Week 3 - Jan 22 Low Carb Bootcamp - Bootcamp Light or not?

[BIWI]

So now you have several choices:

• move on to Bootcamp Light for the next 6 weeks, which means allowing nuts/seeds, fruit and alcohol all in moderation!

• a hybrid, where you do Bootcamp during the week, but relax and follow Bootcamp Light at the weekend

• stay on Bootcamp, if it's suiting you

Bear in mind that weeks 3 and 4 (and sometimes 5) are infamous for seeing little or no weight loss - indeed sometimes you may see a gain.

Whatever you decide, here's the spreadsheet for you to declare all!

I hope very much that you will see good results from the last two weeks (or the last 3 or 4 weeks, depending on when you started!)

And now this week's challenge!

Like me I'm betting you all have several cookbooks that you rarely use. Go and find one that you haven't used for ages and choose a recipe that is or could be low carb and post it here.

You may have to change some of the ingredients, but that's fine! Let's all look for something that inspires us to cook something new/different.

Here's to a successful week 3

My dad asked me yesterday to find this old Madhur Jaffrey recipe, which was an old and very tasty favourite of my mum's. I think I'll make it myself next week. Will serve it with cauliflower rice for me.

Prawns with Courgettes

Ingredients

▪	350 g small courgettes 
▪	1 tsp salt 
▪	350 g peeled raw prawns defrosted if frozen
▪	5 tbsps sunflower oil 
▪	6 plump cloves garlic peeled and very finely chopped
▪	75 g fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
▪	1 fresh hot green chilli, finely chopped
▪	1/2 tsp ground turmeric 
▪	1 1/2 tsps ground cumin 
▪	1/4 tsp cayenne 
▪	3 small tinned tomatoes, finely chopped, plus 125ml of their juice
▪	1 tsp very finely grated fresh ginger 
▪	1 tbsp lemon juice

Servings: 4

Instructions

1	Scrub the courgettes and trim them. Now cut them into 4 slices lengthwise. Cut each slice lengthwise into 4 long strips. Cut the strips into thirds crosswise. You want them to be just a little larger than the prawns. Sprinkle over a quarter of a teaspoon salt and toss to mix. Set aside for 30-40 minutes then drain and pat dry. 


2	Put the prawns on kitchen paper and dry them off as well. 


3	Heat the oil in a wide saucepan or frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, put in the chopped garlic and stir and fry until medium brown being careful not to burn. 


4	Add the courgettes, fresh coriander, green chilli, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, tomatoes and their liquid, ginger, lemon juice and remaining tsp salt. Stir to mix and bring to a simmer. 


5	Add the prawns and stir them in then cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes. Uncover, turn the heat to medium and reduce the liquid so you are left with a thick sauce.

I have just made a salmon stir fry using bare naked noodles. Very tasty. The noodles are worth trying if you haven’t already

@prettybird - that sounds delicious

Helloooo, I’m still here and plodding on. Had to go out for a meal today at the office but I convinced everyone that Nando’s was a good idea so I had half a chicken and dodged the falafel place round the corner

Work is just mental at the moment and balancing that and home life is really really tough. First time I’ve had to do it (only been back from mat leave since December) and I’m not sure I’m doing either of those jobs well at the moment.

Anyway, I just need all the energy I can get so LCHF has come at a good time!

I am totally amazed that a bowl of yoghurt can satisfy and sustain me until lunchtime but it does! I was up to my elbows in excel formulas today (pricing for Microsoft New Commerce Experience if anybody else is involved in that) and didn't notice that it had got to 1.30 before I felt hungry.

B Greek Yoghurt and cream
L Greek salad, salami and spinach rollups, celeriac remoulade
D Bolognese, buttery cabbage, garlic field mushroom

I bought an egg bite maker BTW. It gets a LOT of use.

@SpottyBumPony I tried Greek yoghurt with some clotted cream this morning. It was fab u larse!

@BIWI I'm planning to have some strawberries and clotted cream at the weekend as a treat, that sounds like a good way to use the leftover cream

I have clotted cream in my fridge right now. And vanilla bean paste. I'll have to check the carbs in that but I think that would be good!

Helloo all. Just to say, enjoy reading all your little bits and ideas, nice to know I'm not alone, just a bit of a one (fat) finger typist so can't tag you all or it would be too slow.
Beginning to feel frustrated on my plateau but will KOKO. Have decided to aim for 19th March as my own personal deadline... want to appear looking and feeling better and more confident at nephews naming ceremony. I'm not much liked by my brother's and sister's in law and know it'll be a bit of a chin-up and brazen it out occasion - would be nice not to look like Shrek's fat friend for once.

@2022sucksalready I hope you feel better soon.

Monya Kilian Palmer website is wonderful and I like her books to. Amazon just tempted me by offering her Keto Kitchen for 99p.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B085ZV361X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I made her Coconut "Grits" with Prawns & Bacon and it was a hit. Family said I could make it any time.

I have added a bit more spice to the two fish recipes I have tried but the proportions and everything are so tasty.

I also add more green veg on the side like Kale.

Hello lovely people. Been a bit of a day today, WFH and hit by a few unexpected but need agreement right now things at work today.

This is not the first time I have accidentally fasted for oh, goodness, I had late lunch yesterday of three heck sausages and a delicious bag of spinach with butter and nutmeg. It's surprising how much difference the butter and spinach make.

Supper around 7.30pm. DH cooked pink veal escalopes with a butter, caper and lemon sauce. I char grilled some red and green peppers with a drizzle of oil and microwaved a bag of spinach with 'just' butter because the sauce was just delicious and pretty buttery anyway.

More seriously only dark a litre of water today so have another two and a half to get through.

This is my fourth week of old school Bootcamping after a long layoff. Love love love just not being hungry. I have plenty of stored fat to burn so no danger of starvation. Shall be a bit more organised in future.

I find this stage of low carbing when eating anything off plan will not feel good so it's easier to just stick with the hardcore bootcamp rules. Much more difficult when I have to navigate a small level of relaxation.

Such a slippery slope

The good news is that I don't have to worry about teaching target for a good long time yet

Thank everyone who posts, it's very inspiring reading. Thank you. I'm committed to posting even if I do fall off the wagon. Partly as a disincentive to make any liberties with the rules also to help me draw a line of anything is not quite perfect.

I have been known to fall from a small slip headfirst into a carton of ice creme. Really don't want that to happen again.

Hi all,

I did a cooking session today. I made the beef casserole that was posted upthread and everyone in the family loved it, which is unusual to get a unanimous vote. Had it with air fried root veg.

I also made a coleslaw, egg mayo (top tip is to steam the eggs rather than boil them. Much easier to peel), and a coriander & lime dressing. My poor magimix was feeling the strain and I think it perhaps needs serviced.

I was delighted to see 0.5kg down on the scales today.

How do you steam eggs, @NigellaAwesome?

@BIWI all you do is put 10 uncracked eggs in the steamer and steam for 16 minutes. You know when it can be difficult to peel a boiled egg because of the tough membrane? Well steaming avoids this because apparently it is the jiggling around in the water that makes it tough. They peel like a dream.

Wow! Will have to give that a go

Does it have to be 10 eggs?

No, it can as many eggs as you want, but that is how many fit in my steamer snugly and with my gannets, any fewer would be inhaled in no time. I suppose you don't want them rattling around as that would defeat the purpose.

Those sneaky 2lbs disappeared again this morning! Hopefully for good, this time. They're like bloody velcro!
B.creamy coffee
L. Chaffles
D. Chicken thighs with cabbage& coleslaw.
S. G. Yogurt

Hmm. Not much veg/salad going on there @APerfectlyGoodName!

It was a lot of cabbage Biwi. More than half the plate, but probably back to my veg omelette tomorrow.

@APerfectlyGoodName what's a chaffle? someone else mentioned them up thread.

@NigellaAwesome steaming sounds brilliant. i don't have a steamer but am going to try in my instant pot as i've heard the texture is great and may also avoid the jiggling.

i went to a posh/ pricey West End cinema last night and was amazed to see LC snacks. I was actually full from dinner and couldn't bring myself to pay the exorbitant prices but impressed the snacking options were catered for.

On the whole I am pleased with yesterday. I had my weekly day in the office and resisted beer and cake for someone's birthday at the end of the day. @FinallyHere i think i'm the same about temptation. Right now isn't so challenging as I'm in the zone and enjoying it and motivated. Inevitably I get lax and think oh i can just treat myself a bit and then the avalanche of bad habits begin. I really want to make this WOE a way of life but be realistic about having nice meals with friends etc. The Diet Whisperer format is supposed to end up with several weekly fasts and two 'treat' meals which allow for carbs though discourages sugar. Right now that seems really doable but I've been here before and just put weight back on. But this group helps keep me focused and i'm determined to stay on track until March! I've never now LC before so I'm crossing my fingers that this is it after a lifetime of yo yo dieting which is so bad for you.

Yesterday I had

B 7.30am one big leek sautéed in butter with 3 eggs scrambled in which was lovely but could have been 2 eggs and less leek!
S 12 (arrived at the station) M&S serrano ham crisps
L 2.30 M&S hot smoked salmon, salad leaves, cherry toms, homemade dressing (god i felt organised)
D Leon Chicken Harissa Salad. Not a bad option but on the carby-er end (roast carrots)

I steam eggs in a fan steamer instead of boiling them. Put them into the steamer once the water's boiling and steam for seven minutes from room temperature for soft boiled eggs, ten minutes for hard boiled eggs. I run them under the cold tap briefly so stop them from cooking and make them cold enough to handle to peel. I always do a couple extra then cool them and put them in the fridge. It makes "hard boiled eggs" with a soft yolk which are lovely with mayo for a snack or quartered eighthed? in a salad.

@StuntNun I love my steamer and have never ever thought to do eggs in it! Will def try that one as I liked cold soft boiled eggs mixed into a chopped salad.

The 12 stone barrier has been broken (just!) this morning. Yay!!! The last time I weighed in in the 11's was October 2020 so that really motivating 😊.

I have a 50th afternoon tea on sat but the host is pescatarian/LC so I'm hoping there will be some friendly foods.

Hello from covid land - it's been good keeping up with the thread and tips even if very little energy to implement them !

Made a big batch of cheeseburger pie base yesterday ( well my husband did following instructions) and that's nice and easy. We used one portion to make 4 servings of it last night so we can have it again tonight too