Jan ’26 Low Carb Bootcamp - week 7: almost done!

[BIWI]

Morning all. Sorry for the late start. I think I have been distracted by the appearance of sunshine and blue skies this morning!

Spreadsheet is here:

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

So we have two weeks left. Still time to shed a few pounds. It’s also worth considering, perhaps, a return to strict Bootcamp for this last fortnight, especially if things have slowed down.

When I eat out with people who prefer main plus pudding rather than starter and main, I order my starter to eat when they are having pudding.

my favourite local restaurant is now so well attuned to my requirements that when they serve an extra of chocolate at the end of the meal they bring me a small sample of their own dried meats and salami instead of chocolate. I feel so ‘seen’.

@tinyspiny my grandson (age 11) bought me a Malteaser advent calender for Chriistmas [he got it for 1/4 price since it was already near the end of the month!!]. That one little chocolate a day did it for me.

continuing to play our game this week of eat up the random things in the freezer. Looking for something low carb for me last night (freezer contents tending towards carby Christmas treats) I found in the cupboard a fish soup in a jar from a trip to France - perfect with grated Gruyère and a keto naan I had in the freezer. But random. For lunch today I made a frittata with leftovers - halloumi, tomatoes and spinach, and with the last of the coleslaw, and the rest of the soup. There has been a pleasing downward trend of the scales this week too.

@FinallyHerethat starter for pudding trick is inspired!

Still here. Scales nudging very slowly down, hoping to lose another ib this week. I found some super low carb seeded crackers in M&S that have livened things up a little this week. Nutrient Dense Super Seeded Crackers | M&S

Ooh those look really good @Almahart!

DD here for a long weekend and the rot has set in ( well , carbs have ) she’s going back to London on Tuesday , so back onboard then

They're fab, proper crunchy

I've totally stalled and the scales are actually going up again. I think I'm snacking too much. Too many nuts and cheese and crackers. I think I might move back to strict bootcamp for a bit

Well, technically @Almahart, you haven't stalled if the scales are still moving

But I get what you mean. Sounds like carb creep.

I made the Feta Chicken meatballs again this week, and it's definitely a dish that's going to feature Chez BIWI frequently. I couldn't find the recipe online before, but AI has helpfully found it for me:

Feta-licious Chicken Meatballs (as featured in The Guardian, January 2026):

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes
• Total time: 30 minutes
• Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 600g chicken breasts or minced chicken I used chicken thighs
• 150g feta cheese
• 50g black pitted olives
• 4 spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tsp Turkish pepper flakes also known as pul biber
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 680g tomato passata
• 50g feta (for topping)
• 1 small handful finely chopped parsley leaves

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/390°F/gas mark 6.
2. In a food processor, combine the chicken, feta, olives, spring onions, garlic, tomato puree, Turkish pepper flakes, dried oregano, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Blitz until smooth.
3. Roll the mixture into 16 meatballs.
4. Swirl a few tablespoons of passata in the base of a 24 cm x 32 cm roasting tin.
5. Mix the remaining passata with the Turkish pepper flakes, dried oregano, garlic powder, and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
6. Arrange the meatballs in the tin, then pour the sauce over to cover.
7. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until cooked through (internal temperature should be pale and firm).
8. Crumble the remaining 50g feta over the top and scatter with parsley. Serve immediately.

This makes four very generous portions.

Gah, thanks BIWI, I know you are right. I think I will do that extreme bootcamp recipe thingy on the spreadsheet for a few days

Good luck @Almahart

Thanks for the recipe @BIWI.

My scales have been up and down this week. I’m going back strict again this week, I’ll boil up some eggs in the morning.

Week 8 chat thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/low_carb_bootcamp/5494673-jan-26-low-carb-bootcamp-week-8-the-end