Starting low carbing again on Monday, what do I need to remember?

[DiscoDancer]

Just that really. Have done it before but a while ago, it really worked. Would like to lose half to one stone. Have got my Greek yogurt and eggs ready! Also to drink loads of water. Remind me what days the god awful headaches kick in?!

I think maybe that's it Hattie. I am trying really hard to stick to three meals to break my snacking habit but it usually ends up with one snack too.
I work from 7.30am-11pm some days so it's a long day but I find if I am busy I don't notice it so much. Its also amazing how quickly the cravings and hunger go away!

Hi hero, hi star!

How was your first day star and hero?
I wasn't very good today and had a cornetto type thing with the kids but apart from that I stuck to my normal plan of fruit, salad and chicken/veg for tea.
Which is a huge improvement on my usual snacking on crap all day diet

well, day one wasn't hideous
breakfast: 3 slices of bacon (was running late so ate them in the car)
lunch: smoothie
dinner: chicken, greek salad and tzatziki

I know I need more green veg but was thinking I did okay

Do any of you count your carbs on MFP? I've worked mine out to be approximately 63g of carbs, how many should I be aiming for?

It's about 20g a day in the bootcamp stage. Breakfast & dinner sounds ok but what was in your smoothie? Today I was a bit more controlled for me. I ate:
Brekkie- 2 scrambled eggs, 1 tomato
Lunch - small salmon fillet, soft boiled egg, small bowl of mixed steamed veg and half an avo.
Supper (with kids at 5ish) - slices of deli roast chicken, mange tout and coleslaw.
Since then I've had about 6 olives, a handful of macademia nuts and a pot if mint tea. That's Ok I think? Not counting carbs, too much work! I am checking packaging though.

Well done guys. No I don't count carbs I can't be bothered! I like things to be simple so I just cut out the main groups and don't worry about it too much.
Seems to be working I needed a belt to hold my jeans up today.

Hattie yours was a great day well done.
I had a picky day as I needed to go shopping
B a banana as I had no eggs or yoghurt left
L red pepper slices and a piece of cheese.
D chicken breast with broccoli and green beans
S an ice cream (oops) and a bowl of melon just before bed.

I know you aren't supposed to eat much fruit but I can't cut it and sweet things like biscuits/cake out. So I figure fruit is better than going for the biscuit tin.

Not really, Purplehonesty! Your menu today isn't really low carb.

I agree with the not wanting to count stuff though. That's why Bootcamp came into being - an easy way to low carb without having to weigh/count

Hattie my smoothie was a large handful of blackberries, raspberries, red currants, blackcurrents (Its a mixed frozen berries) total zero yogurt and semi skimmed millk.

What does your day look like on 20g of carbs?

Ah well BIWI my feeling is its better than eating cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, snacking on biscuits and cake and then having pasta for tea. And I'm losing weight so y'know....

Today I had scrambled eggs for breakfast and a smoked salmon and prawn salad whilst out shopping.
Not sure what tea will be as I have a huge birthday cake to make tonight so not much time to cook.

Hero, is total zero a fat free Greek yogurt? Because you should be eating the full fat version. You shouldn't be limiting your fat intake, rather, increasing it and actively seeking out fat, whilst increasing protein and seriously limiting carbs. Have you read the boot camp 'rules'. It's all in there. Low fat dairy products tend to have higher carbs. The aim is to get your body to switch into ketosis mode, when it will burn body fat instead of energy from carbs.

I'll attempt to try and recall everything I ate today but it was most definitely not planned as it should really be. (see my post yesterday for a much better example to follow!)

B: two tomatoes with full fat cream cheese, two scrambled eggs and mushrooms cooked in butter (ok so far)
L: two small beefburgers with mixed salad leaves dressed in olive oil
Total Greek yogurt.
D: rocket with oil & Parmesan, and 2/3 packet of cauldron marinated tofu pieces.

I have a feeling I ate something I wasn't supposed to as well but might just be accumilated guit from lots of licking children's yogurty spoons, nibbles on crusts of bread / slices of apple, cashew nuts. I also didn't drink enough water.

Purple, you may not be following the low carb boot camp rules but I'm not surprised you're still losing weight - you're hardly eating anything! Aren't you starving? Or am I just a pig? If so, I think thats why I like this diet!

Hey no I am not attempting to do boot camp - didn't know there was such a thing. Is this a MN thing?

I'm not starving at all actually which is really odd as I am normally a big eater and snacker. I can graze the day away and still eat as much dinner as dh!
I think it must be the protein filling me up rather than attempting to cut down with previous diets and only have toast for example - then I was starving by 10am.
The first couple of days I was a bit hungry but then I guess I got used to it. ??
I had a cheese and ham salad with beetroot tonight and then some watermelon.
Suppose I should have a look at this bootcamp thing to see what I should be doing.

Hattie have you been on the scales or are you doing it once a week?

Morning Purple, yes it is a MN thing. And deffo the protein filling you up. I used to literally hover around the toaster sometime, especially when I was tired - eating so much breS and then really flagging later on in the day. I'm weighing obsessively actually! This morning the scales hovered between 8.13 and 9 stone - a first for three years. So happy!

May I join please.....
Have just read through the thread. Purple I would stick to what you are doing if I were you, for now at least, as it is working. I attempted bootcamp once and it is very good BUT it made me obsess over everything I ate and that isn't good. I cant eat loads of fat as it causes terrible cramps in my gallbladder and gives me the runs (blush). I am eating lowish carb too and snacking on frozen chopped grapes and banana pieces. Im not sure I agree with adding too much fat unnecessarily anyway. My aim is to eat as natural as possible.

My fats tend to come from bacon and salmon, nuts and cuts of fatty meat. I also have a couple of squares of dark chocolate in the evening. I don't drink much alcohol though, maybe once every blue moon.
Today

scrambled eggs with toms and mushrooms friend in a little butter
Cheese, olives, toms and apple for lunch
Chicken Coconut curry with fresh mint and coriander, greek yoghurt and a pappad
2 squares dark chocolate
lots of cups of tea (no sugar)

will snack on frozen grapes and some fresh melon

You don't have to eat bootcamp style or very low carb. You can still be eating lowish carb and lose lots of weight. Lots of people do it and it is very achievable because you are not obsessing. I believe in keeping things simple and natural as possible. I did think that bootcamp thread encompassed all forms of low carb and not just "bootcamp" low carb. Maybe I was wrong.

Purple:

"Ah well BIWI my feeling is its better than eating cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, snacking on biscuits and cake and then having pasta for tea. And I'm losing weight so y'know...."

I absolutely, absolutely agree! However, just wanted to point out that your food was still quite carby. That said, obviously if you're losing weight then it's working for you, which is brilliant.

Milly - the Bootcamp threads are for the Low Carb Bootcamp (which I run) - we have a separate area from the other Low Carb threads, because Bootcamp is a specific way of low carbing, and lots of posters felt that they should be kept separate. Everyone is welcome to read/post on them though!

Well that's good, because I just had some chocolate brownie. Frozen grapes - I'll have to try them!

Hattie well done getting to the under 9 stone that's fantastic.

Milly we seem to be eating similar sorts of food - how long have you been doing this for and do you have a goal in mind?

You are both right I will stick to what I am doing - low carb by cutting out the major things as I said before and eating fruit for snacks.

Today was minipurple's birthday party and we had hot dogs and cake. There's egg in cake right?!
So I won't be having much for tea - I couldn't bear to miss out on the party food after having reached my half stone target but I will be back to normal tomorrow.
I don't drink much alcohol either - maybe a glass of rosé every week.
The plan for me now is to keep going as i am until the end of the month when my relatives arrive for a week. Then I will eat carbs again pasta/rice etc but only for one meal each day and see how that goes.
I think I have really cured myself of my snacking habit and long term should be able to resist eating crap as much as I did before!

Hi Purple. I have been doing it without aiming to lose weight for years really as it helps my ibs but have put on a stone over the last 6 months from eating too much bread and cake which is why I am cutting down again . I also follow the eat when hungry stop when satisfied principle and if I really want something (like you today) then I will have it. If I deny myself something I really really want like good quality homemade cake then I will become too stuck in the diet mentality and really, this way of eating can be so very healthy that it is not a diet but a way of eating for life.

BIWI thank you so much for your reply. Would you mind linking us too the thread that is not for bootcamp but for us lighter campers. Thanks.

Thanks doit. I think I could be a life-long convert too!
Cake is my downfall. I bake for a living!

Nothing wrong with real homemade cake though Purple. I bake them too but not for a living, just to eat. What a lovely way to make your money . When I eat this way I eat really well, lots of salad and veg and fruit, protein, nuts, yoghurt, dark chocolate. If Im off track I eat too much bread and biscuits and as I dont eat a lot anyway, I end up missing out on nutrients which is never good.

Doitforme - you're in the right place! This section is called 'low carb diets', which is within 'Big/slim/whatever weight loss plans' (I think!). And then if you're wanting to Bootcamp this is the section of specific Bootcamp threads