Continued - Week 1 New Year Low Carb Bootcamp Chat Thread

[BigStickBIWI]

Last one filled up really quickly, so here is a brand, spanking and distinctly thinner thread for you to fill up.

slatternly - could you drink vodka/gin & soda water or slimline tonic & eat pork scratchings? That would all be low carb, but you could still cackle & even crackle!!!!

Have been looking for things to do with pork belly over on the recipe thread but can't find anything on the recipe thread or web search. I have biggish pieces or pork but not big enough to roast - can I braise it? What with?

Lasty i cook mine in the oven for around 30-40 mins after sprinkling with smoked paprika. Served with buttery cabbage.

Marking place as not checked in for days!

slatternly - with you. I thought you were angling for a get out clause to be able to do it once a week!

Absolutely you can have the odd cheat here and there. It's called 'having a life'! The great beauty about low carbing, once you have become ketogenically-adapted, i.e. you are fat-burning rather than carb-burning, you can do this without too much damage.

If you can, though, look for low carb alternatives, to minimise the damage - so if you can substitute salted nuts for crisps, that would be better.

And just keep an eye on it, so that it's not happening too frequently, otherwise you will fritter away your hard-won weight loss.

I started low carbing properly/seriously this time last year, and it took me until December to lose two stones. During the year, I continued to drink alcohol at the weekends - sometimes rum and soda but most often lots of white wine. I've also been for dinner with other people where I have been served really carb meals. I've been out for dinner at restaurants where it's been difficult to avoid the carbs. I went on holiday for two weeks where I was completely off piste, and had two weekends away with DH and a business trip to Athens where I was not exactly 100% low carbing. Every Friday, DH and I have an Indian takeaway. Usually I have tandoori/tikka meats with low carb veg as a side dish - but not always. I can happily do without the rice, but have been known to tear off a corner of naan bread.

My point being that eating this way has allowed me to feel I'm leading a 'normal' life; I have never felt deprived. However, I have had to accept the inevitable consequence in that it took me a very long time to lose the weight - and I still have at least another half stone to go - if you add the weight put on over Christmas, probably 10lbs to go. If I'd been completely 100% Bootcamp, I could have lost that weight by the end of May/early June.

Choice is up to you!

The key thing is making sure that you are committed to low carbing as a WOE and that you can easily get back on the wagon after falling off it - either intentionally or accidentally.

Thanks, Half. Do you put anything on the meat other than paprika? I suppose the fat stops it drying out.

I was doing so well, then had pasta yesterday...twice!!! Went to a new friends for lunch, felt rude declining her offer of pasta. Then ate leftovers last night from DHs dinner precious night. More pasta. Sigh.

No Lasty as its quite a fatty meat, I would just keep checking it to ensure it does not cook to quickly, chilli is also nice on it.

Why did you do that, Cordelia?! I can see why you did it at lunchtime, but no reason to make it worse in the evening!

Drink lots of water.

Get back on the wagon and make sure you are super strict over the next couple of days and hopefully all will be well.

Another interesting video from John Biffa

Sorry bored today so overdosing on Youtube and wanted to share

ok for a yummy low carb snack, home-made pork scratchings, you can buy the pork rind in packs from Morrisons very very cheap.

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/29/nigel-slater-classic-pork-scratchings

Waitrose stilton and broccoli soup is also low fat. I have just spent a fortune buying nice bits and pieces in there.

I bought some of the vanilla powder too - thanks to whoever suggested it.

I also bought some chocolate extract in the same aisle - also sugar free. I have just had both in yoghurt and while it was a little sickly but without the sweetness ( OK I sound a bit mad here) it has satisfied that craving for a "pudding" that I have been having all week.

Jings! You ladies have been really busy! I can't keep up.

I introduced ds1 to the idea that there will be some dietary changes around here and he seems quite excited.

I explained about the friendly and unfriendly bacteria in the gut and how we want to starve the unfriendly guys to death by choosing the right foods. We talked about foods and have decided to call low carb foods Jedi foods, high carb foods Sith foods and the ones that are ok in small amounts Anakin foods.

Can you tell that he is totally into Star Wars?

They are doing healthy eating at school next week. That should be a laugh

I went shopping today and rejoiced at the price of pork belly and shank as well as the lamb spare ribs. I was disappointed that every sausage had rusk in it, but I am sure there are sausages out there that are just meat and seasoning.

Having a good day today. Really enjoying my food and my run this morning was much easier than Wednesdays. But like a lot of people have said, tonight will be tough without my usual weekend vino.

Breakfast: 2 sausages, 1 boiled egg and mushrooms
Lunch: Wasn't very hungry so made myself some blue cheese sauce my melting blue cheese in cream. Currently dipping sticks of celery into it. My word. It's absolute heaven!
Dinner: I have a beef bourguignon in the slow cooker and will probably have it with braised cabbage.

For those looking for cheaper cuts of meat, I bought a whopping big bag (600g) of stewing steak from the butcher for £4. That should do us dinner and lunch tomorrow.

Ilisten2theradio - I hope you don't mean you're choosing the Waitrose soup because it's low fat?! Did you mean that it's low carb?

Biwi slip of the keys.....
Yes I mean it was low carb. I spent ages reading the labels for ingredients and carbs - makes a change from reading the allergy advice for eggs nuts fish and sesame.

Just popping on briefly to say look at what I'm having for tea

x eleventy million

[puerile]

Grrrr lost a big post for slattern

Anyway, bird, on sunday at bustophers go for the rib roast... No Yorkies or roasties ask to swap for veg, if you're lucky you will get a gratin, poss even celeriac, and they bake cauliflower in a cream sauce not a roux, beware the gravy, if you don't ask for it on the side the plate will be swimming in it

Fish is tricky there but the steaks are good, vege options will all be carb heavy and of course you wont even be tempted by the (delicious) seafood linguine.

Oh and if you are tempted by dessert, the cheese board is a lovely local selection, ask for extra celery they will be delighted to oblige

Mawbroon, Tesco Finest Toulouse-style sausages are low-carb.

B: Greek yoghurt, enormous cup of tea
L: Tuna mayo, grated cheese, 4 cherry toms and lettuce, with some salt and olive oil. Was delicious! Oh, and I snacked before lunch on some more cheese because DD was having the longest nap ever and I couldn't wait for her to wake up so I could have lunch.

D is going to be pork chops, green veg and creamy sauce. Mmm.

TooImmature are they low carb or no carb? As part of the gut healing that we are doing, I am avoiding all grains in any shape or form, even tiny quantities because they feed the unfriendly bacteria in the gut.

mawbroon black farmer sausages are low carb

• with no grains I think - look at the allergy advice and only use those that do not have "contains gluten" in it. DF can eat these and he is coeliac

LOL at pork swords..... [snigger]
A good day for me - ended up having lunch at my mums - salmon salad instead.

Blimey, you lot can't half talk

Nell that photo made me laugh!

WRT cheating on this WOE - I think we all need to remember that Bootcamp is strict and that, after next week, there will be additional things that we can choose to eat. I've been doing this for 362 days now and have cheated a bit on holidays and at Christmas. But what is important to remember is that we MUST save our 'cheats' for special occasions; not let one cheat lead to another, and not let the occasional cheat de-rail us. This WOE is very unforgiving, but, if you get back on the wagon, the weight will come off.

To those that have seen big weight losses WELL DONE! I've lost 2.6lb this week and am now back at my pre-Christmas weight of 11st. I haven't been this weight since I was 14!! Roll on the 10's!

To those that are losing weight more slowly - keep on keeping on. It WILL happen. I lost 7lb the first week, 3lb the second and then nothing until week 5. There is a lot of adjustment going on in your body and things need time to shake down.

Someone up thread said they were shocked at the size of some of their pre-LC clothes. I have had a clear out this week and am staggered at the size of some of my pre-LC clothes. However I am rewarding myself by buying far too many new clothes in the sales. Will get DH to take a picture of me in my latest purchase and put it on my profile (I have a 'before' pic on there if you want to see what size I was.)

Mawbroon I love your Star Wars food groups!

Are we taking the fibre away from the carbohydrates? I have bought some olives that are carbs: 5.7 and fibre: 2.8, will these be ok to eat because they are my favourite!