Week 5 - New Year Low Carb Bootcamp - We Reach the Halfway Point!

[BIWI]

Sorry for the late start to this thread. I had an appointment at my gym for an induction this morning.

If you haven't already, put yourself on the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

Good luck for the week!

Oh yes - love Chez Bruce! Haven't been for a while, though

B - FF yoghurt

L - sausages with broccoli and sprouts

D - chicken with celeriac chips, asparagus and broccoli

S - yoghurt with blueberries, pork scratchings.

And I was so chuffed as I went to Waitrose and the Black Farmer sausages were reduced down to 99p so I bought them all!! 4 packs of low carb sausages!

And the cream cheese pancakes are excellent!

Just eggs and cream cheese whisked together and then cooked in frying pan.

Could someone please post the roasted red cabbage recipe for me? Dp has asked me to cook the red cabbage in the fridge and I don't want to braise it with fruit - not v low carb.

Ta xx

Bessie = finely chop it and place in roasting tin with olive oil and salt and pepper. Then roast it! I added some water half way through to prevent it drying out. It is really tasty.

I don't post very often but been reading these threads non-stop (bloody hard to keep track though!), you guys are amazing. Keep it going!!

I'm definitely looking this LC as a WOE not diet, I can see myself eating and enjoying this lovely food forever (and having very occasional cake).

Until today haven't felt like snacking between meals, today period started together with strong headache and it's been so hard to stop thinking about naughty food! After lunch I even made LC chocolate pudding from recipe thread to make me feel better. Haven't touched forbidden food though. Hope this calms down soon before I do!

BIWI - we lived in SW19 too, and not the posh bit! When tennis was on I remember taking baby DD for a walk every day up and town the road to get free newspapers and smoothies they were handing out to visitors

Ruprekt - ooh I do love a low carb bargain!
How is Mr ruprekt doing? Still sticking to it? He is welcome to post too you know!
Ladies am off to bed with a pint of water as have been celebrating dosh s birthday for her!

Thanks Novelty xxx

Dd kept me up the last 2 nights and I have had about 8 hours sleep and not even consecutive:( feel terrible. Have resisted though and stuck to it. I must sleep tonight and dh is looking forward to having a drink with me but I am going to turn it down.

I made the dc chocolate fondants and my dd left a tiny bit- I was in the a act of scooping it out to eat in a reflex action but stopped myself! I don't know how.. I bought a small rub of crunchy peanut butter to have a tiny amount as that seems to help with sweet cravings. I haven't had sweet cravings before in this woe and they have just started over the last few days.

Yesterday

• egg, left over cabbage, mushrooms, in pan
• low carb sausage and spinach
• steak with cauliflower, green beans.

No snacks. Just too busy and tired. I feel every minute of my age:(
My tummy is podgy and hangy and has some kind of cellulite from the cs and stretching and looks awful. I used to be so slim and it was so effortless. Feel quite depressed today already :(

Haven't been posting as have been just knackered, eating waaaay too much dark choc, nuts and wine-but puppies and mum are now all well and settled and I have slept for the last two nights I feel like a new woman! So have eaten better and managed to lose some of the bloat, so half a pound to go to get back on track.
B: low carb sausages and mushrooms
L: Leek Frittata
S: Prawns with chili, parsley and some ginger, noodles for the rest rocket for me.

I was in a deli for a coffee yesterday, waiting for DH, and read this month's copy of Delicious magazine. Well researched article along lines of 'have the docs got it wrong about diets?', with the conclusion that low carb is the way forward! They admitted it was controversial, but had backed it up with latest research, which was comforting.

I'm having an Afternoon tea party tomorrow for a local cause, so am baking cakes, macaroons, fruit tartlets and will be making beautiful little sandwiches. I'm hoping that if I keep busy with the entertaining I won't be tempted! Have got the flaxseed to make me the Tiffin.

Sorry to hear you sounding so down. You're doing so well and you managed not to eat left-over choc cake! That's a huge thing!

My back is also killing me, I'm fretting about not running enough and I have to do a heart-rate test for my degree course - I'm winding myself up and getting myself stressed. So, why don't we plan on doing some pilates as it will centre us a bit and might take some pain out of our backs and it will help the to build lean muscle.

Now, eat your olives and plan your pilates.

...help to build...* Pah, coffee hasn't hit the spot yet.

Womenandchickens- that's interesting! I really think the media are waking up - I read an article in the Te;egraph Magazine (in the cookery bit) about low-carbing, altho the author did end by saying it wasn't for her. Controversial yes, and against gov and drs advice - but the evidence is there. How long before we get more and more articles like that (and NOT like the waitrose magazine, showing a couple on a low-fat, high-carb and high-processed -buy from waitrose!- diet! (They are losing weight after weeks, but the crap they are eating! And how long to put it all back on again? She is even admitting to 2 biscuits a day)

Rollergirl - I am in Surrey - tho I am right down near the west sussex border.

c&c good news on the pups. I wish human pups settled as quickly I like the idea of spicy prawns on rocket.

Does anyone have some motivation they can throw my way? Am still feeling distinctly down in the dumps for much the same reasons as Valdeeves. I am in fact writing this perched on the bath while waiting for 3yo DS to wipe his bottom as the baby pulls everything out of the bathroom drawers. Haven't got the energy to stop him. Bad Mother.

B: Lidl yog
L: packed lunch of cold meats and hard-boiled eggs
D: chicken thighs marinaded in mayo, lemon and herbs with a big salad

This is how I cook my red cabbage:

• shred cabbage and boil in salted water for around 5 minutes, till it's no longer hard/crunchy
• drain into a colander/sieve
• add a very large knob of butter to the pan, and some sliced shallots (the number of shallots you use depends on how much cabbage you're using - if I was using a whole cabbage I'd probably use 3-4), and saute over a medium heat until they are soft, seasoning with salt and black pepper
• when soft, add the cabbage back to the pan and stir so that all the buttery juices coat the cabbage - if necessary/you like, add more butter at this stage
• then pour a generous sloosh of red wine vinegar over the whole thing, stir again then put the lid on the pan
• turn the heat right down to its lowest setting and leave it to braise for 20-30 minutes (or you could transfer to a casserole dish and put it in the oven if you have the oven on)

If you can find raspberry vinegar, this makes a lovely addition in place of red wine vinegar. (But don't know the carb count of this)

littlermiss - did you clock the caption under the photo in the DM article? 'Butter vs margarine: The nation's morning toast has been ruined for decades by kind-hearted women'

How do they get away with this shit?

DS brought how a Be Food Smart leaflet from school yesterday. It says 'We all know that too much fat is bad for us ... The fat that's really bad for us is saturated fat. That's the one in things like butter, cheese, pies and fatty meats like streaky bacon and sausages.'

I have put it in the bin

Doffs cap to south west Londoners & Chez Brucers. I was SW11 & then SW18 for nearly 20 years. Moved out about 5 years ago - go back alot - do still miss it from time to time though.

Valdeeves/Ewan - sorry you're feeling a bit gloomy. Here is my prescription for you both:

Wrap up warm in whatever clothes are close to hand. Sod what they look like.

Forget washing (clean teeth only!) and just go out. Get in the car and go to a park you don't normally go to, or walk if you can.

Feed the ducks.

Run around.

Go to the farm and feed the animals/stroke the rabbits.

Have lunch in a cafe.

AND LEAVE THE BASTARDING HOUSEWORK TO GET ON WITH ITSELF FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND!

No point putting it all away as it will be just as bad by the next day.

Then when you get home, jump in a bath all of you together with lots of bubble bath and sod the wet floor. It's water, it will soon dry.

Out of bath, in your PJs, snuggle on the sofa and watch a DVD.

Order a takeaway

Open a bottle of something lovely.

Or - if you've got someone who is at home this evening to look after the DC, call a friend and suggest an impromptu night out. And GO OUT - don't stay in, even if it's at their house.

Forget that you are a mum for a while.

womenandchickens I read that one too - surprised to find it amongst all the recipes for pies and potatoes! It was by Taubes I think, very interesting reading. I read that DM article too - revolted to read that marge is naturally grey and they just add the yellow colouring! I know I probably still eat too much processed stuff as I adore things like bacon and salami, but in the scheme of things this WOE is so much healthier! I noticed yesterday that we haven't taken our recycling out for ages as it's just not filling up like it normally does - got to put that down to no canned drinks, pizza boxes, cereal boxes, tins of beans etc. So not only are we healthy we are helping the environment :)

Morning all, just to send get well vibes to everyone struggling a bit with winter bugs etc. there were over 60 kids off sick this week in Ds school, which is about a fifth of the 300 or so kids in the whole school! There were 10 off in his class, out of 24!! Mad.

Enjoyed my food yesterday:
B the usual 2 eggs scrambled with butter and double cream
L a portion of leftover "cottage pie" but made with turkey mince, leeks, mushrooms and celeriac mash, with a plate of rocket and watercress salad, oil and feta
D roasted chicken thigh, served with celeriac chips and Savoy cabbage braised with pancetta and cream
Late night snack (after being out late) a few raspberries and a splash of double cream

Seriously, I love this WOE!!

Hope everyone has a good day. First day of mini half term here (scotland) so we are getting ready to go for a walk in the local hills. Ds has a sleepover tonight (here) so this is the start of Operation Exhaustion today!!

BIWI that's my kind of prescription. I've been umming and ahhing about whether to take the DCs to the zoo today as I have some free passes. It's bastard cold (and I have no car!) but you've inspired me to do it. The housework can't get any worse if we're not in it, right?

First major lapse in 5 weeks! Had people round on Wednesday and put out wine and nibbles. Resisted for a while with my herbal tea and then just thought SOD IT! Had nearly a bottle of red wine (first alcohol in over a month!) and lots of breadsticks and chocolate biscuitty nibbles. Tasted lovely too. Someone else said that they are envious of people who have lost the taste for sweet things or find things "too sweet". I am absolutely NOT one of those people - it was all delicious. But then again, when I was a vegetarian I was never one of those who was repulsed by the smell or taste of meat - bacon still held all its appeal I just didn't eat it.

Drank some more wine last night and succumbed to a late-night bowl of rice crispies too. I just know that alcohol knocks me off this WOE and I must abstain. Going away tomorrow for a few days so am on dangerous ground. Might not be able to post on Monday but am expecting a gain for the first time in 5 weeks but am determined to not let this lapse become a total Relapse.