General Low Carb Bootcamp Chat

[BIWI]

Although I generally keep a chat thread going at the end of each Bootcamp, I think it would be better to have an ongoing chat thread that isn't linked to a specific Bootcamp.

So here it is. A sparkly new thread, for all things low carb and Bootcamp chat. As well as anything else you'd like to chat about!

Feel free to chat about anything you like here.

And glucagon:

The mechanism by which body fat is broken down involves a hormone called glucagon. Think of insulin and glucagon as equal and opposite hormones. Insulin takes glucose out of the blood stream and stores fuel; glucagon puts glucose back into the blood stream and accesses fuel. These two hormones are antagonists. They are not in play at the same time. If insulin is doing something, glucagon is dormant. If glucagon is doing something, insulin is dormant

@Frenchpoodle I've also lost the Christmas bloat weight, and I feel so much better - it's not just the few pounds it's my whole demeanour.

Today's food was a creamy coffee and a cheese omelette. Was planning Thair green curry and had bought lemongrass, fresh corriander, lime leaf, galangal etc etc... Then dh came home (via the local fish shop) with oysters and lemon sole. BIg change of plan!

B - coffee with cream
L - cheese omelette
D - oysters; sole meuniere with green beens and roasted radishes (dh had potato dauphonoise).

The sole recipe was a new one to me DELICIOUS

Did you include the plain flour in the sole recipe? I suppose if you shake it off you lose most of it? I love sole.

I have had shoogled sprouts and Savoy cabbage with Brie for lunch and dinner will be scrambled eggs. Followed by Greek yoghurt.

Do you think that tea with no sugar almond milk will be having any effect on insulin levels? I drink 3 or 4 cups in the morning between 7 and 10.

Really interesting to learn of the various ways in which alcohol sabotages weight loss. I've long observed that is contributes to the disregulation of my apetite, but seeing the mechanics of how it does this is a really good prod towards either cutting it out or severely limiting the number of occasions on which I drink.

I was also interested in the details upthread of just how problematic dairy can be, esp the drip drip of creamy coffees.
During my last bootcamp I got in the habit of taking double cream in my coffee instead of milk, as the carbs are lower. However, I've let the amount of cream I use creep up and up. Now I HAVE to knock creamy coffees on the head, but I feel a bit bereft at the thoght of losing this comfort.
What can substitute for creamy coffee, or tea with milk? Please don't say herbal teas. They are like hairshirts - stern, punishing, puritanical I wan't something comfy.

I’m doing dry January too, tonight’s the first night in craving that wind down glass of Pinot after a non stop day with a threenager!

Wow @BIWI that's really interesting about alcohol - think I need to C&P that and read it whenever I'm tempted.

It's definitely played a big part in my weight gain since lockdown. I never used to drink when I was driving the next day and now I NEVER drive the next day cause I'm always at bloody home working.

It's become such a habit and unfortunately I can always text a friend or two and find someone who's doing the same to make it feel ok to crack open another bottle.

Definitely low carb food for thought. Thank you!

Evening all, only just found this thread and I'm dragging my lardy arse back up onto the bootcamp bandwagon.

Have been easing in since Monday, eating low carb meals but simultaneously indulging in some Christmas leftovers - I predict the cake will finally be finished tomorrow! I had success on bootcamp this time last year and lost nearly 3 stone but my weight has wobbled around that level ever since and I still have plenty to lose. Couldn't seem to get my head fully into the zone for later bootcamps so I'm hoping for a return to form this January.

Intrigued to hear about pressure cooking swede and celeriac. I have an instant pot so may give that a go if I can ever get my hands on a bloody celeriac ever again. Had cauliflower mash with my tea tonight and it's just not a patch on celeriac

Agree with shredded cabbage being a great pasta substitute. I also like buttered leeks when feeding pasta to the rest of the family, I chop them long ways and then slice into half moons. It doesn't look like pasta but tastes good

Definitely going to be trying sprouts with chorizo. They're also great with harissa and halloumi and a squeeze of lemon juice if anyone's looking for another way to pimp their brussels

Just skimmed the thread and found it quite inspiring, and then all the dairy chat brought be back to earth. I think milk in coffee is the thing I miss most when I low carb, even more than sugar . Never found an acceptable substitute, almond milk seems the best of a bad bunch but so often curdles in a hot cup of coffee.

Don't you like cream in coffee ouchmyfeet?

Has anyone used frozen avacado from Tesco?

I like fresh avacado but it's not always stocked in my local shop. I'm worried that frozen ava might be horrid. Is it?

Lol at pimping brussel sprouts, ouchmyfeet. . Could be the next reality show -- Come Pimp My Sprouts instead of Come Dine With Me.

I had pimped sprouts for dinner today -- tossed in butter and stilton. With celeriac mas and ostrich fillet.

@Prinnny

I’m doing dry January too, tonight’s the first night in craving that wind down glass of Pinot after a non stop day with a threenager!

I also have a threenager and we tested positive yesterday...it's gonna be a long 7 (hopefully) days!

@cheeseisthebest

Don't you like cream in coffee ouchmyfeet?

Yes, I love creamy coffee but I drink a lot of hot drinks and try to limit it to one (or maybe 2) creamy one per day. I end up drinking a lot of green tea on bootcamp but it's really not as comforting as a nice cup of proper tea or coffee!

Should probably just drink hot water shouldn't I.... at least most of my teas and coffees are decaf. Only have one caffeinated one per day

@ouchmyfeet have you tried Ginger tea.
I was a bug tea lover before bootcamp and now I love Ginger tea. I always needed a biscuit with my tea but can drink Ginger tea without any biscuits.

Still going strong here and my plan today is to make a big chilli but to use extra mushrooms instead of kidney beans.

I'm also going to try and drink as much of my water as I can in the mornings as the urge to pee in the night is wrecking my sleep.

Best thing so far is that I no longer look 8 months pregnant and so I can wear something I like when I get dressed rather than something that hides my "bump".

Yes @Andi2020 I have lots of herbal teas in the cupboard, just need to get back into them. I'll be fine once I get going and a creamy coffee will become my daily treat!

Chilli with extra mushrooms sounds right up my street, I'd swap them for kidney beans any day

Bugger - plucked up the courage to weigh myself this morning. I'm a stone heavier than where I was this time last year. Most of that has crept on in December I think.

Ah well, at least I went on the scales and faced up to it, which makes it easier to now keep focused and stick to lchf.

I got some nice herbal teas from Sainsburys this week. It's Twinings Raspberry and Lemon and it's really quite pleasant. Not too sweet and not too tart, just a nice balance.

Inspired by this thread (or maybe one of the other bootcamp ones I've been reading to get in the mood) I'm going to try and sous vide my steaks tonight. I've never done it before so could be interesting. They are just bog-standard 'steak' so no idea what cut but am going to try and see what it goes like. If anyone has any tips, please holler up!!

Today's plan:
B: all the black coffee
L: chicken stir fry
D: sous vide steak or possibly dust if it all goes wrong

I've also got some angostura's (sp?) bitters arriving today so will be tarting up some fizzy water later for Friday night drinks.

BestIsWest tea with unsweetened almond milk will have minimal effect on insulin levels. It's also so low calorie you could probably have it during intermittent fasting without any issues.

AllTheBlackCoffee the problem with alcohol is that withdrawal reaches its peak at around 24 hours. If you have a pre-dinner glass of wine one day then the next day you'll feel yourself fancying another pre-dinner glass of wine. The symptoms of withdrawal are so subtle you don't notice them but then you have a glass of wine and they go away and you feel better. Then the next day it happens again. That's why dry January is often easier than you expect, because once you get past the first day the withdrawal has subsided and then you only have to deal with the habitual and emotional triggers driving emotional triggers. I've really noticed this after a long weekend of drinking on Friday, Saturday, Sunday then it comes to Monday and you find really want a glass of something. That's how quickly the addiction sets in.

Well done @hapusrwydd, I'm staying firmly in denial til the start of bootcamp proper and will then face the numbers of doom. Til then I'm doing what I can to reduce it cos I know it's not going to be pretty.

@AllTheBlackCoffee do the steaks have any information on at all and how thick are they? I'm just about to put a £10 cheapo Asda "beef roasting joint" in the sous vide for Sunday lunch. It will come out rare and as tender as a decent cut.

These are the ones @StuntNun, not massive and only about a cm thick. Any good for SV do you think or do I need to use some proper meaty ones from the butcher?

I don't think they'll benefit from sous vide @AllTheBlackCoffee I think they would be better pan fried. Sirloin and ribeye lend themselves best to sous vide. The thickness affects the cooking time as does the quality of the steak. Most recipes are designed for US steaks which are usually 1-2" thick so if you're cooking a normal UK-thickness steak it needs less time and it's necessary to let the steak cool between water bath and finishing in the frying pan.

Ah ok, thanks @StuntNun, glad I didn't go ahead and spoil them. Sounds like the perfect excuse for a trip to the farm shop for some proper good steaks though

Why we eat too much by Andrew Jenkinson is 99p on Kindle deals today - is this the same one I've seen talked about on here sometimes or a different author please?

Yes, that's the same one! Definitely worth a read.