Summer Low Carb mini-Bootcamp - week 3

[StuntNun]

Welcome to week 3 of our mini-Bootcamp. If you have been following strict Bootcamp then you can move to Bootcamp Light this week. This means you can eat when you're hungry rather than sticking to three meals a day, and you can re-introduce alcohol, low carb fruits, nuts and seeds, and dark chocolate in small quantities. Some people choose to stick with strict Bootcamp on weekdays and do Bootcamp Light at the weekend.

Note that there is almost always a weight loss stall between weeks 3 and 5 of going low carb so do not worry if the scales don't drop this week or next. It's caused by a temporary increase in water retention and you will still be burning fat if you keep following the rules. If the lack of weight loss gets you down then remind yourself that this is to be expected and the scales will start moving again.

As always, here is the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness!

@ZiggZagg 💐 your allowed to feel a bit sorry for yourself.

Almond cheese muffins, I am making some but I couldn't actually find a recipe so I've just chucked almond flour, cheese, butter and baking powder together and hoping for the best. I'll let you know how they turn out.

I really am coming to the realisation that when I take the effort to look after my body my mind feels better. I keep falling down the biscuit hole on nights so I am hoping if I take these muffins I will have them instead. Will power is hard to find at 3am although I know it's there I had it before.

@StuntNun no not yet, just sent for blood tests at the moment, I'm in bloody agony she has just said to continue taking paracetamol and ibuprofen for now. Should have my results tomorrow. I'm hoping it's just a virus but have a bad feeling. I will try turmeric as already have some in the house!

Thanks 😊

Here's the recipe for the cheese muffins:

Cheese muffins (only on Bootcamp Light)

Makes approximately 9

Ingredients
100g ground almonds
30g very cold butter
3 medium eggs, chilled
1 generous tsp baking powder
90g grated cheese
Oregano or chives, either fresh or dried
Black pepper
Smoked paprika

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C. N.B. it’s the shock of cold ingredients going into the hot oven that makes the muffins rise well.
2. Grease a silicone muffin tray and/or use paper muffin cases in a metal tin.
3. Mix the almond flour and butter.
4. Add the eggs, baking powder, herbs, pepper and paprika then mix.
5. Mix in the cheese.
6. Spoon into the muffin tray/cases.
7. Bake for 14 minutes.
8. Wait until cooled to remove from paper cases or they’ll come out of a silicone muffin tray straight away.

Thanks @BIWI they didn't turn out bad at all, more like scones though they didn't rise well. Will make them properly next week.

You've triggered me into making a batch now, @ditavonteesed! They're just out of the oven and smell fabulous.

Well we managed to hold nursery graduation last night (third attempt).It was lovely but emotional. I've known most of them since they were babies and will miss them.
I didn't get chance to eat the tuna mayo I saved from tea and despite all the cakes on offer I didn't actually want any. I was knackered after a 12 hour day though so ordered some tandoori chicken when I got home and ate it with buttered cauliflower rice.
I saw some of the photos taken and definitely thought I looked slimmer which is encouraging. I'm 8 weeks in and have lost 15lbs.

Great going @KateF!

@ditavonteesed a cheese/almond muffin with peanut butter. You will not feel deprived, you will not want a biscuit.

I've caught a nasty stomach bug from my little girl & husband (think she picked it up from nursery) so have barely eaten anything all day beyond a glass of milk. It did get me wondering what I should have eaten if I could stomach it as usually when I'm ill I just eat toast or honey and lemon

If you're poorly @pinknsparkly, then please just eat what you can tolerate. Hope you're better soon

Well Im onto my last herbal tea for the day and despite having all the carbs / desserts / crisps in the house for our guests I've stayed on plan!

Eaten my bodyweight in cheese and double cream though so definitely not an exercise in restraint

@pinknsparkly it's whatever you can tolerate when your ill. Hope your feeling better quickly.

Well thank you as always ladies, no a single biscuits had passed my lips tonight, my muffins were gorgeous so I can't wait to see what the ones I make with the actual recipe taste like.
Looking at getting some wool to crochet a blanket, busy hands don't snack.

Morning all, apologies that I have been totally AWOL. Just back from a week on holiday where I completely fell off the bootcamp wagon: pints of beer, fish and chips by the sea, ice creams most days .

I enjoyed it though and am now firmly back on the wagon for the last few weeks. Don't think I will weigh myself until I can feel a difference though.

Tesco shop is on the way, lots of crap in there too to keep the kids going at holiday clubs but I have my FLGV and am planning a bit of batch cooking this afternoon to make sure I always have something quick and on plan to hand when scanning the fridge. Going to make a big salad (probably fattoush but without the croutons) and a swede dauphinoise, and probably a cheeseburger pie too. Hate meal planning so this is my compromise, have the meals there but don't plan exactly when I will be eating them.

Sorry to those having tough times, it's only in the last 18m that I've recognised how emotional my eating is. I genuinely thought I just ate because I enjoyed it, but I see now how much stress affects my choices.

Will try to post my food this week to help with accountability.

Oh ZiggZagg that is bloody shit.
I am absolutely exhausted with puppy and not doing brilliantly, life feels hectic. As always with me it's a lack of willpower. And tiredness doesn't help!

He has no trouble sleeping though!

Well done swerving the carbs @FusionChefGeoff and @ditavonteesed.

I am planning to make some cheese muffins to see me through next weekend away with family. Going to Costco today and going to get a tub of olives to take as an alternative to crisps pre dinner.

Last night I had 3 dinner guests as it turned out. DS and his gf as well as MIL. Served pan fried sea bass in butter and lime, celeriac paprika chips, green beans from the garden and broccoli. No carb additions and everyone loved it. They had strawberries and ice cream and I had a few strawberries with cream.

Discovered marmite cheese yesterday. Great little snack.

Tried on the jumpsuit yesterday. Will need a few more pounds off to be seen out in public in it! Two weeks May do it but the pounds all need to go off my boobs. It buttons down the front.

B black coffee in bed (hiding from MIL)
Hope you all have a great day.
L could be tricky -day out with MIL limited offerings where we are going. May just have to have a coffee and get something to eat when I get home.
D roast veg and salmon with Pesto

@ouchmyfeet welcome back. Good luck with good food choices this week.

You saying stress affects your food choices makes me reflect. I am realising how this WOE helps my mental health and as a consequence I have more resilience to deal with stress. So it’s a win win if I can resist through the temptation to self medicate with the wrong food. I’m also learning that it’s much easier to stay on the wagon than try and get back on it for me. When I am being the carb craving monster the out of control feeling is hugely stressful and on reflection the carbs are not ‘making me feel better’ . I had to face the same realisation with alcohol a couple of years ago. I have not had any since. I think this WOE helps me manage a disordered eating problem. But as always the test is when the stress is there.

Love reading everyone's updates and @cheeseisthebest your puppy is adorable. Noticed my border terrier isn't looking his spritely self this morning. He's only 11 so wasn't expecting him to slow down quite yet. He didn't want to come to the horses with me and just stayed in his bed. He was a bit more cheerful when I got back and I gave him some of the beef mince I was planning to make burgers with today, so it's roast chicken thighs for lunch with chard and broccoli and a mushroom cream sauce plus oven chips for dh and dd. Only have one dc at home today as the other two are away partying. I've forgotten to worry about them bringing covid back now they are both double jabbed. I know they could still have it, but it feels further away than it used to.
B: coffee then more coffee back in bed
L: roast chicken thighs FLGV cream/mushroom sauce
D: was supposed to be burgers!

@Bryonyshcmyony that’s love. You gave ddog your dinner. Hope he perks up.

Hi when is the main camp starting?

I have the keto rolls in the oven - looking good so far. Looking through my cupboard I found 2 bags of psyllium husk, I must have been planning something that I didn't make... Then planned it again. I've used up all the almond flour so I'll have to go shopping again before I can make the almond muffins.

Brunch - crispy bacon, scrambled egg, fried mushrooms, fried tomato. Maybe a home-made low carb roll
D - chicken thighs, spinach, green beans, turnip and cheese mash

My friend brought me kohlrabi from his garden so yesterday I made a kohlrabi slaw - grated it and mixed it with mayonnaise, a bit of horseradish, and some capers. It was so good with my lamb and feta burgers.

@littlebilliie probably in October, BIWI will confirm the dates when she's ready to go. It usually runs in the 10 weeks up until Christmas.

But you can join in now and give yourself a head start, get to know the bootcamp rules and get some ideas for shopping and cooking...

Morning everyone still following your stories, had a bit more carbs yesterday than normal but hopefully the water dissolves them
Have a nice Sunday
I'm off to watch a bed push for charities a wee local boy has leukaemia and down syndrome so his family wanted to raise money for the hospitals that look after him and others going through the same.
Things like this put some of our stress in perspective.

@littlebilliie I'll probably be starting the next one in mid-October. Not quite sure if it's going to be a full 10 weeks, or a shorter one though.

@Andi2020 what is a bed push? It's a lovely gesture from the family to raise money.

I've made a lovely discovery - applemint from the garden centre. It's a fragrant mint that really does smell a bit like apples. I don't have a green thumb but since mint is basically unkilleable, I'm excited to plant it and have lovely fresh applemint tea, as I try to drink more water. Mint is a bully so you must plant it in a pot rather than directly in the garden. I got a lot of lovely other fresh herbs as they are cheaper and last so much better than the supermarket ones.

One of the things I love about this WOE is that I do cook for myself and treat myself nicely to fresh herbs and things. If only I weren't such an all or nothing personality and cooked for myself when I was off the wagon too...