2nd week of Lockdown Low Carb Bootcamp! But our third thread!

[BIWI]

This Bootcamp has gone crazy! I'm very hopeful that means that the results on the scales/with the tape measure etc will have been positive.

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

I love this week. For so many, it's a total vindication as well as complete reassurance that this WOE really works!

I hope, very much, that the scales are kind to you and look forward to hearing everyone's progress.

I like to visualise the importance f eating enough fat as .... "As long as you're eating plenty of fat, your brain thinks it doesn't need to store any. But it still needs energy, because of the lack of easy-access carbs, so therefore it uses your own fat cells".

I also think of it as a sort of self-cannabilism - but maybe that's not such a helpful visualisation for others

Haha I like that!

Just catching up, evening folks.
I'm going to tell all the kids at work the Burns joke tomorrow @BIWI
B- mushrooms with scrambled eggs and rasher of bacon
L- chicken Mayo in lettuce cups
D- roast chicken with flgv... Attempting bone broth with the carcas. Off to get ready to watch Winter watch in bed with the dc. Rock and roll!

@BIWI

All those of you that are hungry - at this stage of Bootcamp there's no reason why you shouldn't eat something. Clearly, only if it's low carb though! But you also need to look at what you're eating and drinking and make sure that you really are eating enough fat, and protein - and that you are drinking all the water. It's really, really important.

I really am drinking all the water BIWI! I drink at least 3 litres a day, usually more, and at my weight I only "need" 2.5.

I'm trying very hard to get plenty of fat into my meals, too, but I'm trying to stick 16:8, because I suspect I'm still eating more calories than I'm burning atm. And I know we don't count calories on Bootcamp, but you've send yourself that the closer you are to your target weight the more likely you are to have to think about them.

Today's food: 2 boiled eggs on thick slices of ham with buttery spinach for lunch. Still hungry afterwards so had a couple of bits of cheese and some crispy kale.

Creamy coffee mid-afternoon.

Dinner: Thai curry with salmon, prawns, red pepper and asparagus on cauliflower rice.

I've had just over 2 litres of water and I've started on my third.

@BIWI I think I might be scared of being hungry as I worry I will fall into eating carbs (bread. I love it.) will koko. Also I guess seeing as I have stayed the same for 12 days (easied in first week of Jan then started whilst lurking) I cant believe I will loose weight while eating all the yummy food. I know I know, trust the system. I only have about 5lb I want to lose which I know means I need to be patient!

Almahart There were some curry recipes in the Guardian yesterday many of which looked low carb friendly: www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/food/2021/jan/25/the-20-best-curry-recipes

There is a pork vindaloo recipe that looks nice and one for roasted cauliflower in turmeric kefir that says: “ The acidity of fermented dairy works with the Maillard reaction to create a bittersweet taste and new aroma molecules in vegetables.” I’m not sure about the carb content of kefir (the Biotiful is 4.4 per 100ml - is that okay?) but it sounds divine.

Food today:
Breakfast: creamy coffee + bit of leftover rib of beef
Snack: cup of bone broth
Lunch: more leftover rib of beef + beef fat fried and eaten out of the pan
Dinner: beef and oxtail stew with roasted vegetables (one courgette, one aubergine, half an onion, one orange pepper).

Not a wonderful day of food as it was quite low on vegetables until tonight. Ah well.

Ooh, BIWI’s big stick is coming out!

I listened to The Life Scientific (R4) this morning, an interesting discussion about how certain genes impact our weight - centred on the fact that we evolved in a time of not enough food, and that being surrounded by more food than we can eat is a phenomenon of the last 40ish years. Some of us are more likely to overeat than others.

I’m definitely feeling less hungry, and the cravings for sweetness after a meal are abating. Day 9, so I’m not getting too smug just yet. I’m trying to curb portion sizes as Im very aware that ours have been far too big.

DH dreamt last night that he was chased by a packet of french fries!

I heard the start of that Justcallmecaptainobvious but couldn't stay for it all, going to listen back on iPlayer, it sounded really interesting.

I'm finding this whole thing so much easier since I increased my water intake. I've had 5 litres the last two days and I feel less hungry, more energetic and not craving sweet stuff. I'm not deluded enough to think I've cracked it, TOTM will definitely be a challenge, as will the relentlessness of doing this for the long term to lose the 9 stone I need to shift, but I'm definitely feeling positive today.

Skipped breakfast- first time I've done this on boot camp. I'm a seasoned intermittent faster and just don't feel like eating breakfast any more
Lunch - leftover roast lamb with leeks, mushrooms and spinach all fried up in butter. Bit of grated cheese on top
Tea - quick prawn curry posted on last week's thread (sorry not sure who by) with mushrooms and cauliflower rice. It was DELICIOUS.

I've got to sort out my online shopping tonight for delivery tomorrow. It's 10 days until my next delivery so this will be a big one.

Before I do some research into the lowest carb tonic water, just wanted to check If any bootcampers have beaten me to it??

If not I shall research and report back!

@ouchmyfeet

I've got to sort out my online shopping tonight for delivery tomorrow. It's 10 days until my next delivery so this will be a big one.

Before I do some research into the lowest carb tonic water, just wanted to check If any bootcampers have beaten me to it??

If not I shall research and report back!

I don't have it, as artificial sweeteners impede weight loss for me

Pretty much all diet tonics will have zero carbs though

Starting to get my shopping list together for next week

Is there a guide anywhere to how much / little nuts and berries can be eaten in week 3 and beyond? I know it says ltd amounts but I’d like to ring fence precious blueberries from the rest of the family

Had bolognese for dinner tonight. OH and DC had it with pasta. I had it stuffed in a roast pepper and covered in grated cheese with a roast Portobello mushroom and a small green salad on the side. DH's comment? "You can eat some nice food on this diet". B was a smoothie. Lunch was an avocado, bacon and salmon salad. I've felt SO stuffed after every meal today.

Dumb cooking question: I want to make the slow cooked coconut pork from the pinned recipe thread, but it calls for onion. Can I just use shallots or do they perform differently in the slow cooker/ruin the flavour profile?

@BIWI I'm 6 months in, I don't eat breakfast

Everything you said is spot on. Unfortunately there's a repeating pattern; 2yo DD is watching too much tele so we bake, I look at the baked goods and rationalise it with 'I've lost 4st a bit won't hurt', eat it and then I spend the rest of the day feeling like a failure. I don't want to stop baking (I prefer it to almost every other toddler activity, accept nap time) but I can't seem to find the resolve of 6 months ago

DH made the celeriac and leek mash tonight and it was a revelation. Bloody lovely

@BIWI ok, they are butchers sausage too so maybe I’ll cut them out and stick to fish. Am not very adventurous so they are handy for lunch/dinner.

I’ve lost 8lbs thought so I won’t cave.

@Oneborneverydecade
Can you bake /make some stuff that you would never fancy eating? Given DD is only 2, peppermint creams etc? Or switch the baking for painting occasionally.

@ouchmyfeet

I've got to sort out my online shopping tonight for delivery tomorrow. It's 10 days until my next delivery so this will be a big one.

Before I do some research into the lowest carb tonic water, just wanted to check If any bootcampers have beaten me to it??

If not I shall research and report back!

Schweppes Slimline is 0 carbs - but remember it's artificially sweetened.

I don't think any of the other 'light' tonic waters are as low in carbs - but AFAIK they all use artificial sweeteners. So best go for the Schweppes one if needs must you have to!

@LittleMy77

Starting to get my shopping list together for next week

Is there a guide anywhere to how much / little nuts and berries can be eaten in week 3 and beyond? I know it says ltd amounts but I’d like to ring fence precious blueberries from the rest of the family

@LittleMy77

Unfortunately not - it is a bit of 'suck it and see'. If you're having, say, blueberries and yoghurt, I'd weigh out 25 or 50g and see what that looks like in terms of quantity. They're 8.7g carbs per 100g, so just bear that in mind.

With nuts, you also need to take into account which nuts, as their carb counts vary enormously.

Sainsbury's salted peanuts are 10.9g carbs per 100g
Roasted and salted pistachios are 11.9g (not including the shells!)
Cashews are a whopping 20.5g
Roasted and salted almonds are 6.9g
Dry roasted peanuts are 11.6g

Those are snacking nuts - nuts that you might bake with or use on yoghurt etc:

Pine nuts are 4.0g carbs per 100g
Cashew nuts are 18.1g
Pecans are 5.8g
Blanched almonds are 6.9g
Brazil nuts are 3.1g
Blanched hazel nuts are 6.0g
Walnuts are 3.3g
Macadamias are 5.3g

Some of those counts may sound low - but beware - it's very, very easy to over- eat nuts

@nowlook

Dumb cooking question: I want to make the slow cooked coconut pork from the pinned recipe thread, but it calls for onion. Can I just use shallots or do they perform differently in the slow cooker/ruin the flavour profile?

They should be absolutely fine!

@BIWI

I don't think any of the other 'light' tonic waters are as low in carbs - but AFAIK they all use artificial sweeteners. So best go for the Schweppes one if needs must you have to!

Apart from Tesco, Morrison's, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Canada Dry, Fever Tree...

Thing is, you need to look at the sweetener profile. Most will use ASK and sucralose; Schweppes favours aspartame. I prefer the former, but neither is great.

Some newer brands (Skinny Tonic) use stevia, which is at least natural, albeit with an aftertaste. Tends to be ££.

General rule is that the plain diet tonics that use fructose as sweetener will be carbier.

Thanks@BIWI I'm looking forward to that one- particularly given I can get a few days out of it!

Stevia can cause digestive discomfort. As DH and I discovered, after a trip to Bruges a few years ago. There's a chocolatier there that makes some of their chocolates with stevia, so we bought a box and really enjoyed them. A few hours later, though, we both had terrible stomach pains!

...and it's gash

I think stevia tends to be upsetting if you have IBS (as I do). I'd rather just not bother!

OMG @nowlook - I wish you hadn't introduced me to Skinny Tonic! Flavoured zero carb tonics (digestive issues to one side ) are a bit of a holy grail!