Week 4 - Low Carb Bootcamp - how much chatting?!

[BIWI]

So much chatting, I've had to start a new thread.

here's the Spreadsheet of Absolute Fabulousness

Remember, this week (like week 3) is notorious for seeing little or no weight gain, so please don't panic if the scales aren't moving for you - always assuming, of course, that you have been following the rules 100%!

Also, the Very Amazing @StuntNun has started a thread about fasting. Fasting isn't a regular part of Bootcamp, but it's a tool that you can use in your weight loss 'journey' (sorry for the cliché!)

have a look here, and think about if it's something you might want to incorporate into Bootcamp

I hope very much that things are going well for you, and that you're into the swing of things low carb by now; but as ever, post any questions/issue here and let's see if we can help.

@Oneborneverydecade I have just been to Waitrose and bought:
Garlic prawns for starter
Rack of lamb for main
2 x spinach mornay sides (I agree, the side selection was poor, I am going to freeze one of these)
Dessert for DH
red wine

I will add some salad to the prawns, asparagus to the main, and have cheese for my dessert. Really good value for £20 though!

@Hopeislost sounds delicious! I might have to get another meal deal for next weekend.
The benefit of our Waitrose being quiet is that everything was available in abundance

Well done! @BuffyTheBuffetSlayer

@ListenLinda heaven help you when your 3yo becomes a teenager

Great result @BuffyTheBuffetSlayer!

Oh, and 新年快乐 to us all!

We're having Chinese tonight too - Yakitori chicken skewers to start, but not quite sure what I'm going to have as most of their main courses come with rice, but they do make a crispy duck salad, which sounds interesting.

Nothing for Valentine's Day here, kids going to ex's for the weekend for the first time. Sounds worse than it is, we have been separated for a while but have been swapping about so one of us is always in the house. Quite looking forward to having my home to myself.

Dinner is a spatchcocked poussin and some fennel baked in cream courtesy of my veg box. I also got a butternut squash which I think is a bit carby for boot camp? Will have a little search and see what the verdict is

I’ve got a butternut squash and I’m definitely going to eat some of it - I just keep it to a reasonable amount.

I hope your weekend goes well @Almahart

Nsv here. Went for a run with a friend and it felt hard. Looked at my strava and it was 3rd fastest time, including when I have been making lots of effort so pleased with that.

All the air fryer talk is making me tempted but worried about another gadget that doest get used!

Another sheep here who’s made the cheese muffins today but I’m very glad I followed the herd - delicious! Going to have with soup at the weekend.

Speaking of being easily influenced, I’ve been hankering after a Japanese knife since I read someone on here saying theirs went through swede (I think) like butter. Has anyone got a recommendation for one - probably chef’s knife size?

All the air fryer talk is making me tempted but worried about another gadget that doest get used!

Me too! I definitely don't need one, but would really like one

Thanks @Oneborneverydecade. It does feel a bit strange. I just hope the kids are okay

I've got to admit that my air frier sits in the back of the cupboard and doesn't get used.

Also celeriac chips were meh, they were edible but tbh I wouldn't go mad over them and felt they were a waste of my carb allowance. I'm trying a dauphinoise celeriac next week so fingers crossed.

Today I've eaten meatballs and cabbage for lunch and tea was cod with the rest of the cabbage fried with chorizo with drizzled with chilli olive oil.

Aibu is vicious. I need a reminder on my phone telling me to never ever post in there, only read.

Hmmm maybe I will go for a seco d hand airfryer to scratch the itch!

Sorry you didn't like the celeriac chips @Pandoraslastchance I just had some and enjoyed them, though they are sweet!

Failure from me, asked husband for a no alcohol beer (thinking it would be nanny state which is 3ish carbs for a tin). He poured me one which was their alcohol free lager - 3 carbs per 100 so more like 9.3 for the tin. Its nice, but could have had an glass of wine!

@ouchmyfeet

All the air fryer talk is making me tempted but worried about another gadget that doest get used!

Me too! I definitely don't need one, but would really like one

I'd been going back and forth on the idea for several years! I am a sucker for a kitchen gadget... We really don't have the space, or available plug sockets, but everyone is enjoying it and it gets used most days. I found it great for cooking the aubergine for my aubergine lasagne or other dishes that use grilled aubergine slices. Just spray both sides with oil and air fry, I always end up burning them when I grill them as they need watching. I've done sprouts in it. Scotch eggs worked well. You can also 'boil' eggs in it. Like PP said, great for quick kids food like fish fingers and nuggets. Cheese toasties are good in it. A whole chicken apparently comes out crisp and juice, yet to try that, but it does thighs, drumsticks and wings well. I even used it to bake my 'lasagne' the other day as the dish fit and it was much faster than the oven. There's loads I'm yet to try, only had it 7 weeks or so.

They're sold as a low fat way of cooking, but that doesn't mean you can't liberally coat/spray the food with oil or serve with more fat. Doesn't smell as bad as the deep fryer either.

I'll stop selling it now...

Oh and I didn't buy a branded one, mine was a cheap foreign brand, £80 on amazon but it's a massive 5.5kg one. Smaller and cheaper are available, I spent hours and hours reading reviews.

Celeriac chips definitely worked better for me air fried as I could coat them in oil a with flavourings rather than just deep frying. The garlic granules, chili flakes, paprika, herbs, salt and pepper made them a lot more enjoyable than when I used to deep fry them.
The same approach in the oven would work too, for those not in the air fryer cult club.

Pandora hard agree. Haven't been on MN in years tbh but came back for this, browsed AIBU one night and vowed to not do so again. Not good for the head. I look at this forum and Style and Beauty at the moment, and thats that!

B: Fried eggs and avocado
D: Leftover Bolognase with salad and aubergine. Some blue cheese on top, I was feeling sorry for myself, Husband made pizza for himself and the children and he makes a damned good pizza.
Working tonight so have some cheese and cold meat packed with cucumber batons.

Drank 2l water, will get through the rest tonight.

I was dying for a cup of tea this morning, had a cup with a dash of cream and it really hit the spot. Need a cup of tea after nights.

Thanks @Oneborneverydecade @BIWI.

Well done on your NSV @Bestbees! I definitely recommend the air fryer. My DM won one at bingo and gave it to me, she has one already. I wasnt that into them until I properly tried it. I'm going to buy a bigger one though so I can make whole meals at a time.

Nearly ended up in sick kids tonight!! My 2.5yo ran full force into the kitchen table, she was screaming and I was panicking, as you do She's ok, nasty bruise on her cheek! Gave her lots of cuddles and medicine but in the end it was cake that made it better! Bloody toddlers!! 😅

Still deciding what to have for dinner, I'm so jealous at the delicious dinners everyone planned.

I have eggs, streaky bacon, courgettes, onions, tinned mackerel in tomatoe sauce, canned tuna, pack of cauli rice and mayo. Really not sure what I could make from that. Omlette again? Done well with my water.

Ragz I've done whole chickens in the air fryer and they come out really juicy!

Our air fryier is on its last legs its about 5 years old. It mostly gets used for chips tbh but I'd definitely buy one again. I hate the snell of deep fat fryer in the house.

Ragz, dice the bacon and courgette, fry off with the cauli rice and put a fried egg on top.

Close one with your toddler, gald they are ok

@RagzReturnsRebooted I'm loving your food suggestions for the air fryer. I never thought to do sprouts in it and I eat them all the time. Can I ask how long you cook your chicken thighs for? I can't remember where I put the manual with the recommended timings.

I've decided to get a food processor too, going to buy it tomorrow. I chop and slice so much on this WOE I can finally justify it

@Oneborneverydecade tell me about it, she is three going on thirteen already

So DH has taken upon himself to redecorate most rooms in the house on his two weeks off, including our bedroom which currently looks like primark exploded in it. Busy day at work (wfh) has meant we swapped our takeaway to tonight.
Order half a chicken, rice & salad, as had to order rice or chips, meaning to just have the chicken & salad. They never sent the bloody salad! Had to make half my meal myself which kind of defeated the point! But still left the rice, so winning here

Very strange food day. Wasnt hungry until about half 2 so had courgette leek and chorizo cooked in butter with greek yoghurt and parmesan.
Family just had dominoes and I had a few plain chicken wings. Not sure what the coating was, need to check.
Just had some cheese and 2 boiled eggs on low carb marmite toast!

Buffy you will love your food processor
I got a soup maker for Christmas. It's great!