Week 2 - Leaving Lockdown Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Sunday night here is games night, so better that I start the thread now, before I forget as I've gone to bed so late!

I truly hope that this link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness works!

Apologies if it doesn't, but hopefully someone will come and post a working one if it doesn't!

I love week 2, as for those who haven't low carbed before the results are often spectacularly incredible!

But even for those of us who are more used to low carbing, hopefully this first week has seen you make a good start.

It's looking like some warmer weather is heading our way, which always makes things seem more positive - but also focuses our minds on things like skimpier clothing, so hopefully will help to keep us toeing the line!

I hope the scales have rewarded your hard work, and here's to a good week ahead

@Bestbees I am definitely lacking in the FLGV department, could definitely make some improvements there.
I've just realised that my yoghurt/walnuts lunch isn't bootcamp friendly, it's bootcamp lite. It's my normal lunch when I'm working, been LCing for years. But not ok for this week, unfortunately.

Had a post all typed out and it’s gone for some reason!
Just woke up from feeling very refreshed, despite the once nightly wake up from DS.
Is anyone else noticing better sleep?
I’ve slept so deeply my back aches from being in one posistion for so long

I had a marvellous plan to make a thai curry with chicken thighs tonight as DH is working a late, just discovered they are on the bone. Annoying, might have to defrost some breasts instead.

Morning all,

@colouringindoors - hope your feeling better today. KOKO 💪

@BIWI - your week sounds lovely. Enjoy 💁‍♀️ 🥂

Morning everyone! I'm getting so much inspiration from all the menus and meal ideas on here- thank you to everyone. Special thanks to * @Rayna37* for her fajita spice recipe - why has it taken me so long to make my own? - it was great, and I will never buy those ridiculous little packets again. After finding myself reaching for the cooking chocolate last night (luckily just a few measly dark choc chips in cupboard) I realise I need some treats which I can have in the evening if I need to. So far I have thought of Coyo yogurts, those mixed mini cheese portions you can buy in a bag in the supermarket and some home made Parmesan crisps. What else do bootcampers turn to in their evening hour of need?

Evening is the worst for me wanting sweet things.

I generally turn to rooibos tea and nibbles of cheese.

Spoonful of clotted cream works for me

After the 1st 2 weeks of Boot Camp, I might add a crumbled frozen raspberry to the spoonful - but usually I don't need to.

As an evening treat, a square or two of dark chocolate, preferably the 90% Lindt, works for me. In the first two weeks, peppermint tea and maybe a chunk of Manchego cheese. Not together!

I wonder why it’s the evenings where we find the call of chocolate or whatever most difficult? Habit and boredom I think. I am trying to knit whilst tv watching. Keeps me from gravitating to the kitchen in the ad breaks. I love knitting though. I get it’s not everyone’s thing. Late afternoon is a difficult time for me too. Concentration on work is poor and I am terrible for spooning Greek yog out of the pot into my mouth. Not hungry but tired, bored and avoiding work I’ve got bored with. Not sure what the answer is. Perhaps it’s the time of day I should schedule a walk or a run.

B black coffee
L red cabbage and fennel coleslaw with avacado and Roquefort
D fast800 portobello mushrooms pizza with flgv

Going for a cycle ride to pub before dinner with a group of friends and really looking forward to it. Nearly a year since I was on my bike.

Unkept eyebrows here. Kid myself that nobody can see them anyway due to my glasses. Admiring the dedication of those who have regular micro blading or tattooing. I do wear makeup every day to avoid the sensation of looking in mirror and seeing my mother or worse my grandmother looking back at me.

More for @ZiggZagg

Hope you are feeling better @prettybird

My recommendation for when you want something sweet / chocolate / dessert is the Teapigs Chocolate Mint Tea. It has pieces of chocolate in the teabag but is only 3 calories per cup so the carb content of the tea is negligible. Unfortunately I never see it in the shops any more so I have to buy it directly from Teapigs or from Amazon.

@colouringindoors

grrrr pms has got the better of me

What's up? What happened - but more to the point why?

@ZiggZagg sorry things are so difficult

BIWI your week sounds amazing!

Made a really tasty salmon dish last night

Salmon fillets with a creamy basil and cherry tomato sauce

Serves 4

4 salmon fillets
8-12 cherry tomatoes (depending on size/preference!) whole
150ml double cream
2 echalion shallots, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 green chilli, de-seeded and chopped
handful fresh basil leaves, either torn or cut into shreds
juice of half a lemon
olive oil
25g butter
s+p

1. Put the salmon fillets into a large piece of foil, drizzle with plenty of olive oil, add the lemon juice and season well. Wrap the foil up tightly, so no juices can escape, and then bake in the oven, at 180 fan/200 conventional oven for 10 minutes. Take the tray out and let it cool. Don't unwrap it, but leave it to continue to cook in the foil parcel. It needs to be slightly undercooked, as it will cook some more when you add it into the sauce.

1. In a large frying pan, melt the butter and add a drizzle of olive oil. (This will stop the butter from burning), then add the shallots, chilli and garlic and sauté until soft - keep the heat at a medium temperature so that they don't go brown. Season with salt and pepper.

1. Add the cherry tomatoes and fry gently for another couple of minutes, before you add the cream. Bring to the boil, stir, and then reduce the heat and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.

1. Remove any skin from the salmon, and break the fillets into chunks, then add to the sauce along with the shredded basil. Stir into the sauce and heat for a minute or so till everything is heated through and piping hot.

I served it with griddled asparagus and new potatoes (for the others).

A square of chocolate here too if I get evening snack attack or a slice of toast made with SLC bread but mostly I tend to keep my hands busy so I don’t feel bored.

@biwi your week sounds fabulous, all the yay!

Food today

B. Greek yoghurt
L. I’m making some watercress soup
D. Chicken and chorizo Spanish stew type thing with broccoli and green beans

Doing better with drinking water, so going to keep that up.

Well, an excellent start to the day. I have been explaining to my French colleagues that I am taking my own food for the upcoming trip (no-one is safe from the reheating lunchbox). The French are all staying in self-catering accommodation. I wanted to explain that I wasn't sure if there would be a cottage for me (hence the lunchbox). French for cottage is gite, right? How about:

"Je n'etais pas sur s'il y aurait un bite pour moi"

(with apologies to fluent and non-speakers alike)

So, I've now told them that "I was not sure whether there would be a cock for me".

Thank you so much everyone for your support, I really appreciate it. My family life is v stressful with disabled ds, dd doing gcses, utterly dysfuntional ex and severe back injury, which can all combine to reduce willpower sometimes.

Kids have slightly less Easter chocolate today .

I'm going to have to let them keep what's left in their bedrooms or something and Finish it!!!

Fortunately cos I was v good all day, no increase on scales this morning.

Am back on the programme.

Cheers to you lovely lot. Here's my tulips 😁

Oooh that salmon recipe looks nice and very serendipitous, I just picked up half a side this morning and was wondering what to do with it.

So so busy today, so I’m not being rude lovelies, I’ll have to catch up tonight. 🌷

My lower gut is still tender/spasming but it's better than it was yesterday and a lot better than it was on Monday evening. Thanks for the healing thoughts

In sort of good news, my lack of desire to eat has meant that my weight is down to 11st 3 and 3/4lb for the last 2 days ; although not drinking much water yesterday is probably not a good thing judging by the colour of my pee

These were the first of my tulips in the planters at the front door to open, a couple of weeks ago

@nowlook

Well, an excellent start to the day. I have been explaining to my French colleagues that I am taking my own food for the upcoming trip (no-one is safe from the reheating lunchbox). The French are all staying in self-catering accommodation. I wanted to explain that I wasn't sure if there would be a cottage for me (hence the lunchbox). French for cottage is gite, right? How about:

"Je n'etais pas sur s'il y aurait un bite pour moi"

(with apologies to fluent and non-speakers alike)

So, I've now told them that "I was not sure whether there would be a cock for me".

Hello, delurking from France, please correct your 'bite' back to 'gite' otherwise your meaning changes completely to something rather rude ! Back to lurking I go.

@ListenLinda yes I'm getting better sleep but maybe because DH was on 2 night shifts and had bed to myself
@BIWI your week sounds nice enjoy your 2 pub lunches and haircut not open in Ireland yet so have another month to wait. Like your salmon dish.
Use are all so organized knowing your food for the day.
When I read I had to go look what food I have left as do a weekly shop for 5.
B fried egg and mushrooms green tea
L Salad with Spinach cheeses chicken pieces tomatoes. Greek yogurt and Green tea.
D quiche with green beans and spinach.
2.5 litres of water.
Looking forward to some fruit soon giving it to teenagers for lunch to get it eaten don't like waste.
Have a nice day everyone

I find the evenings hardest, too, Jollyholibobs. For me it is because of the following:

-- A self-dramatising feeling that the evening has to be a time of consolation and treats of all sorts, to compensate me for anythng dismal during the day.

-- The stupid habit (acquired over a stupid lifetime of attempted calorie restriction) of storing up my daily calorie allowance to the end of the day, and fearing to squander it early.

A desire while my children were young not to snack in front of them and teach them bad habits meaning that their bedtime was a release of discipline .

I'm amazed at how much this WOE (as I'm learning to call it) has already helped to correct this bad evening-eating pattern.

Good morning.

Beautiful day here.

Hope you're feeling better @prettybird 

Your eyebrows look perfect @ditavonteesed ! And you, @FinallyHere & @MrsKoala ! I've never been tempted to have it done before...

 for @ZiggZagg (and I'll ask Pam to have a word with Cathy).

@debka I mix a tsp of psyllium husks with my morning yoghurt: sorts out any reluctant bowel issues 

@BIWI what a fab week you're going to have! Especially if the weather stays like this (down south).

My go-to snack when I feel like a treat is a cubed chunk of string cheddar mixed with a packet of pork scratchings. Hits all the right spots.

 @nowlook. I hope you don't feel too left out if there is cock for everyone else but you 

 for @colouringindoors

KOKO here. Exhausted after resumption of daily school run.

That's STRONG cheddar. I'm not sure how bc friendly string cheese is...

Morning everyone .
@BIWI that does sound a lot of excitement in one week ! I am cock a hoop at having a hair appointment followed by coffee with my DM tomorrow. Can't wait.

I am loving the way this thread is addressing all our life needs - love all the animal and plant pics. I am another one who has embraced nature in the last year ( a bit belatedly as we left London for a small village nearly 5 years ago ) my DH is the gardener but this year I have bought a new David Austin rose and spent many a happy hour on Farmer Gracy meaning I am adding lots of new Dahlias, gladioli and ranunculus to his care this year. Looking forward to lots of new blooms.

I have also made a decision I need to book some sort of eyebrow treatment- no idea what though. Am scared of the sharpie look. My face is thinner now which is good but am feeling it's ageing and stronger defined eyebrows might help ( clutching at straws)

BIWI thar sounds lovely, added it to my list of recipes!

Indeed @Makiwa! It's a shame that the B is right under the G on my keyboard

Hopefully, they'll not consider it an invitation...