Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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:
Whippoorwhill · 24/07/2012 09:32

Shimbo, that's brilliant. Well done.

It might be worth you checking out the Atkins approach to ongoing maintenance. That has a lovely structured approach to adding things back to your diet.

toysoldiers · 24/07/2012 09:39

Shimbo, that's excellent. Well done, you should be very proud.

I am 12 stone 11.5lbs. That's a 4.5lbs loss this week Grin and the lightest I've been in about 5 years GrinGrinGrin

Yoghurt and blueberries for breakfast
Leftover chicken and salad for picnic lunch

Will not eat ice cream. Will not eat ice cream. Will not eat ice cream.

BIWI · 24/07/2012 10:51

Brilliant news from everyone!

Shimbo - is it wrong that I find myself jealous at the thought that you're worried about being scraggy?! And you don't have to leave us. You can still come on here and natter with us, and see us along our journey.

I agree with Whippoorwhill about reading Atkins - you might also want to read (if you haven't already) The Idiot Proof Diet, as they also have a last phase which is about re-introducing carbs.

I'm hoping that the scales are going to be kind to me on Monday, and I'm working very hard to be super strict at the moment. I'm still carrying visible fat around my middle, above my waist, which I'm working hard at the gym to tone up as well. I'm pretty pleased overall with how it's going, but it would be lovely to just get this (last?) bit off!

OP posts:
Lorelilee · 24/07/2012 11:16

Excellent work Shimbo, you must be sooo chuffed. Would be great if you came back and let us know how you get on with maintenance.

Shimbo · 24/07/2012 11:33

Thanks everyone! I will have a look at the IPD book and Atkins too, must see if the library has a copy.

I think initially when I start adding carbier fruit and veges I will make sure I am not overdoing the protein and fat as well if that makes any sense?!

Try and keep me away Grin. Also just wanted to say for anyone stalling, do keep with it as I stalled for around 4 weeks, then lost a tiny bit more. I think weight is not always a good reflector of what is happening.

MrsHerculePoirot · 24/07/2012 11:34

Well done Shimbo!

It isn't exactly bootcamp - but I've made ice lollies just using sugar free squash and sometimes diet lemonade. I think in the heat of summer it must be allowed! There is probably some sort of ice cream you could make from cream....

NigellasGuest · 24/07/2012 11:43

I for one would be very interested in a homemade LC icecream made from cream! any ideas?

Well done to everyone losing - I'm trying to keep the raspberries to a minimum, because as they are in season now they are absolutely delicious atm.

Whippoorwhill · 24/07/2012 11:51

I wipped double cream, vanilla and splenda, then blended raspberries and Lidl's yoghurt, folded that into the cream and froze it in silicone muffin molds. It takes a while to defrost to be soft enough to eat and the individual portions means you don't go too crazy with it. Really hits the spot when everyone else is eating icecream.

I might buy some cream later and make some more. I bet it would be lovely just vanilla too.

emmak86 · 24/07/2012 11:54

Hi all Smile

Breaky today- pickd at some leftover chicken as i didnt have time to make much else due to my mahoooosive ironing pile!
Lunch- leftover moussaka

Any ideas why i keep going 0.2 of a kg up and then down again the last few days?

Em x

BIWI · 24/07/2012 11:55

That sounds absolutely gorgeous! Can you fashion it into a recipe and post it on the recipe thread, please?!

OP posts:
emmak86 · 24/07/2012 12:00

Is splenda allowed then? Theres a really nice lookibg recipe in my low carb book but ibhavent made it as i presumed splenda wouldnt be allowed...

X

TooImmatureTurtleDoves · 24/07/2012 12:10

I wouldn't have thought you would need Splenda with double cream, raspberries and yoghurt. You would eat rasps and cream without sugar, so why add it to ice cream?

Cryhavoc, I did Level 1 of the Shred this morning. Day 2! Am switching to Level 2 on Sunday and dreading it.

B: yoghurt and blueberries, cup of tea
L: low carb lasagna using courgette slices instead of lasagna sheets, and cream/cream cheese/cheese sauce.

D: Spag bol for my visiting family and just bol for DH and I Grin

TooImmatureTurtleDoves · 24/07/2012 12:11

Whip, don't mean to slag your recipe! I'm sure it's lovely.

BIWI · 24/07/2012 12:49

Splenda isn't allowed on Bootcamp, emma, but once you move on to Bootcamp Light it's ok every now and then.

OP posts:
NigellasGuest · 24/07/2012 12:58

Whip that sounds fantastic!
could try it with Total too?
any way of getting some coconut oil into it I wonder - I might have a little experiment. (I'm addicted to coconut oil - I'm convinced it's fab for the skin, and of course it's a brilliant way to keep up the good fats intake). I love the idea of the individual muffin sized portions BTW - popping back for "just one more" serving from a large family-sized tub -that has always been my downfall!

cryhavoc · 24/07/2012 13:15

ToolmmatureTurtleDoves, I found the jump to level 2 really hard BUT it doesn't hurt afterwards like level one does. I was sceptical, but can't praise it enough. I am stronger and can see the outline of my abs for the first time since before I had DD.

King prawns fried with garlic and chilli over salad for lunch.

Whippoorwhill · 24/07/2012 14:01

TurtleDoves, thinking about it, I made it right at the beginning of starting low carb and was craving sweet things. I used to have a really sweet tooth but now happily eat plain yoghurt and fresh raspberries taste crazily sweet. I'm sure that it doesn't really need extra sweetener.

Nigella, it certainly would work with Total. The Lidl's one is very similar to Total.

BIWI, when I get a proper sit down I'll write it up as a recipe, I've got the courgette fritter recipe to type up too.

BIWI · 24/07/2012 14:02

Lovely! I have some courgettes in the fridge, so will look out for that.

OP posts:
LeB0F · 24/07/2012 14:07

This thread is brilliant- some great ideas.

leeiam · 24/07/2012 14:29

Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine today. I got my blacmanche like legs out today and wore a pair of shorts for the first time in a few years.

Alas I am weighing the exact same amount each morning (to the ounce!) but I feel slimmer in spite of having no losses in the last 3/4 days.
Being vegetarian I'm wondering if I'm a little too reliant on cheese (though I do check the carb counts and dont use any soft cheeses).

todays food:
b: 1 egg and some mushroom fried in butter
l: rocket, basil and mozarella salad drizzled with olive oil.
d: will probably be brocolli and stilton soup (and maybe some egg mayonnaise if that doesn't fill me up)

water intake is a challenge atm!

vnmum · 24/07/2012 14:55

hi all.
Well done shimbo I am looking forward to the time people tell me i might start looking scraggy. I think I am more vane now at 35 than I was in my teens. Strange .

Went for a run mid morning. 5k trail run in 37m11s. It was bloody hot though, touching 27 degrees here so I am keeping my electrolytes up today.

BBQ again tonight, prawn kebabs, chicken pieces and fresh tuna steak with salad.

With regards to children, I try to cut my twos carbs down, DD is very moody which could be down to her carb addiction she seems to be getting. Even though I am trying to cut down on how many carbs they eat, when I look at their diet it is cereal for breakfast, carby snack or fruit, sandwich for lunch, biscuit or something and a low carb evening meal. I really need to find low carb alternatives for snack then work on low carb lunches. Breakfast isn't that easy because DS won't eat eggs or mushrooms.
The only thing that worries me is that they won't eat that much veg. We have had bbq now 3 days on the run and they have eaten just the meat, no salad. I don't know wether to just get tough and if they don't eat all the veg then they don't get anything else before bed to try and train them to eat it or what to do really. Maybe I need to get more adventurous with meals and do more veg and sauce type things.

Gym tomorrow. I am wondering wether to krank the exercise up even more by doing the shred aswell as the gym and running. Don't want to over train though

NigellasGuest · 24/07/2012 15:06

did I read somewhere that there is going to be a special LC recipe section on MN or did I dream that? Confused

Thegoddessblossom · 24/07/2012 15:25

Vnmum you are good with your exercise. I have an unexpected afternoon working from home today and could have gone swimming or to the gym and decided to swan around in a sundress instead Grin

Was so full from brekkie am only now eating lunch - tinned salmon on salad with musrooms, celery and mayo.

BIWI you will be proud of me - since Saturday - no nuts, no pork scratchings, no fruit, no booze. Do you think I might finally have got the Bootcamp idea? Grin I am DETEMINED to see 8 something.

SharonGless · 24/07/2012 15:44

Nigella no you didn't dream it. I asked the question a couple of weeks ago and they agreed!

B Greek yogurt and blueberries
Missed lunch due to meetings having cup of bovril now with cucumber and a sour cream and chive dip plus salami. IRS amazing that I haven't been hungry. My head is telling me to eat but my body isn't
D smoked mackerel and salad with new potatoes for DH

I am concerned about the children's carb intake but one thing at a time. They both love pasta so going to change to whole wheat when this packet runs out. They both love bread though. DS on particular is very moody if he doesn't eat. I am going to order that book, thanks Whip

Shimbo

Well done on reaching your target! Fantastic news and hope to join you on maintenance sometime

MissBeehivingUnderTheMistletoe · 24/07/2012 17:12

Ooh, I can't wait to try that frozen yoghurt recipe, sounds delicious. I think you could probably leave out the Splenda if adding fruit - I hate the aftertaste anyway and also I'm finding that I don't need things to taste "sweet" to enjoy them anymore. DH ate some Haagan Daz after LCing for two weeks last night. He was practically on the ceiling from the sugar rush - I'm not sure it was a terrible pleasant experience Grin

B: scrambled eggs/bacon
L: prawn mayo, avocado and salad
D: will be fish but haven't decided how yet.

Down to 8st 11 this morning which is Smile. I did have 5 raspberries last night at the family barbeque last night but I did play several games of short tennis and rounders so hopefully that worked off most of it Grin

Everyone's doing so well - I'm amazed by the resolve, it's uplifting Smile