Jan '23 Low Carb Bootcamp - welcome to week 5

[BIWI]

Evening/morning (depending on when you read this!)

Here's the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

So now we're in the second half of Bootcamp. Hopefully we've successfully navigated the doldrums of weeks 3 & 4, and the scales should be a bit kinder to us all. But bear in mind that weekly losses are now going to be smaller than in the first couple of weeks. This is entirely normal.

By now everyone should be feeling more confident about low carbing/Bootcamp, and how this can become a longer term WOE. Of all the diets I have ever done (and I'm guessing that like many of you, there have been plenty along the way), this is the only one that has ever felt like it can become a genuine WOL - way of life - as well as WOE.

The thing that always marks these threads out to me, compared with any of the threads about weight loss that you might read on Mumsnet, is just how much they're about good, tasty food. Not deprivation or compromise. And I think that's why it's easier to stick to.

So in the spirit of foodiness, it seems appropriate to issue a Bootcamp food challenge! Like many, I'm very much aware of the cost of food right now - try as I might, the cost of my weekly shop seems to go up and up. I wish I could say it was because of all the fillet steak and lobster I'm buying, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

One of the things I've been trying to do, to keep the weekly bills down, is to add in at least one more vegetarian meal per week. So my challenge to you all is to post a recipe for a killer vegetarian meal - obviously one that also fits with Bootcamp - that is perfectly suited to weekday, family eating.

Look forward to reading all the suggestions

@TangledWebOfDeception and @venusandmars Thanks for the pointers. You have both strengthened my resolve. I might not have a drink at all, the way my stomach's feeling. I've just started taking ferrous sulfate due to being borderline anaemic and it's giving me horrible cramps and a bloated feeling. As you say, most people are focused on themselves anyway. It's just getting past that initial arrival stage when you're meeting new people for the first time.

Have fun tonight @MaryDoll84 . I haven't been out on a Friday night for ages, and I'm a bit envious.

Good today has been
B- 10% Greek yog with a handful of blueberries
L - aubergine parmigiana
D - Will be some sort of Asian chicken soup, once my supermarket order arrives with all the lovely lemongrass, Chili and ginger i ordered after the reading all the fab recipes as the beginning of the week.

Oh @mimosa1 - seeing your name pop up reminds me: in the version of the aubergine, spinach and paneer curry that I created from your post, it definitely didn't need any cornflour to thicken it, as the creamed coconut does that very satisfactorily!

I can also tell you that it was even better re-heated a day later.

I've put my version of the recipe on the recipe thread as well, and I'll definitely be making that again.

So according to Côte restaurants, today is National Tartiflette Day. It isn't, of course, it's just part of their marketing (and they're running a competition about it too, here. But it reminded me not only how lovely this dish is, but how easy it is to substitute celeriac for the potato. It's a delicious, comforting dish.

I think there might be a recipe on the recipe threads, but in case there isn't, there's one here:

tartiflette

Struggling today, suddenly. Not sure why. Keep looking yearningly at the biscuits but have not succumbed so far. Definitely less boobage at yoga this morning so that's a win NSV. Had boiled egg for breakfast, a freezer concoction of bolognese sauce with cauliflower rice and chunks of cheese for lunch and planning fish pie for dinner (mashed swede on mine). Constant snacking though, all LC 🧀 but still, quite unusual for me these days. Need to plan my lunches better. Getting bored of soup but not quite ready for salads yet. Onwarss and upwards, koko.

I've reported my post as it had some personal info on it.

Here it is again:

I need help from better informed Boot Campers . There's a reunion of a company I worked for (briefly, as a consultant while it was being privatised but it was an enjoyable time) over 25 years ago on 15 March (which is itself an incentive to knuckle down ) but it's at a Chinese restaurant and I'm not very good with Chinese food It's not helped by the fact that I don't eat mushrooms or peppers (red, green, whatever)

I have to make my food selection when I confirm I'm going, so, wise Boot Campers, what are my best choices?

I think the menu is legible enough if you zoom in on it.

In my haste to crop the picture, I cropped out how much I need to choose!

Lucienandjean how is your DH today? So worrying.

Deeta so exciting! A swanky hotel and fancy restaurant sound fab. Do feedback with what you ate.

Celeriac tartiflette sounds incredible!!!!

Had a small leaving get together for a colleague after work this evening. I did the nibbles. Put together 2 boards…..lots of bite sized bits but also included iberico cheese slices and little slices of honeydew among the carbs and sweet stuff so I did ok.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/aubergine-halloumi-harissa-skillet-bake this looks delicious

I remember trying that tartiflette recipe many bootcamp ago. It was amazing and is going on the menu for this week!

Not much help with the Chinese menu @prettybird as I'm not usually fond of Chinese food apart from the prawn crackers and carby nibbly bits Maybe the veg soup or chicken satay to start and chicken curry with stir fried veg for main? Am sure others more knowledgable about ingredients will be more help but that's probably what I'd go for.

@prettybird
Szechuan prawns should be ok?

Chicken Caesar salad this evening minus the croutons, followed by banana ice cream. Large glass of red wine.
Low carb and tasted great.

Down to my goal weight now of 63.5kg.

@BIWI your recipe game is on fire this evening. Thanks for updating in the spinach, aubergine and paneer curry. I've got all the ingredients in so I'm going to try it this week as well.

@Gingerwarthog well done! I was 63kg in my 20s, and young ang gorgeous and had simply not the faintest idea. All that time worrying about how I looked. !!! I wish I could go back and shake myself 20 years and 20 kilos later enjoy feeling fab and huge congratulations on getting to goal.

I made the most delicious Pho type soup with leftover peking duck, and lots of lovely ginger, lemongrass, Chili, garlic and cavolo Nero. This BC has definitely made me more adventurous during cooking. Thanks everyone , especially @BIWI and @StuntNun for all the support and advice.

@TangledWebOfDeception I made the ganache by heating 270ml of coconut cream (the fattier the better, mine was 29% fat so almost dairy cream equivalent), not very hot - you could do it with a bain marie but I just warm it in a saucepan. Broke up a 90g block of 85% choc and stirred it in, also added 1Tbsp (real) peanut butter because I love the taste. You could pour the ganache onto the avocado before it sets but I don't like the change of taste in avo when it's heated, even slightly. So I poured the ganache into a baking pan, then cut it into strips when it was set. It doesn't set hard at these ratios, and with the peanut butter, . Serve it with avocado fresh off the tree. Pretty fresh, we don't grow them but we live nearby avocado farms which is a treat.

Congrats @Gingerwarthog!!

Ahh @DontGetEvenGetEverything that sounds fantastic. How lucky you are to be able to have avocados fresh off the tree! It’s rare to get a truly beautiful one here in the U.K.

Congratulations on hitting your target weight @Gingerwarthog! 🎉

That’s just about where I usually end up when I LC long-term, and where I’m 95% happy with my figure, so that’s my desirable target weight too!

Oh the Tartiflette sounds fab. Will have to wait ‘til I can get a celeriac in.

@prettybird I’ll have a look at the menu a bit later and give my suggestions - I do agree with pp that Szechuan prawns is a great option, as long as you like a bit of a kick.

Gratters @Gingerwarthog

Such an inspiration

Brilliant @Gingerwarthog

@prettybird forcing you to choose specific things isn't great. I did smile though, when I saw the Stornoway black pudding wonton

I'd go for anything that's 'salt and pepper' as a starter, as that's usually just like a rub. Possibly chicken satay. Then for your main, I agree about the prawns, and I'd have stir-fried mixed vegetables with that.

Thanks all.
This WOE and my new HRT patches have enabled me to lose 3kg and for my weight to stabilise.
I feel great. Have had my hair dyed for the first time in years and am learning to take a pride in myself again.
KOKO
X

I love this xx self care at its best

@Gingerwarthog learning to take pride in ourselves is so fabulous! I hate going to the hairdresser because I have to sit in front of a mirror contemplating my wrinkles, my double chin etc. But I went this week, had 2 inches of frayed ends cut off and I feel so much lighter and swishy-er.

@prettybird that menu looks extremely challenging! Chicken Satay then Szechuan prawns with stir fried veg. Although the veg will have peppers, and might also have mushrooms - are you happy to pick the bits of broccoli, carrot, mange tout out of that, or will the very presence of peppers and mushrooms put you off? Order them anyway, eat beforehand and be so bust talking, catching up, networking, taking photos etc that you have almost no time to eat

dh reminded me of a couple of dishes that have fallen off our meal plan... One is leeks wrapped in ham, covered in cheese sauce (that's how we're using the veg box leeks tonight).

The other is pasta (for me it will be courgetti) with lemon, basil, pine nuts and parmesan.

Pine nuts are quite carb (13g/100) but you don't need too many.

Recipe is: toast the pinenuts. Prepare lemon zest and juice. Prepare finely chopped basil. Prepare grated parmesan.
Cook the spaghetti or courgetti.
Add all the other ingredients and some olive oil.