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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:
ToryLovell · 19/04/2012 09:38

Fab weight losses being posted here.

I forgot to weigh and by the time I remembered I had drunk two lasses of water so it was a bit late to do that. May weigh tomorrow morning if I can remember.

ToryLovell · 19/04/2012 09:38

glasses

slowlyburningcalories · 19/04/2012 09:39

Got to work to find a disaster in my bag. The mackerel & salad which I had yesterday had leaked all over my (very expensive) laptop bag, my diary with photos of DD in it, lots of research notes and its all oily and very fishy.

I can't get rid of the bag, it cost over £100! Any ideas?

We had our usual cook up this morning, DD treated us and slept better last night (though DH had to go in with her at midnight and she next woke at 7!). I wish I had got the tape measure out before I started this diet rather than rely on the scales, my shape has changed so much even though I have only dropped 4lbs.

ShirtyKnot · 19/04/2012 09:39

Morning all.

I lost a pound, which I'm really pleased about - as I said I was really sick last week and dropped 4 lbs in a week due to not being able to eat anything except Matzos - so this is a lovely little loss for me. Grin

Had naughty Matterson's smoked pork sausage in an omelette for breakfast today - zero carbs but a bit processed and delicious.

Smoked mackerel salad with mayo for lunch

Got to do a 20 minute run after work so am planning to eat a boiled egg before I go and then maybe chicken and something for dinner.

Jacaqueen · 19/04/2012 09:44

Wow FauxFox you have lost 8lbs.

That is fantastic especially considering you are not that heavy to start with.
I am going to stalk you now and see exactly what you have been eating!

I bet you are drinking all your water.

BettyBathroom · 19/04/2012 10:26

I went out this morning and ran for 40 mins - no energy slump & no feeling like I am running on empty. And I feel great! Grin

vnmum · 19/04/2012 10:27

I managed to get some coconut oil from a local asian food shop. it was £2.60 for a 500ml tub of the solid stuff and it didn't seem to give my food any cocnut flavour either.

I have sts today so will update the weigh in thread. not sure if i'm retaining water from the gammon i had last night for tea as i didn't drink alot after it as i didn't want to be up all night peeing, and it is quite salty.

i have been drinking loads more water a day than usual, at least 3 litres, but i wonder if i'm not getting enough fat as i don't like the texture of fat on meat or skin on chicken so have to rely on my cooking methods and dressings for my fat content.

well done on all the good losses so far.

flipflopflap · 19/04/2012 10:29

Wrote on the other thread, but, 4lb down for me. I only managed 2lb on induction last time and that was in the entire first week!

The weekend is going to be a bit of a challenge though, usually have drinks with DH on a Thursday, and going out with friends for a meal tomorrow night, so I'm going to cheat a little and have a limited amount of vodka and sodas and pray I keep the 4lb off!

BettyBathroom · 19/04/2012 10:30

slowlyburningcalories What a bugger! If your bag is made of nylon/canvas give it a good scrub with neat detergent - rub it well in - then add hot-ish water - less hot, more luke warm for canvas , this will get rid of the grease. Then rub a Bicarb of soda paste into the fabric to get rid of the fishy smell - leave for 24 hrs and rinse and leave to dry. You may have to try all that twice to leave it lovely again.

If it's leather - try a dry cleaners.

JaxTellerIsMyFriend · 19/04/2012 10:34

weighed myself this morning and I am 4lbs down! woohoo.

those MiM need a very large glass of water to help me scoff them, so not a bad thing really. Grin

slotrightin · 19/04/2012 10:39

Londoner, going to try chili and guacamole at weekend, thanks for explaining.

Phew Livelongandprosper, am so relieved to hear that you were craving meat despite not being a meat lover, had the biggest longing for steak yesterday evening and I have never ever ever eaten steak nor have I ever wanted to, so was completely confused where the sudden urge to eat steak came from.....

TheGoddessBlossom · 19/04/2012 10:42

I've just put my breakfast into Myfitnesspal.com.

1 cup blackberries (although I ate less than a cup I think)
1 cup strawberries (ditto above)
Double cream 30 ml
1 decaf tea no sugar spash of skimmed milk
Dollop of fat free (I know but it's all I got at the mo) Total greek yog.

293 calories, 31 carbs, 16 grams of fat, 10 protein. I was quite shocked. I though the double cream would have way more calories than that, and am surprised at how many carbs BB have. Gonna steer clear of the blackberries. I have just consumed my daily allowance of carbs in one meal.

That is all.

encyclogirl · 19/04/2012 10:59

Still at 10.5lbs here, not complaining though! What an amazing loss in 2.5 weeks.

Need to face up the fact that my final 10.5lbs is not gonna drop off by mid May, but this level of early weight loss is really intoxicating and so motivating.

Pub lunch today, but I've rung ahead and ordered pan fried salmon with salad.

Well done on all the losses. Keep on sloshing!

Fava · 19/04/2012 11:00

I must stay away from the cheese, must stay away from the cheese, stay away from the cheese! < salivating emoticon>

Weighed myself on Tues and I was down 1kg but this morning most of that kg was back; can only put it down to the cheese I ate these last couple of days (children had being begging for aubergine stuffed with bacon and cheese and 'cheese crisps'). The last time I had cheese was Feb and again I put some weight on...So me thinks that Prof. Loren Cordain might have point about the insulin response to dairy product.

MrsNouveauRichards · 19/04/2012 11:09

I don't think anyone can deny this woe works! Well done everyone!

However, i have just made a MiM as a late breakfast, and eaten half.

I think a little bit of me died

BettyBathroom · 19/04/2012 11:17

Slotrightin & Livelongandprosper I am also a veggie (of 24 years) who considered having a nibble of the roast chicken I made on Sunday for dh & the dcs...I have never felt that way before....thought it was just me - what is happening?

ShirtyKnot · 19/04/2012 11:18

Been offered lunch out today at work - it's my birthday tomorrow but boss is off - said Nando's...

So, I have my mackeral salad with me but I can have that for dinner instead - is Nando's OK do you think?

I've looked at their menu and I can have a meal for about 5 carbs (chicken and salad) but I'm worried about the sauce having sugar in it - ARGH! What should I do?

slotrightin · 19/04/2012 11:30

BettyBathroom, it's certainly strange isn't it?

MrsNouveauRichards · 19/04/2012 11:34

I would kill for Nando' s right now! I think for a birthday treat that is bloody good!

BIWIWhoMustBeObeyed · 19/04/2012 11:45

I think Nando's is OK, Shirl. The salad, from memory, is very good - and the amount of chicken on the salad isn't that huge, so if there is sugar in their marinades, it won't be that bad.

Last time I went I had a double portion of the wings - they were immense, and had to take some home with me Blush.

In the scheme of things, it's probably the best 'fast food' option.

(Just don't eat anything in a bun/wrap!)

And big Grin at all you veggies craving meat!

greygirl · 19/04/2012 11:46

well i have lost 2lbs since monday, so that is fab! i am trying to drink my water and have had some cheese. yesterday i had a taste (literally a dab) of the kids fruit pudding last night, but otherwise i have stuck pretty well.
Problems on radar looming: husband wants fish and chips for tea tomorrow night - might have to have fish and leave batter, or cook something while he ventures out - and on saturday have been invited to a 'mums night out' from school at a curry house. Hmm - tandoori chicken i think, or maybe pork chops. what is the glaze like for carbs anyone?
well done everyone, we are really getting there!

ShirtyKnot · 19/04/2012 11:56

Thank you BIWI and WOOHOO to Nando's for Lunch.

BIWIWhoMustBeObeyed · 19/04/2012 12:11

When I have a curry (we have an Indian takeaway every Friday night) I have either a tandoori mixed grill, or chicken tikka, or chicken shashlick - for a veg, I have spinach, mushroom and/or cauliflower bhaji - they are all low carb veg, and there doesn't seem to be much by way of thickeners in the sauce.

Just don't go near the naan, rice or poppadoms!

LackaDAILYcarb · 19/04/2012 12:15

Unfortunately my shape hasn't changed much at all...I look slimmer in my face, and I had to tighten my belt a notch on my jeans but /I am unable to fit into my suit trousers for tomorrow's interview :( I can see a mad dash to the shops coming on, in between trying to fine tune my spoken words and timing, practice some interview questions, and do a bit more research into current engineering trends...

Am feeling properly stressed about it. The creme egg almost won the staring competition and is now half undressed Blush. I came to my senses though and he is back there on the shelf, staring at me with his little eggy eyes.

I think I may be losing the plot...

TheGoddessBlossom · 19/04/2012 12:16

this is very interesting