Week 8 - Summer Low Carb Bootcamp - two months almost done ...

[BIWI]

Morning all

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness once more

So the finish line is almost in sight. I see from the last thread that some of you have been struggling to stay on track - just three more weeks to go, so stay focused.

That 'it's only one piece of bread/one glass of beer' moment really isn't worth it. Been there, got the t-shirt.

If you're bored with the food - there are two things that could help you. Firstly, think back to the last time you were doing a low calorie/low fat diet - how awful was it to have to scavenge the shelves looking for something low calorie enough, and how often were you eating food that didn't actually taste that nice, but delivered only on the basis of being low calorie? Rice cakes that might as well be polystyrene ceiling tiles, for example!

And then go and read the recipe thread for some inspiration, and find something new to cook. There's nothing on there that's difficult to do.

I'd also say that I see a lot of you are trying to recreate things that are high carb - pizza or bread, for example. These things are very unlikely to be the same, or as nice, as the high carb versions. And all the time you're trying to recreate something you're missing, you're just reminding yourself that you're missing something!

So try not to do this, but focus on things that are beautifully low carb and that you can enjoy for their own taste and benefits.

Here's to a successful week for us all.

*just over an

Deep breaths Jim, you can do it! Just take that hour second by second and it will pass.

My food has been spectacular in its tedium today.

Almond milk with double cream for breakfast
Salad with cheese for lunch

No idea what tea will involve but probably an omelette with leeks as that's all that's in the fridge

I'm having chicken thighs with fennel and aioli tonight (from a Guardian recipe). I'll feed back if it's any good.

Any ideas what to do with the other 7 egg yolks I'll still have left over from weekend? (2 x pavlova and home made granola for ds, to which I add a couple of egg whites).

I had sardines, strawberries and cream for lunch Jiminny. Not all in the same bowl obvs. Waitrose sell sardines in olive oil which are a cheap and quick lunch when I'm combining working and child-wrangling like today (my childminder is on holiday). I found a teeny tiny spider in my strawberries and cream so it's a good think I don't have arachnophobia.

Hang in there Jim. I have taken food porn to a new level today, and having bought an instant pot, I'm now browsing fryers.

Pretty according to the kerfuffle over Nigella Lawson's carbonara recipe at the weekend, carbonara sauce should be made with egg yolks so how about courgetti carbonara?

Cherries we have the rotafryer which doesn't need much oil and is easy to clean out.

I was about to suggest turning the egg yolks into a super rich cheese sauce and freezing it for future super duper fast cauli cheese :)

Thanks guys, keep them coming. I'm doing ok I can just feel it bubbling away and I need to keep my brain thinking about other things. Food porn is a great distraction!

That might have been the same time as me, ASD. I left after an enormous row (over a bloody presssure cooker, how bonkers is that). I wasn't involved, but my timeline was completely clogged up with them. I decided life was too short.

Baby Alfie is ok, probably asleep on his umbilical cord so his heartbeat was a bit sluggish at first but they made DIL stand on her head, do star jumps etc and generally shake him up. They have spent some time being monitored but they are going to let her go home soon. She's going to her mums until DS finishes work later this evening.

The rota fryer is what I'm looking at, Stunt, I remember you recommending it before. Can't find it in stock anywhere though, except through Amazon marketplace sellers.

Thank goodness

It has just taken me ages to catch up today...

C4 What a lovely idea about the two storybooks! How old are they? If little ish Have you got Night Monkey, Day Monkey by Julia Donaldson? Would be a good one since they're living in NZ!
I've just read the update about baby - so pleased all is okay. I spent a lot of time being monitored in pregnancy. It turned out I just have a lazy baby and he's exactly the same now, not interested in rolling over or moving around in the slightest!

Incredible weight loss ASD and I don't think I said yesterday, but I was very pleased to read about your sons support being continued!

Cherries you've made me think that I've stopped eating enough fat too actually. Evening meals are okay, but breakfast and lunch probably not.

Gosh Jim! Not sure I could cope with all the conflicting diet chat. Sorry you're feeling low again - it's nearly the end of the day! Hang on in there.
Here's my menu to distract you please don't shout at me I know I need more veg and fat and food in general probably.

B - coffee and cream
L - cheese (in a rush, between appointments and a baby group.)
S - cucumber, two cups of tea with milk.
D - Courgetti carbonara and broccoli

Extra protein in spiders Stunt!

I've got one of those air fryer/ rotating things but I havent used it since being on this WOE because it's essentially low fat cooking isnt it?

Carbonara is a good idea (courgette for me, spaghetti for dh and ds) - it's a family favourite anyway.

Some rich scrambled eggs is also on the cards (one egg rolled off the counter onto the clean floor while I was getting ready to make the pavlova so I have one mixed egg already ). My trick to making lovely creamy scrambled eggs is lots of butter, initially a high heat but as soon as you add the eggs, turn it down really low, stir briefly and then intermittently until nearly done (takes quite a while this way). Switch off and then stir in some cream (and seasoning) using the residual heat (I have a small Le Creuset non-stick pan which holds a lot of heat).

Hooray Baby Alfie - I've been checking in every half hour or so! Phew.

It takes a litre of oil, Jim, so I don't think it's low fat.

ilove ash mine only takes a table spoon

Ah right, I know the one you mean. No, this one is different.

I have an airfryer and use it quite regularly. Tonight I'll use it for meatballs, I always use it for sausages as it browns evenly all over.

C4. Glad to hear the baby is ok but eek at the thought of a heavily pregnant woman standing on her head and doing star jumps! If I wanted to wake mine up an icy drink usually did the trick.

Good news: the aioli uses 2 egg yolks (only 6 left ). Should have plenty of aioli left over too - will be nice with cold meat and radishes tomorrow.

Thanks everyone for messages about the baby, it's appreciated.

Natchkatze the kiwi kiddies are 8 and 6, I do bedtime stories twice a week and three mornings I do breakfast with them and listen to them reading their school books, I email the teacher and she prints it off and pastes it into their books. I can't imagine how painful it would be if there wasn't Skype. When they came over in 2015 I was so shocked that they ran straight into my arms, that Internet relationship transferred into a physical one so easily. I wasn't expecting that.
We don't have those books, what age are they aimed at? We have DGC ranging from baby Alfie due in Sep up to 9

So lovely that you are so involved even though they are on the other side of the world! They might be a little bit old for the book but they'd probably enjoy it if you said it's like you and them, one sleeping while the other is awake.

Glad to hear baby Alfie is OK but
!!! Star jumps!!!! I can't do star jumps now with out someone thinking my waters have broken

Good news: the aioli uses 2 egg yolks (only 6 left wink). Should have plenty of aioli left over too - will be nice with cold meat and radishes tomorrow.

That sounds just lovely, prettybird. Sigh...