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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 BootCamp 2022: Week 1

491 replies

prettybird · 17/10/2022 01:02

While @BIWI takes a well-earned break from running BootCamp after many, many years of supporting people in this Way of Eating I have, for my sins, volunteered to run the Pre-Christmans BootCamp Shock. I'll admit to only doing so for selfish reasons: I needed the BootCamp in the run up to Christmas and the accountability of running it would in turn help me to be more accountable Grin

My Big Stick might not be as big as @BIWI's but I will do my best to channel her Wink. And with the support of all the other experienced BootCampers and @FinallyHere's help with the Spreadsheet, I am sure we will see a lot of success in the run up to Christmas.Smile

Here is the link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness You don't need to log your weight if you don't need to but within the various tabs of the Spreadsheet are The Rules ( very important), Vegetarian Rules links to resources that outline how and why this Way of Eating works, menu plans, veg carb counters and many other resources.

I'd strongly recommend that even if you don't weigh yourself (and even if you do), you should measure yourself at the start, especially your waist. That way, if your weight loss stalls, you may still see progress in other ways. BootCamp is very effective at reducing visceral fat, which will manifest itself in a smaller waist measurement.

Anyway, on to the important stuff: here are The Rules

1. Eat three proper meals a day.
You must eat breakfast. It doesn’t have to be a lot, and it doesn’t have to be absolutely first thing, but you must have something. For the rest of the day, if you’re eating enough food and especially enough fat, you shouldn’t be hungry between meals. But if you are hungry, eat something. (Hard boiled eggs make a great snack). After the first two weeks of Bootcamp we will relax this, but these two weeks are critical in terms of helping you switch easily to a low carb way of eating - and if you start to feel hungry, it makes things much harder! Eating this way will ensure that your blood sugar levels are kept stable, which will mean that you are much less likely to experience hunger. A typical high carbohydrate diet can mean that snacking is a routine part of your day. Once your blood sugar levels are stable, by eating low carb, you should find that you no longer want to snack. But the rule of thumb here is ‘if you are hungry, eat!’. (Just make sure you are only choosing low carb snacks, of course!)"

2. Avoid processed foods.
Focus on pure, natural protein as the basis for your meals - meat/fish/eggs. Things like sausages, ham, bacon, pre-prepared burgers etc should be avoided as much as possible. You can have them, but just not at every meal, every day.

3. Eat lots of fat.
Eating fat will not make you fat. Honestly! But it will keep your appetite satisfied, and it sustains your body’s energy requirements perfectly. Fat does not provoke an insulin spike, unlike carbs which do (a lot) and protein (a little). Fry in butter, add butter to vegetables, eat salad with a home-made vinaigrette dressing (not made with balsamic vinegar though, as this is too sweet), add mayonnaise where you can (just check the carb count on your mayo first). Eat fattier cuts of meat – e.g. pork belly, roast chicken with the skin on and/or eat the fat off your lamb chops. Absolutely no low fat/light/’Lite’ foods of any kind!

4. Make sure you are eating vegetables and salads with your food.
"This is where your carbs should come from, and this is non-negotiable. But choose only those vegetables that are on the allowed list. Make sure that you focus on eating those vegetables that are under 5g carb per 100g, and this will ensure that your carb counts are kept low. You don’t have to weigh/count carbs – this is one of the great joys of this WOE (way of eating), but if you’re new to low carbing it can be helpful to weigh your portions of veg in the early days, just so that you know how many carbs are in the sort of portions that you like to eat.

The vegetable carb counter is helpfully colour-coded into green (eat freely), amber (go easy) and red (best avoided as much as possible), which will help you to make your choices."

5. Be careful about dairy (apart from butter, which is unlimited).
Dairy can impede weight loss for some people. If you are drinking tea/coffee with milk or cream, try to restrict yourself to max 2 cups per day. There are a lot of carbs in milk, so if you are having several cups of tea/coffee per day, you will quickly rack up your daily carb count (e.g. 1 medium latte contains more than 12g carbs!) You may eat cheese but again, don't overdo it. Full fat yoghurt is the best way to include dairy in your diet - but beware, it does contain carbs. You should choose one that’s 10% fat – most of the supermarkets have a Greek yoghurt in their premium ranges with this amount of fat.

6. You must drink a minimum of 2 litres of water per day.
The more weight you have to lose, the more water you should drink.

This is from www.low-carbdiet.co.uk/:

Water is essential to weight loss for those who follow a low carb way of eating. The minimum consumed in a day should be:
Your Weight.........Litres
140lbs............2.5
160lbs............3.0
180lbs............3.0
200lbs............3.5
220lbs............3.5
240lbs............4.0
260lbs............4.5
280lbs............4.5
300lbs............5.0
320lbs............5.5
340lbs............5.5
360lbs............6.0
380lbs............6.5
400lbs............6.5
"High levels of ketones in the blood stream can lead to a reduction in ketone production, therefore being well hydrated could aid in keeping the levels low and ketone production ongoing. Consuming enough water can have many other positive side effects, e.g. it aids your kidneys with the processing of protein, reduces the retention of water, helps with preventing constipation, and reduces the levels of ketones released by your breath, which in turn will reduce breath odour.

However, drinking a lot of water can mean that you also need to keep an eye on your electrolyte balance. You need to make sure that you are consuming sufficient sodium and potassium. On a low carb way of eating, we should eat more salt, so make sure that you are cooking with salt and adding salt to food, if you like it.

Good, low carb, sources of potassium are spinach (raw), avocado, mushrooms, courgettes and asparagus, as well as salmon and yoghurt."

7. No alcohol.
Alcohol is the easiest source of fuel for the body to burn, so it will always use this first before it starts to burn any fat - which is why you need to restrict it, especially in the first two weeks of Bootcamp, when we are encouraging the body to stop using carbs for its source of fuel and turn to fat-burning instead. If you really can't do this - at least try and restrict it to the weekend. Vodka with soda is the best thing to drink. Or Champagne, red wine or dry white wine.

8. No fruit.
Really. Seriously. Honestly. None at all. Zilch. Nada. After the first two weeks of Bootcamp you will be able to introduce certain fruits, in moderation, but at this stage fruit is simply too carby. We are also trying to break the addiction to sweet things, so cutting fruit out is part of this process. If you are getting all your carbs from vegetables and salad, you will be getting all the nutrients and fibre that you need.

9. No nuts/seeds.
Although they are a good source of nutrition and contain lots of fat – which is great for us – they also contain carbohydrate and, because they’re so moreish, you can quickly end up eating a lot of carbs. When we move to Bootcamp Light, after the first two weeks, you can re-introduce these, but be careful and go easy.

10. No sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Sugar is an obvious ‘no no’, but artificial sweeteners are also an issue. One of the aims of this way of eating is to eat pure and natural foods, so including sweeteners is not recommended. Some people find that artificial sweeteners can impede their weight loss, and there is some suggestion that your body can respond to sweeteners as if they were sugar, by releasing more insulin - and therefore laying down fat. Given that the aim of Bootcamp is to help us lose our sweet tooth and addiction to sweet things, then it is a good idea to avoid sweeteners altogether in this first two weeks.

That's enough for now. I'll post more in the morning: in particular the disclaimer that I am not a medical professional and that if you have any concerns, you should check with a medical professional.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
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venusandmars · 19/10/2022 23:31

@pinknsparkly haha I misread your post as "pizza for my daughter; and 'husband and tuna' in sunflower oil with mayonnaise for me..." Halloween Grin It was just how my phone lined up the writing.

@LiesDoNotBecomeUs oh yes, the difference that leeks make to celeriac mash... it's just a wonderful combination. I have a leek in my veg box, so I'll buy some celeraic to go with it later in the week. Thanks for reminding me.

brookln · 20/10/2022 01:29

Struggling with the water intake but getting better! Have sinned today - had a protein bar 🙈 felt bloated afterwards. Also husband was drinking wine and I had a small sip 🫢

L- tuna salad with avocado, spinach, egg, and seeds (mayo dressing)
D- pork sausages with mushy peas and onions (went easy on those)
Snack- boiled egg (and the protein bar)

I'm loving having huge mugs of decaf tea ☕️ I put a tiny splash of milk in it.

Did a good shop and drooled over all the chocolates that are currently in your face due to Halloween!

ListenLinda · 20/10/2022 06:40

Morning Campers.
Just caught up with the thread from yesterday, had a busy day. Food wise all on track but water slacked a bit, I really must do better.
Jumped on the scales for my mid week weigh, down 2.5lbs this week and 7.5lbs in total since coming back to LC. Pleased with progress so far, as this is technically my 3rd/4th week. Think it is combined with me also choosing to walk to school to pick up DD. I think i’ll get my butt back to the gym today.

Food supplies are low in my household until DH gets paid tomorrow. I have a full chicken, some sprouts and broccoli, potatoes and carrots (not for me, for DH & the kids!) so I guess i’m doing a Sunday dinner on a Thursday 😁greek yogurt for breakfast, tuna & cheese salad for lunch.
and ALL the water today, I will make sure of it!

interesting reading about the egg fast, is it literally eating nothing but eggs and fat for a few days?

Backstreets · 20/10/2022 06:47

Good morning! Went on the scales today and I KNOW it’s just water weight and can fluctuate like that but still felt so happy I had to celebrate with a cappuccino (between water).
I lost quite a bit doing keto during lockdown and have mostly maintained for about six months or more, so this morning is the first time I’ve seen a certain number on the scale for a long time :)
today will be busy, seeing a lovely friend for lunch but will be strong, doing a board meeting later which will probably be rancid but at least there probably won’t be pastries (conference yesterday went fine except it was a bit crap, venue food being poor worked in my favour for once as I’d requested a veg lunch which was… a green salad and a boiled egg! Lol).

sheepdreams · 20/10/2022 07:21

Great to hear about everyone’s food and ideas. I have managed to stick to this WOE so far! I do feel as if I have carb flu today - shaky, lethargic and headachy so will up my 💦 and put a little salt and lemon in.

as I was a complete carb addict I’m not surprised. I had shocked sprouts yesterday utterly delicious.

take care everyone and here’re is hoping we all have a good LC day.

DurhamDurham · 20/10/2022 08:25

Thanks @StuntNun I don't think I'd try to do an actual egg fast, four eggs was a shock to my system so I wouldn't risk it Grin
I can imagine the results are good as an emergency measure like you say but it's not a great way to get nourishment and it would potentially cause disordered eating for me.

I had omelette and salad for lunch.
Homemade chicken and vegetable soup with a grated cheese mountain on top was dinner.

Lots of black coffee, not enough water. Snacks were some baby plum tomatoes. Oh and a spoonful of squirty cream because it kept me away from the fudge my husband was eating.

agnesmartin · 20/10/2022 08:57

Great to hear of the early losses.

I stepped on the scales this morning and I am nearly below 90kg which is the weight I promised myself I'd never go over after my last successful bootcamp a couple of years ago!

sheepdreams - Hope the salt and lemon does the trick re: carb flu. It's been working for me (thanks for the tip prettybird).

Food today will be something like:
B: ham and cheese
L: Tuna salad
D: Liver cooked somehow with FLGV

Rshard · 20/10/2022 09:10

Also loving reading about early victories on the scales 😀

Scored a few reduced swedes in our local co-op yesterday, result!

Backstreets · 20/10/2022 09:44

Oh I'm gonna try salt and lemon too. Thanks for the tip!

StuntNun · 20/10/2022 09:48

@ListenLinda the egg fast was devised for a diabetic person called Jimmy Moore who wasn't able to lose weight on a conventional low carb diet. It involves eating within 30 minutes of waking and eating only eggs for three or more days with up to one ounce of fat and up to one ounce of cheese per egg. It is technically a modified fast and has been widely adopted as a method of getting into ketosis quickly and/or losing 2-3 lb in only a few days - for example if someone needs to get into a particular outfit that week. It is also popularly used as a reset if someone has fallen off the wagon. There are a couple of advantages: eggs contain the amino acid choline which is very satiating so your calorie intake will drop; and the simplicity and boring nature of the food makes it easy to stick to. In my opinion it has major disadvantages. It is far too low in protein therefore you run the risk of losing muscle mass, particularly if you do it frequently. It is nutritionally poor. There's no reason to eat within 30 minutes of waking unless you're Jimmy Moore (who was having a huge blood glucose surge on waking up.) It allows you to eat massive amount of cheese which can be insulinogenic in a lot of people. If I were redesigning the egg fast for general use I would remove the requirement to eat first thing, I would minimise the amount of cheese and I would change one meal a day to include a lean protein such as sirloin steak or chicken breast or tuna, and a small amount of high nutrient vegetable, possibly along with eggs but not necessarily.

ShineOnYouLikeMorningStar · 20/10/2022 10:08

Getting another migraine, already onto my 2nd this week (TOTM). I've had eggs & asparagus again for breakfast (runny this time, yay), IDK if I'll want anything else today TBH. Sometimes I get really sick with a migraine. I have a big bottle of water next to the bed. Will be mostly sleeping today. I'm supposed to go for my flu jab this afternoon too. <cries>

Buttercream22 · 20/10/2022 10:18

Morning, just catching up on the thread, I had a super busy day yesterday.

Today's menu as follows.

B- Greek Yogurt and cinnamon
L-Leftover chicken fajita bake (so yummy)
D- The kids have requested spaghetti bolognese, so I will have that but with veggies instead of pasta.

I didn't do too well with the water yesterday, so I'm going to make a real effort today.

Have a great day everyone!

prettybird · 20/10/2022 10:38

I'm working hard on the water today Halo

I have another funeral to go to tomorrow Shock - this one will be a small one: it's of the father of a good friend. I'm going more for my friend (one of my oldest friends - lost touch for 30 years and then made contact again about 12 years when we both found ourselves back in Scotland Smile). It was his time and he had dementia so it's that strange mix of relief and sadness.

I've just put a coloured wash as I realised that the purple shirt that forms part of my funeral outfit had not been washed since last week Blush am hoping it won't be quite as tight as last week Wink

OP posts:
NotDonna · 20/10/2022 11:21

Oh gosh prettybird 2 funerals within a week.

Not a brilliant day yesterday as succumbed to wine. Only two glasses but still. Hard when on holiday to totally avoid booze. Need to stop that and up the water. Had a beetroot juice then wondered if that was carby. Food not too bad as chosen from buffet but salads prepped & dressed & no leafy greens or build your own on offer.
B - smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, roasted peppers, beetroot juice & coffee with milk
L - grouper with mixed salad. Had an oily dressing on it already.
D - beef carpaccio, cheese, tomato. garlicky cod, ratatouille. 2 glasses of red.
No snacks. Not enough water. Am pleased that I didn’t go to the dessert area. I’ve a shockingly sweet tooth.

Plan for today is water, water, water & zero booze. I went booze free for a year last year so know it’s doable! It’s only 5am, been awake since 2am so hoping to get back to sleep before I really start Thursday.

humancalculator · 20/10/2022 12:49

Put on a pair of trousers that were too big when I bought them, but then started to fit over the last few weeks 🙄- now they’re too big again😃! Down 1kg (I think in kgs, not lbs) already but just feeling generally less bloated all round.

UnOeufIsEnough · 20/10/2022 12:51

I hope tomorrow goes ok @prettybird. Flowers

Plan for the day:
B: boiled eggs with butter and roasted mushrooms
L: lettuce wraps with ham, cheese, mayo and tomatoes
D: beef stew with neeps and button mushrooms (currently in the slow cooker). Might have some broccoli or Savoy cabbage on the side.

1l down on the 💦💦. Far bit to go!

imsofancy · 20/10/2022 13:10

Hi, sorry I missed the original start date but please, please can you add me to the spreed sheet of fabulous? I did the last Boot Camp and read all the posts but was too shy to comment. I find reading your messages hugely inspirational and just the motivation I needed. Unfortunately since boot camp ended I have returned to my old habits with the weight loss plateauing. I really, really need a kick up the bum to get back on track and drop the pounds before Christmas. Thanks

BIWI · 20/10/2022 13:25

@imsofancy well done for delurking! Smile Flowers

prettybird · 20/10/2022 13:28

Welcome @imsofancy Flowers and congratulations for delurking.

@FinallyHere will be along to add you to the spreadsheet Smile

OP posts:
imsofancy · 20/10/2022 13:36

I used to read the threads long before I joined, horrified to discover I had piled on 5 stone during lockdown!!! Still far too heavy but finally feeling brave enough to publicly admit I have a problem with comfort eating. LCHF is the only thing that has worked for me and it's helped improve my health in so many other areas (migraines, leg cramps, swollen fingers, mood swings and sugar cravings). Thank you all for being braver than me and sharing your stories xx

ZiggZagg · 20/10/2022 13:51

Welcome @imsofancy !

I'm a bit of a bootcamp veteran now! Never thought I'd say that! In 2020/2021 lost 45 lbs through calorie counting and bootcamp, mostly LCHF though and looked and felt great! Then a few things happened which made me think fuck it and here I am again heavier than my start weight last time! It can happen and it shows me that I have to take it seriously now and continue.

We are all so friendly on here and everyone is really supportive so get involved and enjoy all the lovely food and fantastic benefits of this WOE!

ZiggZagg · 20/10/2022 13:52

On a seperate note, I'm really craving sugar Sad I will have a herbal tea and koko as I know this will pass in a few days Grin

AlhambraQueen · 20/10/2022 14:04

Hi everyone,
I've been having lots of salad with fish for lunch and cooked veg with lots of butter with meat for dinner. Breakfast is normally eggs with cooked veg or Greek yoghurt with cinnamon and black coffee.

Been trying to drink more water or though not sure I'm reaching my 3.5 litre target every day. Have lots of hot drinks too. Is fruit tea allowed?

First night resulted in a carb headache but been OK since. Appetite has decreased too.

What can we have for a sweet treat in the first two week of BC?

Will weigh every mon but will weigh on Sat this week as off to England for wedding.

BIWI · 20/10/2022 14:16

@AlhambraQueen

What can we have for a sweet treat in the first two week of BC?

Nothing! Remember, one of the things we're trying to achieve here is to break the hold that sweet stuff has over us.

From week 3 onwards, you can have some fruit - mainly berries, and only in moderation. And some dark chocolate - as high a cocoa percentage as possible - but again, only in moderation.

(You will find that your tastebuds do change, and stuff will seem too sweet to you!)

AlhambraQueen · 20/10/2022 14:31

@BIWI OK thanks