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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Week 1 - Summer Low Carb Bootcamp starts here!

797 replies

BIWI · 29/04/2013 10:34

Morning all! There are over 150 of us signed up for Bootcamp, so it?s going to be busy I think. If you haven?t already put your name on the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness, here is the link so that you can add yourself:

Just add yourself to the bottom of the list and the lovely WillieWaggleDagger, our SpreadsheetMeister, will ensure that it is re-sorted to remain alphabetised. Don?t touch any of the blue columns!
We work in pounds, but if you are a metric person, there?s a tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet that says ?conversion? which will recalculate from metric to imperial.

It?s up to you whether you choose to enter your actual weight or to index it, i.e. you start today at 100, and for every pound you lose you drop by 1.

You will also see on the tabs on the spreadsheet the rules for Bootcamp, as well as rules for those of you who are vegetarian, and rules for Bootcamp Light, which you can move on to after two weeks of Bootcamp.

There are only 10 rules, and the thinking behind Bootcamp is that it should be as straightforward as possible to follow. If you follow the rules (yes, all of them ? and especially no 7!), you will lose weight.

The idea behind Bootcamp is that we have a strict fortnight of low carbing, to break the addiction that we have to carbs and sweet things. You are making sure that you are switching your body from burning carbs to burning fat, and you will go into what is called ketosis in these first two weeks.

All that this means is that you are fat-burning.

In the first few days of low carbing, especially if you haven?t done it before, you may feel a bit rubbish ? you may have headaches or just feel generally tired and achey. This is known as ?carb flu? ? and it means that you are withdrawing from carbohydrates. Sugar (which is essentially how the body views and uses carbs) is highly addictive, and your body will be craving it. Don?t give in! After a couple of days you will feel much better.

If you are feeling odd or ill, make sure that you are getting plenty of sodium, potassium and magnesium. Add salt to your food and cook with salt. Try making a drink from Marmite/Bovril. Good foods to include in your diet are spinach, salmon and avocado. Drink plenty of water and make sure that you really are keeping your fat levels up. Take some paracetamol if you have a headache (not aspirin or ibuprofen as these drugs can impede weight loss).

OP posts:
AngieAir · 04/05/2013 20:57

I didn't eat the pastries! And didn't feel I was missing out.

I had sausage & halloumi to start, then a huge lamb skewer with loads of salad & garlic mayo.

I have not required anything to eat since. Is it ok not to force myself to eat when I have no appetite?

Ruprekt · 04/05/2013 22:37

Dh and I are away for our weekend and have been low carbing since Jan 7th.

Not fallen off the wagon at all and lost 22 lbs.SmileSmile

Today was good.

B cream cheese pancakes

L charcuterie platter, no bread, fizzy water

D in the hotel was smoked salmon terrine, pan fried cod (i was brave and asked for cream cabbage instead of potatoes) wilted spinach and crispy egg

Dessert was shared. Pistachio tart and a cheese board.

One glass white wine (have been tee total since 1 Jan)

Peppermint tea now in bed! Bliss! SmileSmileSmile

herecomesthsun · 05/05/2013 05:46

yesterday

B 2 rashers bacon, then 2 boiled eggs, de louis mayo
L salmon hot smoked, lots of broccoli
S pork chop, lots of cauliflower cheese, few green beans

snacks quite a lot of Total ff yoghurt, spoonful of thick cream

Yama · 05/05/2013 07:13

Morning all. My turn to be up with the wee tyke. It was 6.20am this morning so not as bad as poor dh's 5am yesterday.

I usually have bacon and eggs at the weekend but there's not really enough fat in that and this morning my body was yearning for the usual. So, scarmbled eggs with goose fat and parma ham it was.

Yesterday:

B - Bacon and eggs
L - Two chicken thighs (nothing else as guests were imminent)
D - Lamb bhuna with cauli rice (was amazing, clean plates all round)

I may have had some salt n' pepper cashews and I may have had some dark chocolate. I may even have had some wine.

I was so strict on the last Bootcamp but this time I am so used to the little extras. This woe is so ingrained now that I am set in my ways.

ZimboMum · 05/05/2013 08:00

Morning! Up with the sparrows again (2 hours ago - not now, just incase anyone thinks that I think nearly 8am v early!) leaving DS and DH in bed - they're still sparko now!

Yesterday was great!
B: 3 egg omelette with cheese and herbs
L: Korean-style beef and spinach soup (Low Carb Gourmet)
S: home-made pork scratchings as my wonderful Morrisons sells strips of pork skin for crackling
D: chicken and mozarella wrapped in serrano ham with green beans and leeks fried in butter.

5lbs down from Monday. Huzzah!

Lots of gardening planned for today so hopefully that will burn a bit of fat as well.

Happy Sunday everybody!

milliemoomay · 05/05/2013 08:52

warzonemummy I feel for you. I'm on the same trajectory - going nowhere fast. 5 days in and I still haven't lost a pound

Yesterday's meals consisted of -
Brunch: 2 egg omelette with onion and fromage; smoked salmon with a homemade cream and mustard dressing; black coffee
D: Korean beef (made by friend), kimchi cabbage and mixed veg pancake (i.e. mushed together and fried) and small glass of wine
Loads of water

justpoppy · 05/05/2013 08:54

Morning all. Considering my last post wasn't awfully positive I've had a good few days. Weighed yesterday and I think the scales gave moved slightly which really have me the motivation I needed.

Friday night was out for dinner had lobster & a green salad (left the chips!). Yesterday had a BAB of scrambled eggs & spinach, bacon & lidls Nuremberg sausages which kept me going all day. Was shopping at lakeside with friends yesterday and they decided at 8pm we were eating at the food court. Was hungry by then so had a KFC chicken salad. Not ideal I know but I wasn't going to be home until late and thought we'd be having Nandos or something similar. Had a lidl yogurt & a few spoons of cream when I got home for fat.

Today will be another BAB shortly. Got some chicken thighs out last night was going to bung them in the slow cooker - any inspirational ideas of what else I could do with them appreciated.

middleagedspread · 05/05/2013 09:48

Hello all
Well, i was feeling really chuffed with myself for losing 5 lb by yesterday.
I'm more light than full bootcamp because I have little self controlI take a lot of exercise daily.
I hopped on the scales this morning, full of anticipation, to find I've gained 2lbs since yesterday.
B bowl of total full fat & handful of blueberries with sprinkling of flax
L bacon, mushroom & parmesan frittata with rocket salad
S Nigella's roast chicken & olives with roasted low carb veg, swimming in olive oil.
Endless green tea & water.

I know it's wrong but a bit of me keeps thinking 'too much fat'..

CiderwithBuda · 05/05/2013 10:01

BIWI - I need your big stick. I had wine. Lots. And then more. And crisps. And bread. And chocolate biscuits. It was the bloody wine. In goes the wine and out, out, out goes the willpower.

I had been really good all day too.

Back on track today. I promise. Promise myself that is.

Haven't had breakfast yet as waiting for sis to get up. Prob will do scrambled eggs and something.
Lunch - not sure yet.

Dinner will be BBQ steaks, chicken kebabs and salad.

No wine will be consumed.

sybilfaulty · 05/05/2013 10:07

I am in size 12 trousers which didn't do up last week. They are now a bit loose if anything. Hurray.

I did have a gin and tonic last night. Can I share my dear departed FIL's tip for gin? You pour the gin and before adding the tonic you dip a clean finger in the glass and run around the rim. That way you get a fantastic gin hit but can actually have the drink quite week.

Whenever I was making them, he would always run into the kitchen and shout "not too much for Mummy (MIL)! You know it disagrees with her" and do the gin trick on her glass. She is so hardboiled she could probably drink it neat but it does make her very cantankerous (even more so that usual). Lovely man.

Right, now for some clearing up. We are going to P Exp today so a salad beckons.

sybilfaulty · 05/05/2013 10:08

Buda, have you tried porkers? They are better than crisps, IMO and moch more satisfying.

sybilfaulty · 05/05/2013 10:09

MAS, would weighing less frequently help? I only do once a week as I can fluctuate by 4lbs in a day.

BlackAffronted · 05/05/2013 10:11

I just wanted to post my wee story from the last Bootcamp for all the new people here. I did really well in the first week, lost quite abit. Then for the next 5 weeks, I just bounced up and down the same pound or two. I was so dejected, poor Biwi & others having to listen to my moaning and feeling sorry for myself! But they kept me going, I didnt give up and then suddenly the weight just started to drop off! By the end of Bootcamp I was at almost 2 stone down Grin so please, stick with it, low carb is a funny old thing and the weight loss is NOT linear! I am so very, very glad that the girls here kept me going. Thanks

BlackAffronted · 05/05/2013 10:12

middle, definitely not too much fat!!!

middleagedspread · 05/05/2013 10:26

Black, thank you. I was feeling a bit disheartened.
Like many others I've spend years 'on a diet', avoiding fat & trying to get used to feeling hungry. It's quite a challenge to eat all the previously banned foods & think I will still lose weight.
I wish I'd known about this WOE years ago..all those horrible diet yoghurts I've consumed & all the avocados I've declined!
Thanks to you all

CrystalTits · 05/05/2013 10:58

Black, thank you from me too - my weight loss has stalled here over the last couple of days despite sticking rigidly to the plan in the face of temptation! Was feeling dejected and a bit deprived, but will plough on through and make myself a cheesy omelette for brunch then BBQ this afternoon.

Oddly I also feel more dehydrated the more water I drink - I've been drinking 2-3 litres a day, but my normal state is basically dessicated as I drink v little in the way of fluids other than tea/coffee. Has anyone else experienced this?

BlackAffronted · 05/05/2013 10:58

I found the fat thing hard to start with ... but I am proof that it works! Clear skin, clear head, fab sleep etc all show that fat is so good for us :)

BlackAffronted · 05/05/2013 11:02

I find I want more water, the more I drink it. I can drink about 4 litres aday, plus green & fruit tea. Your body is probably crying out for hydration! Remember too, that we want to keep our kidneys/liver flushed, so that the liver can concentrate on using body fat. If the liver has 2 jobs to do (flush kidneys & use fat) it can only do half a job on each.

CiderwithBuda · 05/05/2013 11:05

Sybil - I have lots of things I could have had sensibly! Wine induced hunger doesn't lead to sensible decisions re late night snacking in my case! I remember hearing a similar tip about gin years ago. It's not a bad idea!

I have been weighing everyday but I might not this week. Not sure I am brave enough to weigh tomorrow even!

WillieWaggledagger · 05/05/2013 11:14

Crystaltits you haven't stalled, you won't lose weight every day and if it gets you down it's best not to weigh every day

Middleagedspread it sounds like it could be natural fluctuation but I would cut out the berries and flax (flax makes me stall)

CrystalTits · 05/05/2013 11:49

Thanks Willie. You're right - daily weighing prob isn't good for me as I'm starting to get a bit obsessed (it's been such a long time since I saw the scales going in a downward instead of upward direction!). I'll limit myself to twice a week then just weekly if I can. Might ask DH to hide them... Smile

Black, I also feel more thirsty the more water I drink. Quite a revelation!

BIWI · 05/05/2013 13:18

Good. Got that all over with Grin

Falling off the wagon is inevitable. Don't beat yourself up about it - it's called real life. The trick is to move on and not let one slip lead to a total derailment - because that's what those pesky carbs do to you. One piece of cake and suddenly you've landed face down in the biscuit tin!

Re weighing. If you can't cope with seeing the scales go up, then please, please, please restrict yourself to once-a-week weighing. It is quite natural for your weight to fluctuate on a daily basis, often for no apparent reason. There's no point depressing yourself if you don't have to!

On the first low carb forum I joined, there were different strategies for weighing if you weigh daily - the ones that I liked were either to weigh every day and take the lowest weight as your weight for that week, or to weigh every day and then work out the average weight for the week.

If you're drinking lots and lots of water, but still find you're thirsty, I believe that is a sign that you need more salt/sodium. I need to check that out, but I'm fairly sure that is something that QueenStromba posted. But lots of water - whilst good on the weight loss front - can also lead to an imbalance of your electrolytes, so please make sure you're keeping up the sodium/magnesium/potassium levels. Salt, spinach, salmon and avocado will all help you.

And please remember that fat is good for you! It helps to keep you feeling full, it's good for your brain and it's good for your skin. Eating fat does not make you fat.

OP posts:
MrsHerculePoirot · 05/05/2013 14:24

so far I have not been a sugary twat on a bank holiday - hurrah!

Went to a county fair thing this morning everyone else had hot dog ad chips I didn't. No pudding last night am feeling virtuous and much happier than I would have done had I eaten them!

BIWI · 05/05/2013 15:42

Yay! And those hot dogs would have been full of horrible rubbish anyway - you're far better off avoiding them, even if you're not low carbing Grin

OP posts:
BlackAffronted · 05/05/2013 16:15

Making this Nigel Slater pork shoulder recipe for dinner tonight, smells amazing! recipe