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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:
Whippoorwhill · 26/07/2012 20:26

B - sausage burger and fried egg
L - tinned pink salmon with salad, hard boiled egg and mayo
D - salmon wrapped in bacon with cream and cheese sauce, cauli mash and cabbage
Snack - small piece of slow cooked pork

leeiam · 26/07/2012 20:27

Yep - boiled eggs on standby in the fridge here too Wink
x

MrsHerculePoirot · 26/07/2012 20:35

Hi everyone! No ice creams here - had a picnic today and I used my excellent salad lunchbox thing here. It is brilliant, has a little pot to put the dressing in and an ice block that fits on top to keep it all nice and cool and fresh, and has knife and fork that clip together in the lid. I can highly recommend it for anyone who takes salad to work for lunch or out for picnics!

B - 2 eggs mashed with butter
L - lettuce, cucumber, edam, chorizo, olives and a olive oil and wine vinegar dressing
D - rib steak, horseradish mayo and roasted courgetts with garlic
snacks - two smoked salmon parcel thing

HOWEVER, as a treat I bought a can of diet lemonade, didn't drink it straight away and got 3/4 of the way through it a bit later before realising it was full sugar! Aaaaarrrgggghhhh - I am usually so, so careful with my diabetes of that sort of thing, so was so annoyed I clearly didn't check.

I am off on holiday on Saturday for a week to Brittany so am going to try and be relatively sensible. I am thinking perhaps have some carbs with one meal of the day (eg the odd croissant for breakfast then usual lunch and dinner). We are self catering, although staying with others, and we will mostly BBQ in the evening so I think that should be OK.

Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine!

emmak86 · 26/07/2012 21:16

Evening Grin

Breaky today was missed as ididnt have time :/
Lunch was a chicken salad
Dinner was steak and salad!

Ive just had some pork scratchings!

Also iv had looooads of exercise walking round with the family today! Running round in the park, up and down hills and my boobs are scorched!

X

SharonGless · 27/07/2012 07:22

Morning all, I have had my first clue for birthday weekend away and it's a flight bag. I have to pack light and need a bikini plus dresses for going out In the evening. Will update later!

Food wise I ended up at an impromptu BBQ last night so did well on the food. Not too well on the red wine

Keep up the good work LCers

MrsHerculePoirot · 27/07/2012 07:43

Ooooooooh exciting sharon! HappyBirthday, have fun!

sybilfaulty · 27/07/2012 07:54

Have a wonderful birthday weekend Sharon. Hope it,s hot and sunny.

Love that lunchbox mrs HP. I will get one. I seem to pay 3 or4 quid for a very wee salad in pret so I reckon it would pay for itself in a week!

Am unnaturally excited about the Olympics. Last two Olympics have seen me a pregnant snivelling wreck on the sofa weeping when anyone won a medal. I am now not pregnant and still a but moist of eye thinking about the athletes! Must get a grip.

I am off to Scotland to day to see my thirstiest friend. I will try to LC but it could be hard. Have a great weekend everyone.

NigellasGuest · 27/07/2012 08:09

Wow Sharon - Happy Birthday! Have a great one! Thanks Thanks

NigellasGuest · 27/07/2012 08:10

sybil - I am also unnaturally excited about the Olympics. sadly DH is completely cummudgeonly (sp)? about it so I need to try and stop that from spoiling it for me Sad

WillieWaggledagger · 27/07/2012 08:11

happy birthdya shazza!

we are off to olympics tomorrow so will be having LC picnic while avoiding third degree from my mother about my eating habits and weight

MyLifeIsStillChaotic · 27/07/2012 08:18

My 2yo and 3yo DCs requested sausage and scrambled egg for their breakfast! Makes a massive change from their usual weetabix, which I see as the best of a very bad cereal bunch for them normally. It has prompted me to do a little 'low carb day' experiment to see if my 2yo is less emotional/mood swingy as a result. Here goes nothing!

On a less positive note I am half a pound up today but I knew I shouldn't have had that wine last night Back to bootcamp for me!

MyLifeIsStillChaotic · 27/07/2012 08:19

Oh and happy birthday, Sharon - how very exciting!

mummyduff · 27/07/2012 08:31

Morning all

I feel v slugish and bloated today and am 1lb upSad Its my own fault not enough water and not enough fat/veg.

Will try ad be super good today but have such a hetic weekend starting tonight we are out for 3 nights, birthdays and all including bubbly!!

Thegoddessblossom · 27/07/2012 08:43

Sharon that is DEAD exciting, I hope you have a fabulous time. Grin

Was out for friend's birthday last night and we were apparently having curry. But when I got there I realised it was just a normal pub having a curry night so explored other options and am so glad I did. I ordered prawns to start and then Chicken in a broccolli and stilton sauce - it came with peas carrots and boiled potatoes but I asked for broccolli and a side salad instead. Bloody salad came with a dressing but it was tiny and I left most of it as it was mainly tomatoes and onion. The curries were 2 ladles of muck on a bed of wet white rice and a couple of plates of dried up looking samosas and naans, so I deffo made the right choice.

Drank soda and diet tonic water all night. Proud.

Am finally a pound down this morning. 9 3. Hoping for 9 2 by Monday. Alcohol will probably feature on Saturday night (best friend has already warned me that I must be drinking that night) but will be super good with food.

Off to gym again this morning, although ache after yesterday!

Happy Olympics everyone! Quite excited (and glad I am not in London today).

Bloss

x

teaandthorazine · 27/07/2012 09:20

Hello all! Am back from a glorious few days in Somerset - talk about lucky with the weather! Unfortunately I've eaten appallingly Grin

However, I have a wedding to go to at the end of August where I will be meeting all my boyfriends family for the first time - they live miles and miles away so despite the fact we've been together for over a year I've not yet had the pleasure! - so obviously there's no way I'm going to that looking anything less than fabulous.

And whilst indulging in cream teas etc has been fun, it's not been exactly satisfying. Am quite looking forward to proper food again!

Now off to read a weeks worth of threads....

BIWI · 27/07/2012 09:55

Welcome back, tea! And well done for picking the few sunny days of the summer!

I'm down at least a pound so far which is obviously pleasing - although not quite the 4lbs I had hoped for. But another couple of strict days, and who knows?

Had a great day out yesterday with my boys (20 and 17 - and they deigned to come with me!). We went via tube/river boat/Thames cable car/DLR/Javelin train up to the Olympic Park. We couldn't actually get in, but it was great to see it. Lunch was DS1's choice at Waggamamma - not brilliant for me, but I had their chicken skewers, (which had some kind of sweet-ish glaze) and a 'raw salad' which was pretty good, I think - and the dressing didn't taste sweet, so I'm hoping that not too many carbs were involved.

Then I went out for dinner with a friend and had a meal that turned out to be carbier than I was expecting - I picked out the bits I thought I could eat, but definitely had too many carbs in it. Still, the advantage of eating this was was that I wasn't actually that hungry, so I left most of my main course and most of my starter - to the consternation of the waiter who wanted to know what was wrong with it! There was no way I was going to launch into an explanation about low carbing, so I just told him the portions were too large for me (which they were), and he seemed to accept that.

OP posts:
NotMostPeople · 27/07/2012 10:23

Am off the rails I can't tell you what I've eaten since yesterday and I'd be lying if I said it tasted horrible. We go on holiday tomorrow and I've decided to give myself a week off I know its a bad decision that I will regret but we'll be eating out all week and I just want to choose anything not the one thing on the menu that will work.

Be prepared for a sad, bigger me when I return.

Thegoddessblossom · 27/07/2012 11:24

Have a great holiday NMP and don't worry about it.

BIWI · 27/07/2012 11:41

I can see where you're coming from, NMP - but if it's going to make you sad when you come back, is it really going to be worth it?

Where are you going? Will there really only be one thing on the menu that you can choose? Just think about how it would be if you were counting calories, or choosing low fat options - hardly anything on the menu that would fit within your diet. Don't be afraid to ask for a dish to be served without a carby component - e.g. if it's something that comes with potato, ask if they can replace the potato with a salad, or another green vegetable.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that you have to be stricter than strict when you're on holiday. But equally it would be a shame to throw it all away for the sake of cheating!

OP posts:
Lorelilee · 27/07/2012 12:50

OMG - IT WORKS! I have got a pair of jeans on today that haven't fit for the best part of a year - AND a cheeky weigh-in reveals another pound down! Me v. happy!

BIWI · 27/07/2012 12:58
Grin

Of course it works! Brilliant.

Fitting into clothes is far, far, far more satisfying than numbers on the scales.

OP posts:
BIWI · 27/07/2012 12:59

Oooh Sharon! I missed your post!

Sounds absolutely fabulous. I hope that you have a really, really lovely time.

And happy birthday! Thanks

OP posts:
Badvoc · 27/07/2012 13:35

Hello everyone.
Can I join?
I am 5 feet 5 inches and 12 stone so have a lot to lose :(
I am heading towards a size 16 and I am just not prepared to be that size again (was a pretty chubby and unhappy teen!)
CC does not work for me...tried WW for 3 weeks and didnt lose an ounce....I just felt like a failure.
Been wanting to cut out wheat for a while as it was the basis of all my meals Blush and I was feeling pretty sluggish/ill/tired all the time. I was also anaemic up til about 2 months ago :(
I am allowing myself 1 x GF pasta per week and a jacket potato per week and lacto free milk for my coffee 2 x per day.
Does that sound ok?
Hd no wheat since last saturday!!!
:)

BIWI · 27/07/2012 13:51

Welcome Badvoc!

(I have lured Badvoc here Grin)

I think you'll find that most of here agree that calorie counting doesn't work for them - and there's lots of evidence (Dr John Briffa's book Escape the Diet Trap has more on this) that it actually works against you. It might work short term, but it messes with your metabolism, contributing to the yoyo aspect of dieting - which ultimately results in a return not just to your original weight, but to putting more weight on.

Although I know you're not going for Bootcamp strictness no-one else here is either, they all just pretend they are to keep me happy, you might want to keep an eye on the potato and the past, as they will be adding a lot of carbs to your diet. It could be worth trying to give them a miss if you can - but see how you go.

And to answer your question on the other thread - salted peanuts are probably a 'no' - they are quite carby. If you can get to a Sainsbury's, they sell little bags of salted, roasted macadamia nuts which are only about 4g per packet, and they are gorgeous.

OP posts:
Jins · 27/07/2012 14:05

Oi BIWI!!!! I'm even stricter than bootcamp!!!

Badvoc I'm normally in maintenance and have to be gluten free but have joined in to lose a couple of pounds before my hols. My maintenance diet includes a gluten free roll or a small portion of potato once a week. I don't eat pasta at all, don't miss it and think it's an abomination :)

I think that with your stats you will probably lose on that regime in the first few weeks but you'll be going in and out of ketosis and won't get the benefits of reduced hunger etc.

I'd recommend trying without. (I wouldn't worry about the coffee too much but BIWI has a different view)

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