Leaving Lockdown Low Carb Bootcamp - week 9

[BIWI]

Morning all! Nice, bright and early today because I woke up at stupid o'clock

As ever, here's the spreadsheet

Just two weeks left!

Hopefully we're all in the swing of things, but if you've found things slowing or slipping a little, why not go back to strict Bootcamp for these last two weeks?

It's very easy to let the carbs slip back into the daily menu, so a focused effort on keeping them at bay might be a good plan.

Mimosa some people reckon if you stay under 50 calories then you haven't broken the fast. Certainly Dr Jason Fung believes it's more important to have a prolonged fast than it is to have a perfect fast so he supports people having e.g. bone broth during fasting. And of course in the Bulletproof method you can have unlimited fat during your fast. I personally don't think there's any real right or wrong. A water fast is superior to a fast where you drink coffee/tea/herbal tea is superior to a fast where you have bone broth BUT they're all beneficial to your health. Also there's nothing wrong with working your way up, both in the duration and the "purity" if you will.

Thanks @choux, I will have a go this week!

I've been fasting too and getting mixed advice about what ''really' breaks the fast, but as StuntNun says, it depends who you ask! The app I'm currently using (Simple) will allow about a teaspoon of milk if you want it I think, but anything else will warn you that it will break your fast.

If I could just briefly derail the thread back to skin care? Wondered if anyone has any wonder products to help with stretch marks? Thanks

Well done to all the losses and the koko.
Have just saved the celeriac recipe above to try. Lots of tasty things to try out on this thread.
Haven't weighed this week yet. Had a week of a fair bit of wine (end of term blow out). Felt so hungover yesterday, and there was quite a lot of white sliced bread which turned itself into a chip butty. Definitely not on plan. New week today!

3 weeks to go to my holiday so I'm going to keep on to get as close to goal as I can before it all goes to pot while I'm away.

I see a lot about this woe getting completely lost while on holiday, and I don't quite understand it. I do get the alcohol part of it - the needing to relax, but the food part... Almost everywhere I've been in the world you can get fried fish and salad, or steak and veg, or cheese and olives, or a huge plate of vegetables with oil/ coconut / butter, or eggs (in their various forms). And when you go for the local variations of these foods you can enjoy the amazing local tastes and flavours, rather than some bastardised 'British' version.

You don't need to eat pasta, rice, cake, if you don't want to. And you can still enjoy the occasional ice cream... but occasional has to mean once in a week, not twice a day!

I think that ^^ might sound horribly preachy - sorry - I just believe that it is possible to eat this way (mostly always) in a good and enjoyable way, in an authentic way, wherever you are in the world.

@StuntNun

Mimosa some people reckon if you stay under 50 calories then you haven't broken the fast. Certainly Dr Jason Fung believes it's more important to have a prolonged fast than it is to have a perfect fast so he supports people having e.g. bone broth during fasting. And of course in the Bulletproof method you can have unlimited fat during your fast. I personally don't think there's any real right or wrong. A water fast is superior to a fast where you drink coffee/tea/herbal tea is superior to a fast where you have bone broth BUT they're all beneficial to your health. Also there's nothing wrong with working your way up, both in the duration and the "purity" if you will.

That’s incredibly sensible and useful, StuntNun, thank you.

I just believe that it is possible to eat this way (mostly always) in a good and enjoyable way, in an authentic way, wherever you are in the world.

Didn’t sound preachy to me, Venus, and I generally agree, but...

I struggled in the Black Forest region of Germany, for example. Beautiful food, but most meat served breaded (veal veal and veal).

I also struggled in Hong Kong and Morocco and even Budapest.

Sometimes it’s the language barrier—not everyone is confident enough to ask how items are prepared let alone ask for substitutes, and in some areas they’re not keen on substitutions at all (hello France, land of my soul).

It certainly can be done but it can also be a lot of effort. Most people want holidays to be as stress free as possible.

Also it’s quite psychological—why would I want to travel to Vienna, day, and get steak and salad when I make a great one here at home?

I’m one who, like you, loves to try local dishes and you’re right, it’s absolutely possible to get the authentic stuff and stay low carb/high fat. But my god...the temptations of that potato dish you’ve never even heard of that looks amazing, or the beautiful noodle thing that smells so good...

Having said all that, my approach on holiday is to maintain. I might have one amazing dessert each week but also try one or two new dishes that are off piste. The rest is an abundance of meat and fish and vegetables I’ve never even heard of. I can pretty much tell by taste now what’s careful and what isn’t, so if I try something and it’s clearly too sweet, I appreciate it and focus on the other items I’ve ordered that I know are compatible with this way of eating.

Holidays aren’t a licence to gain back all the weight you’ve done so well dropping with this way of eating. Absolutely agree with that, but I speak as a long-term, not-at-goal-yet poster.

Drink ALL THE WATER!!!

Thanks heavens my next holiday isn't until October! I'm afraid I'm like a really squished down then released spring on holiday. Once I let go I bounce very high and can't stop. I start with great ideas of just going off piste for quality items blah blah. All great plans. But the minute there's a free scone and jam on the table as I walk through the door control leave me and I carb load for the whole week!! Family packs of Doritos, sandwiches for lunch, chips with everything. 🙁😩 8lbs on. And it's never one week on, one week off. I wish I had more self control. But holidays have been a total wipe out LC wise 😩

Okay, Brassica, but at least you know it’s not 8lbs of fat and much of it can be easily gotten rid of.

By the way, I’m not buying your “more self control” shpiel...you went 30+ days abstaining from alcohol.

Ahh @BrassicaBabe I do the same - even down to the lofty intentions at the start!

Right, have had a shit day. Am leaving my current work in a fortnight and keep being given more to do. Motivation is low! Dinner will now be bbq, either chicken thighs or bratwurst. DP will cook. I may do some interesting veg, or a pile of nice salad bits. Knackered and just demotivated.

@Rshard I use Bio Oil and Palmers Cocoa Butter, they both smell great and seem to have helped a little with post-baby stretch marks.

@venusandmars I'm vegetarian and going to Italy so I can either eat capresi for every meal or suck it up and drop the woe for 3 weeks.

Whilst I like mozzarella and tomatoes, I don't like them that much!

You don't sound preachy, I am all too aware that this woe doesn't really fit with being veggie, at least not a travelling veggie who eats out of the house!

Hi everyone, I hope you don’t mind me joining for the last couple of weeks. I fell off the low carb bandwagon back in May and now need to get back on it in preparation for a holiday in 3 weeks time. I’ve also been doing IF for the last week and cutting down to two meals a day to try to lose a bit faster.

I also wanted to ask if anyone has any suggestions for low carb options to serve as nibbles to guests aside from olives and cooked meats? We’ve just had our garden done and so have invited various family members over to show it off but I’m really struggling with what to serve. I’d normally do homemade sausage rolls and cakes but the temptation will be too much for me to resist! Any ideas will be gratefully received

@Ifeelfat, I've spent all day pondering your idea that it's sometimes useful to 'shake it up'. It seems intuitive to me that an occasional shock to the metabolism keeps things from slowing down - but I speak as someone who generally believes that variety is the spice of life and I'm also very aware that my recent 'conscious uncoupling' from bootcamp has given me another 3lb to lose. Does anyone know if it's really a good idea? (rather than just appealing?!)

@Turnedouttoes I've seen a recipe using fathead dough for sausage rolls - not tried it myself though.

Oh that actually looks great @8Track Unfortunately I’m dairy free but perhaps I could use a dairy free cream cheese instead. I’m not 100% on the carb counts as I don’t usually use milk alternatives

Lots of things on cocktail sticks!

• chunks of low carb sausages
• chunks of cheddar with a silverskin onion
• cherry tomato, sandwiching a chunk of mozzarella that's been dipped/coated in pesto

Little gem lettuce leaves filled with prawns in a Marie-Rose sauce, or tuna mayo

Turnedouttoes are you looking for finger foods only, or also some larger dishes that can be played up (such as the celeriac remoulade mentioned above)?

As you’re dairy free then you wouldn’t be tempted by various cheeses on offer. Also, you can do strawberries and cream in moderation rather than cakes.

I’m always a fan of crudités. People laugh about them but they always seem to be eaten. Celery, cucumber, raw cauliflower, cherry tomatoes. With a variety of dips—the usual Mediterranean ones but also a salsa or guacamole would work.

Stuffed mini peppers of your choice, maybe anchovy rather than feta?

Hmmm...

Party foods:

Big crudités platter with a couple of nice dips.

Cucumber slices spread with liver pâté, cream cheese & salmon or crab mousse (individually, not all together!).

Asparagus pieces wrapped in Parma ham.

Olive, mini Mozzarella ball, cherry tomato & basil leaf on cocktail stick.

Mini quiches/egg muffins.

Prawns in lettuce leaf dressed with thousand island dressing.

Smoked salmon on tiny squares of German grain bread (quite low carb if you only have one or two pieces).

Devilled eggs.

Parmesan crackers/crisps.

Bubbly!

Oh and a platter of cold meats with celeriac remoulade!

Oohh I love the idea of things on prawns on baby gem, I’d never thought of using lettuce like that.

Yes mainly finger foods @ShagMeRiggins those are some great ideas I can serve rather than the usual bowl of sensations and plate of sausage rolls. Thanks all!

I loved everyone else’s suggestions much more than my own and now want to do up our garden and invite people over just so I can serve their ideas.

So the mystery 1.5 gain has gone and I am back to where I was ...
I also read the article linked above where he tracked his weight every day ...it is easy to get down if you are doing it right and you gain , but I suppose its best to treat it as the vagaries of ones body and keep the faith ! Anyway I love the party food ideas.. prawns on lettuce are definitely on my menu today .. along with some hot smoked salmon and cream cheese diced cucumber on lettuce also , I think

[quote Thing101]@Rshard I use Bio Oil and Palmers Cocoa Butter, they both smell great and seem to have helped a little with post-baby stretch marks.[/quote]
Thank you, hadn’t thought of cocoa butter