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?

Well done LackaDaisy!

I am trying to ease myself in a bit this weekend. Going to drink lots of water and try to have 1-2meals a day low carb and try to avoid snacking as much as possible.

Off to the market this morning to stock up on lots of lovely fresh veg and free range eggs.

I think you need to look at it as treating your body to a wonderful diet rather than denying yourself to get into the right mindset.

Wow, I'm feeling so much better today :) Felt a little dizzy when I got up but had a mint tea and a handful of strawberries and it passed.

Have had a litre of water already, just wish it didn't result in so many trips to the loo!

Planning to have cold chicken and salad for lunch. I bought some Hellmans Caesar dressing yesterday which looks ok carbwise , I'm not a fan of vinegary things though so not sure if I'll like it. If I don't then I'll just have some cheese with my salad.

Eggs and bacon this evening me thinks

I'm certain I had 'carb flu' yesterday you know, I felt much better as the day went on but I only had 2 slices of toast all day as couldn't face a thing. I recovered enough to manage about a third of a tin of tuna in the evening and a square of 85% chocolate . Scales said another 2lb loss this morning so that's 4lbs in total since Weds I only want to lose 7 or maybe 9lbs so does that mean I'll have to start reintroducing carbs in small quantities soon? Have a feeling it's mostly water loss however so not going to take much notice until day 7.

Nice to know my carb laden toastx2 yesterday didn't do any damage though

I'm gearing up for Monday regarding the storecupboard/fridge largely by eating all the carby stuff in sight but it's not looking good for this weekend - taking DD and her friend to see Mirror Mirror this afternoon and they usually want to eat in Pizza Express, we were in there yesterday (I justified my Fiorentina pizza by the fact I'd walked up and down 331 steps in the Monument for DD's holiday project!) and I noticed that all their salads, at least 3 of which used to be good for LCing if you left out the doughballs, are now full of onions and balsamic syrup. Grr.

And Sunday DD & another friend are going to the fair with us, so I'll need to make sure that I eat well before I go so I'm not tempted by sausages in buns or candyfloss...

I need to go food shopping - are we allowed bacon on bootcamp or is it a forbidden processed meat?

I'm currently 12.2 which is horrendous. I need to lose at least 2.5 stone... wah!

Hi Everyone!

I am definitely up for this starting on Monday. I have just been and done the shopping ready to get started. I am a good 2 stone overweight and getting heavier by the day!

I am a bit worried about 'carb flu'. Could someone explain the symptoms and the best thing to avoid it and also the best way to deal with headaches??

Thanks.

I always think the answer is drink more water!

When I'm in ketosis I get this burning feeling in my upper arms, not very nice and I have no idea what it is all about - but maybe a version of your carb flu?

I have been low-carbin on and off from Feb..started my boot camp on Thursday and have just fit (comfortably) into my size 16 jeans. (I was at least a 20 in Feb ) Bootamp has deffo given me that extra edge. So So happy!!!

It was even worth missing wine last night for this feeling . So I will be boot camping with you all closely.

I felt flu-ey - achy, shivery, lethargic, headache etc. I consume a huge amount of sugar, though :(

Last time I tried and failed miserably I gave up caffeine too, which meant I got a double whammy of withdrawal. I'm not doing that this time so hopefully it won't be quite as bad.

I have three social events this week and would normally be planning to drink at all of them. Is there anything I can drink?! Or is it sparking water all night?

neat vodka or gin??
have felt fluey but think might be bug. got huge masters assignment due next week so am low carbing EXCEPT for chocolate! (it IS the dark stuff though) got to be realistic, can't do all at once -gin as you say doublewhammy too much! am alternatiing decaff with caff though but need this hit to get my through some late nights!

Vodka/gin with dash of squash/cordial and water! Basically just like having a glass of squash but with a shot or two of vodka in it. And hangover is less too as you are having your water still.

lackadaisy that is fantastic news. I know you must be nervous but they clearly see a lot in you which they like. I am sure you will knock 'em dead.

I wonder if someone clever and more experienced would mind having a look at my food for today?

I'm not going full scary boot camp until Monday, and just trying really to get my head around it.

Breakfast - 2 eggs, 3 mushrooms and pancetta omelette

Lunch - half a bag of watercress/spinach/rocket mix, 100g cucumber, 1 stalk celery. Smoked mackerel, home made vinaigrette.

Dinner - Atkins curry recipe (1.3 carbs), cauliflower "rice" (you know? When you mash the cauliflower up? )

25g chedder - snack

2.2 mile run.

Does anyone know of a decent carb counting app? The ones I've downloaded for free are very US biased and I don't quite trust them IYKWIM? Or do I need to just relax. ?

So used to counting stuff, I think it's completely ingrained and I feel rudderless and frightened I'm going to gain weight - EVEN THOUGH I know that it's not the case.

Finally! Have managed to read the thread properly. I am very excited by this. I'm a big fan of the Harcombe diet, and lost 10 pounds in 10 days last time. Felt on top of the World too. After the first week of my first attempt I actually refused sticky toffee pudding!

Am so far off the wagon now though - I can still feel last nights pizza in my stomach and am suffering from a candida imbalance (thrush), which is all about the refined carbs I've been scoffing. Being an emotional eater I've packed on two stone in two years and am miserable. My self-esteem is at an all time low. I really need this. I have 24 pounds to shift, but am not so worried about the weight loss, more the dress size. I just want to be a size 12 again so I can wear what's in my wardrobe as opposed to the crap I put on in the morning because I refuse to buy a size 16 in anything nice.

And hello Lackadaisy! You'll be seeing a lot more of me from now on

I'm dying. From manflu. All I can think about eating is carbs

Oh BIWI

Don't do it! It's an illusion, the carbs wont make you feel better (is this helping?) you'll just still feel fluey, but also guilty and pissed off with yourself.

Forsake - I have about 20lbs to lose as well. I can't understand how I let myself get so blardy big.

Florida in July - I am determined to feel comfortable on that beach.

Oh helllo, can I join in please? I'm a sporadic poster (but have been here quite a long time) and I'm a bit confused.

I've hired a personal trainer but she is suggesting

low carb (so foods on the allowed list are low carb veg, leafy greens and meat / fish / eggs
berries only
no cheese or butter or mayo
walking and pilates

I've done serious India and Neris before and lost loads but stopped and therefore put it all back on again.

I've just re-read the first part of India and Neris but frankly, I'm feeling NO! I don't want to do this! I love food, I love eating out, wahhhh!

All denial, I need to lose weight but I'm feeling grumpy and cross about the thought of it all and so have just poured myself a glass of wine, which definitely isn't on the allowed list fgs. Any suggestions? (Other than go back off the wine tomorrow which is fine, I can do that easily, it's Sat night I'm struggling with)

I am, quite literally, GRINDING my teeth in Wine-Wanting. The crazy thing is that I am sure it would make me violently sick anyway.

Whoops - iPad. Is there a reason you want to lose the weight? Just for summer or anything else Alpha?

Oh no BIWI, you poor thing. I hope you get better soon, as we are relying on you to crack the whip!

I started my boot camp early, and I've done ok so far, although I find drinking all that water a bit of a challenge. I know that I don't drink enough water normally, and I have a tendency to drink wine in the evening, which I think is because I am thirsty. Anyhow, I have been pouring the water into a jug so I can keep track of how much I have had - about a litre so far, as well as a cup of tea & coffee (decaff with almond milk, although the almond milk tastes v sweet - 3.0g of carbs / 100 ml, compared to 4.9g for skimmed milk. I have also got Kara dairy free stuff, made from coconut milk which is 1.9g/100.)

Anyhow, I digress. DH says I have been mega grumpy today, which I concede, but largely because he spent 3 hours sleeping on the sofa whilst the DC became feral children. I came back home to find them weeing in the front garden, DH nowhere to be seen. It has absolutely nothing to do with being on boot camp.

Sorry, still digressing. Had duck breast, mashed celeriac & garlicky green beans last night. Absolutely delicious - I poach the breasts for a couple of minutes in the celeriac water before drying them off and frying skin side down. It makes them very tender and means you only need to fry to crisp up the skins. It also adds a depth of flavour to the celeriac. Sainsbury's meat counter also give free garlic butter if you buy meat from the counter rather than pre-pack (love the idea of getting free things), which I used on the green beans.

I won't eat the carbs - I know it won't make me feel any better!

Alpha - welcome. If your trainer really knows her stuff then she wouldn't be telling you no butter/mayo. It sounds like she's trying to make you do low carb and low fat, which won't work in the long term.

Google Dr John Briffa and have a read through some of his blog posts about fat. It's really important on this way of eating.

And if you love eating, then this is definitely the way to go! I'll c+p my post from the other day just to make the point:

"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."

BIWI, she says it's Briffa her plan so maybe she is wrong about the fats? She said I could use coconut oil (wtf?) and I thought she was talking bollocks so I bought groundnut which sounds more sensible to me.

I think I'm feeling so demotivated because I'm Ms All Or Nothing and I'm not utterly convinced by her plan wheras I was by India and Neris.

Shirleyknot (great name!) - I just need to lose it, am enormous heifer and really, raelly want not to be by the end of this year.

I'm cheered by the idea of being able to have wine sometimes, I can totally do no wine in the week, no problem at all but I have to admit to struggling with none tonight as it'#s the last day of our holiday (we've all been off work and school) and I WANT SOME WINE!

I need to get my head in the right place though to succeed and it's just not. Maybe it'll be easier when I'm back in the routine of work next week?

I love garlic green beans. I'm seriously tempted to do India and Neris again and ignore trainer but since I've paid her that would be a bit silly!

Maybe I'll see how we get on by the end of May, which is when the first month is up and if it's working for me and I've lost weight then I'll stick with her.

In the meantime I'll whinge on on this thread a bit if that's ok. Bet you just can't wait! :)

She's right about the coconut oil - and this is also something Briffa talks about, I think. But she's wrong about the butter. Cheese can be a no go, as it's dairy, and some people find that it makes you stall - mayo (I suppose) could be a no go if it's got a lot of sugar in it - check the label and/or make your own.

I bought coconut oil today in sainsbo! (don't ask how much it cost, it made me wonder if coconuts are actually made out of GOLD)

I find it miles easier to be controlled during a working week - I struggle dreadfully at the weekends, so I feel your pain.

Why coconut oil is good