Week 5 - Pre-Christmas Low Carb Bootcamp - the end of the first half

[BIWI]

Morning all

This week sees the end of the first half of Bootcamp. The last two weeks may have been tough going, as you might have seen weight loss slow or even stop.

But this has been an important transition period, as your body has been switching from burning carbs for fuel, to burning fat. So from now on, the weight loss you will see will be entirely fat. And hopefully from week 5, you should see the scales showing a weekly loss too!

By now, hopefully, you have also have become a bit more accustomed to low carb eating, so that it's becoming a bit more of a habit. Once things are habitual, it's a lot easier to stick with things, as they're more routine.

Anyway, here's the spreadsheet for this week's 'confession'!

I think crying is completely normal @itsmeagainagain I was made redundant from the only job I ever liked and was ever good at. It was a shock too. Still, you can be proud you probably handled it with more dignity than I did - I walked out of the door straight into the off licence, bought 6 cans of strong lager, got on my train home and sobbed snottily and loudly and downed the cans all in the 1 hour and 15 mins of journey time, while people looked on very concerned. Then I fell out of the doors onto the platform and tore the knees of my tights. I hope you start to feel better, it really is such a shit feeling. I’m going to send you a virtual hug (I know we don’t do that here, shhh don’t tell anyone) xxxx

Thanks @MrsKoala that made me laugh! X

I had sprouts in my sort of nicoise salad tonight.

A base of salad leaves, cucumber, celery. Artfully arranged anchovies and olives, boiled egg quarters. Topped with par-boiled shredded sprouts which were cooled and doused in home-made olive oil salad dressing. Pan fried tuna on the top.

My dh had no idea that the salad contained sprouts.

@poorbuthappy

this recipe sounds nice!

I have some in the freezer, and was going to cook them very quickly in garlic, lime and chilli, then mix through some Bare Naked noodles, along with sesame oil and fresh coriander.

Well I had the worst dinner this evening. Very salty ham joint done in the slow-cooker, buttered kale and an attempt at a turnip/swede dauphinoise. I say attempt as the turnip was still hard even after double the recommended cooking time. It was truly vile and I felt like crying after as it had taken quite a bit of time to prepare. I obviously hadn't eaten enough as I was hungry later so snacked on some cheese.

On the plus side I drank all the water and have nagged/persuaded DH to drink more too.

Today was a food car crash. 2 work birthdays, so cake at 11, the usual time I have an omelette. Then hungry and no lunch prepared, so had peanut butter and jam toast etc. Etc

Anyway I've drawn a line under it. Restart tomorrow.

Sorry to hear this itsmeagainagain.

earlgreyhot we had a turnip last week in our veg box. It was huge and as hard as a cannon ball. I had to get dh to come and chop it. In the end I microwaved it for a bit (hoping to soften the centre), cut it into wedges rubbed with olive oil and baked in the oven. It was still pretty firm. We ate some of the wedges and the rest I boiled for mash - still not soft Threw the rest of it out.

For dinner tonight I'm having mushrooms stuffed with leek, spinach, cheese and pancetta, served with purple sprouting broccoli. Lunch is more of a challenge. I have a work meeting over lunch but really, really struggling to find somewhere that is serving anything other than sandwiches, macaroni cheese, steak pie, fish and chips or all day afternoon tea. I'm fortunate to be in an area where hospitality can remain open but for very restricted times. So many places have been mothballed until March, or are serving an extremely limited menu. This is so devastating for their business, and I guess many will not survive.

Anyway, I think I'll have a poached egg on avocado before I go, that way I won't be hungry, and I can either have a smallish bootcamp-friendly snack, or nothing at all.

Last night I did a nice dinner of trout (I bought a bag of frozen fillets from Iceland) cooked in leeks, butter, garlic and white wine and flgv.

Weighed myself this morning and I’ve lost another 2lb. So that’s 5lb in 8 days. I’m 1lb off my lightest ever adult weight! Wooo. I’m going to keep on tho as I think I’d like to get down to 11st if possible to see if I like it there.

20bloodypumpkins somewhat reassured by your hard turnip woes! It's the first recipe that hasn't worked out for me and I think the delicious smell of the creamy garlic cheesy sauce compounded my disappointment!

I’m still not on the spreadsheet. Am I too late to be added @BIWI ?

biwi I’m not sure, i thought I was having plenty of fat, but maybe not enough at lunch. I’m also aware that I’m not out and about in the daytime (apart from my dog walk) like I normally am due to lockdown, so a bit of boredom and feeling fed up definitely crept in.

I’m definitely going to be having more eggs at lunch time. I had been doing a lot of soups and even though I was adding extra butter and some cheese, I don’t think it was enough.

Anyway Today

B Greek yogurt, Tsp double cream, Tsp linwoods, 2 raspberries crumbled
L scrambled eggs with avocado
D Thai green chicken curry served on cauliflower rice with buttered green beans and broccoli

2 or 3 coffees, 3 litres of water

Your story made me laugh mrskoala

I’ve got this recipe for scallops poorbuthappy. I don’t use breadcrumbs obvs but double up on the Parmesan or whatever hard cheese I have to hand. It’s from the quick roasting tin cookbook and is lush.

[quote BIWI]@poorbuthappy

this recipe sounds nice!

I have some in the freezer, and was going to cook them very quickly in garlic, lime and chilli, then mix through some Bare Naked noodles, along with sesame oil and fresh coriander.[/quote]
Tremendous @BIWI - thank you!

@Rshard

Your story made me laugh mrskoala

I’ve got this recipe for scallops poorbuthappy. I don’t use breadcrumbs obvs but double up on the Parmesan or whatever hard cheese I have to hand. It’s from the quick roasting tin cookbook and is lush.

Oooo now I have a choice @Rshard - thank you!

Plodding on and sticking to the rules ( drinks a glass of water )
@20bloodypumpkins, I'm in Wales , where our firebreak is over and while there are gaps in the High Street and the shopping centre , there have been a few new local start ups , 3 new cafes and 1 new shop in the nearest town and a huge lovely independent home store with cafe in nearest boutique type town
Bit too many cakes on the menu , but it's not all doom ( probably more to do with no business rates and the council charging peppercorn rent to fill some empty spaces )
Planning sausages and mash ( celariac , leek and cauli , not potatoes ) for dinner with extra greens and mushrooms ... and more water 💦
Commiserations to @itsmeagainagain, been there too , and it's the shock I remember most , me ? But I'm lucky , this doesn't happen to me
Onward 💐

My stubborn pound has finally disappeared this morning AND I’ve had a NSV: I was doing sit ups after my run so still wearing my leggings etc and I looked at my hips, thighs and legs as I was doing them and was shocked at how much smaller my body is now. (I’m 3.5 months in - I’m not a bootcamp miracle).

@itsmeagainagain

Thanks *@MrsKoala* that made me laugh! X

Yeah, sorry, but me too!

Very Bridget Jones, though I’m sure it must have been horrible for you.

Chin up, everyone, and lots of

I’m 3.5 months in - I’m not a bootcamp miracle

Oh yes you are, Jdhshekr!!

Hey, @AthelstaneTheUnready (have you left the group? the @ doesn’t bring up your name from the drop down list )... anyway, please you add MrsKoala to the Spreadsheet of Smokin’ Hot Fabulousness? Mwah!

Btw y’all, as predicted I gained a gorgeous 4lbs last week—a triumph indeed. Guess who’s back on Bootcamp proper? Me, me, me!!!

Has anyone ever opened or considered opening an LCHF restaurant/food van?

@ShagMeRiggins

Has anyone ever opened or considered opening an LCHF restaurant/food van?

Yes and no. Most thought given to this during maternity leave, which is much like lockdown for those who were furloughed without kids I guess (or at least my heavenly year was). My fantasy bookshop with coffee shop definitely specialises in little plates of cheese and biscuits and pots of posh nuts etc rather than cake. A friend had to sit me down..."Rayna, I literally have a book there on my shelf about how to open a book shop, purchased during maternity leave. It's a phase we all have to go through, you will get past it"

I've also very fond memories of a Paleo restaurant in Berlin called Sauvage; closed several years ago though. Weirdly I'm not aware of anything like that in the UK. Anyone? I guess the zeitgeist is more clean eating with a vegan tinge rather the carnivorous end of the scale like us.

Every now and then I toy with the idea of setting up a food business making low carb ready meals - but then realise just how much work (and money!) it would take, so park the idea.

I'd make a small range of meals, in different sizes - so a meal for one, and a meal for 4 - thinking:

• shepherd's pie (with celeriac/leek mash)
• some form of the moussaka from the IPD diet (would have to check with Bee Rawlinson first, as the author of the recipe!)
• kedgeree, using cauliflower rice
• some variant of Spanish chicken - chicken, chorizo, smoked paprika and tomato
• some kind of veggie curry
• cauliflower fried rice, as an accompaniment

If only Cook could be persuaded to expand their delicious range. It’s the sole ready-meal company that I acknowledge as being as good as my cooking, sometimes better.

Arrogant, I know, but I’m a good cook.

@ShagMeRiggins

I’m 3.5 months in - I’m not a bootcamp miracle

Oh yes you are, Jdhshekr!!

Hey, @AthelstaneTheUnready (have you left the group? the @ doesn’t bring up your name from the drop down list )... anyway, please you add MrsKoala to the Spreadsheet of Smokin’ Hot Fabulousness? Mwah!

Btw y’all, as predicted I gained a gorgeous 4lbs last week—a triumph indeed. Guess who’s back on Bootcamp proper? Me, me, me!!!

Eh? yes, of course. @MrsKoala you're on. will read back and see what numbers you wanted

@ShagMeRiggins I'm slightly obsessed with Cook's paneer and aubergine veggie curry. BC friendly and gloriously delicious. If you haven't had it yet, I highly recommend you give it a try.

@itsmeagainagain sorry to hear about the redundancy, it's such a horrid shock.

Fingers crossed, I seem to have lost that stupid lbs I have been gaining and losing for 2 weeks.