Week 2 - pre-Christmas Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Morning campers!

This is my favourite week of a new Bootcamp. Because for all those new to low carbing, and especially those who were so fearful about the amount of fat they're supposed to be eating, this can be a real revelation.

It's often a real leap of faith to commit to a way of eating which is against everything we've been told, for the last 30 or 40 years, is bad for us. And yet, all the recent science confirms that lowering our carbohydrate intake can only be good for us - and that embracing fat is also good too!

Here's a link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

I look forward, very much, to seeing results of the first week. Somehow, from what people have already posted, I think it's going to be good!

Afternoon everyone! Some great losses this week - well done .

2.2lb loss for me in my first week which is a much better result than I was getting on WW (with the plus that I'm far less hungry on this WOE)

I've had Cheeseburger pie this week - which I thought I might find a bit rich but it's lovely with some fresh veg (and lots of jalapeno's)

I did manage to get celeriac in M&S this weekend, so I might do spicy celariac chips with salmon tomorrow.

WATER

PS - I've had Tesco's own non-alcoholic G&T which I thought was good - 0 carbs per 250ml can

Well i'm a plum, i thought bootcamp started this week not last week so I've been catching up with everyone's posts - some great losses there, congrats. Excited about the ratatouille recipe too. Had an old favourite for lunch, egg mayo and crisp bacon wrapped in iceberg and have a chilli in the slow cooker for tonight, cauli rice for me. Happy Monday!

So I am down 1 pound, not too bad, am at top of healthy BMI and have been maintaining for past 6 weeks.

Monday is always a bit difficult as it is shopping day for my very elderly FIL and its good for him to have some company at a mealtime, he very much enjoys his trip out, so was planning for supergreen soup but they had no soup at all today and no non/low carb options.

Breakfast - yogurt with small spoon of almond butter & seeds
Lunch - Teacake , had a baked chicken thigh when i got home.
Dinner - Greens stir fried and eggs.
lots of water.

Lunch big salad with olives avocado ,cheese rollitos ,roasted peppers, lettuce & tomato

Colleague who was eating left over Chinese takeaway commented that my meal it looks healthy apart from the cheese

Just nodded and mmm ‘ d her 😃

Dinner chicken Kievand broccoli and cauliflower

I can’t believe I am managing , well managing is the wrong word , but not even interested in snacking .
Even refused choc muffin !

Amazed I’m on schedule! Haven’t weighed though.

Last couple of days have been mainly cheese, meat and very creamy coffees, which I need to improve on…

Thanks for doing this. @BIWI, you’re a star ⭐️

Another one noting the differences in the tinned tomatoes!

Last day of the school holidays today...looking forward to tomorrow

B: scrambled eggs, cheese and avocado
L: rollitos with cabbage and courgette soup, double cream poured in
Snack: FF Greek yoghurt
Dinner: leftover roast chicken with roasted neeps and buttery leeks

I'm down 3.3lbs which I'm delighted about. I put it down to pushing my water intake, it really does make a difference.
I feel I've been able to stick to this diet when others have been a struggle because I don't have to faff around weighing and counting food. It's just a matter of a few simple rules and checking labels, I can cope with that!

I'm glad to hear that @KateF! That is the whole point of Bootcamp - to make it easy (as well as enjoyable)

As a reformed lurker I'm finally posting a question I have thought to myself whilst voyeuring all over previous bootcamps when the differing carb counts of things like tinned tomatoes are posted (it is most often tinned tomatoes). Now, I completely get that things like the addition of herbs or sugar or other extras will make a difference but what I don't get is why we are taking the numbers on the label seriously at all when it comes to just peeled tomato vs peeled tomato and one or two carbs either way? Tomato carb counts will vary depending on factors like ripeness and origin/ exact breed but I am almost certain (though very willing to be corrected) that these things are not consistent in sainsburys basics tinned toms and yet that carb count hasn't changed in years and certainly doesn't vary by batch. What they put on the label is just what some food scientist once came up with at some point right? I'm sure it's vaguely accurate but I wouldn't think at all accurate enough to mean that one would actually be confident that a tin saying 2.8 would be lower carb than another tin from saying 3.8?

If anyone knows any more about this than I do please do let me know as it's nice to actually know things. I've just always taken it for granted that carb counts on labels for fruit/veg aren't more reliable than just googling and approximating (especially when species is not even specified but also just generally) but maybe I'm missing something!

Some amazing loses this week well done.

Did my run. forgot to stop running so did 4 x 4 minutes running with walking in between. Considering I've not put my trainers on since Jan i an very pleased. going again on Wednesday. Pic of my funky running leggings my daughter refuses go out with me when im wearing them 🤣

I am seriously impressed by your shred and run @prettybird

I'll be baack!
I'm struggling to manage on hols so rather than fight it, I'll do a halfarsed attempt and see y'all next Monday.

Did the first run for a long time this morning , have lost the head phones for my phone so couldn’t listen to the app , so made it up as I went along
Did 20 minutes do running and brisk walking , and can feel it in my legs now !
My leggings are nowhere near as snazzy as yours @Glenthebattleostrich !
Also managed a very unimpressive 30 second plank
Didn’t manage any breakfast this morning as the fridge was a little bare , had a Tesco shop and it’s looking much better now !
Lunch was bacon , mushroom , spring onion and cheese omelette
And dinner chicken thighs with spiced with cumin , coriander and smoked paprika , roast cauliflower and green beans
Lots of water , and an early night I think

I couldn't find my armband for my iPhone as it had been so long since I ran so I ended up having to wear a new pair of leggings I'd got In Decathlon, size L as they have a pocket on the leg for a phone.

Let's just say that although I just managed to get them on, I have a new clothing target

Still haven't found my armband

And the app glitched halfway through the run - fortunately I also wear a watch to time as a back up and I know the distance from previous records on MapMyRun.

@MercedesBenz isn't it liberating and empowering to just say 'no' to a chocolate muffin. No prevaricating about only having a small one, or just half, of just this once. No messing around with counting calories / syns / anything else. Just an easy 'no'.

@0DAAT there is no point in being miserable and thinking it's all too difficult and then giving up for good - better to make the decision you have. But maybe there are some things you can do like eat your fish and leave most of the batter and only eat half the chips. Or just don't have anything that is pure sugar. Eat veg when you can, eat meat when you can. No fizzy juice! Don't feel bad about the small indescretions, and feel really good about turning down a sticky toffee pudding. Drink a glass of dry white wine rather than a syrupy cocktail.

I made a load of soup today with the stock from yesterday's chicken. There's carrot and red pepper for dh, and green stuff and sour cream for me. I used the cauli leaves and stump, the broccoli leaves and stem, a courgette, an onion. Added a heap of butter and half a tub of sour cream. Blitzed. Made 12 portions! Veg box empty and ready for a new one tomorrow.

Dinner was chef's salad (chopped chicken, chopped ham, chopped mushroom [I sometimes add cheese but didn't need it today] all with a couple of dollops of mayonnaise, some sliced cornichons, capers and chopped parsley) with green salad, radishes, cucumber AND the left-over fennel and courgette gratin.

I ate early because I had a zoom AGM at 7pm. In other food worlds I'd have needed a snack before bed but on this woe I have no hunger and no desire for anything. and it helps that I don't buy biscuits so there's not much to tempt me

Well done everyone! Great to see all the losses, inspiring to KOKO.
Lunch today was lovely, left over strips of roast beef from the roast I did yesterday, with a green salad and cubed cheese with a generous helping of mayo… that I finally bought when I went food shopping.
Tea was DH famous burgers, wrapped in a romaine lettuce leaf. Not so good on the water today, reallg busy at work as i’m on my own. I also forgot my preferred water bottle, this one holds a full litre and I like that I know how much I have drunk. Will do better tomorrow.

Sorry you had a hard week @HillsBesideTheSea 

I know what you mean about the carb counts @FungalLurkins, I take them all with a pinch of salt too. With no scientific basis though!

@FungalLurkins

You're right and not right!

The government publishes a huge amount of data about carb counts of food like this . I don't know if this is the source manufacturers use, but they do have to use something. Correct labelling is very important, and they can get into trouble if their nutritional information is wrong.

That said, obviously you're right in that the carb counts that are on the labels have to (for foods initially fresh) be more of an average than a specific reality reflecting that specific batch.

And yes, buying something that's 3.4g vs 3.8g carbs per 100g is very likely to really be that different.

However, one of the reasons I post information like this is so that other posters are aware in general of carb counts, and that they're also encouraged to scrutinise the labels of the things they're buying, because individual brands of what seem to be the same thing can often vary (sometimes quite wildly). I'm often amazed at how rarely people do actually look at the labels.

As an ex-market researcher, I used to spend a lot of time listening to people in interviews or focus groups telling me very earnestly how they always read the labels - yet when I took people shopping and observed their behaviour, I can tell you that this was a very rare phenomenon indeed!

Love the run leggings @Glenthebattleostrich - I might need to trade my boring black ones in at this rate!

Anyhoo...I need recipe ideas for leftover roast lamb. I made a big fat curry from it tonight which was yum and two portions left over for the freezer.
I still have lamb left and wondering what to make...more curry and just freeze? If you have ideas, please share.

I am just posting it here. But. I may go for a run tomorrow. Maybe. Possibly.

@BIWI thanks for the link on stress eating. Just had a wobble.

I'm one of the scaredy people! How do I start?? Does anyone have a meal plan they can share please?

Two potential recipes:

One is Suleman's Pilaf (chunks of cold lamb, chunks of fresh tomato (I semi de-seed them), shallots and pine nuts (so not Boot Camp compatible) cooked together in olive/coconut oil for a bit and then mixed with some buttered, fried blitzed cauliflower rice. It freezes ok too. Dh likes o serve it with Worcestershire Sauce (his portion gets made with rice and has raisins added, as per the original Elizabeth David recipe)

With a small amount left over (after making Suleman's Pilaf ), I make shepherds pie. Mince the lamb; blitz some shallots, leeks and a small carrot, cook off in some olive/coconut oil, add the minced lamb, any left over lamb jus, a cube or two of frozen chopped spinach (if you have any: this is just to add to the FLGV ) and a can of tomatoes, rinsed out with some water which is also added. Plus a very generous squoosh of Worcestershire Sauce. Cooke until well acquainted. Put into a deep ovenproof bowl/casserole.

Top with a celeriac/leek/cauliflower (perm any combination) mash made by bolting thr cooked veg in a food processor and adding (while still on) some cream cheese/cream/mascarpone, an egg, some Parmesan, nutmeg and seasoning.

Dot with some butter and bake/grill (I have a combo oven).

@Oblahdeeoblahdoe - welcome I cross-posted with you.

Many Boot Campers post up their daily menus for accountability, so have a read back to get some inspiration for menu planning from them.

My meals aren't organised enough to do that

Today I had leftover roasted cauliflower stalks and some asparagus for lunch (no breakfast as I'm an experienced BCer so Intermittent Fast/IF - ie skip breakfast), snacks of salami and Emmenthal (bad habit I need to get out of) and then supper of two low carb sausages and shoogled sprouts (microwaved in butter), with extra sprouts cooked ready for tomorrow lunchtime.

[quote prettybird]@Oblahdeeoblahdoe - welcome I cross-posted with you.

Many Boot Campers post up their daily menus for accountability, so have a read back to get some inspiration for menu planning from them.

My meals aren't organised enough to do that

Today I had leftover roasted cauliflower stalks and some asparagus for lunch (no breakfast as I'm an experienced BCer so Intermittent Fast/IF - ie skip breakfast), snacks of salami and Emmenthal (bad habit I need to get out of) and then supper of two low carb sausages and shoogled sprouts (microwaved in butter), with extra sprouts cooked ready for tomorrow lunchtime. [/quote]
Thank you. I will check in daily then

@BIWI

This piece might help you

This was an interesting read. I don't think I fully understood just how much of my eating is emotional until I did bootcamp. It's the first time I've ever followed a plan where I'm not always hungry so it's now easy to identify that I may want to eat, but I'm not actually hungry. It happened to me in the M&S food hall yesterday evening. I'd had a very busy day at work, kids and DH home for half term but not lifting a finger, I went out to do a few bits and pieces and some shopping after work and I was quite tired and feeling generally harassed.

I got what I needed and made my way to the checkouts via the aisles full of chocolate and sweets, trying to find something BC friendly that I could treat myself to. Obviously there wasn't anything, and I had that realisation that I was trying to treat myself with food because I was tired and feeling crap, and that I wasn't actually hungry.

I definitely need to move away from using food/wine as a reward, it's a tough habit to break though. A bath and a book is the best alternative I've found so far, might start saving up for a proper treat like a spa day, popping 50p in a jar when I feel like sweet food instead of spending it on crap to eat.