Week 5 - Low Carb Bootcamp - time to get rid of all the Valentine's treats!

[BIWI]

I rather suspect that a lot of us have been so far off the wagon this weekend that it's disappeared over the far horizon!

having to post on the spreadsheet may sober us all up, in more ways than one!

I hope any cheats were enjoyable. There's nothing worse than deciding to cheat and then not liking it.

But from now, it's time to buckle down and get back into the swing of things. If you did cheat, please don't complain that the scales aren't being kind to you. It's an inevitable consequence.

So let's focus on a really strict week, recognising that this is the end of our first half of Bootcamp.

Good luck to us all

@MarmaladeTeepee not an idiot, prepepped for today's dinner sounds like a win to me!

Raining raining raining here in the south west but will try and get out between the showers.

Plan for today:
L chicken wings, salad, mayo
D tuna steak, swede Janssens temptation, brocoli.

I am staying the same weight wise. Not too stressed as this woe is delicious, healthy and fairly sustainable. Hoping that knocking out cheese 6 days out of 7 will start to show. If not then I guess it might be cream to go, but I am reluctant to remove too much from my diet resulting in me crashing out of it.

@WitchWand thanks. I’m accountable!

@MarmaladeTeepee good luck knocking out cheese.

Big hug for you @ChristMyArse .

@AWryGiraffe, you'll smash that 10.7 by July! That's loads of time.

@prettybird, how do you reconcile velvet trousers with cats? I don't mind turning up to work covered in cat fur, but I'd rather not for a nice evening out.

Mainly eating courgettes and cold roast beef here today - need to find something exciting to do with the courgettes - maybe this 'fritter' stuff I keep hearing.

(chances are really low I'm going to contribute an exciting recipe to the challenge - most of my food is either chucked in the casserole pot, bunged on a tray and roasted, or pinged in the microwave).

White cats too

I just use sellotape/a sticky roller if I need to get fur off.

But anyway, what is this thing you talk of, "a nice evening out" ?

[quote Jollyholibobs]@MarmaladeTeepee good luck knocking out cheese.[/quote]
Knock out cheese??? What horror is this of which you speak??? You'll have to prise the cheese out of my cold dead hands, I'm not giving cheese up for anyone or anything! Cheese is hands down the best part of this WOE

@ChristMyArse So sorry

@BestBees I think these Terrible times imprint on us and some ptsd is very natural, as it is our subconscious warning us.

Jollyholibobs
From today I am stopping what has become my habit of late afternoon of standing with my head in the fridge snacking excessively-cheese, Greek yoghurt, nuts and peanut butter. All must stop. It is not hunger. I am gaining weight and at least twice this week have felt uncomfortably full (not mentioning Tuesday’s carb fest).

I will join you in this, my current vice is eating double cream from a teaspoon whilst making a coffee or worse from the fridge, I think it would be okay ish for maintenance but is definitely hindering my weight loss, so no more “extra” cream for me. It would be so nice to see the scales move downwards again On Monday.

Today
B Greek yogurt
L soup
D spicy pork with flgv

3 litres of water

@Jollyholibobs your food today doesn't look like it's got much protein. And where is the fat in your dinner? Protein and fat are key to this way of eating, they are what keep you satiated and stop you grazing mindlessly.

@NotwatchingSpooks just a teaspoon of cream? I'm a slurper from the pot

@MarmaladeTeepee sorry my mistake. As you were it’s @Bestbees knocking the cheese.

@venusandmars I don’t eat meat so your observations on my meat are spot on. The fat will come from olive oil in my salad dressing and protein from cheese which I will now add to lunch salad. And prawns in the miso cabbage ramen ‘bowl’. And FF Greek yoghurt which I eat too much of standing at the fridge with the spoon in the pot. But I’m really not hungry when I am doing the mindless eating I just get a motivation slump and drift from my desk to the kitchen. ...... I do eat fish but only once or twice a week don’t really fancy it more than that.

Should say observations on meal not meat

@NotwatchingSpooks it’s a pact. Yes I also spoon cream from the pot into my mouth on occasion

@venusandmars me too it's why I've switched from cream to unsweetened almond milk in my coffees. Not as nice, but I'm not tempted to swig it out of the carton!

I’m so sorry for your losses @ChristMyArse and @AthelstaneTheUnready - it’s a really horrible time to lose someone close. 🙁

Also hope others going through a difficult time are ok. I have good days and bad days, but most people I know in real life are the same. It’s all so relentless.

I’m KOKO and just putting my head down and trying to get to the weekend! Been sticking to the plans and eating well. No temptations which is good, although I’ve not been able to try anything new as I’ve not been able to go shopping so have been using up what we have. Today will be:

B - Greek yoghurt and avocado (sounds weird but is yum!)
L - green veg soup with lots of butter and a little cheese
D - homemade peri peri chicken with loads of green veg and possibly celeriac mash if I can be bothered to peel it!

And Water water water water!

Weight is going down slowly so I’ve lost the bit I put on at the start of the week. Fingers crossed it keeps going down!

Hi everyone, sorry for your loss as well @ChristMyArse
I have 2 teenage girls and find my 14 year old much more challenging than my 16 year old. I often feel like I'm treading on egg shells and trying not to say the wrong thing. I do keep trying to remember how difficult it is for them and she's an extrovert so really missing her friends and school life.

Please could people help me with a cheese sauce recipe? I tried one from the recipe thread but there was too much double cream in it and I'm not a fan. I'd love to make a cauliflower cheese and enjoy it.
@AWryGiraffe I saw your creamy garlicky cheese sauce mentioned, would you mind telling me how you did this?

@Jollyholibobs your diet sounds just like mind (but I don't eat seafood due to an allergy) I too can only manage fish twice a week and am becoming a bit lost for ideas so any ideas would be welcome.

Thank you everyone, hope the sun comes out where you are as it is just starting to here.

Hi all

I've been parenting an 18 year old with ASD and ADHD, trying to do his Al levels with very little support from school. In many ways though lockdown makes no difference to him as he never leaves his room (we joked that when he had to self-isolate after a contact at school we didn't notice any difference, and actually we were considering bidding to be exempted as direct contacts if he tested positive). It's hard when he basically can't communicate his emotions very well, but we are seeing a lot of unexpressed anxiety about school work and uni applications and the idea of leaving home this autumn which comes out via really horrible behaviour to us and his siblings whenever he does emerge from his room. Some days I would willingly send him to live at the bottom of the garden, but I do feel for him.

Last night's dinner: this - thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/escalivada
but with cauli rice at the bottom which soaked up the juices and had the consistency of couscous. Plus a sausage, to up the fat slightly, and some yoghurt with harissa for ditto.

Also eaten yesterday, a cheese and ham toastie on SLC bread - heaven - and a coffee with almond milk.

I am remaining zen about my weight. Valentine's Day saw me put three pounds on, one of them has gone away again, and I've STS since then despite eating like an actual saint. I'm going to have faith in a whoosh but will at best end up the same as this week's weigh in next Monday I expect. I am seeing it as Week 4 stasis!

@Dailyhandtowelwash well done for being so zen! Thanks for the recipe, I needed something to go with our chicken tomorrow and that looks perfect. Will sub large tomatoes for cherry and use ordinary peppers as that's what we have in, but can't imagine that will matter much.

It must be the week for teenagers. I've had a blazing row with my 14yo today. We saw the orthodontist yesterday, she told him that if he doesn't start brushing his teeth he will lose them. Come midday today, has he brushed his teeth? No because apparently he knows best. I'm furious.
The trouble is today is the one year anniversary of his Dad's death so it was always going to be difficult.
I've come back to bed to cry and hide

@Oneborneverydecade that’s tough. hope you have some real life support. Be kind to yourself and your DS.
I’d avoid the teeth becoming a battle ground tbh. Tell him it’s his choice. You are concerned because you love him but it’s his responsibility.

@pinkpinkeverywhere it’s tricky isn’t it. I think I was excessively reliant on carbs in my diet before I adopted this WOE. And had a lot of issues as a result. This woe definitely makes me feel happier and healthier. I am really enjoying as wide a range of special indulgent cheese as possible and nice fish and enjoying cooking more than I used to. DH is happy eating what I eat which was not the case when I was on low fat so cooking is easier I just make 1 meal. Adding paneer to curry’s as well. I have rose elliots the vegetarian low carb cookbook and particularly enjoyed the tarragon and pecorino tart. We also have the Devine cauliflower bake and the cabbage tagliatelle with cream cheese and mushroom sauce as regulars. All from that book. Good luck.

Sorry for your losses Athelstane and Christ.

@pinkpinkeverywhere it's a sort of made up on the fly one, but it's tasty. I just fry shallots in lots of butter, then add mushrooms and crushed garlic (maybe 3 or 4 cloves), lots of salt and pepper fry for a bit longer (maybe add more butter), then pour in double cream (I usually use lost of a 300ml tub, I think) and let it simmer until it thickens, and chuck in a handful of grated cheddar towards the end and let it melt in. It's very filling!! I add cut up roast chicken thighs after taking mine out for the carnivores.

Absolute snap on sauce recipe @AWryGiraffe, save I tend to use blue cheese at the end to make it a bit stronger

@BustleInYourHedgerow

Sorry for your losses Athelstane and Christ.

We should have a 'historical figures' day on the thread, where people name change temporarily.

"Oy, Ghandi, what did Cicero and Mussolini just tell you about adding sugar to coffee!"

In a pathetic attempt to keep up with the interesting cooking on this thread, I just tried a low-tomato puttanesci sauce to go on top of courgettes.

It was gopping.

Definitely bowing out of this recipe challenge.