Week 7 - New Year Low Carb Bootcamp - Where We Get Tough!

[BIWI]

Morning campers

Here is the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

This week sees the start of Ubercamp. This is entirely optional, by the way!

The idea is that we have three very strict days, keeping our carbs under 20g each day and consuming no dairy.

If you want to take part, I have put together three days' worth of meals as a guide - one which includes eggs and one which is an egg-free plan for those of you who don't like eggs. I'll also do one today which is purely fish-based.

As well as the meal plans, I've also written shopping lists and some recipes, where necessary, and the lovely Willie has put these on the spreadsheet - just look at the tabs at the bottom.

That is a fantastic result!

THC Brilliant posts re surgery. I have seen patients suffer from issues that are not classed as major but affect how they can live their lives forever often enough that I would never do it. It is not the magic wand that tv portrays it as.

Hi EMUZ - i can second ythe pork crunch things, tho i like pork scratchings too!

Cab i just say that tiredness is a proven factor in overeating? It's been shown in rats that are sleep-deprived that they eat more - so those with sicky/teething dc - beware of this.

My DP i think has been proved to be wheat intolerant. Heused to have terrible wind (like Viper) but since he's cut down on wheat (no bread or pastry or biscuits - tho too many carbs in his diet for wieght loss)he has been infinitely better.

I love watching people realise they can stop eating the stuff that makes them ill. It doesn't sound difficult, but it can be a huge step to actually stop and swim against the tide. My IBS has calmed down so much - my stomach is flat most of the time, not the distended nightmare it used to be after a carby meal. Last night's dinner had tons of cabbage and brussels sprouts in it and there wasn't a peep from me.

I feel as if I was trying to force my body into digesting stuff it hated and it used to rebel. Now I'm feeding it what it really wants I honestly don't have to think about it - it feels as if it's getting on with its job without me worrying.

I weighed myself today. I'm 9 stone 6. Before today I have only ever been lower than 9 stone 7 when I've been ill. I've broken the barrier of 'my lowest ever healthy weight'. I feel like crying and jumping up and down with happiness at the same time.

Really, really enjoying reading everyone's posts. Huge hugs to those who are still here and to the new joiners

TheHuman you really are an inspiration!!

I did loosely follow über bootcamp in that I intended to, but couldn't get through the afternoons, I was just too hungry and so had to have a snack. However it did make me focus very much on what I was eating and I'm 2.5 lbs down this week already, so I'm glad I tried it.

I'm going out for an Indian tonight and I think Im going to have a tandoori dish with a veg side dish, probably mushroomy. Any other low carb suggestions would be welcome

Well done Lavender, you must feel amazing and very proud of yourself

Quicklookbusy thank you - I wouldn't tell anyone outside of this thread, but I'm fiercely proud and happy.

Are you sure you're eating enough for lunch? I was getting a bit tired in the afternoons, but my filling lunch only came to around 250 calories, so I eat more, or add a bowl of yoghurt and I'm fine.

Yes I think that was the problem Lavender, but I didn't feel very hungry at lunch, so would just have a small amount. I really should have eaten another small "lunch" mid afternoon instead of snacking on cheese.

I off uber bootcamp now so will be allowed to snack.

Hoorah lavender!!! That's fab!

Thank you BIWI for uber bootcamp - 2.5lbs off in the three days! Now need to concentrate on not stuffing it up and yet another wedding tomorrow...

Quicklookbusy brilliant - hope it goes really well

MrsHerculePoirot thank you (think I'm getting a bit giddy, so will knuckle down to work that I'm avoiding).

littlermissstan well done! hope you enjoy the wedding.

BIWI I could really do with some advice please. I feel a bit embarrassed posting this here as my issue is not losing weight but trying to maintain it, and I don't want to be insensitive to other's difficulties. I started the low carbing because I wanted to change my diet long term due to a big family history of diabetes, and because I ate far too many carbs and was a sugar junkie. But, I was only 9st1, 5ft9 at the start (2 whole weeks ago! )

Obviously I was completely expecting to shed some water weight in the first few days (which I duly did) and not concerned about that, and I stabilised for a week or so at 8st 10/11. However, I'm now loosing again and I really can't afford to, as I'm borderline underweight, BMI now only 18.

What is the best way to combat this?
Is it more fat?
More protein? (reluctant to do this as am eating loads of protein already compared to in the past)
Bigger helpings?
A fourth meal? (my meals are quite closely spaced due to eating with a toddler, 9am, 12.30pm and 5pm. 5pm til 9am is a long time without food!)
Or judicious reintroduction of some carbs, and if so which? I wondered about flinging the net wide and eating whatever veg I fancy, ie. bring back onions, beetroot, carrots, peas, red peppers, broad beans etc. Or maybe pulses? As they are nutritious and many of the beans/lentils in my cupboard are only about 17g carbs/100g so compare very favourably with pasta/rice at more like 60g/100g.

I am Bootcamp lighting at the moment, in that I have 1-2 strawberries or equiv in blueberries per day and a small amount of almonds and a scattering of seeds (flax, sunflower and pumpkin) on my yoghurt.

For today I am doing nothing too drastic, just increasing my portions, so 3 eggs not 2 for breakfast, then yoghurt with cream and a strawb and some seeds afterwards.
Lunch will be smoked trout fillet, salad and avocado.

Any pointers to any good online reading on this would also be great. Thank you!

Does anyone know how suitable low Carbing is for children. DS is defi Italy overweight and like me is a carb addict. I have some ideas about how I can reduce his sugars and carbs. He is autistic and so is a funny eater.....almost compulsive in the evenings and will eat dry pasta in the absence of anything else.

Was considering how I could replace this with carrot sticks, cucumber and other veg he loves.

Am assuming his carb needs will be higher than mine though.

spilttheteaagain - do not feel embarrassed about posting about your own situation, we are all doing this for different and equally valid reasons

i am no expert at this, but my suggestions would be to make sure you're having good portion sizes (but no point stuffing yourself beyond comfort levels for the sake of it) and as you suggest try introducing more varieties of slightly higher-carb veg, nuts and seeds, and some fruit, and see how you feel and how your body reacts

do you have the atkins book? I haven't read it but biwi has suggested it in the past for maintenance stage as it says to introduce carbs slowly (a few extra grams per day per week) until your weight stays the same, neither increasing nor decreasing.

jake, how old is your ds?

i confess i don't know very much at all about ASD or low-carbing for children, so don't want to give specific advice, but in terms of compulsive eating low carbing could well help as it reduces the physical cravings (the mental cravings are another matter!) which makes it easier to make sensible food choices and know when you're hungry and when you've had enough to eat

i know others here have successfully reduced the amount of wheat and sugar their children have been eating with good results, so as you suggest with the pasta that might be something to try?

there is a children's book called 'eat like a dinosaur' IIRC which is about paleo eating

spilt thetea You could look at the information about low GL (glycaemic load) diets, often used in diabetes, to figure out what foods to bring back in bits of. GL is like glycaemic index but allows for likely portion size as you could have 2 foods with identical GI but you might be likely to eat more of one than the other so the effects would be different on the body. I would guess that low GL carbs are likely to be the most healthy ones to reintroduce and will include lots of veg, etc.

Timidviper ? thank you for your advice. My BMI is just under 35, so I don?t think I would even qualify on the NHS. If I was to go down the surgery route I would have to take out a loan and go private.

TheHumancatapult ? I am so sorry to hear your mum had such a tough time after the surgery. And wow, going from BMI of 45 to 24 ? you are amazing!

I suppose deep down I know it is not a sensible option. I went from a size 6-8 before my first pregnancy 5 years ago to size 14 after my first DS and now struggling to fit into size 16 after the second. I can?t fit into the clothes I love and my children will think I was away when they were little as I hate seeing myself in the photos, so there are none. After DS1 was born I tried every diet under the sun and lost one dress size practically starving myself.

I have two gorgeous boys who are healthy and happy. This is something I am very thankful for after the pregnancies I had and I feel pathetic for moaning about my weight. I just wish I didn?t feel so fat and frumpy

On a different note ? tried the meatloaf recipe a few days ago, served with green veg stir fried with chorizo. It was absolutely delicious.

Jake - I can't see how there would be anything wrong with your child eating a low carb diet - as long as they are eating plenty of vegetables and salad. I'd far rather that my children ate natural, fresh, unprocessed food than I stuffed them full of sugary stuff, foods that the body turns into sugar or foods full of artificial ingredients!

Anaisa - I really can't see how surgery is a good idea.

The best thing about low carbing is that you eat good quality, natural and fresh food - in decent quantities, so that you won't be hungry and you will lose weight over time.

And I have to correct a typo in my post to you yesterday:

"And third, exercise builds muscle, which weighs more than fat. So again, you can afford to relax a bit - you can still lose weight without exercise. I've read figures that suggest that weight loss is 85% diet and 15% diet."

What this should have said was:

And third, exercise builds muscle, which weighs more than fat. So again, you can afford to relax a bit - you can still lose weight without exercise. I've read figures that suggest that weight loss is 85% diet and 15% exercise

Thanks all....I am planning to start proper on Monday, however have been out and bought meat, vegetables, mayo, cucumber etc plus a garlic press.
The biggest challenge for me will be giving up diet coke or Pepsi Max etc as I love the stuff. Am planning to replace with just plain cold iced water and to always have a bottle of water by my side.
My DS is keen to give it a go too, he is 10 and autistic with ADHD so I am planning to keep including some fruit (one piece a day) in his diet but to drastically cut the pasta, rice, potatoes and bread.....these are all things which he binges on. Am going to replace this with cucumber which he loves and some carrot batons
Tonight we have prawns ...am going to give him a small portion of pasta with his and loads of vegetables. Am going to up his quantity of prawns and veg with some garlic butter....and minimise the pasta. Am guessing that ore-prepared garlic butter is as Carby as the garlic mayo but will check. Easy to make though.

Theory alert! This woe gives me so much more energy at work that I end up doing more, hence being knackered at night. I just keep going all day like the Duracell bunny.

How the deck do I grin on a Kindle Fire by the way?

Jake now a soda is a rare treat and yes I enjoy it when have one but don't crave like I did

But I do notice when have a diet soda i struggle sleep caffeine overload yet coffee not effect me

I was a coke addict but now love sparkling water and wouldnt dreeeeeeam of having a diet coke now.

Have also cut fizzy drinks from the boys diet too.

Jake, re your son, there is an amazing book called <a class="break-all" href="//Twww.amazon.co.uk/Gut-Psychology-Syndrome-Depression-Schizophrenia/dp/0954852028/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361559608&sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">he Gut and Psychology Syndrome written by a lady who was a doctor, but retrained in nutrition once her son was diagnosed as being quite severely autistic. After her training she devised the GAPS diet and managed to help her son 'recover' from the issues he was having.

It also covers a lot of other conditions including ADHD.

Basically the reason I'm posting this is because you say your son is keen to give it a go.

The basic idea of the diet is high fat, good meat, no sugar and no grains, so in essence high fat and low carb. It also encourages use of fermenting to make foods easier to digest and to also start taking a good quality probiotic.

Based on what I've read in the book, it seems to benefit children with all sorts of ailments but is a commitment as it involves cooking from scratch and fermenting foods.

If nothing else the book is an interesting read as the doctors story of her experiences with her son are amazing to read.

I hope this helps a little in answering your question about low carb and children.

Thank you for that mumat, I am keen to give anything a try to help his eating issues tbh. Packed lunches are going to take a little thinking about but suspect it can be done with some thought,