Week 1 - 2026 Pre-Christmas Low Carb Bootcamp

[BIWI]

Morning all!

A definite autumnal chill in the air this morning, so feels like a good 'back to school' time.

Shortly I'll post a link to the shiny, new spreadsheet, and you can (if you wish - it's not mandatory) add your weight. You can add your actual weight or index it, if you prefer - i.e. your starting weight is 100 and for every pound you lose, you subtract one point.

A few notes about weighing:

• it's up to you how frequently you weigh; some people prefer to weigh only once a week, whereas others feel that daily weighing helps them to stay on track
• if you weigh daily, it's up to you which weight you record on the spreadsheet. You can record the weight you start with each Monday (or which ever weekly day you've chosen), or you can record the lowest weight for that week, or you average your weight and record that. Which ever option you choose, keep that consistent so that you can track your progress
• always weigh first thing in the morning, naked and after you've been to the loo. There's no point weighing later in the day as all you will be doing is weighing yourself plus whatever you've eaten/drunk

: Hopefully you've all had a chance to think about meals/cooking for the week, and your fridge/freezer/cupboards are now stocked with stuff you can make into low carb meals.

If you need some inspiration, go and check out the recipe threads:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/low-carb-recipes

There's also a thread where posters have uploaded pictures and nutritional info about low carb products they have found:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/low_carb_bootcamp/3583325-Useful-low-carb-products-with-photos?reply=146128585

(Beware that this thread was started 7 years ago, so not everything may still be available!). And if you find something, please try and upload a picture as well as any nutritional info.

Thank you @BIWI I appreciate the concern.
I won’t really be sprinkling it on my food. I will use it as a binder about once, maximum twice a week about a tablespoonful to create a kind of mash out of veg like cauliflower, cabbage, etc. It’s a long winded explanation that I didn’t want to go into. I hope that gives a better picture of my intended use

I have been thinking about my "Greek" yogurt. It isn't Greek because it is made locally on a farm. I get it delivered by the milkman and like it because it's local and renewable (the jars and lids go back for re-use like the milk bottles). But it's only 3.5% fat. I have been supplementing it with a dollop of double cream, I'm not sure how much that increases the fat (I use about 3:1 yogurt to cream). I do like the 10% fat Greek from the supermarkets but plastic packaging, food miles etc. So I think I'll stick with the milkman one. But maybe treat myself to the proper Greek occasionally. If I was really organised I'd go back to making it myself, might start that again.

I had a sneaky weight in this morning and So far my weight is down 1.4 kg which I am happy with.

So far today I have had my green smoothie with an egg of breakfast and a coffee with cream. Lunch was leftover chicken thighs with skin on and sauteed broccoli and zucchini. Dinner time ight will be tuna with olive oil in a tomatoe sauce serves with konjac noodles. I usually love a glass of wine or posecco on a Friday evening so I will skip that this evening. If I remember correctly from previous threads zero alcohol Captain Morgan is ok. I this is so what can I add to it? It would be nice to sip after dinner tonight

When I drink that @Goodiewhemper I mix it with sparkling water.

Just devoured a delicious early supper of oven baked salmon served with a heap of steamed green beans and broccoli doused in warm garlic butter - YUM!

Lunch was a crunchy salad with blue cheese and black olives. Breaky ffgy with cream.

Definitely thinking about carbs more today. Made rice for the kids just now and it smelt very good.

I’ve been similar today on terms of thinking about carbs. I made myself a cabbage mash thing that I usually make our of starchy veg and it was absolutely fine. I wasn’t missing the carbs by the end of it.
I found myself thinking (after the first three days) that I was eating flavours that were too different to what I’d normally have so I am working out how to still have the flavour I am used to eating in my food and it’s going well so far. It’s just adding the same spices I usually have. Hope that’s ok!

Tomorrow, Im having cauliflower rice with a stew that the kids will be having rice with. Fingers crossed, it’ll be fine. I’ve had it before- a long time ago.

Ive also made a fish pie with a cauliflower mash on top. Looking forward to it.

Generally for today, I had a slice of some gouda cheese when I felt peckish and really enjoyed it. Usually I’d end up eating a whole bag of pistachios.

I had my first guilty carb dream last night! It doesn't normally kick in so soon. But I was tempted - and gave in - to a toasted fish finger sandwich. No idea why it was toasted, as I'd never do that if I was really eating one!

Was very grateful when I woke up and realised it had been a dream.

Haha love that @BIWI

I know, I’m trying out the no dairy thing to see if it helps with my health problems. So I’m ducking out of BC for a couple of weeks until I know. On the plus side, I’m not eating much because it’s not very nice 😂, so hopefully with carbs I won’t pile on too much weight. Anyway I will slope off and eat my weird pretend food 🤢 and will either be back and join in late if it makes no difference, or it will make a difference and I’ll have to keep being a vegan. If it’s a long term thing I may be able to get my head around eating LC as well as being vegan, but that all feels like a bit too much at the moment.

I made Shepherd’s Pie last night, following Delia Smith’s recipe with buttered leeks mixed into the mash, and replaced the potato with swede (neeps) and it was lovely. Actually even nicer than normal Shepherd’s Pie.

After my thoughts on yogurt yesterday i decided to strain the one from the milkman (it isn't as thick as Greek) so that will make it higher fat per tbsp. Also made some more, we had a glut of milk as I'm not using it much compare to normal, so I have justvatarted straining that.

Need to do some planning, week 2 can be where the wheels come off for me as I tend to wing my way through week 1 with easy things like omelettes. I haven't been eating enough veg, mainly salad and so need to adjust the balance. I find tricky getting enough fat without overdoing the cheese as I find butter on anything except bread/toast far too rich, I hate it when restaurants butter the veg.

I’m making yoghurt today too, I use the Instant Pot, it’s so easy. Sometimes I strain it, sometimes not, it depends how thick it comes out.

@SprinklesofRain check out the recipe section for some inspiration:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/low-carb-recipes

Thanks @BIWI I was recalling a chicken noodle laksa that someone posted last time which was very nice, with the bare naked noodles, they are going on my list today. Coconutmilk is a good way for me to get fat without butter too. We had some chicken strips marinaded in it and Thai spices last night. Does anyone watch Masterchef? Do you remeber Chariya, the Thai woman who won it a couple of years ago, I bought her book and it has some great recipes, not necessarily low carb but adaptable.

@Castlerigg yes, I started doing yogurt when I had an Instant Pot, I’ve sold it now because we have an Everhot stove that’s always on and use that for slow cooking, don’t really need pressure cooking, the hotplate lids are the perfect temp for yogurt making.

I treated myself to a proper yogurt strainer last year instead of using muslins, sieves etc and it’s been a good buy, takes up less space and is less messy.

There's a lovely recipe for salmon laksa on The Diet Doctor's website

https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/low-carb-salmon-laksa

... which I've added to the Low Carb recipes thread

I concur, this is an excellent recipe, I’ve made it several times after you shared it last BC, and I’ve got salmon coming on my grocery delivery, to make it again.

Ah yes, I think it was that one, salmon, not chicken. That’s why I couldn’t find it!

I use a nut milk strainer bag in a colander. Is the proper yogurt strainer much easier?

It takes up a lot less space, has a lid and goes in the dishwasher. Also you get to know how long it takes, I always found it variable when using muslin (we have it for when DH makes marmalade) or cotton handkerchiefs (when we don’t have any muslin). https://amzn.eu/d/09LIbdT9

Thanks @SprinklesofRain I’ll check it out as we get through a lot of yogurt as a family so anything that makes it easier would be good. The Instant Pot is absolutely brilliant for yogurt, I use it for that more than everything else combined.

I did when I had one (and proving bread dough but we'll park that that thought before it goes any further).

Ooh good reminder with the coconut milk. I used to make yoghurt by mixing it with probiotics from it a while ago so will try it again after week 2.

I have a really busy schedule for the next couple days. I’ve made some flavoured beef mince (added shallots, cabbage, leek, mushrooms, spices) and portioned it up in the fridge so I can reheat for quick lunches.

Added a yoghurt strainer to my basket, I’ve been using muslins and whatnot, which is a faff. That’s why I sometimes don’t bother straining it, even though I prefer it thicker. Thanks for the link!