Week 6 - Autumn Low Carb Bootcamp - and we head to the finish line!

[BIWI]

Here is the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

Hopefully the scales are moving for us all now, albeit rather more slowly than they were to start with. And this is good. Honestly!

To keep weight off, it's much better to lose it slowly and over a longer period of time. Remember, despite how people may talk about low carbing, this is not a crash diet. It's a way of eating designed to allow you to switch to fat-burning, rather than carb-burning, which will therefore allow you to lose weight - and which brings with it a myriad of other health benefits.

Please share with us your successes as well as your frustrations. Even if we're struggling, which all of us will do from time to time, and it might be galling to read that others are doing well, ultimately it's important for us all to hear the successes because it helps us to (continue to) believe that this is a WOE which can work for us.

And PEACE AND LOVE!

Hope you all have a good week.

[BIWI]

Week 7 chat thread here

[toomuchicecream]

Morning all. Gave in in a big ray and hit the dairyi milk hard at yhe weekend so gave put on 3. Oh well back on the wagon. Thanks for the layered brownie thing idea - sounds yum. But I'm going to do a layered fish terrine with 3 different fish mousses wrapped in smoked salmon.

[HansieMom]

Yeah it was kind of a crazy recipe, but one lady was in a class where they were making decadent desserts or so I thought. Had to be three layered, mine was that! ; )

I am doing low carb, because I was just diagnosed as diabetic and I have a very helpful book, Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. He says by normalizing blood sugars, you can avoid the horrible complications of diabetes. To get blood sugars in normal range, he has you go low carb.

So I did and lost three pounds the first week. Second weigh in is tomorrow.

[CrabbySmallerBottom]

Captain thanks for that.

Auntie I'll find the recipe for you but basically it's the idiot proof diet recipe for almond sponge, cut into little shapes with a pastry cutter and spread with cream and berries (jam for the carby twats ).

Hansie you made me with your post about triple layered carby twatdom. Are you sure you're on the right thread...

Yay Sybil and Nigella with your trouser triumphs!

Have spent all day with the most horrific hangover. Yesterday turned out to be a bit of an odd one - my friend who was coming to dinner in the evening is looking after her mum's dog, a very elderly labrador. Yesterday morning he vanished from her (secure) garden. We spent the day searching and worrying and printing posters etc, and tbh I thought we'd never see him again. Miraculously, he reappeared late afternoon. We think he must have been abducted by aliens! After that, friend, DH and I were both well in the mood for a drink! The food was bloody amazing (no false modesty from me on this occasion!) - I did a caramelised onion and goat's cheese tart, based on the pecorino tart recipe that BIWI suggested, with a butternut squash and feta salad from the ipd cookbook. There was much bubbly, then some red, then...very unwisely... rather a lot of sloe gin.

Not expecting any weight loss tomorrow as although my food's been exemplary, my booze intake has rendered me an utterly carby twat, I think!

[LilyAmaryllis]

B - scrambled egg, salad, leftover ratatouille
L - Salad with tuna mayo, coleslaw and cheese
D - this was at a friend's house. They had very nicely made me a salmon omelette (with veg including leeks). However I did have fruit salad with cream for pudding. It just would have felt very churlish to say no. I think they may have opted for fruit salad rather than a more pudding-y pudding, because they thought it would fit my diet.

So I hope that doesn't affect the weigh in too badly tomorrow!

[ziggiestardust]

BIWI I buy a delicious lemon flavoured cream in M&S; delicious as a topping and different from regular cream. Very refreshing with berries and feels v treaty.

[ziggiestardust]

Hello again! So interesting reading all the recipes and tips! Hope you all don't mind me dipping in and taking inspiration!

Went for a carvery today but the lovely chef swapped my potatoes and root veg for extra cabbage, braised red cabbage, cauliflower cheese (in a cream sauce made for a wheat intolerant lady), and a whole mound of extra beef! Had a cheese board with no biscuits for pudding; again the chef piled my plate with extra cheese to the point I actually gave in in the end!

So nice when restaurants make it easy for you.

[BIWI]

That sounds lovely. Thank you! I had been thinking about something with almonds - like a cheesecake sort of base.

[CrabbySmallerBottom]

My lovely gp asked what I eat for pudding and I told her about that - she kept asking for more details... how long to cook it and at what temperature etc.

[CrabbySmallerBottom]

Haven't read back yet but...

Berry crumble! Use frozen or fresh berries (Waitrose do a mix of black and raspberries, red and blackcurrants). Thaw them beforehand or in a saucepan and put in the bottom of a pie dish. Blitz together ground almonds and butter until you get a crumble consistency. The lumpier the better, so you want some fine breadcrumby consistency and some moister lumps. Smooth the crumble on top of the fruit and bake at around 180 degrees until golden brown in places on top - about 20 mins. Serve with clotted cream and brown sugar for the CTs.

[BIWI]

Afternoon all!

I have friends coming for dinner next weekend and I'm after a low carb pudding that I can make. I have made the chocolate pots dessert now a couple of times and, although it is very lovely, I'd like to make something different this time round.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd prefer it to be something without artificial sweeteners, if at all possible.

[NigellasGuest]

I just finished a 3 day Fat Fast - it was great! Suits me because I love my cream...... was not at all hungry. I am now officially 9 stone something.

I'm not stressing over the weight however - I am strictly going by a pair of trousers I own. They used to fit perfectly, then they became too tight to do up at all. I try them on once a week and I can now do them up. They need to feel a bit more comfortable though, and I'm aiming for them to fit perfectly again. So I'm not going to be weighing in on the spreadsheet anymore (I haven't for a while anyway).

Well done to everyone whether you've lost or not...

[sybilfaulty]

Hello everyone

Do Wagamama do any noodle free soups which might fit the bill?

I am feeling good today because I can fit in my Sz 12 French Connection sequin party dress. It is a little tight round the bust but I hope it will be OK for the festive season. I have only lost 2lb this bootcamp (but will weigh tomorrow so maybe a woosh has occurred) but I am much slimmer. I have taken pictures of my tummy to see it going down and it is noticeable. I look about 6 months pregnant in the first one, whereas today you would think twice if you saw me and perhaps not offer me your seat on the bus.

Have a good day everyone.

[bigkidsdidit]

Chilli wraps wrapped in lettuce sound lovely. Maybe I won't risk it and have yet another pret chicken salad!

[googoogoggles]

Dressing not drawing!!

[googoogoggles]

They do a beef salad which I've had ages ago. No idea how much sugar is in the drawing but it's lovely - and no noodles

[MrsHerculePoirot]

bigkids they do some salads and some beef chilli wraps (wrapped with lettuce) but not a huge range...

[QueenQueenie]

There are a few things in the firdt section of the menu I think, a raw salad, some grilled chicken. .. or some mains yoh vould have without rice maybe. I do think a lot of the sauces are very salty and sweet though. Good luck!

[googoogoggles]

Hi everyone
Hv had a crappy week - not been a complete CT but a just busy / issues with work /dashing around all over the place and not in control of cooking - think I said up thread that I ate one of those Atkins bars in desperation and felt like whodunnit said with the diabetic fudge - really gurgling stomach and just odd/bit spaced. Also had a couple of glasses of wine on Friday eve after hardly drinking for last 6 weeks (just the odd G &T) and had the same sort of reaction and felt bit down on Sat - Do you think it could be the sugar?
Am off again this eve, so will prob weigh in on Wed. Am gearing up to sts as find it hard to drink 2.5-3 litres when I'm not working from home... Will prob also be eating too many nuts to avoid the whole pastry/rubbish food usually on offer! Hope everyone's doing okay. Trying to keep the faith here!

[bigkidsdidit]

Do you think there is anything remotely low carb in wagamama? We need to eat lunch out and can't think where to go.

[HansieMom]

TooMuch, something with three layers I used to make was called Fudge Bar. It had a brownie first layer which you bake not quite done. Next you put marshmallows on top, put back in oven til soft, then spread them around. Lastly you put on a fudge frosting. It was very good but I think could be much better with a more sophisticated brownie recipe. Which I'm sure you could do.

[bigkidsdidit]

DH and I are both low carbing and we are going to guilt free est whatever we want on Christmas day, boxing day, and new years eve dinner. It may be we don't want carbs, but we can eat roast potatoes if we do want to and a pint of baileys We'll just have lots of water!

[LilyAmaryllis]

Well done whodunnit!

I think Christmas might involve a slight (temporary) step off the wagon! But I don't want to go mad stuffing chocolates in my face. My Xmas treat is going to be toast with jam trying to say that quietly so as not to put anyone off as we're only mid-October!

[whodunnit]

I also had the biggest temptation today. I worked on the tea n cake stall at a local event for 2 hours, and the cakes were a zillion different types and looked so tempting. I did not touch one, but it ws tempting. And there were so many left that I brought some home for the DC and still have esisted. It is the fact that I know one cake will set me back 3 days while I get back into ketosis (by my reckoning) and I have not yet seen any cake that is worth 3 days.

Yet........

[whodunnit]

Evenin' all

I am sitting here with a right rumbly tum. Went shopping to a big place (woowee very exciting for me) with a Boots (double woowee) and bought some diabetic caramels. Completely forgot the laxative effect and wolfed down the pack in two hours. Rumble, rumble..... Also felt pretty crap tonight for the first time in weeks. Think it must be related to the synthetic shite in diabetic food. I did Atkins about 11 yrs ago and seem to remember that this was how it ended. I need to remember to eat veg and avoid the synthetic shite Had a stir fry & bolognese sauce for supper so am still on track there.

Very sad that the blackberries are over now as the witches have spat on them. But there is always next year....

Anyone else thinking about Christmas and whether it is possible to have the willpower to forgo all that nice food? I have to or will not have clothes to fit in, but it is hard to visualise complete abstinence.

It all comes down to the fact that this is a WOE and not a diet. I was thinking the other day that I might not lose any this week an wondering how sad I would be. But I don't think I woudl be too sad as I don't actually feel deprived and I have eaten quite well and happily (yeah I know .. ask me on monday after the weigh in..