Jan '20 - Low Carb Bootcamp - The finish line!

[StuntNun]

We've reached the end of the Low Carb Bootcamp so how did you do overall? Add your weigh-in to the Spreadsheet and let us know your plans. Would you like to keep losing weight over the coming week and months? Are you thinking about giving weight maintenance a go? Have you considered introducing intermittent fasting? This thread will continue until the next Bootcamp starts so there will be plenty of support for you.

Oh no @HerRoyalCarbyLess - that's rotten luck. Hope you're better soon.

Very interesting talk about alcohol. It's a definite issue for me, and I've found it much harder during lockdown to keep things under control. DH and I try to have Monday-Wednesday as alcohol-free nights, but that's mostly gone out of the window . It's felt like there's no point worrying about the future (health, weight, etc) when there may not be a future. Sounds very over-dramatic but that's been colouring both of our behaviours. It takes a lot for DH to admit he's drinking too much, but he did so last week, so we pulled ourselves together and did have our three days off this week.

I'm in awe of @ilovecherries and her DH - I can't ever see us giving up. I did 3 weeks off a while ago, and all the way through it, I knew it would never last beyond the 3 weeks! (I was also gutted that it made no difference at all to my weight or poor sleeping patterns)

cherries - my favourite turnip recipe:
peel turnip (the worst part in my opinion) and cut into thin-ish slices. Gently fry some sliced shallot in lots and lots of butter. Add the turnips, sliced cabbage (savoy is good but anything works not red), lots of grated mature cheddar, and a good dollop of whole grain mustard. Mix so that everything is nicely coated in melted butter. Put in a casserole with a lid and cook the oven at 180 for about an hour. I don't think you'd even know it was turnip.

Can anyone recommend a quick and easy cod recipe? Family will have fish and chips tonight. I grabbed some cod fillets out of the freezer for me without much of a plan with what to do with them. Thanks

brassica I had a sort of fish 'pie' yesterday. Cooked onion, celery, garlic and tomatoes in butter and olive oil, added a little bit of ground cumin, ground ginger, chilli flakes. Chopped the fish and mixed it in, topped with cauliflower mash and popped in the oven for 15 minutes.

I'm another with alcohol issues. Didn't drink for a long, long time as a result, then got back into 'normal' habits (i.e. the drinking patterns of a normal person who has alcohol occasionally). We didn't use to have much alcohol in the house except whisky and beer which I don't drink which proved that I wasn't 'an alcoholic But at the start of all this when people were panic buying dh went to a supermarket and saw the wine shelves half empty so went to our local wine shop and bought a couple of cases. Needless to say my habits have reverted I think I just feel so bored, and crave some excitement, so now I'm dicing with my own health.

In normal times one of the things I really like about this woe is that it feels like an easy choice not to drink. The food is rich and satisfying and the mouthfeel of fatty, creamy buttery things doesn't mix well with a crisp cold white (unlike a low fat salad and grilled chicken). Also there is no bargaining. On a calorie counting diet I could swap alcohol calories for food calories, but with this I know that the alcohol get used for energy so all the lovely fats I've had in my avocado or eggs or pork is just going to add fat to my body.

Anyway tonight we're having a virtual family dinner party with a Greek theme (long story about a cancelled holiday). Starter is Delia's fried halloumi with lime and caper dressing, followed by the wonderful IPD Moussaka (with salad leaves and herbs from the garden), then dh has some mini baklava for his pudding. Fortunately we don't have any Greek wine to go with it, so inspired by all the chat on here I think I might just go for ice cold soda water, with ice and a squeeze of lime.

I tried the Curators Pork Puffs when I couldn't get hold of my beloved Golden Pork Crunch but I found them too vinegary. Just goes to show we all have different tastes

Indeed prettyburd pork scratchings are my idea of hell.

Three times I have bought them, all different varieties, but the sight and smell - omg - I've never even managed to put one in my mouth!

And that would be the Scottish version of prettybird

Cod wrapped in Parma ham with wilted garlicky spinach?

venus

Prettybird back when I used to eat chips the rule was "if your eyes aren't watering then it isn't enough vinegar!"

Salad leaves from the garden, herbs from the garden.

Guess who has had enough time to do the watering (unlike previous years)...

I love Worcester sauce flavour crisps things. Ditto Tangy Tomato. And when on those rare occasions I get fish and chips, I ask for "salt and lots of vinegar"

But I don't like "Salt & Vinegar" pork cracklings or crisps that are too strong

Husband’s birthday so out of touch for a bit, just waving at my fabulous, amusing, honest, and intelligent Bootcampers.

I know motivation is difficult right now, thinking of you all, and I’m going to set up that long-discussed style day, virtually, with information going out next week. For those who might want a diversion or a lift.

Tonight REALLY TRULY is going to be fondue/raclette. We shall eat like the Gods and rejoice!

venus your garden offerings look lovely.

HerRoyal I hope you get better soon. Terrible situation but we’re all thinking of you.

DietChic maybe ask him to stay in touch with photos. If he can’t send a pic of the Maris Piper section completely empty, then he must try harder!

SophieRay that’s a really good point about spirits. If they aren’t pleasurable for you to drink, then why bother? Because then it becomes about the slight, temporary loft and not at all about enjoyment or flavour.

I’ve been off wine for quite some time now because any alcohol I consume is about minimising carbs, but actually it might be better to resume the good wine with sauce/meal idea so I can remember to appreciate how wine really complements a fish.

I used to be ace at this and really enjoyed the matching if a perfect wine with a perfect dish. Our wedding wine was phenomenal for that, now that I remember. Spent a lot of time getting it right and all the French relatives were effusive about the wine/food combos. I don’t want to take too much pride in it, but it’s nice to remember how effort and details can lift feeding from necessary to extraordinary.

Same with our food and LCHF. Maybe we can’t always be bothered, but actually the care that goes into eating well, healthily, beautifully...it’s worth it. Because we’re worth it.

Greebo howdy. Nice to see you checked in.

Happy Sunday.

Well, I think I can safely say that this white wine diet is not great 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣

@ShagMeRiggins I'm convinced on the fondue front. Educate me about reclette. I've googled before and found my local Tesco doesn't do the right cheese. I don't have a metal grill thingy. Tell me your secrets!!

Tell me your secrets!!

We bought a raclette set.

Also, don’t worry about proper cheeses or meat etc, it’s very much (to quote the Princess Bride) “as you wish.”

Ha Shagme, the car park is underground with no service. We emerge into the sunshine to various texts from DH pinging through to say there are “no potatoes” (I mean, really?) and whatever else he can’t find. It’s much like his shouting every 4 days “where are the bin bags?” I mean! Where are they in ANY HOUSE EVER? In the cupboard under the effing sink. In Boris Johnson’s house. In Jeremy Corbyn’s house. In Mavis down the road’s sodding house. Let alone your own place and the one before and mine. Never ever anywhere else. Why ask? Why? Mad.

Anyway! I am back on the low carbing tomorrow with a vengeance. I have had chocolate today and some cheesecake. So I should be so carbed up I look forward to losing 5lbs next week...

On the boozing (again) - we have a few lovely looking flinty whites ready for a shellfish orgy. Muscadets, sancerres, vouvrays, etc. I am not sure that at the weekends, the wines aren’t now leading the food choices. I have mussels in my sights, dressed crab and maybe a fish pie with celeriac mash. (Will that work? I look forward to finding out..).

It’s much like his shouting every 4 days “where are the bin bags?” I mean! Where are they in ANY HOUSE EVER? In the cupboard under the effing sink. In Boris Johnson’s house. In Jeremy Corbyn’s house. In Mavis down the road’s sodding house.

Sorry. Just wet myself laughing ( not really, but that amused me greatly).

I'm with you Dietchic, lowcarbing with a vengeance starting today. Weighed in this morning at 13 stone so still a pound down from when I started a week and a half a go, but still feel like I'm not really getting anywhere. So fresh start wef today!!

ShagMe what is this 'style' of which you speak? Is it lockdown lounging gear?

I have to go out today to a funeral (work-related, so no condolences needed for me) and I am a little bit excited to be wearing a dress, and shoes with a heel, and some make-up. Plus I get to go out in the car. Sad for the family, of course.

B - creamy coffee
L - fried halloumi cheese with lime a caper dressing (Delia recipe) with salad and herbs from the garden
D - moussaka with broccoli and green beans

(all left overs from Saturday evening's dinner)

DietChic actually LOL at the bin bags

Another one here starting afresh a bit more seriously from today.

My tooth crack was from actual crackling from roast pork; I find scratchings a bit disturbing sometimes and a bit too processed. I'd eat them if they were there but try to avoid buying them!

Started well with a cheese and chive omelette with a very restrained amount of cheese... off to scavenge for lunch now!

Freshly picked radishes to go with lunch.

Brassica the thing about raclette is it’s ridiculously easy, even easier than fondue. If you have a set with a cooking area on top, then any meat you like pops on there in pieces and cooks—beef , chicken, fish, and my favourite of big fat prawns.

Then the bottom layer has little cooking spaces so we load up the triangular(ish) trays with cheese, maybe cornichon, maybe peppers or cocktail onions. Whatever you like, really.

I like jarlsberg slices and lederhammer (sp?) as they’re very meltable. My elder son goes right to the Camembert and makes a right mess. Sometimes I’ll stack the tray with jarlsberg, some prosciutto, and sliced cornichons then scrape it off with the little wooden attachment and enjoy lush lush flavour in my greedy low carb mouth.

Last night was huge fun—basically everyone cooks what they want, it’s active, it’s amusing (something always gets burnt on the raclette or drops off the skewer into the fondue pot).

And even though raclette seems like rabbit food it’s incredibly filling and satisfying to have all these different flavours throughout the meal. Each bit tastes different, unlike a huge bowl of pasta where bite after bite tastes the same!