Week 6 - New Year Low Carb Bootcamp _ Where I start to wave my big stick again

[BIWI]

Morning all

Here it is - come and confess all

Now. Three things have come to my attention.

1. There is a lot of baking going on. Sweet things and bread substitutes.

Please remember that we are trying to avoid sweet things and that we are trying to avoid using artificial sweeteners.

1. A lot most of you are falling off the wagon - either 'accidentally' () or because situations arise where you have not planned ahead or deliberately.

This is not a very forgiving WOE. Lapses/cheats like this will have a big impact - at the very least you will not see any weight loss for a while - most likely, though, you will see a gain of around 3-7lbs. You really have to plan ahead and make sure you do everything you can to stay focused and avoid the carbs. Going out for a meal or to dinner at a friends does mean that you have to think about what's going to be on offer. You cannot assume that low carb options are going to be available (although most restaurants should be fairly easy to navigate).

1. There is a lot of moaning about seeing a weight gain or not losing.

May I refer you to 1 and 2 above?

Please, please, please go back to Bootcamp/Bootcamp Light rules. They are there for a reason!

I can tell you that almost every time someone posts "I don't know what to do, the scales aren't moving for me/I've gained half a stone and I don't know why, because I'm being really good/have been following the rules" this is a massive signal that, actually, they haven't.

Fat is key.
Water is key.
Too much alcohol will stop weight loss.
Dairy - especially cream and cheese - can be an issue for many (yoghurt is better tolerated)
Artificial sweeteners are to be avoided.
Fruit should be severely restricted.

We have only five weeks of Bootcamp left, including this week. Let's get serious and back on track.

BIWI - yes, I'd read that about Ibrufen. And dh can't take them as they upset his stomach so there must in them that effects our digestion or summat.

This is day 6 of the sore throat so I must be on the mend. Touchwood.

My food today has been a bit topsy turvy due to us needing to do a big shop.

B - Spinach salad with ham, camenbert and pate.
S - Pepperami and mature cheddar
Late lunch - bacon and eggs.

We bought the bacon and eggs from the butcher on the way back from swimming. Interesting notice up saying that supermarket mince was 67% fattier than butcher's mince. We refrained from buying mince.

BIWI - I had to smile at your reply to black affronted it somehow sounded that you were affronted that your menu wasn't to her taste.

FWIW I won't be joining the 3 day thing either due to no eggs nuts and fish in the house for DS's allergies. I may eat eggs while I am out but won't be eating them in front of him. I also don't (can't) drag myself out of bed earlier as I have to have an hour after getting up before breakfast (medication) and can't bear the thought of having to get up even earlier to be able to eat a cooked breakfast.

Although my weight loss has slowed down, It is still moving along so I figure I must be doing something right and am going to carry on in my own little world - whilst reading everthing for inspiration and moral support.
Even though I post very little, the positivity on here is helping me to carry on and stick at it.

It's by no means obligatory, Ilisten2theradio!

Especially if you're happy with the way your weight is going. It's really just a bit of a kick up the arse for those of us who have slipped a little.

skandi1 - you sound like you're running a hotel! I bet you will be exhausted when they go. Please, please, please make sure that DH is looking after you as well.

OK. Here is The Three Day Plan (with eggs). You can obviously do these days in whatever order you choose.

Day 1

Mushroom omelette, fried in butter

Tuna mayonnaise wrapped in Little Gem lettuce leaves, with sliced cucumber

2 chicken thighs, skin on, pan-fried in butter and olive oil
80g frozen whole leaf baby spinach, with garlic butter and 100g broccoli florets fried with 50g shallot and chilli flakes

Carbs = 9g

Day 2

2 eggs, scrambled with butter

Smoked salmon and 100g avocado with 80g green leafy salad in a home-made vinaigrette (olive oil, wine vinegar, salt and pepper)

Home-made beefburger (100g steak mince, mixed with salt/pepper and olive oil), with home-made coleslaw and 150g celeriac chips

Carbs = 13g

Day 3

2 boiled eggs

2 chicken thighs, (cold ? but pan-fried as on Day 1), with coleslaw and 80g salad with vinaigrette dressing

Roast pork (and crackling), with 200g swede mashed with lots of butter) and 200g braised fennel

Carbs = 16

Biwi, I think my veg box is ok veg - its full of celeriac, mushrooms, sweetheart cabbage, fennel, swede, leeks and cauliflower. My DH and 2 of my DC dont eat fish at all, so have been to the butchers to stock up on nice meat. Ill maybe be able to do it once we have emptied the fridge, funds just dont stretch to more in the food budget :( The snack thing, know its an issue that I need to work on, and I am trying my best. I just dont put rules on myself, and that seems to be the trick. I will try cutting out dairy for 3 days though! I only have cream really, and cheese a couple of times a week so it should be ok. If not, its my own fault if I dont lose weight :)

Had my soup bag delivered too, this week was Nippy Neep. Made it for lunch and it was delicious! Will add it to the recipe thread when I have time to type it all out.

I have the lamb in the oven, I grow my own herbs & luckily the rosemary is a hardy one that lasts through winter, so plenty for the dish. Smells lovely, going to have some cabbage & celeriac fondant to go with it.

Ohh have you changed it? I can do more of that plan! :)

Coleslaw recipe:

Slice white cabbage thinly
Grate carrot finely (don't use the largest holes on the grater)
Chop shallot finely

Add oil and wine vinegar - roughly 3 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar, and salt and black pepper. Stir everything well together. Leave for half an hour or so. Just before serving, stir in a tablespoon of mayo.

Celeriac chips

Peel celeriac and cut into chips
Boil in salted water for 1-2 minutes; drain, and then put back into the pan
Add 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil, a tablespoon of curry powder and some salt and black pepper and stir it in.

Spread the chips over a large heavy baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes so at 230C/gas 8/fan 210C

Shopping List

Eggs
Tinned tuna
Chicken thighs, skin on
Smoked salmon
Steak mince
Pork joint
Butter

Delouis mayonnaise
Extra virgin olive oil
Red or white wine vinegar
Chilli flakes
Salt/black pepper

Little Gem lettuce
Cucumber
Broccoli
Garlic
Shallots
Mushrooms
Avocado
Green, leafy salad
White cabbage
Carrots
Celeriac
Fennel

Frozen whole baby leaf spinach

BlackAffronted You know I have told you before that we are the same size and your zumbathon picture, love of cookery and your posts reminded me of a younger myself, well, I have decided that you and I are evil twins seperated by 20 years! When is your birthday? Mine is next weekend.

Coleslaw recipe with quantities!:

125g white cabbage (less than 1/4 of a cabbage)
75g carrot (1 medium-sized carrot)
25g shallot (1/2 a banana/echalion shallot)

Slice white cabbage thinly
Grate carrot finely (don't use the largest holes on the grater)
Chop shallot finely

Add oil and wine vinegar - roughly 3 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar, and salt and black pepper. Stir everything well together. Leave for half an hour or so. Just before serving, stir in a tablespoon of mayo.

This will make 2 portions

timid, the 27th :) I am laughing at "evil twins"

Here is the three day plan with no eggs:

Day 1

Smoked salmon with avocado

Tuna mayonnaise, wrapped in Little Gem lettuce leaves, with sliced cucumber

2 chicken thighs, skin on, pan-fried in butter and olive oil
80g frozen whole leaf baby spinach, with garlic butter and 100g broccoli florets fried with 50g shallot and chilli flakes

Carbs = 10

Day 2

Bacon and 100g mushrooms

Smoked salmon and 100g avocado with 80g green leafy salad in a home-made vinaigrette (olive oil, wine vinegar, salt and pepper)

Home-made beefburger (100g steak mince, mixed with salt/pepper and olive oil), with home-made coleslaw and 150g celeriac chips

Carbs = 13

Day 3

200g mushrooms fried in butter

2 chicken thighs, (cold ? but pan-fried as on Day 1), with coleslaw and 80g salad

Roast pork (and crackling), with 200g swede mashed with lots of butter) and 200g braised fennel

Carbs = 16

Shopping List

Bacon
Tinned tuna
Chicken thighs, skin on
Smoked salmon
Steak mince
Pork joint
Butter

Delouis mayonnaise
Extra virgin olive oil
Red or white wine vinegar
Chilli flakes
Salt/black pepper

Little Gem lettuce
Cucumber
Broccoli
Garlic
Shallots
Mushrooms
Avocado
Green, leafy salad
White cabbage
Carrots
Celeriac
Fennel

Frozen whole baby leaf spinach

FGS BIWI - don't you have a TV? Where do you get the time?

Re the 3-day thing - I will have to find 3 days in which i am a) home and b) have all ingredients to hand. So not next week, but maybe the week after. Are you doing it?

I do it because I love you all!

Today so far I have:

• been to my Chinese lesson
• done the shopping

and now as I'm home alone (DH is at the rugby and DS2 is out) I have spent some time with my cookery books/low carb counter websites working it out. I quite enjoy doing this kind of thing so, so it's not a hardship!

Re the plan, yes I am doing it, but I have realised I have a meeting on Tuesday where the client is providing lunch. I have already asked for a salad, but have no idea what that means I'll end up with!

Are you sock puppets, Black/Timid?!

BIWI I am worried about the effect on Black's morale seeing what she could be in 20yrs time!

I keep telling you I don't know how you cram all this stuff in. Today I have... had a cup of tea, read the paper, had another cup of tea, watched some Big Bang Theory Boxset I got for Xmas, had another cup of tea...maybe I need to brush up my time management skills

Black Not quite evil twins then, but you are now stuck with the label anyway! I am on the 23rd.

My DS1 is 21 on 28th. How on earth did that happen?!

Today:

Greek yoghurt
Grilled chicken and bacon salad at McDonald's (7g carbs apparently was actually quite filling)
Chunk of Camembert
6 sugar free toffees/chocolates from Thorntons which have resulted in a very runny rear end for the last hour (sorry if TMI). I do not recommend. I was warned.....
About 8 salted roasted macadamias
Tea will be vegetable soup - sprouts, leeks, cabbage, broccoli

Nihao BIWI! Is there no area of life in which you aren't an inspiration?!

I have a 'Teach Yourself Complete Hindi' CD set which has been sitting next to my computer for one year - unopened!!

I've been doing it for years now. Supposed to be sitting a GCSE at some point, but am miles off that ever happening.

Oh Timid, I love the Big Bang Theory! Have spent today watching bloopers on Youtube. Can you tell I didnt have much to do?
DS is ill with a cold, so was asleep most of the day, the girls were out all day, DH was "pottering"! I did also manage to cooked lamb for the first time. It was delicious! Pricey, but tasty. Not sure how often it will feature on my menu :(

Dosh, I love the chicken & bacon salad at McDs, its very surprising how filling it is! I tired sugar free sweets, did nothing for my erm, problems! What I wouldnt give for a runny bottom now & again ....

Biwi, you are so lovely & so random! Meant in the nicest possible way! :)

Today:
Tuna and coleslaw and braised cabbage (random breakfast)
Prawn mayo salad
Halloumi and buttered courgettes

Some peanuts
SOme vodka and soda

Gawd I LOVE this woe.

And BIWI, I love you too.

You are a star, looking after all us lot. I don't think you can have any idea how much happiness you are bringing to all us losers!

Seriously - I have lost a stone and never enjoyed my food more.

My self confidence has grown so much. It wasn't ME - it was the food I was eating that made me hungry all the time.