2021 Pre-Christmas Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Welcome to the last Bootcamp of 2021!

This Bootcamp will last for 8 weeks, which will take us up to Monday 13 December.

It's slightly different from other Bootcamps - firstly because it only lasts for 8 weeks (rather than 10), but also because there are going to be different stages.

So ...

Weeks 1 and 2 will be, as ever, strict Bootcamp.

Weeks 3-6 will be strict Bootcamp during the week, but relaxing into Bootcamp Light at weekends

In weeks 7-8 you will have a choice - either back to strict Bootcamp or full-on Bootcamp Light for the last fortnight

What do you reckon on this @BIWI it’s the Jim jams dark hazelnut chocolate spread from Aldi.
(Ing attached)
Wondered if it might be safe to use in some kind of pudding for BC light

@BIWI
Had the cheeseburger pie with green beans and butter and Parmesan
It was Lovely and will have some for lunch tomorrow too , thanks for the recipe
Will make that again

Went shopping so got all the veg I needed , cream , cheese , butter , little peppers , avocados ( little dinky one person size ) so set up for the next few days

Anyone else not feeling hungry ? I am about 20 mins before meal time but don’t have any cravings otherwise

I tried making LC bread today using this recipe:

www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/the-keto-bread

It’s pretty good! Eating bread slathered in butter with zero guilt is a new experience! Only problem I encountered was that they are purple 😮 Apparently some psyllium husk brands do that.

@Kerplunkk It's obviously not for me to give an official bootcamp opinion either way on that product but I am very wary of maltitol as a sweetener. Perhaps do some googling and see what you think as with all sweeteners there is divergence in opinion but that one in particular is often thought to be quite controversial and potentially not at all keto/low carb friendly due to its potential to spike insulin etc

I'm not an expert at all, I just know I've read enough in passing to stay clear of maltitol even on bootcamp light (when I will occasionally use stevia and a few others)

Yes keto rolls with butter make me feel normal. I couldnt do low carb without keto bread.

ShagMeRiggins sorry I should have clarified, I work in a preschool, hence the gifts!

Sorry @Kerplunkk but I'd run a mile from that! The main ingredient is a sweetener.

I notice that they claim maltitol to be a natural sweetener - but have a read of this piece about it

I'd avoid like the plague I'm afraid.

@Kerplunkk

What do you reckon on this *@BIWI* it’s the Jim jams dark hazelnut chocolate spread from Aldi. (Ing attached) Wondered if it might be safe to use in some kind of pudding for BC light

Yeah, I’d steer clear. It’s very high in carbs too. The sweetest thing I eat on this woe is raspberries with some double cream. After you get weaned off sugar, berries start tasting really sweet.

Thank you, glad I checked as a friend mentioned it but didn’t want to buy without checking first.

I’m a bit clueless about different sweeteners tbh, I know aspartame is bad, I remember their being a lot of bad press about it years ago and avoided it and other sweeteners ever since - I’ve always just taken sugar in my tea or the full fat versions of stuff rather than the ‘light’
I must admit when I saw ‘natural sweetener’ and a type I hadn’t heard of I thought my luck was in!

My favourite way to cook pork fillet is to cut it into slices about 2cm thick and lightly fry in butter until browned. add some sliced chestnut mushrooms. pour over some chicken or pork stock and reduce (sometimes also add dry white wine) then stir in some sour cream or creme fresh and add a sprinkle of parmesan. I'd Normally serve with rice but would use cauliflower rice for low carb.

Loving all the bread suggestions and thanks for the link to the shop. Looking forward to a weekend sandwich in a couple of weeks.

I have so many tabs with recipes open my phone thinks ive gone mad! Loving them though and cant wait to try them.

After a sneaky weight check this morning, I'm 1.5lb down. Very pleased.

Todays food was
b - scrambled eggs with buttered mushrooms.
l - chorizo kebab with leftover mushrooms from breakfast and salad
d - lamb burgers served with lettuce and cucumber and halloumi fries. (all homemade)
s - pork crunch and cucumber with salt. 3 cups of tea.

Not had enough water today so on herbal tea tonight, a very delicious 3 mint combo.

For the gin drinkers, I have an amazing sipping gin from Sheffield. It is amazing over lots of ice with a slice of lime. Your welcome 😁🍸

@KateF

ShagMeRiggins sorry I should have clarified, I work in a preschool, hence the gifts!

Thank you for clarifying! I was simply being nosey curious.

@Kerplunkk

Thank you, glad I checked as a friend mentioned it but didn’t want to buy without checking first.

I’m a bit clueless about different sweeteners tbh, I know aspartame is bad, I remember their being a lot of bad press about it years ago and avoided it and other sweeteners ever since - I’ve always just taken sugar in my tea or the full fat versions of stuff rather than the ‘light’
I must admit when I saw ‘natural sweetener’ and a type I hadn’t heard of I thought my luck was in!

Sadly, @Kerplunkk, all artificial sweeteners are just that! Even Stevia, which the manufacturers claim is natural, is so highly processed that it hardly qualifies as such.

You see keto cakes on youtube with eurothymol (?)
I made one once. Hmmmmm not a great success.

My local health food shop looked at me blankly when i said i was looking for a sweetener that didnt cause an insulin response, so i had to order it!

That cake was so anticipated, but i would not bother again. If im suffering again with craving for cake i will break low carb and have small cake.

But yeh things start to taste sweeter, raspberries and blueberies would sweeeten something.

Erythritol it's called. Such a chemical sounding name but when i was doing keto last year, i occassional got craving for cake! So i added a spoon of it to a microwave "concoction"
They were always disappointing!

Thanks everyone for the advice, saved me some pennies!

Had a sneaky weigh and I’m down 1lb - which means I’m in a new stone bracket, from 12 into the 11s, I did get there last BC but only just so I’m pleased that I’m hitting at the start of this BC, hopefully meaning I’ll get to the lower half by the end

The other thing to remember is that we're trying to break the hold that sweet things have over us - so I'd really try to avoid including sweet things in your diet as much as you possibly can during this Bootcamp.

Nice to read that sneaky peaks are encouraging, this woe really works.

Navigated a lunch out with colleagues yesterday, had a lovely chicken bacon and Stilton salad - hold the croutons

@TrueGrit54 ? Beetroot soup would freeze I think. I love it too but need to remember I’ve eaten it after embarrassing myself ringing the GP in a panic one morning!
I realise I’ve never actually tried celeriac so will put that on the investigation list.
I saw MandS do a chorizo crisp in a packet- is that allowed or too processed? Thanks!

Oh yes @BIWI totally agree, sweeteners are not the solution! My head is in a better more accepting of that place this year. Last year i was keto but trying to find a way to be keto and eat cake 🤔

My thinking had got a bit disordered. Im prefering the middle path that is low carb.

I actually (less than once a fortnight) use erythritol (and inulin) occasionally once on to Boot Camp Light to make desserts which have gone down well.

I've never bothered making "ordinary" cakes though: it's been things like Nigella Lawson's Flourless Chocolate Cake (uses ground almonds) with Lime Cream, various versions of creme brûlées and even a meringue roulade.

[quote ayooplass]@TrueGrit54 ? Beetroot soup would freeze I think. I love it too but need to remember I’ve eaten it after embarrassing myself ringing the GP in a panic one morning!
I realise I’ve never actually tried celeriac so will put that on the investigation list.
I saw MandS do a chorizo crisp in a packet- is that allowed or too processed? Thanks![/quote]
I am a big fan of the chorizo crisps! Technically, chorizo is processed so it’s probably not the best (and processed meat contains nitrates) but if you’re out and about and need something low carb, they’re great. I have also tried the Serrano ham crisps but the chorizo ones are nicer as they are fattier.

Morning all. Crappy rain and wind last night kept me up...have to make sure I don’t make bad food choices which happens when sleep deprived!

@BIWI I made the stir fry pork last night- I couldn’t wait. It was divine. Thanks for the suggestion. Although I used lime instead of lemon. Will add to my recipe book!

I cut the fillet in half so will do the roll up suggestion tonight. Not bad getting four meals out of one fillet!

Talking of sweet stuff, when I’ve previously gone all out on LC, I’ve often given in to microwave cakes. Habit probably. But this time around I just cut everything out- zip, gone. I just done snack, have crashes, need sweet or anything and I dont even think about them. Definitely different t this time around, and all the better for it!

Hope you all have good days today- keep up the water!

Gosh so many posts to catch up.

Whoever said they needed the group support, I'm your sister.
They are brilliant pork ideas BIWI.

I'm my first morning in Portugal here. An AirB&B apartment - a first for us. It is fabulous. Hopefully nearby cafes for low carb options.
As I left people were setting to bother with a diet on your holidays, but I thought I'd have a go and so far fine.
Yesterday breakfast was my usual green omlette. Then I had chicken broccoli salad and coleslaw at the airport. It was fine. Not perfect, almond slivers on the salad
I've measured every bit of me. Had a sneaky weigh in on Tuesday (up from Monday), weighed Wednesday, (down again)! I
Off now to fill my water bottle, and good luck all!

How lovely, @0DAAT! It's a very cold, crisp, autumnal morning on these shores. It's not Portugal, but it'll have to do!

Just a note of reassurance for any newbies who are neither Gordon nor Delia: you don't have to be! This woe has been perfectly wonderful for me and I'm a really, really basic cook (improving slowly thanks to the pinned recipe threads). You'll be just fine with omelettes, meat, buttery greens, cheesy cauliflower and all the water if that's your level.

I still get to enjoy fabulous cakes made by @prettybird, albeit virtually, without spending all my pocket money on ingredients which, when in my hands, combine to make something resembling a crime scene.

I would draw a distinction between different types of processed foods. I regard a processed food as something with five or more ingredients that contains ingredients that you wouldn't have in your kitchen. Whereas bacon, cheese, yogurt, etc. are processed but they don't usually contain weird ingredients such as shellac or malic acid. Nitrates/nitrites can be a worry but it's worth looking into them as you may find they aren't as bad as they're made out to be. On the one hand we're told that nitrites cause cancer, but on the other hand about 80% of our nitrite exposure is produced by our own saliva.