:04

agreed the list of ingredients on some of the processed crap is a complete shocker. indecipherable as well usually

UnOeufIsEnough · 10/05/2022 10:40

Ironically, considering my username, can you eat too many eggs in a day?!

StuntNun · 10/05/2022 11:04

@UnOeufIsEnough I've never eaten more than nine eggs in a day but I reckon up to twelve would be fine.

UnOeufIsEnough · 10/05/2022 11:06

Thanks @StuntNun! I was considering six so that sounds ok!

I'm delaying going to the supermarket until tomorrow and we have plenty of eggs Grin

bibliomania · 10/05/2022 11:43

As a counterpoint to those struggling with sleep, I've been sleeping really deeply and easily. I wonder if it's down to steering clear of alcohol - I do feel better without it. Haven't been quite so good at the food side - it's possible that some rice, a banana and some raspberries accidentally fell into my maw over the last 3 days.

heliosfountain · 10/05/2022 11:55

I had 5 eggs on Sunday @UnOeufIsEnough between shakshuka & BLT so that sounds fine to me!

bella1426 · 10/05/2022 11:59

Thanks for the sleep suggestions, am open to any and all @BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation I had a look for those but can't see them on the Tesco website. I'm Ireland so maybe they don't stock them here 😞
I struggle with restless legs and am on prescribed medication for them which mostly keeps them under control although I have found that things like sugar and alcohol can have an effect even with the medication. They've gone mental this week though, as bad as they have ever been. There's a chance that the medication has stopped working - it happens - although would be coincidental timing that I've just changed my diet quite dramatically too so I'm hoping it will settle, not sure how much more 3am horizontal river dancing I can take!

glamourousindierockandroll · 10/05/2022 12:02

I'm also doing well with sleep at the moment, and seem to be waking up quite refreshed so not hitting snooze as often! I just need to make sure I actually get out of bed instead of scrolling through the news - terrible habit.

L - fried eggs, bacon, shoogled sprouts and some stilton (cause I love it)

prettybird · 10/05/2022 12:04

@bella1426 Magnesium apparently helps with restless legs so maybe get that in tablet form and/or treat yourself to baths in Epsom salts Smile

teraculum29 · 10/05/2022 12:39

UnOeufIsEnough · 10/05/2022 10:40

Ironically, considering my username, can you eat too many eggs in a day?!

Apparently not.

And some keto dieters tend to do egg fast (minimum of 6 eggs a day, and 15g of fat per egg, or 25g cheddar cheese) for 3-5days.

Unless you have intolerance to eggs then evem 1 egg may be too many.

teraculum29 · 10/05/2022 12:48

bella1426 · 10/05/2022 11:59

Thanks for the sleep suggestions, am open to any and all @BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation I had a look for those but can't see them on the Tesco website. I'm Ireland so maybe they don't stock them here 😞
I struggle with restless legs and am on prescribed medication for them which mostly keeps them under control although I have found that things like sugar and alcohol can have an effect even with the medication. They've gone mental this week though, as bad as they have ever been. There's a chance that the medication has stopped working - it happens - although would be coincidental timing that I've just changed my diet quite dramatically too so I'm hoping it will settle, not sure how much more 3am horizontal river dancing I can take!

Main symptom of not enough magnesium in our system is restless legs.
Up your magnesium (best magnesium citrate as absorbs better).
you can even take double the dose, as you can not really overdose it in toxic way (if any somehow you manage to take way to much magnesium you will end up with more trips to the loo with number 2).

Ulelia · 10/05/2022 13:24

Thanks everyone for the well wishes. Went to the horse at school eventually as my knee wouldn't stop bleeding and now have two stitches and bandages on my wrist, elbow and knee, all down one side. I look ridiculous!

@BIWI thank you- the noodles were made of tofu so v low carb, something like 3g per 100g. So it was only really the sauce which derailed me a bit.
Otherwise think its going well, including today when several people tried to buy me cake to cheer me up, and I managed to say no to all of them! Woohooo!

Ulelia · 10/05/2022 13:25

The NURSE. Dammit.