April Leaving Lockdown Low Carb Bootcamp - week 1

[BIWI]

Welcome everyone!

Here, as ever, is the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness created and lovingly managed by the wonderful @AthelstaneTheUnready

Hopefully you should find that you're already on the spreadsheet - but if not, just add your name to the bottom of the list. Don't try to insert it in the right alphabetical place - Athelstane will do that for you. And don't touch the blue cells or try to enter any other data or comments!

For those that are new, each week I'll start a new chat thread, on Monday, and we'll start off with recording our weight.

However

You don't have to use your weight to measure your progress - and you don't have to be on the spreadsheet if you don't want to be. Instead, take your measurements each week (bust/upper arms/waist/hips/thighs), or find an item of clothing that's just too tight/small right now, and keep trying it on each week.

The rules of Bootcamp are on the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet - but here's a quick summary of the rules for the first two weeks:

1. Eat three meals a day
2. Avoid processed foods
3. Eat lots of fat
4. Make sure you're eating vegetables and salad with your food
5. Be careful about dairy, apart from butter which is unlimited
6. You must drink a minimum of 2 litres of water a day
7. No alcohol
8. No fruit
9. No nuts/seeds

10. No sugar/artificial sweeteners

Make sure you have a really good read of the spreadsheet for the full detail of the rules. Also, check out the tabs at the bottom - there's a huge amount of information that will really help you, especially if you're new to low carbing/Bootcamp.

There's also a thread here of FAQs which should be helpful.

Some thread etiquette

The thread will move really quickly - especially at the beginning.

But please take the time to read everyone's posts, rather than just plopping on with your own comments/thoughts/questions. It's very frustrating when someone comes on to the thread to ask a question that's been posed and answered already!

Don't lurk!

I know that not everyone is confident about posting - and also that there are a lot of posters who are regular Bootcampers, and who know other Bootcampers. Please don't think this is a cliquey thread. It couldn't be further from the truth!

Everyone's views and experiences are welcome and valid, so jump in and post.

Any questions, please just post. Or PM me. There's always someone here who can help - and if I or they can't, then we can always find someone who can!

Above all, very good luck to everyone.

I very much hope that by the time we come to the end of these ten weeks, that we really are (as a country) completely ready to leave Lockdown well behind.

Wishing everyone all the luck

Would it be really annoying of me to ask where is the chicken Alfredo recipe?

@JimmyJabs

My rosewater question seems to have fallen down the thread, so I'll ask it again - do we think I'll be ok to stir a bit of rosewater into my yoghurt? I've looked online and it seems to have no nutritional value at all so I'm thinking it'll be alright.

I tried it with coffee stirred in this morning, which was ok but the coffee flavour was rather drowned out by the yoghurt tang.

There are zero carbs in rose water!

It's proper "next stop Manhattan", isn't is Doilooklikeatourist?

Had you been from Haverfordwest, I'd already have spotted you as a bootcamper by your lovely skin, hair and nails and your constant peeing

@Momsincharge American! Now, that is exotic. You called it holidaying rather than vacationing, which means you've either lived here for a while or are culturally aware enough to change the word Sorry about the weather this week- it's a bit grey

[quote Doilooklikeatourist]We had chicken Alfredo last night , I’d forgotten how delicious it is ( and I couldn’t eat the last bit of chicken as I was full )
I’ve attached the link .
We had chicken breast ( as DD doesn’t like chicken thighs ) and I don’t parcook the cauli and spinach , just chuck it all in like a tray bake
www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/cauliflower-chicken-alfredo[/quote]
Cheeseisthebest

I’ve been here for twenty years, so quite a long time!

@Hughbert I am veggie and have PCOS. The most recent boot camp was my first and was very pleasantly surprised to lose a stone. I started skipping breakfast after the first couple of weeks as I just wasn’t hungry. Between the Diet Doctor, Rose Elliot’s book and the veggie recipe thread I’ve been eating some delicious meals and so happy not to have to count or feel deprived. (Sorry- know your post was pages ago... moves so quickly).

Is Shagmeriggins MIA? Shag...Shag.... Where are you?

@venusandmars the thing about eating cheese like that makes me feel 'hard done by'. If I get hungry, I want carbs. So to get really hungry, that you're in the emergency supply, it can be a spiral. I'm prone to carb flu as well & I get out of sorts when I get too hungry. I find so much of the WoE is not to get into that pickle - eat enough, sleep enough is important for me.

Today:
B: Mushroom, courgette, scalion, tomato & 3 eggs. Creamy coffee.
Protein bar (home made) after bike ride - I didn't mean to have this but I was really weak after my first cycle this year.
D: Homemade meatballs, in HM tomato sauce with FLGV
Snack: Greek yogurt

Myketo.ie are a great find. I'm assuming they're not allowed in BC, but we have a supply of them in the freezer & I would really recommend. Unfortunately they do not do bread, but I'm going to try a recipe I found on here and I will report back

Just catching up. Solidarity from me too for all those struggling dc. All three of mine at times
Has anyone tried the new lidl authentic Greek yogurt? I was delighted with it, had a bowl with a big sqiish of cinnamon and felt very nourished!
D tonight is still a mystery... . I have mince so maybe mince and tatties for the little ones and chilli for ds and I. I am always so impressed by the cheffy posters and love reading the recipes but just lacking the oomph to produce them at the minute

I know what you mean @oscarandelliesdad! Would the dc go for the cheeseburger pie, do you think?

Good morning everyone.

Feeling raring to go today, ready for all the food and, after posting here, a run along the beach, like an 80's cliche.

B: ham and cheese omelette
L: tofu stir fry with FLGV
D: roast veggies and chicken breast in olive oil

3l+ water

Happy Thursday!

@nowlook. Good thinking, only one set of dishes too. I am sooo bored of washing dishes.

Jubilation- after 3 months of nursery diseases and development leaps- the baby slept through again! We are new people.

Yesterday I ate

Scrambled eggs with veggies and sour cream
Veg and lentil soup ( I know this is deviant but I was literally on calls all day and a friend had cooked abs I was grateful ) some cheese and some smoked tofu
Tuna steak, grated cheddar, salad and sesame oil dressing

I also got to go to my first hot yoga class in four months! Bliss.

Had a really bad night's sleep- is this part of bootcamp/ carb flu? But when I did drift off I managed to do everything I have ever wanted to do to Rafa Nadalso silver lining found.
Have a day off from work today so going to do Chicken Alfredo for dinner and will pick a recipe from IPD for lunch.

Went to a neighbours birthday party last night- the food on offer was Domino's and chocolate cake and gin! I'd already eaten my mackerel and greens so I wasn't tempted but it really brought it home how out of control my eating has been- I would have had no problems eating a whole pizza and 2 slices of cake and 2 g and ts

@AthelstaneTheUnready I’m not on the spreadsheet- am I ok to add myself if I promise not to dent the lovely alphebeticisationnnnnnnn?

I felt very exhausted last night - this morning too. And a bit short of breath, and I think my heart rate is a bit rapid.
I'm wondering if this is to do with the low-carb/high-fat eating.

Hopefully it is just carb flu. I haven't had my cholesterol checked for about a decade so I don't know whether I should have thought about any possible reasons for avoiding a high-fat diet before embarking.

I also feel a bit greased out and overful. I guess that is just a problem of finding the rightmeals and portion sizes, which I might resolve with time.

Planning to allow myself one white coffee now, and to boil a couple of eggs to eat at my desk in an hour or so when I have the appetite.

@Chunkymonkey123 I rate smoked tofu. Low carb, salty and yum and you can eat it with your bare hands!

Morning everyone. Sorry to those not sleeping well.
@Random789 sorry you are feeling rubbish. It may well be carb flu. Have you tried a lemon juice and salt in water? I sometimes get greased out on the woe so if I do I focus on meals that are naturally fatty without being greasy. For example:
Breaksfast: shashuka
Lunch: avo and feta salad
D salmon stirfy, Greek yog.
I hope that helps.

@Nateismine well done for saying no to pizza and cake, definitely social occasions are the hardest.

@Angliski oops about the lentils. Is it worth you batch cooking to avoid the issue when you have no time? I save things like cauli and broc stalks, asparagus stalks etc and once a week make a batch of rich green soup to freeze. Then I can pull that out in the morning if needs be.

Someone mentioned earlier that on the first two weeks they go back to breakfasts and I have done that and finding it good,have now dropped back to end of last boot camp weight, but not quiet lowest in bootcamp weight if that makes sense.

Plan for today:
B:two boiled eggs with mayo in lettuce wrap
L: turkey mayo lettuce wraps, garlic sausage thing, crudite and aubergine dip. Possibly another egg.
D: lamb meat balls, celeriac and brocoli.
Long coastal walk.

Have a great day everyone

@oscarandelliesdad - I've been recommending the Lidl Authentic Greek yoghurt for weeks and pointing out not to get their Greek style stuff which is not nice

Thanks, @bestbees. I had to google shashuka. It sounds lovely.

Yes, you are right that there are foods that are fatty without being greasy. I've been frying everything, but foods like salmon and avocado let you ramp up the fat without oiliness. I will stock up on avocados on my next supermarket trawl. I always buy samon anyway, but I think I will poach it for a while.
I hope I can find some decent ones. They used always to be large and lovely, but as they have become more popolar, Tesco always seems to have hard little scrawny ones. Its always the way with lovely fruit and veg: the supermarkets hunt and hunt for ways of sourcing them more cheaply until farmers are forced into growing feeble versions of the real thing.
I know we aren't eating fruit at the moment, so this is not a problem for now, but APPLES. Tesco has given up having lovely natural traditional apples varieties. Can rarely find russets anymore, even in the autumn

You're on, @Angliski

Another rubbish sleeper here. Less to do with low carb, and more to do with the cat marching up and down my back all night.

@Random789, I hear you on the apples. Best I can get is the occasional cox from the co-op.

Last year I gave in and ordered some old-fashioned variety saplings, but it was in February unfortunately, so they never arrived... Will try again this Autumn.

I am trying the water-with-lemon-and-salt right now, @bestbees. Not sure of how much of each to add so I went for a dash and a pinch.

It is certainly pleasant and refreshing. I've run out of the expensive mineral water that I have been quaffing, so it is good to have this as an alternative today. I also drink water with a dash of apple cider vinegar (actaully about two dashes if I'm honest). That tastes very bright and clear, almost (almost!) like a very dry white wine.

Growing your own sounds like a great idea, @AthelstaneTheUnready. I do have a miniature apple tree which is a trad viariety. My brain is telling me that it is called Jimmy Grieves, but isn't that a football commentator rather than an apple?

I have to be disciplined and organised to make sure I use the fruit from it, as it is all ready in a glut and if I'm not careful the birds and maggots are better at using it than i am.

@Random789 glad it helped. I agree about the apples. My grandfather was a green grocer at Covent garden, supplying London restaurants and was awarded an OBE for services to British apples! We have two apple trees, but Riverford do good ones too. My husband buys and troughs the cheap lidl apples, but they don't taste of anything. I want a sharply sweet, rough skinned yumminess. Luckily, living on the Somerset boarder we do get decent apples, and pre covid friends of ours had an apple pressing day where we en masse pressed the apples and then she pasteurised the juice and made cider. I make my own cider vinager from the scraps of my own apples.

Have you tried making apple butter @Random789, it uses loads of apples and is easier than apple jelly. Loads of sugar so not for this way of eating but if you make it a bit sharper it’s nice with cold meats etc.

I know what you mean about feeling greased out, I tend to feel that way sometimes too so I’ll make a stir fry with lots of crisp veggies and which doesn’t tend to feel as fatty if you know what I mean. I’ve realised I tended to use pasta and carbs to cut through the richness of some food so I look for other ways to do that, Chinese spices and aromatics tends to help with that for me.