Pre-Christmas 22 Boot Camp: Week 4

[prettybird]

Good Morning all! Sorry I’m a bit late - had a fabulous weekend away and will weigh in myself tomorrow after spending the day drinking a lot of water

Here we are in Week 4 already - nearly half way through , Remember that many of us experience a few weeks of doldrums over Weeks 3, 4 and even possibly week 5, where the scales will resolutely refuse to move —or even move upwards slightly . This is normal, so keep the faith, follow the rules , KOKO and the scales will move again. In the meantime, concentrate on the NSVs, like better sleep, better skin, more energy and/or looser clothes.

Remember that this is a marathon not a sprint, and try not to get too fixated on the short term.

I’ll get @FinallyHere to link to the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

Here's to another good week

Sadly I haven't got a recipe @StuntNun - or rather, not a low carb one! When I made mine, back in the summer, I made it using flour and panko breadcrumbs for the coating, so definitely not low carb. But as I was catering for others, and it was a way of experimenting with a new piece of kit, I didn't want to use ingredients that I didn't know would work.

However, if I were to make them again, I'd probably use something like coconut flour to coat the hard-boiled eggs in, and something like ground almonds mixed with a bit of parmesan, or ground pork scratchings for the coating (after dipping the flour-coated eggs into beaten egg).

I also keep the crusts from my Seriously Low Carb bread, and have whizzed those up into breadcrumbs, so might use those.

This looks interesting!

A keto recipe for Scotch eggs

I've made a chicken nugget coating in the past with a mixture of seasoned Parmesan and ground almonds (and I've also on occasion put in a wee half teaspoon of mustard powder memo to self: must buy some more ). I dip the chicken pieces in egg (or rather, I put all the cut up chicken into a bowl with a beaten egg and then squidge them around ) before dunking them in the Parmesan/ground almond mix and then baking them (turning them all carefully half way through).

That might work for Scotch eggs?

I feel some experimentation coming on!

You'll have to report back.
I bought a bag of almond flour with my low carb order to get it above free delivery, what would you make with it? (Bearing in mind I'm a triple cook) I also bought the pickle to try so I have a cheese and pickle sandwich for my supper tonight. Yum. Will let you all know if it's worth it.

I mostly use ground almonds but do have proper almond flour for some things. I think Tom Kerridge's flatbreads are best done with the fine flour.

@ditavonteesed you can make quiche pasty with almond flour 225g of almonds to 55g butter 1/2 tsp salt whiz in food processor, press into flan tin, prick and bake before adding egg mix (lots of cheese ) and baking again.
also cheese scones which must be on the recipe threads somewhere. Yum. I’d forgotten about cheese scones or weee they muffins. Must look up the recipe which I think I screen shot from previous bc.

In the self care zone, I'm just back from a swim. My holidays had LOTS of exercise - it was to a sports resort. So I felt really well after a week there. So I resolved, no mindless TV/Social Media - more reading, exercise & general self care . It was a good day food wise, but not great on the water front.
To be continued...

I was out with work today and got lunch in a cafe (Ceaser salad). There was so much baked goods & sandwiches on offer. I was thinking about Michael Palin's advice/rules 'Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.' He makes the point that 'food' is not advertised - fruit veg etc. You could just have the food rule of not eating advertised food & you'd be pretty healthy. No sugary drinks, no donuts etc. anyway, just musing.

@Jollyholibobs the flan pastry recipe looks good, I'm wondering what else it would be good for now too - I'd like to find a lower carb mince pie type option for Christmas.

I've been thinking about Christmas this week (I know we'll not be in BC at that point). Think I'll try to stay off the carbs as much as possible but without being too strict, but that I should just say no to sugary highly processed stuff (looking at you Quality Street).

Still not weighed since week 1, feeling like I'm possibly retaining some water but if I am I'm happily oblivious of the uptick it'll have caused on the scales.

Lots of fresh tomatoes to use up today so I'll roast a whole block of feta (proper nice feta this time!) and have it with tomato salad for dinner. Omelette for lunch maybe.

Like the sound of tomato and feta. That’s dinner tonight thanks.

B black coffee
L tuna salad
D roast feta and tomato

Agree about not eating ‘advertised food’ it’s the same as not eating processed food.

Got myself to bed before midnight again last night Two days in a row of self-care

For those of you in Scotland who have ever watched Scot Squad, last night they were filming a scene at our rugby club, involving their self styled lady's man cop who's not as good as he thinks he is and his more efficient female side kick, with the "police officers" having a session with our women's training team. I'll need to watch to see if I make the edit

thinking about Christmas this week

I've been thinking about Christmas arrangements too @Baystard really quite a lot.

Hoping for some inspiration from hearing how everyone else is planning to navigate the waters

@prettybird is it on BBC Scotland? Maybe on iplayer?

Re Christmas I’m going to have Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, boxing and New Year’s Eve off low carb. I don’t have any Christmas parties etc so won’t have to navigate those. I’m hoping that knowing I’m having my blood sugars rechecked in March will keep me motivated and on track.

@Lucienandjean - yes, it's on BBC Scotland so will be on iPlayer. I'll let you know when this episode is going to be aired.

It's worth watching past episodes: it's a really funny pisstake/mockumentary of various parts of the police force, including Chief Mickelson, the pompous DCI, Officer Karen, the long suffering desk sergeant who has a wee ned who keeps visiting her for stupid reasons and then various pairs of police officers out on the beat, either in the city or in the countryside.

I know now from last night that a lot of it is improvised

I do the same thing for Christmas every year which is to stay on Bootcamp Light for every day except Christmas Day. On Christmas Day I don't worry about carbs in alcohol so I might have a Buck's Fizz or a sweet dessert wine. We always have half a grapefruit for brunch then smoked salmon on Seriously Low Carb Bread. I'll happily have one roast potato and some stuffing with my Christmas dinner. My mum makes me a Christmas pudding every year so dessert will be a small slice of that with some extra thick cream. It's still a proper high feast day but without faceplanting into a pile of carbs.

If you do decide to have several days off over Christmas then, whatever you do, don't fall for the trick of finishing up all the leftover carbs before you allow yourself get back on track. Someone else will eat the half a box of Celebrations or you can even chuck them out if no-one will eat them. It's just as much of a waste for you to eat food that's bad for you just to use it up, as it is to throw it away.

In other good news, I've finally weighed myself after a lot of water and being careful the weekend away and I'm down half a pound on last week, to 12st 7.5lb

Re Christmas: I'm a moderator rather than an abstainer, so I can cope with a day it even two "off piste" without completely falling off the wagon.

The problem with Christmas is that the temptation lasts for longer than that

We have our main Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve (from my dad's Danish heritage).

I tend to fast for most of the day before having bubbly about 6.30 to celebrate everything being ready I hope

Starter is home made tomato and mint soup (ingredients: tomatoes, onions, mint and a glass of Sherry, finished off with a swirl of cream).

Main is citrus bribed turkey with a citrus gravy (that doesn't even need flour to thicken it although I've put a tiny bit in in the past), home cooked glazed ham on the bone, roast potatoes, mashed parsnip with chopped chestnuts and Savoy cabbage with crispy bacon bits. I usually have just one potato (and often don't finish it) and a small spoonful of the parsnip.

Dessert is the Danish Christmas pudding: a sort of sweet rice risotto with chopped almonds and whipped cream gold through it with one whole almond (whoever gets that gets the almond prize). I do have that

On Christmas Day, I'll have one sourdough croissant with bubbly while we open presents. Then in the evening we have more tomato soup and then roast pheasant with the same veg as the night before - and again, I might have a potato but I won't finish it. In theory we then have home made (British) Christmas pudding served with my concoction of vanilla custard mixed with whipped cream but in practice we're usually too stuffed from the night before

I also have snacks of killer almonds (made with butter, garlic, spices, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco - made in advance and stored), "turkey bites" (canapés which I've adapted to be fully low carb) and plenty of cheese.

The next couple of days we tend to snack on cold ham and turkey. New Years Day we traditionally have a big fry-up with Stornaway black pudding and good quality square sausage.

The risk is the tin of Quality Street. I'm usually ok for a day or two (will taste my 3 favourites and then stop) but if dh and ds don't finish it quickly I get tempted

I also make very good mince pies . I'll allow myself one and then I'll keep the rest in the freezer so that they have to be warmed as weirdly I don't like warm mince pies.

This year I'm also going to make myself a supply of the cheese or vanilla almond based muffins which can be toasted to have as a snack if/when I'm tempted.

I do keep weighing daily from Boxing Day onwards to try to keep myself accountable - but may end the Festive period up to 7lb up . I'm getting better each year though.

Not perfect - but I don't feel deprived and I feel I've managed to balance my low carb WoE with the Festive Period.

Oops - didn't realise how long that post was

Thank you very m

Just noticed a typo: it's citrus brined turkey, not "bribed" turkey

Sorry, that attempt seemed to post itself 😃 a little prematurely.

Thank you very kindly @prettybird and @StuntNun for the reflections on Christmas arrangements. I had a look at 'moderator v abstainer' online which provided some insight into why I might be thinking about it so much, so far in advance.

There has been a bit of an all or nothing approach to food for me which has not worked so well for me. I am actually looking to change towards more of a moderating approach. Christmas is looming as a major test for me. Success would be for me to loosen the reins a little without going completely off the rails.

Thinking ....

If it helps, as a short term "moderator", it helps me to have the attitude that if I'm going to go "off-piste", then only to do so if it is worth it AND to do so mindfully

ie really enjoy what you're eating and savour every mindful.

As the wielder of the Big Stick this Boot Camp, I can't/won't condone it until after Boot Camp has finished (so need to use the Big Stick on myself for the weekend just past ). If you want to see the results by Christmas, if you want to have educated yourself in this WoE, if you want to lose the hold that sweet things have on you, then you. need. to. commit. It doesn't work if you don't. It does if you do

I don't ever think I could be a moderator

Fasted this morning.

Lunch was low carb pizza.
Dinner is going to be chicken jalfrezi with low carb rice (from Amazon, half decent) with a low carb brownie and cream for afters.

Really busy at work but finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel

2litres water down today, another 2 to go!!