My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Low-carb diets

Summer Low Carb Bootcamp - The Questions Thread

506 replies

BIWI · 29/04/2013 16:18

If you have any questions, just ask them here. From experience, the chat thread moves so quickly, posters' questions often get missed.

Picking up on some that have already been asked today:

Can we eat dairy in Bootcamp?

Yes you can, but be aware that for some people dairy can impede weight loss. Butter is fine - you don't have to worry about that, and yoghurt is apparently better tolerated than milk, cream or cheese.

Cheese is a great low carb food and it's lovely to not have to worry about being able to eat it on the basis of it being a fat.

Milk can become quite carby quite quickly, so if you're having several cups of tea/coffee a day, you need to keep an eye on this. If you can, it's best to have your tea/coffee black - or to substitute cream (double) for the milk.

Cream can be used in cooking (always double, as it has a higher fat content), but again be aware that it might be an issue for you.

The best way to find out if it's a problem for you is to keep a food diary, and then you will be able to see the impact of dairy on your weight loss.

OP posts:
Report
BIWI · 29/04/2013 16:20

Is hard cheese out/is cottage cheese better?

Hard cheese tends to be very low in carbs or to be carb-free, whereas there are carbs in cottage cheese/cream cheese.

If in doubt, check the labels on the back of pack when you're doing your shopping.

OP posts:
Report
BIWI · 29/04/2013 16:24

Where is the list of allowed foods?

I don't know! They seem to have disappeared from the spreadsheet. I'll ask WillieWaggleDagger to investigate further.

However, if you click on the Veg Carb Counter tab, that will show you the list of allowed veg and their carb counts. It is also a spreadsheet that will work out the carb count of your vegetables in any recipe, should you want to count your carbs. (Just remember to clear the columns first, as you may find that other people have put values in from their recipes!)

When looking at the veg list, please make sure that you focus on using those veg/salad that are 3g carbs per 100g or less. You can eat other veg, but just be mindful that they can quickly add up to a lot of carbs.

OP posts:
Report
BIWI · 29/04/2013 16:25

Celeriac seems very carby - is it really allowed?

Despite its lush texture (try making soup with it - it's fabulous), celeriac is only 2.3g carbs per 100g, so it is very low carb. There are some lovely recipes that use it on the recipe thread

OP posts:
Report
anchovies · 29/04/2013 16:33

I'm new to all this and to be honest am finding the food quite exciting Grin

Am just putting together this weeks shopping list and it appears that I can have this for tea? Surely not?!

Report
BIWI · 29/04/2013 17:04

Can I have coleslaw?

You have to be very careful with coleslaw as it can be very high in carbs - and they vary significantly. Often they are made with lots of sugar, plus the carrot content increases the carbs.

Home-made is much better. Here is a recipe that will serve two people:


125g white cabbage (less than 1/4 of a cabbage)
75g carrot (1 medium-sized carrot)
25g shallot (1/2 a banana/echalion shallot)

Slice white cabbage thinly
Grate carrot finely (don't use the largest holes on the grater)
Chop shallot finely

Add oil and wine vinegar - roughly 3 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar, and salt and black pepper. Stir everything well together. Leave for half an hour or so. Just before serving, stir in a tablespoon of mayo.

This will make 2 portions, each at 6g carbs

If you are buying coleslaw, check the carb count on the back of the label.

OP posts:
Report
BIWI · 29/04/2013 17:05

anchovies - you will wonder how this can possibly be a diet! And yes, absolutely, you can eat that. Just avoid the apple chutney and serve it with a lower carb veg on the side. Broccoli or leeks would be lovely with it.

OP posts:
Report
BIWI · 29/04/2013 17:09

What is Ubercamp?

Ubercamp is three days of strict low carb and no dairy meals. Look at the spreadsheet tabs for the meals, shopping lists and recipes.

This three day plan is great if you really need to be strict, and/or if you want to check if you have a dairy issue. But don't do it until you've completed at least two weeks of Bootcamp, as you will find it very difficult. You need to have switched from carb-burning to fat-burning before this will really work for you.

OP posts:
Report
BIWI · 29/04/2013 17:12

What can I snack on if I'm hungry?

One of the greatest joys of low carbing is that it suppresses your appetite. Your blood sugar levels will be stable, which will mean that you stop craving food. You may even find that it's quite possible to forget to eat sometimes!

That said, if you do find yourself getting hungry, then eat. But make sure that you're eating low carb snacks. Good low carb snacks include:

hard boiled eggs
cheese
cooked meats (try and avoid too much processed stuff though)
olives

OP posts:
Report
BIWI · 29/04/2013 17:15

How many carbs per day should we be aiming at?

We don't have a specific level of carbs on Bootcamp as this would mean you having to weigh/count everything, and the whole idea is to make it simple.

If you focus on getting your carbs mainly from veg/salad, and only eat veg on the allowed list, then you will be keeping the level of carbs low enough to ensure that you are losing weight.

All the different low carb plans give different levels. Atkins' Induction (the strict 2 week phase that kicks off the diet) says 20g carbs per day. Dr Charles Clarke (who doesn't have an initial phase) says 40-60g.

Dr John Briffa says that we shouldn't eat more than 100g carbs per day - although I believe that this is more about maintenance rather than weight loss.

Also, the other reason for it being impossible to set a daily limit on carbs is that we are all different. Some people have to keep their carbs really low every day in order to lose weight, other people can tolerate more.

OP posts:
Report
pennylovesleonard · 29/04/2013 17:19

I am ttc so aiming to do boot camp lite.
I don't eat much meat - only chicken & ham really, so I'm thinking I'll be eating lots of eggs, cheese & salads, (omelettes?)

What do you think biwi? Any tips?

Report
BIWI · 29/04/2013 17:25

Not really sure why Bootcamp would affect ttc?

Re the meats, chicken is fine, but it can be very low in fat, so you'll need to watch that. Use chicken thighs, or roast a chicken and make sure you eat the skin (which you have slathered in butter/oil before you cook it!). If you're using chicken breast, make sure that you use a lot of fat in the rest of the meal - i.e. add mayo or cook your vegetables in butter/add butter to veg - fry rather than poach/grill the breast.

Ham is OK occasionally, but like all processed meats shouldn't be something you're having at every meal/every day.

Eggs, cheese and salad (with an oily dressing) are all perfect low carb food.

OP posts:
Report
middleagedspread · 29/04/2013 17:25

What about flax seed? it's quite filling, good on yoghurt but I wonder how carby it is?

Report
middleagedspread · 29/04/2013 17:27

Sorry, another one..shop bought prawn cocktail? the Waitrose one says 2.7 g per 100g, 1.7g sugar.

Report
pennylovesleonard · 29/04/2013 17:30

Cool thanks biwi!
I think it's just avoiding ketosis when ttc (? Not sure though..?)

Report
WillieWaggledagger · 29/04/2013 17:31

Flax seed / ground flax seed is used in low crb recipes as the fibre is high so 'effective' carbs are low

However it makes me stall so I would be careful with it and maybe avoid for the first two weeks of bootcamp

Report
BIWI · 29/04/2013 17:31

Flax seed has 1.7g carbs per 100g, so it is low carb.

It's not something I have used much at all, but others have reported problems with it, I believe.

To be honest, though, you won't need to think about things being filling if you're eating low carb 'properly', as you really will find that you're not hungry between meals.

OP posts:
Report
WillieWaggledagger · 29/04/2013 17:33

Penny I think that's pregnancy, I'm not sure about ttc

Middleagedspread you should be using fat to fill you up you shouldn't really need something like flax

Report
twinklestar2 · 29/04/2013 17:33

I've seen a few recipes on the recipe thread involving coconut milk. Are we allowed coconut milk?

Report
middleagedspread · 29/04/2013 17:34

Thanks, will avoid to begin with.

Report
twinklestar2 · 29/04/2013 17:35

Another one: are we allowed to eat things that are deep fried?

Report
BIWI · 29/04/2013 17:36

Oh yes, twinklestar2 - remember fat is good! Deep fried is perfectly OK on this WOE (way of eating)

OP posts:
Report
twinklestar2 · 29/04/2013 17:37

Great - thanks! If you can get back to me about my coconut milk question too, that would be great :D

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

BIWI · 29/04/2013 17:39

You can happily use coconut milk, as it is 3.4g carbs per 100ml. Coconut cream is even better, as it is only 1.8g carbs. But avoid creamed coconut, as that is a whopping 22.1g carbs per 100g!

(All carb counts are for Blue Dragon brands. Carb counts do vary, so check the back of the tin/packet if you're choosing another brand)

OP posts:
Report
twinklestar2 · 29/04/2013 17:51

Great thanks! Thai green curry here I come!

Report
CarolBornAMan · 29/04/2013 18:35

so my next question is .. what happens after the 2 weeks are up - do we get to eat the next set of lower carb foods such as nut seeds and berries? Thanks for the help - this is so kind of you to invest so much of your time in the lard of others!

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.