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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:
BettyBathroom · 19/04/2012 12:21

Another good fast food option is Mexican - fajitas - just don't eat the tortilla - everything else is spot on! Chiquito isnt too bad.

FauxFox · 19/04/2012 12:30

Just chuck it away lacka stop torturing yourself!

BettyBathroom · 19/04/2012 12:32

Thanks Goddess for the link - it explains a lot.

TheGoddessBlossom · 19/04/2012 12:36

Doesn't it Betty? I really rate Zoe Harcombe - I just felt sticking to low carb rather than eating both but just not at the same meal was easier......

WizzyBizzy · 19/04/2012 12:49

So in the same vein as the Nandos chat....a friend wants to take us to a Turkish place for lunch on Saturday. I don't know much about Turkish food. Does anyone else know what I could aim to have / what to avoid? I'm guessing that I might be able to get koftes and salad, avoid any bread and expect to have some yogurt? It's not in my area so I can't check menu beforehand.

NotMostPeople · 19/04/2012 12:56

Having lost 2lbs yesterday this morning I'd gained them back, so I'm back at the beginning. However I had a bad day and ate a lot all low carb but tons of it.

I had a session with a PT today and guess what diet he suggested? He said we're all doing exactly the right thing. I asked if about going to the gym without carbs and he said it would be fine but you might find it harder work for the first month but the benefits are worth the short term struggle.

Avocado with prawns for lunch.

However I've got a real challenge this evening as we're eating out.

Twit · 19/04/2012 13:03

Hi all, still feel crap but better than yesterday, so hey ho.
sharon I pick out the bits I can eat, because I hate being The Person Who Has To Be Awkward Wink. Waves to other no-wheaters.

moonmother my tummy is bloated too, I suspect it's because of al the water I'm drinking?

I'm still not enjoying this at the moment but want to give it a proper go and have been very strict with myself.
although on the way home I figured I could scarf the gluten free treats DH bought with a nice cupotea and no-one would know

Grin
Livelongandprosper · 19/04/2012 13:09

slotrightin and BettyBathroom I am very relieved to know it's not just me with these never-before-experienced meat cravings!

When I could stand it no longer and went out to buy some bacon, I didn't know what to buy as I had no idea what I would like. Smoked, unsmoked, thick, thin - in the end I just grabbed a pack that looked like it had the least fat on (I thought the fat might be gristly.)

I felt so much better after I had eaten two rashers.

Confused
mummyduff · 19/04/2012 13:12

BIWIWhoMustBeObeyed/goddess of weight loss plan - thanks for the info re Indian take away as we are having one at the weekend Smile.

I am 5lbs down as of this morning.
Having to force feed myself as not hungry!
Boiled egg for breakie
2 hours at the gym and felt great loads of energy.
Omelette and salad for lunch and shed loads of water as still so thirsty.

BIWIWhoMustBeObeyed · 19/04/2012 13:17

NotMostPeople - sorry, I can't remember if I've asked you this before (getting very mixed up about who has done/is doing what!)

List out for me what your meals/drinks have been since Monday and let's see if we can help.

Glad that your PT is in support of what we're doing. It made life very much easier when I discovered that mine was also an advocate of LCing. (You're not seeing the same one, are you?!)

FourThousandHoles · 19/04/2012 13:20

God I feel like shit today, really nauseous and fatiged. I felt a bit like this last night and went off to bed at 9pm. I can't face any of the food today, I forced down scrambled eggs and smoked salmon for breakfast and it made me feel worse. Continual drinking of water isn't helping either (and I'm in the 3 litre bracket). I am feeling extremely sorry for myself. Doesn't help that I had a bitch of a morning anyway.

Time to dig out the toddler wranging mantra "andthistooshallpass"

I'm so sorry, I know this is a self indulgent post and I'm ignoring everyone else, but I am sitting on the sofa being a martyr and you must all come and pat me on the head and say "there there" before I make some toast

Twit · 19/04/2012 13:21

BIWI is it normal to feel really sick when you eat? I don't think I can force my fried salmon and mushrooms with spinach down. Sad and

TheGoddessBlossom · 19/04/2012 13:22

theretherethere 4000holes!

Twit · 19/04/2012 13:25

fourthousandholes you sound like me, it''s horrible isn't it, especially when everyone else seems to be enjoying themselves

I am sorry for having been a moany twat on this thread. I only slightly want everyone els to feel as shit as I do if that helps Grin

MrsNouveauRichards · 19/04/2012 13:26

There, there :)

Enjoying a lovely big mug of hot water and lemon (yum) :o

teaandthorazine · 19/04/2012 13:27

Hmmm, feeling a bit discouraged today tbh. Am fairly positive I'm not yet in ketosis, which is strange for me as it's been 4 days of following the diet strictly and it usually only takes me about 48 hours...

Plus - my skin is awful. I went through real problems a couple if years ago with acne and it looks as if it's coming back Sad I honestly can't bear to go through that again - it shot my self confidence to pieces at the time. I'm hoping it's a combination of the huge amounts of water flushing everything out, and maybe a bit of having overdone it kn the dairy? But tbh I'd rather spend the rest of my life in Spanx than have awful spotty skin again, so I don't quite know what to do.

Any advice, particularly from the longtime low carbers?

Anyhooo - breakfast was two oopsies with butter, and I've just eaten tuna nicoise (picked out the potato!) and a smoked salmon/cheese parcel. Water water water...

teaandthorazine · 19/04/2012 13:29

Twit and 4000 - we can all whinge together Grin

BIWIWhoMustBeObeyed · 19/04/2012 13:30

There there, FourThousand Grin

Tw1t You're not being much of a moany old twat!

Everyone experiences the carb withdrawal differently. I think it isn't unusual to feel nauseous, and the advice I've seen given is to make sure that you do try and eat. But maybe try something a little more bland, and a smaller quantity, like scrambled eggs?

If you're really, really feeling bad, then you could always try adding a slice of wholemeal toast today - if you immediately feel better, then you'll know it's the lack of carbs that's making you feel ill.

If that doesn't make you feel better, then it's possible something else is wrong?

When I finally give up caffeine you can come gloat about me, as I shall feel very poorly indeed. (I haven't been able to bring myself to do it, owing to shitty horrible cold, and now pressure of a presentation tomorrow that I should be writing now instead of farting around on here!)

TheGoddessBlossom · 19/04/2012 13:38

Have attempted to redress the damage of breakfast with a lunch of 3 fried (in butter) eggs and smoked salmon - eggzakly 1 carb. Grin

FourThousandHoles · 19/04/2012 13:52

Aww thanks everyone :)

I'll try the toast thing tomorrow if I'm feeling no better.

Grin @ I only slightly want everyone els to feel as shit as I do if that helps

greygirl · 19/04/2012 13:57

Thank you for advice re:Indian Restaurants - i am sure i can persuade hubbie he'd rather have a curry instead!

As to the skin thing - Nicholas Perricome (author of 'the wrinkle free diet') actually suggests a low carb diet, but with lots of fruit/veg/protein, rather than extremly low carb (like what we are doing!). he believes women should eat salmon in vast quantities (almost every day) because he says it is very good for the skin, so that might be something to try.

And to everyone who is now fed up of eggs and meat and cream - this is the other way this diet eats - its impossible to eat tonnes of anything, if its the only thing you are eating, so don't despair. at the end of bootcamp you might be allowed a little more veg and maybe some fruit, to lift you up a bit.

And to any people eating at a friends house - tell them you might have coeliac and the gp has suggested you cut out wheat for 2 weeks - why should they know any diffferent? (BUT TELL THEM BEFORE YOU GET THERE).

good luck ladies!

greygirl · 19/04/2012 13:59

oh and exercise - the glycogen in your muscles and liver is probably long gone, so your body needs to run off fat reserves instead, which is harder for your muscles to do, so excercise is harder. take it a bit slower and know you are burning fat up directly (and then very inefficiently so wasting tonnes of calories) as you exercise!

BIWIWhoMustBeObeyed · 19/04/2012 14:00

I'd just like to point out, though, that Bootcamp isn't about restricting vegetables - but about avoiding the more carby ones.

Bootcamp is restrictive because of all the other stuff you're supposed to be avoiding, like nuts, sugar, artificial sweeteners, dairy, alcohol.

Veg/salad (as long as it's low carb veg/salad - and there is plenty of that) is not something to avoid.

Honestly! Grin

slowlyburningcalories · 19/04/2012 14:02

sending there there to all feeling like shite

after discovering yesterdays lunch spilt in my bag, i then found I had forgotten todays lunch. So for the first time in a year I ate 2 babybels i found in the school shop, along with some salami and a cesar salad without the croutons. Nice - but concerned aboute th effect cheese may have on my DD later really didn't think that through and me as cheese has made me feel a few times

PostBellumBugsy · 19/04/2012 14:09

I started back on low carb in January & I felt cak for 2 bloody weeks. It was my most severe carb flu ever. Since then I have honestly felt great. No energy crashes, brain fog completely gone, sleeping better, more energetic, the horrible acne spots I was getting along my jawline & horrors in my hairline have completely gone, I swear my cellulite has diminished. Not to mention the fact I have lost 21lbs.
Everyone will react slightly differently to carb withdrawal, some barely notice it & for others like FourThousand & me it is grimly. I can't emphasise enough how it is worth sticking with it though. Smile