January 2024 Low Carb Bootcamp - this one's a dry one!

[BIWIshYouAMerryChristmas]

For one month only - 4 weeks of strict Bootcamp, which means no booze.

If you want to, you can do Bootcamp Light, but with the exception of no alcohol.

All welcome! But please, only sign up if you are prepared to do the whole thing without alcohol.

@LC4life lemon really does cut through the richness of a creamy cheesy sauce - I make a cheesy creamy sauce for DD’s pasta who’s VERY low weight that’s double cream and a ton of cheddar - it’d be way too rich for her to eat without the addition of lemon.
@Metabolicallycomplicated i have exactly the same ‘need more’ after I’ve eaten too. I’ve eaten plenty but my mouth still craves something - ideally sweet!! I’m trying to have a strongly flavoured tea like liquorice and peppermint to curb the craving. I’m sure I read a scientific reason for this but can’t recall now what it was.

@magneticmoon up to you if you leave the group but I’ve done this a few times and everyone is so supportive. BIWI is just pointing out the rules and the need to read them to avoid eating the wrong foods Eg strawberries (and Lindt) There shouldn’t be any chocolate or sweets or cake or fruit (no nuts or seeds for now unless you’re veggie). You don’t need to count calories or carbs either. It’s a great method honestly. If you mess up with a Lindt choc then fine but it was written without any acknowledgement that it was a slip up. Anyway, hope you come back as it’s a great supportive group and a great way of eating.

@sheepdreams yes if I’m to avoid BIWI’s big stick I’m going to have to move all the mountains of choc to the back fridge as every time I open the kitchen fridge there’s SO much temptation!

Haven’t drunk anywhere near enough today - too absorbed in formulating my Will (joy of joys).
Brunch - Bolognese in bed of ‘need to eat veggies’ of mushrooms, red pepper and pak choi with a side of sour cream & grated cheese. Odd mix but tasted yummy.
Dinner - pan fried salmon with veg (plus buttery mash for the DDs) no celeriac or cauli so no mash for me.

Just had chicken in a creamy cheesy mushroom sauce with loads of mushrooms and spinach. Bloody lovely

All this talk about the addition of lemon to cheese sauce has inspired me to make a cauliflower cheese. It's bubbling in the oven- but the sauce ( cream, marscapone, cheese, mustard, a little worcs sauce and lemon) tasted delicious- much less cloying. Will serve with leftover Xmas gammon for supper.

B- just coffee
L- tuna mayo salad
S- C cheese and gammon

I also had this for dinner tonight

I am definitely going to try a lemony creamy cheese sauce. Sounds easy to make too.

I have a day off work on Monday so might whip up some stuff to keep in the freezer.

I've been doing well this week with adapting family meals and just cutting the carbs on my portion.

Evening meals have been bolognese with butter cooked courgette and chilli with cauliflower rice.

I'm having a lovely homemade creamy chicken masala with cauliflower rice. I'm trying a packet of cauliflower rice to see what it's like because it might be good to have in the cupboard if any good.

My work has a good salad bar so had a large amount of tuna mayo with roasted courgettes and other Mediterranean veg. But it's touch and go what they have so might start making lunch to take. I'm thinking smoked mackerel might be a good option and hopefully not too antisocial.

Managing the water but have a funny taste in my mouth all the time which I think might mean I'm in Ketosis.

Sad news is that my scales have given up so I've bought new ones and they seem to read higher. More to lose than expected and they also analysis body fat % which is rather terrifying. I'm 5ft so small but apparently 33.5% fat

Started off well today, lots of water before lunchtime (I like to get at least 1.5-2L by then)
eggs for brunch and some chicken and veg for late lunch but then had a really dodgy stomach this evening so had a banana to settle it.
won’t eat anything for the rest of the evening so not a total loss but will hopefully be back to normal tomorrow.

some lovely recipe ideas so far, never would have thought to add lemon juice to cauliflower cheese, can’t wait to try that!

Ive prepped some butter chicken ready to go in the slow cooker for tomorrow, being my future friend as I have a busy day tomorrow

I'm on a local WhatsApp group and one of my neighbours today offered a whole untouched cheeseboard and 2 big pots of cream, for free. Unused from a New Year party. Loads of people were declining. "Oh, I only have to look at cheese and I put on weight." Etc, etc.

Long story short: I'm now the owner of 6 types of cheese and 2 pints of cream. 😄

I didn't like to say I'm hoping to lose weight eating this stuff!

@SpinningTops I have bought bags of frozen cauliflower rice in the past, I think from somewhere like Aldi or Iceland, good for convenience but if you’re batch cooking it’s cheaper to buy a whole cauliflower and portion it up and freeze

Tesco sell frozen cauliflower rice in steam packs that microwave in minutes. I know it's probably cheaper to rice a cauliflower but that really stinks. Actually maybe not cheaper at the moment. Have you seen the price of cauliflower?

I've found that the ambient packets of cauliflower rice tend to have a nasty aftertaste. So I either make my own, or Sainsbury's sell some in the produce department. I usually try to make sure that I have one pack in the freezer, which will serve two of us.

Past couple of days have been challenging - I'm away from home until Saturday and being cooked for so it's very difficult to avoid the carbs. I'm avoiding what I can and trying to focus on the positives - all of the puddings and cakes I haven't eaten - rather than use it as an excuse to throw in the towel.

I have a shop coming on Sunday and a meal plan for next week, and looking forward to being more in control

This is the one I used and the verdict is it's ok with a flavourful curry but I think homemade is nicest if it's going to not be in a sauce.

I was just looking at the Sainsbury’s app for my next delivery. Are the barenaked noodles and rice ok, carbs look very low at 1g per 100g for the rice? Imagine it's a bit over processed to be 'good' for you.

@spinning tops my renpho scales say my BMI is 25 but body fat 35% - I’m never entirely sure how accurate the fat measure is. I think a waist measurement is more helpful.
@Lucienandjean lucky you and don’t ever tell your neighbours about this woe or they’ll all be wanting first dibs next time!

Re cauli rice; I’ve yet to find one that doesn’t taste weird. I can’t be bothered making it and absolutely adore roasted cauli so have that rather than rice’ing it.
The price of cauli is SHOCKING why???? I’m going to go into our town market tomorrow in the hope it’ll be a bit cheaper and I can find celeriac too.

@SpinningTops i use bare naked noodles. They are TOTALLY tasteless so you need a sauce. They are definitely not a ‘side’. They also smell a bit weird so I rinse them a fair bit first. They’re handy to have in the cupboard but veg is much nicer. Since starting this woe a couple of years ago I no longer look for a rice, noodle, pasta, potatoe replacement; I just use veg. For example yesterday I had Bolognese on a bed of green beans and peppers; lunch today was also Bolognese but on a bed of pak Choi, mushrooms & a pepper. If it’s a curry or similar and you want to dial up the sauce then florets of broc or cauli are good.

Agree that the best of a bad bunch with cauliflower rice is the frozen one. I really struggle to enjoy any of it. I do like cauliflower but the smell of them all is so off putting

I do the same as @NotDonna and just use veg in place of rice/pasta/noodles. Strips of cabbage stir fried in butter are my favourite, or buttery leeks

Food today:

Had my full 4litres of water and it's only 8:30!

I was in the office today so had to be organised

B: 2 hard boiled eggs
L: Cheeseburger pie with salad, vinaigrette and coleslaw (all homemade)
T: sausages with celeriac and leek mash with peas and spinach
Also snacked on a babybel when I got in from work as I was hungry

I weigh daily and don't seem to have lost much but I feel better for cutting the crap.

*soak up the sauce not dial 🙄

Buttery cabbage is my fave too! I’ve still not braved shoogled sprouts as I too think they’re Satan’s testicles. Only DHs sprouts that are crunchy with bacon and butter are tolerated.

I’m not a fan of sprouts but love them roasted!

Cravings kicked in today, it’s day 4 so right on schedule for me. Not helped by visiting my parents who had lovingly made me a pie for my freezer. I thanked them and asked them to keep it for my son for when he visits them. Bless them, but aaaaaargh.

Ive survived the cravings and feel ok. Bed early tonight, biopsy in the morning

I tried a bag of frozen cauliflower , the fresh were so expensive and small
frozen is ok , when roasted or added to a dish ( I recommend the chicken Alfredo from diet dr , had it tonight , very good indeed , ) they’re no good boiled as they go soggy and soft too quickly

Well done avoiding the curve ball of your parents pie @Metabolicallycomplicated and good luck tomorrow. Do hope it goes as well as possible.

I like stir fried shredded cabbage as an alternative to rice