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.

No sugar at all! And no artificial sweeteners in the first two weeks either

Pasta/bread/rice is not allowed on Bootcamp at all. Once you reach your target weight, however, you can start to re-introduce higher carb foods - just in moderate quantities, and keeping an eye on the impact that they have on your weight. Some people can tolerate a higher level of carbs than others, so there is no hard and fast rule, I'm afraid.

About the no sugar/sweeteners thing - I used to have milky coffee with sweeteners at least 5 times a day - I went cold turkey and swapped to plain black coffee, and within 2 weeks I found I'd adapted - put a sweetener in my coffee one morning when not quite awake, and had to spit the stuff out 'cos it tasted rank. I've not looked back since - after a while you start to notice the natural sweetness in things like tomatoes. Just bear with it the first week or so.

I've not eaten pasta, rice, pastry, potatoes,Yorkshire puds or anything like that since last August. Had bread twice, and a creme brulée once (special outing!), but on the whole I don't miss these things, because they're just filler foods or vehicles for butter/sauces etc., with no real taste of their own. I put shredded lettuce under my curries, chillis and bolognese sauces, and top fish pies or shepherds pies with mashed swede (with lots of cream and butter and white pepper added), mostly.

The more sugar you eat, the more sugar you will want to eat, so it's easier to just drop it, really.

sugar begets sugar, carbs beget carbs

I even spat out a mint this morning because it had too much sugar in

My colleagues were well impressed

Classy, slatternly

Yep - no sugar. This is one of the reasons why there is a rule in there about avoiding processed meats - so many of them contain sugar.

Bruisedfanjo.....not good to go without food for so long. Can you not take some food in with you?

Pepperami, babybel, salad etc?

The great thing about this WOE is that you are not hungry. The fat fills you up.

I started on 7 Jan and have not looked back. Dh joined me and we are totally convinced this is for life.

I have dropped 22 lbs and a dress size!

Being pragmatic, BruisedFanjo, the amount of sugar in the ham is going to be pretty small. Better to eat that than nothing at all.

What other meals do they do? There must be something else that's low carb! Would they make you an omelette? Or is there an all day breakfast?

Not eating isn't great, especially to start with when you're trying to stabilise your blood sugars. Ruprekt is right - take stuff with you to eat. Even if it's just a hard boiled egg, it will be better than not eating.

I take food to work every day.

Tomorrow I will have 2 Hb eggs, fried crispy bacon, 2 sausages and celeriac mash.

1 pint water

Then for lunch I am having half an avocado, mozzarella and salad.

1 pint water

In which case, BruisedFanjo, you need to take your lunch into work with you, I'm afraid.

I had to eat on the run today so took a pepperami, 2 hb eggs, 2 baby bels and some pork scratchings. But processed heavy but stopped me from being hungry and buying something inappropriate in a garage.

Hello
I'm inspired by these threads and have been boot camping for 4 days. Am loving cream in my coffee. I've read Briffa and Taubes (why we get fat). Which is the best book to read about the evilness of sugar- I've been on Amazon and there are loads to choose from. Any recommendations?

I've lost 22lb since the start of Bootcamp on 7th Jan. I've thrown away my calorie books. I will never count another bloody calorie ever again.

I take my own lunch to work as they only sell sandwiches and baked potatoes.

I do a box of lettuce, cucumber and 5 cherry tomatoes. I take a bottle of the lowest carb creamy caeser dressing i can buy and a 100g box of roast chicken or a tin of mackerel in olive oil etc to add to the salad.

Luke.....think 'the diet trap' is well received by lots of low carbers. By John Briffa

I would also add "The Diet Delusion" by Gary Taubes

can i ask a frikkin awesome question? AGAIN!

can i hae some amazng oven recipes - i know i can google - but knowing that real people made something delish makes the difference

I have had a brilliant thng happen ( so excited).... my oven is fixed after 18 months, 18 months.

ooh ooh, how about low carb pizza - anyone done one?

or would you prefer i fucked off to another thread won't be offended guv honest

just fixed last friday - so excited - had celeriac chips tonight

One of my easiest oven recipes is to chuck a load of low carb sausages into a baking tray, with a load of low carb veg - shallots, leeks, courgettes, celery, peppers (whatever!), with a load of olive oil, some chilli flakes, salt and pepper and roast for around 30-40 minutes.

Serve with salad and some garlicky vinaigrette.

D-I-V-I-N-E

what sausages do you use - M&S do some cracking low carbers

I shop mainly at Sainsbury's - they have loads of low carb sausages, most of which are in their Taste The Difference range. We quite like the chilli ones. (Just check the carb counts on the back of the pack as they do vary quite considerably)

Black Farmer sausages are very low carb.