Jan '26 Low Carb Bootcamp - final weigh-in and ongoing chat

[BIWI]

Morning all!

Already seen great results from @KellyonaHeli and @Almahart - really well done!

Spreadsheet for its final outing:

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

Just because it's the end of this Bootcamp doesn't mean we have to stop chatting - and many of you have talked about doing Ubercamp as well, and I look forward to hearing how that goes.

I think I’d better get back on here for some accountability! Especially with Easter looming. Lots of bad habits creeping in alongside lovely low carb meals. Recently I’ve enjoyed beef rendang, pork and cauliflower cheese, and I’m making savoy cabbage “carbonara” tonight.

Come back @Rayna37 you always have amazing recipes!

Thanks @Almahart sadly I also have great cake/pudding recipes which I need to step away from 😆

I went to DP’s for dinner tonight, and he cooked something very similar to what I was planning to make when we eat at mine tomorrow. (Tomato-based spicy chicken thing.) So now I need to think of a recipe and I’m out of ideas. I’m thinking chicken and bacon in a creamy sauce, but that’s as far as I get. Any ideas, anyone?

@Castlerigg
I suggest
https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/cauliflower-chicken-alfredo

I've made it a lot , no pasta , just a lovely creamy , bacon sauce

Yes that’s an amazing recipe, haven’t made it for ages! Feels very indulgent. Pencilling that into next weekend!

It's chips, bread and crisps I struggle with. I rarely drink alcohol (don't think I've had any since NYE and don't miss it), don't mind skipping pasta, rice, other forms of potato, we always have bread in at home and it's just so easy and tasty!to have toast or to have chips when out. I definitely don't find the WOE easy.

Had a good meal last night, meatballs in tomato sauces with roasted kalettes and parmesan

That looks perfect! Thank you 🙂

@Castlerigg have you checked out the Low Carb recipe section? There are some lovely chicken recipes in there.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/low-carb-recipes/3153013-Low-carb-recipes-for-chicken-duck-and-other-poultry?reply=151203967

@BIWII hadn’t seen that, I’ve watched it to have a browse through later. I’d also forgotten about the Diet Doctor website, so I’ll look at that too. I’ll do the Alfredo tonight as I already have most of the ingredients.

Excellent suggestion @SemmaLina Got a big cauliflower in our veg box, only needed to buy some chicken. First of the British asparagus has arrived in the shop too, so that will accompany it nicely.

@SprinklesofRain I'm with you on the bread and crisps. The smell of dh's lovely toast is a killer - sometimes I have to leave the house and sit in the garden till the aroma and the feeling has passed!

I'm trying hard with the 30 plant based ingredients a week - challenging when it doesn't include beans and pulses - but it gives me something positive to focus on, if I've already eaten a small handful of crisps this week then having another one adds nothing to my 30 - much better to have the asparagus or some chia pudding with seeds and nuts!

We’ve just agreed I shouldn’t buy bread e.g. sourdough from the new conveniently located Lidl. DS is happy with the kind of (crap) white sliced that doesn’t tempt me and I buy rolls or flatbreads for both of their packed lunches so better stick to that!

I bought a seeded sourdough from Lidls this morning, I confess I has the first crust with butter. But... there is a third of the remaining loaf for dh. And 2 x the other thirds in the freezer for him later.

I loved that one small slice with fresh salty butter. But that's it.

@Rayna37 I'm with you - I buy horrid cheap biscuits for dh. He's welcome, I'm not tempted.

I've had a couple of weeks off on holiday, which was very very active but also quite carby. The result is that I've put on 3lb. I will be happy to get back onto BC this week and back to normal routine. A little worried about Easter next weekend as I've promised to make hot cross buns and there will be more chocolate floating about generally. I have had no trouble resisting the horrible enshittified "chocolate" that seems to be everywhere but we've bought very nice eggs for DC which will be harder to ignore. Perhaps if I'm back in the BC groove by then I will be over the fuck-its.

Sour dough struggles feel familiar! Another household where the rest of the family like toasting plain white cheap bread, which is easy to resist. When DH comes home with a fancy sourdough it's a whole different story!

Savoy cabbage carbonara sounds delicious @Rayna37 I will certainly try that.

Difficult times at the moment - Ddad is dying, so lots of time spent with him, and meal planning has taken a back seat. And I had a boozy university reunion dinner at the weekend. But weight hasn't gone back on at all (probably balanced out by all the stress), and my black tie dress fitted nicely after all the work I've been doing since January.

I did make some watercress soup last night, also some braised leeks with ham and cream cheese, both of which have gone in the freezer. Hoping to get a couple of days at home at Easter (when DSis will take over the bedside baton) to regroup.

Sorry to hear this @CointreauVersial, take good care of yourself

I'm so sorry @CointreauVersial . Echoing @Almahart that you should make sure to take care of yourself.

So sorry @CointreauVersial 💐look after yourself

I tried those tuna infusions the other week, and they were nice, but a bit pricey. Today I’ve made my own lemon & thyme vinaigrette and I have that and a tin of tuna, a HB egg, and some olives for lunch. It will actually do tomorrow’s lunch as well.

How is everyone getting on?

That sounds nice @Castlerigg , I'll copy that.

I am still at the same weight, nothing is budging. I checked yesterday and realised that I have been aiming for 2 litres of water a day rather than 3, which I should have been. I am hoping that upping water consumption will make the difference.

I have this wierd feeling that I feel lighter even though my clothes feel the same and the scales haven't gone down. Does that make sense to anyone?

I like the tuna infusions because they are quite a small portion of tuna, I can use it in one. I've stocked up on them for an upcoming campervan holiday and there's no messy tuna oil down the sink!! I mix them with mayo and have it on a heap of salad leaves.

Have leeks in the veg box today, so will have leeks and broccoli wrapped in ham, in the wonderful BC cheese sauce.

Ooh bootcamp cheese sauce! Is that on the veggie recipe thread, not sure I've ever seen it

@Almahart

300ml double cream - bring this gently up to a simmer and then throw in as much grated mature cheddar as you like. Stir till it is all melted in, then add the juice of half a lemon, and season with black pepper.

It won't be as thick as if you'd used flour, but it's very tasty.

Oh nice. My mum used to do leeks wrapped in ham with cheese sauce when we were little. It was delicious