Low Carb Bootcamp - Week 8 - the last three weeks!

[BIWI]

Morning all.

The Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

Hope it's been a good week - lots of challenges going on! I challenged myself to cook something different with cauliflower yesterday as I was getting bored of the same old same old, and so found a recipe for Bang Bang cauliflower, which I adapted slightly to make it more low carb friendly. I shall post that later.

In the meantime, I hope that the scales or the measuring tape have been kind to you!

Here's to a good next week. Remember we only have three left, so if things are slacking a bit, time to get stricter again.

It will get easier jellycat. I was the same. Last lockdown I would make a coffee with lots of sugar and add mini eggs to it (must have been near easter) so I could have melted mini eggs at the bottom!

It occured to me just now how much less I think about food now. My attitude really has shifted.

@Jellycatspyjamas my God me too!!!

If you read my posts so far nearly every one mentions this

Massive massive psychological shift to understand that eating a piece of cheese won't suddenly make my afternoon more exciting!!

And I KNOW I should drink water at those times but my inner Mary Lennox just stamps her feet and says "I don't WANT a glass of water, I want something to EAT"

Hopefully it won't be so frequent a temptation when life starts filling up again.

L: ham, hot smoked salmon, hm coleslaw, salad, hm vinaigrette
D: cheese, bacon and mushroom omelette

What veg do people have with omelettes???

I know this really isn't in the spirit but @cheeseisthebest that's absolutely genius

@cheeseisthebest I wish I’d known about that before I stopped eating sugar, my best effort is half melting kitkats in tea #whyimfat

I don't usually have veg if I have an omelette . But if I did, it would be a salad, or something like asparagus. I do often have mushrooms in my omelette though.

Omelettes:

Mushrooms, peppers and leeks, or broccoli, cauliflower, spinach if I’m doing Indian-inspired, carrots, peppers, mushroom, spring onion if I’m doing Korean/Japanese/Chinese inspired.

Sometimes I’ll do just mushrooms and cheese.
Sometimes I’ll do a plain omelette and buttered sprouts as a second course.
Sometimes I’ll put a little bit of everything in - a mix of whatever veg happens to be in the fridge, whether or not it officially goes together. It always turns out well. I do big salads like that too and again, they always end up being really delicious.

@nowlook

For those of you with house-selling woes and quandaries, hope this raises a small smile

Wonderful Thanks for the smile @nowlook

@1stMrsF

Hi all. I've just been catching up over the last few days. Going back to school and therefore for me to work has been a big shock to the system, and I haven't had much capacity. I've also completely failed to plan or shop properly and some of my meals have been comedy combinations of foods scavenged from leftovers or fridge staples (frankfurters, avocado, fried kale and a soft boiled egg anyone?)

I was interested by the discussion on people who have 'dropped off' the threads. Since losing 2 stone doing BC in 2019, I've twice joined subsequent camps and dropped out pretty quickly finding that I just wasn't in the right headspace - particularly during the previous lockdowns, which I found very stressful. I've also gone quiet when finding sticking to the rules difficult so as not to temp/undermine other people's efforts. However, one of the things I love about the threads is the support, the crazy banter between regular posters and knowing that I'd be welcome to sidle back in if I wanted to. It's meant that if I'm not as compliant as I would like to have been, I don't have that 'might as well not bother then' feeling - it's always worth getting back to it and I know I can continue to join back in again.

I've also been reflecting a lot during this BC about sustainable WOE vs diet. I could be losing weight faster if I stuck to strict BC, but I'm already a long way from the carb stuffing of 2020 (and I've lost 10lbs which is absolutely brilliant), and therefore I'm at peace with a long term, generally downward trend and to making it work with my life. e.g. I could bring lunch to work every day but I would find that more stressful than adapting a school lunch that may not always be completely ideal and then I'm more likely to stick with it long term rather than give up more quickly. Sorry long ramble, but hopefully interesting contribution to that discussion. Thank you to everyone who does post frequently and supportively, it's really helpful.

Lunches this week
hm feta and spinach frittata with avocado and mayo
sausages (swerved mash and brought leftover stir fried kale from home)
chicken curry (brought spinach and greek yog to add vegetables and up the fat content)
today is roast gammon and cabbage and I've brought some cauliflower cheese

D - DM is making us a dish that is cod and prawns baked with cheese and cream, served with FLGV - I must ask her for the recipe and add to the threads, it's perfect BC food.

Thanks for this 1stMrsF I too have stayed quiet but have kept reading and love this bootcamp group. (You are all amazing - and so funny)

Much pressure of work is making it hard to prepare/plan food well (or even sleep reasonable hours) and I'm just hanging on to the basics of low carbing - so not losing weight.

When things get this busy, I lean too much on dairy because it is easily available - don't eat enough GV and don't drink enough water. and don't get enough sleep either.

I've been afraid to weigh (in case of weight gain) - as if weighing would make a difference :) but on the positive side, I don't crave carbs or want to binge-eat as in the past. Some good habits have been established; I just need to expand them.

Haha thanks!

And it was those sachet coffees too with loads of sugar in them!

Afternoon
Have done my e excise challenge and am now catching up on work.

Today
B Greek yogurt
L small bit of leftover lamb and aubergine bake and a graze pack of marmite peanuts from graze which were 4.4gs carbs and I ate out of boredom, sigh
D chicken breast in Parma ham tray bake

Realised I actually meant the first lockdown
April time!

@FusionChefGeoff if you can be arsed, I recommend batch roasting a ton of veg to keep in the fridge and then shove in an omelette. I usually add feta, Boursin or grated cheese

Wow I cannot believe how much my alcohol tolerance has reduced. First time since Christmas I had 2 glasses of red wine (another one consoling about house move delays) and todays its like I'm back at square one.
Starving all day and massive carb cravings - which I've resisted but after trying to cut down on dairy cheese has been my substitute for the day.
Lesson learnt - but also with mixed feelings of will I ever be able to enjoy a few drinks again!?

I am still here! Reading, but not much time for posting now students are back in school. Koko here really and actually can't really imagine switching back to eating big carbs now which is pretty amazing. I know this will be more difficult when we are allowed to socialise more.

Just whipped up some crackers for the kids: ground almonds, flax seed, couple handfuls of cheddar, oil, water. Seem good so pleased that they can have something not carb based and I can enjoy them too when I need some crunch. Pork lettuce tacos with all the trimmings tonight.

Keeping up with my fitness challenge and can feel definite difference in tightness in tummy which is great. @BIWI I am doing the same as you, can you link the website? Thinking about doing another when this is finished.

@FusionChefGeoff love a salad with French dressing with a big cheese omelette. Tomato salad nice too.

Those talking about the chocolate they used to eat. I think I was quiet smug about not having a sweet tooth. Now I realise it's because all my fav things (bread/crisps/wine) are sugar!

@Jellycatspyjamas I am a bored eater too. It does get better. I think that the carbs give you such a hit and low carb stuff doesn't in the same way. So after a while it is less appealing unless you are hungry if that makes sense? I can't remember how new you are to low carb, but I would be inclined to just eat as much as you want at first, then tweak at each stage as some things kind of slot into place.

Here you go @Bestbees I'm doing the medium one . I'm still two days behind because I've missed a couple of days. Tomorrow should be a rest day so I'll catch up on one day then.

Finished week 3 of C25K today, which means I start week 4 on Saturday. I had a bit of knee pain today, so I'm not looking forward to extending the runs! Have taken some pain killers so hopefully a day's rest will sort that.

@Howdidthathappen1 alcohol lowers your blood glucose level quite dramatically (that’s what makes people feel and act drunk, and also that’s why you crave high carb foods when you’ve had a lot of alcohol), so if you’re keeping your blood sugars very low you really do need to be more careful with drinking. Have slightly higher carb foods to go with it, and don’t have too much in one go. My daughter, who is type 1 diabetic, knows it’s very important not to take her insulin if she’s going to have alcohol, and to always eat something with it, so that her blood sugar doesn’t dip too low.

Thanks @BIWI I am doing medium one too, might tackle hard one next!

Thanks. Today has put me right off drinking - ridiculous over 2 glasses my other half is finding it hilarious!
I'll save it for maintenance on the odd night out I think!
I feel this bootcamp has been a massive learning curve and trial run so in the next one I'll have a far better idea and make more progress
Slow learner here!

I keep scaring myself by looking at the last few days!

I wonder whether my high-side BG levels are responsible for my prodigious alcohol tolerance then? It's definitely lower now!

Hello, new/returning posters!

I had an obscene but delicious lunch of duck egg omelette, with bacon, cherry tomatoes and truffled brie, with lettuce leaves and chunks of saucisson covered in mayonnaise.

Thanks for the interest in our dilemma. One job has raced into being more likely than the other, and I'm exploring the commute to get the more appropriate school route. Unfortunately that's the one involving the fewest friends, which is daunting.

@LittleMy77 I definitely can be arsed excellent and yes would be amazing with feta!!!

But tonight I am now fixed on mush / bacon / cheese might have to make a cheats ratatouille and fry some peppers, courgettes and onions on the side as don't have time to roast now.

I'm funny about salad with hot things @Bestbees always have been so not sure that will do it for me

@Jellycatspyjamas I am a bored eater too. It does get better. I think that the carbs give you such a hit and low carb stuff doesn't in the same way. So after a while it is less appealing unless you are hungry if that makes sense? I can't remember how new you are to low carb, but I would be inclined to just eat as much as you want at first, then tweak at each stage as some things kind of slot into place.

It’s does make sense, I wander to the fridge telling myself “if you’re actually hungry have some cheese/yoghurt etc” but realise I’m not actually hungry, I just hear the crisps calling my name. So far I’m not succumbing, I’ll either have a bit of something or, more often than not, not bother.

Lost about 2st low carbing a few years ago and managed to keep it off, now I’m back to lose the next 2 - so I know how it works, in theory, this time though I’m much more aware of what’s happening to me emotionally and psychologically around food. Last time I was too stressed about life stuff for any kind of reflection on myself so it’s nice to have the headspace now and hopefully change my relationship with food a bit.

Hello everyone!

Been very quiet, back at school this week and it’s wiped me out.

Feel like I’m slipping off the wagon slightly. All meals have been on plan, however boyfriend made a milkshake the other night and I tasted it. Doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it all adds up with having a try of this, and a try of that.
As a result I put 2lbs on.

Water in take has dropped massively as well. Been so busy in school I’m forgetting to drink.

Just feeling a bit meh! Trying hard not to slip completely off. Hopefully I’ll get back into it! Today was definitely better.

@FusionChefGeoff I've been feeling the same - bit jittery and strange. Also my rhr is gone from low 50s on my fitbit to low 60s. Which is quite high for me. When I exercise and lay off the booze it would normally be in the high 40s so something is up.

@Doilooklikeatourist once off and draw a line. Hope you're feeling ok. Well done for admitting it here you did well.

I'm due my period and had a terrible day yesterday. I cried for hours. I rarely cry which is not really a good thing I know. Been well-versed a year since I cried and like a lot of people I have had a stressful shitty year. No end in sight to lockdown here and vaccine shortages too.
I ate mostly on plan, I was ravenous due to my period being on the way so ended up snacking on cheese slices and chicken thighs dipped in garlic mayo. The only slightly off plan thing was a few handfuls of salted peanuts. I avoided the chocolate and crisps belonging to DH. I avoided the whiskey.

Today I had

B: scrambled eggs with butter and nduja
D: beef stroganoff with lots of celery, mushrooms and asparagus.

Cup of tea.

Back on nights tonight and have some yoghurt and berries for later to get me through.