Week 4 - Pre-Christmas Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Morning all.

Sorry for the late posting this morning. I had a bad night but managed eventually to get to sleep and have only just woken up!

As ever, here's the link to the spreadsheet

The plan for this week is as for last week, i.e. strict Bootcamp during the week but relaxing into Bootcamp Light at the weekend (if you wish).

Hopefully by now it's becoming more of a habit to eat this way, and the urge to snack has receded, and you're finding that you're no longer hungry between meals.

And channelling @ShagMeRiggins, I hope you're remembering the WATER, WATER, WATER! As well as all the fat

Here's to a good week for us all

Thanks TrueGrit54 and I hope no one thinks I'm being smug posting. I had quite a few years in my early twenties of being bulimic so have yoyoed over the years.
This way of eating has really helped me have no cravings and triggers.
The belly blubber will go,good luck.

kerkyra not smug at all, it is encouraging to see. I am a bit old but determined to lose 42 inch stomach!

@Noavocado and @kerkyra

No-one will think you're smug!

We will all be really pleased for you - I promise . Posting results like yours is very motivating as well as proof that this WOE does work.

I realise that it can be difficult, if not intimidating, for those new to low carbing/the Bootcamp threads, when it looks like it's a lot of regulars posting. That's one of the reasons why I always try and urge lurkers to come out of the shadows!

But I promise you that everyone is more than welcome, so please don't worry - we were all newbies at some point.

Ive been lurking and not posting because I have been daftly busy with work, training, sorting a new volunteer role which I hope will lead to a new job next year and my friend is getting divorced and her children (who I cared for since they were babies) have needed some support! Other than letting the water slip a little (average 2l instead of 3) i have been sticking with it.

I find the thread keeps me on track and stops me cheating. Especially when I see the stick come out 🤣. The scales haven't budged this week but I expected that and was prepared for it mentally thanks to the threads.

Food today -

b scrambled eggs with mushrooms
l salad with prosciutto and cheese
d lamb curry (home made) with a low carb cheesecake for dessert (i did check it is bootcamp light compliant and asked permission to split my light days this week 🤣)

Well done on the losses and the photos are brilliant.

I've been mostly lurking but sticking to it pretty well. Water is probably my biggest issue. I bought a huge 500ml mug that's my peppermint tea mug!

I admit, I do find it hard when people list all the food they've cheated with, as I'm trying to focus on what I CAN eat, not what I can't!

I'm 11lb down on this bootcamp so far so it's working so far!

Posting my food for the day so that @BIWI knows I'm not cheating

B - coffee with cream (at 11am)
L - salad with boiled egg, avocado, mayonniase and olive oil
D - spagetti bolognese but with cabbage strips, and a side of asparagus

@Noavocado don't feel too like you're being smug, please share your enthusiasm, it helps everyone. You're doing well on your grasp of the rules. Because this is a high fat woe, cheating is doubly disastrous. If I'd accompanied my creamy coffee with a biscuit it would only lead to one unwanted outcome. And for me, the strictness of this woe of eating helps. It's a clear cut decision - NO thanks to cakes, NO thanks to puddings, NO thanks to crisps (that's the most difficult one for me). And over time you will become familiar with some great alternatives.

I’ve just been reading the prep thread and am keen to get going.

Couple of questions: I love the sound of cabbage as a replacement for pasta, it would make it super easy to do the same meal for the whole family. Is there a particular recipe people are using, or just boiled/fried strips of cabbage?

And one question about after boot camp: are chickpeas ever allowed to return? I am approx 1/3 chickpea...

@JunieSpoony - welcome!

if I use cabbage, I slice it very thinly and then boil it till it's softened a bit - you're trying to reach a sort of 'soft but al dente' texture, as close to the mouthfeel of spaghetti as you can get.

Once we've finished Bootcamp it's up to you when you re-introduce chickpeas - you'll need to experiment a bit to see if it has a negative impact on your weight. But yes, you can eat them again at some point - definitely a better form of carbs than, say, pasta or bread or rice.

Thank you @BIWI

Love the photos and I also always find it very motivating to read about others losses.
For those asking about food choices.

I tend to cook the same dinner for all, but instead of potatoes or rice etc I cook either oven roasted frozen green beans, Celaric or something like cauliflower cheese made with double cream and cheddar cheese. I will warn you though that you may have to make it clear to others that your food is not to be heaped onto their plates before you have had your share 😫 😉😀 as I have found that mine all think that it is far tastier than their foods !! I now cook enough for everyone to help themselves as I was getting very grumpy with them.
So tonight it’s roast chicken, broccoli and cauliflower cheese .

🤣 another one here who gets very protective about my 'extra special' food. I tell them they can only have it if they are not going to have the chips, roasties, pasta etc!

I have to defend my LC foods too :)
The appitite of the young (for all things LC) is a marvellous thing.

Even worse - they happily leave rice/pasta/bread for 'someone ' to tidy up.

Baked whole seabream and roasted green veg tonight.

There will be olives herbs and lemons involved.

Fajita mixture without the wraps with a hugh dollop of coleslaw,an avocado and grated cheese for me.

A tablespoon of Whole Earth peanut butter and a bit of aldi dark choc to enjoy later.

I am pleased to have stuck strictly to it so far. I have occasional thoughts of bread or alcohol, but put them firmly behind. November will be my no booze month. This is normally January, but we go to Canaries then, and I want to indulge in cheap wine I think it is good for the liver to abstain, and when I return to booze, my tolerance/satisfaction is very low.
Today was coffee & a bit of cream two sausages with a bit of cheese, one chicken drumstick & salad. Fish & salad with Cardini Caesar dressing, dinner will be steak, mashed cauliflower & green beans with a few toasted almond slices.
I am now moving to once a week weighing. Daily weighing helped me get through the first week, but I know it will slow now.

Just going to post my day too.
B - Greek yog
L - green Thai curry leftovers made into some soup
D baked Salmon with green veg.

I tend to cook the same for everyone too but add potatoes/ rice / pasta for the carb eaters. Tonight DH is having fish, chips and mushy peas though so I’ve got salmon instead. Happy with that as I don’t like batter or potatoes much but I do like peas.

I’ve made some soup by roasting left over pumpkin and peppers and shallots with some lardons and chorizo then blitzing with stock. I’m a bit worried it might be a bit carby - does roasting veg increase sugars or is that just because it’s reduced the liquid?

Oh, and lots of water. I tend to drink an 8oz glass first thing, a cup or two of coffee, and lots of herb tea.
I love Pukka teas - hope their ok. They don’t show added sugar.
My treat water is San Pellegrino with dinner, more herbal tree later on

B boiled eggs with salt
L beef burger plus bacon, lettuce, onion, tomato, wrapped in lettuce instead of bun.
D not sure yet. Might be more eggs!

This week is a bit crazy with not having much chance to eat at home or eat stuff prepared at home so I was pleased to find this chain advertising lettuce wrapped burgers. I’m going to follow as well as I can for the rest of this week and start very strictly on Monday when the chaos should all be behind me.

My day looks like -
L: Chicken, bacon and avocado salad with mayo.
D: Cauliflower cheese (sauce made with the bootcamp recipe of cheddar, Philadelphia and cream) with extra green veg.

About to finish my 3rd litre of water. I used to drink about 5 cans of Diet Coke a day, cut down to almost none now, which I think is helping with bloating etc

@kerkyra ✅ you look amazing !

So @BIWI thinks it’s a bit quiet …. I like a challenge and can talk and talk and talk ….

Been having a really busy time and haven’t been online much , but reading and keeping notes

Had a fab catch up with a friend who retired and moved to France , we haven’t t met up for 3 years ( lots of chat and a nice bottle of rosè from her locality in the fridge for the weekend )

Today’s menu
B . Greek yoghurt , topped up with cream and cinnamon
L. Homemade veg ( courgette , celariac , onion , broccoli and spinach )
D . Tray of roasted veg ( cauli , courgette , leek , pepper , mushrooms) and salmon filet with butter , sea salt and lemon
Bloody delicious

Loads of water , loads , luckily we have nice tap water , but I have to admit to weaning myself off squash by making it weaker and weaker til I just waved the bottle over the glass of water

Challenge accepted @H1Drangea

Evening all. And welcome de lurkers
@kerkyra you are looking fab and what a fab result - never be smug. It is a great motivation.

Been a bonkers week finalising first uni assignment as a mature student. Needless to say my eating has been all over the place.
I forgot breakfast and lunch today and had an omelette with goats cheese and parsley at 3pm!

Tea is pulled pork and spicy celeriac chips.

And, something amazing happened overnight which I have to share. I have always, always had a double hum. By that I mean a good second helping of flab at the top of my thighs that always look a double bum in jeans. Anyway, I noticed this morning that it’s flatter. For the first time in about 20 years. Flat! It has never gone from there ever, it’s my sticking point. But by Jove, it’s decided to move.

I am Beyond happy.
That was motivation and validation enough and I feel fab

Sorry, I’ll stop now!

Brilliant @Dellabob123! And please feel free to go on for as long as you like!

Can’t believe I’m going to edit BIWI’s advice in the 12:21 post upthread, but from everything she and this group have taught me I think she’d agree it should read ‘veg & fruit’ rather than ‘fruit & veg’ being the main sources of carbohydrates.

This isn’t pedantry, it’s important.

We are so conditioned to think of fruit&veg in that order because it’s in all the guidance and advertising. But it’s wrong, frankly. And even in the general population who are not low carbing you’ll get many who eat their five portions of fruit (another myth, as explained by StuntNun I believe on an earlier thread) and no vegetables at all. Which is not only sugar sugar sugar, but misses out on truly important nutrients.

Always reach for vegetables before fruit.

Always drink your WATER EATER EATER