Welcome to 2022's first Low Carb Bootcamp!

[BIWI]

Almost 200 of us signed up, so it's going to be a busy one.

@Runninghorse
@missfliss
@MercedesBenz
@cissyandbessy
@FitnessKeepItGoing
@MrsGarethSouthgate
@Pleaseandthankyou
@byebyecarbs
@ShagMeRggins
@Mimosa1
@foxlover47
@MilesJuppIsMyBitch
@SkunkButRug
@Glenthebattleostrich
@DollyPartBaked
@Kleptronic
@Fleecy
@indecentshoes
@SarahJessicaParker1
@DarkCorner
@UnOeufIsEnough
@Poorbuthappy
@SpongeBoobBigPants
@Blossomtoes
@skippy67
@anewdispensation
@SpottyBumPony
@Igotnewbarstools
@StuntNun
@BetterthanIThink
@prettybird
@FlibbertyGibbitt
@HaveGogglesWillTravel
@hapusrwydd
@Twinsandsome
@Mushroomhunter
@Jolliholibobs
@venusandmars
@MrsTerryPratchett
@Sugarandbuttersandwich
@MrsFionaCharming
@ILoveYou3000
@Baystard
@Icaru
@Kloerose
@LostMyLastHatfulOfWords
@WellJuhnelle
@Blueotter10
@LittleMy77
@HaggisTheGreat
@CoffeeChocolateWine
@Whatwouldsueheckdo
@Newlease
@Peonywreath
@ZiggZagg
@Random789
@MsAwesomeDragon
@OneFootintheRave
@NikiNooNa
@GlitterSquid
@Davina69
@Ruralbliss
@NoraEphronsNeck
@3LuckyStars
@ParisNext
@ToddlingForwards
@MotherBuckets
@Tickledtrout
@LeatherJacketWedding
@dogmandu
@Aderyn21
@Fredsgirl19
@Zonder
@gerardsbutler
@Ecosaurus
@Newlease
@ProperVexed
@BestIsWest
@Skelligs
@OMGisthisforreal
@Jezzballs2000
@Funnyname00
@Tatapie
@Runforwine
@OneMillionSteps
@CrispyChickenThighs
@LibrariesGiveUsPower
@Overthehillmummy
@Bumpsadaisie
@Legoninja
@immersivereader
@APerectlyGoodName
@Sunseed
@Fitflopqueen
@Agnesmartin
@Frenchpoodle
@AllTheBlackCoffee
@ballstomonty
@mistywillow17
@UsernameInTheTown
@Theluggagerules
@2022sucksalready
@Rshard
@FinallyHere
@ShangPie
@Rockyroocoo
@VeryLittleOwl
@H1Drangea
@QueenOfHiraeth
@AThroneOfLies
@TheIoWfairyiscancelled
@mrshoho
@catsoup
@lurknolinger
@CookieDoughLatte
@Willlow
@CeleriacOfTheNight
@KingRoloIV
@Minkymoo74
@Frazzledmum239
@ThePrionOne
@Oneborneverydecade
@NigellaAwesome
@Moonswimmer
@Batshittery
@Learningtofeminist
@I0NA
@RoseSays
@Kirstyr455
@Maze76
@pinknsparkly
@YesIcan3
@Purpletomato
@StrictlySinging
@SunscreenCentral
@Fishlegs
@longwayoff
@Margaritawithlime
@oviraptor21
@TakeItCheesy
@SpiritofEdna
@Jollyjuly
@Hereforthedramaz
@ElasticFirecracker
@LoopingLizards
@Supernann
@pompei8309
@Borderterrierpuppy
@ditavonteesed
@Dogsbumhair
@MrsHinge
@JSL52
@pinkpinkeverywhere
@BeyondShrinks
@Biscuitandacuppa
@MrsDesWigwam
@Rosebud100
@Ragz
@Andi2020
@Itsgoingtoofast
@LoCarbLife
@bluelefant
@Britneyisfree
@DottyDisney
@Livelongandprosper
@ThinkAboutItTomorrow
@AmayaBuzzbee
@NisekoWhistler
@52andblue
@Witchymcwitch
@missionhopefullypossible
@Onelittlepiglet
@ConstanceL
@FrenchBoule
@Squeezita
@PetesMom
@nowlook
@Brogan1972
@DearZoom
@LizzyBennett
@AnnaBoleyn
@Cornishbelle
@Balloonslayer
@Lobeydosser
@Weatherwax13
@Ilovecherries
@lobeydosser
@beachcitygirl
@aLittleL1fe
@ThatsAllFolks
@Acerpalmatum
@stayathomegardener
@Missfliss
@sixmonthson
@wilkolampshade
@SweetPotatoDumplings
@Pisseslikeahorse

Here's a link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness lovingly managed by @ouchmyfeet.

I've added a couple of names that I've spotted this evening, but they're at the bottom of the list not alphabetised - if your name isn't on the list, add yours at the bottom, and we'll re-alphabetise it once we get going.

Tonight I discovered the delight that is steak served with warm boursan, all creamy garlicky salty loveliness.

Treated myself to some fancy coffee beans too.

Don't nag @ShagMeRiggins!

(I know, I know, I know. And as I'm now retired I have no excuse. Especially as I can also type at some ridiculous speed - courtesy of a post-grad secretarial course a million and one years ago )

I do have an idea in mind, which I started prep for, some years ago now, so I am going to resurrect that.

DS woke me up at 4am, we got back to sleep eventually but I was very sluggish this morning. A little walk to Tesco Express at lunch helped to snap me out of it.

B 2 Egg (very disappointing as they went 'snotty", cherry toms and kale
2 creamy coffee
1 oxo drink
L salad with cheese and roast beef
Yoghurt with cream
D massive leek, cabbage and a shallot. Microwaved with butter and primula cheese. Two slices streaky bacon

Dinner was absolutely delicious, the veg was sweet and tender and the cheesy sauce was heaven. DH had a stabby curry, I was not jealous in the slightest

@FrenchBoule you sound delicious frankly.

Yes I am the duck evangelist. I got mine from sainsburys on offer. Really easy to cook as you just stick it in the oven in its film bag, then 2/3 way through cooking, you open up the film to let it brown. I wouldn't buy it if it weren't on offer though as quite expensive. I do have a cupful of fat and a saucepan full of gorgeous stock from the carcass though.

Sometimes I buy duck breads in lidl too, which are great and even less faff to cook.

Tonight's dinner was amazing, even if I do say so myself

Cauliflower and leek cheese, with lemon butter Savoy cabbage:

Cauliflower and leek cheese (serves 4)

Ingredients

2 medium or 1 extra large cauliflower, broken into florets
2 large or 3 medium leeks, cut into 2cm rings
4 large echalion shallots, cut lengthways into quarters
4 slices smoked back bacon, diced
2 large tomatoes, sliced thinly
300 ml double cream
200g mature cheddar, grated
Juice of half a lemon
50g butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

-Heat the oven to 180 fan/200 non-fan

-In a pan of salted water, boil the cauliflower florets for 5 minutes, till just softening. Add the leeks and boil for another 2 minutes till soft. Drain, and leave to steam dry.

-In a large frying pan, melt the butter and then slowly sauté the shallots till they start to brown; season with salt and pepper and add the diced bacon, then continue to sauté till it’s all cooked through, and the shallots are starting to brown.

-Tip the cauliflower and leeks into a shallow oven dish and add the shallots and bacon; stir through.

-Pour the cream into a small saucepan and add the cheese. Put over a medium heat and stir till the cheese melts into the cream. Season with black pepper and stir in the lemon juice. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool slightly.

-Slice the tomatoes thinly.

-Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower and leeks, covering the vegetables as evenly as possible.

-Cover the top with the slices of tomatoes, and then season the tomatoes with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

-Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or so, till it’s bubbling and nicely browned.

Lemon butter Savoy cabbage (serves 4)

1 Savoy cabbage, sliced into 1cm slices
Juice of a lemon
(at least) 50g salted butter
around 2 tablespoons double cream
ground nutmeg
white pepper
salt

• boil the cabbage in salted water for 3-4 minutes, till just soft, then drain and allow to steam dry

• in the same pan, melt the butter and then add the cabbage; stir and season with the white pepper

• turn up the heat and fry the cabbage for a couple of minutes, then add the lemon juice and cook for another minute

• add the cream and a small amount of ground nutmeg (to taste - it's quite strong, so go easy) and cook for another minute. Taste and then add a bit more salt if needed

@ShangPie The Whole30 has a ketchup recipe. It might be a bit carby for boot camp, perhaps better for boot camp light and even then, in small quantities. It’s American, so uses cups.

1 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup apple cider (I wonder if this could be adapted to use a very tart cooking apple instead - would add a bit of texture)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves (optional)

Bring tomato paste, cider and cider vinegar to a simmer (don’t boil). Add the seasonings and continue to simmer, stirring frequently, for 5 - 8 minutes. Keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks in an airtight container.

I feel like I have eaten quite big portions today, and feel a little uncomfortably full.

B: Coffee & almond milk
L: egg mayo with salad of little gem, 1/2 avocado, cherry tomatoes & cucumber
D: Harissa sprouts (thanks to whoever posted about them, they are divine!) and homemade turkey burger

Working on fluids through the medium of various fruit teas. In addition to my buttermint tea stash, I have an impressive collection of other teas that have been languishing in the cupboard for a while, so it is good to rediscover them.

@ShangPie

I have to confess to having this in my cupboard . It's obviously not perfect Bootcamp food (especially in the first two weeks) but generally speaking I think it's OK, as long as you're not slathering it on everything you're eating!

I'm finding this thread, the support and focus, very motivating this bootcamp! I posted slightly gloomily on day 1 but am doing pretty well (even managed a run, well a walk-run) today which probably massively helped my mood too. The recipes and meal plans you are all posting are very inspiring.
Breakfast: creamy coffee, then the morning got away from me :/
Lunch: Creamy chicken and broccoli soup
Snacks: more creamy coffee and a couple of slices of Stilton
Dinner: lamb leftovers on pesto / shawarma chopped veg, with green beans coated in chicken stock pot and cream cheese

@Runninghorse

I think I am still eating too much looking at other peoples meals.

B fried egg
L salmon and salad
D 2 sausages and broccoli

Also celery and cucumber and cheese

This is hardly 'too much'! @Runninghorse!

If anything, it doesn't sound very much.

This isn't a WOE that is about deprivation. As long as you're following the rules, and eating low carb foods, at this point of Bootcamp you eat enough to satisfy you.

I just want to remind people to mention water all the time. I read the thread at lunch every day. And every day someone mentions water and I think "crap water" and quickly drink a litre.

@BIWI Thanks that’s reassuring- I am definitely not depriving myself as I feel full (I am missing my numerous daily cups of coffee though)

So, I have to agree with @BIWI about checking out the files on the spreadsheet. I made the tuna burgers on one of them for lunch the other day and they were delicious.

I also made the celeriac tartiflette I saw somewhere on there (and it’s also in the recipes part of mumsnet) and it was AMAZING! Seriously. Highly recommend. My rubbish photo doesn’t do it justice.

Well done everyone, keep going. Thank you everyone for posting and sharing ideas.

That celeriac one looks right up my street.

@BIWI I too have that ketchup. Good for prawn cocktail sauce or burger sauce for Big Mac in a bowl

@livelongandprosper sorry you are feeling blah. You'll be out the other side when it hits everyone else.

@ShangPie I like the Hunter & Gatherer ketchup. They do a chipotle ketchup and a BBQ sauce that are all quite low in carbs. It's on offer on Ocado at the moment. It's pricey but that also stops me slathering it on!

www.ocado.com/products/hunter-gather-unsweetened-tomato-ketchup-554773011

@StuntNun

Food for the day: B: none as I'm an old hand at intermittent fasting. L: Sainsburys frozen lamb burgers and salad. I like these burgers as nothing comes out of them so they don't shrink when cooking, unlike beef burgers where you lose all the fat. D: spicy harissa sprouts and broccoli with halloumi as recommended by someone, can't remember who, upthread. They were even nicer than shoogled sprouts. I'm not sure how many people that recipe was supposed to feed but I ate most of it!

'Twas me, I think the recipe is supposed to serve 4 but I make it up and split it between 2 meals, I would definitely still be hungry after eating a quarter of that.

Your dinner does sound amazing BIWI, I have taken screenshots of the recipe to add to my collection, will give it a go next weekend.

I'm going to be winging it quite a bit next week, which doesn't really bode that well for me as I find I need to be organised or I fall back into old habits and it's the start of a slippery slope. Weekend evenings are a bit mad at the moment with the amount of activities the kids are doing and meals tend to have to be pulled together quite quickly once I've finished work. My normal strategy is to do some batch cooking at the weekend so I have a stash in the fridge of things like CB pie, casseroles, celeriac mash, leeks and cabbages chopped and ready to chuck in a frying pan with a load of butter. I won't have time for that prep this weekend (and also need to negotiate an afternoon tea on Saturday 😬) so will need to have a think about meals that are quick to assemble and easy to adapt for the carb fiends I live with. So far I'm thinking about:

Carbonara (I'll use the bare naked noodles)
Omelette with salad for me and chips for the gang
Traybake with chicken thighs and a bunch of veg

Suggestions for quick meals gratefully received.

Good day here, I've been out for a walk with a friend this evening which was lovely for an overdue catch up but also meant I don't want to keep eating this evening. Have come home and drunk 2 pints of water and a herbal tea and will go to bed soon when the chocolate starts looking tempting. Might finally start reading that book about why we eat too much

I'm going to search out that tartiflette recipe, looks gorgeous!

@Runninghorse I use other people's food lists for inspiration, not for comparison. Especially in the fist few weeks you need to learn to listen to your own body and appetite - your true appetite for hunger, rather than the habit of eating.

We have some indication of the approximate weight of some other posters although I doubt any of us has time or inclination to cross-check the food list posts with the entries on the spread sheet but we don't know their height / body frame / age / metabolic rate / activity level or age. All of which will affect how much people can eat to lose or sustain or gain weight.

There are quite a few long-term intermittent fasters. Sometimes their meals might look a bit light (because there are 2 rather than 3) but when I'm really in the swing of I/F I usually eat the same amount but in compressed hours.

And look away now! some posters might even be posting false accounts, I've heard it does happen occasionally on internet forums

Very inspired by everyone’s food!

B: scrambled eggs and yogurt
L: celery and pesto with sour cream. Sardines
D lo carb noodles with mushrooms and few lardons and sour cream and Parmesan.

@BIWI your cauli and leek recipe sounds delicious and I think I have everything in the fridge to make it so that's tomorrow sorted.

I had a work trip to London today and a client lunch. It was the most delicious meal ever I think!

B: ff yoghurt with double cream and a few raspberries
L: beef carpaccio with Parmesan, rocket, a few chopped tomatoes with basil and an amazing oily dressing
Pan fried halibut with a lobster cream sauce, mixed salad in oily dressing and green beans
Lots of water
No dinner as still full from lunch, although I had a couple of slices of cheese whilst sorting my cheese box out 😄

My favourite snack is mini baby bell, unwrapped and microwaved for 30 seconds. My DC hate it as they say it stinks. The cats seem to like the smell and always rock up while it's cooking

What about burgers for quick/easy family meals for next week @ouchmyfeet? Kids have burgers in a bun and wedges/chips and you have burgers/mozzarella/avo/salsa?

@Runninghorse I eat loads! I feel like a hobbit, first and second breakfast, mid afternoon, etc. Anyway I've done this before and know that it works. Hunger is my enemy, because then I crave carbs then. I'm shedding already ( frequent weigher).

On the ' not feeling satisfied ' front. I've read a good explanation. If you eat 500cals of food, your body has to work hard to access those calories. You've given it work to do. It's saying to you, ' thanks, but can I have a few 'quick' calories, aka sugar, now?!

B1. Creamy coffee.
B2. 3 eggs on veg - courgette celery tomato & feta.
L. Same veg with leftover chicken stirred in & Philadelphia. Some Halloumi.
D.G yogurt.

Quick check in:

B: eggs, bacon & mushrooms
L: salad with pate &cheese
D: roast chicken thighs, broccoli, cauli & mashed swede with butter & cream 😋
Better on water front.

Love the recipe ideas & pics.

I’m not feeling well at all. I think I might be getting actual flu. I have sore throat and everything is hurting. I’m feel awful. I went for a walk with my daughter last night and barely made it home. I have taken a dioralyte and some paracetamol just now and hope things have improved by the morning. I’m arguing with myself here about keeping going for another day. Hope you are all doing good.