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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.

Pre-Christmas 22 Boot Camp: Preparation thread

134 replies

prettybird · 10/10/2022 16:12

This Bootcamp will start on 17 October and will last for 8 weeks, just in time for Christmas and to be able to get into those Christmas outfits.

As promised, here is a preparation thread, shamelessly and completely cribbed from the opening post that @BIWI did for the last Boot Camp which started on 25 July.

The first two weeks will be strict, but after that you can move on (if you wish) to Bootcamp Light, which is a little more relaxed.

These are the things that we don't eat, throughout the whole of Bootcamp:

bread (of any kind)
pasta/rice (of any kind)
potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweetcorn, beetroot
sugar/honey/syrup
flour (and anything thickened with flour)
cake
biscuits/crackers/pastries
crisps (of any kind)
fruit juice
full sugar fizzy drinks/squash
balsamic vinegar (all other vinegars are fine)
grains/pulses/legumes (which includes peas)
sweets

What can I eat then?!^

Things you will be able to eat are things you generally can't eat on any other diet! Shock SmileLow carb means high fat, so you will be able to enjoy things like:

butter
cream
cheese
mayonnaise

No light/lite or low fat anything! Shock

all meat/fish/seafood (although keep processed options to a minimum)
eggs
oily dressings (especially using extra virgin olive oil/avocado oil)
lard/coconut oil (as well as butter) for frying food
LOTS of vegetables and salad
(after the first two weeks) some fruit, mainly berries
(after the first two weeks) some nuts/seeds
(after the first two weeks) some chocolate - high %age cocoa though

There are just ten rules, and as long as you follow these you should lose weight. In brief, the rules for the first two weeks are:

Eat three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Avoid processed foods as much as possible - ideally none
Eat lots of fat
Make sure your carbs are coming mainly from vegetables and salad
Be careful how much dairy you're consuming - especially milk (butter is unlimited)
You must drink at least 2 litres of water a day (this depends on your weight - some people will need to drink more - details on the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness)
No alcohol
No fruit
No nuts/seeds
No sugar/artificial sweeteners

The rules, in full, are on a tab on The Spreadsheet of Fabulousness, and I'll post a link to the new spreadsheet next Monday (memo to self: coordinate with @FinallyHere to get it sorted wink) . In the meantime, here's a link to the spreadsheet from the last Bootcamp Spreadsheet July Boot Camp Spreadsheet

Make sure you're familiar with the rules before we start. Also, check out the resources on the spreadsheet - there's loads of information about low carbing as well as lots of different recipes and shopping lists.

Planning and preparation is key to success on this WOE (way of eating)

Which means you need to think about all the meals you need to prepare for the week - which includes what you're going to have for lunch if you're out of the home at work, and thinking about any likely social occasions.

So - make sure your cupboards/fridges/freezers are emptied (as far as practically possible) of anything really carby that you know is likely to tempt you.

Make a meal plan for the week (or the next two weeks if you can be that organised!) and then make sure you buy everything you need in your next shop.

Cooking a couple of meals ahead is a really good idea - so you know you have something Bootcamp-friendly easily to hand.

For the first week or so, while you're adjusting to a low carb WOE, especially if you're new to it, it's a good idea to have some low carb snacks to hand. As you adapt to it, you'll find that you really aren't hungry between meals, but in the beginning you may need something. Great low carb snacks include:

chunks of cheese
olives
cucumber/celery
hard-boiled eggs
cooked (low carb) sausages

If you're planning on using anything pre-prepared/packaged in your cooking, make sure you've checked the carb count on the back of the packet. It's amazing how something that seems like it should be low in carbs is anything but - because the manufacturers have added sugar, or potato starch, etc.

Make sure that you have read, re-read and read again Bootcamp rules. Ideally save them on to your phone, or print them out and stick them on the fridge.

Especially make sure that you've worked out - from Rule 6 - how much water you are going to need to drink each day. The more you weigh, the more water you're going to need to drink.

It can also be a really good idea to keep a food diary - it can be very easy to start with a huge burst of enthusiasm, and then gradually let things start to slip, and then ending up eating stuff you shouldn't, and wonder why the weight isn't shifting. Just reading back through entries from the early weeks can be really helpful here.

I may not be @BIWI, who is having a well-deserved break, and my Big Stick might not be as big as hers, but if you give this a go, you'll find loads of support and advice from both me and my fellow experiences Boot Campers. I certainly know I need it, after the shock of last week and the shock of stepping on the scales this morning Blush It really does work but you need to commit. Once you're into the way of things, you no longer feel deprived or hungry - which is the whole point of this Way of Eating.

OP posts:
DurhamDurham · 13/10/2022 13:14

I usually lurk on the Bootcamp threads as if I join up it sends me into panic mode under the weight of expectation I put on myself.
But I get so much from reading all the posts, it's a great support.

I'm on holiday in Canada at the moment and it's been so easy to stay on track. I've been having a huge breakfast. That's kept me full all day and then I've had a meat/fish based dinner with lots of salad or vegetables.
How good do the breakfasts look! Smile I never mange that at home; a boiled egg maybe or a chunk of cheese. I'll have to try harder as I haven't felt deprived at all.
In the interests of honesty I have indulged in a few glasses of wine and a beer while I've been here.

Pre-Christmas 22 Boot Camp: Preparation thread
Pre-Christmas 22 Boot Camp: Preparation thread
agnesmartin · 13/10/2022 13:46

Thanks for the dairy and IF advice, StuntNun. I think I must be borderline insulin resistant and maybe hormones push me into it at some times of the month. Great time to start fixing it!

We still have a few meals out planned but I'm going to make more bootcamp friendly choices to start preparing for Monday.

@DurhamDurham That breakfast is amazing!

agnesmartin · 13/10/2022 13:47

Bolding and non-@ fail!

ChimneyPot · 13/10/2022 14:15

@DurhamDurham love the breakfasts. Am going to US at end of next week and was dreaming of my low carb but fabulous breakfast.
My 12 year old DS who is coming with me was also dreaming about US breakfast because he asked about red velvet pancakes. Hopefully we will be able to accommodate both our tastes.
I’ve also promised him a trip to Mr Beast burger restaurant so I will have to really work at staying on BC.

DurhamDurham · 13/10/2022 14:39

@agnesmartin absolutely delicious! 

Good luck @ChimneyPot hope you manage to stay on track, don't feel bad about the odd transgression as you need to enjoy your holiday Smile

BIWI · 13/10/2022 15:22

I've posted this on @StuntNun's intermittent fasting thread, but thought it might be interesting to some of you on this thread too.

An interesting podcast/conversation about intermittent fasting on ZOE

They're also setting up a huge study to explore/determine the benefits of IF in humans (as opposed to mice), so if you're interested, you can sign up here

Skiphopbump · 13/10/2022 18:29

@DurhamDurham lovely looking breakfast

I followed low carb a few years ago and lost a significant amount of weight easily. Unfortunately I put it all back on as I got back into unhealthy habits.
I tried restarting a couple of times but felt it wasn’t working for me anymore. After restarting this week I realise exactly what my problem was - berries, cream, pork scratchings, nuts and 100% dark chocolate! I felt it was ok as they are low carb but I was clearly overdoing it! This time around the above will be an occasional treat and in limited amounts!

ditavonteesed · 14/10/2022 07:07

@BIWI I'm looking at that Zoe study, I would be really interested to do it but I'm not sure how I'd get on with doing day and night shifts all muddled together. I know when I've tried to use an intermittent fasting app it doesn't work.
Need to do a prep shop today for the next few days. I have found if I shop for a couple of days at a time I eat better rather than trying to plan a weeks meals at a time.
I have set myself a couple of fitness challenges to get out of my comfort zone, I want to run outside rather than the safety of a treadmill and I want to try a class, I've always been too self conscious to do any sort of class.

Mercedesbenz2022 · 14/10/2022 08:11

Placemarking for Monday , and to catch up on the previous posts later

ShineOnYouLikeMorningStar · 14/10/2022 09:49

I've been on LCHF a little while now & seem to be over the worst of the feeling crap stage. Still in a bit of a rut though, meals wise. I'm a bit restricted in what I can eat due to horrendous migraines, it's a bit complicated.

Yesterday I had avocado, scrambled egg & a tomato for breakfast
No time for lunch (had a coffee with collagen powder & some VV thick cream in though)
Chicken & vegetable curry with cauliflower rice

Had a bowl of Greek yoghurt, a dollop of cream, chia seeds & raw cacao for dessert - all mixed together it's sort of like a mousse, not sweet as I used no sweetener but quite rich & it hits the chocolate spot pretty well, personally. IDK if chia seeds are technically allowed on bootcamp? They're pretty low carb & I only used about 2 tsp. I suspect I'm fine with dairy - I don't think it impedes my weight loss - as I did Dukan a while ago & lost about a stone while having loads of low fat dairy on that, I was drinking lots of tea with milk, & eating low fat yoghurt to feel full. Couldn't keep it up though as so hungry all the time, Dukan is LCLF & a bit brutal.

Today:
Nitrite free bacon, scrambled egg, tomatoes
Lunch - IDK, maybe miso soup?
Dinner - chicken curry & cauliflower rice again.

I am thinking about introducing a few mini fasting days - basically just doing OMAD a couple of days a week. For the health benefits as well as weight loss. Would like to do longer fasts but am nervous of it triggering migraines.

ShineOnYouLikeMorningStar · 14/10/2022 09:51

@ditavonteesed I have used the Life fasting app in the past, it's relatively simple. IDK what device/systems it's available on though.

Backstreets · 14/10/2022 10:24

Did low carb during lockdown (used an app to keep track and no socialising made it easy…) and lost a stone, felt quite happy with that, am a habitual eater so I still eat fairly low carb and have managed to keep it off. Would however like to challenge myself to lose a little bit more rather than just maintain so excited to join boot camp Monday for a bit of extra motivation!

StuntNun · 14/10/2022 15:20

@ditavonteesed intermittent fasting is a learned skill, it won't necessarily work without planning. You figure it out very quickly though.

Chocasaurus · 14/10/2022 19:47

Combination of an awful cough and heavy period has really knocked me for 6 this week, but I've carried on where I can, and feeling excited for Monday. Have realised we are away at the PIL Fri- Mon next week which had slipped my mind which is going to make BC v challenging, but will do what I can.

So glad it's the weekend!

comfortablyfrumpy · 15/10/2022 11:13

I have signed up :)

I have plateaued the last few weeks but a sneaky midweek weigh yesterday showed me I am

comfortablyfrumpy · 15/10/2022 11:15

agh bloody phone!

..... I am losing again.

I suspect the first 2 stone was a lot easier than this next stone will be (though I am nearly half way there) but I am sticking with it. It will be worth it.

M0rT · 15/10/2022 11:31

Thanks for the daily menus posted, planning (lack thereof) has been my downfall every time I've tried this before.
This time I'm going to start with a week of meals bought and as prepared as possible by a Monday and try to build up to fortnightly menu planning and freezer stocking.

Canthinkofaname79 · 15/10/2022 11:36

Just signing in and will read this whole thread properly later. Saw a friend yesterday who's lost 1.5 stone in 8 weeks eating this way which was incredibly inspiring!

comfortablyfrumpy · 15/10/2022 11:39

M0rT · 15/10/2022 11:31

Thanks for the daily menus posted, planning (lack thereof) has been my downfall every time I've tried this before.
This time I'm going to start with a week of meals bought and as prepared as possible by a Monday and try to build up to fortnightly menu planning and freezer stocking.

I have found it v useful to make sure I have lots of veg available, full fat Greek yoghurt, good tangy cheddar, mushrooms. Cauliflower by the ton.

and in the cupboard: almond flour, chia seeds, psyllium husk powder, seeds of various kinds,- all for LC bread/baking - and plenty of olives for LC snacking (though I don't snack much nowadays). And some barenaked type konjac noodles.

With all that it is easy to stick to and I can very easily adapt for me what I am making for everyone else.

I now bake LC bread at the weekend, slice and freeze. East to defrost to have with eg avocado for lunch.

M0rT · 15/10/2022 11:52

Thanks @comfortablyfrumpy that is very helpful!

comfortablyfrumpy · 15/10/2022 12:13

Canthinkofaname79 · 15/10/2022 11:36

Just signing in and will read this whole thread properly later. Saw a friend yesterday who's lost 1.5 stone in 8 weeks eating this way which was incredibly inspiring!

You won't regret it :)

I honestly can't believe how easy I have found it. And how much I am NOT hungry!

I think my skin looks better too. I definitely have more energy and just feel so much better.

And I can get into clothes I haven't worn in ages :)

Canthinkofaname79 · 15/10/2022 13:03

Does anyone have a meal plan for this week?

prettybird · 15/10/2022 13:33

My meal plan for the week will be

Breakfast: Greek yoghurt with cinnamon (unless I decide to intermittent fast)

Lunch: eggs of some sort with cherry tomatoes as a snack accompaniment

Dinner: Monday: roast lamb (got a wee half leg of lamb that had been reduced in Lidl yesterday) with celeriac "chips" and green beans in butter and garlic
Tuesday: shepherds pie (with masses of hidden veg in the leftover minced lamb and a cauliflower, Parmesan, egg and cream mash topping)
Wednesday: spag Bol with thinly sliced courgette (making the ragu today with high fat mince that needs using up - again with loads of hidden veg)
Thursday: Cauliflower cheese (sauce made with cream and loads of mature cheddar)
Friday: shoogled sprouts (while dh and ds have Lidl curries).

OP posts:
DearieMeWhatsUp · 15/10/2022 15:30

Tonight we are having spag bol. Tomorrow pork loin steaks with mange tout and mushrooms, Tuesday steak bites done in the air fryer with mushrooms, asparagus and broccoli, Weds pork belly with fried peppers and mushrooms, and that's as far as I've planned for dinners so far!

Lunches will be some combo of chicken salads, scrambled eggs and bacon, low carb toast.

Breakfasts we don't have.

prettybird · 15/10/2022 16:00

Tonight we're having thick cut fillet steaks which are currently sitting with some sea salt sprinkled on them and then I'll cook them once Strictly finishes in hot frothing butter with thyme basting regularly and served with baby sweet corn Smile

OP posts: