Jan '23 Low Carb Bootcamp - Week 2 - how did you get on?!

[BIWI]

Evening all! I'm posting the week 2 chat thread this evening, as I know how keen everyone will be to post tomorrow. As I'm retired now, I no longer have to set an alarm to wake up, so I don't want to keep everyone waiting tomorrow morning to post.

I love this week. It's when we see how much people have lost, and it can be a significant amount. It can be a real leap of faith for anyone who hasn't low carbed before, and all those who really don't believe you can eat that much fat and still lose weight!

I'm really hoping that you've all had a good first week, and that your commitment 'to the cause' has been rewarded with a good result - be that on the scales, with your tape measure, or the currently-too-tight clothes that you've been trying on.

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

I hope very much that you've had a good first week, and that you're feeling supermotivated for the rest of Bootcamp.

However - if you haven't lost, or you have even gained, please don't be downhearted. We're all different, and there may be lots of reasons why this is the case for you. It's also really important to note that it's not a competition. We all lose at different rates - plus, anyone who is bigger will lose more/faster than someone who is smaller.

Hopefully there are other benefits to this WOE that will keep you on track - at the very least, I hope that you have been enjoying the food, and that you don't feel deprived, like you would be on a low calorie/fat diet.

Water AND fat, just to be clear. Fat intake is a key element in your body fat melting away. So don’t skimp on it.

I never leave any fat in the pan. It all gets poured on top of whatever I’m eating.

(Bet you’re sorry you encouraged me to engage now, @BIWI!)

Definitely not!

Very sorry for the multiple posts. It’s a combination of (very likely, but as yet undiagnosed) ADHD which makes it hard for me to think of everything I want to say in one go, but also any time I do make the effort to write a long, long comment with everything in it, I almost inevitably lose it which is so frustrating and disheartening.

Thanks @BIWI — I feel absolutely loads better and slept from 11 - 7 last night which is unheard of!

@BIWI - I think you'd enjoy my pork burgers says I modestly : no water biscuits required

I think I've put the recipe on the recipe thread but I gave a rough recipe in last week's thread. I do use an egg to bind it (nothing else) and then leave them to firm up in the fridge before frying. They are quite delicate so you need to fry at a lower temperature and leave them on the first side for quite a while until it's crusted. I'm sure you could add in crumbled chorizo if you wanted! 800g of pork mince makes 6 reasonable sized burgers.

@prettybird I hope you’re feeling better. I didn’t reply to your last comment to me on the previous thread (or maybe on the prep thread) - I think that beautiful, delicate tablecloth was definitely worth its price...proper handmade treasure! I dream of finding similar in a charity shop (as my days of travelling are sadly over for the time being, and I’m too tight/too bad at saving to pay for a brand new one).

@TangledWebOfDeception please don't apologise! I love it when people post. Post as often/as much as you like.

Thanks @prettybird - I really should have trusted my instincts when I was making them, as I knew they were too wet/going to be too sloppy. Even with careful cooking (lower temperature, leaving them on the first side - and then finishing off in the oven as Mr Wareing insisted), they were still too wet.

@Greatly very glad to hear it - and also envious of your uninterrupted sleep!

Def- I find avoiding grains really helps and haven’t used dairy milk for years. The milk affects my gut rather than joint pain.

@BIWI i think if you look hard enough you can find evidence for anything these days 😀but there seems to be some credible evidence that shows eggs can trigger an inflammatory response or a non inflammatory response, depending on the individual. Been lots of trial and error on my part over the years.

@BIWI @TangledWebOfDeception and @Savedmybacon thank you. Fantastic news-i love monkfish curry!
I will go and have a look in the local coop at the coconut milk and see what the carbs are.

@JustAPony you might already know it but coconut milk freezes well so if you want to use less to keep carb content lower, it won’t go to waste. One of my top tips as I only cook for two of us so I use half a tin and freeze the other half.

I don't know about your situation but if your pain is unexplained and chronic (I also have this), I'd also look up SIRPA and John Sarno (pain coming from repressed emotions)Lots of resources online if it resonates with you.
@Savedmybacon that does resonate. Thank you for the recommendation.

I'm assuming you will have read Why We Eat (Too Much), by Dr Andrew Jenkinson? The second half of the book (from memory) talks a lot about inflammation, and the imbalance of Omega-3 and -6.
@BIWI I probably would tell people I've read it but in truth I didn't get as far as the second half 🤭 So I'll have to get back to it.

Brill,thanks!

@SpottyBumPony the packet of the shelf stuff is nasty imo. M&S have a cauliflower "couscous" in their fresh, prepared veg section that is just cauli and some fresh parsley. I've bought that from time to time to save the faff of chopping up a whole cauli (plus it takes up less fridge space when its already crammed with FLFV).

@BIWI - OOOhhh I didnt know no added sugar ketchup is allowed, thats a game changer for me, those sprouts wont know whats hit them :)

Feeling significantly better than earlier in the week, and have finally shifted a pound which is helping mindset. I went to bed last night at 9.30 to avoid looking in the cupboards for possible grazing opportunities!

B; FFGY
L; salad leaves and olive oil, baked salmon, halloumi and then spiced diced aubergine mix
D; sausages, mashed celeriac and FLGV

B: last nights salmon and spinach in cream (had a spare salmon fillet!)

L: tuna salad w lots of evoo

D: eggs bacon mushrooms (beans and potato waffles for dd 😂)

@JustAPony I make butter monkfish curry (like butter chicken but with monkfish instead of chicken). The monkfish is much more delicate so I only pop it in at the end to cook (but marinate it in yogurt and spices as one would for chicken). The recipe I use has nuts in it too, but I'm definately going to put it on my list for next week.

All the talk about burgers: with all my burgers (and meatballs too) I make them, shape them and then microwave them for about 3/4 minutes. Then leave them to cool. I find that helps to firm them up and bind them enough that they don;t fall apart when I fry the burgers or pop the meatballs into a simmering tomato sauce.

Thwack! Thwack!

That's me self flagellating for my truly awful day yesterday. I could keep my shame quiet but that doesn't seem right. @BIWI will be appalled. Sorry.

I had 2 visits to make yesterday. First was a morning visit to a housebound former school teacher (I'm in my 60s, so as you can imagine she's no spring chicken!) I'd had a good breakfast - coffee with cream and a boiled egg with butter - so that I wouldn't be tempted by the inevitable cakes/biscuits on offer. I arrived and she said "I know you don't eat sugar so I ordered a treat." Her neighbour had been out and had delivered back warm sausage rolls . I didn't have the heart to refuse plus they smelt delicious although I did leave some of the pastry, I doubt the sausage meat was of the highest quality.

Then in the afternoon I went on a joint visit with my oldest friend (oldest in how long we've known each other) to see her widowed FIL. She goes every week but they've nothing much to talk about sometimes so having an extra person there is a help (plus I've known him since I was a teenager and knew his wife too). They had cakes and coffee all set up and waiting. I managed to get away with the tiniest morsel of cake (I don't even like cake). Then they'd also booked for me to join them for tea at a local pub. Difficult menu. I had chicken balmoral (chicken stuffed with haggis and wrapped in bacon) but the sauce would have been thickened with flour. I left quite a lot - particularly the bacon which was flabby and rubbery. I did drink lots of water...

So food yesterday:
Coffee with cream, boiled egg
Sausage roll
tiny cube of cake
Chicken, few spears of broccoli

Just the worst of the worst and embarassing after me reminding others to eat lots of veg And not enjoyable (apart from the company).

Feel sooooo sluggish today as well.

And to top it all off, dh had made his own dinner. Did he have the 3 bean soup (lots of that in the freezer for him and PILs)? Did he eat the pasta bake? NO! He ate my green spinach and butter soup, and then defrosted a cauliflower lasagne (mine too!!). He had the cheek to complain it was a big vegetably and a bit greasy . Then he was still hungry so he ate the left over portion of cheese and broccoli frittata. eat some potatoes you skinny runt!!

Today: ALL the water to wash out yesterday's carbs
eggs and spinach for bruch
D - salmon, oven roast tomatoes in olive oil, cavelo nero, burrety cabbage

Buttery cabbage

There was some mention of the magnesium and lavender cream I use this one particulalry if I've got restless legs.

And on chocolate: I buy Lindtt 90 chocolate 14g carb per 100g but one square has 1.4g - grated over a mix of FFGY double cream and 3 or 4 berries (from week 3 onwards of course!) - it goes a surprisingly long way, sometimes I only use half a square.

I made the Diet Doctor cheese crust omelette again today. Definitely a firm new favourite adds it to cheeseburger pie, celeriac dirty fries, shoogled sprouts, exploded Babybel and almond muffins Bootcamp recipe folder.

@Jenasaurus don't go mad over the tomato ketchup though! Bear in mind that it has artificial sweeteners in it as well.

It has 0.8g carbs in a level tablespoon.

@venusandmars sorry about your day yesterday (not from the friendship POV, obviously!) - but you're a seasoned hand at this low carbing lark, and you know that days/events like this will happen.

However. Would you like us to send a hit squad round to deal with your 'D'H?!