Week 2 - January ’26 Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Morning all! Spreadsheet as per:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gsWvWpGzTSJld1avBi9-uLJveFZes9Qa2ORKthPMl8E/edit?gid=1415293539#gid=1415293539

Very glad to see that there are some great results already!
On the last thread, there was mention of pulled pork - there’s a really good recipe in one of the Fast 800 books, which I shall search out. I may already have posted it in one of the recipe threads, so I’ll check that too.

@Clomid1 that’s brilliant!

Thanks @Biwi for the new thread - I’m looking forward to foreward to week two - did my shopping and meal planning yesterday for the next few days and I’m in the stride now. Field mushrooms, black olives and blue cheese are always my saviours doing this. Full of flavour, adaptable and can be added to lots of things.

@theghostofchristmasarse

Here’s the pulled pork recipe:

Perfect Pulled Pork

This is from the Fast800 recipe book:

1kg pork shoulder joint, trimmed of fat I keep this and make it into crackling

Marinade:

45g tomato purée (about 3tbsps)
30g chipotle paste (about 2 tbsps)
juice of 2 medium oranges
juice of 2 limes
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground black pepper

Method:

• Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large non-metallic bowl
• Take any string off the pork and add it to the bowl and cover in the marinade; cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours
• Pre-heat your oven to 170/150 fan/Gas 3
• Place the pork and its marinade in a medium casserole, cover and bake for 3-4 hours, or until the pork falls apart when prodded with a fork
• Transfer the pork to a board or warmed platter and shred with two forks. Serve with a little of the spicy cooking juices spooned over

Serves 6 (3g carbs per serving/171 cals per serving)

Thank you @BIWI

Hello all! Also pleased to see a 4ish lb loss this week - have been eating mostly the same as the family but without whatever carbon they are having - cauliflower rice and steamed veggies have been my go-to!

Can I ask about weighing, are people weighing daily and if so do you take an average on the Monday? Im sure I read @BIWI's tip on this somewhere but I cannot for the life of me find it!

My failure this week has been on the water intake though - while it has gone up I really struggle to drink 2l consistently- going to focus on this this week.

Thanks as always @BIWI!

@RightTurnClyde @TeamToeBeans your posts on the last thread made me laugh!!!

Buckets of herbal tea for me again this morning - we've warmed up considerably from last week but still only just into positive figures. Making the salmon laksa tonight and v excited!

And also, just a reminder ...

THREAD ETIQUETTE

These threads can move really quickly - especially in the first couple of weeks. Please, please, please read all the posts before you add your own two pennies worth. Use the bookmark facility to help you mark your place.

It’s very galling when posters ask questions about stuff that’s already been discussed earlier in the thread; a lot of work goes into these threads, and not just by me, so please respect that.

(I should also add that it’s always very obvious when someone hasn’t read the whole thread!)

@GreenRedBlue

Here’s the post about weighing:

So thinking about recording our progress - the most obvious way is weighing(which is indeed why we have the spreadsheet!), but there are different ways to weigh/record your weight on the spreadsheet.

If you’re a daily weigher, you can:

• enter your starting weight each Monday*, or
• enter the lowest weight for that week, every following Monday,
• enter the average weight for that week, every following Monday.

Daily weighing has the advantage of keeping you focused and disciplined - it also helps you to recognise the natural fluctuations in your weight, as well as identify any foods/meals/drinks that might have had a negative impact on your weight. However, you need to recognise that your weight will fluctuate quite naturally, so you have to be prepared to see it go up from time to time, regardless of how well you’ve been following Bootcamp rules.

If such upwards fluctuations throw you off course, then it’s better to weigh less frequently - say once a week.

Whichever way you choose, always weigh first thing in the morning, after you’ve been to the loo, naked and before you eat/drink anything. And always use the same set of scales - everyone’s scales seem to be calibrated differently. And really, it’s the change we’re measuring more than the actual weight.

There are, of course, other ways to record your progress. Taking your measurements is a good one - thighs, hips, waist, bust, upper arms - as it’s possible for the scales to show no movement whereas your body shape has changed.

Similarly, find a piece of clothing that’s currently just a little too tight, or is the size down from the one you’re wearing, and try this on each week. Seeing your clothes fit/fit better is a much more realistic way to measure how things are going, and is really motivating.

5ibs down which I'm delighted with even though I know it will be mostly water weight. This week is the week I find more interesting recipes than my usual BC fall backs

Thank you - and sorry for asking another obvious question!

Not a problem @GreenRedBlue - that’s exactly what these threads are for!

Thanks for the pulled pork recipe @BIWI, I’ll add that to my meal plan as the DCs will enjoy it.

I bought a new battery for my scales on my way to work, as I like to weigh daily, I find it helps me stay focused.

There are some good low carb wraps@TeamToeBeans that would work well with the pulled pork, but really none of these is Bootcamp-friendly!

https://srslylowcarb.com/products/low-carb-low-calorie-high-protein-wraps#judgeme_product_reviews

6.1g carbs per wrap

Or, Sainsbury’s sell Mission’s lower carb wraps, which are 9g per wrap:

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/mission-carb-balance-original-wraps-x4-200g

For Bootcamp, I’d use Little Gem lettuce instead, which works well.

4lb off for me ( which was the Christmas weight gain , but at least it’s gone and I don’t have the souvenir any longer ! )
A new Pilates class for me this lunchtime , so I had a decent breakfast of spinach , some cottage cheese stirred in as it cooked, with 2 fried eggs on top

We had pork shoulder last night , a bit underwhelming , but plenty left over to be transformed up into pulled pork tonight , hoping to make a swede and celariac mash on the side

That's a great Pulled Pork recipe, as most of them call for brown sugar/BBQ sauce, or some other sugary addition. I bet it's nice with some sort of coleslaw, in a lettuce wrap.

2.4 lbs this week which is excellent considering my birthday weekend away! Started the day with a run, it’s very mild out.

Next goal is to drop below (and STAY below) 130lbs. Before last year I rarely hit that point except perhaps after holiday blowouts but sadly I spent much of the autumn and run up to Christmas firmly on the wrong side.

Did a quick Lidl dash on the road yesterday but going to meal plan and then shop for the week before lunch of more spicy eggs.

@BIWI having put in today’s weight it appears that last week I put in the incorrect weight and it should have been 174 lbs , I’ve not changed it on the spreadsheet in case that messes anything up . Anyhow a 3 lbs loss for me this week and that would possibly be better if I’d managed to sort my bowels out .

4.5lb down. Very pleased. I’m a daily weigher and there was a little upward fluctuation this weekend which I put down to not drinking enough, but still an excellent result. I’m both under 200lbs and down a BMI category, which, although I regard BMI as a crude measure is still a milestone to be celebrated. The day and week are off to a poor start as all my trains were cancelled due to a fire on a train at my station 😮 consequently I am still travelling 3 hours later than usual and not drinking water until I am at work and close to a loo!

Yes it’s great with coleslaw - I make my own, so I’m not overdoing it with the carbs (very easy if you buy it, as different brands have very different carb counts - and many of them use sugar)

Changed that for you!

@InMyLowCarbEra Great to hear! (Apart from the train delays, obvs)

Coleslaw recipe

125g white cabbage (less than 1/4 of a cabbage)
75g carrot (1 medium-sized carrot)
25g shallot (1/2 a banana/echalion shallot)

Slice white cabbage thinly
Grate carrot finely (don't use the largest holes on the grater)
Chop shallot finely

Add oil and wine vinegar - roughly 3 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar, and salt and black pepper. Stir everything well together. Leave for half an hour or so. Just before serving, stir in a tablespoon of mayo.

This will make 2 portions

@BIWI thanks

I'd be happy eating pulled pork with a fork, no wrap. 🤣. I am finding I have a greasy feel to the inside of my mouth with all the fat in my diet change. As well as an acne outbreak.

But, my weight has gone down and my clever my scales shown a more impressive drop of 6% points in fat...although I'm unsure how accurate it is, I'll take it as a win and hope it shows up next time too. My digestion is fine though, must be having enough veg.

Wow, I've gone from 204.8 lb to 197 this morning! I've never lost so much in 1 week. I know it's mostly water but I still feel great. Unfortunately my phone won't let me update on the spreadsheet.

I'm back on nights tonight. Going to take some soup in a flask as advised earlier last week. Going to have some bolgnaise and cauliflower rice for lunch and maybe some Greek yogurt before I go to work tonight.