A new low-carb support thread for 2016

mcem I use quince jelly as a sauce for roast duck and just stick a spoonful in when I make gravy. I am sure it would work well as a glaze. Our roast veal was delicious and I did the cauliflower dish which has become one of our favourite potato substitutes. I cook it in water for a few minutes then put it in the oven with grated cheese (pecorino today) and butter to brown.
We didn't have chard as it was too wet to venture into the garden to get it, so I did carrots in balsamic vinegar and garlic instead.

The only time I've had stomach cramps was the other day when I was tempted to eat 2 slices of toast because I wanted to try the quince jelly I was given for Christmas. Now wondering if it would make a nice glaze for duck breast I'm about to cook?
I'm very lucky that my 15yr-old DGD is very keen on the gym and very sensible and encouraging about the whole low-carb approach.
Haven't strayed far but looking forward to the gym on Wednesday!

I'm looking forward to getting back on track. Christmas is difficult because you're catering for and eating with people who don't want to restrict sugar or starch over the festivities. It's carb city in DD's house with three very slim, healthy and lively teenagers. I made some spelt bread and took it with me for the occasions when carby snack meals were unavoidable. It was a great success. The DGDs loved it and I didn't suffer any bloating or stomach cramps.

Like others, I'm sure wheat is the devil incarnate. I only have to walk down the bread aisle in a supermarket for my stomach to cramp.

Our favourite breakfast is scrambled eggs with crispy fried mushrooms.

Like you GA I suffered when I slipped off the low carb eating over Christmas - not sure if I blame the wheat or the sugar (though think it's the latter for me) but within a day back on track everything is fine again.

Finishing off the final bit of the ham tonight with cauliflower curry (onions, peppers, chilli)

And no alcohol.

Can we please have a smug emoticon for dry January GNHQ?

GA My doctor has made me cut down the BP medication very slowly, but for the last four months I have been on half a "water" tablet only (about 12g depending how accurately I halve it!). My BP has stayed at about 110 over 70 so I hope she will let me stop this week. I am practising the "thinking about waves breaking gently on the shore" bit for the test in the surgery!
Fortunately we never have to wait for the appointment here.
I love shopping in charity shops in the UK and am thrilled with the Max Mara coat I bought on my last visit.

The great thing about this way of eating is that it's so ridiculously easy that even though I ate a few mince pies and a few other sweet things over Christmas I know that today I can get back to it and will very quickly lose the couple of pounds I've put on.
One thing I did notice though is that the reintroduction of sugar/wheat immediately brought back acid reflux and for three days I had to take my omeprazole again. I'm pretty certain it's the wheat that's the culprit. This year I'm hoping that my doctor will agree to me coming off my blood pressure medication.
I too have had the 'problem' of needing to buy lots of new clothes and I've managed to buy some really lovely things in the charity shops. I did get some money for Christmas and have treated myself to a Nicole Fahri dress in the sales for £57 (reduced from £190 - who pays that for a day dress?), which is right at the top end of my budget and a black coat by Precis for £99 (reduced from £299!!!). I hope they hold their re-sale value if I lose any more weight; we have a posh second-hand shop in town that seems to do a busy trade - although I'm flummoxed that people pay fortunes there for used clothing when we have about eight charity shops here.

I put on several pounds over Christmas and since cutting back drastically on the carbs have lost all but one and a half pounds. I was expecting it to come off again fairly quick so now I'm really back to the slog to get rid of the established stuff!

Thanks for the breakfast suggestions, I'm cutting back on the toast to one round in the morning with egg or cheese. (Have a toast addiction!.) I was doing the 5:2 diet but had more or less stabilised and not loosing so I'm going to try a bit of a combination! Got to jolt my metabolism into losing a bit more somehow! Doctor says I need to shift another stone!

Not, back home yet and struggling with the oven in this house so treated myself to a new Ramoska when I was in lakekland yesterday.

Very low carb yesterday. Finished off the savoury cheesecake I made for new years day with a salad and, used up some roasted ham I'd also cooked for NYD with cauliflower cheese cooked in Ramoska.

Only carbs were the base of cheese cake (very thin) used GF oat biscuits and 1 teaspoon of cornflour to thicken cheese sauce.

Getting back in the swing.

Yes it will be nice. We get three weeks of light and sunshine, OH gets respite from arthritis pain and we get to see our son, DiL and grandchildren.
Waking up to sunrise on the Mediterranean takes a lot of beating.
The drive down is a bit of an epic though.
From a food perspective we get fabulous ingredients and even the odd curry, which is a treat to us rural French dwellers!

As the GC left yesterday today will be my first full day - I'm looking forward to getting back on track.

Breakfast was small amount of baked beans, two fried eggs and chopped anchovies & herbs sprinkled on top - looked very colourful!

I would have had Anya's eggs but my oven is on the blink - this will be a problem as I like to roast peppers, courgettes, cauliflower, etc. it's not the same done ratatouille-style in a pot

In the slow-cooker for later are chicken thighs, red onions & carrots with Moroccan spices.

Wish I were off to Spain!

How are people doing? We have been very low-carb since the family went home and the Christmas excess weight (which was only a couple of pounds) has now gone. There wasn't much fish in the market yesterday because of the storms in the Channel, but we managed to get red mullet which we had with preserved lemons and coriander, with spinach and saffron baked celeriac. Tonight we are having pot-roast veal with oven-baked cauliflower with parmesan and swiss chard. Lunches have been soups or salads as normal.
We are off to the south of Spain in a couple of weeks and looking forward to the wonderful fish, fruit and veg in the markets.
Anya that breakfast sounds delicious. Have you got your kitchen back yet? It must have been very hard for you.
We will set off to Spain with a load of kitchen "stuff" in the boot. Have got fed up with rental properties that don't seem to take account of people wanting to cook, so now have a permanent holiday kitchen box. Bonkers but true.

Well, the last 10 days were a disaster- but not as much of a disaster than as usual ;) - I won't beat myself about it- and look forward to getting home next Tuesday and go back to very ow carb and the spiraliser Happy New Year and ... Bonne Chance.

mcem I still lie in bed and enjoy being able to see my hipbones.
I have spent a fortune on new clothes over the last two years, but having got to size 10 I now get loads of cast-offs from my DD. I do think you find nicer things in the smaller sizes in charity shops too.
We gave ourselves a tagine for Christmas and I have been experimenting with it this week. I think it cooks very well as the lid seems to funnel the steam back down and keep it very moist. I did a fish tagine with squash, aubergines, peppers, preserved lemons and various spices and it was really nice. Everything can go in with no pre-cooking so seems quite convenient and easy. No couscous though!

My usual breakfast is berries and a tablespoon of double cream. Keeps me going till lunchtime. Quick and easy.

My favourite breakfast is..

Line a muffin tin with Parma ham (or similar) drop in an egg. Top with teaspoon of cream and grated cheese (Parmesan is best) and bake in oven for about 15 minutes. Two of these make a lovely filling breakfast.

Thanks for new thread Mamie

You will feel energised on this diet and will naturally 'exercise' more inasmuch as you have the energy to get up and do things rather than feeling tired and lethargic - as many people feel if they are overweight and 'getting on a bit'.

Happy New Year and thank you!
Prompted by the original thread I embraced this regime with gusto and have found it so far to be simple and successful.
My main problem was my flabby belly area so one measurement I've taken is at the navel/hipbones.
As my hipbones have reemerged that measurement has dropped from 42" to 37" and the critical waist measurement is fast approaching the target 32" -currently 33" from 36".
I feel more energised and am looking forward to getting back to the gym on Wednesday.

Now for the complaint. Three of my favourite trousers need to be altered as I can now get out of them without undoing the zips and buttons!

Ps my preferred breakfast is porridge with fruit (blueberries today). Although not low in carb's, porridge has other health benefits I believe and is very filling so no need for anything at all before lunch. Also have all day to work it off.

Breakfast ideas - eggs in every shape and form, bacon, sausages (with no added bread or cereal), full-fat plain yogurt and red berries, smoked salmon.
We have been maintaining rather than losing for a year now and have added muesli and yoghurt back in to the diet. We make our own though, to avoid added sugars. We have eggs a couple of times a week, bacon on Sundays and sausages a few times a year.

Thanks for this Mamie I'll be back on the programme tomorrow when the GC have left.

NFK if you normally have two slices of toast, try just one plus a fried/poached egg. Definitely ditch the cereals.

Any ideas for breakfasts? We're a toast or cereal household! Doomed!