Low-carb support thread 2016 Part 2

Welcome to your new home. You sound very happy

Thanks for the warm welcome guys. Really, really good to have your support. No idea what I weigh, will find out the 'orrible truth when I get on the scales at swimming pool tomorrow!
Enjoy your new home BBb.
I've been playing with a spiralizer (cheapie made by oxo) Here's a Canadian recipe. Serves 4 people

Spiralized butternut squash with apple, lentils and nuts.
Make dressing with
4 tsp ( or less) of maple syrup
1 tblsp balsamic vinegar
1 tblsp lemon juice

7 oz butternut squash, spiralized
1 eating apple, cored.. keep it whole to spiralize
2 tsp oil
1-2 cloves chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups cooked Puy lentils (or less)
2 tblsps chopped parsley
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)
Stir fry squash noodles 2 mins, add apple and garlic and cook for another minute . Add lentils, dressing and parsley, heat through and you're good to go.

Glad it went well BB. Nothing like the combined euphoria and exhaustion of a long-awaited move. ?
Recipe sounds nice Bluebell but think for low-carb I would leave out the maple syrup, lentils and cranberries. Balsamic vinegar is frowned upon, but I like it too much to substitute it with a lower-carb one. ?

Can anyone recommend a good carb counting book- I have some old ones but none of them are very user friendly. I'd rather have a book than an app. as it is easier to carry around with me & I have my shopping list on my phone s would always being switching between the 2 while shopping.
After a great loss of 7lbs in the first week I have stuck. I suspect I am eating more than 20g of carbs a day although I thought I was doing OK.
Lovely butternut squash lasagne tonight- I never thought the day would come when DH ate squash instead of pasta but he is really enjoying this way of eating ( just as well as I only started doing it for him in the beginning!)
I like to try recipes from all sorts of sources rather than stick to Diet Doc or Moseley so I need to work things out for myself.
I am very tempted by Tom Kerridge book from what I have read on this thread.

BTW does anyone know if Butternut squash freezes well? I have a heck of a lot left over & loads of soup in freezer already. I'd probably cook it first. I was wondering about freezing cooked cauliflower rice too. For just the 2 of us a cauliflower does about 4 meals.

I freeze butternut squash and it is fine. I just cube it and stick it in a bag. We still have some whole ones from last summer down in our cold storage room. I think Anya had a carb counting website link (though I may be wrong).

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201703/medium-318801-cal-counter.png https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201703/medium-928510-carbs.png

Craftycat, I have a pocket-sized book which gives the calorie, carb, fat and fibre contents of a portion of most basic foods and made dishes. It is set out in alphabetical order which makes it easy to use. I bought it on Amazon.

Thanks Shysal- I've ordered it. After the first week the weight loss has slowed right down so I think I need to see exactly what I am consuming. My husband- who has a sedentary job is still doing well but he has a heck of a lot to lose!

Try this

None of them is perfect but this is NHS based and fairly comprehensive. Otherwise google Nutrition Data and enter the food. That gives you everything!

Hello. Would appreciate some advice from you all. We have a family traditional tea celebration get together planned in a few weeks time. One daughter in law is just beginning a very low carb eating routine, almost no carb. Obviously we don't want to cause her problems but I am seriously struggling to know what to include other than salad with cheese and meats that she can enjoy worry free. I am going to feel mean as it is having a table full of traditional tea time treats, the rest of the family (6 adults and 3 children) are not eating low carb and wouldn't appreciate it at all if the usual tea time food wasn't there. I eat gluten free so in reality eat very little bread as I dislike GF bread but I can and do enjoy GF cakes so don't feel hard done by on these occasions. Daughter in law also doesn't eat any chocolate so I can't include this as a treat for her. I know you all are very used to low carb eating and hope you can advise me. Thank you so much.

Is it buffer style or a sit down tea cornergran?

I was just about to suggest the pear and chocolate brownies, but see that those are no good! You can do a cheesecake recipe with a nut base and cream and cream cheese topping, maybe with strawberries or raspberries? I would do stuff like cream cheese wrapped in thin ham or salami, maybe dates wrapped in bacon (though dates are not strict low-carb), cherry tomatoes etc.
It isn't easy though and feels more like nibbles for drinks than tea-time treats.
Will keep thinking. ?

Buffet, Anya, so spread out for all to see. I think our daughter in law is going to struggle anyway as she doesn't eat nuts, also hates butter and is 'iffy' with a lot of fish. Cream cheese and ham would work as others would eat that too - including me! She loves tomatoes, are they allowed? I just hate the idea of a segregated plate of food just for her, makes her look and feel. different, rather than respecting her choices.

Oh yes, she also doesn't like cream. Is she going to cope do you think or is she setting herself up to fail?

Frittata/crustless quiche cut into squares

Cherry tomatoes, mini mozzarella & basil leaf on cocktail sticks

Cheese & small fruits platter (dates, dried apricots, etc) plus water biscuits. DIL can decide for herself if she wants the odd fruit and biscuit.

Cocktail sausages

All the above can be incorporated into the general spread and available to all.

No I don't think she's setting herself up to fail, it's just that traditional teas are a no-no for us low-carbers! All that bread, pastry, cake, scones, etc.

I rarely go out to tea for that very reason but sometimes have to if have overseas visitors as they request it.

It's much easier if it's a buffet, then she can pick and choose cornergran

Personally I'd do a nice big side of salmon as the centrepiece and have some nice cuts of meat too. I always do a cheese platter with grapes and walnuts, and various quiches, working on the premise us low-carbers can eat the quiche and leave the pastry if we so wish.

Lots of salad, tomatoes in garlic and olive oil, a Greek salad with feta and olives etc. Dips and crudités.

For 'pudding' a mixed berry fruit salad and cream.

Then just add in all the usuals to your buffet for everyone else. My daughter doesn't eat gluten so between us we often serve up a buffet where more than half is low carb and everyone seems happy.

Thank you. Looks like I don't need to fret, the new-ness had thrown me but it's just a case of increasing the amount and range of what would have been there already. I'm already amused as I foresee the look of horror on the faces of our sons when faced with all that healthy food. . It's my sort of food though so I'll be happy too.

Hello everyone is it ok if I join this thread ? I have only just noticed it. I have been on a low carb eating plan / new lifestyle since 21 January 2017 and I'm finding it the best way of eating for me. I can happily lose the pasta, bread and potatos because I can have olives, avocados, a little olive oil and butter, nuts and seeds. I have another 50lbs to lose, but have lost 19 lbs so far.

It's great to read all your stories and it will be good to have support going forward.

cornergran, there are low carb recipes on line using almond, chickpea or coconut flours, which you can buy in some supermarkets or shops like Holland and Barrett. The results are not always as light as wheat flour, but better than nothing. You could copy the idea in a TV advert, by putting all suitable items on a different colour plate from the rest, to save her asking. You will find some ideas on the Diet Doctor link in the original post. I hope the tea is a success. If all else fails give her a packet of pork scratchings!

Welcome Seasidenana and congratulations on your weight loss so far. Let us know if we can help.
The weather here keeps changing from sunny and 21° to windy, cold and 12° overnight. We had barbecued spicy pork chops with salad last night and smoked sausage and cabbage soup the day before (leading to very impressive overnight loss of weight due to endless peeing ?). Tonight we are having pan-fried sole, with a couple of sweet potato oven chips, tartare and salad.

Hello everyone. Hope you're all doing well. I only started last week. I'm vegetarian but managed well with tofu,eggs, nuts, seeds and smaller portions of pulses than previously. I cut out rice, pasta, bread and booze. So at end of week one I've lost 4 lbs

Well done Bluebell123. Are you able to have cheese as well?

Everyone seems to be doing very well. We are fully in our new house though still a few boxes to do. We are looking forward to the summer and walks by the sea. Also our own fruit and vegetables. Although we havn't had time to plant anything yet. Managed to keep LCHF even when things were a bit stressful

Still plenty of time to get your veg in BB when the ground warms up a bit. Glad to read you're settling in.

It's the same here Mamie - really warm earlier this week then temperatures plummet and the winds came. Started to garden then retreated indoors.

Bluebell there are lots of great LC veggie recipes so long as you eat cheese and eggs. That weight loss is impressive Seasidenana well done and welcome.

Hope your tea goes well cornergran - yes, you'll find your table looks more colourful and is certainly healthier too.