January '25 - Low Carb Bootcamp (Dry!) - week 1 (of 4ish)

[BIWI]

Good morning all, and a very happy new year

So today sees the start of the first low carb Bootcamp of 2025, and to get us off to the best start, this one is short and sharp. Only 4 weeks (ish, depending on when you actually start!), but also a dry one.

As with all Bootcamps, our first two weeks will be the strictest but with the option after this of moving on to Bootcamp Light for the remaining two weeks. The only difference being that we're aiming to be alcohol-free for the whole time.

Many thanks, as always, to the very lovely @FinallyHere, who is womanning the spreadsheet for us; you'll see that it allows for different start dates. Some of us are starting today, those in Scotland get an extra bank holiday so might be starting tomorrow - and several people are on holiday until 6 January. Exactly when you choose to weigh-in is entirely up to you!

Please have a good read of the spreadsheet!. Not only are the rules on there, there's also a huge amount of really useful information, along with a veg carb counter, helpfully traffic light colour-coded, to show you which are the best (and worst) options. You'll also find plenty of resources about low carbing, which will give you a good understanding of the science behind this WOE (way of eating).

As ever, any questions please post them here - or send me a PM if you prefer - as well as any meal suggestions and just general observations about how things are going for you.

Good luck to us all!

@BIWI Wow! I just checked out your thread (linked upthread) which has all the low carb meat recipes… so good. Thank you so much!

Yesterday was good but for both lunch and dinner I left eating late (kids all had friends for sleepovers while I also tried to wfh and so the day was a bit chaotic!) which meant I was absolutely famished when it came to eating, which in turn meant the first 10 mins of eating was just wolfing down and I could have picked at something sweet once I finished… but meals were good:

• buttery scrambled eggs (three)
• pack of pre cooked chicken slices, cauli rice with butter, rosemary and goats cheese, lettuce (with drizzle of oil)
• sirloin steak with sprouts stir fried with butter, garlic, ginger and chilli

Not having a glass of red when I logged off from working from home was worryingly HARD!!

@RockyRogue1001 if you like herbal tea then Twinings Buttermint tea tastes exactly Like Werthers Originals so it gives you that sweet taste but without carbs when you're craving something sweet after a meal. Liquorice teas can be sweet as well but they aren't suitable for people with certain medical conditions.

@Baystard ooooo no blue cheese for me thank you. Basic mozzarella and cream!
I do love broccoli soup.

Good morning and happy New Year to all my fellow bootcampers. I won't be starting properly until Monday as due to Christmas viruses etc running through my house I haven't managed to get the necessary prep/shopping done yet. I did pop on the scales two days ago and am horrified by the gain (78.6kg up from 76.9kg) and will convert to pounds and add to the spreadsheet.

Today I need to get the Christmas decorations down and put all the uneaten 'goodies'away. It is bonkers the amount of sugar laden foods that are in circulation at this time of year. Both DH and I work in professions where we are regularly gifted chocolates, biscuits etc and even though I regifted loads there is still way too much. Yesterday I popped into Tesco and there was a large shelf with Christmas chocolate etc reduced to clear right beside a stand of Cadbury creme eggs! People were filling their trolleys with reduced price mince pies and selection boxes. I don't blame them as everything is so expensive and it is hard to resist a bargain but it is all too much 😞

Today and tomorrow will be regular BC days with struct starting Monday morning. Hope today is a great one for you all.

Oooh I'd forgotten about buttermint tea! Adding that to the shopping list.

My fridge is so full after the delivery last night that I can barely get the door closed 🙈 so the plan for today is to prep everything for the freezer and the week ahead.

Roast chicken for dinner with some combination of the abundance of veg I now have!

Thank you @StuntNun, yes Twining's buttermint tea is what I drink. I was recommending it to another poster.

@Calyx72 having now put my weight on the spreadsheet, I can see week 2 starts on Monday, so that answers our question.
Although it's only been a couple of days for me, my weigh day will continue to be Sunday.

Hi @BIWI, so I have been having cream instead of milk in coffee, having cheese and eggs and lots of fresh salad and veg with mayo or vinigrette dressing. Is this ok or do we have to watch our dairy? Also, can we have pumpkin seeds? Thank you for your help.

Good morning all. I know we can't have this during the first 2 weeks, but has anyone made low carb porridge? I've seen a couple of recipes using either almond or coconut flour and flaxseeds.

I don't often have breakfast (usually do 16:8 or 18:6) but for some reason this morning (maybe because it's so cold) I'm fancying a bowl of warm porridge. Off to get a mug of warm water, followed by a coffee!

Pumpkin seeds (like other seeds) aren't allowed in the first two weeks of Bootcamp, I'm afraid. But after that you can introduce them.

As far as dairy goes, it seems to be a more personal issue. Some people find that dairy can impede their weight loss, whereas for others it isn't a problem. So it's a bit 'suck it and see' I'm afraid!

I drink unsweetened almond milk with tea or coffee, it is very low carb. Might have an omelette for breakfast to warm and fill me up!

Just wanted to check in as starting properly on Monday. Everyone’s food sounds delicious. I have not put weight on spreadsheet but hoping to lose a stone (2 would be better) but I’m setting small goals initially. In the preparation stage getting a food plan together and then will need to shop.

wishing everyone a fab weekend and looking forward to this journey.

I finally weighed myself. I only put on 3 lbs during the holidays despite my indulgences. For main meals, I stuck to LC options about 90% of the time, though I did have plenty of tortilla chips and alcohol almost every day. I guess picking and choosing where to indulge helped a bit but I prefer how I feel sticking to LC 100%. I’m pleased I didn’t totally derail my progress—I’m still a stone down from where I started back in September but would like to lose 2 stones more. If I lose 4 lbs during this BC I will be thrilled.

I'm on Day 2 and I'm feeling a bit nauseous with all the oil and eggs and fatty sauces. The thought of eating like that again today is really putting me off.

Is this normal? Or perhaps I'm actually coming down with a bug - how do we tell?

I think I need to manage your expectations here! This Bootcamp is only 4 weeks long, so I doubt very much you'll lose 2 stones in that time

Sorry you're not feeling great @specialsauce - what have you been eating over the last couple of days? Are you normally a no/low fat person?

Hopefully it's just a temporary transition, rather than a bug of some kind.

Hi @BIWI, yesterday I ate:

tuna and mayonnaise with green salad and olive oil/cider vinegar dressing

1 low carb sausage, fried egg and 3 large fried mushrooms

beef bolognaise made with garlic, courgette, olive oil and served with mozzarella and cheddar, plus green salad

4 teas and 4 glasses water.

Felt quite nauseous by the end of it all and feeling like I needed to eat dry toast -but I didn't!
I do usually eat quite a high fat diet anyway - lots of butter, cheese and olive oil.

😀haha just read my post back Biwi! worry not, I’m not expecting to lose 2 stones over the 4 week bootcamp although my terminology would appear to indicate so! Although 1 stone or near would be most welcome😃. I will settle for managing the constant hunger I seem to feel and curb the carb monster🤞

Having an issue with the spreadsheet... please could you add 198 for today for me @FinallyHere when you have a minute? Thank you ☺️

Hopefully just a temporary thing, @specialsauce? But if you are feeling nauseous, just dial down the fat for a day or so until you're feeling better.

Looking back I have gained 2lbs over xmas 😬
Could be worse I suppose!
3st to go.... so it's a long way to go.

Happy New Year all! 🎉

Only 2lb is really good @nocarbsforme!

Another omelette for lunch here. Swerved the chips and the dessert. Flying tonight so let's see how that goes...

Thanks. Was a bit worried I'd put the half a stone back on that I lost. So it's not too terrible.

Making a parmigiana tonight with rocket salad. 🍆 🍅 🧀
Had omelette for breakfast. 🍳

7 days AF today and am fancying a glass again (sorry if that's a bit triggering!)

Off to google buttermint tea!

Breakfast (ish) - smoked salmon & cream cheese roll ups.

Lunch (ish) - creamy brocolli and Stilton soup (made with a small pack or ready chopped onions and some garlic but between 7 portions it's not too bad.

Dinner will be more reheated shin of beef and cauliflower with butter. Maybe sprouts too.

Aiming to reduce the coffee (with semi skimmed milk) by drinking a fruit tea (are they allowed?) in between every coffee.

birchalltea.co.uk/tea-shop/red-berry-flower-25-enveloped-tea-bags/

Spin class and 1.5 litres of water ✅