Feb '24 Bootcamp - week 3 - time for a boot up the ...

[BIWI]

It feels like there's a lack of focus right now, going by the posts so far today!

Low carbing is not a forgiving way of eating, and while the odd 'lapse' here and there can usually be accommodated, anything more than that really will show on the scales.

The week 2 thread was also suspiciously quiet, which leads me to wonder how many people are still actually Bootcamping?!

So let's re-set things

Forget about last week, and start afresh. Focus on what you're going to cook/eat this week, and make sure it's Bootcamp-compliant. Perhaps consider going back to strict Bootcamp, rather than moving on to Bootcamp Light.

If you're wavering about low carbing, go to the spreadsheet and read some of the resources there, or to a site like https://www.dietdoctor.com/news The Diet Doctor, as a reminder of the benefits of eating like this, beyond weight loss.

Here's the spreadsheet

You don't have to enter your weight if you don't want to - or if you're taking a break from weighing - but it's good to do so for the accountability.

And good luck! We can do this!

Or maybe not paneer, the saag sauce seems to have sugar added 🙈Maybe a cauliflower curry dish instead.

Have you not discovered the topic for low carb recipes?!

I have posted quite a bit about this.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/low-carb-recipes

If you like a particular recipe - either of your own, or one that you see here, then please c+p it into the appropriate recipe thread.

@catwithflowers I've been wanting to try Dishoom for aaagees but never managed to get there yet, I have the book but get so distracted by the descriptions and photos that I never actually cook anything!

Better day yesterday, didn't do anything with my chicken for dinner in the end, just reheated the cooked thighs to have with broccoli and cauliflower (might have sneaked the skin from all of them though 😆). Feeling vaguely human today, scales haven't moved and my stomach feels bloated and very wobbly, I can pinch way more than an inch but hoping it might disappear a little this week.

IF today, it seems to suit me much better when WFH, the remains of my spinach/pepper etc concoction for lunch soon with some smoked salmon from the freezer and then chilli later - when DD is here we always have taco Tuesday, but I might have mine stuffed in a pepper instead...............colder again so mainlining herbal tea, and will switch to sparkling water later on.

TBH @catwithflowers I wouldn't really worry about the sugar in the sag paneer - it's a very low carb dish to start with, so I'd be surprised if it ended up being that carby.

I'm with @LilianaVikavanovich in loving roast whole chicken. But the best bit is making soup/stock with the carcass. Once I've stripped all the meat off I just chuck the carcass in the slow cooker with onion and whatever leftover veg, gravy, seasonings are around. Add water and put it on overnight. Wake up to wonderfully smells and great stock. I have been known to have that for breakfast with a few finely sliced veg and some bits of chicken.

dh and I went for alovely beach walk this morning. Although dh was concerned that I hadn't had any breakfast - how has he not noticed that I've been doing some kind of I/F for 60% f the last 3 years??!!

Swerved the cakes in our cafe stop.

L - coffee with cream; left-over hm Swedish meatballs with St agur blue cheese creme, and salad. 4 strawberries.
D - A nice looking spicy chicken and yogust dish picked up from the local farm shop, with broccoli and cabbage.

There will no doubt be some chicken left so I'll take that for my train trip tomorrow.

How have I been low carbing for 2 years without realising how amazing Costco's FFGY is? Not sour at all and very rich and satisfying.

My favourite low carb chicken dish: brown some chicken thighs in oil, maybe with some chopped shallots. Add a big spoon of curry paste, then some passata (up to a can full, if using a lot of chicken), a chicken stock cube, then one or two cans of coconut milk (just the solid part if possible). Cook until the sauce is reduced. I basically make a lot of it and freeze some. It's so simple and very much made with store cupboard ingredients.

Checking in from a very wet holiday in Wales. Six soggy miles walked today and we're now back at the cabin to thaw out - dog asleep, DH asleep, DS on YouTube and I've been catching up with the thread.

So far this week I've avoided pizza, paninis, fudge, hot chocolate (that one was HARD), mini eggs, crisps and cider. Food has been all been BC- approved with some lite allowed for a bit of wine and a few seeded crackers (which cost a small fortune from Amazon as my Waitrose didn't have them and I'd set my heart on a holiday cheese board). Pork steaks and salad for tonight. We were going to BBQ them but given the torrential rain, might need to revert to the inside grill.

This is one of our fave chicken recipes. I usually use breasts and green pesto, makes a lovely sauce too. https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/keto-pesto-chicken-casserole

Some impressive Bootcamp compliance there @AllTheBlackCoffee! And I like the sound of that recipe very much.

@BIWI Thanks! 😊

@TheOnlyMrsW I think the food at Dishoom is lovely. The only problem I have, at the one in Manchester at least, is it's so noisy. And dark! People were using the torches on their phones to read the menu which is bonkers 😂

They do a GORGEOUS broccoli and chilli salad which could be adapted to be low carb I guess, if you left out the dates and used stevia in the dressing

Yes, I've been to 3 Dishoom restaurants now - and although the food has been very good, I don't like the fact that you can't book at certain times. It's also very noisy, as you say, and actually pretty pricey for what is, actually, a chain restaurant!

That said, their recipe book is gorgeous and definitely worth buying/a read.

Manchester is my nearest one, on my (very rare) office days I'm just round the corner in Spinningfields so that's a shame............my eyesight isn't best to start with tbh so could be interesting 😄. Means I have to actually get round to booking it!!!!

@notdonna just stick the green beans on a baking tray in the oven. Someone suggested these on an old thread. I like them quite well done. @venusandmars i probably cook a chicken every week and usually make stock. It never occurred to me to put the carcass is the slow cooker overnight. I usually make soup with whatever veg is left in the fridge. I chop the veg and cook in butter as long as possible. I then add the stock and blitz.

We've just had THE most amazing meal.
A baked aubergine and mozzarella thing with a kind of marinated courgette salad, both from the low carb recipe section with some homemade almond crackers, which I think were suggested over here.

Gorgeous.

Thank you.

That low carb recipe section is very handy

@AllTheBlackCoffee I live in Wales , and can confirm that it is very , very wet , the weather has been much worse than usual
I did mange a walk this morning without getting wet ( wasn’t 6 miles though ! )

Our nearest dishoom is apparently also Manchester - which is 120 miles, or a 2 hour drive away so no surprise I’ve never tried it.

today is our wedding anniversary; I managed a bc friendly meal in a local restaurant of chicken beast and king prawns in creamy garlic and tarragon sauce with spring onions, failed by drinking a whole bottle of white though 🤦🏽‍♀️

Whoops!

Happy anniversary though. Paracetamol and a pint of water before bed

Helloo, tried typing up a message yesterday then lost it which is frustrating enough for me to give up doing my update.

+0.2lb on this week. I said I'd take the hit bases on a very enjoyable night out on Saturday, but to be honest I'm still a little narked! Before sat night I was in track to lose the 1.8lb that I'd put on the week before. I'd managed to navigate through the takeaways very successfully but did have a few glasses of wine, and that was enough to tilt the scales the other way. But at least now I know the impact of a night of drinking. I get to let my hair down so infrequently that this isn't going to be an issue that pops up often.

We're getting near the end of February and I'm at the same weight that I was at the end of January. Having looked frankly at my eating, water intake etc I don't think I've put a foot wrong (bar that one eve), so I'm still claiming a plateau after a really successful January. I will KOKO and it will come.

@poorbuthappy which bagel place in Cardiff please? I live there and would love some recommendations!

Chicken recipes - I had a fab butter chicken tonight based loosely on this recipe. Served with a giant mushroom and broccoli and cauliflower on the side. I'm another that loves a whole chicken and making stock in the instant pot.

Are you in South Wales, I'm packing to go down to the Gower tomorrow- do I need all of the wet weather gear?

@AIBConsiderate on previous bootcamps some posters have chosen Friday morning as their weigh in point for the SOF - it is the same overall, but after a challenging Saturday you've got 5 whole days to rectify the damage.

@venusandmars if I'm being honest I waited till today to update the spreadsheet in case that helped matters 😅, and it made not a jot. I've done both ways in the past for other non bootcamp methods and I don't mind either. I feel Ike Mondays keep me more aware over the weekend, but then you do have the inevitable occasional fall out from that.

@AIBConsiderate
The bagel place next to the student union in Cathays. My eldest is in uni there and is finally getting to grips with the cool places!