Come and chat round the Low Carb Bootcamp Fire!

[TeamGBIWI]

Well, week 15 of Bootcamp has just ended. But the support and banter will continue! I, for one, am carrying on for the next couple of weeks until my holiday, in the hope that I can drop another pound or so before I go.

There have been some brilliant losses in the last two weeks, so I'm hoping that you'll all be sticking with it too!

fufulina brilliant!

And yes, welcome to the world of controversy. It's amazing how people with argue about low carbing being unhealthy/bad for you, without having read a single word about it. Although it's perhaps not surprising, given that governmental advice and media content over the last 30 or so years has all been about low fat.

What's more telling, I think, is how things are quietly moving in the direction of low carb, although without obviously being seen to endorse it as a way of eating. Even Weight Watchers now recommend curbing the carbs.

Thanks for the welcome BIWI. I had cream in the coffee. And in the eggs . Ok, so I need to get a handle on the dairy.

It may not be an issue for you - just be aware of it!

I have had an interesting experience this week. On Tuesday I had an overwhelming craving for something sweet. I haven't eaten anything sweet for weeks now - either because it would be too carby or it would include artificial sweeteners. I'm not sure why I felt like this, but it had to be indulged.

So, I went to Boots to buy some Atkins Daybreak bars, but they were out of stock. Opposite Boots is a Thorntons, so in desperation I went and bought some of their sugar-free vanilla toffee, and a bar of sugar-free chocolate.

Lovely. Really enjoyed it (didn't eat all of it!), although the polyol effects made themselves known pretty quickly.

Diet was pretty much the same as usual.

But - next morning, the scales were up by 1.5lbs, on a day when I was (realistically) expecting them to drop a little bit.

The only thing I did differently was to add the sugar-free stuff.

Anyway, the sweet cravings have gone, and the scales are down a little bit again this morning, so hopefully not too much damage was done.

Wow, Jins, look at you! Fantastic! I am very envious and quite inspired.

Badvoc, I have, er, bowel issues as well and feel bad if I don,t go every day. I Know that this is not necessary and this WOE can produce less, er, waste but I just don't feel right without it. If you eat lots of LC veg, you won't be constipated. Promise. You don't need fruit when you have cabbage , spinach , kale, broccoli, tomato, aubergine, cucumber, celery, oeppers etc. You can psyllium husks from holland and Barrett if you need to as well. I eat loads o
F veg on the plan and haven't
Had any issues with my already sensitive bowels.

Sorry aboute rubbish typing, on iPad.

.... and if you drink plenty of fluid you should also be OK!

You make a very good point about daily 'going' (!) sybil. All too often we think we're constipated if we don't go every day. This isn't being constipated. If you're having trouble going, that's more of a concern.

And if that is happening, have a long, hard look at what you've been eating, and where your carbs have been coming from. If you're not getting your carbs mainly from your veg/salad, then this is what you need to address.

Also if you drink the water, that helps to keep things moving as well

Wow, Jins - great pictures, well done!

Am going to watch lots of athletics today in the hope of gaining a body like Jessica Ennis's by telly osmosis

Don't be envious Sybil because you can do it as well!!!!

In the before picture I was a size 14-16 top and 12-14 bottom. In the after picture I was in a pair of size 6 (!!!!!!) jeans. I'd hoped to get to a size 10 but when I got there I was still flabby and still had a big muffin top so I decided to take another half stone off.

I truly believe that this is the only way of eating that will let you do this in a sustainable and healthy manner

I think I prob need to drink more water tbh.
I have just had some scrambled eggs.
Will have tomato soups for lunch and meat with veg for dinner.
Have been mostly eating salad for lunch and dinner...maybe that's where I am going wrong?

Badvoc it seems to me that you haven't quite put your faith in this and are adding in bits and pieces from normal 'healthy eating' guidelines.

Fruit is absolutely not needed. I hate the way that fruit is pushed as some sort of magic food.

... and tomato soup?! Have you looked at the carb count for that?

There's nothing wrong, at all, with eating salad for lunch/dinner - but you need to make sure that you're getting adequate protein and plenty of fat. How much fat are you eating?

Scrambled eggs are very good!

Perhaps jins.
I read Atkins a few years ago and it terrified me! All the meat!
I have eaten more meat in the last 2 weeks than I can ever remember doing :)
And enjoyed it more importantly!
I lost weight on the hardombe diet 3 years ago which is also low carb based so I know it's the way to go if I want to lose weight.
Like you, I did WW and lost nothing despite not using all my points.
I am finding the dark choc helps at night with the sugar cravings.
Still not craving wheat....amazing!
Will re read briffa.
And cut out the fruit.

Badvoc, there isn't anything wrong with meat - honestly! But you can still low carb and not have to stuff your face with meat at every meal. Do you like fish?

I can really recommend that you read Gary Taubes' book "The Diet Delusion". It can be a bit hard-going in places, but it's incredibly thorough and will give you a very good grounding in all of these issues.

How is your migraine, by the way? Do you have good drugs/are they helping?

I am cooking in butter, olive oil on salads, eating the fat on the bacon and ham (which I am actually enjoying bizarrely)
Lots of eggs.
Can't have cheese/yoghurt as I am allergic.
Also to shellfish.
Just checked soup can..it's 30g of carbs...is that really bad? :(
Really fancied soup today :(
I am currently a 14/16 top and bottom. I am 5.5" and 74kgs. Think I have lost about 9 lbs 12 days and have lost Cms from hips, thighs, bust, none from waist sadly :(

It's funny isn't it how different people read things differently. I read Atkins and it made total sense to me. I thought I'd try it for two weeks and at least if I lost nothing I'd have had two weeks of not feeling hungry. I'd felt hungry for years at that point with all my calorie counting. I think I went to bed hungry every night for about 10 years

What I've learned is that you have to pick a plan and stick to it. You can't do Atkins and add in bits of Dukan because they aren't compatible. Bootcamp rules do all the hard work for you so if you stick to what's on the list you won't go far wrong.

You've been on this a few weeks now. The only reason you're still having sugar cravings is because you are feeding them with fruit and chocolate. Tough it out. 3 days and it'll be out of your system and you'll be free!!!

I have taken some mega strength ibuprofen. Will take some co codamol in a minute.
It's odd isn't it?
You spend your whole life beating yourself up about not eating enough fruit/low fat stuff and that's exactly the wrong thing to do!
And the food corps making shed loads of money by using dirt cheap ingredients like corn syrup...makes me angry!

I have been eating low carb for 12 days now jins.
Still early days I guess.
So.
I guess I need to go hardcore?:)
3 days if no fruit, no dark choc....

3 days of just the foods on the Bootcamp list.

NO fruit. NO dark choc

Like most of us you're a sugar addict. You wouldn't give up heroin or alcohol or cigarettes by just having a bit every evening would you?

Thanks Jins, I am aiming for the long term goal. I am extremely heavy for my height if you know what I mean, so clothes are a better indication. Def in size 12 trousers now and 12 to 14 on top. I wanted to be size 12 all over but could I go lower? I am quite loose skinned anyway and don't want to look too wrinkly and old in face. All the water has definitely made me look and feel alert though.

Badvoc, I would second ditching the choc and fruit, as in a few days your taste buds reset themselves and you don't taste sweet things in the same way. For example, I had milk in tea for ever and always found black tea horrid. However, now tea with,ilk tastes unbearably sweet, so much so I can't drink it. Could you give it a shot for 3 days and see how you go?

I think is will have to otherwise what's the point?
I want to be goal by Xmas which for me is 9.7.

Badvoc - as a guide, Atkins Induction (the strictest phase, lasting 2 weeks) allows you only 20g carbs a day. Dr Charles Clark ("The High Protein Diet") recommends 40-60g a day - his diet doesn't have an initial, strict phase.

I deliberately didn't try and set any Bootcamp guidelines, because I didn't want anyone to be hampered by the notion of having to weigh/count. But if you stick to the rules, and to the allowed veg list, you will definitely be under 60g carbs per day.

So in that context, the soup is definitely too carby.

That said, it doesn't mean that you can't have soup. If you have the Atkins book I think there are recipes in there.

Or look here

Morning
Just tried a pair of jeans in which were too tight before and now they fit!
Not the size i want them to be, but hey its progress

Now i must be off to get some breakfast ( loooong lay in today)

Sybil clothes are a pretty good indication. When you reach a size twelve you should probably take a critical look in a full length mirror and see how you feel before deciding to lose more.

What I'm trying to say is that with Slimming World and Weightwatchers they set you an achievable goal, usually just under a BMI of 25. If you weigh heavy for your size then that's fine but at BMI 25 I'm still carrying far too much fat. To get from 25 to 22 (still only the middle of the normal range) takes a huge amount of effort on calorie counting and maintaining that weightloss is not sustainable on a low calorie diet I don't think. With low carb you can get to a BMI of 25 and then slowly lose more without changing a thing. No need to reduce intake, no need to exercise madly. It will help you reach the weight that is ideal for you and stay there.

Badvoc when I said three days I meant that the cravings would be gone in that time - not that you could then reintroduce fruit etc. Just so I'm clear

Thanks all