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!

@FusionChefGeoff do you take electrolyte tablets regularly? If you're exercising so much then it would be a good idea.

@prettybird your hair looks wonderful!

@Random789 I have been stuffing myself all weekend. Mostly on plan but I did eat 6 chips. And so much cheese.

@FusionChefGeoff I have the same thoughts about how strict to stay and the fast impact of a blip. I have not been good with water this weekend and I am sure that has had an impact

Managed a sea swim yesterday, which was chilly but lovely. Long walk too. Hoped to run today but weather is terrible! Will try for a hiit.

B yoghurt and pomegranate
L cheese and salad
D lettuce tacos with sour cream.

No evening face stuffing

I always have a tab in 500ml for short runs and 3 in 2l for longer runs.

Maybe I need to try a week strict, week normal approach!! I could keep that going as a way of living I think.

Or just keep working on all the messed up links between food and treats and reward and the weekend etc etc.

God - don't get me started on the conundrum of not passing that onto the kids. Whilst still trying to educate them around healthy eating..! How do you hold a 'all food is good food but some you shouldn't eat very often' without getting into a treat / restricted / reward mindset?? Any tips as I really don't want kids to have to face my food demons.

Might stay off the scales tomorrow after a day of unrestrained carby twattery yesterday

Just popped on here to say thanks to whoever it was who recommended the foot file. Have just created (and cleaned up!) a very satisfying pile of skin on my kitchen floor

Are the Tom Kerridge books good? I have just ordered them from the library. I Hope they'll be available soon. I need some new recipes I think.

Feeling quite glum today. Just tired, don't know why.

Going for a long family walk this morning so that will lift spirits.

Yesterday:

Breakfast 2 egg omelette. Prosciutto lettuce cream cheese. Coffee with Kiko.

Lunch: tin mackerel avocado artichoke in oil, lettuce, broccoli.

Din: mushroom paneer w clotted cream. fine green beans

All water

I find tom kerridge's recipes quite faffy. Lots of ingredients and time required. Fine if that's what you want, but they aren't quick ones to throw together in 20 minutes after a day at work

I agree with @ouchmyfeet

I have the Dopamine Diet book and while there are a few good recipes in it, mostly I find it useful for inspiration and then I simplify the recipe.

Fusion I was just wondering whether you should feel so dejected about a 3lb blip, especially since you are so close to your perfect weight. I guess our weight is always going to fluctuate, and so long as you are eating well and taking exercise which you clearly are! perhaps it is 'ok to feel ok' about blips. (I've decided to call that feeling OKOK -- which makes it the perfect complement to KOKO, both as a mindset and as an acronym.)

Agree that Tom Kerridges recipes are too complicated, but they are really good if you want a nice meal that non low carb friends will enjoy. I've cooked a few recipes and they are delicious. Really recommend the crackers and flatbreads. Am going to try to make the strawberry cheesecake later

I like the Tom kerridge books but agree they are more effort. I’ve downloaded quite a few keto recipes and books which are easier. Like Pretty I tend to simplify recipes, I make the turkey mince curry quite often but replace the turkey for higher fat pork and add green beans (and serve with a crispy fried egg on top). I also remove a few steps so it’s quicker to prep. I’ve not made any of the cakes yet as I’m not that bothered and I’ve got a good lemon loaf drizzle cake recipe somewhere if I fancy a treat.

Got an enormous goose egg from the farm which I might scramble for breakfast. They even made its own bed/coffin

OK, thanks everyone, Tom Kerridge not recommended. I'm not looking for added faff in my life. I'm looking for simple assembly really.

I've got Keto Kitchen by Moyna Palmer. I might try the fish pie, the crustless quiche and the coconut grits, but not very excited by this book.

I've got the roasting tin and love mackerel & rhubarb.

Has anyone tried anything from either of these that they'd recommend?

Or is there a really good classic low-carb book that anyone would recommend.

I'm also interested in a good slow cooker recipe book.

I love Leon food and have the first book, and often make the Moroccan meatballs.

Last year I also really enjoyed making things from the orange Chetna Mahan book. I made some fantastic meals from this and was astonished at how good the flavours were. Unfortunately they are all very beany, so not suitable for boot camp, But I have adapted some of the spice combinations to make slow cooker beef curry.

Looking to build my repertoire of easy weeknight dinners and freeze ahead meals that will be suitable for non-low-carbers.

The best places for low carb recipes are the Boot Camp recipe threads

@prettybird

The best places for low carb recipes are the Boot Camp recipe threads

I have had a look and will study these further.

I made the cheeseburger pie and will be doing the sardine fish cakes next week.

It's always interesting how much of our emotional space is related to food. When I was a teenager and my older sister had left home, my Dad used to bring me a mug of coffee in bed at the weekend, plus 2 milk chocolate digestive biscuits. And whatever Agatha Christie books he'd picked up in a charity shop that week. A peaceful morning spent reading in bed with coffee and biscuits still makes me feel cared for and looked after, even if I've made my own coffee and fetched my own biscuits. I haven't done that for a long time, but it was a revisited habit in the first lockdown, and one that set my eating for the days into all the wrong patterns.

Eating out in restaurants is my real treat, so life has been a bit 'empty' on that front. Especially hard as often reading a restaurant menu will inspire me to cook something new at home.

I'm taking my little dgs out for lunch today - that was a challenge, several child-friendly places near here have closed down over the past year, and I prefer to feed him real food since he has some allergies. Anyway, I've managed to book somewhere where we can eat outside, so at least he can run off some energy while we're waiting.

B - boiled eggs mashed in butter
L - probably salad - there was a couple of nice options on the sample menu
D - chicken wrapped in bacon, broccoli, buttered cabbage, carrot

@ElasticFirecracker I have Jamie's 5 ingredients book bought so my dh could cook some simple recipes It's not low carb but many of the recipes are (or can be adapted) and they all have full nutritional info. And nice food pictures which is what inspires me.

I cut this recipe out of the Waitrose free paper. I will try it this week with full fat crepe fraiche.

I’ve got the ‘I quit sugar’ slow cooker book and Dean Edwards’Cook Slow’ which I use a fair bit. Particularly the goulash in the I quit sugar book.

Also when I’m on BC I tend to get recipes from the Rick Stein Venice to Istanbul and find most Delia meat and fish recipes good as they often just say ‘serve with rice/pasta/spuds’ at the end rather than incorporating them.

Forgot pic

That looks really good. Think a few of us are in a bit of a food rut. I'm planning on lamb moussaka this week so need to find the recipe.
Also just realised I have 3 broccolis so going to make some soup. Trying to find a vegan and low carb friendly recipe!

I just whiled away some time reading I Quit Sugar for Life by Sarah Wilson, bit of inspiration in there. I have both the idiot Proof Diet books, Dopamine Diet, the Real Meal Revolution and accompanying kids book, all good for some inspiration. The books I use most though are the curry ones, because you generally need to get the recipe out for reference I guess rather than using it for inspiration and just going with it once you know how. Lots of recipe thread favourites too that have become staples. Lots of cookbooks can be adapted to low carb. Always worth a look in charity shops, The Works has loads of keto books, and Abebooks online is good for cheap used copies of bootcamp favourites.

Currently using a lot from the green roasting tin (screenshots sent by my sister!) often with adaptations or meat on the side. Trying to track down a cheap copy of my own!

I found my copy of I Quit Sugar after you mentioned it this week @Rayna37 I'm not sure she did actually quit sugar given the amount of rice malt syrup she uses. The GI of rice malt syrup is higher than regular sugar.
Same goes for Davina. But then people in glass houses as they say so I'll shut up quick!

@Timetobuckup thank you for your reply. I looked at Winston's Wish last year but will have another look now. Bizarrely my DH ran two marathons for Winston's Wish never expecting we'd need their services

Ha yes oneborn I did laugh, though I suspect she doesn't actually use it that much herself I never quite understood why it was somehow approved. She does have some funny ideas but actually what stood out was just the idea of quality but less meat and getting in as much veg as possible which all sat well with me. Huge chapter of treats though! Bit like Deliciously Ella, full of dates, maple syrup, palm sugar and honey!

I made the Diet Dr low carb high protein peanut butter brownies this morning. My experience of lc baking is 'this is not nice, I'm not making this again' and 'this is too nice, I'm not risking making this again'. With the exception of the cheese muffins.

@Rayna37 in fairness I only looked at the treats! Must reread the intro

@ElasticFirecracker two very good low carb recipe books are The Idiot Proof Diet Cookbook and Rose Elliot's low carb vegetarian cookbook