Summer Low Carb mini-Bootcamp - week 1

[StuntNun]

Welcome to the 2021 Summer Low Carb mini-Bootcamp lasting for the next six weeks and run by myself and @Oneborneverydecade. If you're an old hand at eating low carb then please do chip in with your experiences to help motivate our newbies. Every Monday is weigh-in day and you can log your weight on the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness to keep track of your progress. If you can't add your weight for any reason then please post it on here and someone will add you to the spreadsheet.

Make sure you've read the ten Low Carb Bootcamp rules on the preparation thread either for strict Bootcamp or Bootcamp Light depending on which one you choose. There are also some meal ideas and shopping suggestions on the preparation thread if you need some tips. As always, if you have any questions or concerns then please do ask. We have lots of experience between us.

A quick reminder of the rules for strict Bootcamp (first two weeks):

1. Eat three meals a day (plus snacks if hungry)
2. Avoid processed foods
3. Eat lots of fat
4. Eat plenty of vegetables and salad
5. Be careful about dairy (apart from butter which is unlimited)
6. Drink a minimum of 2 litres of water per day
7. No alcohol
8. No fruit
9. No nut/seeds

10. No sugar or artificial sweeteners

And for Bootcamp Light:

1. Eat when you are hungry
2. Avoid processed foods
3. Eat lots of fat
4. Eat plenty of vegetables and salad
5. Be careful about dairy (apart from butter which is unlimited)
6. Drink a minimum of 2 litres of water per day
7. Alcohol is allowed occasionally
8. Up to one portion of (low carb) fruit per day
9. Nut and seeds in small quantities

10. No sugar except dark chocolate, and limit artificial sweeteners

Recipes really appreciated @StuntNun - going shopping later so very helpful.

In other news, managed a little run this morning and just shy of 2lbs down on the scale. Won't weigh again til Monday but it's deffo given me a little boost after ALL the butter

random, I make courgette fritters very like fusiongeoff has described. They’re very nice with a couple of poached eggs I find. I make a big batch and dh takes them to work, he commutes by bike so they travel well.

I long for a glut of courgettes, my veg isn't going well this year!

Holiday today, lovely bike ride this morning on my own like a big girl and some cooking, then just eating a courgette cheese omelette before collecting DS to go meet some Mum/toddler friends. The stuff I miss by being full time. Would merrily retire once DS starts reception if only I could!

To chime in on the celariac front, celariac nachos are delicious. I use my food processer to very thinly slice the celariac, air fry until golden then top with some hot beef chilli, pop some cheese on and stick under a grill, enjoy with sour cream (if having dairy) and guac.

I've just had a massive row with Dd1 which has left me slightly reeling. Have eaten three almond muffins with butter as comfort food.

Hello all - taking a quick break from decorating hell to update with today's menu.

B - coffee
L - smoked salmon, cream cheese, salad leaves, 15g walnut pieces (I'm on BC Light - I weigh the nuts though as I have no self control )
D - Bean-free chilli con carne, spinach leaves, avocado, splodge of soured cream, pickled jalapeño peppers

I love the dirty celeriac fries recipe - I will definitely give that a go soon!

Afternoon out went really well- drank lots of water and had no issue resisting some average-looking shop bought cake.

Lovely simple dinner- unseasonable but randomly spotted in the shop-Brussels, with broccoli and halloumi roasted with olive oil and harissa in the oven for 30 mins or so. One smallish bag of sprouts, a whole head of broccoli (stalk chopped and included) and a pack of halloumi served two fairly generously. A real favourite.

THREE courgettes, did you say, @FusionChefGeoff

Seriously, though, thanks everyone for the recipe suggestions. I tried the fritters, but in a rather clumsy way and I didn't get the courgette dry enough. It ws still very tasty, though. I used half feta and half cheddar, three eggs and one monster courgette. I'm definitely going to make it again. It is very tasty and a great waty to use up the glut.

When I mixed the courgette with the eggs and cheese loads more liquid separated out and I had the brainwave of mixing this liquid in with my french beans (also a glut) as soon as they had been boiled and strained. Cooked for a minute and it gave the beans a mildly cheesy crumbly eggy coating which was nice.

On the subject of courgettes, I had lovely courgetti with homemade Bolognese for dinner. Lots of water and no gin tonight!

Can someone help me find a recipe please?
On the the spreadsheet of fabulousness, I wanted to look up the low carb blueberry muffins. I got completely flummoxed trying to follow the ‘where to find the recipe’ instructions. Can someone give me an idiots guide please

My courgettes are not getting very large - lots of little ones and then they start to rot off from the flower end

I did make fritters (from a Greek Leto recipe that was linked to on here) from one of the few large ones ones that one of the plants produced and they were lovely

@Dellabob123 - there are recipe threads stickied in the Low Carb Boot Camp topic: Lamb, Beef, Pork, Poultry, Veggie, Fish and Desserts off the topic of my head. There's an issue with the number of threads that can be sticker though so one or more of them might be further down the page.

Thanks @prettybird
I still can’t find
Trying to do the search thing but nothing comes up. I might give up now

It’s ok - I found the recipe👍

Good evening! @Random789 those Courgettes are massive!!!

I've had a good day today-

L was boiled eggs salad and mayo
D me and DH got rid of DS 3 for the night so we went out! V happy to say I JD mixed grill and tons of salad, no chips, no bread (DH ate mine) and was not tempted by the lovely cakes he bought on the way home!

Just have half a liter of water to drink before bed!

Not had too bad a day except had to go to lunch at 11 and didn't get home til 6.45 so was starving and had a snack.
B one sausage, scrambled eggs (made with cream)
L salmon and egg mayo salad
S slice of cheese and ham (and a bit more cheese)
D pork belly, green veg and cream sauce

To add to the courgette discussion, I saw a courgette/cannelloni thing on Instagram.

Griddled strips of courgette with a blob of ricotta/herbs/lemon/garlic and then rolled up. Thin layer of tomato sauce in an oven dish, with the rolled courgette things on top. Another thing layer of tomato and then cheese and baked. Looked lovely

Morning all.
@Bryonyshcmyony sorry to hear about the argument with dd. Hope it has been resolved.

Great courgette recipes. I like to fry them up in strips then dress with olive oil, lemon, garlic and herbs and serve at room temp. Great with haloumi/chicken thighs/lamb.

Koko here. Feeling less bloated which is great. Plan for today is
B yoghurt with nuts and berries
L might be out so probably a salad of.some kind
D left over roast chicken and veg with some halumi.

I had a terrible day yesterday. Started with a row with Dd1 and ended with Dd3 falling over and needing a knee x Ray where they've found what they think is a degenerative bone condition. She can't walk without crutches. She's got two horses to ride and is a keen football player so this is pretty devastating. I ended up eating all six almond muffins but nothing else. Must remember to look after myself so that I can look after others!

Oh no @Bryonyshcmyony that sounds serious. What are the next steps for diagnosis? For all that you had a bad food day yesterday, at least you stuck with low carb stuff and didn't go for carby "comfort" food so I'd count that as a win.

Courgettes!

I have none this year, but when I have a glut I often make this Courgette & Parmesan soup.

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/italianstylezucchini_9833

Thanks. Yeah I was pleased with myself about the food. We'll know more after mri scan hopefully next week. She's absolutely devastated though (she's 15 and sporty is an understatement, just been selected for a regional football team)

Thanks for adding me. It's good to be starting this with some idea of what I need to do.

When I started the last bootcamp I was overwhelmed & grumpy and thought it would be too complicated for me. I really struggled to get to grips with it, but I did and a week or to after it finished I achieved my pre-lockdown weight of 68 kilos. Everything fits now.

I would like to lose a bit more and get down to a more ideal weight. I remember 64 kg being a good weight, so will aim for that.

Yesterday's food
Lunch
Avocado
Mackerel
Artichoke hearts
Cream cheese
Yoghurt

Din
Spicy beef with lots of celery, leeks, mushrooms, garlic, chilli, ginger & spices. (This worked well in the instant pot.)
Roast aubergine
Green beans
Yoghurt

Not so good: 1.5 glasses of wine, Pork scratchings, yoghurt with teaspoon of manuka honey.

I had some news that really upset me, and could potentially cause me a lot of problems. So I responded with food/drink.

It could have been worse and nog worrying about it.

@StuntNun I make yoghurt and have been using the instant pot which I've only had a couple of weeks. Before that I used a flask and I generally leave it for 24 hours. I have some on the go using culture from Straight Up Greek Yoghurt which will be ready this afternoon.

I've been making it in the stainless steel dish and then putting it into a container in the fridge, or straining it straight away.

I keep looking at cultures to buy, and then get overwhelmed and give up. Where do you get your cultures from?

@Bryonyshcmyony wow what a day that's awful your poor DD I hope the next steps are swift and offer some hope / advice for the future.

I've weighed for the first time post 2 holidays today and have a very disappointing gain seeing as I worked so hard to stay on plan. I should have lost any glycogen stores from Sunday's chips (handful) and 2 biscuits by now so this is a blow.

My exercise levels are right down though plus I now have a horrible cold and I know I've been over eating / snacking / not managing my usual IF so that's probably the culprit but it seems to go back on SO quickly for me compared to others..

Seems especially unfair when there hasn't been any big blow outs / booze / fish and chips / ice cream etc!! Was hoping to go into my next holiday (Friday) with wriggle room but as it stands now I'm at the top end of my range.