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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:
vnmum · 23/07/2012 10:26

2.5lb gain this week. Not surprised as I just couldn't get back into it and kept eating crap. No crap left in the house now so a new start for me today.

whip How did you like the kangaroo?

Those mentioning the flat mushrooms, I like to grill or fry them up first to slightly soften then put some pesto on top followed by couple rashers of bacon and a fried egg. A tasty filling lunch or breakfast.

welcome to the newbies Smile

I am currently waiting for DH to get back from work so he can watch the kids while I go to the gym.

Livelongandprosper · 23/07/2012 10:34

I have lost another 2 lbs, even though I went to a 4 year old's birthday party yesterday and ate cake and meringue. I am going into hospital this afternoon for an op and I think nerves suppressed my appetite during the rest of the week.

I was posting on here at the start of bootcamp complaining of constipation and it turned out to have a physical cause not a dietary one. I have joined the ladies on the prolapse thread now. If only they would weigh me after the op I could tell you how much my uterus and various bits of snippage weighed.

I'll be lurking from my hospital bed over the next few days. Onwards losers!

BIWI · 23/07/2012 10:37

Good luck, Livelong - thinking about you

You, that is, not your bits and pieces ...

OP posts:
GreenEyesAndHam · 23/07/2012 11:02

Hi all, had a very busy RL weekend and missed menny menny posts- so will just say hope everyone's ok and will catch up later

emmak86 · 23/07/2012 11:05

Morning all Grin

This week i have lost a kilo and a half from my starting weight a week ago!
Which is quite surprising seeing as every now and then ive eaten somethin wrong without realising!
Breaky for me today is left over chicken.. Dinner tonight will be low carb moussaka and im not sure on lunch yet!
Well done to all of e people who have been losing so far Smile
X

Enjoy another day of sunshine :)

NotMostPeople · 23/07/2012 11:54

Hello all

Well I've been quite bad this week so not sticking to BBC at all. Some lemon drizzle cake passed my lips, as did amaretto and lots of wine.

Still I've lost 1lb.

I think it's because I've now lost 1.5 stone and people are really starting to notice, lots of my clothes are too big and I don't feel like a fat person any more. Once I've lost the next lb my BMI will be 22 - it was over 26 when we started. Added to which my DH is starting to mumble about not taking it too far and being on 'arse watch' as he so lovingly puts it. Apparently it mustn't get any smaller Grin.

All well and good, but I've still got a big wobbly tummy and whilst I have had three children I want to keep going and see if I can't loose some more of it. I am worried about going off the rails especially as we go on holiday next week. In general I'm sticking to the WOE, but clearly cake isn't acceptable.

Oh and I can't find the spreadsheet.

Jins · 23/07/2012 12:24

Good luck livelong. Let us know how you get on.

toysoldiers · 23/07/2012 12:24

Morning all!

I have been offline all week and have only skimmed the thread. Well done everybody and welcome to the newbies.

bottom update - you'll be thrilled to learn that my digestive issues recitifed themselves rather forcefully at 3am on Saturday morning. I feel sooooo much better. And carb flu gone Grin

Had a mixed weekend with some cheating but hopped back on the wagon fairly easily and not nearly as bad as I used to with low fat diet.

Went out for curry on Friday - had a few glasses of wine. Completely forgot by the time we got to the curry house (and we didn't eat before 10pm) and had a poppadom with Mango chutney Blush. It was a set menu so didn't have much choice but managed to refuse all rice and naan, even though it kept being passed under my nose.

Had yoghurt with strawberries on Saturday morning as I couldn't face another scrambled egg but managed well for the rest of the day with brocolli and stilton soup for lunch and a 5k run. Even negotiated pizza express with chicken and goat's cheese salad. I even gave away the bread!

Can I ask about salad dressing? I was looking in the supermarket today but struggled. Do you just have to make your own or is their a low carb off the shelf one?

Yesterday not bad apart from the ice cream DH bought me in the afternoon. We were having a lovely day out and didn't want to make an issue of it. I have to say it was nice but definitely noticed how sweet it was, in a way which wouldn't have registered a week ago.

Scales day tomorrow Grin

Littleorangetree · 23/07/2012 12:30

Hi everyone. Glad to hear that everyone has been doing so well. I'm still sticking to the plan so far, though I think I need to be a bit more organised with my shopping.

Things have been a bit stressful over the last few days since I've just split up with exDP. Strangely this has actually not derailed me at all. Usually I would be a binging, carb-stuffing loon in these sort of circumstances, but I haven't this time. I think maybe that being more in control of my eating habits (that were pretty out of control before) is actually helping me mentally somehow. All very strange.

Thegoddessblossom · 23/07/2012 12:30

Good luck Livelong!

toysoldiers · 23/07/2012 12:36

Oh littleorangetree that's rough. Sad

Go easy on yourself.

jan2011 · 23/07/2012 12:37

hey everyone well done on all you who have lost and are doing so well! littleorange im sorry you have been stressed - great for coping so well in such hard circumstances - maybe the new freedom might be helping. hope you are ok.

mayonnaise is ok for a salad dressing but check the carb count. are there any others at subway we can have? ive started getting subway salads at times, and they only have low fat mayo.

BIWI · 23/07/2012 12:39

Sorry to hear that, littleorangetree Sad. Good that you feel in control of your eating, though.

toysoldiers - I never buy dressings. Home-made are much tastier! And, for some reason, shop-bought ones always seem to have odd ingredients - and often sugar - which makes them too carby.

Mine is: 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon wine or cider vinegar, salt, black pepper. Shake. Sometimes I add wholegrain mustard, sometimes some finely chopped shallot.

OP posts:
MissBeehivingUnderTheMistletoe · 23/07/2012 12:52

What great losses Smile

Have got a pair of suspect scales but after banging them a few times making some adjustments have lost 3lbs this week. Damn things, I thought I looked thinner than they had been telling me all week Grin.

jan2011 · 23/07/2012 13:03

3lb loss is great!

im gonna brave the weigh in tomorrow, too scared today.... and if ive gained or maintained i will tell myself im gaining muscles with the body bumping classes ive been doing!

jan2011 · 23/07/2012 13:03

im awaiting rippedin30 dvd too lol

Lorelilee · 23/07/2012 13:29

Afternoon all. Just checking in as having STS :( That's 2 weeks on the bounce - double :(. However, am sticking with it. One question though - are there some people that this just doesn't work for?

BIWI · 23/07/2012 13:37

Lorelilee - I forget (sorry!) - what week are you in now? It is very common for people to find that their weight loss slows or stops during weeks 3, 4 and/or 5.

OP posts:
sassytheFIRST · 23/07/2012 13:44

Ok so today I am drinking gallons of water - even more than usual. I do wonder if water is one of those things, the more you drink the more you notice thirst IYKWIM?

Have eaten a baby bel, a raw mushroom and a couple of spoons of Greek yog for breakfast. Just had a big bowl of tuna salad for lunch. And no nuts Sad!

TooImmatureTurtleDoves · 23/07/2012 13:51

Only 1 lb down this week. Still on bloody 10 stone 8. even after I waited an hour without eating or drinking and went to the loo and took off all my clothes, even my bra, before weighing again Will go look for the spreadsheet in a minute. I think I'll start noting the quarter lbs my scales show - have been going on the big numbers. So I now weigh exactly 10 stone 8 but yesterday it was 10 stone 8.25.

Loving the turnip/swede chat! We had turnips - my Tesco has just started doing small purple turnips next to the swedes. I thought swede was too high in carbs to use - have I got mixed up? DH parboiled them first then layered them in double cream, garlic and black pepper and topped it off with cheese. Mmm...

I restarted the Shred today and it was much much easier than when I had a brief stab at it 3/4 weeks ago! Think the 11lbs lost is helping with press-ups. I will do the Shred every day for 30 days this time - I Googled before and after pics and they are amazing. I want those results in time for DD's naming party in mid-August.

toysoldiers · 23/07/2012 13:56

What is this spreadsheet of which you speak Confused

Thegoddessblossom · 23/07/2012 13:57

Sorry to hear that Orange tree. Sad

Lunch: chicken thigh, olives, roasted veg and salad. A few sundried tomatoes in that.

Where are we on gherkins?

WillieWaggledagger · 23/07/2012 14:00

sassy i now definitely notice if i haven't had as much water as usual

BIWI · 23/07/2012 14:11

As QueenStromba reminded us, if we drink massive quantities of water we are at risk of depleting our bodies of key electrolytes - especially potassium.

There is also some information I've been reading recently that low carbers do not need to worry about cutting down their salt, for this very same reason.

Good sources of potassium include avocado and salmon.

If you find yourself feeling under the weather in any way, then you may need to get hold of some (low carb) electrolytes to deal with this.

(Sorry - I have never done this, so I have not a clue where to buy them!)

OP posts:
BIWI · 23/07/2012 14:13

toysoldier Here you go - the Spreadsheet of Marvellousness

Just add yourself to it. (Don't touch the blue columns)

OP posts:
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