Week 1 - 2016 Pre-Christmas 8 week Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Welcome all!

I see that there are almost 130 of us signed up for this one, which is brilliant.

I'm starting the week 1 thread a little early, as I'm away this evening and won't be back home until mid-morning tomorrow, and I know you all want to get cracking

So, without further ado, here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

If your name isn't on it, just add yourself at the bottom. Don't worry about the alphabetisation - wombattoo will sort that out later. Add your weight, but don't touch the blue cells!

It's up to you when you weigh; I'll start a new chat thread each Monday, with a link to the spreadsheet, but if you feel happier weighing on a Friday (or any other day) then it's totally up to you.

Very interesting post about carb flu. Especially the bit about more fat and limiting the protein.

Day 4 of boot camp for me today, and I also started on HRT. I dithered a bit about whether it will have an effect, but decided 'fuck it'. I feel like I'm eating more healthily than I have in years and I've wanted hrt for a while so am just going for it.

Prudence let me know how you get on with HRT. My doctor is reluctant to prescribe it for me but I know she will give in if I push it - no health issues to speak of, think it's a cost thing with her TBH. Be really interested to see if it helps you, hot flushes drive me mad but it's the mood swings that really annoy me.

Bit of a headache today - so thanks BIWI for carb flu post. Missed breakfast and snacking on cold chicken and cucumbers for lunch. Dinner is going to be home made creamy cauliflower and spinach curry with added green beans.

Quick question BIWI - my DH and DD are vegetarians so a lot of the evening meals I make are vegetable based (ratatouille, veggie curries and chillis, melanza, soups etc). Is it an issue if I don't have a protein at my evening meal? I nearly always eat meat or fish at lunchtime with a salad, and eat eggs most days.

Felt virtuous yesterday as team lunch at work in restaurant which was a carvery. Ate meat with just a huge pile of cabbage and cauliflower, swerved the potatoes, yorkshires and stuffing. Was gorgeous as well.

Ndotto there are lots of vegetarian low carb recipes here (although best to aim for the ones that say they are strict low carb at this stage):
www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes/vegetarian

...or even better ketogenic low carb!

Hello everyone. Today I had
B. Total ff yogurt
L Left over Lamb curry with buttered greens (interrupted so didn't finish)
D cod. Samphire cooked in butter and parsley butter. (I also ate the bit of fish ds left.)

Today has been ok but not enough water i don't think as have been in and out of the house a lot. Normally i m home more and drink lots. Still managed 1.5litres so far so will drink some more before bed.

Breakfast was 2 mashed up eggs with butter (lots)
Lunch was 2 small chicken thighs with buttered cabbage
Dinner will be pork chop, roasted peppers and caul rice with come coconut oil stirred through.

Tomorrow we are off to Eureka! so taking a picnic of chicken salad (chicken thigh, cucumber, greek yoghurt and curry powder), boiled eggs and some cheese.

Dinner will be thai fish curry with basa, mussels and some prawns in coconut milk with caul rice.

I love this WOE but need to make sure i'm planning things properly or i get bored and things go wrong.

Keep on going everyone. x

pengweg that curry sounds amazing. Do you have a recipe?

Misunderstood a friend today so what I thought was meeting up for lunch in town where I had planned what I would eat, we in fact were eating at her place. Completely caught me off guard and was unfortunately not low carb so I just tried to eat as little as possible without looking downright rude. Am really disappointed but trying not to lose perspective.

B - total full fat yog with cream and flaxseed
L - small plate of carby errors as per above
D - slow cooked spicy lamb shoulder with cauli couscous and salad

Drinking loads of water too to flush out the nasties!

I'm a bit late to the party but can I join you all? I've been on and off a low carb plan for last few months- it really works for me but because of some health and personal stuff going on I have fallen off the wagon.

I am looking forward to kick starting my system and getting back on track. Just started as I mean to go on with a lovely cheese omelette and some salad and avocado. Am vegetarian and love lots of the Rose Elliott low carb recipes.

I have tried and failed to add myself to the spreadsheet, I don't have access to a laptop. If anyone could add me, start weight 161.6lbs I would really appreciate it, if not I'll just keep track myself! Thanks

Welcome Furryturnip!

Ndotto

Prudence let me know how you get on with HRT. My doctor is reluctant to prescribe it for me but I know she will give in if I push it - no health issues to speak of, think it's a cost thing with her TBH. Be really interested to see if it helps you, hot flushes drive me mad but it's the mood swings that really annoy me

You may very well find that low carbing helps you with these symptoms. Certainly it was an unexpected bonus for me!

Bit of a headache today - so thanks BIWI for carb flu post. Missed breakfast and snacking on cold chicken and cucumbers for lunch. Dinner is going to be home made creamy cauliflower and spinach curry with added green beans.

You really must eat breakfast - it's one of the key rules of Bootcamp!

Quick question BIWI - my DH and DD are vegetarians so a lot of the evening meals I make are vegetable based (ratatouille, veggie curries and chillis, melanza, soups etc). Is it an issue if I don't have a protein at my evening meal? I nearly always eat meat or fish at lunchtime with a salad, and eat eggs most days.

Yes, this will be an issue. If you're not eating protein, and also very little fat, then you're eating a high carb diet. And whilst vegetables are very lovely, they are where your carbs will be coming from. You should be eating a high fat, medium protein and low carb diet.

Good day!

B: ff Greek yog and cream with vanilla, coffee with cream
L: tuna mayo and feta salad with green olives
D: pork chop with red pesto mayo, broccoli and cauliflower cheese
S: black coffee

Question that I should know the answer to, but I can't tell from the spreadsheet. Are raw cacao nibs allowed? I'm a bit bored of my yogurt (ran out of eggs or I'd have those) and want something to put in it for my breakfast tomorrow - my normal BC lite would be some berries or coconut flakes or nuts. Cacao nibs are not a fruit or a nut and are minimally processed. But they are essentially chocolate! My brand are 23g carbs per 100g but I'd have a very small portion. Thoughts?

Good day here too.

B - coffee & cream, avocado, dressing, cucumber slices with LC pate
L - chicken drumstick, mayo, salad leaves and dressing
D - haddock, cauli rice, with veg fried in coconut oil, cream sauce.
S - babybel, coffee & cream
2L water

And I'm interested in the cacao nibs question too! I have an unopened bag in the cupboard waiting for the right recipe

I pondered the cacao today as well as I am really keen to liven up my porridge with some texture. Mine were about 18g/100g so I decided to keep them for the bootcamp light days and will stick to the boring yogurt for another 10days!

You're probably right

Porridge?! Assuming that is a Freudian slip

Sorry Betty - I'd save those until Bootcamp Light

Popping in to say thanks BIWI all going well here too and this morning my stomach (the problem!) is noticeable better (I don't have scales) and skin amazing. Also full of energy.

I've been doing, every day...

b FF greek yog
L salad with dressing with either chicken, tuna, egg and/or feta
D omelette and salad

if I ever need snacks H/B egg

Question as I don't really like meat too much is, can I use roasted vegetables in olive oil with melted mozerella on top? Is that too carby? I've looked through all the threads BIWI and I think this is ok? I can't bring myself to roast aubergines in butter!

Good luck everyone. I'm looking forward to this weekend and all the challenges it will bring! (Holiday in Spain, huge halloween parties and DD off school)

Thanks BIWI, am having it without. As Lisbea said, it's a texture thing! Yoghurt just a bit gloopy on its own.

Can anyone recommend a low carb yoghurt to use for cooking butter chicken? I only have a Tesco near me- can't get to town until next week.

I haven't been posting my food, because I've had a horrible tummy bug and haven't been able to eat much at all. Trying to ease myself back into eating today with:

B. Tuna mayo. Raw broccoli florets
L: Salad with feta
D: Butter chicken with cauli rice

Could I ask a massive favour please? There was a recipe for butter chicken Tha everyone was raving about on the last thread. Does anyone have the link? This is NOT me being lazy, really it isn't; I'm registered blind and find it impossible to skim the threads- I have to read them properly, and it would take me hours! TIA.

Sorry about the long post.

Can I just second what BIWI said upthread about hot flushes.
I too have been and, kind of, still am toying with the idea of HRT, my GP says his feeling is that it is a good and safe option but, like all medicines, there are some side-effects so you should only take any medicine if it is really needed. I did have problems with the pill so am nervous about it.

When I first low carbed, I didn't really notice feeling better but when I had a few days piggery I was poleaxed by hot flushes, brain fog and generalised aching.

I'm not sure about taking any medication if there is a lifestyle solution that also improves my health in other ways too

Morning all. I'm feeling the carb flu today, headaches, nausea and I'm so tired.

B - scrambled eggs with cream and butter
L - tuna mayo salad
D - Tex mex casserole with sour cream

Popgoes. Fage Total full fat Greek yogurt. We get it in Tesco here. It's delicious too.

God yes I am clearly going mad, talking of cold chocolate and porridge!

I had meant yogurt!