Week 1 Early Spring Low Carb Bootcamp - at last!

[BIWI]

Evening all!

Just getting this out there, so that everyone knows where to go/what to do in the morning.

Here's the link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

I'd like to say a massive thank you and to Sayrra and Wombattoo who set this up and maintain it for us all.

PLEASE don't touch anything other than the cell where you input your weight.

If your name isn't on the list, just add it to the bottom, and it will be magically re-alphabetised to include you.

It's called the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness because of all the information and resources that are available to us. Look at the tabs at the bottom - the rules are there, along with the veg counter, and all manner of resources for you to read up more about low carbing.

If you can't access it, or can't input your weight, just add your weight to the chat thread, and someone will do it for you. (I believe it's difficult to do it from your phone).

But more than anything else, a massive good luck to you all!

All I can say to you is follow the rules!

It does work, but only if you follow them.

Good luck everyone.

OK - here's the lasagne I made, with carb counts as well.

500g beef mince (I used Sainsbury's Organic, 15% fat)
400g carton Sainsbury's Basics Chopped Tomatoes
300g punnet of white/closed cap mushrooms, chopped
400g (i.e. the whole packet) of courgette lasagne sheets
100g echalion shallots (this was four large ones) chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 Oxo cube
c. 125g mature cheddar for the sauce, plus c. 25g for the topping, grated
300ml carton double cream
lemon juice (half a small lemon)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
dried oregano
extra virgin olive oil (a good drizzle - technical term!)

To make the Bolognese

1. In a large pan, heat the oil, then fry the shallots and garlic till softened
2. Add the mince, break up with a spoon and cook till all the pink has gone brown
3. Sprinkle the Oxo cube in and season with salt, pepper and a shake of dried oregano
4. Add the mushrooms and continue to fry until the mushrooms have lost their raw look
5. Add the tomatoes, stir, and when it comes to the boil, turn the heat down, put a lid on and cook for at least 20-30 minutes.
6. After this time, take the lid off and let it reduce so that the sauce isn't too liquid.

To make the cheese sauce

1. In a small/medium saucepan, bring the cream up to the boil
2. Add 125g grated cheese, and stir till it's melted
3. Season with black pepper (don't need to add salt as the cheese will be quite salty)
4. Add the lemon juice and stir together.

Then all you do is assemble it.

Use a smallish rectangular oven dish - using a ladle, spoon a small amount of Bolognese to go on the bottom, then add slices of courgette. Don't overlap them, just use them to cover the sauce.

Spoon a small amount of cheese sauce over the courgettes, just to give them a coating

Then repeat - sauce, courgette slices, cheese sauce, ending up with cheese sauce.

Bake in a hot oven (180 Fan, 200 conventional) for 20 minutes; after 20 minutes, take it out of the oven and sprinkle the remaining 50g grated cheese on the top. Then bake for another 20 minutes.

Total carb count is just over 50g. And there was plenty for 4 people, which would give you around 13g carbs per portion - with no need to serve any other veg or salad.

If you wanted to have veg/salad with it, so make the lasagne feed 6 people, then you'd have around 8.5g per portion.

That looks lovely BIWI - I'm going to give that a go if I can find courgettes in any shape or form in the shops this week. I bought a big bag of frozen chopped shallots from Sainsburys earlier, which should make things a bit easier - I hate hate hate hate hate peeling and chopping the little buggers.

Meal plan today

B - scrambled eggs
L - chicken fried rice (chicken, leek, cauliflower rice, soy sauce)
Snack - bulletproof coffee ( probably didn't need this!)
D - bolognese with courgetti

There's no need to use MFP unless you want to GlitterKitten but I would enter macros of 10% carbs, 20-25% protein, 60-65% fat. I did some calculations on this that I'll post later but I'm currently trapped under a poorly DS3.

... and just to say, we've had people report lots of inaccuracies with MFP in the past - especially with carb counts.

Given that Bootcamp is designed to be something you follow without weighing and counting, why make life harder for yourself?!

Need help! Same as so many of you, there are only so many eggs I can handle! I therefore find brekkie a problem.

I really want to like greek yogurt but I honestly can't stand the sourness of it. I imagine adding a tub full of sugar would help!

Any ideas? Would it be ok to make a mix of half greek yog (full fat or low fat) and half double cream to try and neutralise the cheek sucking sourness?

Would it have to be full fat or to balance out the cream be reduced fat?

Cheers! May be all be massive losers

Leostar have you tried the alpro soya plain/coconut/almond? Not sour, creamy and low carb. Although not much fat either.

I like Greek yoghurt with double cream added. But I love cream

Hello all!

Well this morning I had two coffee with creams, than met a friend and ran 9 and a half miles. Dh had the day off so we went for lunch, I had ceviche which didn't have much fat but I doubt was very high carb (and I've always wanted to try it) for my main I had steak and salad which was wonderful and I'm that full I'm thinking I'll prob only have something snacky later if I'm hungry, cucumber and cheese etc

I did have some white wine which isn't great but we rarely get to go for lunch so I had some. I ignored the desert menu though so it's all good. Dh is back to work tomorrow so I'll have a super strict day as usual.

We've got some child free days booked next week, this is the the 2nd time since dh was told he was in remission last march so not a regular occurrence, I will have wine at the pub but we'll obv walk there and back and I'll ignore the scampi fries and I promise to eat properly! We just want to hang out like old times tbh and have a laugh.

BIWI did you have a vanilla grinder that you thought might be good for Greek yogurt?

Leostar I've heard mascarpone (sp?) is good to add to yogurt but I've not tried it. I imagine it would be lush.

Oh yeah and, full fat all the way

Thanks everyone. I'm going to get some yogurt and experiment with different levels of cream. Also marscapone sounds lush. I can feel a cheesecake breakfast moment coming on but without the biscuit base!

I normally try and stay away from soya producta but will give it a go. Will be good to have a standby in case of emergencies

Total full fat Greek yogurt is th only one I can eat. It's not as sour as any other I've tried. Add a few drops of vanilla essence and some double cream to make it even nicer.

After a few days it won't taste sour anymore. Everything tastes much sweeter after a week or so low carbing.

I don't have a vanilla grinder, but I think Waitrose sell them?

I do occasionally use vanilla extract - sometimes vanilla bean paste (the latter is very sweet, but you only need a little bit).

Yoghurt with cream is fine (as long as you don't have an issue with dairy), but you may find after a couple of weeks that your taste buds have changed and you no longer find plain yoghurt so sour!

The other one to try is CoYo - yoghurt made from coconut milk. Waitrose sell this and, I think, so branches of Tesco. It's really expensive, but it's very high in fat and very low in carb - and definitely not as sour.

Co Yo

I appear to have gone seafood potty in the supermarket. I only went in for lettuce & a low carb mayo. Have come out with all sorts! I did, however find lettuce. Hoorah!

This evening, while DH is at work, I'm going to roast another chicken and make a fake lamb diner thing. The next job is to hide it before he gets home, or he will snaffle it! He's doing the No S diet and is looking after himself, for which I am grateful, as having to think about what he needs to eat as well would be a total PITA!

keepon Don't be too hard on yourself. Just move on. Egg and mushroom omelette would be nice

HeyRoly I've updated the spreadsheet.
Thanks for the new rows Sayrra I'll go back and see if we missed anyone.

BIWI I noticed that pk78 asked if vegetarians are allowed tofu? I'm afraid I don't know the answer.
That lasagne looks delicious. I hope to find some courgettes to use or even those courgette sheets

Eeek! Sorry, @pk78, I missed that.

Whilst tofu is relatively low carbs, at just under 2g per 100g I think you need to check the back of the packets, as it may vary.

And also remember that, compared with meat, fish or eggs, it does have carbs.

But generally I'd say it's fine.

I can't remember who recommended the recipe but I had another great celeriac dauphinoise for dinner.

B - coffee with cream
L - parmesan crisps (homemade)
D - sausages, roast Brussel sprouts & celeriac dauphinoise

flibberty - why no breakfast? That's rule no 1! And why so little for lunch? Where's your veg?!