Jan 2023 Low Carb Bootcamp - Week 1!

[BIWI]

Welcome everyone! We have over 160 people signed up this time, so things are going to move quickly.

Here's the link to The Spreadsheet of Fabulousness which has been carefully and lovingly curated by the very lovely @FinallyHere

There are a few bits of admin that I need to post before we get going. The first of which is the usual disclaimer:

I am not a medic, a scientist, a dietician or a nutritionist. Everything that I post here is based on my reading and my own experiences of low carbing gained over the last 20 years. You follow the guidance here at your own risk - although I very much hope that there are no risks!

Very importantly, though, if you are on any kind of long-term medication, please talk to your GP/nurse about low carbing. This is especially important if you're on drugs for hypertension, cholesterol and/or diabetes, as a low carb diet should have a positive impact on all of those conditions, which would mean that your dosage may need to be decreased, if not removed altogether.

The second is about etiquette:

Please, please, please read all the posts on the thread before you make your own post. These threads work so much better when we're all here interacting with each other, as that means we can offer help and support when it's needed. Don't just jump on the thread to plop down your meals for the day, your weight that day and then just fuck off. That doesn't help anyone.

More than anything else, it's incredibly irritating when someone posts a question which has already been answered early in the thread. I, and lots of other Bootcampers, spend a considerable amount of time responding to people's questions and concerns, and it's pretty insulting when it's obvious that these haven't been read.

(Oh, and it's very obvious if you haven't read the thread, so take that as a warning )

Made a really nice curry last night, 4 person portion: chicken thighs, can of tomatoes, a couple of shallots and a small red pepper, spinach, cream, a green chilli and various spices. Based on a recipe I'd used before, but with adaptations due to fridge contents: less spinach, canned instead of fresh toms, and I tweaked the spices. Very quick and easy for a "from scratch" curry, would happily make on a weeknight! Had it on cauli rice and with an onion bhaji I made and froze before Christmas yes that did contain ground almonds whoops refused all booze and chutney though, doing very well with motivation.

Water always tricky for me at the weekend but I'm on it! A slow cooker mulled wine boeuf bourgignon on the go for tonight, with mashed swede and hopefully some greens.

Great going, @BonnieBairn. I'm holding back from trying on my tight jeans just yet. Weigh in on Monday!

I'm off to a gig, which involves standing around near a bar. I'm doing 'Dry Jan and Beyond' too (100 days), so I'll try my very best to drink soda and lime. I will not crumble, I will not lay down and die, oh no not I. That's why I was putting hibiscus tea in a wine glass, tricking myself @50notout

I might ask the bar staff to put my soda in a gin glass 🤔

@50notout I put a Taylor's Rose Lemonade teabag in a bottle of fizzy water in the fridge in the summer so you don't even need to use hot water and cool it, just leave it a bit longer to infuse. Any similar fruit flavour would work.

Morning all! My usual long post, catching up with last night's chat (as I was out). Again apologies if I repeat things other posters have said.

First, @amispeakingintongues sadly hummus isn't allowed in Bootcamp, as it's too carby. Pulses/legumes only when we've finished.

@moleeye planning is key all week! It's really important, because otherwise it's so easy to reach for non-Bootcamp stuff if you're in a hurry

@JustAPony well done! Once you resist the first time it does make it easier the next time.

Great progress @Gingerwarthog - so satisfying when you reach your target. What's your next goal?

@Greatly - look at it this way - it's still a lower number than when you started. Why are you worried about portion sizes? It's key at this stage not to feel hungry after you've eaten, which is why we say don't worry about it yet. But if you already think you're eating too much, then you can cut it down. Just don't cut down so much that you're not satisfied, or you're still hungry.

You're not on the spreadsheet, so I don't know how much you currently weigh - it could be that you don't have much to lose?

But then I've just seen your latest post about toast and wine!!!

Hope your dad makes a swift recovery @prettybird - spinal surgery doesn't sound much fun. Good on him for hosting you for dinner!

@LadyBiker - you are absolutely right. It's the benefits beyond weight loss that keep me (mainly) low carbing all the time. My IBS disappeared when I very first started, which was a complete revelation. It's also associated with lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar and can even lower the risk of dementia (which in some quarters is now being called Type 3 diabetes). Over the years, PP have reported lots of other benefits too - better skin, better sleep, help if you're a PCOS sufferer, more energy and clarity of focus.

@BonnieBairn Yay! It's such a great feeling, isn't it?!

@OldandTired66 glad to hear the 'issues' are sorted

@50notout sorry but I'd really avoid the cashews, even when we're allowed nuts, as they're the carbiest of all nuts, at a whopping 18.1g carbs per 100g! But congratulations on dropping another pound.

Right, that's me caught up. I have to say that overall everyone sounds like they're doing really well and, most importantly, enjoying the food.

And we haven't had a flounce yet!

Here's to a good weekend.

Morning all jus caught up with the thread. Hopped on the scales this morning and woo hoo! I’m back in the 10s.

Having lunch out tomorrow. Very difficult menu. Would welcome ideas. I’m pescatarian but the fish dishes look tricky. Veggie dishes no better.
www.fourteenmk.co.uk/app/app-uploads/sites/3/2022/11/Fourteen-ALaCarte-Autumn2022.pdf

Please can someone tell me what page the shoogled sprouts recipe is on? I keep scrolling through but cannot find it.

@50notout sorry but I'd really avoid the cashews, even when we're allowed nuts, as they're the carbiest of all nuts, at a whopping 18.1g carbs per 100g! But congratulations on dropping another pound.
Yikes! Thank you, I will def be avoiding!

@earlyraisin I do the same with a wine glass and slimline tonic or soda with fresh lime & lots of ice. I like drinking out of a wine glass at the weekend, even if it’s non alcoholic. I’m also doing dry Jan.

@StuntNun adds rose lemonade teabags to shopping list! 😀

With that menu and the fact that you're pescatarian, I'd go for the gravadlax (avoid the Apple but if it's fine dining, there won't be much ) or the Camembert and Judy enjoy the melted cheese with a teaspoon.

For main, I'd go for the salmon and prawn curry and ask them to replace the rice with the buttered sprouts (that another dish has) and not to bother with the naan bread (or give it to someone else).

Looks lovely!

Thanks @BIWI and previous poster. Darn it!

@prettybird I hope your dad is doing well. My DH had surgery for the same thing, scary beforehand but recovered really well.

@LadyBiker I could feel your disappointment at the coffee!

Made the cheese crusted omelettes recommended somewhere up thread for breakfast, yummy for a change. Thinking salad + cheese + dressing for lunch, then fajita bowls for dinner.

Out to a childrens party this afternoon. These inevitably involve me being handed a half eaten bag of sweets by my child. I’ve literally been chanting “I am not a dustbin” in my head when this happens, until I reach an actual dustbin to chuck them in.

@LadyBiker - I think I posted the "recipe" more a technique for cooking for the shoogled sprouts on the veggie recipe thread (master thread for links to the recipe threads in one of BIWI's early posts.

But it's essentially simply sprouts microwaved with a slab of butter for c2 minutes, shoogled (Scottish word for "shaken") and then microwaved for another c2 minutes, then seasoned.

Enjoy!

@prettybird - thank you, sounds delicious.

@TheMagicSword - it seems to have gone well. He had five vertebrae affected so it should make a big difference. Consultant has said he shouldn't need assisted travel any more (he's desperate to get back to SA to see his lady friend and his sister). I've said he should still play on his age (he is Eighty. Six. Year. Old. after all ) to be able to get through security and boarding more easily.

The worst thing for him was having to go against all his principles (was a "pure" NHS doctor all his career) and pay for the surgery (£12k ) but at eighty. six. years. old. he couldn't afford to wait the 2 years of an NHS waiting list

Thanks @BIWI and @earlyraisin, I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself and it's the boost I need not to cave to crisps and wine on a Saturday night! Out to the filling station with all these teens but I will choose wisely. I feel today that I really can do this and hopefully reverse my high BP without medication.

Just popping on to say I made a really nice version of the low carb cauliflower cheese last night, with 30% fat crème fraîche instead of double cream. Steamed the cauliflower, added a big tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the creme fraiche, mixed with cauliflower, topped with gruyere, baked, and it was delicious. DH said even better than normal cauliflower cheese.

@BonnieBairn - I think @venusandmars has done wonders with her BP on this WoE, as she didn't want to go the medication route but I might be misremembering

Thanks @prettybird your menu advice aligns with my thinking too.

Like Biwi said, one benefit of low carb is better skin. I have mild rosacea when eating carbs, basically my cheeks are red and bumpy, but 4 days into strict bootcamp I always get a lovely NSV as my skin has evened out overnight. Had that on Thursday, and I feel much more energetic than usual as well, already done most of the shopping and cleaning that I usually avoid as long as I can at weekends.
Well done on the losses so far. I was 1.5kg down on Thursday, hoping for a bit more by Monday. A couple more weeks and I hope to be able to fit into some of my work trousers, so far I have had to make do with dresses and skirts that are more forgiving on my thighs...
I don't have time to keep up with the thread and post every day, but reading it helps me keep on track. Yesterday I did eat most of a tub of philadelphia in a greedy moment but the chocolate cravings haven't got to me so far.
B- leek, bacon and cheese frittata
L- tuna mayo and salad
D- sag paneer and some kind of prawn curry, I'll make it up as I go

@50notout

Back in may 22, I did the Zoe test health test. Loved having the use of a continuous glucose monitor for the week. The tests showed that my blood fat and blood sugar were not great. There were no surprised in their suggestions in their reccomnended foods, apart from the odd bean or lentil, it was bootcamp foods good, others not so good.

That was pretty much the sun of what I learned. I didn't do any of their 'challenges' which consisted of eg toast in different combinations to see the effect on blood sugar. I liked having stable blood sugar and didn't want to eat anything to mess that up.

It's only fair to say that I had already read everything they had published so there was never going to be anything more for me to learn from the 'cute quizzes' in the app. Hint: the answer is always 'all of the above'. While I was glad to have that reassurance, I'm not sure it was worth £300 to me.

If I were doing it again, I'd just buy the continuous glucose monitor it's about £50 for a fortnights worth. I have another to try again next year after bootcamping solidly to see whether there is any difference to my blood sugar control. Oh, and read / listen to all the podcasts.

Sorry to be a bit down beat, usually I'm enthused to try anything new. The programme really isn't that different to their other material. I do, as PP mentioned make sure I eat 30 different plant stuffs each week. Some are pepper, and lemon and those micro shoots like cress or whatever. Otherwise I might just eat quite a limited range of things. I may when I get to maintenance (years away at the moment) try another glucose monitor to try out some non boot camp things like lentils to see what I might tolerate.

Phew. That was a bit of an essay. I've been in the queue at fafe Nero. They have delivered my espresso and I'm still typing.

Eating bootcamp compliant on the other hand, has been truly life transforming for me.

Bookmaking the recipe as my first attempt didn't taste so good.

Last night's was good though, various Mediterranean veg, with olives, olive oil and mozzarella, and secret ingredient, Love Pickle Chilli tomato pickle (4.5g carb per 100g, but only 2 tsp used, it's very spicy).

Lunch was supposed to be garlic mushrooms, till I realised I'd eaten all the mushrooms. So it was stir fry tofu instead, various veg, and tesco chilli garlic aglio Olio mix, (0.7g carb per 100g)

Dinner will be very big cheese and spinach tortilla /omelette, hopefully big enough for 2 servings so I can have it tomorrow too.

(breakfast = Greek yoghurt)

On the 30 plants per week (which in a couple of weeks time will include a few selected nuts) I periodically look at something like this An A-Z of vegetables It's not from UK so has some products I don't know of, and it's got all the veg, but we know which ones to avoid (potato, sweet, potato, beetroot, peas...). I used to have a pictorial version which was a great aide memoire when I was meal planning and writing a shoping list. I suddenly remember that I like buttery roast fennel, or that I love watercress soup, or the thought of pak choi inspires an asian themed dish...

Talking of butter (as we all love to) in my gifted cheese hamper there was also this french butter Cost a whopping £8.50 but worth every salty, delicious morsel especially isince it wasn't my £8.50 that paid for it It's currently my go to snack when I'm fridge grazing - a thin sliver eaten off the knife, even better than cheese!

Take dgc for an ice-cream this afternoon. Won't feel tempted to join in (not in this cold weather), but mostly because I feel completely full after creamy scrambled aggs and smoked salmon.

Dinner is a stir fry of chorizo, shallot, cabbage, leek and cavelo nero (fried in lots of butter and ooil).

I had a lovely sleep last night after an early tea and then yoga, I was all heavy and sleeping in bed then went straight to sleep 😴

Late breakfast this morning, I'm not sure about lunch and I think I've eaten my salad that was meant for tonight's tea and the shopping isn't coming until 6-7pm

2 eggs scrambled (lots and lots of butter) two sad cherry toms and some even sadder red pepper fried off with turmeric, cumin and chilli flakes. Finished with a dollop of cream cheese 😋 served with a creamy coffee
Maybe yoghurt
Leonaise salad

Yes @prettybird and @BonnieBairn I have written several time before about my BP. It was at one point 'catastrophically' high - they wouldn't let me leave the GP surgery until I'd seen a doc and had a prescription "to be taken immediately to a pharmacy and to start the meds TODAY or we're sending you to hospital!". Fortunately I responded well to the medication, with a few bits of tinkering my BP reduced to an acceptable level and thank goodness my other cardio and metabolic markers were OK. That was all a relief.

What spurred me into action was the GP saying "that's all good for now, but don't worry if your BP goes up again, there's plenty more we can give you!" I'm sure it was meant to be a reassuring statement but it is so far away from my own mental model of good health and wellbeing. I determined to do whatever I could to reduce my BP in a more holistic way. The first was a classic (but very, very hard) approach - no salt, no sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol, no dairy. It worked, I lost weight, reduced some of my meds but it was a real struggle and I felt hungry a lot, and given I'm a foodie and love cooking, it was pretty joyless :(

However, I still required some medication. What made the difference for me and my body was discovering keto. My food went from joyless to delicious, from scarcity to abundance, still I lost some more weight and my BP absolutely steadied. It was still a hard process because I was doing it all myself. Then I found @BIWI and bootcamp.

For the past 4 years I've taken pretty much no medication (did for a short period when I was having nose bleeds but that's sorted now) and interestingly even when my weight increases, as it has done recently, my BP remains stable.

And also, my quiet gut fart-free bliss!

Thanks @BIWI
Next goal is the ideal - 63kg - and maintaining this. I've written before about my peri menopausal fluctuations in weight so I want my weight to stabilise.
Feeling good. Sausages, poached egg and bacon for brunch which was fabulous.