Week 6 - Low Carb Bootcamp - Let's do this thing!

[BIWI]

Morning!

Here's the SoF for you to confess all

So we move into the second half.

By now, those of you who have been here from the beginning should be hitting your stride, and be more comfortable about what to do, what works/doesn't work etc.

Let's really focus and concentrate on doing it properly.

Good luck!

yummy ideas thanks

Maggie, if you have an asda near you they are rolling out their £3.50 'wonky' veg box - at least half is LC friendly: cabbage, cucumber, leeks, peppers, some not so: carrots, onions and then potatoes and parsnips you cold use for rest of family? it's supposed to be enough for a family for a week.

I have the following veg:

2 cabbages
Cauli
3 onions
3 leeks
6 carrots
2 celery
green beans
swede
3 corgette
a red pepper
salad stuff
and a yellowed brocolli... will this be ok in a soup with blue cheese?

I need meat not veg really and fruit, bread and oats for ds so this week should be ok. Though I have got sausages, burgers, bacon and 2 pork chops in the freezer...

thanks nekobus I'd read about that - it means another trip though as it's noway near aldi

Maggie I can sympathise, it's tough and eating low carb on a strict budget (I'm not going to lie) can get boring. Eggs will be a big part of the diet - you can get 10 eggs for 80p in Aldi. I think eggs for your brekkie with butter and a bit of whatever veg is cheap, fried, scrambled poached or omelet. This week it'd be broccoli because of the 29p deal in Aldi or if you have a coop nearby they have swede and 4 leeks for 39p. In Aldi the value bacon is 99p for 250g, big block of cheddar (800g block for £3.60), some of the Lincolnshire sausages too (v low carb) 6 for £1.75. Tinned fish with mayo and veggies too. The iceberg lettuce is in the super six ATM too. Big wedge lettuce with your canned fish.
For your hubby seeing as he eats carbs (and it seems like his fault) I would have him on the cheap stodge; value porridge oats, Aldi 5kg bag of potatoes and value pasta and garlic bread as his sides.

For lunches I would go with soups. Hearty cauliflower, swede or broccoli soup made with frozen veg and lots of butter to up the fat, use a bit of the bacon and cheese on the top of each bowl. Mince is your friend, make pork burgers, beef burgers etc (use nothing but the minced meat, seasoning and some jarred mayo) meat loaf with some of your spices and a carton of Passata over the top before baking, pork meat balls - shape, fry and then simmer in a carton of passata with some of your spices (paprika or chilli powder) and whatever veg.
A big pan of minced beef (500g) simmered with a stock cube (the quixo ones are low carb) and topped with cauliflower mash (make from frozen is cheaper) makes a lovely cottage pie and does us a couple of main meals. A pack of the chicken thighs is great value. Roast them over veg to make use of the lovely fat. Cubes of swede work well. Then after your meal use the bones to make stock.

For the kiddo the best value fruit and veg snacks are the Aldi bananas, plums and carrots.

Worthwhile having a mooch around the freezers at Tesco, lots of the 'seasonal' frozen being got rid of. I just got 6 bags of frozen Brussels sprouts for 6p per bag.

I had a massive fuck up again. Ffs, i need to get a grip, im being ridiculous!!

Oh beyond

Maggie sorry I'm having internet trouble so didn't see the veg post. Yes broccoli is fine if a bit yellow, bang it in a soup.

Frozen meat can be a good buy,

I'm the same as you Beyond Any excuse and I've made loads to eat crap
Come on, --hands Beyond a grip Let's do it together

strike through fail

Just signing in quickly to give myself strength. I have been good - really good. Too many nuts, but avoided all the pitfalls of the conference.
But ... I'm all dressed up, smell great even if I asy so myself and I'm off to the gala dinner. Wine on the table, set menu, I'm writing this to say I will stay strongish and not fall face first into a plateful of carbs, spurred on by too much wine.
Cheers everyone.

I am giving myself a kick up the ass tonight (almost sounds fun lol!) been off work sick for a week with all sorts of yukkies but need to go back tomorrow as lounging round the house in my pj's all day. Can't be assed to do anything when I have the kids. Mope around picking at food as I am bored. Back to work tomorrow. May go for another week of strict boot camp x

Good luck Mookbark!

AuntieMaggie - not sure what supermarkets you have near you? My Sainsbury's, which is a big one, has a pre-packed meat counter that packs up meat from the butcher's counter. They sell packs of 6 large chicken thighs (skin on, but boneless) for £3. Two of those would make a good meal, roasted, with some veg. Or, if you chopped them up, you could make a really good and satisfying stir fry.

Do you have a Chinese supermarket anywhere near? I went to ours recently and bought a really big piece of belly pork for £5.50 - it would have easily fed four people.

The other meat to look out for is rolled lamb breast - it's really cheap and lovely. Slow cooked with some sliced shallots it's gorgeous.

Thanks BIWI the nearest is aldi and then asda and morrisons - no sainsburys or tesco my side of town just the ones in the centre when I go to work and there's a Chinese supermarket near work but not sure it sells meat... will have a look.

mook well done on being good! you should be proud of yourself - it's really hard when you're away.

meeting today was ok... I drank plenty of water but then I always do at these things and lunch wasn't too bad (though would've been if I was vegetarian) it was marinated chicken with peppers and onions, potatoes and there was salad bar so I had a massive salad with coleslaw. The coffee breaks were the worst - loads of different cakes and fruit. I have to admit to a small slice... I cut it off the end of a precut slice so about a quarter... hopefully the water will help!

I popped into wasabi to have a look at the salads for future reference as I was hanging around... they had a couple of salads/veg dishes on the fresh counter that may have been low carb but i can't find any nutrition info about them on their website.

I'm also wondering when I should worry about the messed up AF... my body is being really weird and I don't know what to think!

Made some low carb pasta for tea tomorrow. It's two ingredients- mozzarella and egg yolk. I've made it before and it worked well. Probably jinxed this batch now and it'll fall to bits when boiled.

Ooh that's clever Gcalgske

My wee looks dark tonight (sorry for the tmi) but I'm definitely not dehydrated...

Morning gang, another lb off overnight so 2.2lb since Monday, just hoping I can keep it up over the weekend. Off out tonight for drinks with DH as got a rare offer of baby sitter, despite the fact that I still feel awful with this never-ending cold. I will stick to gin and slim and hope for the best. We're eating at home before we go so that should help.

B: scrambled eggs, with butter and a dash of cream
L: not sure, Friday's are weird as I tend to be in and out as its my day off
D: spag Bol with courgetti, bit of cheese

Am going to carry on drinking the water, which I tend to struggle with when I'm not in work but has had a massive impact this week, I think. A tip for anyone struggling, I have a 750ml bottle. Whereas I didn't used to start on it til I got to work and had had a few coffees, now I start as soon as I wake and can easily get though the first bottle by 9am. Then I have one in the morning. One in the afternoon and the last in the evening, so three litres done pretty painlessly. I also try to drink at least three herbal teas, so reckon that's a bit under another litre.

Morning all, another one with a cold here, however I am soldiering on and have stayed on track. Been away with work for a couple of days but went prepared and there was a fridge in the room whoop! They actually provided some reasonable LC options at lunch - I was amazed, normally it's sandwiches and fruit all the way.

Off to glug some water now, have a good day all and will check in again later.

Morning all, have been lurking but too busy to post. Just wanted to say I've been mega strict this week and it has paid off, definitely going down again in weight thank god. Don't feel like my bum follows me around so much anymore

Still have about a stone to go to get back into my skinny clothes, and am still overweight according to the. NHS BMI calculator but you can't have it all!

I was struggling before as I was eating the same stuff over and over as it was easier but definitely planning ahead makes such a difference.

Hope you all have a fab weekend.

I've got pork belly slices for dinner -what's the nicest way to cook them? (they were reduced when I went to aldi)

Can't help you there AuntieMaggie as never cooked pork before but will keep a watch as they are something I want to try.
Weighed in today and oddly enough have dropped another lb. wasn't expecting it as been so ill and food has been up and down. Spurred me on tho!

Maggie how about seasoning with five spice and grilling the pork belly slices? I tried frying them but they don't crisp up as well I would like. DH deep fried some in lard one time which was awesomely delicious but perhaps taking the high fat ethos a bit too far.