Week 4 - New Year Bootcamp - Where We Really Get Going

[BIWI]

Morning all!

Quick post from me as I have to go to work. Damn that RL!

Come and confess all on the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

Remember that in this week, it is still likely that you may see very little or even no loss. This is entirely normal and will happen no matter how well you have been following Bootcamp rules

It sounds, though, like some of you are eager to report losses anyway, so that's brilliant!

However, there's been a lot of falling off the wagon recently, so can I suggest that we really get focused in this week and make sure that we don't allow the carbs to creep back into the diet? From here on, we're only really going to see losses of around 1-2lbs a week, so let's not sabotage things.

Ruprekt, do you have a Home Bargains? They do bags of pork scratchings for 29p a bag. I make my own now, using pork skin from Morrisons (80p for 3 rolls).

Not got Home Bargains but could look in the pound shop.

Am a bit obsessed with crackling now AfterYearsOfAvoidingItCosOfBloodyWW

Might pop to Morrisons and buy pork skin.

Ruprekt - if you've got the flax seed, make the cracker recipe I posted on the recipe thread - they will really satisfy your need for crunch and savoury/salt!

Kerry - sorry it's taken me so long to get to you!

Let me take your points one by one and tell you what I would do:

1. Visited friend who had cooked creamy pasta lunch and apple crumble for me (I really didn't feel I could refuse when she had made such an effort).

In a situation like this, there really isn't much you can do unless you want to lose all your friends! However, if you know you're going to eat at someone's house, please try and make sure you have told them not just that you are low carbing but also, very explicitly, what this means you can and can't eat. If they are really good friends, they will understand and want to help you. If you find that you can't bring yourself to tell them (why?) then the only other strategy is to eat before you go, and then eat as little as possible when you get there!

1. Struggling with meal planning for me (LC), DP (low fat and low carb, weirdo!), kids ('normal' meals) and baby (BLW). It's just taking so much bloody effort to figure out what everyone can have!

No need for this. The kids can eat what you are eating - just throw a couple of potatoes at them if you really must. No reason why the baby shouldn't BLW with whatever you are eating - it isn't toxic! And your DP shouldn't be eating low fat anyway, so he can eat what you are having! All of this should make meal planning much easier. But on this WOE you do have to plan ahead - you make it much harder for yourself if you don't.

1. Shopping - we ran out of suitable foods and had no time to go shopping with such a busy weekend.

Meal planning! Make sure you always have eggs/bacon/cheese in the fridge, and always have something appropriate in the freezer

1. Struggling to find the time to cook. So much LC is cook from scratch. I've had loads of veg go in the bin because I haven't had time to prepare it in between baby care etc. I've been having a lot of leeks as they're quick in the microwave, but got sick of them and ended up just having meat.

Again, this is all part of the planning ahead. Make sure you're choosing meals that are simple to prepare - a chicken, for example, can just be chucked in the oven, with another oven tray full of veg that can be roasted - e.g. cauliflower, shallots, courgettes, fennel. Can your DP not help out here?

1. Boozey weekend for someone's birthday, followed by hangover and a craving for dirty KFC (and no alternative food in the house).

Evening all, what a miserable dull day, but so mild. Have a rotten headache but am cheering up at the thought of dinner which is chicken with a mushroom sauce and cauliflower "rice". Planning to make some soup later so that I can freeze it in batches.

I enjoyed your pep talk for Kerry Biwi.

sugar-free sweets, whats the take on these?

BIWI P
le
ase tell me if I have eaten too much :( 2 x Babybel, small portion of leftover chicken and sausage stew and, for dinner, 6 golf ball sized meatballs (homemade) with a green salad. Feel almost uncomfortably stuffed.

doesn't sound like too much earlybird, though possibly not enough veg (depends on contents of stew and size of salad), but don't feel you have to force yourself to eat once you feel satiated

halfthesize you're back on there, my love

Just had the most delicious beef meatballs with griddled aubergine, yum! And lots and lots more water to try and flush out this morning's cakey error...

Skandi, sorry you're having such a tough time. Dd2 was exactly like your DS, I couldn't do CC, as I tried it with dd1 and it didn't work for us.
In the end we put DD2s bed in our room, it was drastic but worked. We all got a good nights sleep from the first night, she slept right through. We only did it for about 6 months but it saved my sanity.

Today's food
B-yoghurt and berries
L-salad and cheese
D-chicken satay with stir fry veg.

Low carb brownies from the recipe board.

B - sausage, cheesey eggs, bacon

L - broccoli and stilton soup, celery and boursain

S - hogbites, celery

D - beef meatballs fried in oil with fried celeriac and creamed spinach. FF yog with 25g blueberries.

Lots of sparkling water.

BIWI

that's really helpful.
Bad day yesterday, I need to pick myself and dust myself off. You're right, I can make all the excuses I want about how I can't lose weight blah blah blah, or I can make a decision to anticipate any problems and figure out the solutions in advance.

I have some time off tomorrow (baby allowing) and I WILL sit down and plan at least a few days for us.

Re DP, he lost a lot of weight a couple of years ago by exercising and following a LF/LC diet prescribed by a personal trainer. He eats some carbs - muesli and fruit. I think the thing is, he's worked so hard to get where he is and this is how he knows to do it. I think the thought of eating fat is kind of horrific for him! (he looks fantastic btw!)

Just as an, aside, I wonder what would happen if he switched from LF/Lower carb to HF/Very LC?

I do need to get him to read Briffa though as he's another one who thinks I'm killing myself by the medium of pork belly.

THank you thank you y'all x

killing myself by the medium of pork belly

I can think of worse ways to go!

What do we think of http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2011/08/homemade-greek-style-yogurt-part-2.html home made greeK yoghurt in terms of boot camp?

That link doesn't work for me, Iamaslummymummy - it takes me to the site, but says 'not found'

Evening all - just quickly checking in; haven't had time to catch up with all the thread but skandi hope your DS sleeps better soon - it's hideous not getting enough sleep. My DS also dropped his rest at 18 months, which is really hard work as also then one doesn't have that guilt-free window to get things done (or when very tired, have a nap).

Meals today:
B: eggs and smoked salmon
L: ARGH! Went for interview lunch and ordered the stilton soup and I just knew immediately as I tasted it that it was more potato than stilton, but couldn't not eat it as it was an interview and he had bought it for me. Damn it.
S: pate and celery
D: the most delicious chicken, celeriac, feta and spinach bake. (Original recipe was sweet potato)

Cut chicken into small pieces and brown; slice celeriac thinly; either wilt fresh spinach or get frozen spinach and defrost; squeeze out water and mix with pack of feta. Then you are also meant to fry and onion with thyme and put that into the feta mix - I was going to do leek and forgot. Layer of celeriac, layer of chicken, then all the spinach mixture, then another layer or chicken, and finally another layer of celeriac. Pour over a bit of cream and top up with stock. Bake in oven for 45 minutes. Take out and crumble mozzarella and top. Grill until cheese melted and browning. Very good.

So after demanding it become Monday in the UK I haven't managed to log on properly until today. I had thought I would want to come on and gloat a bit but I see that lots of you are struggling this week so no gloating from me.

Apart from the great advice that BIWI has been giving can I add how important (too me at least) it is to record honestly what I am eating. Last bootcamp i was only writing down my meals and not including my snacking! This time I'm writing everything down and it is telling that the first week or so I was eating maybe 5 or 6 times a day but the last week it is either 3 or 4 time a day.

Frou I'm sorry for your loss. I'm hoping you have lots of RL support and are being gentle to yourself.

Skandi I empathise. DS is 22 months co sleeps and breastfeeds I have been awake since 4:50 because he has been feeding of and on. We are going to do something about it but... about to move house and think we better wait until we are settled. While this WOE is not fixing the sleeping I know I have more energy because I'm not eating carbs so that is some consolation albeit not at 5am. If I find a magic solution I promise to share.

Skandi this book saved me and helped me understand how we need to teach our children how to sleep.
It's short so won't take you long

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0399132708/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1359500189&sr=8-4&pi=AA75

My first link,hope it worked!

Bit of a disaster day for me today. Left my packed lunch at home this morning so had to buy a suitable lunch. Got a great salad from a nearby deli but I know there were things in it I should not be eating... Then met friends this evening and had a completely unecessary vodka and soda which I didn't even enjoy, and - GASP - I had 2 pieces of bread. I am quite disappointed with myself. On the plus side - I felt thin today for the first time in 4 years and happy with my body shape for the first time since having DC2.

so:
B: 2 eggs and butter
L: salad, with lettuce, cucumber, 2 cherry tomatoes and - eek - humous and an unidentifable seedy thing.
D: crab pavee with salad but there was balsamic dressing (not advertised on the menu) and 2 pieces of really lovely ciabatta bread. One vodka soda.

Could have been worse I suppose.

I feel like I am always on here sooo late at night - just have a million things to do after little ones in bed.
Skandi - you feeling any better? Can't believe your DP!

Well - fast day for me - now job/house hunting simultaneous whilst looking after the kids. Craziness!

Breakfast : scrambled egg with bacon.
Lunch: no time so none - cup of tea
Dinner: oregano chicken and Parmesan courgette.
Snack: mini baby bel

Drinks - 2 litres of water.

It's interesting you all say you are constipated - I'm the opposite in a big way ( TMI - sorry!) why is that?

It's a numbers game for me...... This time last year I was 88 kg and 85 was my friend. Then I learned to hate 85 and fell in love with 80 and now 80 is the devil. At the moment I'm looking for 76 ..... and then I'll be chasing the hallowed 73 before finally getting to my dream number 70. Have a good day all :)

Yesterdays menu ..

B - bacon & eggs
L - Prawn/courgette pan fry with sour cream
D - roast belly pork, cabbage cabonara & crackling
S - babybel, 4 pecans, 3 sugar free sweets (stomach pains all night after eating these :( )