Moonwatcher's Primal/Calorie Counting Adventure!

[Atomic pink]

Really pleased to hear about your OH's blood results. Its excellent news and good that the surgery are so on board. I have a lot of sympathy this weekend with any diabetes related as we are having major problems with Spike's (one of my cats in case any one is confused!) glucose levels. Had no indication that his levels were wrong at all but was booked into vets this morning for us to be shown how to use a home monitor for him and his blood glucose was 1.5! He showed no real effects of it but gave me a real fright. He was just impressed at being rushed home and fed again.

Food is sounding good. What is the recipe you use for the flourless chocolate cake? I adapted the Sophie Dahl flourless chocolate cake for my birthday this week and its still my favourite cake. Might try and adapt it a bit more to change the sugar for coconut sugar or something else but I guess its never going to be something to incorporate regularly. More is the pity. Its the only cake that I can't ignore after the first day!

 

[moonwatcher]

Really pleased to hear about your OH's blood results. Its excellent news and good that the surgery are so on board. I have a lot of sympathy this weekend with any diabetes related as we are having major problems with Spike's (one of my cats in case any one is confused!) glucose levels. Had no indication that his levels were wrong at all but was booked into vets this morning for us to be shown how to use a home monitor for him and his blood glucose was 1.5! He showed no real effects of it but gave me a real fright. He was just impressed at being rushed home and fed again.

Food is sounding good. What is the recipe you use for the flourless chocolate cake? I adapted the Sophie Dahl flourless chocolate cake for my birthday this week and its still my favourite cake. Might try and adapt it a bit more to change the sugar for coconut sugar or something else but I guess its never going to be something to incorporate regularly. More is the pity. Its the only cake that I can't ignore after the first day!

Yes, we're really pleased about the results. We are ignoring some of the surgery advice tbh - they still push low fat, but the nurse is ok with the reduced carb idea, so he has just said he is eating more veg and salads with very little sugar and generally sticking to 'real food' for the majority of his meals. She is happy enough with that, especially given his results.

Have just replied about Spike on your thread. How is he doing this evening?

The flourless chocolate cake is from a thread somewhere on minis. I think it may be in the Atkins section, but not sure. I have one,maybe two Sophie Dahl books, so may see if I can find that recipe. Do you know which book it is in?

Edited to add link to the three minute flourless chocolate cake.

http://www.minimins.com/atkins-recipes/306199-flourless-3-minute-chocolate-cake.html

 

[moonwatcher]

Still on the subject of chocolate cakes I have found the flourless one in Sophie Dahl's Voluptous Delights Book. Is that the one? If so, what have you added to make it so lemony and good?

 

[moonwatcher]

Saturday 22nd February

Very little food in the house today until Tesco came in the evening. Instead of going shopping yesterday I decided to shop online, so couldn't get a delivery until today and had to go for the evening as I knew we would be out during the day. That has meant a bit of a mixed day foodwise. Call today a 20% type of day!

Breakfast - same as yesterday - gluten free cereal with milk and a little cream, plus some cooked blueberries (261 cals)

Mid morning - a slice of cheddar and an ounce of smoked pork sausage (176 cals)

Then we went to the circus! It was a special collaboration between the circus and a school/academy for dance/gymnastics. It was the story of the Wizard of Oz, told through dance, acrobatics, tumblers and aerial acrobatics etc. It was very good - very atmospheric, although a bit chilly in the big top.

We were very tempted by the burgers, hot dogs etc., but ended up sharing a pack of prawn crackers (tapioca flour, oil, prawns, salt and sugar, yep sugar, but at least it was the last ingredient!). OH decided to indulge in some of their chips, so we shared them too, but fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your point of view) it was the tiniest portion ever. I also had a plain black coffee (394 cals)

Dinner - jerk seasoned oven tray bake of butternut squash, chicken breast, onion, garlic, carrot and chorizo, cooked in a little coconut oil (527 cals)

Snacks - 3 pieces of dark chocolate ginger and orange flavour and 4 of G&Bs burnt toffee dark chocolate, a microwaved egg custard with lemon juice and cinnamon, (344 cals)

Drinks - water, milk in teas (60)

Totals for the day: calories 1742/1750, carbs 101

 

[Emmaline]

Circus sounds very interesting..and well done you for not giving in to temptation with the food. I'm sure a few chips wont make that much of a difference.

 

[Atomic pink]

Looks very good food wise given waiting for the delivery. The chips at the circus sound delicious and I think if you are going to stray from the primal path doing it in the direction of white potatoes is far far better than anything else.

I don't actually have the cookbook, I just found the Sophie Dahl recipe on the internet. Its the one where you whizz up the sugar and chocolate in the blender and then add egg yolks, butter and boiling water and then fold in the whisked egg whites. I swopped the chocolate for green and blacks lemon dark chocolate, used some zest and a little bit of juice. Its not a really in your face lemon flavour, almost a really strong "hint". I am definitely a fan though.

 

[MinnieMel]

Afternoon!

Completely forgot to report WI results! The scales have been kind this week and I have lost 2.4lbs! Very happy with that. I am sure it is in a good part due to the change to the lower carb eating, so I am not expecting the same each week, but it was a nice boost to see it on the scales. It also means that over the last six weeks I have lost on average just over a pound a week, which I am pleased with, as after the reset I had resigned myself to a loss of about half a pound a week.

Congrats on the loss! A pound a week is very good.

Really pleased to hear about your OH's blood results. Its excellent news and good that the surgery are so on board. I have a lot of sympathy this weekend with any diabetes related as we are having major problems with Spike's (one of my cats in case any one is confused!) glucose levels. Had no indication that his levels were wrong at all but was booked into vets this morning for us to be shown how to use a home monitor for him and his blood glucose was 1.5! He showed no real effects of it but gave me a real fright. He was just impressed at being rushed home and fed again.

Food is sounding good. What is the recipe you use for the flourless chocolate cake? I adapted the Sophie Dahl flourless chocolate cake for my birthday this week and its still my favourite cake. Might try and adapt it a bit more to change the sugar for coconut sugar or something else but I guess its never going to be something to incorporate regularly. More is the pity. Its the only cake that I can't ignore after the first day!

Happy belated Birthday!

 

[moonwatcher]

Circus sounds very interesting..and well done you for not giving in to temptation with the food. I'm sure a few chips wont make that much of a difference.

Looks very good food wise given waiting for the delivery. The chips at the circus sound delicious and I think if you are going to stray from the primal path doing it in the direction of white potatoes is far far better than anything else.

I don't actually have the cookbook, I just found the Sophie Dahl recipe on the internet. Its the one where you whizz up the sugar and chocolate in the blender and then add egg yolks, butter and boiling water and then fold in the whisked egg whites. I swopped the chocolate for green and blacks lemon dark chocolate, used some zest and a little bit of juice. Its not a really in your face lemon flavour, almost a really strong "hint". I am definitely a fan though.

The chips were a nice 'small' treat. I don't think I would have enjoyed a bigger portion but I agree - a potato cheat is definitely better than some of the other options!

That sounds like the same cake recipe Atomic, I have bookmarked it to try as I think it would work by replacing the sugar. I hadn't looked at the book for ages, but there are several recipes in there which look worth a try. In fact, I have her red cabbage recipe in the slow cooker now for tonight.

 

[moonwatcher]

Thanks Mel. WI today was a STS, but I'm ok with that as I have been over my calories a few days this week and with the cough and the concussion haven't even had my usual walks, so a STS is a result!

 

[Kat1e]

Hi mw - circus sounds fun and sts not bad at all x

 

[MinnieMel]

Thanks Mel. WI today was a STS, but I'm ok with that as I have been over my calories a few days this week and with the cough and the concussion haven't even had my usual walks, so a STS is a result!

STS always beats a gain!

 

[moonwatcher]

STS always beats a gain!

Exactly!

Food for today, Sunday 23rd February

'Breakfast' - two pieces of ginger and orange dark chocolate ( 48 cals)

Back to school tomorrow and a bit miffed that today is the first day I have actually felt well all half term! Anyway I needed to dye my hair (roots beginning to make me look like a mad cat woman, but wanted to wait until head healed up), so I am now dark chocolate cherry colour again. Cleaned the bathroom whilst it was taking, then cooked us a lovely brunch...

Omelette/ frittata with red onion, green pepper, philly cheese and smoked salmon, served with creamed nutmeg spinach and tomato! (559 cals)

Loaded up the slow cooker with a red cabbage recipe to cook nice and slowly for later, portioned up for the freezer some pork mince and also half a side of salmon that was on special offer from Tesco, made chili veg soup for tomorrow's lunch, sorted out some washing and finally sat down for some Sunday sofa time with a coffee and some chocolate...

Chocolate - three pieces Green and Blacks burnt toffee dark chocolate and three pieces ginger and orange dark chocolate (127 cals)

Dinner - smoked pork loin with red cabbage, apple, onion and spices and sweet potato wedges (650 cals)

Evening snack - microwaved egg custard with a spoonful of greek yogurt (165 cals)

Drinks - the coffee with cream, milk in earl grey teas and water (133 cals)

Totals for the day: calories 1682/1750, carbs 89g

 

[moonwatcher]

Hi mw - circus sounds fun and sts not bad at all x

Thanks. Yes, quite happy with a STS. Will hope for a loss next week.

 

[moonwatcher]

Back to work today. Not as bad as I thought it would be. The contrast between today and pre half term made me realise how stressed I had become.

Breakfast - gluten free crunchy nut flakes and milk/cream (200 cals)

Lunch - home made chilli veg soup, one ounce mixed nuts (these were organic and I expected them to taste better, but they didn't : ( (362 cals)

Got home about 3.45pm (definitely one of the bonuses of my job), prepared dinner for later and sat down with a coffee to watch an old film. Unfortunately I also managed to polish off a whole bar of raspberry dark chocolate. Weird - it definitely wasn't a favourite and I wouldn't buy it again because it was too sweet. I just couldn't leave it alone though - probably because it was so sweet. Cals for coffee and chocolate - 677!

Dinner - lamb meatballs with chillies, shallots and spices, spinach in coconut oil with nutmeg, leftover red cabbage mix from last night, roast butternut squash, greek yogurt with mint (460 cals)

Other drinks - water and one coffee with milk (13 cals)

Sitting down now with a big glass of water (to try to make up for the choc fest!) watching The Invaders from 1966 on The Horror Channel!

Totals: calories - 1712/1750. carbs - 86g .

Amazed about the calorie level and the carbs after that chocolate - good job lunch and dinner were both quite low.

 

[MinnieMel]

Raspberry chocolate? Hummm. I recently had some dark chocolate with blueberry and it was pretty good.

 

[moonwatcher]

I think the make was 'Divine.' They also do a ginger and orange one which I preferred. Blueberry chocolate sounds very good!

 

[Atomic pink]

I've had that raspberry chocolate before and it is dangerously moreish. The blueberry one is one of the Lindt ones isn't it? I've tried that one too and its quite nice, although I prefer their dark chocolate coconut one. That is really nice.

Lamb meatballs from yesterday sounds nice. And really good work to adjust calories to still fit into target after the accidental chocolate

 

[moonwatcher]

Think I will have to try the blueberry one when I see it.

Will update a bit later with food for today and yesterday. Had a lovely day at work today - took some year 9s on a walk into town as part of a Geography project and covered a great lesson on 'British Culture' for a very small group of SEN pupils which was fun. The other lessons were just easy ones compared to some days and then finished the day with an hour and a half of INSET training on working with ASD and Asperger pupils. It made me later back than usual, but was well worth it as the woman taking it is brilliant, and I always learn something from her. Only downside to the day was kippers and mashed cauliflower to eat tonight It didn't hit the spot at all and for some reason I have completely gone off kippers! About to have a 'sweet' egg custard to change the taste in my mouth!

 

[MinnieMel]

I think I bought the blueberry one at a Tesco.

Sounds like a fab lesson.

 

[moonwatcher]

I think I bought the blueberry one at a Tesco.

Sounds like a fab lesson.

I think I have seen it at Tesco, so will keep an eye out for it.

Yes, good lessons today - one of those days that reminds you why you do the job, as opposed to one of those that makes you think ' What am I doing here?' It isn't for the money that's for sure!