Week 6 - Low Carb Bootcamp - the second half starts here!

[BIWI]

Morning all!

I would normally drop a link to the spreadsheet here, but for some reason I've had to request access to it

So until someone else - or @AthelstaneTheUnready - can sort this, I'm afraid I'll just have to start the thread without the link.

Off topic (ish) but just watching the Graham Norton Show and thinking that Cher is an example of how too much work on her face makes her look awful.

Yes I know that is terribly pass remarkable

But I do love Christine Baranski.

Morning, all.

I have been struggling a bit this bootcamp. However, I had a NSV when I tried on a dress that had been too tight a fortnight ago. Today, it was snug but wearable.

It was just the inspiration I needed to get back on track.

KOKO, everyone! We'll get there.

@clare8allthepies

Why was your DH told to pack it in? Was it not working for him, from a medical/diabetes point of view?

Can you give me your top tips for including fat?
I lost well in the first 2 weeks but have only managed 3lbs in weeks 2-6 of bootcamp and I think lack of fat is my downfall as I'm really strict with the rules, including water etc.
Thanks.

I've started to eat slices/scoops of nice salted butter borowren (depending on whether it's been in the fridge or on the counter).

I'll often have a wee slice before going and having a HFLC snack - and then realising I don't need one.

Apart from "pure" fat, try making sure that all your veg are cooked in butter (microwaving is good - no need for added water, just a couple of slices of butter and shoogle). I boil mange tout - but then finish off with some butter and let it melt in the residual heat.

Salads with oily dressing.

Mashed neeps with a generous amount of butter and olive oil.

I know one of the Boot Campers can't remember who who has a spoonful of olive oil a day, like medicine (but with a good olive oil, quite pleasant! )

Hope you're feeling better @Seafour and hope your hay fever improves soon @oldbirdy.
I had a small nsv too this morning. Put an old pair of shorts on as am planning on mucky jobs all day, and DH said 'bloody hell Waswitty, you're gonna need a belt with those!'

I think his consultant just dismissed it as ‘not good for you’ and was banging on about kidney stones and cholesterol levels (although his levels were the same as they were 6 months ago).

He was mainly looking to get better blood sugar control and in the main it has been great. The only issue is when he’s gone off piste for things like a work meal out or someone’s leaving do he’s had crazy high blood sugar for days afterwards.

On a less cheerful note I tried making Keto pizza base the day before yesterday, from a recipe I found on line. It had four eggs in it and most of a packet of grated mozzarella, and it really didn't agree with me at all. I've been feeling really bloated and uncomfortable ever since. I've tried live yogurt and lots of salad, but it doesn't seem to be going. If anyone has any tips I'd be grateful.

@clare8allthepies. Could he keep his consultant happy by increasing his carbs just a little, by eating things like rye bread and whole meal pasta?
I've made my own rye bread in the past by mixing 50/50 rye flour, and it was ok. That way he can honestly say he's been doing as he's told without causing a major glycemic load

An interesting find for chocoholics in Hotel Chocolat today. Their 70% dark chocolate is 31g carbohydrate per 100g whereas their 65% supermilk chocolate is only 28.6g and higher in fat to boot. So one bar is 2.5g carbs.

That’s inter3sting, Stunt. How do they even manage that, I wonder. I never even look at milk chocolate these days so I’d never have noticed that.

I can’t stop at one bar though. I end up like a brown Cookie Monster.

Oooooh, good spot, Stunt! Though I have to walk briskly past Hotel Choc and not even look......

Todays Menu:

B: fluffy pancakes with PB &J (will pop recipe on the vegetarian thread)
L: Tuna salad from Costa - actually quite nice!
D: chicken fried cauli-rice.

Must. Drink. More. Water.

waswittyonce no advice but I've had the same whenever I've tried any bread replacement type recipes. I find I just have to wait it out and I feel better the next day. No more bread replacements for me!

Hello all, haven't managed to post on this weeks thread yet, though I have been reading. A combination of family stress (grandmother unwell and needing to go into a nursing home which is stressful for her, so have been helping her / my mum with trying to settle in; plus untold stress with my SIL and brother having marital difficulties which she is dealing with by refusing to allow any of his family to see their son...); getting ready for holidays (end of term on Friday, we are in Scotland, and we are leaving that evening) and low level nausea for few days - I can't work out if it is something I've eaten or if it's one of the many viruses that are going around.

I saw 82.1kg for a day or two, but have come back to 82.6kg so largely STS at the moment. Hoping I can get into the 81.something range before we leave for holiday.

Lovely to see so many amazing before and after pictures. My tummy was definitely looking smaller / flatter (not flat, ha, hasn't been that since I was about 9 years old I think....) but since the nausea I have been having bloating / puffiness. If it doesn't settle down I will start keeping a food diary to see if I can see a trigger.

Will look out for a Hotel Chocolat and see if I can get those batons, they look gorgeous, thanks @StuntNun

@borowren - I find the easiest way to up my fat is to add it to veggies - slather butter on broccoli/spinach/cabbage, or make a really oily dressing to add to salads (two or three to one oil to vinegar or lime juice). And I have also started snacking on a slice or two of butter after @prettybird suggested it another time.

Mandate they also sell supermilk puddles, selector bars, and enrobed nuts and coffee beans so it's definitely worth trying Hotel Chocolat if you're a milk chocolate fan.

I have been holier than holy today having baked Nigella's brownies with DS2, dairy-free cupcakes with DS3, and egg-free dairy-free chocolate cupcakes with DS4 in order to cater for different tastes and degrees of allergies. Not one morsel of batter, cake or icing has passed my lips! My devious and evil brain tried to convince me that I deserved a brownie fresh from the oven and that they were only small anyway but I remain steadfast! DH is making low carb Chinese salt and chilli squid for me right now and I will savour that and feel all proud of my willpower. Let's just hope the kids eat all those cakes up super quick as brownies are a particular weakness of mine.

Thanks for the reply @prettybird Not sure I can stomach the thought of eating pure butter or oil! I have been trying to add fat to salad and veg, but maybe but enough. I'll just keep going I guess!

stuntnun I am in awe of your restraint. I have had another few mouthfuls of cake twice today while serving it, but it is homemade and I didn't have half a cake which I would have in the past. A little taste was actually plenty.

Food today has been a bit random, not been in the mood to cook and I haven't been shopping yet. However, DH and I made homemade curry and I had mine with cauliflower. Lunch was 4 slices of bacon. Breakfast was a few mouthfuls of cake and a slice of cheese with butter and marmite on! Still TOTM and been a bit meh and headachey.

I am feeling back on track today: a bra that was previously too tight around the ribs is comfortable and a dress that I haven't worn in ages is too big (but it's loose, floaty one so it's all good).

This morning, I had my hair cut and highlighted, the public-facing bits of my anatomy waxed and the most wonderful facial.

Am expecting to be received with rapturous applause for my gorgeous new look at the office on Monday morning.

mandate, also in Scotland and pretty sure I had a low level viral thing last week. Spent most of the early part of the week running to loo, though not otherwise unwell, and the rest of the week feeling slightly nauseated and very bloated. My gut was like an orchestra. . It did quite suddenly pass today though (day 6), and over a period of 2-3 hours I suddenly started to feel better.

Great NSVs terfsup

borowren - look on it as medicinal initially - and make sure to use good salted butter. You never know, you might come to like it! You only need to take a teaspoonful/a thin slice.

My NSV (sort of) is that today I cooked curly kale for the first time. But the real NSV is that it was from my own garden And picking the kale's lower leaves helped unshade the row of "bright salad leaves" that is growing alongside them. Cooked them a bit like my famous brussels: shredded the kale (removing the thicker spines), microwaved them in butter for 2x2 minutes. The difference this time was that I also added 2 slices of thinly sliced garlic. Finished it off with a sprinkling of sea salt Yummy even if ds wouldn't try it more for me

Oh - and have just roasted the "discarded" spines in some olive oil for 7 minutes and some sea salt. Lovely!

Next time, I'll use my chilli oil.

Thanks, prettybird.

prettybird I’ve been growing kale too! Apart from kale chips I don’t really know what to do with it, found it a bit soggy and slimy in a casserole and too chewy as salad leaves. I’ve got tons of the bloomin stuff too!

destiny I cooked a load of kale in coconut milk (half a tin) with half a teaspoon each of garlic and ginger puree and some chili flakes all in a work. Added some oomi low carb noodles. It was so nice I had it two days running.
Coconut cream/ milk carb counts vary. The one I used was from Aldi and was very low carb compared to some of them.