Week 5 - Leaving Lockdown Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Welcome to Week 5!

Here's the spreadsheet

Hopefully we can now put the horrible weeks 3 & 4 behind us, and get on with the serious job of shedding the pounds of fat

By now, hopefully, low carbing eating should feel like it's the 'new normal', and you should be getting used to it. However, there's also the opposite danger, that you're seeing carbs creeping back into your menus.

This is a good time to take stock. Have a think about the things you've been eating over the last week and ask yourself if they are really 'in the spirit' of Bootcamp. Are you really keeping your carbs low, and focused mainly on vegetables and salad? Are you really eating enough fat? And, perhaps most importantly, are you drinking all the water?

From now on, you should see the scales move again - albeit that the weekly loss should be in the range of 1-2lbs a week (possibly more if you have a lot to lose).

I really hope that you are finding that you're settling into this WOE, and that you're enjoying the food, not feeling deprived, and are seeing the scales/tape measure reflect your commitment.

At the end of this week we will be half way through Bootcamp!

@BestIsWest there's a sequel to Peyton Place, which I discovered recently. Called (imaginatively) Return to Peyton Place. It's not quite as good, but the author, Grace Metalious, was pressured into writing it. I still enjoyed it though.

@BIWI now you say it I think I might have read it but it was many years ago. Will check it out though.

@FusionChefGeoff You've probably eaten yours by now, but I bought the sad little white cabbage from Aldi and I have made sauerkraut with it. It's the first time I've made it, so I'll be interested to see what it's like. It was very easy.

It's fermenting nicely now.

@TheHoover I have just picked up Shuggie Bain again, I started it before Christmas and had to put it aside because I found it some of it distressing. I'm feeling a bit stronger now so am giving it another go.

I've read loads during lockdown but can't remember most of what I have read. I really loved Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins and Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers was wonderful.

Also liked some books by Kit de Waal - A Trick to Time and My Name is Leon.

I loved My Name is Leon, its going to be on telly soon.

@ElasticFirecracker If it helps, I found Shuggie Bain easier to read knowing that the author did ultimately "escape": he's a combination of Shuggie and Leek. His real life story is fascinating.

@cheeseisbest Can't wait for My Name is Leon to be on TV, I will be weeping.

@prettybird Some of it felt a bit unfortunately familiar to me and at the time I didn't have the strength for it, but you've spurred me on and I'll stick with it.

Love reading, and loving BookCamp 😘
though I'm not a big fan of Dickens. I managed quite a decent pass at A level without ever reading the Bleak House set text. I keep meaning to catch up and read it as I think the story is probably enjoyable but the style, oh how the style puts me off.

Greek salad and lamb chops for lunch, ready just as a call I've been waiting DH or came in so I needed to take the call

Chops not just so delicious cold and so I only ate half but didn't feel deprived.

Supper two bratwurst

Feeling really fed up today. Poorly DS means i’ve done nothing and not eaten as well as I wanted to. He wont stay in his own bed so he is all smushed up against me and coughing keeping us all awake. DH is on lates all weekend and he had an interview for a job he really wants today and thinks he fluffed it.
Sorry to brain dump on you all, it’s just all gone to pot today.

Oh and my team (rugby) is losing which is giving me the rage

Oh listenlinda so sorry you've had a rubbish day. Hope your DS feels better tomorrow x

I feel fed up too but only cos I'm fed up with cooking and everyone moaning about food!

@nowlook you are a genius. I have decided I am an inch taller and my bmi is 24.4.
I never liked Charles Dickens but I love Jane Austin.

I only ever acquired an extra half inch - and that was after an extra stretchy Pilates class

@ListenLinda and @cheeseisthebest sorry you are feeling rubbish. Hope today is better.

Plan for today
L probably cabbage omelette with salad
D chicken and more salad, mayo. Followed by cheese.

Mmmmm - had a very snacky evening last night - was pure mouth boredom which I haven't had for a while. Maybe that feeling that it was the weekend and I was 'missing out' as DH launched into the wine / beer / chocolate..?

All on plan but snarfed in the kitchen after everyone had gone to bed which has remnants of the secret binge behaviour which is odd.

Dinner was green soup and a cheese / beetroot / Mayo SLC roll. Maybe that was a bit snacky so psychologically I didn't feel like I'd had much?? Even though I was definitely full and I really enjoyed it. Had rhubarb with creme fraiche after which was reeeeaaaalllly good. Then a small bar of dark choc.

But after DH went up, I headed to the kettle for my 'bedtime' herbal tea and gazed into the fridge whilst it was boiling. So started with cheese slices with cucumber as a 'sandwich' then some Spanish charcuterie with Mayo then a couple of smaller cheese slices again with Mayo.

All completely pointless and probably undone what was shaping out to be an awesome week for NOT snacking and trying to get a handle on portion control.

Hmmm - interesting to see it happening. Next step is to try to work out why and stop it!!!

Anyway, I didn't launch into the chocolate / biscuits / white bread which was also readily available so actually I should be pleased with that massive step forward.

Today I am finally stocking up at the greengrocers and menu planning for the week so should feel better.

I'm making smoked mackerel pate so will have that with salad and SLC toast for lunch.

Then ribs with coleslaw later - maybe celeriac chips - any other ideas for sides!??

Alas the ribs are in a very sugary BBQ sauce (DH bought them - I wasn't specific enough!) so I guess I'll just try to scrape as much off as is possible.

@newlook @prettybird would you believe that I have been converting my height in feet to cms at the wrong rate and I have shortchanged my self. An inch is 2.54 cm not 2.5. That .04 has reduced my bmi to 24.8. Now feeling very pleased with myself on one hand and very embarrassed on the other . I have a science background. I blame the menopause.

Attempt to catch up. Books, loved the midnight library. I have a little pile with the devil and the dark water and the dinner guest, also fancying the Thursday murder club next although I've had a week off and haven't picked a book up so not sure when I'll get round to it.
Birthday transgressions over with, 1lb on, I wasn't too bad, back on it this morning with a bacon egg and cheese slc roll which I'm looking forward to after a long walk.
Also got a new sofa this week which is so comfy so I'm looking forward to testing it for napping next week.
Have extra teens in the house his morning due to teen drama following on from the other weeks teen dramas, I always wanted the girls friends to think of my house as a safe space where they can talk about anything and it seems to have worked.

 at the heat-seeking missile Dhs. It's like that bit in the second series of Staged, where Georgia Tennant describes her husband as using echolocation to triangulate her position.

My DH used to do a big brain dump just before going to sleep. He'd then roll over & start snoring, while I lay there, staring into the abyss, mind whirring with his problems. I soon put a stop to that!

Made a boo-boo yesterday. Cut myself a slice of raisin bread, thinking it was from my low-carb loaf, and in fact it was from the real flour loaf I made for DD! I think that, actually, I'm only going to make the low-carb version from now on. It'll be good for DD anyway: it's very high in fibre, pro- and pre-biotics, and even fat!

@FusionChefGeoff sometimes those type of ribs come with the sauce in a separate sachet so you could let your DH have extra while you have none on yours. The ribs themselves are already seasoned so you miss out on the sugar but not the taste.

[quote Pleaseandthankyou]**@newlook* @prettybird* would you believe that I have been converting my height in feet to cms at the wrong rate and I have shortchanged my self. An inch is 2.54 cm not 2.5. That .04 has reduced my bmi to 24.8. Now feeling very pleased with myself on one hand and very embarrassed on the other . I have a science background. I blame the menopause.[/quote]
See? Easy when you know how!

I've got to take DS1 over to the (not) girlfriend's again this afternoon. I'm already grumpy about it! 45 miles away

Not doing well here. Horrid week post jab - just felt so exhausted all week and work has been busy and kids have been tired/cross and DH has been useless and irritated if I ask for help. Had a row last night - the really pointless but furious kind - and then drank wine and ate crisps ☹️😖
Feel crap about it as have been doing so well. Fighting the urge to just give up. Everything is feeling a bit too hard at the moment. I really want a break!
Anyway enough moaning from Devon.

Thinking about books - I hated Dickens during school and later when I did my literature MA. Only when I started training as a teacher and teaching Dickens, did I come to love it. I love ‘The Black Veil’ - really gets the kids thinking/predicting. Great fun.

You sound done-in @devoncreamtea

I think the progress of the Indian variant is dragging down the general mood, too.

You know how much better you feel on this woe though. Keep at it if you can. Otherwise, it's just one more thing to feel shit about, isn't it?

@stuntnut - YES!!!!! The sauce is in a sachet woop woop!!

I have a museli / porridge type craving. I've got a shop I can add to so what do I need to make something approaching a breakfast cereal that's low carb? Will use unsweetened soy milk.

Just checked the desserts and sweet things recipe thread but not sure where else to look for ideas?

@nowlook thanks. I know you’re right. 😊

@FusionChefGeoff I have sometimes had the Paleo Geanola - think it’s called ‘grAin Free granola’. I get it in Sainsburys. They do a raspberry one and a pecan one. It’s just toasted nuts and seeds with a bit of coconut. But it’s easy and nice sprinkled in Greek yog with a sliced strawberry and even a sprinkle of cacao nibs. (Cacao nibs v good source of magnesium).