Summer Low Carb Mini Bootcamp - week 6

[Oneborneverydecade]

Morning and welcome to week 6 - our final week! Hopefully we'll see some great loses this week.

If you need a quick reminder of the light rules @stuntnun kindly included them in the week 5 thread.

I'm hopeful that with my kids back at school today I'll find it easier to focus (although I'm dreading the school run).

[[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1skj8YR9swAyjNR1zNoU-BVBUx8VsZoQbrRwAqNoNwj8/edit?usp=drivesdk spreadsheet of fabulousness]]

Please let this work, if not you know the intention was there :-)

@FusionChefGeoff how do you make it?

I have the renpho scales and it tells you how much visceral fat and subcutaneous fat you have although I don't imagine it's very accurate.
I find fasting today be liberating, I get a more ant usually half way round my dog walk where I feel a little bit nauseous and if I was at home I would eat but it passes so quickly, I never realised that hunger feeling would pass without eating before.
Annoyingly my weight seems to have gone up for no reason and I have been really bloated all week, hoping it will drop again, it's creeping back down but only at a tiny bit a day.

I'm still obsessing on target. I look kind of how I want to look right now except for my belly. I figure another half a stone and that will be ok. Looks ok in clothes just not when I'm naked. However I, currently 10 something which is unbelievable but I can't help but love the idea of being nine something.

I am also looking to up my exercise as I want to tone up my stomach. My arms get plenty of exercise at work and my legs are fine as I'm forever walking but I need to tone my middle up. At the minute I'm just trying to do more on the ring fit and some yoga.
I'm mad this week as I haven't managed to do much exercise due to the heat.

@Pleaseandthankyou

Tsatsiki

1 cucumber
Full fat Greek yoghurt
1/2 lemon juice
Crushed garlic
Dried or fresh mint (I prefer dried as fresh is too bulky unless chopped rrallllllly fine)
S&P
Olive oil

Slice cucumber in half vertically and use sharp teaspoon to scoop out seeds. This is about getting water out.
Grate cucumber and leave to drain in sieve with a liberal sprinkling of salt to draw more water
I usually do this bit first thing.
If I'm feeling fancy I squeeze cucumber through muslin to get really dry
Then before dinner, take gk yog and add lemon and stir in cucumber until you've got the right sort of consistency / ratio.
Add garlic, mint and S&P to taste. Some love it super garlicky - me not so much.

Flavour improves after a night in the fridge.

Heading home from holiday (part one) where we've had glorious weather. It's been fabulous but definitely strict BC once the hols are over! Roughly half and half cooking in the van and eating out. We have a grill and two ring hob, and a great fridge with a small freezer. Best meal was ratatouille (made at home) with Toulouse sausages and some sautéed kale. Also bolognese (previously cooked and frozen) and burgers and halloumi with salad. Eggs and bacon good too! An Aeropress for coffee was a game changer and our new kettle doesn't dribble so that's progress too! Will do similar next week but probably more eating out as closer to civilisation.

@StuntNun are you someone who's pretty hot on calculating carb counts for random food??

My lovely 'mashed potato squash' plant is starting to provide a nice lot of fruit but I don't know if I should be treating it like a courgette / marrow squash (ie eating loads) or like a butternut squash and only in moderation??

When I cut into it, it certainly seems the same texture as courgette ie a bit springy / yielding and not rock solid like a butternut.

The best I can find online so far is this:

Per 148g portion, ‘Mashed Potato’ has 23 calories against potato with 110; 2.25% carbohydrate against 9%; 9% dietary fibre against 7%.

Any thoughts??

I think it might mean % of RDA so if 143g of potato (27g of carbs apparently) is 9% then they must use 300g approx as RDA

So that makes 2.25% = 7.5G total in 143g

Which would equate to 5.2g per 100g ie orange zone..?!???

Thanks @FusionChefGeoff. I will try that over the weekend

@FusionChefGeoff those calorie and carb counts for potato are way off so the information for mashed potato squash is probably incorrect. Unless it tastes sweet like butternut squash then it's probably around 6-7g carbs per 100g.

Thanks - it's a real find in that case as it tastes like mashed / baked potato!!! Had it with cheese, lc coleslaw and salad was incredible!

Off out for dinner tonight to celebrate DH being out of isolation and us all escaping infection. I think I may go off plan though as the LC options would be either a) the same as I have every day at home eg Caesar salad / salmon with FLGV or b) pretty joyless / non existent once the carbs have been removed c) a steak and I don't want steak.

Eating out is supposed to be a joyful, pleasant experience not something you tolerate and grit your teeth whilst really wishing you were at home. If anyone can work any CBT style magic on my thought patterns I'm open to try it!!

@FusionChefGeoff I made the tzatziki last night and it was yummy. Will have the leftovers with lunch I think.

It seems really quiet on here now...is Monday the final weigh in?

I want to try the tzatziki too. What do you serve it with? It sounds a bit like Indian raita.

Yes Dellabob123 Monday is the last weigh in then that thread will continue until @BIWI starts the run-up to Christmas thread next month. She'll post a sign up thread announcing the start date in due course.

How did you get on with your meal out FusionChefGeoff? I have made mindful exceptions when I'm eating out but try to stick to generally healthy foods, for example a sweet potato side rather than having a sugary dessert. Sometimes you just have to make the "least worst" choice from what's available if you don't want to end up with an utterly dispiriting or very small meal. If you do end up going "off piste" then it can be a useful learning opportunity to find out how different foods affect you. For example I can't resist chips so they need to not be on my plate or anywhere near me when I'm eating out. I know wheat gives me a stomachache in any significant quantity so I wouldn't have pasta but could manage a slice of quiche. Also, assess how you feel the next day: are you hungrier than usual, do you have cravings? We want this to be a way of eating for life and it has to be manageable. I've been low carb for eight years and it's just how I eat now; it can be done.

@StuntNun I served it with lamb and veg and hubby had with flat bread. Was delish.

I had a terrible food day otherwise yesterday...I was busy and could lunch and then just grazed on nuts all day until dinner. I thought the results would be way off but dont seem seem to have affected me weight wise or cravings.
Will get back to 3 meals today.

@StuntNun it was great thanks - I had a chicken breast burger with bin and with amazing chips that were totally worth it. I avoided dessert like the plague though as I KNOW that sets me off and makes me feel physically and emotionally terrible.

I am hungry this morning but am going out for a long run to try to deplete the glycogen ASAP!! Will be easy to ignore until lunch time.

I did think that pre boot camp, when we went out for dinner I wouldn't eat as healthily as at home - 3 courses, pudding etc and that was fine. So I think if I keep to BC during 'normal' times then occasionally have a carb meal that is going to work for me. I'm not focusing on losing huge amounts of weight so it's not quite so important I stay 100% on plan I think.

I make a lovely tzatziki: coarsely grate a cucumber (at least half of one) and leave to drain in a sieve with some salt sprinkled over it (press down periodically to squeeze out the liquid). Worth doing this in advance to give the salt a chance to do its work.

Finally chop/squish a number of garlic cloves (I like my tzatziki very garlicky so use about 3 large cloves per half cucumber ). Add to the grated cucumber with 2 or 3 large spoonfuls of good Greek yoghurt. Add a slosh of olive oil, a small squoosh of lemon juice, a pinch/grind of black pepper and leave in the fridge for a bit. If you have any mint, a small amount finally chopped and added (c a teaspoon or less) can be nice.

All this talk of tsatsiki means I've made some!! And am having the exact meal described as above.

Been a good day - maybe the idea of the occasional carby meal when out isn't so bad after all. Especially if there's a nice big run the morning after.

All this mention of tzatziki is making me wish I had some dried mint in the cupboard!!

@FusionChefGeoff - I've had a similar scenario to you with eating out. I'm out for dinner with work this week so have had to pre order. I did contemplate a cheesy starter and a chessboard for dessert but would 100% and up eating the bread with the starter and the fruit/crackers with the dessert. But then I realised that actually since eating this way I don't actually want them and was just assuming I needed to have them out of greed and habit . However, I might feel differently on the night when everyone else is tucking into chocolate brownie and I've only ordered a main!

@StuntNun - that's good to know about visceral fat. Now I just need to pluck up the courage to measure myself!

Sorry for the third post (I always think of a question after I've posted on the thread), but do we need to continue with the electrolytes for as long as we're low carb? Or does your body get used to the lack of carbs and stop losing the electrolytes after a while?

As far as I understand, it's mainly at the start, particularly if you are suffering from carb flu. I think beyond that you should be getting enough minerals from all the healthy veg. Spinach, broccoli, cabbage, celeriac, radish, celery, asparagus, olives...

Reporting in from my holiday. Having a wonderful, relaxed time and feeling really great mentally. Lots of fresh air, some sunshine, plenty of walking exercise.

With regards to this WOE it's been a bit variable. Tonight was bacon, onion, green beans, cabbage, and a bit of black pudding, followed by brambles and cream. All cooked and eaten in the camoervan while listening to the Atlantic waves on the adjacent beach.

We have eaten out a lot. Mainly breakfast / brunch (which in Ireland are amazing) but I've had to make some careful choices and I admit I've not always avoided the toast. I've had fish and chips one (the freshest cod you can imagine) and I didn't eat all the chips. I also succumbed to a blackcurrant flapjack one afternoon.

Eating patterns have been different. Brunch about 10.30am then dinner anytime between 6pm and 9pm. I have noticed that when I have toast with breakfast I am more likely to feel hungry, hangry later on..

Had a couple of amazing meals out, with another booked for next weekend.

Thoroughly enjoying myself and absolutely no idea what is happening weight-wise. It will be what it will be...

Wishing everyone well with their final weigh ins tomorrow, and I'll see you all on the continuing threads / chat.

@pinknsparkly sometimes if I feel a bit ropey I have a glass of salt water and sometimes it does the job which suggests mine had gone out of whack slightly.

@venusandmars sounds like the perfect way to enjoy a holiday.

I stupidly assumed a roast dinner at friends would be easy to navigate - how wrong I was - parsnips, potatoes, mashed carrot and swede and peas!!! Luckily we brought a LC cauli cheese but it was no where near big enough so I only managed a spoonful. Strawberries swimming in double cream helped a bit but I was pretty hungry.

If anyone wants to join me I'm having a reset 2 weeks strict BC starting tomorrow.

Hope there's a chat thread I can post on for accountability!!!

Pinknsparkly I'm eight years in to eating low carb and I still need electrolytes plus a good quality magnesium supplement. Apparently magnesium is chronically depleted in soil so modern vegetables don't contain as much as we need. I have two drinks of water with a sprinkle of electrolyte powder every day and a half dose of
magnesium glycinate. If I don't then I wake up in the night simultaneously thirsty and needing to pee so I suspect I need the electrolytes to absorb water effectively. I need the extra magnesium or I get pins and needles in my hands and feet and it effects my sleep. Low magnesium can also cause restless legs and chocolate cravings.

The new Low Carb Mini Bootcamp threadd* is up!

Funny you should say that @StuntNun I have been getting pins and needles in my left arm a lot and last night woke up with what felt like restless legs but In my arm! Couldn’t get to sleep for ages, just assumed it was because my B12 jab is due but could have been the electrolyte/magnesium.
I usually take magnesium supplements from H&B (not sure which form of Mag they are)
I’ve also just been having salt water/bouillon but maybe I need proper electrolytes,
What brand does everyone else use?
Sorry I know you talked about this one of the first threads but I just assumed the salt water would be fine so didn’t write down the names.

@venusandmars that holiday sounds like bliss

@FusionChefGeoff I am finding Roast dinners the hardest, I am a sucker for a roast potato!