Week 5 - So-called 'summer' low carb Bootcamp - a soggy start!

[BIWI]

Morning all.

Here's the spreadsheet

Hopefully we will all have successfully navigated the dreaded weeks 3 and 4, and can move seamlessly into week 5, where the scales should be set to be kind to us from now on. The rate of loss will be slower from here on, but a weekly loss of 1-2lbs should be achievable.

I have an interesting week, as our kitchen extension gets underway. At the same time, I have family visiting from Canada, so providing for them is going to be interesting! I suspect we'll be visiting a lot of local hostelries over the next 3 days

Anyway, good luck everyone, and hope this is a good week for us all.

I've got mince for dinner tonight but don't know what to do with it. Does anyone have any suggestions please?

Got a Chinese/Vietnamese supermarket near you? I love mince with holy basil and chillies.

There's a lovely recipe for mince and onions on the recipe thread - although it uses shallots instead of onions. If you have any celeriac or cauliflower or swede you could make a lovely mash to go with it.

Or how about meatballs? I whizz up some shallots and a pepper, with some garlic and dried oregano, in the food processor, then when that's finely chopped, chuck the mince in (with lots of salt, as it helps to bind them) and black pepper, then whizz that up so it makes a sort of thick paste. Tip it all out on to a board and form into meatballs, roughly the size of a large walnut or ping pong ball. Then I bake them in a hot oven, drizzled with oil, for around 30 minutes till they're browned. You can make a tomato sauce to go with them, or simply serve with lots of grated cheese on top.

Unfortunately not mrsterryp. We live in a village in the middle of nowhere.

I ended up going for the meatballs and tomato sauce, so thank you BIWI for the suggestion. Didn't have shallots but it was absolutely delicious. DH and the kids loved it too. I just made a bit of pasta for the kids.

Love that background story BIWI. It’s funny, but when I used to post on MN a few years back, I was aware of you and what you did but wasn’t particularly into LC so had never looked BC/you up. You were nowt but folklore t’ thee in them days. I ‘knew’ posters who did BC though.

I must admit, because l only started lurking on the last BC thread halfway through (then went back to read from the beginning after they had gone into BBC mode), I had no idea about the numbers involved in sign up. After deciding to join this one I was a bit to say the least when the list started growing. And growing. And growing. So 80 for your first one doesn’t sound that surprising at all!

I wonder how many actually stick with it even if they’re not posting or using the spreadsheet.

Well, I've never really tracked it, although I suppose it would be interesting to do that.

A lot of people never even start! I think once they read the rules they realise it's not for them.

Lots start in week 1, and many give up when they encounter carb flu.

So I think there's probably quite a steep drop off right from the beginning!

Then there are those who take offence at my wielding of The Big Stick. A lot of people want to be sympathised with and for me to 'pardon' their cheating - i.e. enabling it. But as we all know, cheating really doesn't work on this WOE, so straight talking/harsh truths can often really annoy people.

I don't know how many we end up with, although it's evident that it's just a 'hard core' of people who post regularly - but I also know that lots of people simply lurk.

Great NSV MrsTP - love those.

I’m discovering a new and ongoing NSV for myself. And I’m not attempting to manipulate it one little bit. Oh no no no. My dd is just starting to sprout above me height wise, and with my shrinking and her growing, we are finding some clothes interchangeable.

We are very different shapes (I’m an ‘athletic’ apple, she’s very much an hourglass/borderline pear) BUT, some stuff is fine atm. Cardis for eg. I’m also finding that RIGHT NOW, certain loose tops are ok. As long as her boobs don’t overtake mine too soon, I should be good for some tops for a while, albeit depending on the style I will have to shrink into some things. And shorts, jeans etc will be fine once my waist has come in a bit more. Though she’s getting more ‘arsey’ than me already so my window is closing!

Much to her disgust we actually have quite similar taste (we have fought over and bought the odd same thing recently).
She’s growing so fast at the mo though so I need to make the most of it and buy stuff/influence her choices with ME in mind

I weighed this morning, I am 215 pounds, so 8 pounds off in 4 weeks (I started a week late). Could someone add my weight to the spreadsheet?

I have my surgery tomorrow, so won’t be able to eat normally/ bc for several weeks after, but I might continue to track my weight on the spreadsheet of fabulousness.

Best of luck for tomorrow @NigellaAwesome. Let us know how it goes

Well, I guess the clue would be in the name???...

But, as always... you can take a horse to water (by its own request having fully disclosed to it the nature of ‘Bootcamp’ with an actual list of rules and y’know, links and shit) BUT, you can’t make it drink the water, all 3 litres per day, if it doesn’t really want to. Same old, same old.

You could lose weight for them but some people would still find something to grumble about, and can’t be helped. Or more to the point, don’t deserve it.
Those genuinely struggling probably have been a bit naive, NOT read the rules (lazy) OR haven’t really got to the right head space for it (or any form of ‘diet’) if they’re being honest with themselves. Either way it’s not on you.

I think you’re a legend for what you do, and although respectfully a little bit nervous of the stick (as one should be ), I also know that should I ever see it, it will be for good reason, so it’s all (LC) gravy

But then I’m all for directness in this type of environment. I also like the sound of the running teacher one camper has, the one who said something like ‘nobody ever died running up a hill’ or words to that effect. (Even though I wouldn’t go within 100m of her hill myself).

Good luck with your surgery Nigella

And on that note, I’m off to binge watch Killing Eve with some pork scratchings and a fuck load of water and wine.

Just got in starving from rehearsal - demolished a large plate of halloumi, asparagus and mortadella, plus a couple of those low-carb biscuits/scones. Soooo delicious, and I've saved some asparagus to dip in a boiled egg tomorrow.

I also would say that I've been aware of the Bootcamp thread for some time. I've glanced in but never in a mental place to take part. Tom Kerridge makes the point that a balanced diet is good to maintain weight but if you want to lose, well more drastic action is needed.

Thank you so much for this thread BiWi. I like 'non measuring types of diets. If products are less than 5%carbs I eat freely.

Today's food:
B; 3 eggs, feta asparagus and tomatoes
L: Ceaser salad
D: salmon & FLGV (Fried in garlic butter)
Snack: pate on small cracker, feta stuffed peppers. 85% chocolate

Cloverleaf - thanks for your inspiring story. This really does help.

Thanks again for running this BIWI. You have changed lives.

I'm working on good recipes for LC curry accompaniments. I have a few ideas on mock flatbread/garlic/coriander type things.

Usually I just make many additional little dishes of interesting things. Given enough tastes and textures - I don't miss rice. However this is now a challenge. I'll let you know if anything good comes of it.

I just thought I'd check in, as a regular lurker who's not on the spreadsheet. I started a week late but am 10lbs down, and still losing. My scales measure my body fat percentage and that is going down too. I've done low carbing in and off but this time seems to be going particularly well. Thank you BIWI for running it for everyone. It's a much valued institution.
B: creamy coffee and quiche omelette
L: leftover mashed celeriac w butter and a bit of Stilton
D: Fillet steak, loads of spinach with butter, small piece of Brie.

Parkrun tomorrow in the rain. I'm not convinced I'm that committed but I'll decide in the morning! Night all xx

Does my week meal plan look alright?

Breakfast – crustless quiche
Lunches – oven baked vegetables with chicken and pesto
Dinners - Chicken in cider and bacon with cabbage
- Beef stroganoff with buttered leeks
- Chicken in a leek and bacon, cheesy sauce with spinach

They look lovely meals @IStillMissBlockbuster. Just make sure there's plenty of fat in there, as potentially there's not much (depending on the type of beef/chicken you're using)

I was thinking of adding a bit of cream to my lunch to keep me full. I could add cream to the cider chicken as well, the others already have cream or cream cheese so that should be ok I think.

Are you frying your food as well? Are you adding an oily dressing to salad? Are you putting butter on your veg? All ways to make sure the fat intake is higher.

If you're using beef/chicken, what cuts are you using? Again, here, you can end up with your meal being high in protein but quite low in fat - so if you're using chicken, make sure it's chicken thighs, and try to keep the skin on (if you fry or roast them, you can get a lovely crispy skin). If it's beef, use shin rather than braising steak. If it's mince, make sure you go for the highest fat levels you can.

Yeah i'll fry and add oil to oven baked veg etc. Love love love crispy skin!

Thanks for your advice

New fridge being delivered today, yay! Is it sad that I'm really looking forward to going food shopping later to fill the fridge with lovely low carb food? It's been a really good excuse to throw away all the sugary sauces ect that I had in the old one.

I have a question for BIWI and the other pros; how do you feel about intermittent fasting?

Also, I agree with what others have said, I've been aware of bootcamp for a while but never been in the right frame of mind to join until now. I'm so grateful for these threads as they've really kept me going through the cravings. It's made me realise that alot of the times I feel 'hungry', I'm not. It's just sugar cravings and even though the cravings haven't completely disappeared, they aren't as bad anymore.

Sorry I will shut up now!

1lb down today. On target for being target for family party next weekend. 1lb to go.

No weight loss but can see my fat percentage creeping down. Plateau might be nudging, at last. BMI is now at 25.5. So desperate to see that come into the healthy range.

Went out for birthday meal with DH last night. Managed to stay on track and had a squid starter and the nicest steak with olive salad. Only gin and slimline with a small glass of sav Blanc and no pud. Came home and had a couple of squares of Lindt 85%.

Feel proud of myself that I navigated all that. Birthday this week and then a massive weekend away next weekend. That one won't be so easy. 😳