Week 8 - Jan 22 Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Evening/morning all

So here is the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness for it's penultimate outing

It's been a funny old week ! Hopefully most of you have been able to keep going, and keep focused. I have to confess that my own food has been all over the place - largely because I just haven't been hungry

Thankfully I've had two consecutive negative Covid tests, so food/cooking will be back on track from tomorrow.

Because I've been ill, I've rather lost track of who is doing what and how everyone is doing - but I hope that this last week will see everyone finishing up well

I made the Spicy Cottage Pie last night, from the Keto Kitchen book and it was - I think - lovely. I say 'I think' because yesterday, despite having tested negative on two consecutive days, I lost most of my sense of taste, which was rather alarming.

It's an easy enough recipe to follow, although it does one of the things I think is really irritating in recipes, e.g. using odd quantities of things - so half a tin of tomatoes, for example. And also the amount of cauliflower topping uses about 3/4 of the quantity given in the recipe for said topping - I just used all of it rather than being left with a small amount of it.

The topping is also a purée rather than a mash, which is a different texture from the usual one on a shepherd's/cottage pie. But it was very tasty.

Again re quantities - the recipe says serves 4, but it could easily have served 6 if you were serving alongside other veg.

Minor issues to one side, it went down very well here and I'd definitely make it again. Hopefully I'll be able to taste it next time

@kerkyra @Andi2020 Thank you for sharing such positivity! It really helps to hear how you are maintaining the lc WOE with such success.

@BIWI I'm totally making that Spicy Cottage Pie this week.

Hello all,

I haven't caught up on the thread, but just popping on to say STS this week, which given the amount of off-putting I have done I am pretty pleased with. It's been a funny week. My DM got a knee replacement last week, so everything is a bit upside down with sorting her out.

I hope everyone has a great week.

Thanks for all the maintenance experiences - it feels like a very long way away for me just now, but I hope to be there one day!

The cottage pie sounds lovely, thanks BIWI!

I am trucking on, I've not lost anything in the last couple of days but I do feel like things are going to speed downwards soon as I 'feel' thinner. I am in a nice routine of 16:8 or 18:6, fast until 1pm or so then have lunch then tea around 7pmish.

Yesterday's food:-
L HM smoked salmon and dill pate in the centre of a whole halved avo, leaves, cucumber, tomato, spring onion and EVOO
T poached eggs (3) on 1 slice of buttered SB. Heaped teaspoonful of crunchy peanut butter
3l water plus multiple cups of tea

Today's food:-
L 1/2 smashed avo mixed with lime, crushed chillis and garlic on 1 slice of SB. Grated cheese and cucumber. Strawbs and rasps with Greek yog & dbl cream
T HM saag paneer
1l water so far...

That smoked pâté sounds lovely @queenofcauliflower!

Hello everyone, glad @BIWI is no longer plague ridden.
1lb off for me, was 1.5lb on Friday but TOTM and a huge roast dinner on Sunday have put a bit back. 12.5lb so far since Jan 10th, when I started a bit early. Very happy with that.

Breakfast - Greek yoghurt
Lunch - cheese and chorizo
Dinner - I'm working until 8, I did bring some frozen casserole with me but not hungry so will have whatever DH is making, which is probably meatballs.

@BIWI

That smoked pâté sounds lovely *@queenofcauliflower*!

Totally recommend it @BIWI, so simple & so tasty!

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/smoked-salmon-dill-lemon-pate

Thanks @queenofcauliflower!

Well, I’m shamefacedly sneaking back in from week 3…. I’m sorry to say I have been up and down in keeping to this plan, hence have lost, then put back on, the same few pounds.
No excuses. Just not disciplined enough to stick at it for this first go.

It HAS, however, made me realise that my automatic grab for carbs when I am stressed/tired/upset/bloated is totally counterproductive, and is precisely why I have so much weight to lose. Sleep lots worse, as are IBS symptoms.

I have managed to stick to plan for the last week, and am feeling a lot better. Onwards and upwards to the next bootcamp.

Well done to all who are having great results!

@quince2figs good on your for coming back here. I think it's really good when despite the ups and downs you can start to notice things - maybe not significant weight loss yet (although that will come if you stick to it) but the general way in which you feel. I know when I'm doind badly as my gut gets noisy and grumbles and gurgles and all the rest

When I was going through a really stressful time I tried to use my feelings of stress or tiredness as a signal that I needed to eat something suitable. If I could catch the feeling early then a lchf snack actually calmed me and gave me more even energy, rather than the grab-a-packet-of-biscuits approach which spiked my insulin then left me crashed and feeling worse. It did help that I was able to plan and have some good things on hand - boiled eggs, cheese and ham and cucumber 'sandwiches' (buttered slices of ham and cheese, no bread!), pate on lettuce, celery dipped in St Agur creme, or a small portion of cole slaw mixed with grated cheese. I had home made meat loaf in the fridge and would eat a slice with some mayo and a bit of lettuce. Not big meals, just things to keep me going. 3 minutes to sit down with a snack, to eat it mindfully, and to drink some peppermint tea. Made the world of difference in a difficult time.

Hello everybody 🙂
Quick check in as my mental load is overspilling 🙄
Another week,another loss and gain, another slip up and back on the track.
Hope everybody got better with the viruses going round.

[quote venusandmars]@quince2figs good on your for coming back here. I think it's really good when despite the ups and downs you can start to notice things - maybe not significant weight loss yet (although that will come if you stick to it) but the general way in which you feel. I know when I'm doind badly as my gut gets noisy and grumbles and gurgles and all the rest

When I was going through a really stressful time I tried to use my feelings of stress or tiredness as a signal that I needed to eat something suitable. If I could catch the feeling early then a lchf snack actually calmed me and gave me more even energy, rather than the grab-a-packet-of-biscuits approach which spiked my insulin then left me crashed and feeling worse. It did help that I was able to plan and have some good things on hand - boiled eggs, cheese and ham and cucumber 'sandwiches' (buttered slices of ham and cheese, no bread!), pate on lettuce, celery dipped in St Agur creme, or a small portion of cole slaw mixed with grated cheese. I had home made meat loaf in the fridge and would eat a slice with some mayo and a bit of lettuce. Not big meals, just things to keep me going. 3 minutes to sit down with a snack, to eat it mindfully, and to drink some peppermint tea. Made the world of difference in a difficult time.[/quote]
@venusandmars thank-you for this. It is good advice for me too. I've struggled this bootcamp but am realising that these things are true for me too.

Sugar and flour seem like the answer to all the world's problems when stress hits...but are actually the direct cause of many of mine (IBS - indigestion - lack of sleep - distracting hunger- weight gain) !

I had a powerful moment in big Asda this morning. I was close by so popped in to restock my Schneider Brot (only to find shelves bare where it would usually be ) and on my way out, popped past the reduced fridge. In it were 2 packs of 2 x massive fresh caramel tarts with fresh cream. So there were 4. I had them in my hand. I was so tempted but I put them down and walked out of the shop. Of course, now I can't stop thinking about them, but it is so unusual for me not to succumb to temptation. I kept telling myself that it wasn't that I couldn't ever have one again, but that when I was thinner, I could have 1 (1, not 4!) occasionally, just not just now. And I know it wouldn't have been as nice as I was imagining if I did buy it, a bit sickly, I just love love love caramel and also love reduced things!!

I am feeling a bit rubbish today as I've been incredibly good over the past few days (IF every day, excellent food, all the water) but have inexplicably put on 0.8kg over last few days. I know it's daily fluctuations and I need to dial back the daily weighing, but the number has gone up not down since Saturday and I am so cross. I've just finished my period so I don't think it can be that. Anyway, will keep on keeping on!

Lunch today was amazing. Baked goats milk camembert (reduced!) with 2 x packs of (reduced!) griddled asparagus. I am having Jamie Oliver gnarly chicken as recommended by @venusandmars in an earlier thread, for tea, with cauliflower rice.

Hello lovely bootcampers.

I'm on my own in a strange city, waiting for DH who is having yet another test

It's much too cold to wander around so I was pleased to find a row of restaurants which included a Turkish take away with a few eat in tables.

After a feta salad with charcoaled lamb chops, I'm feeling delightfully fed and watered.

Enjoyed the look of the complimentary Turkish delight which came with the no sugar coffee but not even tempted to eat them. Or the freshly made pita style bread.

I really love this WoE. And what I have learned about how to enjoy food on bootcamp.

Oh and part of my great mood was that the jeans which were much too tight when I started boot camping in January are now comfortable and need a belt to hold them up. The trousers which I bought to keep me going now look like clown pants so I have ordered a new pair one size down.

It's astonishing how differently I feel about buying new clothes in a different size when I am going smaller compared to how I feel when I'm getting larger.

Like a PP, I've committed just to staying low carb for the next meal, not threatening myself that it's for the rest of my life. I feel perhaps wrongly that this helps me keep a sense of choice about it all and will stop me thinking so very all or nothing about it.

One slip doesn't have to throw me off the waggon of years, as it has so far. I can climb back up and enjoy the benefits.

Hello all, I’m afraid I’ve not been keeping up with the threads but I have been keeping up with this WOE!

It’s been a weird few weeks as I had my birthday but then tested positive for Covid straight after so have spent the last week and a half feeling very sorry for myself. But I managed to keep on track despite feeling terrible. I made myself a lovely chicken and vegetable soup with lots of butter and that helped me feel better!

I’ve lost 13lbs since 1 Jan which is great! I’m feeling thinner but still not fitting into any of my smaller clothes yet. I have half a stone to lose to get into a healthy BMI range and would like to lose another stone in total, so I will be continuing this after the end of boot camp. I find it easy now and can plan ahead. I am not having any whooshes - I tend like lose around 1lb a week, but some weeks it goes up a bit and then back down the next. I’m not weighing every day as I know that’s how my body works so don’t worry about it any more. I know the general trend is downwards.

Once I can get out and do some exercise that will hopefully help. I’m still suffering and get very breathless so I’m taking it easy.

Thank you to everyone on these threads. Reading all the ideas and support is really helpful even though I haven’t always been able to contribute.

I've committed just to staying low carb for the next meal, not threatening myself that it's for the rest of my life. I feel perhaps wrongly that this helps me keep a sense of choice about it all and will stop me thinking so very all or nothing about it. @FinallyHere I'm the opposite, I love eating low carb and I don't ever want to stop. It's made so much difference to my health, let alone my weight. Also I love the food. Being able to eat roast pork belly and vegetables in butter and not only not feel guilty but feel positively virtuous about it! My blood pressure is perfect and my blood tests are all in the ideal range. I'll never go back to eating carby crap routinely . Food is a lot more processed now as well so it's a lot harder to eat healthily unless you cook for yourself. A lot of pickles seem to have artificial sweeteners in which is just bizarre. How did we decide that sugar was so dangerous you couldn't put it in pickled beetroot but eat as much wheat as you like... even though it breaks down to the same thing when you eat it?

My god, this was so yummy - www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/gnarly-peanut-chicken/

I had it with buttery cauliflower rice and am so satisfied now! Totally recommend this!

@venusandmars, thanks so much for the support, and for that incredibly practical advice. I will be using some of those suggestions from now.
Sadly am already an expert in grabbing a packet of biscuits approach…:)

@quince2figs I know that when you're overwhelmed with life and busy-ness it feels impossible to find any space second to plan or to prepare, but honestly there is so much that you can get done in 7 minutes.

You can: put eggs on to boil, put the kettle on, (grate some cabbage, a wee bit of carrot, chuck in some (pre?) grated cheese, a few capers / conichons, a load of mayonnaise, any herbs you have laying around - the best cole slaw ever). Make a peppermint tea. You still have time to go for a pee and to drink your tea and relax for 40 seconds

Then return to the rest of your life knowing that there is at least something you can eat.

Evening bootcampers

Ridiculously busy at work at the moment, but feeling better. Eating reasonably well, not huge quantities or particularly exciting things, but LC, moderate protein and high fat. Normally when I'm very busy I can resort to biscuits-by-the-packet and it's been a huge relief that I'm keeping control - I'm not really missing the biscuits and I also am just taking it a day at a time..

B- coffee
L- clotted cream and stewed rhubarb (no sugar).
D- high fat chilli, avocado, last of the clotted cream and rhubarb.

The chicken recipe looks good @queenofcauliflower!

I've woken up really hungry today and I am currently trying to quell it with a buttermint tea and 1l water. I like to IF in the mornings.

I think I might have creamy mushrooms & leaves for lunch then I am having sea bass in a lemon & caper dressing with buttery green beans for tea.

I am hoping to make some cheese & almond muffins tomorrow for weekend lunches to replace my beloved Schneider Brot, that I can't get hold of.

Hello all and well done to those koko and those who have jumped back into the saddle.....

I've just navigated two days in London with many many temptations. Lovely meal at an Italian on Monday, antipasti (swerved the garlic bread), lamb shank in red wine gravy (poss a few carbs there) with extra veg instead of mash. Big breakfast at the hotel - eggs Benedict with buttered spinach instead of muffin and so wasn't tempted by the conference pastries, flapjacks etc. grabbed some boiled eggs and chicken strips as a late lunch. Big fancy evening dinner - crab and salmon pate (ignored bread) and then beef wellington - left the pastry and potato and ate the veg. I then got up and went and chatted to people when dessert was served. Feels really good and I didn't miss out at all! I did drink wine but I'll take that as the only hiccup!

I have a friend staying this weekend and I'll go strict bootcamp again for a couple of weeks from Monday.

This bootcamp has been a bit of a quiet one, so just wanted to say that although I am not posting on the thread (am trying not to get over focussed and obsessive), I am really appreciating those who do. It is a massive help in KOKO.

Today I'm horribly flabby, hoping that proceeds a whoosh!

B- coffee
L- chilli and leftover sausages
D- lamb casserole, veg, slice buttered keto bread. Berries and cream for pudding.