'Soft' warm-up approach to next week's Low Carb Bootcamp!

[BIWI]

Official Bootcamp starts next Monday - here's the sign-up thread

But I know that lots of people want to ease themselves into it.

If you've never low carbed before, it can be quite a good idea to do this, and it can help minimise the chances of getting 'carb flu' - the withdrawal symptoms when you cut down on your carbohydrates.

So if you're interested, this where it starts!

My advice:

• make sure you've got rid of all your Christmas treats

• ... as well as other carb-heavy stuff like biscuits, cakes, etc

• start thinking about the meals that you're going to eat in w/c 13 Jan - write yourself a meal plan (and think about all your meals, including your lunches as well as family meals, etc), and then make sure you write yourself a proper shopping list

• have a look at hat you're eating on a 'typical' day, and see where you cut down/out on the carbs -breakfast is likely to be your most carb-heavy meal, so think about how you're going to cut the carbs here (clue that will mean ditching toast, cereals, fruit and fruit juice!)

• if your diet is heavily reliant on pasta and rice-based meals, start thinking now about what you're going to cook instead

• make sure you are planning meals for the whole family to eat - try as much as possible to make sure that you're all eating the same food, rather than having to cook separate stuff for you - the idea is that this is a WOE - way of eating - and not a diet. So for example, if you're planning on having meat and two veg, plus potatoes - have meat and three veg instead. No-one will die if they don't have potatoes on their plate!

• look at how much tea/coffee you're drinking; if you drink them white, you will be consuming a lot of carbs in the milk. See if you can cut the number of cups down per day. Try and drink them black or use cream instead of milk

• think about the fact that you will be starting to eat a high fat diet; if you have anything that's low fat in your fridge/cupboard, get rid of it! Butter, cheese and cream as well as olive oil are all now going to be key parts of your diet

• similarly, think about all the artificial sweeteners you're eating/drinking and get shot of them. Diet drinks are not allowed on Bootcamp, so cut them down/out as much as you can

• fruit will not be allowed on Bootcamp (for the first two weeks); if you like to snack on fruit, consider replacing it with veg, e.g. slices of cucumber and peppers

• read, read, read and read more about low carbing have a look at the resources on the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness ; there's loads of good stuff here that will help you get your head around what low carbing is all about

• and have a look here some lovely recipes to inspire you

• and here is a link to Bootcamp rules ; make sure you are familiar with them by 13/1!!!

But above all, come and post on here with any of your questions, concerns and suggestions!

Good luck.

Can anyone tell me where to get essences for yoghurt and vanilla powder?

Ooooohh orange essence sounds lovely. Someone recommended vanilla powder to me yesterday but I can't find it

I went to waitrose and got their own brand orange essence, which had just orange oil and alcohol on the ingredients. Hopefully 2 drops of alcohol won't hurt! I also got the vanilla grinder there - I was a bit horrified at the cost of vanilla powder - think it was £6. The grinder is like a pepper grinder with vanilla pod pieces in. Ironically they're both with the cake making ingredients. Hmmpph.

Today's gone well, but still craving red wine. Boring DH won't let me though as we are supposed to be dry all month. I'll break him...

B: yogurt, cream, orange essence, cinnamon
L: scrambled eggs with butter, bacon, eggs
D: home made cheese and bacon burgers, celeriac chips

Drank tonnes of water, a few black decaffs, now just having a decaf with cream before bed. Rock n roll

I'm going to stick that in my next Ocado shop Sarah thanks.

I couldn't find the vanilla grinder on ocado which is why I darkened the doors of a supermarket!

Oohhh chester I never thought about cinnamon! What a good idea!

Lose the diet coke Ziggie!!

Well I'm gutted :( Plan was delicious beef stroganoff with veggies. Cooked my gorgeous steak, shallots and mushrooms. Added my soured cream. Watched it separate and was worried. Looked at container. Written in teeny tiny letters is HALF FAT! My dinner was ruined it was so sweet. I strained the sauce off but the meat still tasted of it and I couldn't face the mushrooms. I don't feel full or satisfied at all

Oh, I can do beef stroganoff with my leftovers on Monday! What a great idea! God, this thread is full of great tips!

pseudobadger I'm sorry about your half fat cream fail it still sounds lovely though, and it's given me a new recipe for Monday too

But the diet coke is carb free. It's everything free. I've already given up alcohol is it really so norty?

I'm afraid I'm consoling myself with a glass of red wine. I really am so upset, I need to get a grip!

Diet coke is full of sweeteners. Do yourself a favour and pour it down the drain :o

PseudoBadger ruining dinner is worthy of a grade A sulk. I did it myself the other night with some lamb chops and I actually cried A lot of other stuff had gone wrong that day too, but that just topped it off. So I sat on the kitchen floor and ate a packet of hula hoops and did that snotty, hiccuppy crying

Can I not even have one tiny, innocent can? It's so fizzy and delicious, I love the burning feeling in the back of your throat, aaahhh it feels so cleansing!

What can I drink instead? Tea and diet coke were my staple drinks. I don't mind water, but it gets a bit... Plain.

Evening All!

Checking in... Have LC'd in past and done very well. Unfortunately, being put on ADs a couple of years back, plus a miscarriage haven't helped and I am eager to lose some weight and get back into my old good habits.

This is a great threat, lots of useful info and lots of lovely ladies to do this with. BIWI, thanks for being such a great evangelist for LC'ing, you are a hero!

Started properly on Monday, just could not wait. Have done very well all week and I sneaked a look at the dreaded scales this morning... 2.5lb down, no sweat!

Today has been the one awkward day of the week. I travel a lot for work and had to have lunch at a regular event I attend. My plate looked very different from the rest of the group as I avoided all sarnies, deep fried, breadcrumed stuff, wraps and rice. Settled for a smallish portion of chicken fricassee. So, today so far...

B: Coffee with a dash cream, hard boiled egg.
L: Chicken fricassee (followed by some chunks of feta and anchovy-filled olives once back in the car).
D: Baby gem lettuce leaves filled with pate and egg mayo, some home cooked ham on the side.

I'm drinking 3ltrs of water a day, plus a few black coffees to see me through the day.

Did shopping for the week tonight and I am really looking forward to the lovely food to be had, it's wonderful not feeling even remotely deprived!

Oh my friggin hell.

I've only gone and lost 7.5 bloody pounds since Monday

Now I'm worrying because I don't think I've had carb flu and everyone else seems to have suffered! I've had a couple of headaches though and a tiny bit of cramp in my leg the other morning (I was secretly pleased at this as it means something is happening )

I've been downing 4 or five pints of water every day which is unheard of for me. I've kept a pint glass by the sink so every time I go to wash up or whatever I have a big glug and refil.

Despite the water and the butter and oil I am getting a bit bunged up - what's the remedy for this everybody?

Wow ElBombero! Well done!

Think just senna south, lactulose/prune juice/califig etc all full of sugar

Evening all. Checking in very quickly as MUST be in bed in 10 minutes or I will turn into a pumpkin.

Going since Monday - have been doing proper bc as couldn't wait to get going - have a big holiday in March and could really do with being a stone lighter by then. Fingers crossed!

b: 2 eggs. Still have no butter - need to go shopping!
l: chicken salad
d: random thing I made with prawns and various veg (asparagus, celery, tiny bit of red pepper) cooked in FF creme fraiche and tad of cream cheese. Served with cauli rice and grilled kale.
NO SNACKS AT ALL.

Possibly not enough water and I had to have a lemsip this afternoon (presume this has some kind of sweetener in - haven't dared check the packet) as I think the carb flu has revealed an actual cold. Will try and avoid that tomorrow.

Excited about weighing in on Monday! (Although just realised that my 'starting weight' will be my weight after one week won't it? Can I claim last week's weight as my starter??).

Everyone seems to be doing very well:) I am better now but not wanting to eat, iyswim, scared of the D&V. Coffee with full cream stirred in is ok for now.

Monday I start running again too, and have signed up at the climbing club as I've always wanted to learn. Slightly worried the ropes won't hold me, after chatting to the whippet thin muscled bloke who runs it, but he didn't seem unduly worried:) hoping I don't end up on YouTube, that's all.

Must do something about water, as not in the habit, and bin the wine. Hopefully running again will help.

Plus I will be buying a full length mirror. Nothing like being naked in the cold light of day in front of a mirror to help avoid the chocolate and wine.

Yes I've also done proper BC can I have last weeks weight?

Crabby - LOL what you wrote to me, I could have written to you!! I'm hoping I'm carrying a lot of glycogen weight

Mary - 185 - sounds good to me, I'll swap Was it more or less than you were expecting?

Sorry - I can't remember who it was, but someone said 'is it low calorie, no one is eating very much' (paraphrased)... I sometimes look at other peoples posts and think 'That's not much at all' but, you can't really tell portion sizes and it's hard for me to compare because I don't eat eggs or meat so 'a couple of boiled eggs' seems like a small breakfast to me, but I have no concept of how filling they are?! Just eat what you need to, making sure it's low carb and not out of 'habit' - also make sure the ratio is fat protein carb :)

Today:

B: Whole avocado, Food Doctor Seeds, americano with a glug of milk (more than a splash - but hey, it's much less than a latte

Ok so what's likely to be the outcome of this....

A lamb dish - not sure of the exact ingredients but its a WW recipe that's apparently free on the extra easy plan. It did involve some sort of rice like pasta though, the name of which escapes me :( Xouldnt avoid it because it was part of the dish. Also had nibbles beforehand but didn't have the crisp like things; had olives, feta cheese and stuffed peppers.
Also I had a small slice of a Black Forest type cake :(

I've undone the last 3 days haven't i?? :(

On the upside I genuinely did only have the cake because my hostess pressed it on me. It was lovely but I felt no desire for a second piece (despite her best efforts! :) ) which again is unheard of....

CalamityKate - it's a long way from ideal Drink lots & lots of water, eat properly low carb tomorrow making sure to get plenty of fat. It's a blip - don't worry. Good news about not having or wanting a second piece of cake.

I know :(

Oh I plan to return to low carbing tomorrow and for the foreseeable future!

... and I meant to say, you did well avoiding the 'snacky' carbs.

CrabbyWinterBottom thank you so much for answering my questions

I'm relieved to hear I don't have to make myself eat!

Slipped a bit tonight - having a rather large Baileys.
Well it is cream