Question Thread for New Year Bootcampers

[BigStickBIWI]

As there are so many of us doing this, the chat thread is moving pretty quickly - and it means that lots of questions are being missed.

So here is a specific thread you to post any questions you might have about Bootcamp or low carbing.

[mumat39]

Hello everyone.

Looking ahead now, how do I know how much weight I should be aiming to lose? I'm 5'6" and when I started weighed in at just under 180lbs.

In my head I'd like to be about 9st 10lbs which I think is 144lbs. But I have no idea where I have got this number from.

On this woe do I just keep gong and my body will just stop losing weight when it gets to the correct level for me? Or should I be aiming for a certain weight?

Thank you.

[mumat39]

I should say I have small wrists and ankles, if that's something I take into consideration?

[BigStickBIWI]

mumat39

According to the BMI tables, your 'desirable' weight range is between 125-150lbs, which is 9 stone 9 to 10 stone 7.

9 stone 10 would mean you are 136lbs, so pretty much bang in the middle of your desirable range.

On this WOE your body is using fat for fuel. The whole idea is that you burn off fat that you have laid down in your fat cells, and when this is all gone, you will continue to burn fat solely from dietary sources.

Therefore, when you have burned off sufficient fat, you will not lose more weight.

slatternly most people go into ketosis within the first couple of days, especially if they are following the rules. It can take a bit longer - but the process of switching you from carb-burning to fat-burning is generally complete after two weeks, hence the first couple of strict weeks, to ensure that this is achieved.

[BigStickBIWI]

A question from GinotPrigio

"Previous bootcampers ~ After the initial big weight loss how much do people lose on average every week? Should I aim for the usual 1 or 2 lbs?"

What tends to happen is that weeks 1 and 2 see a pretty satisfying amount of weight lost. This is a combination of water + glycogen + some fat. Glycogen can amount for as much as 7lbs, which is why the initial weight loss on low carbing is relatively high.

In these two weeks, your body is switching from burning carbs to burning fat.

In weeks three and four, there is a sort of stabilisation period, and you may find that you don't lose any weight at all. Sometimes you may even put back a pound or two. It can be disheartening, but it's vital that you don't stop, but just keep doing what you were doing in the first couple of weeks. From week 5 onwards, you will see a steady loss of around 1-2lbs on average, per week.

And I say 'on average' because what you will find is that you don't lose steadily like that - one week you might lose half a pound, then next week you will suddenly drop three - for no apparent reason!

If you have a lot of weight to lose, you are likely to lose more, on average, per week than if you are nearing your target. As you near your target, your weight loss will slow right down. This is, actually, a good thing - it helps you 'fix' low carbing as your WOE, and gets you used to the kind of foods you can/can't eat to sustain weight loss/maintain your target weight.

[GinotPrigio]

Thank you BigStick that's really helpful

[bulletwithbutterflywings]

Hi! I have started today and i intend to do the full two weeks, but in two weeks we are going to be staying at a friends for the weekend booze, curry, crisps etc will be impossible ti avoid! So obvs I'll have to start again and then its mt bday 2 weeks after that so same again! What sort of affect is this likely to have on my weightloss? :)

[BigStickBIWI]

If you manage the full two weeks, then this will mean you have switched yourself into fat-burning. Having a complete fall off the wagon will, really, undo all your good work though!

That said, we do live in the real world. If you go for a curry, make the best choices you can. Don't eat rice, naan bread, chapattis or poppadoms. We have a takeaway curry every week, which is just as lovely without - when I'm being really strict, I have something tandoori or tikka, with a side dish of spinach or mushroom or cauliflower.

Crisps are a huge no no. Why not take some nuts with you to provide as a snack? Sainsbury's do salted roasted macadamias and salted roasted almonds that are the lowest carb count, and they are great as a snack. No-one would feel deprived eating those.

Re alcohol - don't drink beer - that is one of the worst choices you can make. Instead, drink vodka and soda/fizzy water, or rum and soda/fizzy water. Dry white/red wine are are next best option. And try to be very mindful about how much you are drinking. Alcohol is a really easy source of fuel for the body, and it will choose this first, before fat - so even if you have carb-free alcohol (like vodka), it is still stopping your body burning excess fat.

The whole point of low carbing is that it is a long-term, 'forever' WOE - so we do have to learn how to accommodate different social situations and occasions. Cheating/slip-ups will always happen. The key is knowing how to deal with them. If all that happens is that you revert back to what you would have done before, then you will just pile the weight back on - and waste all your hard work so far!

[bulletwithbutterflywings]

Thanks BIWI!

[TaffyandTeenyTaffy]

Thanks BIWI - you really are a star. I'm gonna try and download/get hold of a menu now to make good choices in advance!

[BigStickBIWI]

My pleasure!

[mumat39]

Wow BIWI. Thanks again.

This woe is just sounding more and more clever. It's almost like a self weight regulating plan. That's brilliant. Just makes me more determined to stick with it. :)

[ScaredySquirrel]

I've got a question! How do you set MFP so that it shows carb intake? (sorry that's probably a really basic question!).

and connected to that, I really can't do without white coffee each day (I'm up several times a night with the baby) - would it blow this WOE apart to have semi skimmed milk in that? (I don't like creamy coffee particularly).

[DangerousMouse]

Does anyone have a recipe for a salad dressing? I really don't like the mayo/creamy ones, so something which resembles balsamic dressing/french dressing. Or can I just put a little balsamic on salad?

[BigStickBIWI]

ScaredySquirrel - I can't give up my white coffee either! But I restrict it to 2-3 cups a day. The amount of milk = quite a lot of carbs quite quickly.

DangerousMouse - avoid balsamic. It's very carby. This is how I make my salad dressing:

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon wine vinegar/cider vinegar
salt
freshly ground black pepper

That's a basic vinaigrette; you may prefer it a little more vinegary - just experiment till it tastes right to you.

You can add to it:

finely chopped shallot (only a little amount - about 1/4 shallot)
or
finely chopped garlic
or
wholegrain or Dijon mustard

If you put it in a jar and shake it well, or whisk it together, it will emulsify and go creamy.

[slatternlymother]

Sainsbury's do salted roasted macadamias and salted roasted almonds that are the lowest carb count, and they are great as a snack. No-one would feel deprived eating those.

How many of these should I be eating as a snack? I don't want to do it all wrong.

Also, can I have gin? This is underlined because gin is important.

[BigStickBIWI]

slatternlymother - for the first two weeks of Bootcamp - no nuts! They are too carby at this stage. After that, when we move into Bootcamp Light, you can have small amounts. The packs that they sell are 100g; the macadamias are 5.1g carbs for that, and the almonds are 7.9g carbs. 100g is a fairly heft size though, so should keep you satisfied! I would suggest that if you're buying those packs, that you ration yourself to 50g/half a pack.

Re gin - again, not during Bootcamp! After Bootcamp, yes you can - but be careful as I assume you will be mixing it with Slimline tonic? Remember that is full of artificial sweeteners, so it's not great. An alternative would be vodka and soda or rum and soda. I like Mount Gay Eclipse with fizzy water, lots of ice and a slice of lime.

[cathyandclaire]

Scaredy If you go on your food diary, at the top there's a tab with settings on and you should be able to choose which foods you track :)
Oh and a tip...try and choose foods from British supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbo wherever) even if it's for veggies/general items because then you don't have to faff about subtracting the fibre.

[happygolucky0]

hello I have abit of a problem. Yesterday when I went on my scales they were not wanting to turn on very well ect (maybe the battery or something. I have not use them for a long time. Anyway I got a reading of 177. This morning I went on them and it is reading 166. This is brill and I am really pleased but now not sure what to do. shall I just change it to 166 on the spreadsheet. What would you do?
I am thinking maybe I should get weighed at the gym to make sure as well.

[happygolucky0]

By the way thank you for the info on the carrots!!

[WillieWaggledagger]

dangerousmouse i make up a small jar of dressing which i keep on the side and it lasts us a week or two (depending on how many salads we have) - just shake it every time you need it to combine. it's basically the same as biwi's but with added dijon mustard. i don't really measure properly, just chuck it in and shake, but an estimate is:

2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
8-10 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sprinkling of herbes de provence if you like them

[WillieWaggledagger]

waitrose also do a 100g roasted salted macadamia nut bag which are lovely but very moreish

i weigh out 25g at a time (on bootcamp light, obviously ) into a ramekin and then put the rest away!

[GinotPrigio]

Hi! I have a question about low carbing and children. My daughter is 22 months old and I am worried about the amount of unrefined carbs and sugar she eats. I have already started to cut these down. Obviously sugar can be completely eliminated from her diet, that's no problem. But what about carbs in general?

Is it ok to remove all pasta/potatoes/bread, etc from her diet? Or should I be less strict with her?

She still drinks an 8oz bottle of whole milk every morning and I would not like to cut that out because of the calcium benefits.

Any advice from the guru's or other low carbers with children would be fantastic. Thanks!

[BigStickBIWI]

Ginot - remember that children need plenty of energy. I wouldn't be cutting pasta/bread/potatoes out of her diet - but make sure she eats plenty of carbs from vegetables and salad as well, so that the more easily accessible carbs are a lower proportion of the carbs she is eating.

I'd also probably look to give her wholemeal pasta/brown rice/wholemeal bread as well.

I'm not sure how sustainable it will be to eliminate all sugar either. Avoiding it as much as possible, but allowing it on occasion would be my approach, I think. So puddings and chocolates/sweets are allowed occasionally - and that they are not demonised.

But having said all that - I am not an expert or a paediatrician! I'll see if I can find anything more out for you that might help.

[GinotPrigio]

Thanks BigStick. I guess I need to be realistic about what she eats. She goes to nursery 3 days a week so I have no control over what she eats there (unless I specifically tell them not to feed her something).

A more laid back approach sounds best. Wholemeal carbs during the week and the odd sugary snack at the weekend maybe.

Thanks!

[Rooobs]

BIWI I have a question:

BIWI, have you considered publishing a recipe book?

Or maybe a collaboration with MN? Ah GWAN!

There seems to be a dearth of LC books for the UK market and American recipes need converting (a cup of butter anyone??) or have weirdy chemically ingredients in them.