'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.

This is my secret worry - if I eat too much fat my body won't use my body fat and I won't lose weight.

I haven't experimented with that yet though and I am losing weight with possibly less than optimal amounts of fat although I am embracing salad dressings to get some in :)

Anyone read anything that discusses this?

Biwi, this is a very interesting article. Thanks for sharing it.
I would actually love to eat cream, butter and cheese all day long. There is just a little voice inside me that says that, even if we accept that they are not harmful, surely I would lose more weight if I avoided them in excess. How does fat help with weight loss? Would one not be better off on lean meat and veg with a bit of olive oil rather than fatty meat with cream and lots of butter?

Kefy - the biggest myth put about by successive governments for 40 years is that fat is bad. FAT IS GOOD! SUGAR IS BAD! Look at what's happened over 40 years; we've been told to cut fat and eat low-fat/high carb stuff - and we've all got fatter!

Low-fat stuff is processed and disgusting -and high-carb, because they take out the fat and replace with sugar/chemicals/crap.

When you eat high-carb, the body releases insulin, which goes looking for carbs to convert ot glycogen for energy. If you don't use that energy instantly it is converted to body-fat, for use later. (Or not). Then your blood-sugars will drop, making you hungry again. HOnestly - I would be faint from hunger every 2 hours. Now I can go all day)
Fat doesn't raise insulin in the same way, so gets used for your energy uses much easier. And it fills you up and you don't then get a blood-sugar crash 2 hours later. Diabetics do really well on LC, as their blood-sugars are level and not dipping and rising all the time. (Advice for diabetics to eat high-fibre high-carb is almost criminally irresponisble, I think - but a lot of them are still advised to eat low-fat, high-carb fruit and veg and starches etc 'for energy'!)

Fourarms - it is very difficult to eat too much fat! Because it is so satiating. Think about drinking a glass of double cream - could you do it? Butter in slices? Your body would probably not allow you to do it.

FourArms you're missing the point that the extra fat we eat on this WOE is replacing the carbs we used to eat. We still need to eat but we are trying to avoid raising our insulin levels. Carbs raise insulin levels a lot, protein raises insulin levels a little, fat doesn't raise insulin levels at all. As someone upthread mentioned there is something called a 'fat fast' where you eat 90% fat for a few days to lose weight quickly or break a stall. Obviously that couldn't work if things were as simple as 'fat makes you fat'.

The low carb-high fat diet makes you feel satiated so that you spontaneously eat fewer calories without feeling hungry.

You might lose more weight in short term, if you hardly ate anything (ie. very low carbs and also low fat). I doubt it would be very healthy, though. From what I understand, starving yourself is likely to mess with your thyroid and cause all sorts of problems in your body on the long run, which will then make it harder for your to lose weight (and make you feel crap).

Woke up this morning (after dd finally accepting sleep at 2am!) and am barely hungry. Forced down 100g waitrose Greek yoghurt.

imatot cheeseburger pie is a mince layer a bit like cottage pie or moussaka with a cheesy eggy quiche like topping!

Cheeseburger Pie

Total carbs 9c. Serves 4

Ingredients:
500g minced beef
50g finely chopped onion
150g chopped mushrooms
100mls double cream
2 heaped tablespoons of mayo
150g strong cheddar grated
3 eggs
salt & pepper to taste

Fry mince, onion and mushrooms (can omit the mushrooms here) together until cooked season to taste, drain off fat, add Lee & Perrins sauce.
Place in a greased foil covered deep pie dish, flatten with spoon (can put sliced mushrooms over the meat layer if preferred)
Beat eggs add mayo, cream and cheese.
Pour over the top of mince, drop olives around the dish and bake in oven Gas mark 5 for 20 to 25 mins until set and golden brown.
Leave to cool before taking out of pie dish, remove foil.

Optional 10 black olives

I use a glass rectangular dish about the size of A4 and I can get 6 portions.

It's yummy hot, I serve with 1-2 portions of veg, it freezes well and it's also fantastic cold with salad so great for lunchboxes.

The basic meat recipe can be adjusted by using marmite instead of Worcester sauce and using a mash to make shepherds pie or use cinnamon 1tsp instead of the WS and some tomato purée to make a moussaka base then add aubergines and an eggy feta cheesy topping.

Thanks Stuntnun I'll have a look in Tesco when I go... I usually allow a weighed portion of Brazil nuts or salted peanuts but sometimes it's nice to have a change!

Morning all. :)

Well I made and ate most of an enormous vat of delicious bolognese using a Tamasin Day Lewis recipe. It contains milk and wine so not as LC as it could be, but is so good. However I seem to have eaten most of it, and didn't make the courgette noodles I planned to. I struggle to be bothered enough to make the veg I should make to go with things. This morning I had sausages and poached eggs, and am still having my morning tea with a pinch of sugar and s/s milk. Think I'll try to drop this for next week. But must eat more veg today!

Wish I could remember more of the science re. why eating fat doesn't make you fat.

For those struggling with eating fat/ wanting more theory this site is excellent

www.dietdoctor.com/lchf#theory

Is Mayo and sausages ok then? I thought sausages were carb filled?

I need to write these recipes down! Thank you xx

Milg- check packages. Black farmer ones are low carb. Higher the meat and lower the bulking agents means the lower carb they'll be.

We had Black Farmer's Daughter ones this morning and they are 1g per 100g.

Milg- check packages. Black farmer ones are low carb. Higher the meat and lower the bulking agents means the lower carb they'll be.

Can I ask if we are meant to be careful of dairy in the first 2 weeks is it ok to have yogurt for breakfast.
Where do you get coconut oil from? Tried local Chinese warehouse they have not been able to get it.

My local Sainsburys sells coconut oil in the soya/gluten free/wasabi and seaweed bit (sorry, am sure there is a proper name for that section!). You can also buy it from health food shops.

This is my secret worry - if I eat too much fat my body won't use my body fat and I won't lose weight.

Four this is exactly how I feel. I've read the literature and I understand the concept but I can't bring myself to add what I see as 'too much butter' (i.e. over a scraping!) to my food.

I will try though. I do love butter. And mayo. And oil. And cream! And the sea salt butter sounded gorgeous. Does it go on celery?

Lucy and Four I feel exactly the same but I am embracing it. Evidence suggests it's the right way to go so who am I to argue? Let's face it, if I knew what I was on about I'd already be skinny.

For the last week I have been frying in butter and sloshing cream into stuff with abandon and it really seems to be working.

So what I am saying is, maybe leave your preconceptions to one side and give it a go. What's the worst that could happen?

Bugsylugs I get mine off the internet (because it's cheaper), but Holland&Barrett have it and many other health shops.

Make sure what you're buying is virgin/raw/mechanically pressed.

Lucy and Four I really recomment the Dr Briffa book that has been mentioned often. Mine came yesterday and I am converted from cynic to real hopeful believer. I guess we also can but try and then hopefully see the evidence with our own eyes.

I am a bit worried that I am hugely more overweight than most - people posting their weights (now that might be the clue? ) seem to be a stone or so above their target - I have at least 3 stone to lose and feel huge and a bit hopeless.

Worry number 2 is related to addiction. I am in recovery from one addiction, and am concerned about going cold turkey on another with only internet support. Although I know that if I could do it before, I can do it now. Sugar, and sweeteners, are so powerful though. Definitely "I'm LittleMissD, and I'm a carb-addict". Just wondered if anyone shared those fears...

Thanks to everyone that responded to my fat plea. I am feeling braver about it, I think. I've just downloaded the Briffa book, so will have a go at that tonight.

I also have issues with the calories in calories out idea. I do very little exercise although I'm on my feet all day.

LittleMiss I have way more to lose than that, so don't worry! I'm definitely a sugar/carb addict too. We can support each other. I have form for falling off the wagon, so need all the giddy-ups I can get :)

LittleMiss and Lucy - I also have a lot to lose, I'd say I would like to lose 4 stone at least - this time 2 years ago sadly I was 4 stone lighter and although I felt fantastic, I almost didn't recognise myself because I've always been a bit overweight - suddenly I was a size 12 at 5'8. Really need to know how to deal with it this time if/when I get back there, because I think I definitely have some psychological issue going on about being 'thin' and not feeling as though it's me somehow.

littlemiss. I am very over weight, infact I am obese. I weigh in at 12 stone 10lbs I have already lost 2stone over the past year. I have to lose weight if I want a baby, we are starting the fertility process and I have go get my BMI down to 30 to qualify for any treatment. I am also a sugar addict, I would binge and gorge myself on chocolate, biscuits and cake. No more though I can't go on the way I was.

LittleMiss - another bloater here.

My thighs are wider than they are long. Do I win?