Week 1 - Pre-Christmas '24 Low Carb Bootcamp. And we're off!

[BIWI]

Morning all!

Here's the spreadsheet

Four important things:

1. You don't have to be on the spreadsheet if you don't want to - so if your name is there and you want it taken off, let @FinallyHere know, and she will remove it
2. If you've signed up, but your name isn't there, again, let @FinallyHere know and she will add you
3. Just add your weight and don't touch any of the other cells!
4. If you're using your phone for Mumsnet, you'll need to download the Google Sheets app

For Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.docs.editors.sheets&hl=en-US For apple iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-sheets/id842849113

If you don't want to be on the spreadsheet that's perfectly fine, but please make sure you check out all the resources that on there, on the different tabs. Most critical of all, of course, is the tab with the rules. But there's also loads of information about low carbing, carb counts for various things (including the veg carb counter, which is important), and various different plans and recipes that might help you.

And a massive thank you to @FinallyHere for managing this

Weighed in this morning , not as bad as I dreaded , t least it started with 11 not 12 ( but only just )
had FFGY a with vanilla for breakfast, fried egg with bacon and mushrooms for lunch … and I’m not sure what for dinner , we have some leftover roast pork , just need some sides
@TheOnlyMrsW and @ABirdsEyeView
Another one watching Rivals , rereading the book ( my 1988 copy ) for the millionth time , loving the soundtrack but slightly peeved that DH has decided to watch it with me ( the party all dancing to the birdie song was spectacular though )

BIWI Finallyhere et al. Thanks so much running another bootcamp. I did one or two successfully a few years ago but have struggled to stick to it since. Am hoping to get back on it properly this time as I do feel so much better when eating this way.

I've been having big omelettes the last couple of mornings. Didn't manage any lunch yesterday as couldn't stop. Supper was an impromptu chilli from the freezer, cheese and sour cream with loads of green veg. Unfortunately the chilli has a few black beans in it, and there are a couple more tubs of that lurking in the freezer. The next batch I make will be fully compliant. Supper tonight will be lamb curry, veg and FFGY.

Re: nuts - I don't get dizzy but they do make me break out in cold sores ... as do lentils and, I suspect, chickpeas. It's to do with L-arginine apparently. I must be particularly sensitive to it. All the more important for me to get my protein and fats from good quality meats and fish.

That recipe sounds delicious BIWI and I happen to have some chicken in the freezer so I'll try that soon.

Pleased to see the Rivals love. I'll have the house to myself for a couple of nights so was planning on binging as much of the series as possible!

Off to grab some water!

I'll copy the recipe onto the recipe thread later this afternoon.

I am 2 lbs down today, which is weird seeing as my brunch wasn’t low carb yesterday so I didn’t really start until the afternoon. Woke up today feeling like I’m definitely coming down with something, had a horrible headache for hours last night, today I have a really sore throat and tummy pains. Odd set of symptoms. Normally I just want to binge carbs when I’m not feeling great so this is not helpful! Got a busy few days ahead too so I haven’t got time to be ill.

Had a Babybel and some red pepper and chili soup so far today, torn between LC cauliflower cheese and steamed veg, or paneer curry with cauliflower rice for dinner later. Back in bed now anyway feeling 💩

That recipe sounds delicious @BIWI! Will definitely be trying it

Good afternoon everyone! I've had fab success with BCs in the past and am a - very - little slimmer than for the last one so hoping this will be a good push! Am on holiday this week so will start properly next one as I'm not in control of the food (staying w rellies) but following along and cheering all the losses.

Coffee with cream and scrambled egg for breakfast. Leek and courgette soup for lunch (drizzle of cream over the top). Dinner will be salmon with roasted veg and pesto.

I'm 2.5l of water in so lots of loo trips!

I have also been binge-watching Rivals. I could do without some of the wobbly, bare flesh, but really enjoyed the velvet and taffeta party frocks - I had some of those - and the music of course. I have regularly been pausing to top up with mugs of very weak tea - and dash to the loo!

I had left-over chicken with chorizo, asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, musrooms and artichokes last night.

And 3 eggs with a warm salad of tomatoes and artichokes this morning.

Just had kippers and spinach followed by FFGY for lunch.

Here it is:

Chicken, leek and mushroom ‘pies’

By Monyan Kilian Palmer, from her Quick Keto Kitchen
Serves 4-6*, serve with a salad on the side

Ingredients

Pie filling
40g unsalted butter
600g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped into 3cm chunks
200g mushrooms, chopped or sliced
200g leeks, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2-3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
120ml double cream
70g soured cream
Salt flakes, salt, ground white pepper, freshly ground black pepper

Mash*
350g cauliflower florets, trimmed into smaller, even-sized pieces
35g soured cream
75g full-fat, extra-mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/gas mark 6

First make the mash

• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, and cooke the cauliflower over a high heat for 18-20 minutes until completely softened. Drain in a colander and leave to steam off for several minutes
• Return it to the pan off the heat and mash well
• Stir in the soured cream and half the cheese; season generously with salt and ground white pepper

The filling

• Melt a third of the butter in a large, non-stick frying pan over a high heat and cook half the chicken for 2-3 minutes until golden brown; using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a bowl and repeat the process with the remaining chicken. Season with salt
• Return the pan to a high heat and add the remaining butter and all the mushrooms. Cook for 3-4 minutes till they start to caramelise, then add the leeks, garlic and thyme and cook, stirring regularly, for 4-5 minutes till there is very little moisture in the pan
• Return all the chicken to the pan, including any juices from the bowl.
• Stir in the double cream and sourced cream and bring it to a simmer, still over a high heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes till thickened and free of extra liquid. Season with salt and white pepper

Making the pie(s)

• Either divide the filling between 4-6 little pie dishes or use one big dish, and top each with the mash
• Scatter over the remaining cheese and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes* until the cheese bubbles
• Serve with a garnish of a few more thyme leaves if you like

NOTES

1. Unless you have a lot of extra veg/salad on the side, this really only makes enough for 4 people
2. This made quite a thin layer of mash; when I make this again, I’ll double it
3. After 12 minutes, the top still wasn’t browned, so I put it under the grill for about 5 minutes

Thanks so much for starting. I surprised myself today as we had a rep come to do some training and brought lots of goodies and I didn’t have any I was well impressed 😇 I’ve had my tea early but it was tuna, feta and avocado salad with a little mayonnaise. I’m going to have a herbal tea in a bit too. I forgot to add my weight on from yesterday so must do that. My husband has the flu so I’m trying to eat lots of salad and green veg to hopefully dodge it 😷 Love the look of your pie @BIWI

Checking in. I definitely need this because I weigh more than I have in quite some time. I feel quite sick actually having seen the scales 😬

Hit the treadmill yesterday and Pilates tonight. I will lose this weight 💪🏼

@CleanQueen123 good news on the exercise front - but remember, it's what you put in your mouth that will benefit you most!

Oh absolutely but if I'm spending my evenings on the treadmill I can't stuff my face whilst bingeing crap on Netflix!

Very true!

Fed up at the end of the day so we took a long walk and ended up at a small café where the only thing on the menu not involving some kind of noodle or dumpling was beef goulash. Had that with a green salad and more water than I’d planned as apparently the principal ingredient of the goulash was salt. Lunch was leftover trout (with plenty of mayonnaise) and avocado-tomato-feta salad.

Swim - yes!
Steps - 10k yes!
Food - cauliflower balti for tea, yes!
Water - getting there, happily distracted this morning, pots of herbal this evening.

B: Premier Inn full English- bacon, sausage, black pudding, 2 fried eggs, tomato and mushrooms, and a Greek yogurt. Not as low carb as could be (those are not "premier" sausages!) but went nowhere near the carb display.
L: service station picnic from the M&S deli range- prawns with tomatoes and a whole pack of rollitos.
Light "supper" of Brussels sprouts, a shallot and a couple of slices of pepperoni all sautéed together.

Slightly more normal day tomorrow hopefully, but shows you can stay low carb while out and about- just needs willpower and a bit of planning (easier said than done).

On the subject of quality low carb sausages , Tesco Finest pork sausages and Lincolnshire sausages are both less than 4g of carb per 2 sausages plus being very nice .

Just beware the black pudding though - it can be very carby!

Coffee and cream for breakfast.

Celeriac and leek curry soup for lunch
2 babybels

Dinner: Chicken curry with side of sprouts and broccoli (roasted in olive oil)
+FFGY

x2 teas with FFmilk
Water and more water and redbush tea.

I'm definitely going to try out the chicken 'pie' recipe. Sounds delicious.

An ok day for me, FFGY with cream for breakfast, a tuna salad for lunch and sausages, celeriac chips and cauliflower cheese for dinner. Loads of water / herbal tea

I don't feel hungry but do feel like I have something missing which is probably that carb full feeling I normally have on an evening.

I did step on the scales this morning to have put on 1lb overnight, obviously just a fluctuation but makes me think perhaps I should go to once a week weighing.

Hi all, adding myself here not to loose the thread. Had lost good amount of weight few years ago on LC, but had the habit of putting it all back - now gone through that cycle several times :(.
This time though, I can't really do cook much, with ongoing health issues, but luckily have freezer full of veg cut and ready for soup/pies and other healthy food.. Already started going LC in Oct, mostly cut out carbs- rice/pasta/sugar. But had occasional oats- cooked in water with splash of heavy cream and added nuts -- as filler meals when I didn't have anything else. along with squash/courgette/tomatoes/beans from garden into soups, so getting into the routine of cutting out - bad carb completely but not technically Low carb enough to call it that.
ready to go fully LC now, as much as I can cope with cooking. Need to get my Slow cooker somewhere I can see/use.. I will be following the thread for motivation and tips. And need a refresher course from the recipe thread as well.. Thanks @BIWI for the add and keep going with LC threads

Day slightly scuppered by lunch at a new friend's house. We'd said we were not eating bread but didn't want to be prescriptive.
So breakfast was a boiled egg and slice of ham. Lunch was friend's homemade haddock and bacon quiche and salad. The pastry was something she called be-ro from an old recipe book. So short, delicious and totally off plan. Hey ho despite feeling maybe we should not eat at all tonight to punish ourselves for pastry we had sea bass cooked in butter with capers with steamed asparagus. Two spoons of FFGY and a spoonful of double cream. Doing well otherwise on water and exercise - treadmill for @Comeonyoublues and swimming for me. Another lunch out is planned next Tuesday but this friend is happy to rise to the challenge of a no carb meal and DH will make the amazing orange cake from the recipe thread. So a bit more planning ahead. Oh and my drink tonight was the lovely 0% alcohol Captain Morgan Rum with fizzy water. Very acceptable substitute.

Did my monthly weigh in today, lost another drum-roll 100g since last month. I've been high fat low carbing for a good few years and in the healthy BMI range for maybe half of that. Scales have been moving v v slowly, so that 100g off feels like a win even thought it's only a 100ml water away from stasis. Still in the upper half of the healthy range so KOKO very slowly, would like to be a tad further down so I have some contingency.

This way of eating really suits me. In my sixties now, not even my early sixties and don't image ever going back to that glucose rollercoaster.

Long term IF , lunch at work from the salad bar with Caesar, Greek with feta and roast broccoli with trout. Usual evening salad with added chicory and roast pepper and a slice of smoked pork loin.

All.the.water.

Thank you @BIWI for Bootcamp, it's good to be amongst like minded people.

@SpinningTops you could try an app like Happy Scale or True Weight that use a moving average to smooth out and weight fluctuations.