Week 6 - Back-to-School Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Morning all. And a decidedly chilly one here in Sarf Lunnun. We've had to put the heating on for the first time this year . It seems so sudden, after all the much warmer weather we've been having recently.

Anyway.

Here's the spreadsheet for all your confessions

So we have three weeks left - might not seem long, but still time to shed a few pesky pounds. But only if we follow the rules!

This week's challenge - with apologies to the vegetarians - something lovely and low carb that you can make with prawns.

Oh posted photos the wrong way around 🤦‍♀️ first one is tonight, second one is early September.

Wow! That's an amazing difference. You can really see the progress that you've made.

Thanks @BIWI, I have you and your big stick to thank, I’d definitely have wandered off course if it wasn’t for BC.

Also, realised tonight that Lidl’s dark chocolate is bloody lovely! The ‘posh’ one, 125g bar which comes in a cardboard sleeve, think it was 85p, which is dangerously cheap 🤣.

Well done @VeryGoodVeryNice !

I’ve been finding it very hard to stick to my meal plans. People at work keep suggesting lunches and I can’t say no. Nevertheless, I’ve managed to stick to LC options. We’ll see what weigh-in day brings!

I finally got to weigh in this morning and was slightly down. 2.25 lbs which is the 1.25lbs I was up last week plus another pound.
Considering I spent the weekend having 3 course lunches and dinners with wine and then followed it up yesterday with a girly lunch yesterday with more wine I am very pleased.
I did stick to BC in France except for one very small dessert but yesterdays lunch was a challenge. The menu didn’t really have anything suitable so I had salmon teriyaki and cauliflower katsu.
We always meet there because one of my girlfriends owns it. I think if I manage to stick with it I might ask them about doing something special for me in future.

@VeryGoodVeryNice I bought the Lilly O'Brian (?) dark chocolate buttons because I thought they'd be easier to ration out than a chocolate bar. But no! Sooo addictive - can't buy those again, except maybe at Christmas.
If I want to not over eat I have to stick to the Lindt 85% dark chocolate bar, which takes the edge off but isn't so nice that you can easily scoff the lot!

Am koko. Next week will be hard, as I'm having the bathroom refitted, which I will find massively stressful and will need to avoid comfort snacking.

@LadyBird1973 OMG those chocolate buttons are sooooo good, I had some in Ireland. That’s a very clever tactic, buying the chocolate which you know isn’t so easy to scoff, I think I need to start doing that.

Once you get a taste for dark chocolate it's very hard to go back! My 'normal' has been Lindt 90% for a long time, but I've recently started buying Montezuma Absolute Black with orange and cocoa nibs. It's only 6.3g for the whole, 90g bar - and trust me, you certainly won't be eating this all in one go!

But it does really hit the spot, with only a few, small squares.

Hallo, I've done this before, joined a bootcamp in the final weeks. I have long covid and the LC physio recommends a low carb diet, plus I have put on loads of weight from sitting on my arse, so here I am. Had not brilliant but filling first day lunch of sausage, mushroom and egg which I know is satisfying and warm.

Off to Lidl tomorrow, are there any wonder LC products there that I should know about?

PS delighted to find that bootcamp is still going

Hi everyone

@BIWI that chocolate looks amazing

@Almahart welcome. Sorry to hear about the long covid. Interestingly my consultant thinks that some of my symptoms are related to long covid, so will be interesting to see if this WOE helps. I am on week 5, and can say it has helped so much with not feeling emotionally and physically so up and down, but I still do get days where I am very tired.

I am struggling a bit with warm lunch ideas as I don't really like soup if anyone has any good suggestions now it is getting colder?

Welcome (back!) @Almahart!

Really interesting that you've been recommended low carb for LC - did they say why/what the thinking is behind that?

That chocolate looks delicious - I love orange. Will see if my supermarket has any .

@Frumpyunicorn I often use leftovers from dinner the night before - assuming there are any!

Today, I made a sort-of bubble and squeak with some leftover veg. I had some mashed swede, and I added to that some leftover cabbage, broccoli and leeks, which I chopped finely. Then I cooked 2 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, till they were crispy, and crushed those into the mixture.

Pan fried that in the same pan as the bacon, so using the fat that came off that, and then I fried an egg which went on top, so I could allow the yolk to mix into the pattie.

Been absolutely starving this morning - eaten 2 eggs on low carb toast, 2 sausages and a bowl of raspberries, walnuts snd greek yoghurt.
Should probably skip dinner!
Have no idea where this has come from today.

That doesn't sound too bad @LadyBird1973

Definitely not worth skipping dinner!

I've had a facial with all the money I'm not spending in Costa.

@BIWI I think the idea is that carbs are more difficult for your body to digest and therefore make you tired and use energy that could otherwise be used for healing. He doesn't suggest cutting out pulses, oats etc, but it gave me the kick I needed to get back to BC. I'll ask for a more scientific explanation when I next see him. Also, that bubble and squeak sounds absolutely delicious!

@Frumpyunicorn I know that in the past LC has made a huge difference to my energy levels as well as my mood, so I hope it is helpful to you too from that pov. If you're not veggie I can really recommend corned beef hash made with celeriac for lunch on a cold day, fried until really crispy and again with either a fried egg on it or hard boiled egg in it. I do know that corned beef isn't everyone's cup of tea but it is pretty delicious and warming if you do like it.

@fruitstick I've just followed it up with some seed crackers and butter

I think spending the savings we would have spent in Costa etc, on nice things for ourselves, does help. I definitely have a 'treat myself' mindset and am trying to not make my rewards, food based!

I wonder too, @Almahart, if it's something to do with inflammation? Definitely ask next time - I'm really curious to know!

Will do!

@Almahart I’ve had CFS since 2015 and had various stints of LC over the years. I haven’t found that it’s helped my energy levels at all, sadly. But it is very effective at losing weight which creeps on easily due to not being very active because I’m knackered all the time.

This is week 5 for me.

I am living in a sea of mud (building work outside) had downstairs windows replaced this week (the chilliest days so far) and have just discovered a serious decades old toilet plumbing problem .

However, I remain oddly happy
This could be due to feeling better and lighter and being able to zip up my winter coat again. 😁 it is good to have a system of eating that is healthy- possible to stick to and has results.

Thanks BIWI and long live low catching!

Back in the house last night (still no working kitchen mind but we had to be out of the airbnb) and the install will be finished today. Completely gobsmacked when I got the scales this morning to find that my weight has stayed the same, however I feel pretty rubbish and sluggish and definitely know that I need a hefty injection of vegetables in my system sharpish! First customer meeting in person today for 3 1/2 years so absolutely no idea what to expect, then Cardiff tomorrow with DD for uni open day and finally will be something like back to normal on Sunday!!!!! Will be plenty of water today as I would imagine that lunch will be carby, and a big clean tonight 😂

@VeryGoodVeryNice wow! What a difference! I wish that I had taken photos.

I am travelling all day for a funeral, stopped for a coffee and realised I had left my lunch box at home.
The greggs and others at the the service stations don’t have a lot of options:
I think I will be looking for the least bad protein bars.

@ChimneyPot generally service stations have a M&S or a Waitrose, which should have a lot of options that are low carb. Packets of ham/beef/chicken, mini portions of cheese, sometimes they have salads without any rice/pasta/potato. Or a pot of full fat, plain yoghurt.

(Obviously avoid Greggs!)

In extremis, where there haven't been any options available, I've ordered KFC chicken - just the chicken - and taken the batter off. Or ordered a burger from Burger King/McDonalds, and asked for it without the bun.

I'm sure that you have other things on your mind if you're going to a funeral, but don't let that put you off thinking about your own health/needs.