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Low-carb diets

I really need BIWI to help me

20 replies

Abouttime · 05/08/2013 16:41

So I've posted a couple of times before & you have helped me lose 1 stone since spring bank holiday in May. I'm 5foot 2, was 11 stone 2 lbs & currently 10 stone 3 with my bmi being 26.4. I need to lose about another stone but I'm really really struggling.

I hate veg. I've tried to keep eating it in the hope I will eventually like it but I just don't. I do not like broccoli, cauli, sprouts, celeriac-I only like peas, carrots, sweet corn, mange tout, green beans are ok & leeks.

The same goes for tea & coffee. I've tried every different one going but I've never liked them. I hate water even with ice, lemon, lime etc but I like flavoured fizzy water, Pepsi max, coke zero, (not even diet Pepsi or coke) so I have mainly drunk fizzy water with a can of something every day.

I know this is not the way that works best but its the only way I can do this.

Fatty meats also don't cut the mustard for me. Love chicken breast, beef & pork but not the fatty cuts or lamb.

I have looked at the recipe thread & find most of them contain foods I just hate.

My daily menu looks like this:

B Greek yog, dbl cream, & strawberries/raspberries/blueberries or omelette cooked in butter or scrambled eggs with butter & cream or bacon, 2 x tomato sausage (the only ones I like)

L if I'm at work - ham, cheese, crispy bacon rashers, chicken breast with iceberg lettuce, cucumber, tuna mayo with a bit of onion, cucumber, red pepper(ned these added or I can't eat tuna), basically a mix of these things.

L if I'm at home, same as above or egg based or Greek yog, cream & berries.

D same as above, baked to perfection fish in sauce, etc.

There is only veg if I eat the ones I like, I am eating butter, full fat mayo even tho I'm not a fan, cream, avocado.

Is there anyway you could tailor the diet towards what I actually eat?
I know it's pathetic that I hate loads of food but I actually like more now at 37 than ever before.

I'm also a terrible cook which doesn't help. I work 3 days, have a DP, ds17 & dd2.2. I don't have to cook for DP or DS so happy for food just to be for me.

I've had pnd which has been hard but I'm much better now. I actually weighed 10 stone 4 a week after my DD was born so I know my weight gain hasn't helped with my mood.

Please help me. X

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LokiTheCynicalCat · 05/08/2013 21:07

I think hiding or disguising the taste of the veg might help a bit - would it? They're all boring as hell boiled up, but if you can bring yourself to be liberal with the herbs and spices it might break you out of the rut.

How are you with vegetable soup? Corn, peas and carrots are all quite high in carbs, but if you could face a cauliflower or broccoli soup with ingredients that disguise the taste, maybe that might help.

I make cauliflower soup with a big spoon of curry powder - nice and spicy and changes the taste, or with a handful of grated cheddar mixed through it and loads of black pepper. One of the extra large cauliflowers that you can get in the bigger supermarkets can make 4-5 portions of soup, thick and chunky, and I freeze it in portions so I don't have to think too hard about meals during the weekday. Same with broccoli and Stilton, I like blue cheese though broccoli by itself is about the most boring soup I've ever made. Also courgette, garlic and Brie soup is very nice. If you have a microwave at work you can heat it up every day.

Do you like olives? Think Greek salad for lunch or side salad with feta, olive oil, cucumber and tomato.

If you don't like fatty meats you can always compensate with oils, but be careful that they are high in omega-3. StirFry your chicken in coconut oil, with the mangetout, mushrooms, peppers (green pepper is better than red, if you can).

Open your spice rack, try to add flavor to everything. Cabbage sautéed in butter with oregano is brilliant, it makes it so much better. And you probably hate Brussels sprouts too - everyone does - but I find chopping them up, frying with garlic, ginger and bacon bits makes an amazing stir fry.

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GinOnTwoWheels · 05/08/2013 22:28

Do you like asparagus and swede? Swede makes quite nice mash.

What about green veg baked with garlic, cream and cheese - there's a recipe in the Jamie Oliver Ministry of Food book that makes this with leeks, but I had it with cabbage yesterday as thats what veg I had in.

Today I've made the pork stroganoff of the Bootcamp recipes thread (includes lean pork, onions and mushrooms in a creamy sauce - dead easy and quick) I'm having mine with steamed broccolli and fried courgettes all mixed together - disguises veg taste if you're not keen.

I like steak/home made guacamole (just an avocado mashed up with chilli and lime) with salad or roasted vegetable.

What about asparagus wrapped in parma ham or bacon with a fried or poached egg. Or roasted peppers and onions (not too many) and courgettes/mushrooms/squash - roasting changes the flavour quite a lot.

There was a thread on the food board a while ago that was easy meals - there were some good ideas on there, a lot of them being low carb here - I liked the look of the asparagus/spinach/tomato/chicken/cheese bake and there was one for roast cauliflower, which is lovely. You say you don't like cauliflower but what if it is baked into cauliflower cheese with cream, cheese and fried bacon? could be served with salad as a main meal.

When you say you don't like fatty meat - would you like something like slow roasted belly pork or duck where all the fat is buttery soft with deliciously crispy skin

What about a chicken breast with tomato mozarella and ham topping a bit like a pizza? Serve with salad - can you eat salad with most of your meals if you aren't keen on veg?

Have you seen the bootcamp recipe thread - is there anything on there that you like the look of? Do you like different cheeses for variety, if you are OK with cheese - appararently too much dairy stalls weight loss for some people. I hope I am OK with it because I went a bit mad at the supermarkets and now find that I have eleven! different types of cheese to choose from (I love cheese).

Do you like things like prawns/crab/squid/mussels/smoked salmon?

Hope that helps - my problem is I like too many foods - I could probably eat something different for every meal for the rest of my life and still not try every recipe and idea I want to - sometimes I wish I was more fussy, as the limited choice would give me fewer options to choose from!

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timidviper · 05/08/2013 22:46

Have you looked at the Idiot Proof Diet and the recipe book that goes with it? I have had some nice stuff out of that.

When I started the low carb bootcamps I'd have said exactly what you have said about veg but I am persevering and, although I wouldn't say I love vegetables, I have had some nice meals with them in IYSWIM. I agree the trick is not to boil them boringly but to use them differently, use herbs and spices, etc.
As an example I blitz cauliflower until it looks like couscous, add it to pine nuts fried in butter with added turmeric and a squeeze of lemon juice and cook till the same texture as couscous. Stir through chopped tomato and spring onion so it looks jewelled before serving with chicken breast.

There are a couple of ladies over on the bootcamp threads who have good blogs about food, if you ask over there I'm sure someone would link for you.

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timidviper · 05/08/2013 22:58

By the way your diet looks pretty good to me and, although you have odd bits like red pepper, there's nothing too disastrous. Salad counts as veg so you are eating some.
If you like leeks try finely shredding them, soften in butter with 1 crushed clove garlic if you like that. When cooked add a generous spoosh of double cream. You can serve it as it is or make this into a more substantial bake by cooking chopped bacon in the butter before adding the leeks then turning it into an oven dish, topping with cheese and baking till the top is bubbling and golden.
Green beans are nice, tossed in oil with added salt, chilli flakes and flaked almonds.

Do you like prawns in mayo or prawn cocktail? I eat that and avocado with shredded lettuce or use it to top a poached salmon fillet.

How about making a sauce for your chicken breast, there's loads of ideas using philly cheese or you could make a creamy curry sauce or green thai with coconut, etc

You sound like you are a bit low and are getting bored. Maybe try mealplanning for the week with some more interesting but easy recipes and see how you go.

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BIWI · 05/08/2013 23:09

Abouttime - firstly, really well done on losing that first stone!

When you say you're struggling, do you mean just with your food, or are you struggling to continue to lose weight?

What you're eating looks OK to me. There's absolutely no point including foods that you don't like. But please ditch the peas, carrots and sweetcorn! They really are way too carby.

I'm off to bed now, but I'll have a think about your food likes/dislikes, and will try and post something more helpful tomorrow.

I'm glad that you have recovered from your PND Flowers

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Abouttime · 05/08/2013 23:59

Aww thanks everybody for helping me.
I've just come to bed so will reply properly tomorrow but just wanted to add some more foods I don't like :(

Mushrooms & olives are my most hated foods.
I've made broccoli & cheese soup but hated it. Kept trying it but never again.
I like prawns with Marie Rose sauce & something crunchy ie lettuce/cucumber as I don't like the texture. Hate smoked salmon but like salmon fillet. Hate mussels, crab, lobster. Don't like tomatoes, duck or squid. I do like swede (only just) & I have bough coconut oil from Sainsburys (£6!!) but really don't like the taste when using it to cook eggs etc.

BIWI what I'm finding hard is eating the same food because I'm so fussy. I've adapted my drinks because if I want this to be my woe then this is the only way it would work.

With food it seems I live on 'snacky' type foods. I would really love to like more foods & I've tried but failed.

I used to live on bread, cereal, fruit, rice & cakes!
Never been a big fan of sweets, chocolate bars, crisps, biscuits or alcohol.

I still miss cereal but have been fine with no bread which I thought would be the hardest. I miss fruit but manage with berries.

I'm bored with food & I need more variety.

You are all wonderful for taking time out to help me :)

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WillieWaggledagger · 06/08/2013 08:18

like viper i think your meals you've listed look fine, but if you're bored then that doesn't help! (I am the sort of person who can eat the same meals for days on end though)

how do you feel about:
courgettes (you can get yellow ones which are much less bitter if that is a problem)
curly kale
spring greens
fennel
spinach (fresh baby spinach raw in salad is nice)
watercress
rocket
aubergine
different types of cabbage (red, pointy, savoy, white)

no worries if you're not keen on any of these, just trying to list some that you haven't mentioned

as others have said, veg can taste different when cooked in different ways or eaten raw, like spinach. do you like coleslaw? the raw cabbage has a good crunch, and you can have a small amount of carrot too (i find a little goes a long way in coleslaw). this slow braised creamy cabbage recipe is very popular and tastes nothing like any other cabbage i've eaten, and i've used the cooking technique for other veg, like kale, spring greens, broccoli and cauliflower

it does sound though from your post that it's particularly a texture thing that you have problems with, especially 'slippery' type textures? if so maybe experimenting with raw versions of veg might help as they are crunchier and can be mixed with mayo or oily dressing to increase your fat this marinated raw cauliflower salad for example - different veg could be substituted too, and using shallots instead of onion etc

personally i prefer chicken breast to fattier cuts like chicken thigh (though i love pork belly, duck etc) and i up the fat by roasting in plenty of butter, basting well throughout, and serving with a buttery/creamy sauce if hot, and mayo if cold

sorry for mammoth post!

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WillieWaggledagger · 06/08/2013 08:28

oh, do you like mince? i use the fattiest kind of mince (often have to look on the bottom shelf of the supermarket as everything else is lean) and cook it long and slow so it isn't chewy as mince sometimes can be

i usually cook everything up on the hob (e.g. bolognese sauce), then put it in the slow cooker for a few hours to break down the meat - the fattiness disappears into the sauce

the same with fatty stewing cuts of beef (taste the difference beef shin in sainsbury's is cheaper than their basics lean stewing steak!) - long slow cooking means the fat dissolves into the sauce and you really don't notice it

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goodasitgets · 06/08/2013 15:07

I'm not keen on broccoli and blue cheese soup but I made a cauliflower and cheese soup (used a mature cheddar and that was nice)
It's blended so its smooth too

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BIWI · 06/08/2013 16:41

Abouttime - tell me which of these veg you do like:


Watercress
Spinach
Celery
Asparagus (raw, boiled or canned)
Cucumber
Spring Onions
Lettuce
Fennel
Courgettes
Avocado flesh
Turnip
Pumpkin
Runner beans
Swede
Bean sprouts
Carrots
Green pepper
Baby sweetcorn
Aubergine
Leeks
Okra
Tomato
Mangetout
Shallots
French beans
Cabbage
Yellow pepper
Carrots
Orange or red pepper

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BIWI · 06/08/2013 16:45

Also, how are you with spicy foods?

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BIWI · 06/08/2013 16:46

And what about fish? I can see that you don't like seafood, but is other fish (apart from smoked salmon!) OK?

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Abouttime · 07/08/2013 20:14

Sorry guys, been in bed for nearly 24 hours with a migraine. Only just starting to feel better.

Thanks for all the advice.
BIWI I like the following/can eat the following without gagging:-
Watercress
Spinach
Celery
Fresh griddled asparagus
Cucumber
Spring onions
Iceberg lettuce only
Avocado
Swede
Beansprouts
Carrots
Leeks
Mange tout
Shallots
Red pepper
Cod
Haddock
Sea bass
Poached salmon
Spicy food is fine
Tinned tuna
Mince but only lean

Actually writing this down has made me realise I do actually like a lot of foods.

I do eat mashed swede, creamed leeks which I like.

I've tried roasting courgette, aubergine, cauliflower but still don't like them.

Does anyone have any mince recipes as I like mince a lot?

For tea yesterday I had 12 asparagus spears & 3 poached eggs but was still hungry.

Today I've only eaten 3 eggs scrambled with butter & cream, baby bel & Greek yoghurt, blueberries & cream.
Hardly drunk anything though.

It lunchtimes at work I find really hard. I have a microwave to use but no kettle.

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BIWI · 07/08/2013 20:18

Right. I shall get to work with your list!

Don't despair. We shall find something to sort you out.

(BTW - you really, really, really need to drink plenty of water, especially if you're a migraine sufferer)

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goodasitgets · 07/08/2013 21:30

How about chilli? Minus the kidney beans, have it with sour cream and a bit of grated cheese? Or homemade guacamole if you like it

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goodasitgets · 07/08/2013 21:31

Oh for a snack tinned tuna mixed with full fat mayo and chopped cucumber/pepper whatever you want and scoop it up into iceberg lettuce is nice

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BIWI · 09/08/2013 12:12

Abouttime - you say you don't like tomatoes, but what about a tomato sauce? I make meatballs which I serve with a tomato sauce and lots of parmesan. Would that suit?

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BIWI · 09/08/2013 12:33

Meatballs and tomato sauce

For the meatballs:

500g beef mince (ideally steak mince if you can - any if you can't!)
1 red pepper
2 banana/echalion shallots
2-4 cloves garlic, depending on taste
1 red or green chilli, if you like a spicy taste
couple of rashers of smoked, streaky bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil

Put all the ingredients, except the mince, into a food processor and blitz till finely chopped

Add the mince and the oil, season with salt (be generous with the salt) and pepper, then process again till it's all amalgamated

Tip out onto a work surface/chopping board and form into meatballs - roughly the size of a large walnut/ping pong ball, put into a baking tin

Bake in a hot oven for around 20 minutes, till they are nicely browned. (Check them after 10 minutes and turn over if necessary - to stop them sticking/burning)

Whilst the meatballs are cooking make the tomato sauce:

1 x carton of tomatoes (I use Sainsbury's Basics, in a carton, as they are relatively low in carbs - if you can't find those, use any tinned tomatoes, but look for the lowest carb count)

2 shallots, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
dried oregano, salt and black pepper

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, then gently fry the shallots and garlic until soft
Season with oregano and salt/pepper
Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil, then simmer

If you like/have any fresh basil, this is lovely to add instead of the dried oregano.

Serve with lots of grated Parmesan (or mature cheddar if you prefer).

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BIWI · 09/08/2013 12:35

Marinated Salmon or Chicken

Salmon steak per person/Chicken breast per person

Marinade for 4-6 pieces:

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsps sesame oil
2 tbsps light soy sauce
juice of a lemon or lime
black pepper
sprinkling of dried oregano
sprinkling of dried chilli flakes (optional)

Mix together.

If it's for salmon:

Put salmon pieces into a (non-metal) dish, pour marinade ingredients over them
Leave to marinade for at least 30 minutes
Wrap pieces in foil and bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes

If it's for chicken:

Skin the chicken breast - then slice each breast into 2 or 3 long pieces (depending on the size of the breast)
Marinade as above
Before cooking, thread each piece on to a skewer and then grill or cook on an oiled griddle for c. 10 minutes, or until properly cooked through (i.e. no sign of any pinkness)

The chicken skewers work really well on the barbecue. The salmon will be a little more tricky, given that it's more delicate and not quite so robust to handle, but could work if you put the foil parcel on the barbecue.

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BIWI · 16/08/2013 11:11

Abouttime - are either of these any good? Do you need more?!

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