May '19 Low Carb Bootcamp - week 1

[BIWI]

So here we are!

Lots of us signed up this time, so inevitably the thread will move very quickly. Please, though, take the time to read the whole thread!. Although this is a place where you can post your daily menus, or your thoughts and questions, please don't just do this, but read what other people have posted too.

A bit thank you to the very lovely @AthelstaneTheUnready who has set up the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness.

The Spreadsheet

If your name isn't on there, don't panic! Just add yourself to the bottom of the list. Don't worry about trying to alphabetise it - that will be sorted out for you. (And if you're on the spreadsheet but don't want to be, don't worry - if you don't post on it your name will be taken off)

Here's a brief recap of the rules:

1. Eat three proper meals a day
2. Avoid processed foods
3. Eat plenty of fat
4. Make sure you are eating plenty of vegetables and salad
5. Be careful about dairy (apart from butter which is unlimited)
6. You must drink a minimum of 2 litres of water a day
7. No alcohol
8. No fruit
9. No nuts/seeds

10.No sugar or artificial sweeteners

The full rules are here . They're supposed to be stickied at the top of the Low Carb Bootcamp topic (along with the recipe threads), but for some reason they're stickied at the top of page 2!

Remember that after the first two weeks we can relax some of this, and move on to Bootcamp Light, which means that you can add some fruit (berries mainly), alcohol (in moderation) and nuts and seeds (again, in moderation), but the point of the strict initial phase is to help push your body into burning fat for fuel rather than carbohydrate.

And remember - if you cheat, you will only be delaying this process from happening!

Good luck to everyone. Any questions or problems, just shout!

If it reassures you Notlostjustexploring - people are always surprised that I'm the age that I am (58)

Re the discussion of neeps/swedes, I always use my biggest knife (12"?) and don't fanny around with trying to "peel" it (big chunks to take the skin off are fine ). I do c1cm slices than then slice the skin off and dice or slice the rest. I will admit that sometimes I do my slice too thick and then have to lever my knife out

B - Fage 5% Greek Yogurt
L - Chicken salad
D- steak, asparagus, salad with cheese

Snacks - boiled egg and marmite cheese

Lunch cooked for tomorrow !! I am dreading the weekend, it is usually when it all goes wrong.

What's ok.for an Indian takeaway? Tikka ? Butter chicken? What about paneer and spinach?

@Notlostjustexploring microwave your swede for a couple of minutes before cutting! It's so much easier

I'm struggling this evening with cravings. I have a fiendishly sweet tooth and eat an enormous amount of bad stuff (won't name the prime culprit in case BIWI comes after me....). I've decided to try some Greek yoghurt with something in it - my vanilla extract seems to be pure sugar, so I tried almond extract instead. It's extracted using rapeseed oil, and apparently it's only 7.8 grams of carbohydrates per 100 ml, I only used a few splashes.

It's …. interesting. I sort of like it. I could get quite used to it I think. It's settled my craving for something sweet without actually having something sweet at least.

Shashlik or other tandoori meat dish plus a brinjal bhaji (aubergine) and a sag paneer (spinach&cheese) have been my go to dishes for Indian takeaway.

@Notlostjustexploring 🤣 happens to me every bloody time.

That looks as delicious as it sounded @prettybird

Love reading all the posts but struggle to remember the names/who wrote what.

NSV. Spent the evening watching cooking programmes with no cravings at all.

My food today was leftovers so exactly the same as yesterday.

I'm another one who has to drink four litres. I'm determined to stick to the rules and I'm proud to say I'm actually managing it. (Though I do feel a bit like it's all sloshing round inside me)

Now just got to plan what I'm going to eat tomorrow. Night everyone.

Dh has just eaten his big bar of Mackies Honeycomb chocolate in front of me and I was happy not to have any (He did check first )

Re swede/neeps again - if you're just wanting mash, you can do it whole in the microwave. Takes a long time but the result, once you've scooped it out (and mashed it with butter and pepper) is lovely. Sweeter and more flavoursome than boiling it.

@ChippingInLowCarbing as they say, youth is wasted on the young. We were all utterly gorgeous, if only we'd have realised it at the time.

@Heartyhooker yes there's definitely something in this woe helping arthritis. I had swollen, painful finger joints before I started, which have now almost returned to normal. Huge congrats on your stone off!

Happy anni to you too @Hobbes8

@m0therofdragons How lovely that people are noticing. Compliments are a great reminder that you're doing something right, even when the losses slow down. But I'm with you on feeling awkwardly self conscious at the time. Great news on the smaller bras too!

Thanks @SummerSazz and enjoy the camping. You're a braver woman than me, I can only bear a night and I start craving a lovely hotel.

@HypatiaCade Cinnamon is nice sprinkled on yoghurt for flavouring

Thanks for the turnip tips.
I see people having an egg for breakfast, when I'd have 3! Are my portions out of control.

I haven't posted in a couple of days. DS had to have a medical procedure (he's fine now) but it meant 3 hours on a bus Wednesday. Hanging round the hospital today. And 2 nights away from home. Because of the long bus journey I was afraid to drink too much water. Anyways. (Trying to remember)
Wednesday
B: 3 scrambled eggs with frozen spinach and little feta
L: Turkey and veg stirfry, with Braggs Liquid Aminos
D: chicken salad from Chopped. Pesto dressing.

Today:
B: scrambled eggs (3) with butter
L: ham and cheese salad, pesto dressing.
D: baked salmon, broccoli asparagus, tomatoes with harissa paste. Side salad.

Is pesto allowed? They didn't have plain olive oil - I think I'll buy a little bottle.
The children had a 'movie night' in the hotel room as a treat, complete with chips and loads of junk. I wasn't too tempted and the food was gone quickly.

@Summery1, I have 3 eggs for breakfast. I previously would eat 2 plus a carb so I replaced the carb with an extra egg to keep me full.

I know it depends on size but can you give a very rough cook time for a medium swede @prettybird , it sounds like a very good idea, thanks for the tip.

Can I join? But I won’t even sally be able to start properly until 3 June ( holiday )

Can I join

Had a really good day yesterday, was a leaving lunch at work so lots of crisps & cake etc and I had my lunch I'd taken and felt so good for it, we went to the pub after work and I stuck to my water & had a couple of chicken wings and nothing else.
B - 97% sausage & boiled egg
L - leftover tandoori chicken & broccoli
D - chicken salad
S - chicken wings

Having fairly similar today:
B - boiled eggs
L - Chicken & cheese with veg
D - Salad (will be shoo bought any suggestions?)
We are at my in laws for the weekend, hopefully won't be too bad!
Felt really motivated when I stepped on the scales this morning, 2.5lb down!!

Good morning all.

Up early today because I just can’t sleep. My third night of being irritable and restless. Is this due to LC’ing or just a coincidence? It is so unlike me to have issues sleeping.

I am managing to follow the rules but still struggling on the Breakfast front. Savoury just doesn’t appeal early morning and the Chia pudding wasn’t my thing. However, I have lost any hunger pangs so am thinking of going to a two meal strategy and having Bruch instead.

Was really put off Supper last night by the disgusting smell of the Cauli Rice I poured onto my stir fry and then caught up with the thread and noticed I am not alone. Is the same true of the Butternut Squash noodles sold in Sainsburys?

Have a good day everyone !!

I really dislike any of the pre-prepared cauli rice, courgetti, butternut squash noodles. They all smell odd and I don’t like the texture. I don’t have cauliflower rice often but when I do I use frozen packets (I’ve got Birdseye) which are fine. I’ve had it microwaved but I prefer to cook it in a pan with butter and oil and garlic. If I fancy courgette pasta I just make it myself from a fresh one using a peeler.

On sleep, it’s the opposite for me - ordinarily my sleep is horrendous but as soon as I start lowcarbing it’s much, much better. I know some people do find it screws with their sleep for a while but I think it’s temporary, a few nights to a week, from vague memory.

hypatiacade vanilla powder is v nice in yoghurt. It’s quite expensive for a tiny pot but it’s pretty potent so you only need the tiniest amount.

*summery1 I usually have three eggs too.

Its my third week of low carbing and I've lost 8lbs so far, loving this way of eating as I feel for the first time I years I've got control of my appetite rather than it controlling me

Well done both of you ponies and pockets on fab losses! I’m holding off on weighing outside of weighing-in day so I don’t know what the scales will say, but my arms are looking better and my fingers aren’t swollen, so it’s looking good! Have a lovely day everyone.

Something weird has happened- I actually looked forward to my first glass of water this morning! Not in a thirst way either

Have a good day everyone

prettybird that's pretty much what I do, except I cut it in half first, so I have two halves I can lie flat. Usually works, but this was an unusually large bugger.

Nameusernameuser I remembered the microwave tip the second I couldn't get the knife back out...