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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

At last - here it is! BIWI's 2 week Low Carb Bootcamp - starts tomorrow - sign in here

999 replies

BIWI · 15/04/2012 22:36

Lots of you have said you want to do this - now it's time to put your money where your mouth is, so to speak.

Oh, alright, it's free. Grin

The plan is that we have two very strict weeks of low carbing. Which is why, doh, it's called a bootcamp.

There are 'rules of engagement' for the fortnight - but they're different if you're carnivore or a vegetarian. I shall post the rules for us carnivores, and flipflopflap will post the rules for those of you that are vegetarians.

Sign in with your starting weight - in pounds, stones and pounds, kilos or - if you don't want to reveal your weight, with 100 as an index - and what you're wanting to achieve in the two weeks. I know that not everyone is doing this for the purpose of weight loss, so you don't have to do this if you don't want to - but tell us what you want this fortnight to help you achieve.

The Carnivore Rules

1.Eat three, proper meals a day.
You must eat breakfast. It doesn?t have to be a lot, but you must have something. For the rest of the day, if you?re eating enough food and you are in ketosis then you shouldn?t be hungry. But if you are hungry, eat something. (Hard boiled eggs make a great snack)

2.Avoid processed food
Focus on pure, natural protein as the basis for your meals ? meat/fish/eggs. Things like sausages, ham, bacon, pre-prepared burgers etc should be avoided as much as possible. You can have them, but just not every day. Avoid foods marketed as low carb, e.g. Atkins Daybreak bars.

3.Eat lots of fat.

Eating fat helps you to burn fat. Honestly! Fry in butter, add butter to vegetables, eat salad with a home-made vinaigrette dressing (not made with balsamic vinegar though, as this is too sweet), add mayonnaise where you can (just check the carb count on your mayo first). Eat fattier cuts of meat ? e.g. pork belly, roast chicken with the skin on and/or eat the fat off your lamb chops. Absolutely no low fat/light foods of any kind!

4.Make sure you are eating vegetables and salads with your food ?
This is where your carbs should come from, and this is non-negotiable. But choose only those vegetables that are on the allowed list. You don?t have to weigh/count carbs ? this is one of the great joys of this WOE (way of eating), but if you?re new to low carbing it can be helpful to weigh your portions of veg in the early days, just so that you know how many carbs are in the sort of portions that you like to eat

*5.Be careful about dairy (apart from butter, which is unlimited). It can impede weight loss for some people. If you are still drinking tea/coffee with milk or cream, try to restrict yourself to max 2 cups per day. You may eat cheese, but don't overdo it. Full fat yoghurt is the best way to include dairy in your diet - but beware, it does contain carbs. Total Full Fat is the best.

6.You must drink a minimum of 2 litres of water per day.
The more weight you have to lose, the more water you should drink

7.No alcohol
If you really can't do this - at least try and restrict it to the weekend. Vodka with soda is the best thing to drink. Or Champagne, red wine or dry white wine.

8.No fruit
Really. Seriously. Honestly. None at all. Zilch. Nada.

9.No nuts/seeds
Whilst these are really good to snack on later - it can be too easy to start snacking on these - and before you know it, all your carbs have gone on nuts. Seriously - in bootcamp - don't do it to yourself.

10.No sugar or artificial sweeteners

OP posts:
RatherBeOnThePiste · 18/04/2012 16:36

at taking out of contact lenses for weighing in - BIWI - that made me laugh.... Grin Grin

KnottyLocks · 18/04/2012 16:40

So if I'm thirsty, I'm probably in ketosis, yes?

Creamtea1 · 18/04/2012 16:45

Re weighing:
Naked, first thing in morning, after per and (result if so) number 2, with no jewellery, hair accessories or anything

And do it 3 times to get the mean average

....and if you don't do a poo in the morning and that happens in the afternoon, always re-weigh

Definetly not scale obsessed though Blush

Creamtea1 · 18/04/2012 16:46

Per should say pee, frickin iphone

RatherBeOnThePiste · 18/04/2012 16:46

Being thirsty all the time can be an early symptom of ketosis yes.

MrsNouveauRichards · 18/04/2012 16:49

I weigh first thing in the morning, after my wee and before drinking my tea. But my scales are old and knackered, so it is a 'rough' weight!

Didn't need a snack after doing the horses today (unheard of) had a coffee at my friend's which did have a sugar in though.

NotMostPeople · 18/04/2012 16:52

PostBB thanks for the explanation, I just don't understand (a bit thick, me) why we're eating the fat as well. Surely if we just ate protein, carbs and the allowed veg then we'd burn more of our stored body fat. What's happening to the fat we are eating? isn't it being burned instead of the body fat?

PostBellumBugsy · 18/04/2012 17:05

notmostpeople I'll have to go and consult my learned books to give you a full explanation, because my brain is a bit small & there is only so much of the sciencey stuff I can retain.

Firstly, fat is good for you - it is a great source of vitamins. You have to re-wire your brain and get out of the fat makes you fat mindset.

secondly, eating fat stops your body going into starvation mode whereby your body thinks that food is running out on a long term basis & your metabolism slows down making it much harder to lose weight.

Thirdly, consuming fat has a satiating (not sure I've spelt that right) effect, so it reduces your appetite because you feel satiatied.

If you eat too much lean protein it puts pressure on the kidneys, (for reasons I can't remember) - but I know that it does.

When you eat, fat doesn't just slide undigested through your body onto the areas you store fat!!!!!!

I'll come back later with more of the sciencey stuff - if someone else doesn't fill you in the interim!

londonone · 18/04/2012 17:08

slotrightin - I tend to have the chilli with a portion of guacamole and a blob of soured cream and then a green salad on the side.

slotrightin · 18/04/2012 17:21

Thanks Londonone, have never tried guacamole or soured cream, not even sure what guacamole is Blush

Lovecat · 18/04/2012 17:22

Yep, another nekkid weigher here, first thing, after the loo, definitely a result if after a poo!

I'm definitely suffering irritability, petulance, mood-swings... must be day 3!

teaandthorazine · 18/04/2012 17:24
londonone · 18/04/2012 17:24

guacamole is like a avocado salsa/dip - chop/mash up an avocado, mix in a little lemon juice, salt and pepper, some chopped spring onions if you fancy, a little fresh chilli if you fancy. Delicious with celery sticks or with anything a bit mexican!

teaandthorazine · 18/04/2012 17:28

Sorry, that was a bit ranty Blush

I just think that when you actually get behind the hype and read the science, low carb is an absolute no-brainer. But the low-fat message is SO ingrained, isn't it? It's so hard to go against it. I firmly believe though, that this is an eminently sensible and healthy way to eat - as long as you drink your water and eat your veg Grin

KeepOrfThemCarbs · 18/04/2012 17:35

I am not feeling well still so am not low carbing at the month - just eating soup and stuff.

Lol at all the weighing in. I usually wake up thirsty but make sure I weigh myself BEFORE having a drink, as having a swig of watetr would make a difference!

Also would refuse to weigh myself after a shower with wet hair, as that half an oz of water in my hair would make oh so much difference!

KeepOrfThemCarbs · 18/04/2012 17:37

At the month? I meant at the MOMENT

alienreflux · 18/04/2012 17:44

the oopsie rolls are bloody lovely!!! and i f*cked them up!! bet they're even nicer done properly!! really chuffed as was craving something to slather philly on!! :o

CheerfulYank · 18/04/2012 17:45

Just marking my place :) Have had two packets of string cheese today as was in a hurry. It's not quite noon here though, I will go home and have a salad, then am off to the shops later for some bacon or pork chops or something, and definitely avocado! :)

BIWIWhoMustBeObeyed · 18/04/2012 17:46

Sorry you're still not feeling well, KeepOrf Sad

Are you ready with your spreadsheet? When do you want everyone to do their first weigh-in for you?!

Re the fat - you need to get into ketosis, and this will switch your body into fat-burning mode. This will burn the fat stores in your body.

You need to eat fat to keep you satiated; a fat-burning body will use this as fuel as well, although it is a different kind of fat, as said

ohforfoxsake · 18/04/2012 17:49

"no such thing as an essential carbohydrate" that is my new mantra Smile

Realitygf · 18/04/2012 17:56

uh oh! Just seen half packet of kettle chips in the cupboard and it is calling to me. Must force feed to the kids ASAP!

Jacaqueen · 18/04/2012 18:00

Its a bit like using the oil cleansing method on oily skin. The cleansing oil helps to break down the oil on the face.

The fat that we are eating relaxes our body into letting go of the fat that we are storing. It is only when you eat fat with carbs that the body holds onto it.

You could loose weight by eating protien and veg but it could put a strain on your kidneys and wouldn't be nearly as yummy. Google Stillman Diet.

ledkr · 18/04/2012 18:01

Feel fuzzy headed today and very thirsty too.

I had to have a smear Sad and felt the need to reward myself with lovely chocs afterwards.I didnt.

I went to Waitrose to look for those noodle things to no avail and had many moments like nouveu thinking "i cant be doing with this,ill just do some exercise or sw or just cut down" All the same in head convos ive been having foe a year since baby was born.

So i didnt buy anything bad apart from a pkt of sf polos just because my mouth feels like ghandis flip flop.

I even bought muffins for dc and havent been tempted.

Just to give us some hope.When can we reintroduce fruit and other stuff? Id like to be able to have some porridge and maybe a slice of bread every now and then.Can we eat small portions of complex carbs at any point?

God i feel light headed.

Livelongandprosper · 18/04/2012 18:02

BIWI Thanks for the links, I'm back home now and I shall read through them all.

Something really strange happened. I felt so sick I couldn't eat at lunchtime, though I tried. I volunteer on Wednesday afternoons and they always offer biscuits so I was worried I would eat 50 biscuits and feel lovely and that would be the end of me on this thread.

Well, they did offer biscuits but I couldn't eat them. This is unheard of.

Then something even more unlikely happened - when I really thought about it, what I was craving was meat! I have never liked meat, for as long as I can remember. I have occasionally tried it when growing up to see if my taste buds have changed but I have never managed to like or tolerate the taste and texture. As for the fat/bouncy bits on it, I have almost fainted away at dinner tables when I have tried meat and got a gobful of something chewy, gristly or fatty!

However, I have just gone to the supermarket and bought some BACON and it's for ME! I have just eaten bacon and eggs, and I even ate the fat!

I have been possessed by aliens in the night, it's the only explanation - and they're not vegetarian

ledkr · 18/04/2012 18:08

livelong I was veggie for ten years but bacon lured me back Sad

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