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.

@3luckystars and @missfliss hope you're both feeling better soon.

I've just had a sneaky WI and am 2lbs down which I'm thrilled about, especially given it's week 3 for me. I'm out on Saturday and though I've planned my food well, I will have some wine so I'll see what the scales say on Monday and take a view as to which weight I record.

Today's plan:
B: coffee (IF)
L: omelette with feta, spinach, asparagus and pine nuts. Might do it cheese crusted too as it's Fri-yay
D: not 100% sure - might defrost some sausages and have with celeriac/cauli mash

Got a PT session at lunchtime too so will take a Zero drink to stop me feeling wibble.

@BIWI can I ask about the week 3 plateau please? I’m a bit ahead of everyone so in week 3 and I have been the same weight for the last 5 days (daily weigher), it’s really getting me down and making me wonder if it’s working . Been sticking to it religiously and drinking a LOT of water and it doesn’t seem to be working.

Morning
Another full day at work today (day 6 of 12 hour days) so taken a tuna salad to work with olives and cheese all mixed in so had a portion for breakfast and a portion will be for lunch .
Tonight’s dinner will be chicken stuffed with mozzarella and wrapped in bacon alongside some green veg or salad
Last nights dinner was minced beef patty topped with cheese with lettuce and green peppers . Cooked off some halloumi in the beef fat . Was super yummy 😋
I need to up my water intake too today .

Super impressed with your dedication @Jollyholibobs - enjoy your trip and all the cheese!

Thanks again for all the lovely flowers. Going to see FIL this morning and do some food shopping and laundry for him, then SIL is coming to stay. I'm going to pick up some extra mince as we were going to have bolognaise for dinner with roast courgette for me and DH and pasta for the kids. Will make a huge one so there will be enough for SIL and also for leftovers to reheat or freeze. Also going to pick up some more nibbly LCHF snacks so if we don't cook much over the weekend, we do at least have food in. A trip to the deli counter for some nice meats and cheeses and some more olives I think.

My friend and her two children (friends with my youngest two) are coming over for dinner tomorrow and it will be nice to do something fun and positive. I'm doing pizza for the kids and stuffed peppers for us (soft cheese, diced chorizo, chipotle, spring onions - adapted from a Diet Doctor recipe). Then I'm making this for pudding - I'm still technically week 2 until Monday morning but I'm pleading leniency from the big stick if I only have a small portion (we don't have it as lollies but slightly softer as ice cream).

Also, to all those with Covid. I hope it doesn't hit too hard and you bounce back quickly.

And finally, I got my period this morning. Early. I guess it's probably the shock that's messed things up. Usually I crave sweet things like crazy when I'm on (I can literally eat a whole block of marzipan, then I wonder why I'm overweight...) but when I did low carb before, I found the cravings weren't as bad and often weren't there at all. I didn't feel the need to eat any differently and I didn't bloat. Hoping it will be the same now.

[quote RosieGuacamosie]@BIWI can I ask about the week 3 plateau please? I’m a bit ahead of everyone so in week 3 and I have been the same weight for the last 5 days (daily weigher), it’s really getting me down and making me wonder if it’s working . Been sticking to it religiously and drinking a LOT of water and it doesn’t seem to be working.[/quote]
Weeks 3 and 4 (and sometimes 5) are notorious for little or no weight loss. Sometimes even a gain. It's quite normal, so please don't get down about it.

Presumably it was working for you in weeks 1 & 2? Therefore, logically, there's no reason why it won't carry on working.

Also, have you been taking your measurements? It's very common to find that you are losing inches, even if the scales aren't budging.

Your body is transitioning from carb-burning to fat burning. In the initial two weeks you will have lost water, burned through your glycogen stores and lost a little fat. From now on, when you're properly fat-adapted, you will be burning fat only. The rate of loss will be slower, but should be around 1-3lbs a week, depending on how much you have to lose.

Well done for sticking with it, and drinking all the water!

Focus on the other positives of low carbing for now. Are you enjoying your food? Are you feeling good? Do you feel deprived in any way?

@missfliss

Gah! Positive PCR here for my husband and I have symptoms too ( off for a PCR this morning).

Should I still do boot camp? Do I eat what I please and then start again when better? Don't really want to stop as was making progress ... :-(

Maybe bootcamp light?

@missfliss there's no reason to stop Bootcamping - if you're following the rules you will be eating a healthy and nutritious diet, which can only be good for you.

@Fleecy I'll keep The Big Stick in the cupboard for now - but one thing I will say is that it would be better to use a fruit other than mango for that, as mango is pretty carby at 12.4g carbs per 100g. Perhaps another berry?

Sorry to hear about covid/illnesses @3luckystars. Come back and join us whenever you feel that you can

Welcome @Velocity! Have you added yourself to the spreadsheet?

@StuntNun

Yesterday's food: Brunch (as I was going out and didn't want to fast all day): leftover spicy harissa sprouts. Snack: Curators salt and vinegar pork puffs (from Sainsburys). Dinner: bunless bacon and cheese burgers plus salad with vinaigrette. I was still hungry afterwards so I made a few pork scratchings in the deep fat fryer.

@StuntNun I need to break my deep fat fryer 'virginity'! Can you tell me how you make the pork scratchings? I'd love to do those.

Morning all, I had a really good couple of days and then a really bad couple of days. What are people’s best strategies for avoiding emotional/boredom eating? My will power isn’t enough and then I feel rubbish afterwards. I’ve been feeling slightly under the weather and massively tired after several months of broken nights and I just can’t stop myself reaching for snacks, especially late in the afternoon/early evening. It’s not hunger, it’s if I feel bored/tired/stressed… I don’t have a massive amount of weight to lose but I really want to break my bad habits around food.

For those of you suffering with itchiness, it is a recognised side effect of low carbing, although not that common - and no-one really seems to know what causes it.

There's a piece on the Diet Doctor website about it.

Basically, from what I've read, it seems as if this can occur when your carb intake is too low. If you're really suffering, then try adding a slice of wholemeal toast to your breakfast, and see if that helps.

Thanks @BIWI - I'll have a look in the supermarket for an alternative.

@CoffeeChocolateWine - the only way I can do it is to have food I enjoy in the house, so there's always something I can reach for if I need to. The rest of the family can keep their snacks etc. I don't feel deprived if I know I can eat whenever I'm hungry and there are nice things I can have. I'm coming to the end of my second week and already I'm not feeling the need to snack. And I'm a terrible grazer usually. I have three lovely meals each day and I know if I'm hungry, there's something I can eat that won't make me 'fall off the wagon'.

I know you said it's not hunger. If I want to eat something just because, I'll eat. But it will be something suitable - some cheese etc. So no need to beat myself up afterwards. And it's hard to overeat cheese/meat etc. We do boiled eggs, cold roast chicken or pork loin cut into slices. Rolled up sliced cheese with chorizo and things like that. Can 'boredom' eat a bit of it but hard to have loads. I guess it's finding what works for you?

@CoffeeChocolateWine the best strategy is to make sure you don't have the stuff in the house in the first place!

I'd also ask why you feel the need to sabotage your own efforts? I think we all suffer from this - the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other! But it's important to try and work out why you give in to the devil, rather than listening to the angel.

I don't know if this will help, but there's a piece here about emotional eating and how to stop it

@RosieGuacamosie keep going! I have exactly the same experience and find that even the the scales aren't budging my clothes feel minusculely better on me (yes, minusculely probably isn't the word but ykwim).

Boredom/emotional/habitual eating is a big problem for me too. I try to find tastes that reduces cravings - black coffee works for me but isn't any good in the evening. The other thing is I say to myself "I'll wait 1/2 an hour and see if I'm hungry then". By then I've usually found a way to distract myself.

But I don't underestimate the struggle!

*Even if

When I gave up smoking, I found it relatively easy except for one particular cigarette. After work, DH would stick the kettle on and make a cuppa while I opened the patio doors and had a smoke in the doorway. We'd talk about our day. When I stopped smoking, I really struggled to know what to do with myself when I came home. I'd sit at the kitchen table and we'd chat but it wasn't the same. It wasn't the smoking, it was the routine. Changing my routine fixed the problem. Can you mix it up a bit so you don't feel the lack of snack and boredom eating?

To make your own pork scratchings you need pork skin - I buy mine from Morrisons. If you're cutting it off a joint yourself then bear in mind you only want a very thin layer of fat on the back or they'll end up chewy rather than crunchy. Using a sharp knife cut the pork into half inch cubes, spread out on a baking tray and bake at 90-100C for 3-4 hours until dry and hard. They'll be very small at this stage. I let them cool and keep them in a box in the fridge, they keep for weeks. To make these "pellets" into pork scratchings you can deep fry them at 190C for about a minute or air fry them at 220-230 for a few minutes or even microwave them (in a container with a piece of kitchen roll to absorb the oil that comes out) for about 1 minute 45 seconds. They puff up much bigger when cooked. You can flavour them with salt or use a spice mix such as Cajun.

[quote venusandmars]@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 [/quote]
I’ve mentioned this before, but on the subject of false accounts (by which I assume you mean untruths), I once lied to my own weight loss app. That nobody sees but me.

I put in a lower weight than what the scales said. To make myself feel better.

A real light bulb moment, actually. I don’t lie to myself anymore about weight.

WATER WATER WATER

Thank you for the suggestions.

@BIWI, I wish it was as easy as not having the food in the house in the first place, but I’m not the only person who lives here. My husband is a snack fiend and I have three DC. We always have a full fruit bowl, my kids love crackers and crisps, my DH buys biscuits and chocolate and we have lunch box snacks too. I tried hiding them for a kind of ‘out of sight out of mind’ thing, but it doesn’t take a lot to get them out! Why do I sabotage my efforts? Habit mainly, but also the very short-term sugar hit even though the guilt that comes after lasts a lot longer! Will read the article, thanks.

@Fleecy, yes you’re right, I need to make sure I have the right foods available for when I do feel the urge to snack. Cheese and pickled onions/gherkins, chorizo etc. And I like the idea of changing the routine because there is definitely something habitual about it and it’s generally at the same-ish time each day (usually when I get back from the school run in the afternoon) so I need to force myself to do something else at that time.

Morning all, I've been reading all week but not commenting as so busy with work.

So sorry to hear about your MIL Fleecy, sending positive thoughts for you and your family

I've enjoyed reading how well everyone is doing and loving all the interesting recipes.

Re the cheese sauce chat, I had leftover broccoli and cauliflower from Sunday lunch and made a cheese sauce to go with it - but I added nutmeg and English mustard instead of lemon. I mashed the veg and stirred the sauce through it and it was delicious!

Last night I made roasted aubergine/courgette/green peppers and added some dried harissa to yoghurt/mayo as a dressing. I had it with low-carb sausages but would also have been nice with pork chops.

I'm going to try and have 1-2 days meat-free as well otherwise I'm in danger of eating all the bacon, chorizo, pork chops, ham (you get the picture).