Week 3 - Jan '21 Low Carb Bootcamp - time for Light?

[BIWI]

Well thanks to all the chat, I've had to start this week's thread earlier than usual

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness for you to declare all

You now have a choice: you can move on to Bootcamp Light, which means you can re-introduce nuts and seeds, some fruit and alcohol - all in moderation.

However, also bear in mind that weeks 3 & 4 are notorious for little or not weight loss and this is nothing to do with moving on to Bootcamp Light. It's just something that seems to happen.

So it's up to you. You can stay on Bootcamp if you wish, or move on to Bootcamp Light, or a hybrid - so you do Bootcamp during the week but relax into Bootcamp Light at the weekend.

Whatever you decide - good luck! Here's to a good week ahead.

Nowlook low carb ready meals are a game changer. I've often thought that this Way of Eating would be easy in a different food environment. If you could go to a cafe and there was a low carb option or you could grab something quick in the supermarket. Rather than having to rearrange things to suit us. I had high hopes for it taking off mainstream, especially with the new "keto" bandwagon but unfortunately I fear the new Vegan / plant-based movement is going to eclipse everything else and may even make low carb even harder, for example introducing a meat tax.

That's good advice thanks Plumstone. Tbh we've been perfectly happy with Three for about ten years so the only reason for switching would be their poor handling of this case. Not even that I expect them to refund the charges but some acknowledgment of what had happened rather than a brusque "you have to take it up with Ombudsman, it's not our problem."

Ratherchillyinhere you're the second one who hasn't liked the cheeseburger pie. Now I'm slightly worried about trying it myself.

Sorry to hear you're having a tough time ListenLinda. I have burgers with salad. Cheese and bacon on the burger if I can be bothered.

Just had a gander at the low carb company. I did a fantasy shop of all the ready meals. I'm wondering if it might be worth £27 to just not to have to think of what to eat for six nights

Cross post with @StuntNun!

I'm clearing my freezer out and going in

I think being at home is what's made this so much better for me than last time I tried it. When I was out of the house working I always had to either find convenience food or be organised enough to have prepared something low carb and brought it with me. The lure of the meal deal was strong....

Now I just walk into the kitchen and see what I fancy, it feels so much easier somehow. The test of whether I can maintain it will come when I have to start leaving the house again

@Ratherchillyinhere Don't worry, I'm not a fan of cheeseburger pie either! It's the texture that I find off putting, too eggy! I'm tempted to make a version with BIWI'S cheese sauce instead!

@ListenLinda

To combat DH is making his famous burgers tonight. What can I use instead of a burger bun, oh wise people of Bootcamp?

Either just on its own - which means you have to eat with a knife and fork, obviously! - or use a soft lettuce leaf to wrap around it. A round lettuce is the easiest to use - iceberg lettuce leaves will tend to break.

If you give me an hour @Almahart I'll be eating the Beef Stroganoff, so will let you know whether it's worth it!

Sorry about your news @ListenLinda

@Almahart

Just had a gander at the low carb company. I did a fantasy shop of all the ready meals. I'm wondering if it might be worth £27 to just not to have to think of what to eat for six nights

Sounds like a bargain to me!

[quote Hopeislost]**@Ratherchillyinhere* Don't worry, I'm not a fan of cheeseburger pie either! It's the texture that I find off putting, too eggy! I'm tempted to make a version with BIWI*'S cheese sauce instead! [/quote]
I think if you do that though, the sauce will just sink into the mince. Whereas the cheese/cream/egg/mayo combination for the cheeseburger pie puffs up and has an almost mousse-like texture as a topping.

Sorry to hear about your absolutely shite news @ListenLinda

Anything we can help you with? (Without being nosey, of course)

@StuntNun

Nowlook low carb ready meals are a game changer. I've often thought that this Way of Eating would be easy in a different food environment. If you could go to a cafe and there was a low carb option or you could grab something quick in the supermarket. Rather than having to rearrange things to suit us. I had high hopes for it taking off mainstream, especially with the new "keto" bandwagon but unfortunately I fear the new Vegan / plant-based movement is going to eclipse everything else and may even make low carb even harder, for example introducing a meat tax

Absolutely agree.

M&S have a range called Balanced for You - when they first launched it, it was obviously with a view to being lower carb. But no longer. Now, the dishes tend to contain rice or pasta. They're now based on being higher protein (and probably lower fat).

Given that the supermarkets tend to have ranges for more minority needs, I'm amazed that none of them has launched a low carb range. Given that 'keto' is more of an acceptable trend (or word!) than 'low carb' they could badge it like that.

@ListenLinda AllBarOne do a 'dirty skinny burger' lettuce instead of a bun, gruyere cheese, crispy pancetta, and a side of avocado salsa. Who ever needed fries or bread when you have all that deliciousness?

@Ninkanink this protein bread is sort of rye-like. 4g carb per slice.

Interesting discussions about fasting. I find I get into it quite easily, and can miss breakfast after the first couple of weeks of bootcamp. The only time I found it hard (despite have done IF for a couple of years) was the bootcamp last May, when we started hard with IF in week 1. I just wasn't in the right headspace and after a 2lb loss, I put on a further 10lbs. On normal bootcamp, I find I just feel less hungry after a couple of weeks and it comes more naturally. Then I start to plan my day around it. So I plan an early lunch (today was 11.45am) knowing that I won't have breakfast, and then I have a lovely long afternoon, full of energy to get things done.

Food today:
Brunch, creamy coffee, boiled eggs mashed with butter, salad with cheese and ham and mayonnaise
D - green veg soup; portobello mushroom 'pizza'

@ListenLinda I’m sorry about the bad news you got.

I’d have the burger without a bun and just load it up with as many toppings/relishes/sauces and extras as you’ve got. Plenty of cheese of course. I actually find it a delicious way to have burgers as it means the flavour of the meat really shines through whereas with a bun it often gets a little lost.

Oh, and yes, celeriac is definitely an essential.

That's exactly how I "fast" venus. I don't call it fasting though and it probably isn't that at all, given I still have cups of tea (with unsweetened soya). It's more like skipping breakfast because I'm not hungry. When I first did BC, the bit I found the most challenging was trying to eat Greek yoghurt at 7am. I think it's years of smoking which means breakfast has only really figured in my diet when I'm hungover

@Bestbees I was listening to a radio programme a few week back which said that our hunter-gatherer ancestors probably didn't have 'survival anxiety' regarding food possibly did about being eaten by a sabre-tooth tiger The researchers had been studying the few remaining hunter-gatherer tribes. Apparently the have an assumption of 'plenty' - if they feel hungry they go looking for berries, leaves, etc according to the season, and maybe also catch some meat or fish. They don't preserve or store food, sometimes because they are nomadic, but mainly because they believe they will be able to find more.

In fact, in some tribes, if a person / family / group has excess food, it is the right of others to just come and take it (not being offered it, given or shared, but noticing that your neighbour has more than they need and helping yourself.

The said that 'food anxiety' became prevalent with the advent of agriculture when people had to prepare ground, plant seed, tend crops, harvest. And to worry about the weather, pests, disease etc. Then to find ways to store and preserve foods, and to plan ahead and worry about whether there would be enough for the next 6 months - leading to over-production, hoarding, and over-eating.

No idea how true it is, but a fascinating concept.

ninkanink meant to add that the protein 'rye' bread keeps unopened at room temperature for about 6 months, and once opened keeps in the fridge for easily a week.

To the cheeseburger pie dislikers ..
I made it last night , I liked it , however i did look at the others lasagne with jealous eyes 👀
I think if it had been more juicy ( nice tomato sauce for example ) i would have liked it more
I have a spare in the freezer for another day and will probably have it with a low carb veggie sauce ( thinking of a shallot , garlic , celery and tinned tomatoes stewed in olive oil then blended )

Thanks @venusandmars and @Bestbees for the skincare tips , I’ve been on amazon ( the lovely pharmacist in Tesco had nothing useful to sell over the counter , but did tell me what product she uses ! ) I have a stash arriving on Sunday

( weleda skin food , a factor 50 face sunscreen and some African black soap ) already have lip salve

Thank you @venusandmars!

I never eat breakfast these days (unless we’re having a special breakfast or brunch), haven’t for years, as I find I just feel better starting my eating at lunch time (which often ends up being around two pm). I also figure it allows me a little more leeway if I do have a day where I want something a little more carby or indulgent. I don’t strictly fast, though, because I still have a creamy coffee every morning and several cups of tea with milk. I haven’t properly fasted in years as I used to find it triggered an impulse to overeat on normal days.

Venusandmars my local Asda hasn't had the Schneider Brot Protein Bread the last couple of times I've been in. I hope they get it in stock again.

I want to hear what NowLook's Low Carb Food Company bread is like. The ingredients look more wholesome than the Seriously Low Carb bread.

@Doilooklikeatourist I think a Turkish moussaka or something like that would be good on lasagne days. My DH used to make me a beautiful dish with layered aubergine, courgette, tomato beef sauce and plenty of mozzarella. Hmmm I fancy that now...might ask him to make it for me on Saturday (if I can find aubergine and courgette )!

Well. Game of two halves, really.

The Stroganoff had a nice, peppery flavour but the sauce was very thin. You definitely wouldn't get more than one portion out of it. No substitute for a home-cooked version, but handy to keep in the freezer.

Now, the seeded load bread that I used to dip was really quite pleasant. Obviously, not as heavy as the real thing, but had the right texture, smell and taste. Would recommend. However, I haven''t tried the seriously low carb bread, so will have to wait for someone else to compare.

I'll send a pic separately of how it looked from the mobile site

Beef Stroganoff and bread. Will have to catch up on veg tonight!

You never notice how much people talk about food until your 90 hours into a 92-hour fast. My Facebook feed in particular is full of it. Roll on 3 p.m. and the end of homeschool for the day.

@Ninkanink
My local Tesco
Courgettes ✅ plentiful supplies
Aubergine 0
Celariac 1