BIWI's Two Week Low Carb Boot Camp - starts Monday 16 April

[PaquesJeLeVauxBien]

I've been back low carbing seriously since February and have lost a stone (almost). I have another 1.5 stones to lose.

It's been going well for me, but I have slowed down in the last month and I'm keen to get things back on track and up the speed of my weight loss. To that end, I have devised a strict two week bootcamp.

It will start on Monday 16 April to give anyone who wants to join in time to sort themselves out, get planning and generally get themselves ready to join in.

Who's up for it?

BIWI lovely - we need you to crack the whip!

I feel better low carbing, and I don't feel hungry. I like it!

The things I find harder are drinking enough water, and when you go out for a meal with people. But not impossible either.

I have printed off your rules and the veg list and have just done a big internet shop so am catered for. The funny thing is DD is a very keen rower, and has to carb load, so we are opposite in our eating patterns!

But I am looking forward to starting!

And it was water!

Hehe at whipcracking. And it's only Friday

I often feel overindulged, not deprived on this WOE. I ate some fabulous food yesterday and that was me just sitting around the house trying to get some work done! I won't say I never get tempted, but I take it one day, one hour at a time. I love it and I can't see myself ever going back to my old ways. I'm sure I'll eat bread, pasta, potatoes, sugar again - but I know they don't need to be the basis of my diet now and that feels great.

BIWI this is what I've eaten since Weds:

Breakfast: 2 slices of ham with Philadelphia rolled up
Lunch: omelette with lettuce, cucumber and some cheese cubes in with it
Dinner: bolognese made with beef mince, a little grated cheese on top (not strictly low carb I know but it was what everyone else was having), didn't have the pasta though! Broccoli and cauli with butter on. Then a few strawberries with some Total yoghurt.

Drank 2.5L of water and 3 mint teas.

Thurs:
Breakfast: boiled egg with butter in
Lunch: lettuce and cucumber with chopped hard boiled egg and cubes of cheese. Sugar free pot of jelly.
Dinner: really wasn't hungry so just had ham and Philadelphia rolls. Almost 3L of water, 2 cups of tea and a mint tea.

I appreciate I've not stuck strictly to the rules, still trying to get my head around it all and it is hard switching from a low fat/low cal way of dieting (I know this isn't a diet but in my head it amounts to the same thing initially). Hadn't been shopping this week so had to make do with what was in the house but just had a massive shop delivered with many more meal options to choose from.

I don't need telling that I have an eating disorder, I know I have 'issues' hence the reason I've started low carbing. Yes I'd like to lose some weight but I mostly want to change my WOE and I thought this would be the way to go, if I cut out all the crap completely (as opposed to WW etc where you can still eat some) then the temptation will no longer be there.

What I didn't expect was to feel so ill :( although I can understand that my body has gone into total shock!

Well you've been eating, which was my first concern!

You have eaten pretty well - certainly no reason why the food should have made you feel so bad. It could be carb withdrawal, but also sounds as if you might have some kind of bug too.

How are you feeling now? Have you managed to eat anything?

If you're still feeling really bad, have a slice of toast. Charles Clarke ("The New High Protein Diet") allows a slice of wholemeal toast each day. You may need to ease yourself into things.

I want this to work for everyone - I don't want people to drop dead feel that poorly!

I've been doing this seriously since 6 February, and in that time:

• I have had an Indian takeaway once a week (it is our Friday 'thing')
• I have drunk wine (albeit in more moderate quantities than before ) every weekend, and once or twice if I've been out during the week
• have also been out to dinner at least once a fortnight with friends
• I have had the odd cheat - a bit of naan bread here and there, some lentils now and then, the odd spoonful of baked beans with my bacon and eggs, etc

This is over 11 weeks. And I have now lost a stone. So it's less than 2lbs a week, but as you can see, it's hardly been the strictest or most deprived of diets.

On all of the occasions I've been out, I have been able to make fairly good low carb choices, and I've honestly enjoyed my food throughout.

I am probably going to bore everyone to death as I have said this on prebious threads, but this way of eating has worked wonderfully for me.

I have been very non-strict (as in I have not deliberately gone into ketosis as I have a kidney condition and I didn't think it would be advisable) - I have mainly just cut out processed carbs. I have eaten as much green veg and mushrooms as I liked. I have gone from 12 stone 3 to 10 stone 7 from January 1st, so nearly 2 stone in 3 months.

In that time I have had about a month of stalling where I lost and gained the same 3lbs or so. Looking what I was eating I found that I was sneaking carby things in - stuff like low cal hot chocs and sugar free jellies (which have a small but significant carb count). Plus Beroccas. I also found that I always forgot to drink water - it works better when you drink about 3l a day.

All newbies need a book or two - reading the background to this shizzle really makes you feel wedded to the idea, plus it gives the science behind the restructions. I really recommend the Dr John Briffa book (for the science), India and Neris Idiot Proof book (for emotional), and Atkins New Diet Revolution (for the mechanics). You need to know categorically what you can eat and why - I started the diet in a half assed way thinking I could eat meat and veg, and the reason it wasn't working was because I was eating a lot of peas, sweetcorn and beetroot.

I have also lost 10% body fat in that time. This diet does work beautifully. It is hard though mentally - you cannot have one sweet really as it buggers it up. Plus (in my case) 1 sweet opened the floodgates for about 2 kilos of them.

Thanks BIWI, I have just had a slice of toast with a scrape of marmite on it . Don't feel too bad now, a little shaky but my legs are bloody killing me! Feel like I've just done L1, 2 and 3 of the Shred back to back

Getorf - I think the way I'm feeling is down to being in ketosis, I would prefer to follow your way of doing things and avoid it if I can. Do you add extra fat like butter on veg etc?

Just googled 'low carb leg pains' and apparently it can be down to potassium or calcium deficiency. Surely not after just two days though?

I am thinking the following for bootcamp :

10am ham/gammon rolls

2.30pm salad with chicken/salmon/corned beef

7pm steak/creamy chicken/buttered fish/belly pork/lamb chops with buttered cauli mash/stir fry/creamed leeks/lasagne with thin courgette slices replacing pasta

11pm bacon/pâté/cold meat/cold fish/tandoori chicken strips

My aim is 2lts of plain water thru the day (I don't do hot drinks) and add lemon or Lime juice to meal time 0.5lt drink so totalling 4 lts.

The timing are due to work (matenrit nanny to twins) and medication/food restrictions.

Does this sound ok?

Gah maternity

If you're drinking loads and loads of water, potassium deficiency can occur - but I suspect this is not the case for you as it's too early. However, no harm in eating an avocado, or adding Lo Salt to your food as this will help.

If you're that achey, though, are you sure you're not going down with a cold/flu? There is a lot of it around at the moment! blows nose

Blimey - that sounds a bit hairy.

I have always eaten a lot of fat - eat a lot of cheese as well, it doesn't seem to have harmed me much, but I know cheese stalls some people.

I use a lot of butter, olive and coconut oil. Eat lots of full fat cream cheese. Never eat yoghurts and rarely have cream in the house.

I eat as much veg as I like - utter faves are spinach and kale, and field mushrooms. The baked eggs and spinach mentioned upthread is a good one. I also don't restrict eggs.

I also eat a lot of fish which I think is great - I have been addicted to smoked salmon and I get through loads (this diet aint cheap).

I also adore macadamia nuts - they are prohibitively expensive most places but they sell 60g bags for a £1 in sainsburys - they are utterly delicious, really low carb but high fat.

I've just remembered I'm off to Paris in 2 weeks time, so I might start boot camp today, so that I can fit 2 weeks in before I go.

Off to go and fill up a jug of water so I can keep track.

GetOrf, I remember seeing your posts on the other threads - well done, you have done really well! Having started in Jan, and lost a stone, I have faffed around since February - although at least the stone is still off. I would like to lose another stone and a half.

I've just realised that a lot of the meat I eat is processed, bacon, ham, salami, chorizo. Hmmm might need to work on that.

Gosh i like the sound of getorf s diet and marzipan Your post gave me some great ideas.
bwiw the truth comes out now oh master of crab free haha. Indian take aways indeed
I was feeling a tad clueless but i now feel all inspired and am wrioting a shopping list.
Yum to smoked salmon and cream cheese. Can i get any titles for good books?

CRAB FREE HAHAHA

No carbs in crabs!

Crab free!

[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Escape-Diet-Trap-John-Briffa/dp/0007442432/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334323495&sr=8-1 john Briffa book]]

atkins book

idiot book

And hopefully no crabs on the low carbers

www.amazon.co.uk/Escape-Diet-Trap-John-Briffa/dp/0007442432/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334323495&sr=8-1

Cheers i ordered the Idiot one (no comments please) only 2.50 second hand on play uk.

The recipe book that goes with that is really good, ledkr

NOT that I know that from experience

I used to use it on dd's headlice, and it said KILLS ALL CRABS on the box so was mighty embarrassing to buy from superdrug.