Get Ready for Summer - Next Low Carb Bootcamp (10 weeks) starts 29 April

[BIWI]

Just to give you a couple of weeks advanced warning, so you can think about it, plan for it, etc.

[NoCarbsBeforeBarbs]

I'm so in this time, me and Mr Barbs.

We have 7 weeks or so til a big event so NEED to shift some lbs.

Overall I'd like 21-28lb gone, but would be happy with anything in the 7wk period. Mr Barbs would be happy with anything too, he only has maximum of 14lb to go

We have decided to meal plan rather than get to dinner and go wrong!

[thenightsky]

Curry tonight... tandori chicken, paneer cheese and cauliflower. Yummy and filling.

And the good news... I started on 7th Jan on last bootcamp wearing jeans that were very tight and I had to lie down to pull the zip up... today I pulled them off without undoing either the button or the zip!

[Ruprekt]

Went to the pub last night and only drank fizzy water.

Today

B sausage, bacon and 2 eggs

No lunch

D chicken with cheese & bacon, fried celeriac, fried chard
Parmesan shortbread with butter

Water, water, water

[thenightsky]

I seem to recall from the last bootcamp that teas are good. I'm not a fan myself, but others were adding coconut oil to make them substantial.

[Ruprekt]

Teas are fine. Once the sugar craving has gone peppermint tea is really sweet.

[twinklestar2]

I think we can have black tea without sugar on bootcamp but I may need clarification on this!!

[AuntieMaggie]

Ruprekt you are better than me... I really needed a drink to help me relax and forget about my shitty week... plus I needed it to face singing at the karaoke!!!

I would love to lose 3 stone by July but that ain't gonna happen so as near as I can to that would be great... I only have 9 weeks though as I'm away from the end of June!

Today I wore a size 16 top that I bought for my hols with a vest under it... I have loads of the same vests in different colours and thought it felt tighter when I put it on in comparison to the others... I saw when I took it off its a size 14!!! Given that I threw a size 26 top out last weekend when clearing out my wardrobe I was very happy

One thing confuses me though... years ago I always had to buy a bigger size in jeans than I wore in trousers and these days its the other way around!

Anyway can't wait for Monday though I'll be doing something beteeen bootcamp and bootcamp light.

[Mitchy1nge]

Here, my millionth attempt to ask you very very active low carbers what sort of food best fuels your workouts especially if you don't eat fruit?

thanks, hope this works, severe problems connecting to MN and internet in general at the moment

[NellVarnish]

Oh for the love of God I have just stepped on the scales. I knew it might be bad from the ridges left by the waist of my jeans , but ....

COUNT ME IN!

Ps can I start from 100 again please?

[WillieWaggledagger]

Mitchy the switchover from burning carbs to fat for fuel can be quite tough in terms of exercising. I actually took a week or so's break when I started low carbing properly because I had a bit of 'carb flu' and felt rotten

These days my body is very much adapted to burning fat for fuel and I don't eat anything especially geared towards exercising, and I quite often exercise 'fasted' (as in, without having eaten since the night before, rather than fuelling up beforehand). Even for long runs.

I would suggest seeing how you go, maybe a piece of cheese or hard boiled egg before if you needed it?

[CiderwithBuda]

Was going to suggest a hard boiled egg or piece of cheese too. I think some people have porting shakes but I suspect they wouldn't be suitable for bootcamp but maybe later on? What about a few spoonfuls of full fat Greek yoghurt?

AuntieMaggie - size 26 to 14 is brilliant! Well done.

Re teas I seem to remember from doing Atkins years ago that some are fine but you need to check fruit teas as they can be sugary. And I think the sweetness might trigger a craving for more sweetness iykwim. I like peppermint or lemon and ginger.

Yesterday was good again although I didn't resist a drink! I had a very week white wine soda. About an inch of wine in a tall glass with soda water and lots of ice. Poured at 6pm and I finished it at 9.45! I drank some water alongside it. The weekend doesnt feel like the weekend with out a glass of wine so although this was very diluted I still felt like it was a treat.

Breakfast was bacon and egg with some mushrooms and cherry tomatoes
Lunch was chicken and salad
Dinner was a Nigel Slater chicken recipe which is basically chicken legs fried in oil and butter till gooey and sticky. Served with stir fried cabbage and broccoli
Also had some cheese later while watching tv.

My digestive system seems to have slowed down - feeling a bit bunged up iykwim! When I did Atkins before I know we were recommended to take magnesium if that happened. Will pick some up later. Also might not have been drinking enough water last couple of days.

[CiderwithBuda]

Porting shakes? No idea what they are! I meant protein shakes!

[topsi]

Am marking my place, my carbs have been creeping up recently. I am now into smoothie making, can I do this low carb?
ice
4-5 strawberries
spinach
greek yog, tbs
soya milk
cashews?

[CrystalTits]

BIWI please could you add me to your list of bootcampers? How do we submit our weigh-in results to you; do we just add to the thread here, add to the spreadsheet, or DM you? Thanks

I have just under a stone to lose but am v short so am looking like a Weeble at the moment. Aiming to be at target weight by end of July but with a significant loss by mid June.

3 days in to low carbing, meals are going well although I did cheat with half a glass of red wine and a slice of birthday cake on Fri and Sat - DTDs birthdays, 2 cakes each over 2 days and sugar everywhere...

[Ilisten2theradio]

Wel, I do intend to bootcamp but can't start this week as I have a friend coming over to stay for 5 days and life will just definitely get in the way so I will have to delay one week before starting again.
I have been reasonably good up until now bu have lapsed over this weekend , and will need to get back into the swing of it all again.
Im just worrying about what I can eat for breakfast - made at work that will keep me full all morning. we have a microwave, and fridge but that's it. and a bowl of yoghurt just doesn't last long enough, esp with no fruit for the first 2 weeks.
Any suggestions?

[Ruprekt]

Listen2theradio......I take bacon, sausage, eggs and mushrooms to work. Cook it in the morning and reheat.

Be prepared for comments!

[AuntieMaggie]

cider that is the only size 14 thing I can probably get over my boobs! I'm a comfortable 18 really.

I sometimes take bacon, sausage etc and reheat :)

[twinklestar2]

what can I buy from M&S / Tesco for lunch on low carb? Can I buy those packets of cooked chicken and have it with salad?

[WillieWaggledagger]

that would be fine, twinkle, but do check the carb count on the back as it could easily have a sugary/carby coating. if it's under 2g or so per 100g you're probably ok, but worth checking on your portion size to make sure you're not overdoing it in terms of carbs. it would be quite low fat though, so make sure you're adding fat in terms of an oily dressing or (low carb) mayo

i tend to cook my own chicken pieces roasted in butter at home and then have them for lunch with mayo and salad over the next 2-3 days, as i feel that there are fewer artificial ingredients that way

[twinklestar2]

Thanks Willie. I like to buy my lunch out and leave it in the fridge all week at work, I find it much easier then carrying food backwards and forwards.

I love soup for lunch, can I have soup from Pret or the Tesco fresh soups?

[WillieWaggledagger]

you'll need to check the carb counts - bought soups tend to be very high carb i'm afraid, as they usually contain quite a lot of onions and carby root veg or potato, flour as a thickening agent, etc

you'd have to check how many grams of carbohydrate you would be having per serving - it could be quite high, but you might find a particularly low carb soup, broccoli and stilton maybe?

again, you would have more control over it if you made your own. could you make enough for several days and leave that in the fridge?