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.

[NewStartNewStory]

What is the rule on vodka?

[HeirToTheIronThrone]

Hmm, despite my planned chicken thighs DP came home from my brother's stag do and persuaded me into a curry... But, lamb tikka and broccoli paneer a pretty good choice I think!

[JustasmallGless]

Now then Mrs HP don't go too crazy

Very hungover today after going out for Dsis birthday. The plan was to drink vodka but when we arrived she had bought us two bottles of red wine.

Have tried today to stick to low carb but must confess to a bag of salt and vinegar hula hoops. 15g of carbs.

I want to swear at myself so feel free!!

B sausages mushrooms and egg
L cream of celeriac, leek and courgette soup
D roast chicken broccoli cauli and a few carrots. I even made my own frankly marvellous roast potatoes and didn't succumb

S as above!

[JustasmallGless]

Well done Heir- great choices

Lavender - don't despair, how do you feel? Clothes looser? Feeling healthier?
The scales will come but not the only indicator

New Start - drink it!!!

Vodka and other white spirits are the best if you are going to drink alcohol
However the danger is in your mixers. Fresh lime and soda is a good option

[NewStartNewStory]

dilute squash tbh i think there is less sugar in the squash then the meds i will be taking for knocking me out to prevent the recent night terrors i have been suffering. It's amazingscary as hell what they put in meds!!!

[bertieboo]

I'm a longtime lurker who has 2stone and the rest to lose.
I will start low carbing in the morning. This needs to be a way of life for me not a "diet". Sick of being overweight. And want to be the woman my husband married again.
BIWI is inspirational. Hoping to learn all your knowledge

[twinklestar2]

I've ducked out of this challenge as I was getting bored as I was eating the same foods all the time. I'm back to doing what I was doing before which is cutting out bread, rice, pasta and potatoes and its working for me and I'm happy eating like this :)

Thanks everyone for your support and GOOD LUCK with the challenge!!

[NewStartNewStory]

Perhaps i should mention that the vodka and meds aren't being mixed and the vodka was a stop gap until tomo when meds can be requested from the doc. That said the vodka went down well and i don't have high hopes for the weigh in tomo. Partly because i am still up although now drinking water

[Lavenderhoney]

Yes, I've been eating enough fat, I guess I think I have been drinking enough water - I'm going to buy some litre bottles today and make sure I am.

I don't feel different but I am going through quite a difficult time, plus I don't sleep very well, if it's not the dc its the stress and worry waking me up. I seem to remember this can affect LC so I might have answered my own question there...

[NewStartNewStory]

Lack of sleep is a killer Lavender. It is a known factor in weight gain/lack of weight loss no matter what diet/woe you do.

I know i should be asleep but i have had stresses and tonight vodka made it a good idea to deal with that shit. I have been ruthless. but right now perhaps i should head for some sleep. Still drinking the water though. lots of lovely water. night.

[TreeLuLa]

Grrrr. Up 4 oz (tips me into the next lb up).

Hoping for a whoosh next week!

[BigStickBIWI]

Week 4 chat thread is here

[QueenofDreams]

Hey all, have stayed off the wagon this weekend due to family birthdays and such. Am getting back on it today though!

[BigStickBIWI]

I'd also like to pick up on a comment that twinkle made on the last thread - she has stopped doing Bootcamp because she was getting bored of eating the same things all the time.

I've also noticed one or two others talk about eating the same thing regularly.

If you narrow down your food/meal choices like this, you will get bored and it's a surefire way to guarantee that you will give up!

It's also pretty pointless when you think of all the lovely foods that you can eat - think how much more restrictive a low calorie diet is compared with low carbing!

[BigStickBIWI]

Here are some cheap/economic recipes from the recipe thread:

Asparagus Frittata (serves 2)

British asparagus is in season now, and it should be a little cheaper than it might normally be. However, if it's still too expensive, you can replace it with another green vegetable or a mixture of green vegetables, like broccoli or courgette. Similarly, if Parmesan/Pecorino is out of reach, use a mature cheddar instead.

250g/9oz asparagus, trimmed and cut into 5cm/2in pieces
4 eggs
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
225g/8oz spring onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil

• Cook asparagus in boiling water until tender (7-10 minutes)
  
• Whisk the eggs and add the cheese and the spring onions
  
• Pre-heat the grill
  
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan that can go under the grill
  
• Put in the asparagus; stir-fry for a minute, then pour in the eaten eggs, moving the asparagus around gently to make sure the egg mixture gets right through, and that the grated cheese is well distributed
  
• Let the frittata cook over a moderate heat for a few minutes until the underside is cooked and lightly browned, then put the pan under a hot grill for a minute or two until the top is set and golden brown
  

5.5g carbs per serving

Recipe from Rose Elliot's "The Vegetarian Low-Carb Diet Book"

[BigStickBIWI]

Low Carb Shepherd's Pie (serves 6)

Mince is always good value, and it's usually on offer as well. This makes a really good family meal and is also very low carb

5 leeks (about the number you will get in a pack from Sainsbury) sliced
1/2 head of celery, sliced
500g beef mince
1 OXO cube
1 whole celeriac, peeled and chopped into chunks
2 Echalion shallots (Sainsbury's sell these - long and thin rather than round - but I guess ordinary shallots would be find - you need around 75g)
Grated cheese

• Fry your beef first, in olive oil in a large frying pan, and season with salt, pepper and when browned, crumble in the OXO cube
  
• In a large saucepan, fry the leeks and celery in butter with a splash of olive oil (Adding the oil helps to prevent the butter from burning)
  
• When softened, add the mince and then cover with water and simmer for 30 minutes, with the pan lid on
  
• After 30 minutes, take the lid off and reduce the amount of liquid (it needs to be reasonably dry - but do this to your own taste)
  
• While the meat is cooking, boil your celeriac in a large pan of salted water, till tender - this will take 20-25 minutes
  
• Drain and mash - either by hand or with a stick blender.
  
• Thinly slice the shallots and fry gently till nicely browned, in butter with a splash of oil, then mix into the mash
  
• Put the meat into an oven-proof dish and spread the mash on top of it. Top with the grated cheese and bake for around 20 minutes in a hot oven until the cheese is browned.
  

32g for the whole thing; 5.4g carbs per portion if serving 6 people.

[BigStickBIWI]

Marinated Courgette with Mozzarella

Courgettes are often sold cheaply as 'Basics' in Sainsbury's. They tend to be slightly bigger than the ones that are sold loose, but they taste just as good. And you can also buy Basics mozzarella too, so the cheese element of this dish doesn't need to be expensive

4 medium courgettes (about 500g)
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive or rapeseed oil
1 large clove garlic, finely slivered
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus a little juice
A handful of mint or basil, roughly torn
1 ball of buffalo mozzarella (about 125g), or other mild, soft cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Top and tail the courgettes, then cut them lengthways into thin slices, 1?2mm thick. Put them in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of the oil and use a pastry brush to get them all lightly coated.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a fairly high heat. Working in batches, sear the courgette slices for about 2 minutes on each side until tender and golden. Transfer them to a shallow dish.

Take the frying pan off the heat and let it cool down a bit. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, the garlic and lemon zest. Heat very gently for a few minutes ? the residual heat in the pan may be enough ? you just want to take the raw edge off the garlic and infuse the flavours into the oil.
Pour the infused oil over the courgettes. Add some salt and pepper, a little squeeze of lemon juice and the mint or basil. Toss together, cover and leave for 1 hour at room temperature.

Serve with the torn mozzarella scattered over it.

(A River Cafe recipe)

[BigStickBIWI]

Bugger. Realised I've posted these on the wrong thread!

[JaxTellerIsAllMine]

Ive STS this week - but its ok. From Thursdays evening out including lots of wine to the weekend and my birthday today I know I havent made the best choices, BUT I made better choices than what I would 'normally' have made, if that makes sense.

So, overall Im happy with my lot.

After today (DH bought a huge triple chocolate birthday cake) I am back to my LC WOE and all will be fine again.

[KatoPotato]

Hi everyone.

Okay, I'm taking the plunge and would love to join. I've lost 4.5 stone so far through calorie reduction and exercising 5 times per week but I've stalled! big time!

But I'm a lazy mare when it comes to cooking and often succumb to convenience, would a supermarket jar of thai curry sauce that has 7g of carbs per 100g be really bad if i made with chicken?

I know sweet treats are my downfall and my MFP is peppered with biscuits and chocolate and peanut butter...

Can you do low carb if you're a lazy cook? Do i have to give up pepsi max??

[LilyAmaryllis]

Kato come to this week's thread and post again
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/big_slim_whatever_weight_loss_club/1760086-Week-4-Summer-Low-Carb-Bootcamp-Wherein-we-totes-commit