January ’26 Low Carb Bootcamp - getting us started!

[BIWI]

Welcome to the first Low Carb Bootcamp of 2026 - and Happy New Year to us all

Each week, every Monday, I’ll start a new chat thread, with a link to the spreadsheet. But I wanted to start this one a little bit earlier, so that I could post some prep stuff - either as a reminder, if you’ve Bootcamped before, or as key information if you haven’t.

If you haven’t Bootcamped before, and things aren’t very clear, then the FAQ thread should be helpful:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/low_carb_bootcamp/4049535-Low-Carb-Bootcamp-FAQs?reply=118903269

But please ask any questions on the threads - or PM me if you’d prefer.

The very lovely @FinallyHere is working on the spreadsheet in preparation for Monday. You don’t have to be on it, so either message me/her to ask to be removed, or simply ignore your row!

To make sure everyone who has signed up has seen this thread, I’m going to tag you all - in batches of 10 because sometimes it doesn’t work if you try to do everyone at the same time.

I’ve done ok today, FFGY and sliced chicken for brunch (managed a nice lie in for once!), and bolognese for dinner - spaghetti for the DCs but none for me, and I used a leek instead of onions. I’ve boiled some eggs and they’re in the fridge to grab as and when needed.

Thanks to all of you who have been posting this week! I’ve noticed a fair few who said they were signing up who haven’t been joining in so far. If you’re lurking, please come out of the shadows and tell us how you’re getting on!

I’ll be going through the spreadsheet next week, and if those who have signed up haven’t posted anything, I’ll be deleting those names. Makes it a lot easier to ‘read’ the spreadsheet. So if that’s you, tell me not to delete you!

Sausage, fried egg and spinach for lunch and pulled lamb shoulder for dinner, with tzatziki, roasted vegetables (aubergine, courgette, pepper and garlic ), red cabbage that I’d lightly pickled and some feta. I’d forgotten how the vegetables just disappear to nothing! Should have had a green veg on the side too. Still didn’t drink all the water but much better than yesterday. I’ve also made a ‘minestrone’ (no beans no pasta) that I can just heat up for WFH lunches.

@SemmaLina thank you for the inspiration. I cooked the laksa tonight and it was delicious! The bonus was both husband and daughter had it and loved it as well. I’m also now thinking about what else I can use cabbage with. Fingers crossed for the weigh in tomorrow everyone.

I’m very much looking forward to tomorrow’s thread - it’s always my favourite in Bootcamp! I love seeing how much people have lost and, especially when people are new to low carbing, how amazed they are to see such a loss despite eating lovely food!

Just be aware that as I’m now retired, and don’t have to get up at sparrow’s crack, I won’t be posting the new thread first thing. It’s all entirely dependent on when I wake up
(The joys of being retired!)

Can anyone link to the Laksa again - I missed it and it does sound delicious.

Delicious salad with Halumi and black olives for lunch and roast chicken with roast veg and lots of greens for dinner.

Can’t stop thinking about chocolate but otherwise doing ok so far. Think weigh in tomorrow morning will help with my will
power.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/low-carb-salmon-laksa

Thank you @TeamToeBeans - much appreciated. 🙏💐

Ooh that looks lovely!

I've done ok this week, few too many glasses of slimline tonic both Fri and Sat, but managed a tricky situation today without reaching for the booze so I'm happy.
Had a very late brunch (more brinner) of eggs bacon and mushrooms, then leftover curry for dinner, really didn't feel very hungry today.
Did pick up a massive pork joint for £4 though, going to o be pulled pork this week but I don't know how to get the sweetness, I'll Google some recipes.

Into week 2, hope everyone is happy with the scales tomorrow!

So chuffed to have made it through the first week! Tried this way of eating with great success about 6 years ago but couldn't maintain it and combination of stressful job/primary school age kids/caring for elderly relatives (and death of elderly relatives) has led to a slippery slope and now horrified when I see myself in photos or on video calls.

Been mainly on plan this past week. Did have a latte on Saturday (used to have one daily!) but aside from that have stuck to the rules. Yesterday was greek yoghurt for breakfast, fried eggs with peppers, onions and tinned tomatoes (and hot smoked paprika and cumin) for lunch. Dinner was traybake chicken thigh with peppers and onions (had lots of peppers and onion that needed eating up).

Slightly against the rules but M+S do some high protein/low carb meals which are not cheap! BUT knowing I am time poor with high likelihood of not having enough time to prepare food I bought three of them for this week, in an effort to stay on plan.

Haven't added weight to the spreadsheet for two reasons. Main one if I'm honest is how horrified I am at my likely weight judging from the way clothes (don't) fit and photos. But also don't have scales since a house move. Once clothes fit a bit more the plan is to "treat" myself to scales.

Wishing you all a great week. X

I haven't posted on the thread for a while, but I've been following along. So many delicious meals!

I've been fighting constipation. It happened in the summer when I went home to visit and ate all the wrong things. Apparently I overdid it over Christmas too. Both times I've got back pain (was worse in the summer), so I've had to use laxatives as well as drinking "smooth move" tea to help move things along. I'm doing much better now, but still have a little back pain (as well as in my hips).

I've been drinking all the water, eating all the veggies and I know I've lost most, if not all, my bloat. I know I've lost some weight too, since I weigh daily, but I'll also measure in the morning (I'm in the US).

Good morning. I have added my weight to the spreadsheet this morning. More impressively is my body fat %, which has gone down by 6%points!

Very happy to have lost a pound. I dont have a lot to lose, have some hormonal things going on and already was eating low carb so really happy.
I havent been using the spreadsheet, just recording at home.

152lb today - a 2lb loss for me, although my scales decided the battery was running out this morning, and I got several dubious readings, but that’s the one I feel is most likely to be accurate.

I’ve got a fridge full of low carb goodness and have planned my lunches and dinners for the next couple of days, I’m feeling pretty positive about the coming week.

2lb off for me. I weigh every day and I’ve been up and down over the same 4lbs for a fortnight. Years ago I could lose lots by low carbing but now I’m perimenopausal every pound is really hard to shift.

2.5lb for me which I'm thrilled with, seeing as the scales were hardly moving at all early in the week. @KellyWithABigBelly I hear you on the peri and it being difficult to lose 😪.

@Sunnysideuptoday Glad you all enjoyed it !
DH apparently doesn’t like coconut , ginger or lemongrass , he loved it too !

Good Morning! I am a few days behind everyone as started late but I weigh everyday - today I am 3lbs down which I am very pleased about although I know it's the initial woosh! Well done everyone!!
I'm excited to be in the swing of this woe!

Weight this morning is 58kg
V pleased with that
I started the diet on Jan 1

Brunch today will be 3 soft boiled eggs with the last bit of low carb bread homemade

Evening meal will be the beef keema which is will try to fashion into low carb pasties
I just made naan last night and had the leftover mutton qorma

It does feel doable when I know I can eat delicious food and still lose weight tho it is more about controlling blood sugar for me

Hope everyone has a fab week ahead!

A loss of 3lb for me, very happy with that as it appears mainly to have been lost from my chins

@KellyWithABigBelly I've found weight can be more sticky as I got older but then it would eventually drop. It's as if my body is holding out as long as possible before finally letting it go. It will still come off, but it takes longer to get the whoosh. I'm not sure what my body is worried about, possibly that in my perimenopausal brain-foggy state I'm likely to randomly wander into the wilderness at any moment and need this extra water and fat to survive

Yay, 4lb down, and I can feel it too. It's all carb bloat but that's fine. Will add to sheet later.

Same for me. I’m not sure what we’re basing this on, I mean, I’ve been lost in the wilderness precisely zero times. But you never know!

3.8lbs loss for me which I’m very happy about. I lost and mostly kept off 20lbs doing this a couple of years ago and am aiming to get back to that weight plus shave a few more lbs off which I never managed at the time and see if I can maintain it. Let‘s see 🧐

3.5lbs for me this week, delighted with that and although I’ve done this before i am definitely always surprised as I feel that I have eaten so well. Here is to another week.
Am going to plan out my meals for the week as that is absolutely key for me.