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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.

Two Week Low Carb Bootcamp Bonanza Challenge! All welcome.

969 replies

BIWI · 16/07/2012 08:11

For those of us who have been here since the beginning, these are the last two weeks. And it seems like a good idea to finish with a couple of strict weeks, seeing as there has been a fair amount of slippage!

For anyone who wants to join - you are more than welcome! These two weeks will get you off to a great start if you are wanting to lose some weight.

So. Who wants to sign up for two weeks of strict Bootcamp? If you want to join/continue, put your name on the list and we can see who is there. We have a fabulous Spreadsheet of Marvellousness to track weight/weight loss, which I will also post a link to.

Here are the rules - for carnivores and then the veggie version:

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

Allowed veg

Don?t eat any veg unless it?s on this list, and try and focus on eating those that are under 3g carbs per 100g:

Veg (raw)Carbs per 100g
Mushrooms0.4
Watercress0.4
Spinach0.8
Celery0.9
Broccoli1.1
Asparagus 1.4
Cucumber1.5
Lettuce1.7
Fennel1.8
Courgettes1.8
Cauliflower1.9
Avocado flesh1.9
Turnip2
Pumpkin2.2
Runner beans2.3
Swede2.3
Celeriac2.3
Bean sprouts2.5
Green pepper2.6
Baby sweetcorn2.7 (there is some debate about this - carb counts seem to vary according to variety and where you buy from - check the packet to be sure)
Aubergine2.8
Leeks2.9
Okra3
Tomato3.1
Mangetout3.3
Shallots3.3
Brussels sprouts3.5
French beans4.7
Cabbage5
Yellow pepper5.3
Carrots6
Orange or red pepper6.4
Ginger (peeled)7.2
Butternut squash7.5
Onions7.9

Veggie Rules

Only slightly adapted from BIWI's but best to take notice of the changes if you're vegetarian.

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 ingredients as the basis for your meals. Vegetarian Sausages and Burgers are ok in small quantities, but check the carb count as some can be very high. Avoid foods marketed as 'Low Carb' such as Atkins Daybreak Bars, etc.

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). Absolutely no low fat/light foods of any kind!

4.Make sure you are eating plenty of vegetables and salads with your food ?
This is where most of 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.Beware of Nuts and Seeds.
Nuts are a very good way to include more fat and protein in your diet, however some are very high carb (e.g. Cashews). Stick to small amounts of Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Dried Coconut, Walnuts, Seeds and Peanut Butter, but check the ingredients, many supermarket brands have sugar added.

10.No sugar or artificial sweeteners

OP posts:
Jins · 20/07/2012 17:51

I find that you keep what boobs you have better on low carb. Weight watchers shrivelled mine away Sad

NigellasGuest · 20/07/2012 17:53

Hello Losers! I'm feeling good. I think I've kickstarted again from my imaginary stall, and that combined with the magical new scales I feel I am going to see a 9 very soon.

For anyone who's interested, this could have something to do with those darned electrolytes. I started taking them a few days ago. OTOH it could also have something to do with the fact that although I'm not officially doing the bonanza challenge thingy, I have used it to nudge myself into reassessing for any carb creep. So for a couple of days I have cut out fruit and nuts. TBH, I wasn't having loads of fruit and nuts - just some raspberries, blackberries, macademias, brazils and almonds (NOT all at once)! anyway, I have gone down a little. This despite not exercising for about 2 weeks. OK - perhaps that was why I stopped losing - but it doesn't explain why i've started losing again.

If I can get away with losing without doing a vile exercise DVD or going to the gym, then I am definitely going to do that. I do walk quite a lot and at quite a decent pace so it's not like I'm sedentary. I want to avoid that hag-face look if I can (I had this last time I lost weight through gym-going and low-cal).

For stubborn belly-wobble I am considering CoolSculpting. It's no good for loose skin but great for fat. If it works I can't see the point of me slogging over the Shred to shift the spare tyre!

NigellasGuest · 20/07/2012 18:01

having re-read my last post, I DO NOT want to imply that you gym-going, Shredding ladies are hag-faced! NOT AT ALL!
I am just musing on my own experience of my own face ...... Wink
and I wish I could afford CoolSculpting

BIWI · 20/07/2012 18:06

Grin NigellasGuest!

Well done and here's hoping that the scales reward you with a 9!

OP posts:
mummyduff · 20/07/2012 18:11

I have just invested in some gel bras, they are great, its just when I remove themShock

NigellasGuestGrin

NigellasGuest · 20/07/2012 18:14

thank you BIWI Thanks

and FWIW, those scales are the WeightWatchers ones you recommended yourself on an earlier thread, from Amazon. Thanks
Hope you enjoyed your champagne, BTW!

BIWI · 20/07/2012 18:19

I did, very much!

Just hope it hasn't impacted on the weight too much (along with the rest of the wine!)

The only thing to watch with those scales is the little feet that you put on them if you're using them on carpet - I lost one, and had to contact WW for a spare. They very kindly sent me a new set of 4, and didn't charge me anything. But I've had 2 of them break so far, so I now only have 2 spares left.

OP posts:
SharonGless · 20/07/2012 18:50

Evening all. Wow lots of posts to catch up on to tonight.
B boiled eggs mashed with Boursin
L tuna mayo with salad a few cubes of feta
T bolognaise sauce with courgette ribbons
Glass of red wine.. It is Friday after all

Off to read rest of thread. Am considering new scales as mine are shite but then I won't know how much I have lost overall. Birthday coming up. I may treat myself

BIWI · 20/07/2012 18:51

I must try that eggs and Boursin thing - it sounds lovely.

OP posts:
SharonGless · 20/07/2012 18:59

willie half a pint of heavy with it too?! Grin

tea enjoy your hols and sending some prayers up for better weather. John worse than wet tents!

thegoddessblooms I think BIWI meant that she could have as much ham in one meal as she liked rather than restricting it to one thin slice? Same goes for processed food

ilovemyteddy my card is sharing the pain of yours!! Am hoping to drop another size so am to buying mega expensive long lasting clothes. Dh looks like this though Hmm

toysoldiers what day are you on now? You should feel benefits by day 5
I think it's difficult for your body to get rid of all the carbs and shite we have put into it for years. I don't have bowel movements as often as I used to because I believe I am putting less into my body that is waste iyswim. Everything I put in is what my body needs and uses therefore there is little waste. Good luck but you have to go with what you can love with and it must be awful you are feeling so ill

SharonGless · 20/07/2012 19:00

BIWI- it's lush. Just remember its full of garlic so you will probably stink for the day Wink

PenisVanLesbian · 20/07/2012 19:02

Well I've put on .2kg since monday as of my weigh in this morning Sad Then fell right off the wagon eating the homemade pizza I made the kids. Double Sad

I always was shit at diets.

SharonGless · 20/07/2012 19:05

Penis - what you been eating? List everything and lets see if anyone can help. It really isn't a diet, it's a way of eating. Once you are free of the sugar/carb addiction and the hunger it is an amazing feeling

SharonGless · 20/07/2012 19:08

finbar you may not be having enough vegetables if you are only having salad at one meal. You should be getting your carb intake from Green veg where possible.

PenisVanLesbian · 20/07/2012 19:10

eggs for breakfast (alone or with smoked salmon)
lunch: salad with chicken or vegetable stir fry with fish, or creamed mushroom with sausage, or today fish fillet with and egg and spinach
dinner: steak with veg, fried tofu with aubergine and pak choi, turnip dauphinoise with pork meatballs.
Snacks: blue cheese, boiled egg.
I did have some gyoza one of the nights.
Lots of water, gallons of green tea. Some red wine.

I'm feeling more tired than usual and really finding it hard to do good workouts, tiring easily.

LeB0F · 20/07/2012 19:14

I had the egg-Boursin concoction this morning, with a few fried mushrooms. I got to 3pm without feeling hungry, ate a couple of bits of ham swirled round the last of the houmous pot with a tomato, and don't even feel hungry for any dinner! So I've had a bit of Greek yoghurt and berries, with flax stuff sprinkled on, instead of faffing with cooking tonight.

The tricky bit for me now is avoiding the alcohol. Tis a strange Friday night without it...I've decided that I will allow myself vodka and soda on a Saturday night, but at this stage I think that having alcohol more than once a week will be sabotaging myself. I reckon that cutting that back drastically should produce a significant loss in itself as I am a total lush .

SharonGless · 20/07/2012 19:32

BIWI, jin or vnmum might be able to help regarding workouts. Am injured at the moment so can only do core and low impact workouts.
maybe you need more fat for energy? Have you just started? Maybe need to reduce workout while your body is getting used to getting energy from fats rather than carbs?

SharonGless · 20/07/2012 19:34

Lebof don't tell BIWI but am on the red wine. When I first started I did three weeks without any alcohol to kick start me.
Tbh the drinking at home is just a bad habit. Working lates for next 3 nights so thought I would treat myself!

LeB0F · 20/07/2012 19:39

I imagine that it's difficult for you too, SharonGless- still, you make an incredibly glamorous drunk Grin

PenisVanLesbian · 20/07/2012 19:40

I did a couple of weeks, then went backwards (but still fairly low carb) and now trying for hardcore again. I do think of it as a diet because I can't imagine any long term WOE that means an apple is verboten!

BIWI · 20/07/2012 19:55

Honestly, Penis (I still typing that Grin), once you're 'in the zone' and committed to this as a WOE you really won't miss the apples. Or any other fruit for that matter.

That said, once you've lost the weight you want to, nothing wrong with re-introducing the more carby stuff once in a while.

With regard to exercise, your body does have to transition from burning carbs to burning fat, and I think this doesn't happen immediately, from what I've read. But, I'm no expert here, by any stretch of the imagination! Make sure you have eaten something before you train - eggs (according to my low carb advocate personal trainer) are ideal, being both protein and fat.

Sharon - I'm joining you with the wine. Just don't tell that BIWI.

OP posts:
mummyduff · 20/07/2012 20:12

DH is off for 2 weeks now, so had belly of pork with buttery cabbage and just opened a bottle of bubblyGrin

Have lovely evenings ladies x

BIWI · 20/07/2012 20:16

I love belly pork. I think it's my favourite cut of meat.

OP posts:
Amaxapax · 20/07/2012 20:17

I'm a failure today. I have stuck religiously to this way of eating for almost a month but had a 'fuck it' moment earlier and ate a rather large amount of chocolate. It's the last day of school (I'm a teacher) and I'm now facing spending most of the next six weeks by myself because my fiancé is working abroad until September. He's already been away for a month and I've made low-carbing my project, focusing all my attention I controlling what I eat. But now I'm feeling very down, very lonely and very tired of coming home to an empty house. I'm not from the UK, so all my family is abroad as well which means I can't even go to them for support. I know emotional eating is stupid and I know that eating chocolate will not make me feel any better. But I've let it happen, so I'll just make my next meal better and start again.

BIWI · 20/07/2012 20:25

Oh, Amaxapax Sad we all have Fuck It moments, and I'm not surprised you have had yours.

The key thing is what you do next. You can continue going off piste, or you can draw a line underneath it. I hope that you enjoyed it whilst you were eating it!

You aren't a failure. You are just a human being. Don't be so hard on yourself.

OP posts: