2020 Pre-Christmas Low Carb Bootcamp. The first week!

[BIWI]

Welcome all.

Well what a strange year this has been! If you're anything like me, food, meals and eating have been all over the place. And that's before we think about the booze.

I found lockdown an odd mix of feeling like I was on holiday but it was also the end of the world. So what was the point of worrying about my diet?

I am lucky, relatively, in that we don't have small children to worry about educating. We also have a nice house and garden, and as me and DH have recently retired, don't have to worry about work. So we were very much advantaged over many people.

But still, the diet/drinking was all to pot. And with the inevitable result.

So we're now in the run up to Christmas - traditionally a time when diets go out of the window, and we start to indulge ourselves. Who knows what's going to happen this year though?!

So with that in mind, it's a good time to try and be focused and aim to have a bit of discipline! This Bootcamp, as with most others, will last for 10 weeks, which will take us right up to Christmas week.

(I truly hope that we'll all be able to spend Christmas with our loved ones, but who knows?)

With grateful thanks to @AthelstaneTheUnready, here is the Spreadsheet of Exceptional Fabulousness .

You should find that you're on the spreadsheet. A couple of things:

• if you don't want to record your weight every week, that's absolutely fine. Just don't do it!
• if you're not on it, just add your name to the bottom - don't try and re-alphabatize it - we'll sort it out later

The spreadsheet isn't just a place to record your weight though - have a good look at it, and the tabs - there's loads of information on there, including a veg carb counter and lots of stuff about low carbing in general. You'll also find Bootcamp rules there.

Hope everyone is having a nice evening, and indulging in a @BIWI approved way Also jealous of all the the Miller & Carter visits; sounds lush!

I was feeling a bit appetite-confused today - thinking I was starving, then actually not fancying food when I went and started putting it together. Other than some coffee and water, I didn’t have anything until 3.30, which is pretty unheard of for me. It’s nice to get a bit more of an awareness of what my body actually wants though.

So, today was:
B: coffee
Late lunch: bit of mozzarella, avocado, and smoked salmon
Dinner: steak, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, and lashings of bearnaise sauce.

Yes @StuntNun Worcester Park isn't too far away from us - but it would be a train ride or a taxi, so not ideal, especially right now!

@BuffyTheBuffetSlayer my favourite chicken recipe

ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/roasted-chicken-legs-with-dates-olives-and-capers

Needs a bit of adjusting ( no dates or treacle ) but the olives and capers mmmmmmm mmmmmmm

Dinner plans got changed when I got home, DP fancied steak instead. And I remembered I had avacados so I had one of them with my steak, mushrooms, tomatoes, roasted veg in butter (which was amazing so thank you to those who posted about it).
Breakfast was a celery stick with pate and lunch was mackerel with spinach, lettuce and an avacado mixed with salt, garlic and lime.
2.5lt drank so far, still drinking.

Oooooo!! That does look amazing @Doilooklikeatourist, I'll need to give that a try.

Happy anniversary @StuntNun

Happy anniversary stuntnun

Happy anniversary, Stuntnun!

My food has been weird today
Breakfast - coffee with double cream
Lunch - a chicken thigh and the rest of the skin from the whole chicken...
Dinner - various snack bits. I’ve been meal prepping and grazing while I’ve been doing it. So a mix of lamb moussaka, olives, various small bits of roasted vegetables (aubergines, courgette, mushrooms) and feta cheese. Not entirely healthy but I normally eat ridiculous amounts of vegetables so I’m trying not to feel too guilty. I’ve made a load of lamb moussaka bakes (layers of roasted courgette, lamb mince, roasted aubergine and a sort of feta/spinach/egg white creamy layer) which have loads of vegetables in so I’m sorted for the next week or so.

That sounds delicious @Lyrata !

I've been having awful headaches that I'm pretty sure are caffeine withdrawal rather than electrolyte imbalances as I do use lots of salt, and usually have several cups of tea and coffee and a couple of diet cokes a day. It's made me realise quite how much I was having so I'm going to figure out how to cut back gradually. I have decaf tea and coffee in the house so I'm planning to alternate.

Diet Coke?! That isn't allowed!

The thread is so busy, I love reading about everyone’s food and the support is endless.

Dh is due home today after working in the land of the carbs 🇮🇹 for a month, just sneaking in before the quarantine starts tomorrow morning 😅 so looking forward to seeing his face.

Well done on 22 years of marriage stuntnun, no mean feat!

Just caught up after a frantic few work days, during which I have impressed myself with the ability to turn down carbs, even through they were the only available food for hours and hours and hours.

I had a few sloshes of semiskimmed milk in drinks, which I'm not going to beat myself up about as there was so much fasting going on to balance it out. Food has mainly been one big fatty meal in the evening with lots of green veg. I had pork belly one day and another was a bit of salmon in a weird mashup thing i did with a load of cream and broccoli.

Last night home with family at last, chicken korma made as per the patacks paste jar, ie coconut milk and cream (plus more cream), but with a whole savoy cabbage shredded into the sauce. Family liked it, but joked it was 'fusion': Solihul for the korma, with South of France for the cassoulet-style cabbage.

Jumped in the scales this morning and feeling a bit despondent. I am 1lb heavier than last week!

I was doing fast 800 (but eating more like 1000) and losing about 2lb a week. I moved to this WOE for the support and because I kept eating rice cakes. I think I've stuck to it, except for one meal that had lentils in it, but my weight seems to be bouncing up rather than going down!

Do you think it's all the extra calories (from fat I guess) will it settle down? Or should I move over to fast 800 again? I am eating dairy, but I was in fast 800 too. For fast 800 i was keeping carbs below 50g, so higher than I am now.

Thanks all!

Morning all.

22 years is a great achievement.
We are 17 years in December, not entirely sure how we haven't killed each other yet!!

Waking up without a muzzy head on a Saturday is a little bit of a novelty for me. One I'm rather enjoying.

No clue about food today as we have no eggs. And of course all I fancy this morning is eggs. We have everything else for a lovely low carb breakfast except eggs! A walk up the farm shop In order I think.

What's everyone else up to this weekend apart from not mixing with anyone or going anywhere? 😳

Are you drinking enough water Superspecs. I have jumped from fast 800 too (and like you was probably eating closer to 1000). The main difference for me has been seriously upping the water. I didn't know it was do important until I got here. Also giving up artificial sweeteners. I think I'd carry on here if I was you. See if the water makes a difference to you. I think it has helped me get from a stalled point.

@Biwi weighed myself today having eaten the seriously low carb bread yesterday. Am down a quarter of a pound. I don't know if this is good or not good. I also had a very sedentary day yesterday (stuck at home waiting for DS Covid test result - thankfully negative) and didn't go out for a walk.

@Benvolio Savoy cabbage in your curry sounds lovely. I sometimes wilt spinach in right at the end but Savoy sounds much nicer.

@Superspecs I've coached people coming off the Fast800 before and they seem to always gain weight. It's because the body puts off self-repair when you're chronically undereating on your basal metabolic rate and your body isn't getting enough calories to maintain itself properly. Once it's recovered from the trauma then your weight will to start to drop again. And ultimately this is a healthy and sustainable way of eating so it will be much better for you, and your weight loss, in the long term.

I have a rare treat for dinner tonight: guinea fowl which I'm really looking forward to. Not quite sure what to have it but probably FLGV. I will have to be firm with DH about wine though as he can't let a feast meal go by without it. I bought a box wine yesterday so he can have a glass or two from that instead of tempting me with "Well I can't drink this whole bottle by myself."

Happy anniversary, Stungun

I've also gone up a bit today, but that's down to the stronger painkillers I'm on this week, which do make me puff up a bit

Still, healthy on the inside, eh?

Today is my favourite brisket, slowcooked (like, hooooooours...) with celery, carrot, shallot, and mushrooms. Served with broccoli and mashed celeriac. Dunno about lunch yet, suspect it will be the last hard-boiled egg, and some brie. I keep forgetting to buy romaine type lettuce now the weather's colder.

Thanks so much for the advice @mrshunt and @stuntnun, it makes sense, I am trying to drink all my water. An advantage of this diet is that I feel I would be able to manage it longer term than fast800 and the support is second to none so I will plough on and hopefully take a longer view on my weight loss!

Thanks all, and happy anniversary!

Not sure what’s for breakfast today, but last night we had pizza mushrooms! They were fab. Portobello mushrooms topped with a paste of tomato purée, olive oil, garlic and vinegar, with loads of mozzarella on top and diced chorizo. Pop in the oven until yummy. Dd had regular pizza, but we were very happy with ours,

Happy anniversary Stuntnun

We were also 22 years this year, in May. We've had our ups and downs (some of which resulted in me significantly comfort eating ) but we're still here We had to celebrate at home as we were still in lockdown - but we often do that anyway, with a lovely bottle of wine from dh's "cellar" (actually up in the eaves ).

Dh opened our usual Friday night Cava last night: he did ask before doing so and I said to go ahead as I knew I wouldn't have any . We have a bubbly stopper, so he'll finish the bottle off over the weekend.

I enjoyed water with my bowl of shoogled brussel sprouts

Tonight is going to be Parma ham wrapped, Boursin stuffed chicken breasts with brussels. Tomorrow will be my mum's lasagne, half of which will have courgettes rather than lasagne sheets (recipe is in the stickied recipe thread), and which will leave me plenty of leftovers for next week. My dad is coming over as he's in our "bubble".

I'll also be making my grandmother's ice cream which involves a tin of condensed milk Normally I'd make a Boot Camp compatible dessert, but since we're in the first 2 weeks I'll just go the whole hog - make something I know they'll both enjoy, watch them eat it and which will leave dh plenty to eat over the coming week(s).

Somethingintheway they sound lush, thank you, I have 2 mushrooms in the fridge and was wondering what to do with them.
Yet another M&C lover here. Off there tomorrow for my birthday. Booked an early table to avoid wine temptation. I always go with bearnaise on the steak and blue cheese on the lettuce. I don't like chips, so no hardship for me there.

Yesterday was a dreadful day of eating. Shan't say how as not fair to those of you being good, but it was not a good day. Suffice to say, I feel bloody awful today, so today I shall be an angel.

@Takethewinefromtheswine DON'T. LIKE. CHIPS? What is this witchcraft? They're my downfall. When I first went low carb I just couldn't resist one lunchtime and I went to the chippy then ate the chips in the garden so DH wouldn't smell them when he came home, because he was doing Bootcamp too! I tell you what though, I didn't enjoy them half as much as I thought I would. It was a real eye opener. I only liked chips in the first place because I was totally addicted to carbs and they were satisfying that addiction. Once I'd broken the carb addiction they weren't as enjoyable any more because they weren't triggering the dopamine response. It's the same with sweet foods. I look at a doughnut and think I want to eat it but now that my tastebuds have been reset it would actually be horribly sweet and might even make me feel sick. Plus then I'd be on a rollercoaster of hunger and carb cravings afterwards.

@prettybird remember to have a cheeseboard of exciting cheeses out for while some are eating the sweet stuff. That and coffee with a double cream float keep me safe from temptation

Morning all, it’s so good to read about all the lovely food and people loosing weight. Yesterday was a revelation to me as I ate tons and drank at least 4 litres of water, I need to be drinking between 2.5 and 3.

We had taken over lockdown to either having a Friday night take away or supermarket curry, to break the monotony of constant food prep.

Anyway for last night I got a 2kg shoulder of lamb, I mixed 2 tbsp of Pataks curry paste with the same of butter and olive oil, then made load of long incisions through it and then rubbed the paste into the incisions and all over. Sprinkled it with sea salt I then slow roasted it in a big casserole pot with an onion and some green peppers, with the lid on for 2 hours and then the lid off for the last hour. Served it with roasted frozen green beans and winter cabbage. It was delicious and there is loads left for lunches and or another meal. But because I prepped it all early and it felt a bit different I did not feel like I was missing out.

Anyway after such a feast I was a little worried about getting on the scales, but, I can report that this morning I am 2lbs down from yesterday and 4lbs down in total. I can only credit it to eating really well, but totally following the rules and drinking all the water. I did need to wee a lot though 😀

stuntnun that’s so true about how stuff we crave is disappointing, 1WildTeaParty That’s a top tip re the cheese board and coffee, am going to file away for next time we have a meal like that.

Good idea Wildteaparty

I have some lovely runny Camembert on the kitchen counter at the moment and some Danish blue (bought last week for dh to try on the beetroot sourdough bread that I made at the weekend).