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Low-carb bootcamp

Join discussions about low-carb bootcamp plans, meals and progress. Consider speaking to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Week 7 Pre-Christmas Low Carb Bootcamp

156 replies

BIWI · 28/11/2021 23:11

So we come to our final fortnight.

From here you can decide what you want to do. If you like, you can move to Bootcamp Light - or if you feel you need to be super strict you can stay on/move back to full-on Bootcamp.

Here's the link to the Spreadsheet

I promised that I'd post another vegetarian recipe, so here's one of my favourites (which is on the vegetarian recipe thread), from Simon Hopkinson:

Grilled aubergines with olive oil, garlic, parsley and feta cheese

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 long, thin-skinned purple aubergines (alternatively use the ordinary plump, pear-shaped variety available from most supermarkets)
1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
handful parsley leaves, finely chopped
5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
a little sea salt and black pepper
150g/5oz feta cheese
lemons, for serving

Preparation method:

Preheat the grill to high.
Run a small, sharp knife round the top of the aubergine, 1cm/½in or so below the stalk and only just cutting through the skin; then make four evenly spaced, similarly shallow cuts, along the length of the aubergine right down to the end.
Grill the aubergines for about 20 minutes, turning every 5-7 minutes or so, until evenly cooked with charred skin, and until the aubergine feels soft, but not too collapsed within. In the case of the purple aubergines, the skin will also have turned a dull brown colour. Transfer to a large, oval, white plate and allow to cool for two minutes.
Peel away the aubergine skin in four long, narrow sheets using a small knife. Without cutting right through the stalk end, cut the aubergines in half lengthways and gently prise apart until you have two horizontal halves remaining attached at the top end
Mix the garlic and parsley with the olive oil until well combined and spoon the mixture over the aubergine. Season lightly with salt (not too much - the cheese is salty anyway) and pepper, and crumble the feta cheese over the top. If liked, trickle over more olive oil to finish.
Serve warm, or at room temperature with lemon squeezed over.

Although this is lovely, it is a bit faffy - so sometimes I just cut the aubergines in half, cut a deep criss cross in each aubergine half and then drizzle very generously with olive oil (as the aubergine soaks up the oil like a sponge), season well and then roast till soft.

In a small saucepan I also gently warm some finely chopped or crushed garlic in more olive oil, sometimes with chilli flakes, and when the aubergine is pretty much cooked through, I pour this flavoured oil over it and roast for another 10 minutes or so, with the Feta cheese crumbled on the top.

OP posts:
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Dellabob123 · 30/11/2021 14:52

That sounds grand @FusionChefGeoff

Pity I dont eat wheat/gluten - Sad

ShagMeRiggins · 30/11/2021 15:16

BIWI how about chatraubriand for Christmas?

ShagMeRiggins · 30/11/2021 15:17

*chateaubriand

TrueGrit54 · 30/11/2021 15:48

We have goose, absolutely love it. DH does all the cooking as the first year we were married I had a shocking cold/flu and was in bed, second year I got into a flap and he took over for the next 19 years. He enjoys it, starts early and is a good cook, better than me. I waft around binning wrapping paper with a glass of champagne. I do almost all the cooking the rest of the year to be fair.

kerkyra · 30/11/2021 17:01

I've stayed the same the last two weeks but keeping on. I discovered the lindt balls on saturday that I was given in September and had hidden them from myself at the bottom of a drawer,so had a munch through four and then got the sugar munchies and had two florentines I'd bought for someone for Christmas.
Felt so guilty,all that sugar!
So back to it on Sunday.
I made my own version of sag paneer which I had last night and tonight with my salmon. Made with onion and garlic partially liquidised,a large handful of spinach,half a teaspoon of madras paste I found, Philadelphia,butter and little blocks of cheddar ( which ofcourse melted but added to the yumminess).

Week 7 Pre-Christmas Low Carb Bootcamp
Moanranger · 30/11/2021 18:27

So lunch at the Italian today was interesting, no melanzana parmigiana, but an involotina of grilled aubergine wrapped around ricotta cheese. I was enjoying that ( along with a cheeky 125ml glass of red). Suddenly my friend X starts exclaiming,” surely your not just eating that, that’s not enough food, etc”. I good-naturedly asked her to stop food pushing, but she didn’t, really, & kept coming back to the size of my lunch throughout the meal. A bit rude, I thought, tho she is an odd duck. I finally said, “X, I really have to challenge you on this” which set her back on her heels.
Pudding was an agreement to share two amongst the four of us. I was thinking “how am I going to get out of this?” But never in the end lifted my spoon,and the others devoured most of it. I eventually told them I was LCing.
What really pleased me about the day was how completely untempted I was by the various carbs & sugar on offer. Nothing at all to do with willpower, just a complete lack of interest. Great NSV today.

Aderyn21 · 30/11/2021 20:11

A good day here too, walked to and from my exercise class (an hour each way) and dug out my activity tracker so I can monitor steps. Have eaten 2 pieces of low carb toast and butter for breakfast, some cheese and almond base tart for lunch and sausages with butternut squash and leeks for dinner. Did have a little bit of normal gravy but only a couple of tablespoons. Bought some nice mini cans of tonic (6.7g carb) which is a bit high but not made with artificial sweetener, so okay in moderation I think. Am still managing to swerve the alcohol and Christmas goodies filling up my house - probably the first time ever that I haven't cracked open the Christmas chocolates and had to rebuy them!

BIWI · 30/11/2021 20:44

Hmm - not much veg going on there @Aderyn21! How many cans of that tonic are you planning on drinking? They are very high in carbs, even if they aren't artificial.

Rule 4 of Bootcamp - the majority of your carbs should be coming from veg and salad!

OP posts:
queenofcauliflower · 30/11/2021 21:32

Hello!

I'm a lurker but 'joined' on 15/11 with a huge amount to lose. I just popped my posting cherry to post a photo of the spiced cauliflower I made from a previous week posted by @FungalLurkins - her/his own version of cauliflower cheese - cauliflower spiced with za'atar roasted then grilled with feta and pine nuts. It was amazing and I ate the whole lot! I think I would be LOVELY with brie & walnuts or goats cheese too so will try that next! Thanks Fungal!

Thanks to all for the info and support on behalf of all my fellow lurkers!

As you were!

queenofcauliflower · 30/11/2021 21:32

Forgot the photo!

Week 7 Pre-Christmas Low Carb Bootcamp
Aderyn21 · 30/11/2021 21:34

Just having 1 can and not everyday. Mostly I will have my fake gin with a diet tonic - not perfect I know but I'd rather not give up my evening treat. I thought I did okay with the veg. Am making a beef casserole tomorrow so will put a load of veg in that.

pinknsparkly · 30/11/2021 22:26

@FusionChefGeoff, your bread looks amazing! Can I ask a very silly question, but would I sub the honey out for the same quantity of sugar? My little girl wants to eat everything I have and she's still too young for honey!

I've been to a fitness class this evening and really need to make an effort to get more fitness into my life. I try to walk as much as possible but this week am only working onsite for two days and will probably spend the rest of the week sat on my bum! I think I might finally try and find a YouTube fitness class that I like (rather than getting over ambitious, doing a ridiculously hard one and then never trying again!)

FusionChefGeoff · 01/12/2021 08:39

@Moanranger God a complete lack of interest is what I long for!! I still have to exercise an iron will when eating out particularly. Although I am genuinely looking forward to going out on Sat and having a naked burger with halloumi fries instead of normal ones which is my new trick!

@pinknsparkly I have no idea but I don't see why not! You'd have to give it a try. But then again, I'd question that 1sp of cooked honey throughout a whole loaf (and presumably she'd then only have a couple of bites) would be a problem....

Had my first BWRT session yesterday - feeling really positive but I know there's a long life of hardwired messed up food stuff to deal with so it's going to take a while I think!

I still haven't got round to attempting shashuka so will put that back on the plan for today as well as my gorgeous bread and green soup.

Have a great one, everyone Smile

catwithflowers · 01/12/2021 08:42

Well we have had a slight halt to low-carbing in this household 😕. No electricity since Friday. And not going to be restored until this Friday at the earliest. We have no way of cooking and whilst meats and cheese were fine for the first few days, it's not really sustainable for longer in the winter. I did hard boil half a dozen eggs at my dad's and bought a pre-cooked chicken for one meal and had that with salad.

The house is freezing but we do at least have a log burner so one room can be warmed. Went out for an Indian set lunch yesterday. Left most of the rice and went for the tikka option. Who knows what today will bring. Possibly pizza or sandwiches 🙈. Next door have gone to a hotel but we have animals so not an option.

Will start again in earnest at the weekend as soon as we can cook!

Glentheredbeakbattleostrich · 01/12/2021 08:53

Oh no @catwithflowers. Hope you get power soon.

That is a brilliant victory @Moanranger. It feels so freeing not constantly thinking about food and not having to be super strict. I went to Costa with a friend yesterday and wasn't even slightly tempted by the hot chocolate and mince pies, I was very happy with my cup of tea with cream! I do still find restaurants a struggle but am definitely getting there.

I'm excitedly awaiting my low carb bread and am going to treat myself to a Wensleydale, lettuce and cucumber sandwich today.

Another half a lb off so far, need to up my water as I've let that slip a bit.

Does anyone have any suggestions for scallops? I have some in the fridge. Also have some king prawns in a lime and ginger marinade and some trout. Thinking of a seafood tapas type tea

BIWI · 01/12/2021 10:35

Welcome @queenofcauliflower! Thanks for coming out of the shadows Grin

That dish does look/sound lovely. Must give that a try.

@catwithflowers sorry to hear you have no power Sad - why does it always happen when it's cold?! You can only do the best you can in the circumstances, so don't stress too much about it.

@Aderyn21 I pointed out the veg because you only had veg in one of your three meals - but it's one of the rules of Bootcamp that your carbs should be coming mainly from veg and salad. Whereas your carbs are coming from bread, nuts, tonic and sausages!

@Glentheredbeakbattleostrich I love scallops simply pan-fried, in lots of butter. Serve with slices of black pudding or roasted cauliflower florets, possibly with some kind of pea or broad bean mash - you won't need a lot of that so the carbs won't be too high.

OP posts:
prettybird · 01/12/2021 11:17

Some crispy fried streaky bacon also goes well, as does a creamy celeriac mash Smile

prettybird · 01/12/2021 11:18

Goes well with scallops Grin

FusionChefGeoff · 01/12/2021 11:37

I had scallops with pork belly last week - very very very nice indeed.

I need som help with this festive menu for next week - what the hell am I going to eat?? I don't mind asking for the odd variation - any suggestions..?

www.mpwrestaurants.co.uk/assets/media/files/NYI/KEGWORTH/NYIKegworth_FestiveDinnerWeb.pdf

BIWI · 01/12/2021 12:20

I'd go for the beetroot starter and the trout for main. If I wanted dessert (shame they don't have cheese!) I'd probably go for ice-cream/sorbet as the lesser of many evils - at least no flour will be involved!

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Wildheartsease · 01/12/2021 12:42

FusionChefGeoff - No cheeseboard - what a disappointing menu!

Wildheartsease · 01/12/2021 12:50

Starter
I'd ask for the avocado starter - but with salad instead of the bread base
Or ask about the chicken crunch with mayo... in hope that it would not be all wrapped in breadcrumbs.

Main
I'd go for the turkey - with sausage/bacon/pig in blankets (hopefully) and veg (not potato)
or the fish (without mushrooms because they are not food).

I'd like the christmas pud (and might sniff some) but a better option for me would be coffee with cream for dessert. (I take my own cream in a tiny flask in case the place fails to have any.)

I know that I'll feel better later in the eve if I have avoided any of the desserts - they sit heavy on the insides.
Perhaps the cheeseboard is on the specials?

ShagMeRiggins · 01/12/2021 13:16

[quote FusionChefGeoff]I had scallops with pork belly last week - very very very nice indeed.

I need som help with this festive menu for next week - what the hell am I going to eat?? I don't mind asking for the odd variation - any suggestions..?

www.mpwrestaurants.co.uk/assets/media/files/NYI/KEGWORTH/NYIKegworth_FestiveDinnerWeb.pdf[/quote]
Minestrone and trout or steak (with veg or salad instead of fries, if possible), and cream coffee instead of dessert.

ShagMeRiggins · 01/12/2021 13:25

Waves to queenofcauliflower, that looks gorgeous and happy to see another lurker emerge!

Glen I’m a huge fan of Coquilles St Jacques for scallops, especially the Julia Child version. It pisses me off no end that restaurants and supermarkets that offer it always bulk it out with fecking potato. Utter heathens. Substitute almond or other low carb flour, everything else is fine. I also add sliced mushrooms to mine sometimes. It’s a bit of a faff, but bloody hell it’s delicious.

Sorry about your ditch catwithflowers—not easy at all.

Three children home with horrible cold/throat/aches. Took the opportunity to reinforce their scrambled egg cooking skills when they, one by one, came downstairs and eloquently asked “what’s food?”

To be fair, I haven’t much proper food in at the moment and really need to shop. Making fried chicken tonight so will use bones etc for a soup—that’ll bring ‘em right back to healthy!

BIWI · 01/12/2021 13:29

Just came across this recipe for cauliflower chicken Alfredo on the Diet Doctor website.

Sounds worth a try!

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