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

[quote Random789]@AthelstaneTheUnready, Yay! about the fruit tree purchases. They sound lovely. I hope you enjoy planting and growing them, and eating the fruit.[/quote]
Thank you!

I definitely will. I've hankered after a mini-orchard since we moved house when I was little, leaving one behind (it was only 6 trees in a corner...)

By the time they get around to producing - and me eating - the fruit, BIWI will be too tottery to chase me far with the big stick

I dye my hair myself! The only reason it's very rooty is that I don't redo it directly before I go to the hairdressers, as a lot of colour still comes out for a few washes afterwards and it would be a bit embarrassing to make their sink look like they've cut my throat into it. I had quite short hair that I straightened before lockdown, and now it's collarbone length and curly. I'm definitely not going back to how it was. It's a useful length for hiding a moonface, for a start.

Foodwise, I haven't done anything off plan today but because I got a nasty carb craving after dinner, I somehow feel like I've cheated. Not rational at all. I think I need an early night, and preferably not to wake up at 4am because of stupid cheese dreams.

B - Greek yoghurt and rosewater
L - chicken and avocado salad
D - steak and mushrooms with poached eggs and runner beans

@AthelstaneTheUnready thanks for the add

I have been low carbing on and off for the last few years, scuppered by the offs every time... so hoping that actually joining in here will give me the bit of extra willpower to step away from crisps and chocolate.

Don't usually eat breakfast so not starting now but have had scrambled eggs and mushrooms for lunch, and garlic cheese-stuffed bacon wrapped chicken breast with celeriac chips and salad for dinner.

I probably drink too much tea, so will try just to have a tiny splash of milk in it, and replace one or two mugs with extra water.

@BIWI this is a stupid question for a reasonably seasoned low carber sorry! But can we cook with ground almonds (eg the cheese scones) during weeks 1 and 2?

Sorry @PseudoBadger - not in the first two weeks I'm afraid!

Thanks thought not!

@StuntNun

Thank you to whoever suggested a fruit teabag in a 2l bottle of sparkling water!!! That was me MrsOmelette!

I hope your day goes okay BuffyTheBuffetSlayer sleep deprivation is the worst. It always makes me extra hungry so fill up on good low carb food. I keep a couple of boiled eggs in the fridge for emergencies. They're lovely with mayo mixed with a little bit of curry powder for a quick cheat devilled egg. For your 2yo check out Ellen Satler's Division of Responsibility Model for child feeding. I've been following it with my 18yo DS1 who has autism and it works really well at getting them to eat. Another thing I've noticed with my 6yo DS4 is that he can't deal with decisions on what to eat. If you ask him what he wants for breakfast or lunch then he won't eat anything at all. Instead I leave a plate of picky bits such as fruit and a deconstructed sandwich (open slice of bread cut into triangles, ham rolled up, cucumber or pepper sticks) near to him and he'll often eat all of that. Whereas asking him, "Do you want a sandwich for lunch?" would end in disaster. Finally I love Penelope Leach's advice on child feeding which is that food only has to be balanced over the week not each day. So if one of mine has a no veg day I don't worry about it and try and get more into them the next day. In my opinion it's more important for them to be eating than exactly what they eat. My DS1 only had three safe foods as a toddler but now he's an adult you would hardly even call him fussy. The one thing he still can't eat is pie for some reason; he can't deal with the way the pastry touches the filling.

Thanks @StuntNun, I managed to muddle through after a short nap until bedtime. Surprisingly BOTH DD's had a long lie this morning!! It's totally unheard of Thanks for recommending Ellen Satler's Division of Responsibility Model for child feeding, I had a read of it last night. It's really interesting, I like their approach. I'm going to check out Penelope Leach tonight when I finish studying. I've very much been of the same opinion about not stressing too much about kid's veg count per day. 2 days ago all I managed to get DD to eat for the whole day was 3 cookies, and that was just so she had something in her belly!! It is hard but as you point out they will get there in the end.

I'm still choked with this awful cold but managed to keep on track with my food and water.
B. was bullet proof coffee. I know it's not the best but I just didn't have the energy to make a proper breakfast.
L. 2 fried eggs on SLCB.
D. Courgetti fried in butter, olive oil (is it ok to use both at the same time?), diced onion, mushrooms and celery, garlic and thyme topped with skin on chicken thighs.

I bought a new pair of shorts today. I was chuffed to find a size 18 fit, was in a size 20 last year, bordering on 22! I'll be delighted if I can drop to a size 16 by the end of bootcamp, that's my goal! KOKO everyone and well done getting through another day

Absolutely it's OK to use butter and olive oil together! In fact, it's a better thing to do - the oil stops the butter fro burning.

Hello all, today’s menu was this...

B Scrambled egg made with some cream, which someone up thread mentioned, it was really nice might do that more often.
L chicken salad with Mayo and cheese
D meatloaf with veg

I think I’ve drank 3L of water today or maybe more definitely not less anyway I know that.
Also went for a 6 mile bike ride, hopefully that will help to burn some fat.

Another big thank you for the herbal teabag in sparkling water tip, I usually struggle with enough water for the first week and this has made it so much easier!

Spent yesterday batch cooking. Mainly soups with loads of veg (fried in butter and olive oil), cream, and threw in some hard boiled eggs before smooshing... thanks to a tip I read on here or a past thread I think. Bloody lovely

Thanks BIWI makes sense!

Well done on your bike ride @Linnet! Last time I went on a bike ride was with my dad a couple years ago 'to burn the fat off my arse' as he so eloquently put it! I hated that bicycle seat, I walked like a cowboy for a fortnight after!

Oops, forgot to add

B- chicken drumsticks seasoned with chicken salt and 2 hard boiled eggs

L- in work and not that hungry so a pack of chicken skewers

D- Stilton and loadsaveg soup and 2 slices of loadsaveg omelette

At least 2ltrs water

Love this WOE. Boss had a go at me today and normally I’d spend the evening with Cathy Twat consoling our sorrows. Spending it with Pam Choi instead!

@Linnet hope you enjoyed your bike ride, seriously well done.

I learnt to ride a bike badlyaround the block I grew up on. It took a loooonnng time. Whoever invented pebbledash has a special place in hell, and if police ever need my dna they can lift it off any house front in my area

Late to the apple chat, but if anyone is local and has spares, I’ll be the person on your local FB group asking for bags of fallers to give our pigs! Have also promised DH to start a mini orchard for his birthday - @AthelstaneTheUnready can I ask where you’ve ordered trees from?

Today’s food (not enough FLGV):

• eggs and bacon
• Lidl rollitos (thank you whoever posted about these, perfect to grab on the go!)
• sausage snack
• Sautéed aubergine, courgette, chicken thighs, halloumi. Yum!

Need to change meals round a bit. Currently do dinner for all at 5.30, but the kids need it earlier really so I’ll have to sort them at 4.30 and us later. I need to do some proper meal planning this weekend. Trouble is I end up feeling hungry when the kids eat (see snack of sausage above!) and later as well.

My hair doesn’t so much have roots as random massive chunks of grey. I’ve just told my hairdresser I can’t afford the colour though, now I’m on unpaid Maternity leave. She is a fellow preschool mum so I felt the need to warn her before she sees me turn up having box coloured it!

Also forgot to mention started the day with a bad back and what must be carb flu (exhausted, no energy, headache, odd taste in dry mouth etc) Tried the PP suggestion of water with salt (used Himalayan pink salt and felt extra virtuous 😂) and a squirt of lemon and it made such a difference.

So a massive thank you to you too!
In fact I owe massive thanks to so many posters on here but it’s already starting to sound like a bad Oscars acceptance speech

@TheGoodShipObvious, it was orange pippin trees uk - not tried them before, but after the last lot finally binned my order primrose a mere 11 months after they cancelled delivery, I'm thinking the only way is up.

It's advance ordering only atm though - so if his birthday's before Autumn, you might just have to hand him the ground plan. Or dig the holes.

B: coffee with almond milk. verdict: REALLY nice for the first one, a bit nutty and indulgent. Wears thin on the second, and not really up for a third.
L: more of the disappointing gloop, cold.
D: more of the disappointing gloop, hot, with added broccoli

Only one more serving to go, thank god. I can't freeze it, as I don't want to do that to my future self.

@TheGoodShipObvious oooh I’m jealous you have pigs! Can I ask what kind?

Re hair: started going grey at 20 goes in my family. Dodgy bright box dye here all the way!

AthelstaneTheUnready thanks - his birthday is October, so should be about right!

@OnceUponAMidnightBeery they’re Oxford Sandy and Blacks.

Inspired by whoever it was that drinks ACV in water, I located my bottle of fire cider (apple cider vinegar plus turmeric, horseradish, ginger) and tried that. Big nope! I think it’s the horseradish, can’t stand the stuff.

@AthelstaneTheUnready thanks for the add. My commiserations on the gloop. When food goes wrong here, we give it to the seagulls that visit Mr Hopalong and Hopalong’s Mate

Today I ate
Smoked salmon scramble with sour cream and sauerkraut
Venison grill steak veggies with butter and salad
Aubergine and halloumi salad with green veg and a table spoon of tuna - leftovers
I did have a sneaky 100mls of a pea protein chocolate milk. 4.3 carbs but it did have sugar in.

Fess up face- much batting of lashes.

@TheGoodShipObvious beautiful, thanks for the photo how many do you have??

Also that fire cider sounds wonderful! I’ve never heard of it where did you get it from please?

I bought it on Amazon, but there are lots of recipes out there to make your own. The idea is to have a shot a day to boost your immune/digestive system - who knows whether there’s anything in that, but the ingredients are all good for you! Works well as a salad dressing too!

Thanks! Sounds delicious 😋

I drank 4 pints of water today plus 2 coffees and a herbal tea so pleased with that. I kind of have a system like others - of refilling my 1 pint bottle. 1 fill before breakfast - between getting up and shower, and stuff (like laundry). Second before 12. Third before children home from school (Part time work). 4th around dinner time. Coffee with B and herbal tea in front of the telly. But gosh do I pee a lot.
We're still fairly locked down, so was happy to find the loos open at the shopping centre or I'd have had to rush home.
B; Mushrooms, eggs & cheese. Coffee.
L: Chicken coleslaw and greens.
D: Leftover meatballs on leaves.
Greek yogurt.

I had a sneaky weigh in and think I've lost a lb or 2 which is very motivating. I'm eating lots of dairy - butter cream & cheese, I may have to cut down but I'm doing OK right now.

A tip I heard is to use strongly flavoured cheese so you need less for the flavour kick. I love every kind of chees including blue, so I'll put it on the shopping list.

We're being told hairdressers in May. Probably the bloody 31st. I can actually tie it in a pontail now. I've been dying it 30 years, so happy to see it's colour (Brown) but I'm missing my highlights.

@StuntNun thanks for the recommendations about child feeding, my youngest is very anti-veg indeed.
@OnceUponAMidnightBeery ooh blitzing hard boiled eggs in to soup!!! This has made me very excited, thank you. 😁

Today’s food: L - cream of celery soup, bacon bits on top, side of beansprouts & air fried sprouts D - chicken souvlaki, salad & tzatziki

Can't keep up with the thread so sorry I'm not posting much. Will try harder.

As predicted at the start of the week I have struggled this week with being off work and having kids home. Haven't drunk enough water and have been tempted by the odd nibble of sweet things. Culminated in a meal out AT A PUB last night which was glorious, but did involve wine and chips

Last day of the holidays today and we are home for most of the day so I'm going to focus on the water and get back on the wagon. House move is progressing so I need to get emptying the freezer and tinned foods to minimise the amount we have to move next month