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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:
GreenEyesAndHam · 17/07/2012 20:08

Yup same here really.

I reached my first target and I'm THRILLED to be two dress sizes smaller. But when I cast my critical eye over myself in the mirror there's no denying I've still got a belly and podgy bits at the top of my thighs etc. I can definitely stand to lose a bit more.

This WOE suits me, I haven't felt deprived whilst I've been 'dieting' so why not keep going to lose a bit more instead of maintaining- it'll be slow but I'll get there.

Anyway hello and welcome to all the newbies Smile

MrsCampbellBlack · 17/07/2012 20:16

I've stalled for the past couple of weeks - only have another 6lbs to go and my weight is fairly low I guess so my body is hanging on for dear life to those last few lbs.

Have been good today I think:

  • B - umm I don't do breakfast but Dr B says that's ok doesn't he?
  • L - bacon and avocado
  • D - chicken stir fry - and god I even now obsessively spend hours on ocado choosing the lowest carb stir fry veg. Oh and in exciting news ocado now stock coconut oil.

Snacks - 4 brazil nuts and a couple of teaspoons of total. Yes its wild times here.

BIWI - I love these threads and have lurked/learned for a while. And you are quite right as soon as you become an 'expert' in anything then you are considered fair game sadly.

LeB0F · 17/07/2012 20:20

I think your skin just goes a bit podgy as you get older, tbh. You'd be lucky to lose weight in middle-age (young middle-age, I know, but post-30) and spring back to the taut contours of youth, I think. It's to do with the elastin etc in the skin. So I wouldn't beat yourself up too much if the changing rooms of M&S are still a place of hell. Just squint, or try on at home! Especially if losing more weight starts to make your face look scrawny.

Just my opinion, please don't kick me out yet Grin

MrsCampbellBlack · 17/07/2012 20:25

Oh M&S lighting is the worst. Seriously the more expensive the shop the better the lighting.

I did that calculation someone posted about the Scandinavian ideal weight and at 5ft my ideal weight is apparently 6.5 stone - surely that can not be right!

GreenEyesAndHam · 17/07/2012 20:35

I keep frightening my husband by grabbing his lapels and barking is my face scraggy 4cm from his panicked eyes.

BIWI · 17/07/2012 20:37

LeB0F - you will not be kicked out quite yet!

I wish I could say it's just middle-aged sagginess. But it's not. There is definitely at least another stone to go.

The fact that I'm fitting into size 10s with ease is more to do with vanity sizing that is happening with all our clothes now. When I was at university, and weighed around 7 1/2 stone, I used to have size 10 or 11 (they used to do in between sizes sometimes) jeans! These days, they would be size 8 or 6.

OP posts:
tartiflette · 17/07/2012 20:39

Yes exactly Greeneyes and BIWI - now I'm where I thought I wanted to be, it doesn't look quite as good as I'd hoped!! And as you say, while there's no hardship involved, might as well shift a bit more really.
That Scandinavian system had my ideal weight at about 8.7 st I think. Maybe there's something in it. I would look good in clothes at that weight but there is always the old face/ass conundrum to worry about...
Jins I do think that's the logical approach. I suppose I'm just used to having a clear goal to aim for.

LeB0F · 17/07/2012 20:41

Greeneyes, I'm weeping Grin

MrsCampbellBlack · 17/07/2012 20:44

I think my neck already looks scraggy - good job I have botox to keep the face ok Wink [gets kicked off thread for uber shallowness]

Thegoddessblossom · 17/07/2012 20:47

Well I wonder y I don't cook very often chez goddess:

DH (wanders into kitchen): omigod are you cooking? What are we having?

Me: yep! (proud). Stopped on the way home from work and collecting kids to pick up fish - seafood curry!

DH: hmm. (approaches hob). When did you put the fish in? You shouldn't simmer fish for too long, it will be overdone. (adjusts temperature - tastes). Have you added salt? Fish stock? Not both surely?

Me: (struggles to remain civil). I have followed the recipe and instructions to the letter. Look.... It says this and that.

DH: I think I'll cook myself some burgers.

Me:(don't want a row). Ok

Fucking unsupportive super critical un-empathetic piece of shit. Was very cross as he ALWAYS does this and then wonders why I never make the effort. He is an amazing cook, and I know he can't help himself, but honestly. I would never behave like that.

I ate a huge portion with broccoli and it was divine.

Snack: macadamia nuts and a glass of red.

MrsCampbellBlack · 17/07/2012 20:56

Sounds delicious TheGoddess - do you have link to the recipe please?

tartiflette · 17/07/2012 20:59

His loss goddess - sounds delicious.

mrscb I too am chickeny of neck these days. It's not good.

MrsCampbellBlack · 17/07/2012 21:00

I remember watching Ally McBeal back in the day and they had entire episodes about 'wattles' and that's what I've got. Without the skinny body to go with - most unfair.

GreenEyesAndHam · 17/07/2012 21:02

So was he Bof, so was he Grin

MrsHerculePoirot · 17/07/2012 21:04

TheGoddess that does sound delish! Ignore him, serve it up to you and the kids and enjoy it knowing how good you are looking whilst eating scrummy food.

It is nice to see so many people joining, although I am very Envy of all of you talking about size 10!!! I would be over the moon to get to a 14 in my lifetime..

Anyway, after my horrific cake and carb filled weekend I had put on a few lbs and gone back to 16 st 5, but back to 16 st 2.5 this morning, so reckon I can get it back off quite quickly. I'd like to lose 5 lbs over the 2 weeks.

I didn't comment on all the shenanigans on the last thread, but BIWI I have very much appreciated these threads, and for the record fully took on board your disclaimer that you were not an expert due to my diabetes and have done further research on that front when you said at the very beginning. I am glad that the thread will continue on a rolling basis - will we still be able to do the spreadsheet Fiddle?

B - left over rib steak from dinner last night with mayo
D - pork belly and crackling, massive salad (leaves and cucumber)
S - couple slices of salami, a couple of babybels, some smoked salmon nibble things with some sort of moouse (how do you spell that!!!!) in them

I got given two boxes of chocolates from my form today and I shared them out in the staff room straight away and was nearly very good and only ate a couple

GreenEyesAndHam · 17/07/2012 21:05

It does sound delicious goddess, and he was rude!

I'll admit I sometimes poke my nose in when DH is cooking something new, but I'd never say 'forget it I'll do my own' Shock

SingingTunelessly · 17/07/2012 21:13

No BIWi, don't say that. Sad. I'm the same height as you and quite happy to be looking towards the 9s. So I really need to look towards the 8s?! Oh flaming heck.

Welcome to the new posters btw. Hope you enjoy this woe as much as the rest of us on here. Smile

Just had pork steaks, mushrooms in cream and cabbage stir fried in butter. Yum.

NigellasGuest · 17/07/2012 21:16

I am a bit wary of getting scraggy-faced but I think this WOE is the way that is least likely to promote scraggy-facedness. Because of all the lovely FAT!

I do remember reading something ages and ages ago about certain fats being great for the complexion - at the time I didn't really believe it - it must have been talking about all the good fats advocated in this WOE

Thegoddessblossom · 17/07/2012 21:19

Can't do link but see below:

Ingredients:

white fish diced and 150g prawns
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons white wine or fish stock
50g mushrooms diced
2 stalks celery diced
2 onions or shallots diced
red pepper
salt and black pepper for seasoning
tablespoon wocester sauce (sp)
half a lemon's juice
2 tablespoons greek yog
6 tablespoons of water

soften onion celery mushrooms and pepper in oil
add ginger curry powder and turmeric - stir
add fish and prawns - simmer
add wocester sauce (y can't I spell that?) stock/wine and tomato puree
season with salt and pepper
add water - simmer for 10 minutes (or turn off, based on whether your super critical husband is on "over done fish watch" or not Grrrrr)
before eating stir in lemon juice and greek yog

SingingTunelessly · 17/07/2012 21:21

Nigella, I dream of losing so much I am accused of being scragged faced. Not likely to happen with my lovely mum around spotting every extra ounce I lose and saying "don't go any further". Grin

MrsCampbellBlack · 17/07/2012 21:24

Thank you - sounds yummy and I will definitely make.

captainmummy · 17/07/2012 21:39

BTW QueenStroppa is not an expert either.

And i think if we followed the scandi BMI my periods would probably stop and i would be seriously scraggy!

Thegoddessblossom · 17/07/2012 22:24

singing I really miss that about my mum - she always used to give me a cuddle and say, oooh you are feeling thin are you eating right?

SingingTunelessly · 17/07/2012 22:39

Ahh Godess Sad. I'm honestly not complaining. Just that every hug my lovely mum gives me at the moment comes with a comment about 'you?ve lost weight, mind your face or you'll be haggered'. Grin. She is a lovely looking 85yo and I love her to bits.

SharonGless · 17/07/2012 22:50

Hello to all the new LCers,
Been out for my sis for her birthday and had couple of olives, times I chicken salad with goats cheese and rocket and two glasses of red wine
Didn't do very well on Bootcamp did I - one bloody day

Oh well tomorrow is another day

Mega row/sulks with DH since coming home. Too boring to go into now but Fecked off to bed now
Night all

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