Week 3 - October Low Carb Bootcamp - the fork in the road

[BIWitch]

Welcome!

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness for you to confess all.

So we enter the infamous week 3. Along with week 4, these are the two weeks where you are very likely to see weight loss slow or stop altogether.

Don't panic!

This is entirely normal.

But, from now on, you can also decide if you want to continue with the strict approach of Bootcamp, or if you want to take a slightly more relaxed approach - Bootcamp Light. This means that you can incorporate some nuts/seeds, and some fruits - mainly berries. Alcohol can be introduced - moderately, and only those which are low carb.

Some people choose to stay on Bootcamp, others choose to do a hybrid, so Bootcamp during the week, and Bootcamp Light at the weekend.

The choice is yours - just keep a close eye on the scales/your measurements - or however you're choosing to monitor your progress.

Happy birthday @Nonononon!

Home tomorrow. Back on the wagon then.
This week... 'nuf said. If I'm -good- excellent over the weekend I might not gain.

... did someone call for The Big Stick?

I’m a pound down this morning. That’s 6lbs off since starting BC.

I’ve got chicken and veg for dinner, had prawns for lunch.

Might have had a couple of small glasses of dry white wine last night, managed to dodge the crisps and peanuts though! We have a Halloween tradition of watching either Sleepy Hollow or Brothers Grimm, along with drinks and snacks. Had cheese cubes and olives instead of crisps.

Plan for today:
B - omelette
L - will be at IKEA, might have to bring own!

D - probably steak with vegetables

Spotted a recipe for fathead cinnamon buns on a keto blog this week, will bear these in mind whend when steering away from the cinnamon buns in IKEA (my favourite)...

Very full of cheese still. Also 1.6lbs up, but only to be expected. Won't eat til I'm actually hungry, FLGV today and water, water, water!

Bit of a fail after all your lovely dinner tips last night. Didn't deal well with the work, late finish, so had chicken shish kebab on salad and two gin and slims. Went straight to my head - I can feel it this morning.

A pint of water down for breakfast.
Maybe scrambled eggs at work.
Lunch.....?!
Dinner will DEFINITELY be the dauphinoise and duck this time!!

Lovely NSV though - dress down Friday and I hadn't washed my staple black jeans In desperation I tried a pair of jeans (albeit stretchy) which I couldn't get over my thighs in August. I'm wearing them!!!! A 14. I have been wearing 18s and elasticated (sexy, no?!) 16s!! I'm sure they're a bit tight and I'll be annoyed by the end if the day, but for now I feel like shouting it from the rooftops!! SUCH a good step on the way to being healthy!!

Brilliant NSV!

Yay amazing @8Track!

Yay for the nsv!!
Well yesterday was a total success, stayed 100% on track with diet AND even my two meals per day, didn't eat a thing after 5pm so feeling very pleased, also didn't touch any alcohol and realised yesterday was my first sober birthday in 20 years 😱

I didn't have the Chinese yesterday either, but going to see a friend tonight so may have one then.

I DO have lunch planned though and that will be..
Eggs, belly pork (I have some slow cooked belly pork in the fridge so why not) asparagus, half an avocado and some butter fried mushrooms.
Feeling quite slim today too so thats nice

Morning everyone,

Been AWOL for a few days but stuck to plan.

Some excellent NSV's well done. Stinking headache today (and a fair bit of the last week) and feeling a bit rubbish. I have to pop to Sainsbury's later so will pick up some beef drink to see if that will help.

OK, I know it's only November, so I don't mind if you shout at me for mentioning the C-word...

Picked up a foodie magazine and was looking forward to getting some inspiration for seasonal cooking - guests over Christmas include catering for a vegetarian, a nut allergy, a dairy allergy and me with lchf...

What a disappointment. Page after page after page of sickly sweet deserts, syrupy cocktails, veg with honey glaze, meat or fish wrapped in pastry, candied nuts, fruity chutneys... And all but one of the foodie gifts to make were cakes or biscuits. It was an explosion of sugar and flour.

So I'm starting to plan my own little folio of lchf festive food alternatives.
^I'm dreaming of a low-carb Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the goose fat glistens
My husband listens
When he offers cake and I say 'no'
I'm dreaming of a low-carb Christmas
No crap food and no cheap tat
May your belly be slender and flat
And may all your Christmas food be fat^

Food today:

B - avocado, butter coffee
L - egg salad
D - creamy mushroom soup and something else.... possibly salmon and veg...

The other thing I've noticed, @venusandmars, is how much of the Christmas food is about vegan alternatives. Bloody vegans

Love the new rendition of Low Carb Christmas Venus and Mars!

Great NSV 8Track!

I think there are some Christmas recipes on the Diet Doctor website but they are possibly either aimed at Americans or Swedes! I'll be quite happy with turkey or roast rib of beef accompanied by roasted vegetables (need to stop DH from using honey glaze though!) and low carb cauliflower cheese. Cheese board with low carb crackers for pudding and a few glasses of fizz.

I need to figure out how to make own low carb mulled wine soon.

We don't have turkey at Christmas - never been part of my family's tradition, so I've carried that on! (DH isn't especially fond of it either, so happy to go along with it). We usually have a fillet of beef cooked in various different ways, along with whatever veg we fancy (although it has to be said that roast potatoes do usually feature!)

Don't like mulled wine, so happy to stick to the fizz! And this year we have some particularly fine fizz, as I got some lovely bottles for my birthday that I'm hanging on to - one is a Dom Perignon 2015, which Waitrose currently sell for £150 ! (Must make sure that no-one tries to put orange juice in that one ...)

Dessert is something we usually swerve. No-one apart from DH really likes (or has any room!) for Christmas pudding. Although we don't eat our Christmas dinner till the evening, we start the day off with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon (after present opening) so we will all have had plenty to eat anyway. And after all, there are all those Christmas chocolates to eat

Hmm. Rather too many ! in that post. Sorry. (I'll be hunning and LOLing soon if I don't watch it)

I'll be hunning and LOLing soon if I don't watch it

Ewwww

venusandmars your Christmas song made me smile. And realistically, November isn’t too early to start preparing.

I’m a bit bleurgh right today. Seems to be up days and down days over and over, when what I really want is mostly decent/good days with the very occasional down day, because that’s life.

About to tuck into some smoked salmon mousse wrap thingy (just back from Waitrose) and half a leftover artichoke with butter. Seem to be eating only half my meals.

Husband and I going out for dinner tonight to sort some details re the separation and Christmas and what the fuck do we tell the kids and family. Joy.

@venusandmars I'm actually glad you mentioned the C word.
This is the first Christmas that I won't be on a diet that I hate and looking forward to breaking all the rules. I'm genuinely happy with this woe and although I probably will have some Christmas cake at my granny's house and Eton mess for pudding I don't want the year from this path too far.
I think Christmas day and boxing day will be the only days of eating blatant sugar (although I'm sure it will make me feel sick by then after all tat time without!)
I will then return to LCHF.
I think it will make me plan my food better, I normally just bumble through Christmas like pac-man gobbling up whatever comes my way, some sugary things just aren't worth the mental and physical destabilisation for, I want to choose only my favourite things such as Heston's mince pies etc.

*to vere not year!!!!!

Venus lyrical genius!

I'm actually cooking a Christmas dinner tomorrow! 5 adults and 3 small kids, Turkey and all the trimmings. Will include roast potatoes and parsnips but aim to keep mainly to the lovely Brussels! No pud, a friend is bringing dessert and I'm going to opt for cheese. Probably no red cabbage though will do this for the real event!

Side note, all the trimmings does NOT mean there will be Yorkshire pudding which after discussion in the office, apparently most of my team consider essential. I love them but in their place! Who even has oven space on Christmas Day?!

I've now done three weeks where I haven't had a single cake or biscuit in the office which I don't think I've ever done before even on bootcamp

Super NSV 8track

venus, I love the song - even though it is 1 November 🎄

shagme hope the meal goes ok

Dd has been away at swim camp all week and I’ve made her favourite cake - I did not lick a single spoon or bowl, or sample a slice. Waiting for her at the airport now, can’t wait to see her.

Aww you guys!!

Thanks. What a super supportive bunch you are!

Rayna who has space in their tummy for Yorkshire pudding on Christmas Day? Although I do make a concession for my vegetarian dd who deserves an extra treat in place of pigs in blanket, stuffing etc.

We might go all European for Christmas our last chance with present opening for adults on Christmas Eve and a meal of some kind of fish probably salmon, with cabbage & pancetta

Breakfast on 25th: continental meats, cheese, yogurt pickles, gherkins, boiled eggs (with pumpernickel for some). Lunch: smoked salmon with kimchi (nicer than sauerkraut), then duck or goose with spiced red cabbage and green veg.

No Christmas cake (never liked it much anyway) but may have to try this Black Forest Cake It is essentially inverted, so there's a small layer of cake round the outside and a f... load of cream in the middle.

Now I've started thinking about it, we may have a world food theme for the whole of the Christmas season, a different place every day - Mexican (Huevos rancheros for brekkie, no refried beans but chilli with lots avocado and sour cream), Thai, Indian, Scandinavian, Middle Eastern... not a mince pie, yule log, or sherry trifle in sight!