Jan ’26 Low Carb Bootcamp - week 5 and out of the doldrums!

[BIWI]

Morning all

Spreadsheet, as per:

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

… wherein I see that @mumsandaunties has almost lost a stone! Brilliant going

But from last week’s thread it’s clear that there’s been a bit of ’slippage’! Carb creep is easy but deadly - a bit here, a bit there and ‘I’ll start again tomorrow’ (yes, been there, got the t-shirt).

Let’s start the second half of this Bootcamp afresh.

@Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain and @mynamefor2025 you are both very welcome! Please make sure you’ve read the rules, and have a good look at the resources on the spreadsheet so that you understand what Bootcamp/low carbing is all about.

The prep thread for this Bootcamp is also worth a read:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/low_carb_bootcamp/5469664-january-26-low-carb-bootcamp-getting-us-started?reply=149808442

(Just ignore the first posts that were tagging people)

@mynamefor2025 I saw your post on the last thread - what have your last few days’ food and drink been? And how did they compare with what you were eating/drinking before? A sudden, radical change of diet could be causing the diarrhoea

I’ve got the lamb mince, halloumi and peppers to stuff. Please could someone link the recipe?

just tucking into sea bass with ratatouille and cheese melted on top. Yum

Again pretty much sts this week and it’s been a typical week 3/4 up and down around the same point for me. I do still feel trousers fitting better though and I’m pretty pleased with what I’ve already achieved, and that I’m KOKO. Tonight’s dinner was leftovers from our curry night and I made the keto naans that @venusandmarsshared which was a new and positive experience!

@KellyWithABigBelly (only want to write the kelly part of your name!) over several years of this I have found that I can tolerate a small increase in carbs on occasion (a few black beans in a chillie or, one exquisite roast potato) OR I can tolerate a small amount of alcohol. Although both stall any weight loss. What does not work is both of them together. And for me, unfortunately, the alcohol leads to a carb, lead to more alcohol, leads to more carb.

It also depends what kind of alcohol I have. Vodka and soda has much less impact than wine. Cocktails, Bailleys - just forbidden on this woe.

Hey thanks for replying. My previous diet (well up until Christmas) I aimed for 40/40/20% carb/protein/fat ratio

Now that ratio is 6.67/32.58/60.75 % respectively on 1200 calories- I did an online calculator which said that should be my aim for keto based on age etc hence why it's not whole numbers. Wanted to eat a bit more protein.

So, looking at that, I think it must be the increase in fat which may have cause it? Been OKtoday thankfully.

Just looking at ordering some keto urine sticks to check if I'm in ketosis. - does anyone else use these?

Should I be doing IF also? @BIWI

@mynamefor2025 most of us on this bootcamp don’t count calories or weigh / measure the food

Good morning everyone. I started two weeks late so am on week 3. I did some baking over the weekend and made this keto soda bread. Delicious with cheese or ham.
https://sugarfreelondoner.com/keto-irish-soda-bread/

I also made some bread rolls with this mix and they are now in the freezer for the days I might need the convenience of a sandwich. This is an Irish company but I think the mixes are available in the UK. The bread is seriously good.
https://thebestfreefrom.com/product/the-best-free-from-savoury-baking-mix/

While I posted a loss this week I realise my water intake has been less over the past few days and I do think I need to look at my portion sizes overall.

Yesterday for lunch I had eggs scrambled with cottage cheese, tomatoes and spinach and dinner was roast pork, swede and buttered cabbage.

Today breakfast will be my usual green smoothie (spinach, cucumber, avocado, mint and lime ) with a little no sugar almond milk.

Lunch will be roasted veg (aubergine, courgette, celery, pepper and tomatoes) with olive oil and parmesan. I will elso have leftover cabbage with a bit of stilton and a boiled egg.

Dinner will be a sandwich with leftover pork and one of the bread rolls I made yesterday.

Have a great day everyone.

@mynamefor2025 are you following Bootcamp or just doing ‘general’ low carbing? On Bootcamp we don’t count calories, nor do we measure macros. Up to you if you want to do that, obviously, but the whole idea of Bootcamp is that it’s easy to follow - i.e. without all the faff that goes along with weighing and counting.

We don’t advocate for keto sticks - if you’re drinking enough water then the sticks won’t show a very dark colour. You’re wasting your money.

I’m glad that the diarrhoea has resolved itself!

@Goodiewhemper that bread sounds great - does it toast well? I like the Srsly Low Carb bread for sandwiches (although the slices are a bit small), but it doesn’t toast well.

I need some bread options as I’m doing Jury Service for a couple of weeks soon, and want to take my own lunch, so sandwiches would be a good option, so I could use the Srsly Low Carb stuff, or try this one.

Weight coming off slowly but I have NSVs today- wore (and fastened myself) my tighter sports bra, had a great run; getting faster so the training plan (which I’m sticking to better than bootcamp) is working, and my avocado this morning was PERFECTLY ripe.

Scales batteries died this morning so I’ve not been able to weigh, v frustrating as I do really like a daily weigh in. I was already naked with the shower running so I didn’t feel I could go and get some!
Plan for today: final portion of spinach soup and the leftovers from the tray bake brunch, then lamb sausages with cabbage for dinner. I’m also making a Lamb Cawl for tomorrow by family request, which is going to be a bit tricky as would usually have dumplings in it and it has carby vegetables. I can just eat lamb, broth and leeks, which might be a bit sparse… it will be my post yoga meal this week, which I try to make light as it’s late when I get back so hopefully it will work out ok.

My 1lb gain has fallen off again overnight (I drank plenty of water yesterday which may have helped). Got a healthy packed lunch, haven't planned dinner yet but it needs to be a quick one as I am out later to choir and need to be nice and full in order to resist the temptation of the cake rota. I had bacon, mushrooms and scrambled egg last night and felt unpleasantly greasy for the rest of the evening, which also happened in week 1, it's a shame because that is a good quick easy meal, I have plenty of things in the fridge so it might be a "tasting plate" of cheese, salad, olives etc.

You’ve talked several times about food being ‘greasy’ - do you have a real issue with fat, or do you think it’s more psychological? Bacon, mushrooms and scrambled eggs, while containing fat, really shouldn’t be ‘greasy’! I know that moving to a high fat diet seems very counter intuitive, after the last 40-50 years of us being told to eat a low fat diet, but it’s the fat that will keep you full and also provide good nourishment - along with the protein in the bacon and eggs.

@Goodiewhemper on the same site, I’ve come across a recipe for bread that uses cottage cheese, which sounds interesting. I may give this one a go too:

https://sugarfreelondoner.com/wprm_print/cottage-cheese-bread

Morning all.

Had another bash at a chia seed pudding for this morning's breakfast, and it was much better/firmer. I also drizzled a bit of almond butter on top, because I'm addicted to the stuff.

Last night's dinner was pan-fried salmon with a mountain of sautéed cabbage. Noodles for DH.

Today I'm at work.... raided the Reduced section at Waitrose this morning, so I'm having a very posh tub of prawn/crab/lobster mayo dumped onto a side salad.

Definitely feeling trimmer....

@SprinklesofRainI find that with a meal such as the eggs, bacon and mushrooms that you described I do need to balance it out with eg spinach, a roasted tomato or some salad. I also find drinking fizzy water with it provides a contrast.

But I know what you mean about the "greasy" feeling. I much prefer it if there's at least one thing fresh/veggie/salady in a day, a bit of tang, a bit of crunch. Otherwise it feels too beige, somehow, even though I know it's absolutely fine. Even a handful of rocket on your scrambled eggs helps.

Yes, I had run out of spinach and salad leaves but that would be my usual (raw spinach, not cooked, otherwise that gets enveloped into the grease too). Unfortunately for this WOE I don't like my vegetables buttery, creamy or oily, with a couple of exceptions (padron peppers griddled with a bit of EVOO, cauli cheese, veg that roast to a crisp like kale or cauli). I don't like cooked tomatoes except in sauces either. I like my veg raw, steamed or stir-fried with minimal oil.

One good thing I did do last night was roast a load of chicken wings that I found in Lidl, those make lovely tasty snacks.

Agree fizzy water is a good idea, we have a sodastream but I don't use it much.

Well I'm getting all the water today, possibly compensating for not having drunk enough yesterday.

Congratulations on your perfectly ripe avocado @Rayna37, there's nothing more magical!!

My "trick" to wait a day to record weigh this week didn’t work as the batteries in my scales decided to die this morning so I need to buy some batteries and weigh in will be tomorrow morning now
Extra motivation to be super strict and actually record a loss 🤞

Oooh I cooked my version of Greek stuffed peppers tonight. Delicious. Served with a big salad.

Some sort of contrasting vegetable is definitely key. I love a cheese omelette with a tomato salad but an omelette on its own would be too much.

@CointreauVersial make your chia pudding? Is it you that does coconut milk and raspberries?

Hi all, a slower week for me. 1/2 a pound off on the scales, which I will take, even though it feels like it should more! I’ve been catching up on the threads and have been chuckling at the coincidences. I have also had to get new scales and have had different weight readings. I also went on the hunt for aubergines on Sunday and bagged myself tree beauties! Loving seeing all the lovely recipes, thank you all for posting them. I think I need to up my game and try some out. Starting to get bread cravings so I need to get a low carb version before I fall off the wagon.

The Best Free From is lovely and soft and is perfect for sandwiches. I have toasted it a couple of times but it doesn't toast like regular bread. It seems to crisp first around the crust. I find this with all low carb breads made with nuts and seeds.

I haven't posted the soda bread but again it is lovely and soft I have used it more as an open sandwich with cheese or ham.

Good luck with jury duty.

That does look good. There are some great low carb recipes out there for people like me who crave bread.