Week 9 - Low Carb Bootcamp - only 2 weeks to go ...

[BIWI]

Morning all.

[[Here's the Spreadsheet as always
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18CKhdQ3FlGz_8H53AA2Pqm4xmvGLHO6vBrkNWCkSO48/edit#gid=788946144 ]]

I hope everyone had a good week, and that any Mother's Day treats haven't messed things up too much

So we enter our final two weeks. Still time to shift a couple of those pesky pounds - especially if you keep focused and stay strict. And a reminder, channelling my inner Shag, WATER, WATER, WATER!

Thanks @nowlook and @BIWI she's pretty good actually and will eat most things that aren't too spicy - it's the protein plus veg thing I struggle with without just giving her chips or mash to go with it...

I wrote a long post to you @LongtimelurkerL and then it deleted!

We eat as a family and I just adapt. Soon idea with added bits for carb eaters:

Stirfy+chicken/prawn/beef + noodles

Pork tacos, avo, sour cream and cheese - lettuce wraps for me, tacos for others

Burgers I have bunless with celeriac chips +buns and potato chips

Butter tomato sauce and meat balls-courgette for me, pasta for others

Pizza for them, melazane for me

Beef stew + pots for them

Chicken and bacon with dauphin oise celeriac. Kids just have veg with theirs

Omlette with bread/pots on side if needed.

Roast dinner I do mixed roast veg so I have celeriac or swede not potatoes.

I hope that helps?

Lots of lovely stuff there Bees

If I think about what mine will eat now (like you, Zigg, 14 yo DS still has a strong beige leaning):

• Broccoli and/or cauliflower with everything. I don't like to cook those in butter because both DSs favour a carb or many and I'm a slattern who uses those microwave bags. So I make a roll of cafe de paris butter (which keeps in the freezer) and put a slice on my broccoli when serving. Recipe is here:

cafe de paris really easy

-Spag bol (I just have the bol bit and also hide a lots of celery in it)

-Cucumber and peppers. Both DSs will eat them raw but not cooked. You could stir-fry your portion of them.

Oh, and if you cut celeriac into the right shape, they pass for parsnips- particularly if you eat gormlessly while playing FIFA*

*other mind-numbing computer games are available

Have been out of the loop for a bit dealing with work stresses amongst things.

Sorry to hear some are going through stressful times as well. It's been a challenging year no doubt.

Loving the earring stories @prettybird. Really like the dangly one with the silver ball too!

About to cheer myself up with some spanakopita! Loving the woe

Thanks so much @nowlook and @Bestbees!!

Love the sound of that butter nowlook, I have the same dilemma over the fat as my lot love carbs. They are all healthy weights and I'm conscious that I want to change what I eat without affecting them too much or creating too much work for myself.

I usually do a bit of batch cooking at the weekend so that I have extra veggies ready for my meals to substitute for the carbs that they're having. I'll make a random veggie gratin, or a dauphinoise (Either turnip or celeriac) or ratatouille (I posted recipe on the veggie recipe thread), then I'll have that with whatever they have minus the carbs.

Last night we had salmon. Everyone else had it with new potatoes and corn on the cob. I had it with a big chunk of ratatouille that I made last weekend. Just had to heat that in the microwave so it didn't feel like lots of extra work.

Great list from Bees, I do the same with tacos/fajitas (just use lettuce wraps) and burgers without the bun and with celeriac chips

Tesco do frozen bags of cauliflower rice which I have whenever we have a curry or anything that the rest are having with rice. Not a massive cauliflower rice fan to be honest but it feels more normal than having a curry without any rice at all. I like it better with a bit of fried leek mixed in.

Hi everyone. Trying to catch up and failing desperately.

Also cheated a bit and feeling sorry for myself . Got a takeaway for st Patrick's Day - the family had pizza I ordered a Caesar salad sans croutons with crispy prawns on the side. Didn't realise crispy meant battered but in hindsight anything crispy could never be low carb. Anyway the salad came with croutons but I picked them out. It was delicious. The prawns were battered and I ate about 6 of them? But felt awful after, so full. So obviously not used to carbs. I had a nap too! So will avoid. I had one Gin and sparking water also.

Stuck to plan yesterday .

Met a friend today for a walk outdoors and she brought along a flat whitefor me. No sugar or anything in it but I drank it. It was so good. Hope it doesn't throw me off too much .

Today's earrings: pretty purple ones that I bought in one of the Woolly Hugs craft sales, made by the lovely Catmint.

A flat white shouldn't be too bad, Bustle. It's less milk than a latte anyway.

DH and I are getting a Chinese takeaway tonight to celebrate his annual bonus coming in. Any suggestions for what to get? I usually go for barbecue ribs no sauce for a starter and some kind of duck dish for a main. It might be nice to try something different for a change.

Longtime They're a bit pricey but Tilda do kids microwave rice packs for when you want an easy carb for them or just can't be bothered. My DD loves the veggie paella one and has it with whatever meat and veg I'm having. She's only 2 though so a pack does 2 meals.

Thanks @Hopeislost that's a good idea and yeah i've just stocked up on the frozen cauli rice @ouchmyfeet - I don't currently own a microwave but might need to invest!

I know it's not ideal, but I think szechuan dishes are about the best thing (after the stuff you've already mentioned) Stunt

Do you always coordinate your houseplants to your earrings, pretty?

I've really enjoyed the earring challenge. I might join you on the very last day as I only have one pair. In fact, given I miserably failed to do any sort of challenge, I should do everyone else's on that day.

Stint I’m a fan of the lettuce wraps. Depends on your restaurant but they can come with pork & veg or chicken & veg, all wrapped in iceberg. I think it’s a way for them to mince up all the cut offs and put them to use, but it’s nicely flavoured and fun to eat.

Also satay skewers are doable, and I’m a fan of hot & sour soup as well.

I tend to get a few starters rather than a meal of any kind—more variety of flavours. My husband jokes that I’m the Cher character in mermaids because I could essentially live on little bits of lots of things (she never cooked proper meals, if you remember, and while I definitely do, his point is my preference would be tapas and hors d’oeuvres and canapés etc. He’s right!)

miniature kebobs Shag

No, autocorrect, I genuinely meant mashmallow. I know it's been a while since I typed that

Salt and chilli chicken wings or squid.

Szechuan prawns (It’s hot enough that you don’t need to eat much of the sauce).

Broccoli or other veg side.

The omelette dishes would be good (don’t remember what it’s called!)

And if they do them a broth would be lovely!

@BustleInYourHedgerow personally I would see that as an achievement - imagine what you would have had in the past!!! Being able to adapt with all that temptation and very easy to give in - and it's not your fault they were breaded! I think you shouldn't be too hard on yourself.

Can anyone 'call' the runners for me I can't remember who they are but I have a question!!

I've been LCHF for a month now, running is going well without using any gels / fuel before hand. Training plan has a half marathon distance in on Sunday which I'm up for but just wondering if it's likely to be long enough to be fat adapted to sustain that? Should I have some carbs before I head out / take some gels??

Day to day my energy levels are great but this is really pushing the boundaries for me normally so I'm nervous about how I'll cope!

Thanks for all the Chinese takeaway suggestions. I definitely need to get out of my rut. There aren't a lot of takeaway options where I live so it's samey enough already.

@kilojules

Have been out of the loop for a bit dealing with work stresses amongst things.

Sorry to hear some are going through stressful times as well. It's been a challenging year no doubt.

Loving the earring stories @prettybird. Really like the dangly one with the silver ball too!

About to cheer myself up with some spanakopita! Loving the woe

Ooh, low-carb spanakopita? Is this recipe on the recipe thread please?

@FusionChefGeoff I’ve recently run several half + distance without carb loading. There should be no need. My only long run concession is to have a breakfast before hand which I don’t do with short runs. I don’t know if that is necessary but when I rant 13miles + fasted (doing 16:8) I was a bit preoccupied with what I would eat when I got home for the last few miles!! I usually have a combo of creamy scrambled egg, buttery fried mushrooms and or smoked salmon. Not too much 1 egg is enough as I don’t like to feel full while running. I am not a fast runner so I am out for up to 3hrs for my long run. I’m not an expert though. Have just been experimenting and enjoying the lack of reliance in gels.

Are you training for a marathon? If so which one. I have entered the MK marathon on 3rd May. Hoping it can go ahead.

@StuntNun

Thanks for all the Chinese takeaway suggestions. I definitely need to get out of my rut. There aren't a lot of takeaway options where I live so it's samey enough already.

Have you got a link to the takeaway menu?

Like Shag, I try to go for the lettuce wraps, if they have them.

@FusionChefGeoff

What distance are you running now, without any gels?

Thank you @Jollyholibobs I am not going beyond a half - that's definitely my favourite distance I couldn't stomach the training for full marathons!! I put a fake race date into my Garmin app as I am so much more focussed and I enjoy it more if I have a target. I'm in for the Oxford half in October fingers crossed and might try to find one before then if they start up.

So far @BIWI I'm up to 8 miles comfortably without any breakfast (I usually fast so nothing new) and no gels. I did 10 last weekend but the last bit was a real slog. Might have been the wind rather than the energy levels though!!

I really like NOT using gels and would like to do that but only if it's sensible.

If I'm still a bit early to be properly fat adapted I'd rather complete the distance, feel strong and happy having had some carbs - than feel like a failure but not have carbs if that makes sense!!!