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.

@cheeseisthebest

No I'm not veggie but husband is vegan

Sounds like you need to let him get on with cooking his own meals, while you fill your boots with meat and fish!

Yes significant progress has been made with that in the last 12 months!

B- fasting - black coffee (16:8 routinely)
L - a few mouthfuls of beef burger scavenged from a child's lunch (not really hungry)
D (upcoming) - harissa chicken skewers, soured cream, salad. Might have a small pitta (where I'd normally have 2 or 3), probably have cheese to get the fat level up. Double cream hot choc to finish.

@Prinnny

Pressure cooker is great for joints of ham and pulled pork! Did a lovely joint of ham that would normally be 8hrs in the slow cooker in 50mins, melt in the mouth!

We have both a pressure cooker and slow cooker. What I like is the ability to use the better tool to fit into my schedule—morning cooking and leave for the day vs busy all day so need to cook quickly in the evening—and I can’t say I’ve ever had a bad result with either.

Both were wedding presents (so they’ve only just turned legal) and one or the other is used at least weekly.

I like to cook and we have most of the tools/gadgets. Big believer in having the right tool for the job, I mean why should the garage get all the love when many of those tools are used…ahem…sparingly.

Anyway, would anyone like to discuss spiralisers? Let’s forget cost, but please let me know brand preferences, variety and frequency of use, and if you couldn’t do without one.

I really need to do this as I have PCOS & insulin resistance, and low carb is always recommended. Is it low carb high protein and high fat? And when you say low carb, how many grams do you tend to have per day?

@ShagMeRiggins I recently bought a spiraliser and love it! Mine is a Salter one. So far I’ve tried courgette spaghetti and carrot ribbons. The courgette really helped when I had it with bolognaise as it helped me think I was still eating pasta

I'd need to get an enormous pressure cooker to make my (boiled and baked) Christmas ham - it was over 4kg

It's all finished now: served alongside the (citrus brined) turkey on Christmas Eve (6 of us for dinner with SIL, BIL and her ds) and then the three of us have had plenty of ham meals (and ds took up a load of sliced ham when he went back up to Aberdeen).

B black coffee, sausages, cucumber
L silky, oily aubergine salad
D chicken thigh fillets stuffed with sausagemeat, roasted celeriac, salad

@Mylee

I really need to do this as I have PCOS & insulin resistance, and low carb is always recommended. Is it low carb high protein and high fat? And when you say low carb, how many grams do you tend to have per day?

@Mylee

Bootcamp is low carb:medium protein:high fat

But we don't count carbs (or calories for that matter) on Bootcamp. The whole idea is to make it easy to follow.

have a read of this thread which should give you a better idea of what Bootcamp is all about.

@Mylee

I really need to do this as I have PCOS & insulin resistance, and low carb is always recommended. Is it low carb high protein and high fat? And when you say low carb, how many grams do you tend to have per day?

Low carb - primarily through vegetables, primarily green, and not so much root veg

High fat - but only healthy fats like butter, olive oil, fatty cuts of meat and high fat mince content

Protein - through eggs and meat and possibly other sources (I’ve never worried about those but vegetarians might), but not HIGH protein. Just a reasonable amount for dietary requirements and, sometimes, satiety

Carb count - there is none; no calorie counting, no carb counting, just eating reasonable portions of protein plus as much of the veg as possible, eating real food as much as possible, and limiting the Orange & Red vegetables (on the spreadsheet, not the actual colour of the veg).

Also not eating the banned foods (pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, alcohol in first two weeks, fruit, etc)

I’ve never counted daily carbs and have lost 60lbs on this way of eating. Yes, it’s taken a long time, but that has worked for me. What I have NOT done is gained all the weight back, and more.

Still 2 1/2 stone to lose before a normal BMI, but one honestly not sure that’s where I need to be at my age. We shall see.

And I probably say this every Bootcamp (because I’m an optimist! ), but I really feel this is going to be a significant one for me.

Ps to Mylee, thanks for information. Is your Salter hand or electric?

I’m curious to know the variety of vegetables—I assume it’s only veg—that can be… … spiralised.

Modern electric pressure cookers aren't scary like the old hob ones. I have an Instant Pot and you only have to set the timer and it does everything else for you. I don't get to use it that much as my kids won't eat stews or casseroles but I do use it to cook gammon and to make stock/bone broth. It also has a slow cooker setting. My favourite setting is the yogurt one though, we make a big batch of yogurt every week or two then strain it for homemade Greek yogurt. If you're low carbing then you can let it culture for longer to make it even lower carb. I like it cultured for 10 hours but my husband prefers it slightly sweeter with an 8-hour culture. I also have a sous vide wand which can be used to make epic steaks and all kinds of other things.

prettybird gorgeous ham. My pressure cooker Wouldn’t quite be able to handle it. I’m seriously considering a new one. Bigger.

We are 5-6, after all, and the catering efforts and food bill are off the scale right now. Hence my search for better/updated tools that will make my/our lives easier. Husband also cooks regularly, when he is not away for work.

Hormoaners also cook, but mostly scrounge around for “batch” leftovers. Fine by me. Lockdown 1.0 (March 2020) gave us all time and opportunity to get even more lessons for them, so we have a family of omelette makers, fried & scrambled makers, grilled cheese sandwich makers, one baker/cheesecake maker, one pasta aficionado, one sublime salad enthusiast, and very proficient microwavers/ready mealers in oven.

Evening all!

I'm still waiting to see rheumatologist, was referred in September, the waits are ridiculous, GP thinks I have Fibromyalgia. Have had a really bad few days pain wise but have managed to stick to low carb

I've bought a vibration plate as everyone telling me exercise is good for pain but just can't motivate myself to do anything. I've read that it can help with weight loss and circulation so I'm going to give it a go!

Have only eaten a plate of roast lamb with mayo today, just not been hungry and it hurts to chew! Having beef burgers with loads of salad and SLCR for dinner. I have drank lots and lots of water today too

I also have a sous vide wand

What fresh sorcery is this, StuntNun?

I understand sous vide, but an actual wand?!

Ps—thanks for reply, had only vaguely considered Instant Pot, will research more.

Zigg will you let us know how vibration plate works (or doesn’t) for you? Thanks.

Bootcamp is all about the eating and healthy food, but I’m always interested in physical activity that leads to better health.

Never heard of a vibration plate

@ShagMeRiggins a sous vide wand is an immersion circulator that you can attach to any container. I usually use it with the Instant Pot because it's well insulated so it lends itself to sous vide. You just fill the pot with water, attach the wand, set the time and temperature and then add the food in a vacuum-sealed or ziplock bag. It makes perfect steak because you cook it to the exact temperature for your required doneness and then flash fry it for 30 seconds each side to seat the outside. So you get steak that looks like this every time. It's also great for cooking cheap cuts of beef because you can cook it for a long enough time to tenderise it, but because of the precise temperature control it doesn't break down and become soft like it would in the slow cooker or pressure cooker. You can cook a cheapo Asda beef roasting joint and it will come out soft enough to cut with a spoon but still medium rare. I mostly use it for meat but you can make all kinds of things in it. My husband uses it to infuse cheap vodka to make his own homemade gin.

bookmarking

Hello everyone,

I've signed up for the bootcamp but I am starting lchf from tomorrow. Had a delightedly couple of weeks off work and stuffing my face but this has resulted in a pair of jeans which fitted me mid Dec now not even buttoning up. I dare not wait for bootcamp to start!!!!

Just done a super healthy food order to come tomorrow and have been looking through the recipe threads. I've decided I'm going to make lots of the soups (broccoli, cauliflower, spinach) to boost both my veg and liquid intake and help ease me into low carb again and stop any snacking.

I don't normally eat breakfast but think I will ho back to scrambled eggs , chilli and avocado for a week or so whilst my body adjusts.

Looking forward to chatting, inspiring and encouraging on this thread.

@hapusrwydd - I'll be joining you on the 10th

Just enjoying a last few days of festive alcohol

Morning everyone. Hope you are all ok. I’m on day 5 now and feeling really good. Already have the deflated feeling like someone stuck a pin in me and I’m not bloated any more!

I made a nice dinner yesterday which was slow cooked beef short ribs which I had with loads of roasted sprouts and cabbage and broccoli (DH and kids had it with rice and broccoli).

I added a tin of tomatoes, some sliced peppers and onions, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and shoved it in the slow cooker all day. Then took the bones out and shredded the beef which helped to thicken the sauce. It was delicious - loads of lovely fat and everyone likes it even my fussiest child! Also have some left over for a lunch for me one day.

This week we also made lamb meatballs one day (just lamb mince, parsley, onion, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, salt and pepper) and then used the same recipe to make lamb burgers the next day. I had the meatballs with cauliflower rice and roasted green veg and the burger with more roasted green veg. Really easy, quick and delicious meals and very filling!

Today is bolognese which I’ll have with courgette probably. Tomorrow I’ve planned roast chicken legs with just an oil and five spice marinade and a load of stir fried cabbage, sprouts and various other veg.

Well I'm just one day in and my bloated stomach has subsided greatly overnight which is encouraging. I've got headaches from carb withdrawal though as my body had clearly got used to crisps every evening and is protesting.

The change in shape is motivating me to keep going so I've just taken a painkiller and am about to fill up my water bottle and will be having eggs for breakfast when the hunger kicks in. I've also ordered lots of seriously low carb bread for the freezer (an expensive luxury but cheaper than buying new bigger clothes which I would have needed to do if I hadn't started doing this).

Well done everyone on the positive starts. I’m also inspired to think about getting a slow cooker now Back fully LC yesterday and feel better already:
B Cheese and ham rollitos
L Ham salad with dressing
D Turkish scrambled eggs with pepper, leek and tomato

@Onelittlepiglet your food sounds delicious! @byebyecarbs hope the headache is subsiding, drink lots of water, water, water