Week 7 - New Year Low Carb Bootcamp - Where We Get Tough!

[BIWI]

Morning campers

Here is the Spreadsheet of Fabulousness

This week sees the start of Ubercamp. This is entirely optional, by the way!

The idea is that we have three very strict days, keeping our carbs under 20g each day and consuming no dairy.

If you want to take part, I have put together three days' worth of meals as a guide - one which includes eggs and one which is an egg-free plan for those of you who don't like eggs. I'll also do one today which is purely fish-based.

As well as the meal plans, I've also written shopping lists and some recipes, where necessary, and the lovely Willie has put these on the spreadsheet - just look at the tabs at the bottom.

Day 3 for dh. He said he was really hungry this monring - found that the greek yoghurt and cream didn't really sustain him. Just as well I'd made him roast crown of duck with butter braised savoy cabbage for lunch then .

I've said to him that his hunger was probably a result of the fact that his body will by crying out for the sugar it's used to and that the craving should pass in a day or so. Was that right?

Tonight it will be a late supper as ds is at the velodrome doing track league, so we'l probably only eat about 9. Dh is going to make celery and stilton soup.

Hello folks, want to join you all. I am scared of gong very low carb a la Atkins as I am a Carby Queen and so want to just low carb without being too strict about it all.

Can anyone suggest a book or website? Will read through the thread to see what others have done.

Loving treat not cheat! A treat for me if we go out is scallops or mussels, or from the shop would be M&S creamy cheese and chive dip with cucumber sticks to dip in, pork crackling, really nice meaty sausages, halloumi cheese slices and roast chicken with crispy skin - any inspiration there? Black perhaps others can list what their treats are and you can make a list for when you need them?

So I accidentally had two breakfasts - scrambled eggs at home then went to an early meeting which turned out to be more breakfast - scrambled egg and two sausages. Whoops. No wonder my uber camp allowed 80g of salad has outfaced me just now!

welcome, jake!

what is it about atkins etc that scares you?

what are your aims with low carbing - to lose weight, for your general health? in fact, if you do go very low carb, the easier it is because you are less likely to crave the carbs at all once you've overcome the initial hurdle of reducing them significantly

BIWI has put together some fab info here and here, and we are following bootcamp rules, which can be found here

Dr John Briffa's book 'Escape the Diet Trap' is a popular start with respect to reading about low carbing

Hello everyone. I am at home looking after an ill boy.

Interesting thing happened. Got home late yesterday, needed to make dinner in a rush so the upshot was that I had bolognaise without any veg on the side. This morning I'm down a lb.

A lb is a lot for me.

I realise reading back that this is indeed not that interesting.

AuntieMaggie, the best and I mean THE best thing for so throats is a salt water gargle.

Add loads (approx. half a teaspoon) of salt to a glass and fill with warm water. Then gargle, especially last thing at night before you go to sleep. I often get sore throats and that is by far the best thing I've ever tried.

The other thing is gargling with warm water with a paracetamol crushed into it. Good if you're having to take paracetamol anyway as you gargle and then swallow.

Hope it eases soon. Take care and hope this helps a bit.

Black Come on evil twin! You and I both have birthday weekends to deal with and I can't promise I'll be perfect but we could both make an effort on the treat not cheat side couldn't we? I think I'll try even if not 100%.

I have just been reading a book about our mindset and weight which has been fascinating. It says one of the cruellest things we do to ourselves is have a perfectionist mindset which is where the "I've cheated so I'm not perfect therefore I'm awful/pathetic/fat and will really blow out now" bit comes in (which I can tell you I've done for years, remember I have almost 20 years start on you!).

If I get time later I will type some key points out and post for us all.

DH is panicking about my birthday because DD usually organises him but she is off on her gap year travels so he is totally bewildered. In an attempt to avert the wrath that could follow a crap birthday he has suggested taking me to Manchester for the day so I can pick my own present and have a nice day out at the same time.

Thank you for the links.....and the link to Bootcamp rules is fabulous. Am gong to bite the bullet and try it

I think it's the constipation risk which scares me as that has been an issue in the past. I am also reading Paul McKennas Hypnotic Gastric Band and thinking about comi inning this with Low Carbing as I have PCOS ...not that this matters since I am now beyond fertility. However, as my Mum has Type 2 diabetes I know I am at risk too,

.....and breakfast? What do you all eat for brekkie? Please not eggs eggs and more eggs

This morning dh and I had yoghurt mixed with cream I also had some blueberries but then I'm now on Boot Camp Lite You could add some cinnamon or a wee bit of pure cocoa. SOme people add vanilla powder.

You can have smoked salmon, bacon - or even left-overs from the night before.

BTW - I've not been constipated probably 'cos of all the water but I have needed to go less frequently (and seem to "evaucaute" less ). So you need to change your mindset of "needing" to go once a day (if you're that type of person).

If you don't like eggs, Total Greek yoghurt (full fat) is brilliant. Add some vanilla extract to it as well if you like.

Or - bacon and mushrooms? (Low carb) sausages and mushrooms?

A continental style breakfast - slices of ham and cheese, smoked salmon with cream cheese.

Or just leftovers from dinner the night before - no need to treat breakfast as a different kind of meal.

Thank you for those suggestions all.....and for the reassurance about constipation .

No there is a difference between constipation and just not needing to go for a few days due to a less productive diet ahem.....

Okay so I now need to go through the cupboard and check out the carbs. DS won't be doing low carb although I am looking at his diet as he is overweight (compulsive eating due to autism).

Is the John Briffa book the one called "Escape the Diet Trap"?

It is!

I am so enjoying trying out new meal ideas, this woe is a massive shove out of the food rut we had slipped into.

Tonight we had a sort of lasagne. Ragu base (minimal tomatoes, and lots of celery, even then it tasted sweet, oh how my tastebuds have changed!), then topped that with leeks sauteed in butter. Then top that with a small amount of cream and cream cheese melted together (doesn't need to be a whole layer, it will drizzle through). Then sprinkle on some grated cheddar and parmesan and grill until golden and bubbly. Inspiration was from here

We had it with broccoli. And for DD (18 months) I gave her a bit without leeks as she doesn't like them and mashed some broccoli florets into her ragu and creamy/cheesy topping. She loved it and no pasta in sight, woohoo!! This is a huge achievement as for a long time we have had to sneak meat and veg into her through the medium of pasta and she eats too much pasta so I am trying to wean her away from meals based on it.

Breakfast tomorrow I am making a break away from eggs and going to have bacon topped with sliced avocado, then a couple of sliced cherry toms, and a sprinkling of cheese. Might chuck some lettuce into the pile too, thinking a sort of BLT.

Welcome jake! I am new to this too, and really enjoying it though it is a big learning curve trying to remember which veg is how carby, and just rethinking your style of meals so that the carbs aren't there but you still have a proper meal.

I have found these easy substitutes for potatoes/rice/pasta: mashed swede, smashed celeriac, celeriac chips, planning to try these swede and parmesan chips, cauliflower rice, egg fried cauliflower rice. There are also various suggestions out there for courgette pasta and also shredded buttered cabbage or sauteed leeks make good pasta substitutes to go with whatever sauce/bolognaise you fancy.

Post your meal ideas if you are ever want any tips or anyone to look over it for carby-ness, everyone here has been really helpful! Good luck, hope you enjoy it

mumat it depends on how big the chicken pieces are, but I had 3 mini fillets and 3 mins was too much for them - maybe 2 would have been better. If they are big pieces then they will take a bit longer to cook through to the centre.

A wholehearted thumbs up BIWI for the coleslaw and burgers! DP delighted with burgers midweek, though he is mildly in my bad books as he has hidden the scales as he thinks I am 'getting too obsessed' with how much I weigh... He is probably right, I need to focus on how I look and feel, after all I am doing this with a big white dress in mind! Hence am not yet on the spreadsheet this week, Willie please don't delete me!

Haven't had a chance to catch up with the thread but had to say a huge massive thanks to BIWI for Ubercamp. I did a sneaky peek this morning and I've lost 2.5 kilos doing ubercamp! More importantly it's helped me with cutting out the snacking.

Littler miss don't worry I don't archive usually unless it's two weeks without weigh-in (and I never delete - I always keep the data in case anyone wants to be reinstated, I just archive so that it doesn't mess up me averages)

Also because I am a tardy slacker to give everyone te chance to record their weight I don't do spreadsheet fiddling until the end of the week anyway

Escaped from the sick room to look the thread. Only a couple of mouthfuls of lovely salmon and John dory, sauted leeks and courgette as dd ( sorry if tmi) threw up all herself and the floor. Then the bathroom. She picks up all bugs going:( after clean up couldn't face eating and ds felt much the same.

She is very poorly and at least can keep water down. Then ds woke up and wet the bed which he hasn't done for months so he is in my bed and we haven't seen dh since 8.30am and he won't be home til after midnight.

Sorry it's all me me me but I am reading all updates after I've vented:(

Lavender you poor thing (and your poor dd too)

Your post isn't me me me at all, it all sounds really tough

Have a virtual hug and a virtual cup of tea made by someone who isn't you. Not muh help practically I know, but we're all here to support emotionally