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.

@AthelstaneTheUnready Broccoli stalks are also very nice in homemade coleslaw!

I echo what others have said about this woe working. I only lost 9lbs in the last bootcamp (my first) due to breastfeeding and getting my head around it all! But I've lost another 6.5lbs since the last one ended by (loosely) following Bootcamp Light.

@athelstaetheunready - I love them like that with lots of garlic too #smellmefrom10milesaway

Hello all... I've signed up for quite a few boot camps but have never managed more than 5 weeks before falling off the wagon.. I'm hoping this time is the charm! Lockdown has seen me lose 12st of husband and gain about a stone in belly... Wine and late night toast have just got the better of me. I'm determined to do it this time.
B. Yoghurt
L. Had to eat in the canteen as I get a free lunch for doing a duty (teacher) and I'm skint, so I chose black bean chicken, no rice, but lots of lettuce.
D. Omlette with bacon, courgette and mushrooms.

Trying to be good, haven't drunk enough water today though... I've got a soda stream so I'll try to make fizzy water and hope that'll encourage me to drink more.

I'm eating at a friend's after work tomorrow.. Not sure what to do, they're very laid back, no meal planning, just shall we pop to the shop and see what we fancy... I could plan a meal I guess and get the ingredients, try to engineer it so I can make it low carb.. 😬

I did three sowings of runner beans I knew that they were ok and they all failed.

Of course, the 4th sowing that I did alongside the plugs sprouted - but far too late in the season

I really enjoyed the celeriac mash - didn’t think I would!

I just had a seriously delicious dinner! I fancied something like bimimbap and was concerned about getting cauliflower rice to taste like anything but itself. Appears I have done it! So i have stirfried courgette, mushroom, beansprouts and bamboo shoots in sesame oil and a touch of soy sauce. Also have a bit of spinach and broccoli (just steamed). Served with a small piece of pork belly and cauliflower rice. The cauliflower rice has soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and shaoxang wine (i checked and all are low carb!). So so good!

@MsAwesomeDragon

I've read through all the chat for today. I'm never going to be able to join in during the day while I'm at work. But I'll catch up in the evenings probably.

B: FF Greek yogurt
Snack: pepperami
L: salad with tuna
Snack: cheese and cucumber sticks
D: pepper, mushroom and bacon omelette with cheese.

@MsAwesomeDragon Did you really need two snacks today? Did you have an oily dressing and/or mayo with your salad at lunchtime? The higher levels of fat will help to keep you full between meals.

Also, beware - there's two lots of processed meat there, with the Pepperami and bacon.

@Stegasaurusmum

I've signed up for quite a few boot camps but have never managed more than 5 weeks before falling off the wagon.. I'm hoping this time is the charm!

Do you know why you've fallen off the wagon before? If you can identify that, it should help you to avoid it this time around - don't just hope for luck!

@Titsywoo that looks lovely! Did you rice the cauli yourself? I want some for tomorrow’s dinner so I can do a straight switch with DH who is having rice rice. Not sure if my local Tesco’s has any

Joining in. Have low-carbed many times over last 6 years or so, but I just love bread and pasta and chocolate oh and wine so I end up falling off and enjoying the feeling of eating whatever I like until a disciplined mood takes over.

B - used to fasting so none
L - tuna burgers as per recipe with half an avocado (one can tuna, one egg, some Hellmans mayo and tablespoon of cheddar)
D - one grilled courgette sliced and with butter and garlic with a few cheese crackers (baked cheddar cheese)
Lots of water.

Now fighting the chocolate urge!

[quote Margaritawithlime]@Titsywoo that looks lovely! Did you rice the cauli yourself? I want some for tomorrow’s dinner so I can do a straight switch with DH who is having rice rice. Not sure if my local Tesco’s has any[/quote]
Not this time as I had a tub of predone stuff I bought from Aldi. I've had cauliflower rice before but just plain and I wasn't keen. This was lovely and actually nicer than normal rice. I'm going to try other ways of flavouring it from now on!

I'll watch out for eating too much processed meat BIWI, and try to avoid it.
I didn't really need the snack in the morning tbh, I think that was habit more than anything else, I always have a snack at break time. I was definitely starving by the time it got to home time though, so that snack was necessary to stop me diving into the sweets dd needs in the car.

I don't like mayo or any salad dressing. I genuinely like the taste of the salad vegetables by themselves, but I'll figure out how to up the fat content to keep me fuller for longer.

Got my cholesterol results back from my GP. Good cholesterol 1.something, bad cholesterol 2.6 (I think) and overall 4.something so I'm relieved, considering how high it was before!

Apparently my fasting glucose results were 6.something but I had a couple jim beans and 7up free (forgot I was meant to fast). I'll explain that to the nurse when she phones next week

Is olive oil best for cooking steak or is there something better? I'm going to have steak, garlic mushroom, charred asparagus, fried onion rings (no batter) with mustard peppercorn sauce. Just getting the babies to sleep then off to the shop to buy everything. Obviously someone will be home with the sleeping terrors

MsAwesomeDragon - another way to up the fat intake is to stir in a teaspoonful of coconut fat into herb tea. You don't really notice it (although you do need to be careful on the first sip not to burn your lips/tongue) and if you get the KTC Coconut Oil (cheap in the ethnic aisle of big supermarkets or Asian corner shops) it genuinely doesn't taste of coconut . (I'm actually not keen on coconut flavoured things so sensitive to that )

@BuffyTheBuffetSlayer I always coat the steak in olive oil before cooking then chuck it in the dry, hot pan.

@Totalshambles

Joining in. Have low-carbed many times over last 6 years or so, but I just love bread and pasta and chocolate oh and wine so I end up falling off and enjoying the feeling of eating whatever I like until a disciplined mood takes over.

B - used to fasting so none
L - tuna burgers as per recipe with half an avocado (one can tuna, one egg, some Hellmans mayo and tablespoon of cheddar)
D - one grilled courgette sliced and with butter and garlic with a few cheese crackers (baked cheddar cheese)
Lots of water.

Now fighting the chocolate urge!

That's not much dinner - one courgette?!

Thanks @Titsywoo I'll give that a try

@BIWI not feeling especially hungry and couldn’t be bothered to cook something special. Was very pleased with myself for not shoving down the kids leftovers as is my usual way especially as I cooked it and it looked and smelled so good! Still won’t get too smug because my real problem is eating chocolate once the kids are in bed! It’s such a habit!!

@BIWI I really don't know.... Alcohol is the culprit I think, a few glasses on a Friday and Saturday and then edging into Sunday, Thursday...

Plus I think convenience sometimes, I'd cook for the kids and just find myself not wanting to cook for myself separately...

I'm better in a routine, at work, it's the weekends etc that I struggle with, lus I ne er seem to lose much, I'm at 10 and a bit stone now, I'd love to be 9st ish... It just seems to come off so slowly..

I have stuck to some elements of it really well, I don't eat rice, bread or potatoes, pasta very very rarely, I eat dark chocolate, my treat is a cream coffee, I stick to low carb veg generally, don't eat fruit..

It's basically alcohol! 🍷

Sorry to say that I possibly need the big stick on the first day BIWI.... but I have had some news that has meant that I have had wine to celebrate winning a legal inheritance case that's been going on for two years and the nice dob of cash which appeared unexpectedly in my bank account this morning...

Anyway I promise that I will be starting bootcamp properly tomorrow

But I did eat on plan, and made fab LC Thai salmon and prawn green curry this evening..

I can be bribed @Laska2Meryls ... . Great news for you today. Not surprised there fizz on the menu!

@keeponkeepinon

Ps. Is it worth buying the ipd book? I had it when it came out and I dont know what happened to it. Its over 10 years ago so can't remember what was in it!

Do you mean the diet book or the recipe book that went with it?

The diet book was, I thought, very good as it tackled the psychological aspect of weight loss as well as the more practical stuff. That said, it's a very long time ago since I've read it as well!

The recipe book is great.

With regard to what you can take to work - how about leftovers from dinner? Make slightly larger quantities so you have something to take with you.

When it comes to soup, I made leek, celery and asparagus soup today:

• chop an onion, 2-3 leeks and a head of celery and fry them gently in a good amount of butter, with a little olive oil added (this stops the butter from burning).
• for the asparagus, don't use the whole pack - it's very expensive! I used the woody stalks that I'd cut off the stems when we last had asparagus (and I'd frozen them). Add the asparagus to the pan as well.
• season with salt, black pepper and whatever dried herbs you fancy
• add chicken stock (or any stock you have to hand and a bit of water, cover the pan and simmer until everything is soft.
• then blitz with a hand blender or in a liquidiser.

I had some chicken stock I'd made, which was in the freezer, and I'd also frozen some leftover gravy from roasting a joint of pork, so I added that too.

Basically you can add anything you like!

@Stegasaurusmum

On the one hand:

Alcohol is the culprit I think, a few glasses on a Friday and Saturday and then edging into Sunday, Thursday

and then on the other hand:

I never seem to lose much, I'm at 10 and a bit stone now, I'd love to be 9st ish... It just seems to come off so slowly

I think there, you'll find the reason why it's coming off so slowly!