Week 6 - Low Carb Bootcamp - welcome to part 2

[BIWI]

Morning all

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness.

We've reached the half way part now, and I hope you're finding it a bit easier - no more carb flu, and getting used to a different way of eating.

If you've suffered from the week 3, 4 or even 5 stall, I hope that this week you'll see the scales start to move (downwards!) again.

I hope you all have a good week

Re lunches, meat and a salad, inc avocado is pretty easy, or how about a soup?

Almond flour crackers and pate/cheese and ham/ cream cheese

Celery or raw cauliflower with peanut butter or guacamole?

What about leftovers for lunches lightofaluna? Do you have access to a microwave at work?

Lightoflaluna I usually batch cook for lunches for the week ahead. I make an enormous chopped crunchy salad - this week is chopped radish, romaine, celery and green pepper - and I mix in some mayo. I have also poached 6 chicken breasts. So it is simply a matter of slicing off some chicken and scooping out some pre-made salad. If I feel like a change I can chop the chicken and mix with mayo and curry paste etc.

I also usually make a batch of soup to use throughout the week.

Am currently making a shepherds pie with celeriac topping which will do me 3 nights.

LOL shagmeriggins - you're quite right but was using the celery sticks as vehicles for lots of lovely cheese/mayo.

I've just seen I've got lots of lovely celeriac rice to cook today it's already a day out of date so will be making celeriac toad in the whole with some of the mountain of cabbage I have and the rest I'll use for chicken/cabbage stir fry.

Thanks for the replies! I do prefer something warm if i can but it needs to be really minimal fuss, so i think leftovers or a batch cook would be ideal.

I am not a big salad fan i have to say. I do eat it but more for the virtuous feeling than the 'oooh i can't wait for me salad'. I've been known to leave it in my bag and opt for crap from the canteen or shops if i'm having a stressful day (emotional eater!). Maybe with a crustless quiche or something it could be more tempting

I try to make salad more interesting by adding things like radishes or red cabbage for a satisfying crunch. Grated Parmesan and some walnuts are good too and homemade garlic mayonnaise is delicious!

Here's the recipe thread for fish/seafood recipes

I've asked MNHQ to sticky it, along with the others.

Just one more to do, which will be a short one - all the sweet/dessert recipes!

LOL BIWI
Have realised we only have 10 days to go on Drybuary from tomorrow! V soon in single figures...

I'll post up my variation of TK's tiramisu once the sweet/dessert thread has been started.

Mmm. Yes. About Drybuary ....

I've been pretty good about Drybuary - started a couple of days early and have only had the one "exception" day (Valentine's Day) which I'd said I would have before I started.

BIWI noooo
I’ll also post my emergency quick chocolate pud too.

I managed 10 days. And then Monday-Friday. It was the second weekend that did it for me.

Weekends are hard for dry months esp if you are in the habit of alcohol at weekends or have a partner who is drinking. biwi you did 10 days & that's good. Better than not doing them. Be even better if you can climb back on the wagon for the rest of the month.

I'm still dry & not missing it, really, but i am REALLY looking forward to a glass of wine on 1 march.

I’m accidentally dry. It wasn’t intentional, it just seems to be happening... I just don’t fancy alcohol and I don’t know why.
I am getting some carb cravings, usually when I’m tired or bored though.

Agree that 10 days is better than none and you can climb back on the wagon :)

Whaat! BIWI!!! When I've felt tempted on the drybruary I've thought of you, and felt I'd be letting you down. I've been dry other than 2 glasses on Valentines night.

** polishes 😇

Staying off it during the week BIWI would still be a good result. I really fancied a glass tonight with my roast lamb but didn’t give in. Can’t stay off the chocolate though. Much harder for some reason. I thought about giving it up for lent but missed that boat. Sighs.

Never intended a dry Feb but even once out of boot camp proper I do find I think about how much I really want that glass of wine so keeping it to a minimum.

B: scrambled eggs (inc some creme fraiche) and mushrooms
L: Savoy cabbage carbonara (cabbage, shallots, pancetta, garlic, butter, mascarpone, Parmesan) which was a big hit with DH who's been away when I've made it before
D: kedgeree inspired by the Jamie Oliver recipe I made a lot back in my carby 20s. The frozen cauli rice has been a revelation in the sense it goes a long way to plug the convenience and speed gap pasta and rice used to fill. Really nice dish, I make it heavy on the lemon juice, shallots, eggs and fresh coriander and I added a leek.

No snacks other than a coffee with cream but meals were probably too big.

Sorry @BerylStreep

Rayna that kedgeree sounds very nice. Would you be able to post it on the fish recipe thread BIWI has set up if not already on there?

I'm dry too, i had two glasses of red wine two weekends ago and felt really, really ill. I also did dry JAN, I had one night socialising in JAN where I had three or four small vodkas and that's it, felt fine with that, past that I've not drunk since New Year's Eve. I can't quite friggen believe it. I've become an accidental tea totaller. My friends reckon it's because I'm dieting and when I'm at the weight I want to be I will go back to normal.

My body is also changing shape. I've always tended towards an apple shape, and I think I'm becoming a friggen pear. My size ten tops and jackets are all fitting me again, but not the trousers. Im still a good twelve there I think. I'm exercising all parts appropriately and know what I'm doing there.

I actually wonder if lack of booze is affecting my tummy fat more. 🤔

Not hideous food today, and I resisted the vending machine on a 13 hour shift!
B: FF greek yog, double cream and cocoa nibs
L: aubergine 'moussagne' and broccoli
D: black daal (under 10g of carbs!) and caul rice
S: itsu seaweed thins, few pecans 1/2 bottle of wine.
Too much alcohol but it has been a stressful day! Also avoided the McDonald's the nurses were trying to feed me.

After my Friday night whinge, a very interesting weekend. Firstly, I weighed in at 10st4 exactly on Saturday, the lightest I've been in about 18mths. Secondly, I had a time to do a lot of reflecting.
I do actually like a lot of the things about this way of eating. Some of it is beginning to come naturally now too. I also want to be fitter & weigh less not so much for my self esteem but for my health.
So, the plan is:

• three weeks of Bootcamp
• continue until Easter
• sort out a supplement to help with the mild constipation that I have belatedly realised is affecting me
• start doing some form of exercise a few times a week
• be a bit more creative with my meals so I'm doing more than grilled meat & veg which is an easy fall back option.

Well done heads.