Week 3 - Pre-Christmas Low Carb Bootcamp - 'full' or light?

[BIWI]

Morning all!

Here's The Spreadsheet as per

Hopefully you've had a good second week, and have settled down into Bootcamp ways by now, and any trace of carb flu is but a distant memory.

By now, if not already, you should be well into the switch from burning carbs to burning fat. You should be finding it much easier to go between meals without snacking, and should find your energy levels picking up, maybe even feeling like you've got more energy than you had before.

So as we start week 3, you have a choice: you can continue on Bootcamp if it's suiting you, or you can move to Bootcamp Light, which means:

• you don't have to have three meals a day
• you can have some fruit (berries)
• you can have some nuts/seeds
• you can drink some alcohol

Please not the use of the word some! This isn't carte blanche for you to go mad. Just remember, all these things will add a lot of carbs quite quickly - so it's very much in moderation.

You also need to know/remember that week 3 (and 4) is infamous for being the point at which weight loss slows - sometimes even stops - so this is another good reason to go easy when you relax things

A good compromise is to stay strictly Bootcamp during the week but Bootcamp Light at the weekend.

Whatever you choose, hope the results this morning are positive, and wishing us all good luck for the week ahead.

I'm going for my second miller and carter of the week 😳 went Friday and now back tomorrow night. Will stick with steak/salad/beef dripping combo and hope it doesn't effect.

Thanks for all the suggestions. It's thai curry tonight, so probably not coconut milk. The lamb doesn't look that fatty, and I usually just chuck all the ingredients in the oven for hours, without browning anything first. But I'll add a load of butter to it, and then have something on the side. Maybe a buttery turnip mash, and some kale crisps...

Ifeelmuchlessfat and 1WildWitchParty
Thank you for the seedlip feedback. I think I'll wait until I'm allowed out again (am in Wales) and try the little £3 bottle from Sainsbury's.
Checking in with today's food - B, omelette with mushrooms and a few cherry tomatoes, with grated cheese.
L, tablespoon of fage yoghurt with tablespoon of almond butter mixed in with a handful of blueberries.
D, will be salmon and buttery green beans.
This is the first day in ages that I will have had 3 meals. Normally two is enough but was feeling really hungry at about 2 o clock.
I did find some nice sugar free pumpkin spice coffee in Aldi today (beanies brand) if anyone is missing the coffee shop Halloween spiced lattes.would be nice with whipped cream, I think.

20bloodypumpkins You could add some cream or creme fraiche to the lamb curry at the end?

I have been SO snacky today. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I think it’s because I’ve had meetings back-to-back all day and spiralled into a state of food insecurity where I worried I wouldn’t get to eat - but instead ate all day.

Breakfast: creamy coffee
Second breakfast: olive oil roasted radishes (400g)
Third breakfast: large bowl of mushroom pate
Lunch: olive oil roasted radishes (400g) + steak
Dinner will be a chicken thigh with aubergines, courgette and onion.

How long can we do bootcamp for? Im eating plenty of veg, so getting enough nutrients, would there be anything missing if I dont start including Fruit/Nuts etc?

You can carry on Bootcamping for as long as you want - just make sure that most of your carbs are coming from vegetables and salad.

It's great in the context that I have seen Alzheimer's described as "Type 3 diabetes" due to the links between insulin resistance and the disease (not a doctor and don't fully understand!) and sits much better with me than all the cake sales cancer charities tend to have which seem counter-intuitive!

RShard (or suggested Halloween name of AaarghShard as in a shard of glass), I’ve never managed to reconcile a school’s way of insisting on healthy eating with cake sales.

Children often have cereal for breakfast: sugar.

Children in schools are offered a dessert with hot lunch: sugar.

Children break from school and are fed fruits or bars immediately, possibly a scone or muffin or mince pie or crumpets or cake or some ice cream, depending on weather: sugar.

Evening meal of pasta or story-fry with rice, or...followed my another dessert: sugar.

Let’s not mention the primary school all class parties with enough crap and sweets and party bags, in some areas these can be weekly during the school year.

Let’s not mention massive chocolate eggs, Halloween bags, chocolate advent calendars, etc etc etc.

Massive rant, and apologies, and I’m half-American so I know we’re worse than the UK, but WHY DOES EVERY CARB COME FROM BREAD OR SUGAR, and why is no one focusing on necessary carbs from vegetables?

It’s tradition, and cakes are a great fundraiser, and it’s lovely. Also, who wants to purchase from a Crudités&Homous sale?

I always showed up at cake sales with IPD Sausage&Egg muffins. and insisted they charge minimum £2 per muffin (because of ingredients etc).

Sorry, that was a massive rant, and I recognise use children are growing and have different dietary needs, but why in the name of all that’s holy do we make excuses all the time.

And no wonder so many of us ended up unhealthy and unhappy.

I belatedly apologise for the ridiculous typos. And please forgive the rant.

Checking in with today's menu...

B - black coffee, cheese and pepperami (wasn't feeling hungry)
L - spinach, feta, mint omelette
D - spag bol with no spag and FLGV

Apparently we're having an Indian takeaway on Friday night and a picky tea on Halloween to make it feel like more of a party
Will have to do a bit of research and planning as to food choices. I really want to keep this going as I'm only on my second week but I'm planning a cheat glass or two of red wine awaits big stick

Lovely autumnal beef and beer caserole with lots of veg (onion, carrot, celery, broccoli stem, turnip, mushrooms) made in the slow cooker tonight. Hoping the beer carbs cook off !?! It was a bottle of some strong Belgian stuff a friend left, DH wasn't bothered about and I'd like but not allowed so thought the stew was the best place for it! Thickened it by a whizz with the stick blender once most the meat and some of the veg had been fished out which worked pretty well. Served on cavolo nero and with a few Brussels.

Hi all, just checking in. I ate my first meal at 11:30 today as woke up at 5 and all out of whack!

Brunch: pate, celery, cucumber, boiled egg
Dinner: chicken, chorizo, broccoli
Snack: Ff yog, rasps and a few flaked almonds whilst watching bake off!

I love bake off and am looking forward to having a little treat whilst watching it. I love how this woe makes super simple things like berries feel so indulgent. Hope everyone is having a good day.

ShagMagic DS comes home with a wristband of shame from nursery "no sweet foods" but still seems to get Cheerios for breakfast by his report Not sure how long we'll be able to keep it up but as he's there 3 meals a day 5 days a week didn't want him starting on the daily "healthy" cake! If he gets cake or ice cream, I want it to be with us. I can't work out why the other kids haven't realised the Greek yogurt pots they give him are twice the size of their petit filous!

I'm making a low carb alternative to one of my usual dishes, but wondering if it sounds too carby (veg wise)

Chopped onions, sliced mushrooms, chopped green pepper, sliced courgette, sliced leek, sliced celery and chopped cherry tomatoes topped with seasoned chicken thighs, smothered with lemon and herb nando's sauce (1.2 carbs per 100g) then roasted. That's what all in the dish.

I'm worried so many veggies will push the carb count too high or does it go by portion size?

Sorry if that sounds like a really obvious question!

I would just like it to be noted that DH bought 5 fresh jam doughnuts home and I declined to have even one. As I type there are two "leftover" in the kitchen. In an effort to make a wise decision I have brushed my teeth and am not going down stairs until tomorrow morning when the doughnuts will be stale.

Evening all I am really struggling to keep on top of the thread with the DC off school this week but I am very much still in the zone and am reading everything when I get chance !
I have received Renpho scales via Amazon today and have Seriously low carb bread en route. Baaa baaa - such a Mumsnet sheep.

I also have a ton of radishes which I have yet to try will try to do that tomorrow .

Thanks to prettyscarybird and VeryLittleHowl your photos are amazingly motivating - the difference is so huge in such a short time .

Hi hope everyone's ok. I'm going to make low carb cheese scones tomorrow in honour of being able to have some nuts. Made with ground almonds, eggs, butter, cheese and cayenne...CANNOT wait to have one with a big slab of butter and will freeze the rest. Trying not to feel fed up at staying the same this week instead of losing 3 pounds which is what I thought . My period has still not arrived and is keeping me guessing so just going to KOKO. Have been good at drinking ALL the water and feeling all the better for it.

Hello all. My Renpho scales arrived last night too! I already have digital scales that talk to my phone but I like these more. They weigh me as 0.05kg heavier than my current scales.

B: pork loin with crackling and some courgette, aubergine and cereriac roasted in coconut oil.
D: chicken pieces with more of the roasted veg.
Snack: a pack of Cheesies and a coffee with cream.

I managed 6 pints of water today but it was a big effort. The first three seem easy but thereafter it is concerted drinking. I did a Zoom Zomba class though and that made me glug a pint.

I am struggling a bit with eating meat, especially pork and lamb. I have never been a big meat eater and DH is a vegetarian so the move to meat twice daily has been hard. The pork loin and crackling was lovely on sunday when it came straight out of the oven but yesterday and today it tasted very fatty straight from the fridge. Maybe I need to get a bit more adventurous with my cooking and recipes. I can feel the Cheese burger pie calling.

@itsmeagainagain ooooo low carb cheese scones... I know you've just posted the ingredients but can you post the recipe too please?

@poorbuthappy sure can...its from the lowcarbdiabetic ... Haven't made these yet but if they're good I'll let you know!

Ingredients
3 cups of ground almonds
1 cup sharp (mature) cheddar cheese finely grated
1 tbsp. baking powder
a dash of cayenne
4 eggs whisked
4 tbsp. butter melted
ground sea salt

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C and line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
2. In a bowl mix together all the dry ingredients ground almonds, cheese and baking powder, add as much cayenne as you like, and a little ground salt.
3. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and the melted butter together, making sure you don’t scramble the eggs.
4. Then mix the egg mixture into the ground almond mixture.
5. Now form the mixture into loose balls and place on the baking parchment.
6. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 15 – 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 140C but bake for a further 5 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

am struggling a bit with eating meat, especially pork and lamb. I have never been a big meat eater and DH is a vegetarian so the move to meat twice daily has been hard.

Why do you have to move to meat twice a day? Nothing in the guidelines states that as a requirement and there a few vegetarians on Bootcamp.

I had Courgetti Carbanara for tea, it was delicious 😋 I'm very happy with my spiralizer!!

@Rshard the recipe is on the vegetarian recipes, I've attached a screenshot for you, it was so tasty and filling! I'm making more tomorrow and buying soup cups to freeze then defrost for work

Boring day today. Not left the house but that does mean there has been little temptation.

B - black coffee
11ses - two hard boiled eggs and Mayo
L - gravadlax and salad
Snack- bit of cheese and chorizo
D - sesame chicken and veggie stir fry with konjac noodles. Then 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.

I don't like cream and struggle to eat full fat Greek yoghurt without anything to flavour it. So often need a high fat snack to get me through the afternoon. Anyone got any dietary tips / other snack ideas?

Also is ground almonds the same as almond flour? I bought almond flour fo make cheesy scones from my keto cookbook but saw the recipe above uses ground almonds. Ground is less pricey than flour so am wondering if I could just buy ground almonds in the future?

Have you tried adding cinnamon or vanilla powder to Greek yoghurt? With or without berries now that you're allowed them. Even cocoa powder.

Or the peanut butter in the yogurt. Or you could make a nice pate to snack on.