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Low-carb diets

Share advice and experiences of following a low-carb diet.Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

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Autumn Low Carb Bootcamp - The Questions Thread

338 replies

BIWI · 08/09/2013 14:12

Welcome everybody!

As there are lots of us signed up for the next Bootcamp, you will find that the chat thread moves very quickly! It can be the case, therefore, that questions get missed - hence starting this thread. If you have a specific question or issue, please post it here to make sure that it gets answered. I will do my best to check this thread as often as I can - and if others can answer your question then they will do so as well.

I thought it might be a good idea to start off with some FAQs that often get asked, just to help save a bit of time! So here goes:

How many carbs should I be eating per day to make sure that I lose weight?

There are a couple of points to make here. First, Bootcamp is designed to make low carbing as easy as possible. One of the things that I believe puts people off diets is having to weigh, measure and count everything that they are eating - and of course, this is impossible if you are eating out/on the go. If you make sure that you are following Bootcamp rules, then you should lose weight.

Second, we are different in terms of our ability to cope with carbohydrate. Some people can eat more carbs without gaining weight whereas others have to keep their carbs at quite a low level.

The initial 2 weeks of Bootcamp are designed to be sufficiently low carb for the vast majority of people to lose weight by following it. Although Bootcamp Light (for the remaining 8 weeks of Bootcamp) allows more carbs, it is still supposed to be relatively low carb.

Once you have completed Bootcamp and/or you have reached your target weight, then it's time to start to explore how many carbs you can tolerate before the weight goes back on. And the only way to do this is to experiment by re-introducing carbs. A gradual introduction, along with a vigilant eye on the scales/your waistband will soon tell you if you have overdone it!

Will I ever be able to eat carbs again?!

Absolutely you will - see the answer to the above question! However, if once you reach your target weight you revert back to eating the same level of carbs as you were before you started, then you will put all the weight back on. Carbs make you fat!

The best thing to do is to work out a WOE (way of eating) that keeps the carbs at a sufficiently low level such that you maintain your weight.

By the time you reach your target weight, you will also be ketogenically-adapted, i.e. your body has switched from carb-burning to fat-burning, so the odd night off will not do you too much harm.

How hard is it to eat out when you are low carbing?

It's easier to eat out when you are low carbing than if you are trying to count calories or eat a low fat diet. (As long as you don't find yourself in a restaurant that only serves pizza or pasta!)

The majority of restaurants will have something on their menu that is easily adapted for low carb eating. And it's always possible to ask them to substitute something high carb for something lower carb - so if something is on the menu being served with chips, or rice - ask if they will switch those for a salad, or extra veg. I have never been refused when I have asked this, and it is never an issue.

Some types of restaurants are harder to navigate - Thai is very difficult, not only because of the rice/noodles, but because many of their meals use sugar in the sauces as well as thickeners. At an Indian restaurant, poppadoms, rice, chappattis and naan breads are all (obviously!) out. Aim for a dry curry (so a tandoori or tikka dish), and have that with a side curry such as cauliflower, spinach or mushroom.

The best thing is to be prepared - if the restaurant has a website, have a look to see if they have posted their menu, so you have a chance to see what's available, what you can eat. And you could always ring them in advance to see if they can accommodate any particular needs that you have - mostly restaurants are happy to try and accommodate their customers.

Is it really possible to eat so much fat and still lose weight?

Oh yes! Grin Just ask anyone else who has done Bootcamp! Fat doesn't make you fat. When you eat fat, your body does not produce an insulin spike - unlike when you eat carbs. It is the insulin production that causes your body to lay down fat.

We need fat. It is good for our brains and for our skin.

Also, very importantly, eating fat is very satiating. It is what will help to stop you getting hungry. It's actually quite difficult to eat masses of fat, whereas it's very easy to eat masses of carbs.

Here's a very good piece from a site that's well worth following, all about fat and why it's good for us/isn't going to harm us

Do I have to do any exercise on Bootcamp to lose weight?

Not if you don't want to. Exercise, as a means of losing weight, is way over-rated. You have to exercise a lot and frequently to lose a significant amount of weight. For example, I have recently taken up running. My last run saw me burn 390 calories. That's quite a lot - but that was after running for 30 minutes, and for 5km.

On my plan (and on the advice of my osteopath) I am only supposed to run three times a week. That would mean that in the course of a week I have burnt off 1,170 calories. Not that much in the grand scheme of things - but that's a lot of running!

Exercise can help you, but it's not essential.

I do a lot of regular exercise, and I'm advised by my trainer/the gym to eat plenty of carbs and/or to carb load before I run/cycle/train - what should I do if I'm low carbing?

Once you are ketogenically-adapted, you will be able to train quite happily whilst following a low carb diet. Your body will be using fat as its fuel source - and let's face it, most of us have plenty of fat readily available for that. Whereas with carbs, our bodies actually only store a limited amount in our muscles and our liver. Once these have gone, and we have emptied our glycogen stores, that's when you will find yourself 'hitting the wall' or 'bonking'. This is why serious athletes often have to carry various gels and drinks - so that they can replenish their carbs/glycogen very quickly. This won't happen if you are burning fat.

If you're in doubt, there's a very good book called "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance" by Drs Jeff S Volek and Stephen D Phinney. Here is a description of the book from the Amazon website:

"A Revolutionary Program to Extend Your Physical and Mental Performance Envelope. Our recent book 'The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living' was written for health care professionals, championing the benefits of carbohydrate restriction to manage insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type-2 diabetes. In response, our athlete friends asked "What about us?" This companion book is our answer, and it could be titled: 'The Art and Science of Avoiding the BONK'. But actually, it is much much more than that. The keto-adapted athlete benefits from superior fuel flow not only when nearing glycogen depletion, but also during training, recovery, and in response to resistance exercise as well."

OP posts:
Woolfey · 17/09/2013 19:27

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captainmummy · 17/09/2013 21:16

Kale crisps -strip the leaves from the central rib and chop. toss in oil and chuck in a medium hot oven - keep an eye on them, they burn quickly. when they are browning and crispy sprinkle over salt, chilli or garlic powder or just eat as is.
They are jsut like the seaweed you get in chinese restaurants - except they usually have brown sugar over.

Woolfey · 17/09/2013 21:33

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bettybigballs · 18/09/2013 08:51

Does anyone know if beancurd sheets are love carb? Getting mixed info online but just seen a yummy recipe using them.

BIWI · 18/09/2013 09:10

According to this site here it is 0g carbs! But I find that hard to believe. I'm guessing that it must vary by brand. Can you Google the brand's website and see if they publish the nutritional information on there?

OP posts:
bettybigballs · 18/09/2013 11:27

Thanks for looking BIWI - the packaging's in in Chinese with no nutritional table. I can't believe they are zero either...

Will keep investigating. Thanks again.

Maryz · 18/09/2013 13:45

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Maryz · 18/09/2013 13:47

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BIWI · 18/09/2013 15:16

Maryz

Can I really eat pate, mayonnaise (Helmanns is the lowest carb in my local supermarket) and pork scratchings? And add cream to soup?

Yes, yes, yes and yes! Grin Just check the carb count on the pate, and be careful with the cream - some people find that dairy impedes weight loss for them.

So far I have had breakfast: 1 slice of bacon/mushrooms/tomato omelette or scrambled egg with small slice of smoked salmon.

Perfect. Just watch out - bacon and smoked salmon are processed, so shouldn't be eaten every day/at every meal.

Lunch has been salad rolls - home-made coleslaw/tomato/cucumber/chopped chicken wrapped in lettuce leaves.

Perfect - just make sure that you're eating enough fat here. Add plenty of mayonnaise. Bear in mind that chicken is a lean meat as well, so this lunch could end up being relatively low fat as well as low carb.

Dinner: Roast chicken with salad/Stir-fried beef with various veg and soy sauce/small piece of fillet steak (a treat) with fried mushrooms/onions and frozen broccoli.

Lovely but, again, have you been using enough fat? Did you cover the chicken skin with fat - and did you eat it when it came out lovely and crispy? Did you use plenty of fat in your stir-fry? And did you add butter to your veg?

Tomorrow I was going to make a coconut milk based Thai curry for the kids with various veg, and eat it as a soup for myself.

Again, perfect - as long as you have checked the carb count on the coconut milk - and make sure you've used plenty of fat.

Does that sound about right? I can't get over the fact that I'm not hungry - though I have cheated with two cups of coffee a day each with a splash of milk. I'm getting headaches, but I think that's coffee withdrawal.

It sounds like you've made a great start! If you're not hungry, then it's a really good sign. Don't worry too much about giving up coffee at this stage - if you keep the number of cups/amount of milk down, you should be fine. (I've never given up drinking coffee). And coffee withdrawal is the worst experience - I never had carb withdrawal but had horrible headaches the time I gave up drinking coffee.

You're doing great! Flowers

OP posts:
BIWI · 18/09/2013 15:17

Oh, and one more thing - I notice you have qualified things, so 1 slice of bacon, or a small piece of steak - there is no need to restrict quantities of protein (finances to one side of course!).

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Maryz · 18/09/2013 17:11

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BIWI · 18/09/2013 17:16

Thing is, Maryz, it's the cheaper cuts of meat that are actually better for low carbing! So instead of fillet steak (which is, admittedly, a lovely cut of beef), go for a stew made with stewing steak. Have chicken thighs instead of chicken breast. Or breast of lamb rather than lamb chops.

But yes - you definitely deserve to put yourself first for a while.

OP posts:
Torrorosso · 19/09/2013 08:47

Biwi will no doubt tell me off again for weighing daily, but despite losing 2lb and sticking to this woe to the letter, I appear to have put back on 1.5lb since Monday. How annoying!Hmm

I don't have much to lose, so maybe I do need to consider calories - thoughts anyone?

I have used the ketostix which indicate I have stayed in ketosis - does that mean I should definitely be losing?

Today's menu...

A pile of spinach fried in butter with an egg and homemade mayo and decaf coffee with cream plus a decaf tea with a small amount of full fat milk.

Lunch will be chicken salad with olives and more home made mayo
(Egg yolk, olive oil and a splash of lemon juice)

Snacks: full fat yogurt and eithet an avocado or a home made turkey burger left over from dinner last night (going to gym straight from work, so will have those later to keep me going ), I will also have another decaf coffee with cream.

Late dinner: baked salmon and allowed veg.

I will try to drink more water today, although I have been trying to quaff as much as possible.

BIWI · 19/09/2013 09:04

It could be anything though, Torro - 1.5lbs isn't much - it could also be something to do with where you are in your menstrual cycle.

It is true that as we get nearer our target that we have to look at our portion sizes and therefore the calories we're consuming.

But looking at your food, I'm wondering if you're eating enough fat? I see you're adding mayo, but baked salmon and chicken will be pretty lean.

And you say you will try to drink more water - does that mean you're not drinking enough?

I wouldn't worry, at this early stage, about things. Try and keep the fat and water up and just be patient!

OP posts:
Torrorosso · 19/09/2013 10:03

Thanks Biwi. I think I'm adding plenty of fat in the way of butter, olive oil and coconut oil and cream in coffee - in fact I feel a bit sick this morning.

I've been drinking what seems to be a lot of water, but not measuring it. I'll make a conscious effort with it for the rest of bootcamp.

I am menopausal - erratic periods with long gaps in between - but I had one a fortnight ago, so if anything I'm mid cycle. Hard to know if it's hormonal though.

janx · 19/09/2013 10:30

Is this not enough for breakfast?
1 poached egg and smoked salmon? I am hungry 2.5 hrs later

devilinside · 19/09/2013 10:51

Are we still allowed Splenda? it's ten years since I did the Atkins Diet, so not sure if the old rules still apply

WillieWaggledagger · 19/09/2013 11:18

devil, bootcamp is different to atkins and we don't use splenda or other artificial sweeteners if they can be avoided, at least for the first two strict weeks.

this is because:

  • we are trying to release the hold that sweet flavours have over us
  • there is some evidence (it is debated) that sweeteners can impede weight loss and/or may be damaging to health
  • we are trying to get away from artificial ingredients/additives as much as possible
WillieWaggledagger · 19/09/2013 11:19

janx your breakfast does look very small, and if you are hungry after 2.5 hours i would say definitely not enough. there's also not much fat there. could you have two eggs and scramble them in butter to have with the smoked salmon?

captainmummy · 19/09/2013 11:19

Possibly not, Janx. If you are hungry - eat!

Devil - probabaly not on bootcamp. We are trying to break our addiction to sweet things, so No.

FurryDogMother · 19/09/2013 11:25

janx - I'd be hungry too - I tend to eat rather large breakfasts (with too much bacon, BIWI would say) - usually 4 rashers plus 2 fried duck eggs - and then this morning with the addition of a couple of slices of pan fried lamb's liver (which is higher in carbs than most meat, but I don't have it very often). Sometimes I have a few fried mushrooms too, or 3 eggs, scrambled with cream and butter, with smoked salmon. I'm about to experiment with replacing the bacon with thin-cut rump steak - trying to get away from processed meats. If I have an omelette, that's usually 3 eggs, too - usually with cheese. My other fairly regular breakfast is a whopping great slice of crustless quiche. Try adding another egg (or two), and perhaps some melted butter, to your breakfast, and see how it goes?

I find that if I have a big enough breakfast, with significant fat content, I don't usually get hungry again until the evening.

silverangel · 19/09/2013 11:55

So, this weekend I am going to cheat / have a day off, whatever you want to call it adn no point in pretending that I won't - It’s my sister’s wedding and I will drink an awful lot and eat all the lovely wedding food and cake. This woe has helped my bridesmaid dress look great and I fully plan to continue with it but – on the day, what do I do. Avoid carbs until the main meal or just go with the flow for the day and eat the sandwiches for lunch / smoked salmon bagels for breakfast and just get back on it the next day.

Is there any point avoiding the carbs for part of the day? Bearing in mind there will be bucks fizz involved at breakfast, and I know I’m not going to abstain!

BIWI · 19/09/2013 11:59

I think that's what is technically known as an "oh fuck it!" day, silverangel!

Enjoy the day. Eat what you want. Just get back on the wagon the next day and have a couple of super strict days. Don't let the carb cravings get you though!

OP posts:
janx · 19/09/2013 12:35

Thanks for replies - will eat more fat for brekkie. As I was hungry and out and popped into m&s - my goodness I can recommend their snacks! tandori prawns and calamariGrin

silverangel · 19/09/2013 12:42

Smile Smile Biwi - oh fuck it day it is then!

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