Week 5 - Pre-Christmas Low Carb Bootcamp - we reach the half way point!

[BiWitched]

Eeek! I'm not stepping on the scales this morning, so will not be confessing all on the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

Family wedding this weekend, and no control over food means I really don't want to see what number is on the scales!

Anyway, don't forget there's also the Weight Tracker

Here's to a successful week for all of us. Hopefully those who have seen things slow down/stop will see the scales begin to move again from now on.

If not I would be in big trouble Especially as I love to suck crystals of rock salt. Tis wonderfully fab and I would recommend it

also using a cheese slicer to cut slices of butter to munch

How about savoury cauliflower rice? This is what I had tonight:

Fennel bulb, quartered then finely sliced
Yellow pepper, finely sliced
Two shallots, finely chopped
Leftover roast chicken
1/2 head cauliflower, blitzed into 'couscous' in the processor

Fry fennel, pepper and shallots in coconut oil, till softened. (I also added garlic and chillies but obviously not for you ), season well and then add cauliflower and cook on a medium heat until cooked through. I also add about a tablespoon of soy sauce for a bit of moisture. I also added some sundried tomatoes with a tablespoon of the oil.

Can i just check, am I correct in thinking that smoked tinned fish is not great as it is processed and potentially an issue of added sugar? Is this the same for smoked fresh fish? And is one better than the other thinking some sort of kedgeree thing with cauli rice to replace actual rice might be full of flavour without being full of spice.

Am meal planning to sort out the gap before I am allowed dairy products again, and some food with a bit more than normal flavours. I should really just disappear into the recipe thread... You will have all thought of this all before

Sounds fabulous. I am so used to juggling all the different allergies I get lost when half of them bugger off and I don't have to worry about them. Ah the joys of being the household cook.

Allergies can be a pain can't they Bitchy? I can't eat gluten, oxalates or nightshades. Luckily they overlap a lot so there is quite a bit left to eat but grabbing something ready made when you feel yukky (or can't be arsed!)just isn't an option. It makes it hard work at times but its worth it. When you get caught up in a round of hospital trips and tests etc you start to feel a bit out of control but the one thing you can control is what you put in your mouth. As you said, sticking with the WOE is a really good starting point for whatever might be round the corner.

Blimey. I've had a few days away from the thread and I think all round might be the best thing.

I am knackered- the most persistent bit of carb flu for me is early morning waking, which combined with the clock change is a killer.

I am 5lb down on my starting weight though, which I'm chuffed with given I haven't been at it two weeks yet.

[ falls asleep]

bitchy I was debating a take on kedgeree earlier on - may give it a bash!

Anyway, mother has finally twigged that I've changed my eating habits as she was round for tea at the weekend. I explained what I was doing.

She said I was being silly, she said all I had to do was stop eating bananas to lose belly fat...she'd read it on t'internet

I haven't eaten a banana for nigh on fifteen years probably, so can't see that working...

must teach her not to click on ads

sarahbeeny the clock change totally buggers me up too. Today just seemed an hour too long, think I'm gonna hit the hay myself soon.

miffy you sound like you have bought that t-shirt I will keep you wise words in mind.

Well done to all the losers and commiserations to the STS-ers and to my fellow gainers. I'm sorry to read that there has been trouble and strife on the threads. I thought last week had been generally positive with people posting their success stories. I find it very reassuring to know that this WOE works and I'll be able to lose the weight again while eating delish food. My friend was telling me about her new Slimming World diet that she has just started and man does that sound depressing. I told her a little bit about Bootcamp and she seemed interested, especially when I started waffling talking about insulin so maybe I'll be able to recruit her yet.

bitchy as you are a rock salt fan you should keep a bar of Lindt dark chocolate with sea salt in the fridge. When you feel you really need something allow yourself one square. Sit down with a cup of coffee and nibble it. It is amazing how one square can be enough. Keep a square or two in your bag if you are going to the hospital. Keep a book in your bag to read when hanging round waiting.

Checking in late to say I stayed the same this week. And lucky to do so too - I had fallen so far away from the wagon that I couldn't even see it any more.

I found the thread last week particularly helpful. It's great, and inspiring, when people stick to the diet and lose weight. But that was never all that was going to happen. Of course we stray, battle to stay on track, dust ourselves off, keep trying. I for one find it very helpful to read about other people's struggles in this regard. It really helps me to stick with my own diet.

So please bear in mind that just as we all like different foods, we all enjoy different kinds of support threads. Some of us only want to hear from the winners i.e. the loser, others of us want a chat with the stragglers at the back. The one thing we all agree on is that no-one wants what we have here: recriminations, finger pointing, accusations. So please, can we just have a bit of tolerance if we read something that we dont like on a BC thread. What one person finds triggering another may find supportive. Please can we peaceably live and let live? I NEED this support group to hang in. The overall solidarity is much more important than the odd jarring post.

Hear, hear aNote

Bitchy - any smoked fish is processed, by definition! However, the quality varies enormously. If it's tinned it may not contain sugar, but check the ingredients list on the back.

And for any smoked fish, check it's not just flavoured and dyed to make it taste smoked. Most supermarkets still insist on selling that bright yellow stuff - but you can usually buy undyed alternatives. However, naturally smoked is, I believe, a different matter - you may have to look harder for that.

That said, it's like all other processed stuff - a little bit, on occasion, is fine.

Morning all, I stayed away for the last 2 weeks as my scales had broken. I stuck to plan (light) and hated feeling unmonitored! Finally got scales yesterday and I'm pleased to report I have STS (down 0.3lbs) which I am very happy with. Back on it again now!
Did I see mention of coconut porridge? What is this?

Good post aNote :).

For those that are thinking of kedgeree and bearing in mind BIWI's reminder about smoked fish Nigella does a version using fresh salmon and coriander, which is yummy. It should be possible to adapt it with cauliflower "rice".

pseudo I've been having coconut porridge in the morning, its delicious and OK in carbs I think, its not the lowest (7g in a bowl) but it keeps me full for ages.

25g desiccated coconut
25g ground almonds
100ml coconut milk
dash cream

All in a pan on the hob, mix until nice and warm.

I think you could use less of everything but I use 25g as I have a wee cup which measures 25g of coconut and almonds quite nicely.

Thanks Sayra.

I have read last week's thread and it looks fine to me. Let's keep on keeping on.

It even looks quite like porridge but the coconut flavour makes it sort of sweet. I am intending on having it this week and seeing if it impacts on weight-loss. If it does I'll only have it occasionally but if not then I can see it being a regular autumn/winter breakfast.

Still to try this, when I looked in the cupboard, DH had used all the ground almonds to make cake! Cake! I ask you.

Going to Aldi later so will pick some up then. It looks delicious.

Well said anote I didn't keep up with last week's thread as we had a mini ofsted and I well and truly fell off the wagon. To quote crabby my elephant has been lassooed but I need the support and inspiration of this thread to keep me in line going, especially when people post their daily menus and I think ooh that sounds good otherwise I fall into a food rut adds fennel to shopping list

Bitchy we're all here to support each other not just in our weight battle so feel free to post as much as you want, sometimes it helps just to read something back. Likewise if anyone's pissed off by someone else's post just ignore it and move on to the next post. We all probably have a friend or colleague who says things that get on our nerves but, to keep the peace, most of the time we just ignore them even though in our head we're thinking ffs will you change the record/shut up/do something about it.

We're all here because we want to lose weight and need the support to get our heads round the fact that its a WOE not a diet and sometimes carbs will get in the way but we need to make sensible choices instead of thinking fuck it I've had x & y so I've fucked everything up lets eat 3 more and some a, b & c and hide the evidence that was me last week

_ line firmly drawn

Normally I've only got time for a BPC before dashing out the house in the morning but for the past 3 days I've had either an omlette or cream cheese pancakes as I knew I'd be out at lunchtime and its kept me going until I've got home about 4ish and had another BPC and some cold meat. Bitchy you're a genius, slices of butter on top of leftover meat, the ideal lc snack/emergency 'I've just got home and I'm ravenous' food. Anyway the whoosh fairy's paid me a little visit and I've lost last week's gain

Right losers, its my last day off coursework has been submitted so no excuse for procrastinating on MN and its bright and sunny but probably bloody freezing so I'm going to wrap up, don my wellies and take Divadog for a long walk provided I can coax her from her sunny windowsill

Sorry that was a long post

Thank you for adding my details Sayra

I had a big breakfast of scrambled eggs, avocado and sunflower seeds on top of baby leaf salad, super filling. I have some gruyere in the fridge so I'm going to make a tuna melt for lunch.

Morning all. I'd like some advice on a couple of things if that's okay:

i am feeling really mucusy and catarghy today, my body seems to be really purging gunk (sorry for tmi). is that a side effect of adjusting to low carb? or am i just coming down with yet another bloody cold (2nd in 3 weeks).

i'm not sure i'm actually low carbing enough either, should i be weighing things? because i haven't been. i also haven't been hungry at all (apart from normal meal time peckishness) is that normal? yesterday i had:

b- yogurt and berries
snack - slice of turkey
l - 1 portion ratatouille (1 green pepper, 1 courgette, 1 aubergine, 4 shallots, half pack mushrooms, 3 cloves garlic, olive oil, 1 tin toms, oregano = 4 portions) and half a block of feta crumbled on top and baked in the oven (it was lovely)
snack - 3 olives
d - 1 portion lamb mince (500g lamb, 2 leeks, i carrot, 2 celery, thyme, tbsp tom puree, home made lamb stock = 4 portions) mashed swede, cabbage.
snack - 3 brazils