Week 3 - Summer Low Carb Bootcamp - When the Going Gets Unexpectedly Tough

[BIWI]

I'm starting this thread a little earlier than usual, as I have to be at work at dawn's crack tomorrow

Come and confess all on the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

So from tomorrow, you can move on to Bootcamp Light, if you want. (Rules on the tabs on the spreadsheet). That means that you can introduce fruits (berries only) and nuts (in small quantities), as well as alcohol (albeit in moderation!)

You don't have to, if you don't want to. You could continue to do Bootcamp if it's suiting you - or do Bootcamp during the week and Bootcamp Light at the weekend. Whatever suits you.

Whatever you decide here is something really important that you need to know about weeks 3 and 4 (and possibly 5):

It is very common for weight loss to stop at this point in the diet. You may even find that you gain a pound or two. DON'T PANIC! It is entirely normal. Your body is switching from carb-burning to fat-burning, and is re-adjusting to your new WOE. You have jettisoned a lot of water weight, and have emptied your glycogen stores. You will also have lost some fat. Now, your body is working on just burning fat.

PLEASE DON'T PANIC AND START TO TRY AND CHANGE ANYTHING. THIS IS ENTIRELY NORMAL AND HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY LOW CARBERS BEFORE YOU. STICK WITH THE KNITTING, AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED BY SEEING THE SCALES MOVE AGAIN IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO

Good luck for next week. As ever, post any questions on the questions thread, and keep us all updated as to what you're doing/eating.

toomuchtoask

Chilli - serves one - 7g carbs per portion

100g steak mince
75g shallots, chopped (about 3 or 4 round ones)
85g mushrooms, chopped
1 chilli, de-seeded if you don't like it too hot, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
100g chopped tomatoes (I used Sainsbury's Basics, from the tetrapak carton)
salt/pepper, dried oregano, fresh coriander, olive oil

Heat olive oil, and gently fry shallot, chilli and garlic till softened; season with salt, pepper and oregano
Turn the heat up and add the mince, stir until all the pink has gone
Add the mushrooms and cook for around a minute or so
Add the tomatoes, stir, and then simmer with the lid on the pan for around 30 minutes. (Keep checking it - you may need to add water to stop it getting too dry/burning)
Just before serving, add freshly chopped coriander.

All those recipes from the recipe thread

Hopefully just a taster (no pun intended!) of what you can enjoy whilst low carbing

Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone. And happy anniversary Badvoc!

DH and DS were a bit rubbish this morning so to make up for it DH did Sainsburys for me - to make up for it or stop me killing him/crying. Not sure which. I went into town and had a shopping morning instead. Size 18 in a few things. And had to ask for a smaller size in a Phase Eight jumper! Spent far too much money but it was that or food. So am not feeling guilty in the slightest.

I think dinner will be lamb steaks. I bought some nice salad in M&S - including teaandthorazine's feta,asparagus and courgettes salad. Also bought some strawberries and nice extra thick double cream for after. Not sure I will have it but thought I'd buy something treatish to have.

Not sure what DH actually got in Sainsburys so he may surprise me and have dinner planned.

B - none. Couldnt face anything.
L - went into a cafe in town - they do a couple of things that you can have as a wrap or sandwich but i just ask for it with salad instead. I had prawns in a lime mayo. All lovely except they helpfully scattered croutons over it all! I picked them all out. Was tempted by a glass of wine but resisted.

The sun has come out here which is helping cheer me up.

I'm sorry your DH/DS were so hopeless. Hopefully DH will have bought something lovely in Sainsbury's for you!

Party treats from me!

Thanks BIWI. Does that mean I can have wine?

Happy birthday Cider.

I have done a pretty dam good job of sabotaging myself. food has been better then recently but not even close to bootcamp sticking. And my worst offence? A run of 20hr days with 4-6hrs sleep/24hr period. Now way in hell i can stick to anything when it is like that. So tonight the task is early to bed and then to sort out sleep pattern. And to step away from allowing problems and things that need to be done to destroy me. I am in control of my life. Not the issues, nor the food. I need to remember this as I am such an emotional eater/controller food kinda person. And tomo is a fresh day.

happy birthday cider - sorry DH/DS were rubbish. Heres hoping they got you some nice treats from shopping. And well done on the smaller size clothes!

today hasnt been a good eating day for me - well I thought it was, but turns out the super vegetable soup from M&S I thought was healthy, low carb isnt so low carb. it has borlotti beans in it.

But on the plus side my tummy is better and I currently have a joint of sirloin in oven roasting away and I made 2 sort of meat loaf type things with steak mince, sundried tomatoes, olives, an egg, herbs and a couple of slices of jarlsberg cheese. Will let you know how it tastes. These new concoctions are either hit or miss.

It's your birthday, Cider. Hopefully DH will have bought you Champagne!

jax that sounds tasty, if it turns out well giss the recipe!

Wahey! I am now 10st something! It may be 10st13.5 but I'll take that!

bullet me too! i know!!

Fantastic!

Didn't have a great day either. Couldn't face breakfast (bad mistake) so when someone brought cakes to school, tummy was rumbling and I succumbed. I don't even like cakes much. Lesson learnt and inspired by other stories. I seem to have stalled a bit so will drop cheese for a while, see what happens.
Tomorrow is another day.....

Oh I know, Someone brought a huge box of chocs to the meeting I was at earlier :(
Gah.
Really just try and have breakfast in the morning!

Happy birthday CiderwithBuda and happy anniversary Badvoc!!

B boiled eggs with mayo
L Tuna salad
D carbonara with courgette pasta

Toomuchtoask -
Breakfast frittatas? Make them up with leftover veg or bacon bits anything really. They don't really taste of eggs
Greek yogurt. If you can't face it neat how about a splash of vanilla or now off boot camp a few berries with it?
Can you eat cream cheese? If so I have slice of ham rolled up with Philly spread on the inside.

I made this tonight and it was really rather good:

Tarragon, Almond and Pecorino Tart (from Rose Elliot's The Vegetarian Low-Carb Diet Cookbook)

serves 6

225g ground almonds
55g butter, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt

for the filling:

2 eggs
2 egg yolks
300ml double cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
100g Pecorino cheese, grated
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/GM4

To make the pastry, mix the almonds, butter and salt until it forms a dough. This is easiest done in a food processor. (I had to add a tablespoon of water to bring the dough together - but don't do this if you don't need to and don't add too much water)

Press the dough with your hand/fingers into a 20cm flan tin or dish. Push the pastry up the sides of the tin as well. Prick the base of the flan all over and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until set and golden brown

To make the filling, whisk the eggs and yolks, and then gradually add whisk in the cream. Add pepper (no salt as the cheese is salty) and whisk again.

Scatter the tarragon and grated cheese evenly over the flan then pour over the cream mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and just set. Serve warm or cold.

5.1g carbs per serving

The pastry is a little bit crumbly, but it was very satisfying. It could certainly be a good base for other quiche/flan type products. Making it with cheddar/gruyere and chopped bacon would make a lovely quiche lorraine.

Although I've stalled a bit and cheated a bit, I've had a horrid taste in mouth all day. Ketosis?

It could well be - although if you keep cheating, it won't be!

It was just the once, didn't even enjoy it. Put me back on path. It's a bit dispiriting when the scales don't move.

Hello everyone.

My period turned up. I am hoping to see a 9lb weightless tomorrow I compensation.

I a 10 stone 4 still.

Toomuchmonthattheendofthemoney always says
Look at the thing you want to eat
Have you tasted it before?
Will you taste it again (probably)
Do you REALLY want to eat this right now and how it will make you feel after

woohoo we have bought a car!! thank goodness, now we can think about something else!

my mouth is watering at all those lovely sounding recipes biwi

B: 2 hb eggs mashed with butter
L: 2 small beef burgers with melted cheese, spoonful celeriac dauphinoise, broccoli and green beans
D: lamb chop fried in ginger butter, celeriac dauphinoise, buttered veg

my dp likes to eat lightly in the morning - he has miso soup with seaweed, chopped boiled egg, boiled veg in it. He loves it and is a twist on eggs.

NaturalBlonde - tell me what you've been eating over the last 3 or 4 days, and let me see if I can help you. I do understand how dispiriting it is when the scales aren't moving.