Thanks Marie, they didn’t check the HbA 1C yet but I know it will be good too. Potassium too high or low is a huge problem. In renal failure it’s one of the main things our kidneys can’t remove. Phosphorus is another. I had v high potassium levels which put me at risk of sudden heart attack. As I’ve already had 2, I certainly don’t want another. Plus I have the surgeries coming soon.
I just do what what I need to most of the time. I have to focus on small steps or I’d be overwhelmed. 3 of my conditions are predominantly genetic . One, PKD is a genetic kidney disease. My family had no history of it so I’m the unlucky mutant. Having said that, I have made the most of the many years of reasonable health. Getting past al that is ahead of me now there is the chance of a new life after transplant . Many don’t have that option. I might be repeating myself, but my dad is my hero . He has survived many major medical emergencies including cancer and heart conditions . It all started dramatically in his 60s. He’s 89 and so positive and encourages me. He always says I’ll be alright because I’m a fighter like him when it comes to hospitals! Thanks for your v positive message and best wishes for your success x

Esnecca, I have been using Netrition for about 5 years and am very familiar with Buttoni as she was one of the very earliest of the low carb food writers ( I still have a largely unused 5 lbs of einkorn ancient wheat flour per her experiments using that after the Gary Taube, Davis and others suggested the changes in modern wheat were potentially responsible for the obesity explosion in the late 90s). But I apparently overlooked the lupin flour recipe (too distracted by all her dumpling and noodle recipes for chicken and dumplings…..a old weakness of time ).

I have added regular baking yeast into low carb flourerless recipes solely for the aroma (found a great low carb Belgian waffle recipe that was my Sunday brunch celebration recipe for a while and wanted the aroma of yeast in it as well) but I have never used the nutritional yeast.

Also don’t have smoked salt on hand, but a pinch of pimenton smoked paprika should add a similar smokey tone and compatible with the cornbread, jalapeño and onion theme.

I agree with you about the coconut flour. I’m not nuts about it but use it in some recipes where it is a minor ingredient and when the flavor is dominated by say ground golden flax, which I like a lot. I guess part of it is that I tend to like substance over fluff and coconut flour is all about the fluff. And just so ya know…the ONLY thing I use canned parm for is coating and cauli mash (where it soaks up some of the excess moisture). Regiano all the way otherwise. Love just nibbling on a shaving of that fine stuff. It and aged gouda….love the salt/mineral crystals in the good stuff.

Lastly, I am SHOCKED…..so shocked….to hear that you modified a recipe. Noooooo. Can’t be.

Will have to try the lupin cornbread….my prior attempts were mosly coconut flour and a big disappointment. Now that we are in chili season a good piece of faux cornbread sounds perfect.

Milalin

I’ve just seen your post. I’ve been wondering how you were doing so I’m so pleased to hear from you.

I’m genuinely thrilled for you. Having perfect numbers so quickly, that’s fantastic. I read before about the potassium levels dropping but didn’t comment because I wasn’t quite sure what it meant ! – but it’s obviously good.

You are one impressive woman.

Take care
Marie x

Butterlover – I’ve still got a pram hanging around in our garage – now, that is going back some! Clearing out the garage is one of the things that go on my list of things to do every January for March/April. In March/April I decide it’s the garden that really needs doing. De-cluttering and losing weight – double well done that woman!

JulesP – At my heaviest I was 14st 4lb. When I started BSD at the beginning of August I was 13st 1lb. The only way I could go was to set small, but meaningful to me, mini-goals to begin with. After a few weeks I set a goal to get to the top of my healthy BMI (9st 11lb). Like you, it’s only now when I’m close to that goal that I’m beginning to think about the 8’s.

I definitely want to get to 9 stone. Then, I’m going to see where things are at. Like you right now I’ve still got a lot of fat around the tummy. I’d like to reduce my visceral fat and get to a good waist measurement.

Being at 8st something would be brilliant. 8st 7lb has a nice ring to it – and isn’t a pipe dream, Jules.
We can both get there – we only need to lose 1 stone and then a little bit more. Yeah!

Hope everyone is doing well – stick with it over the weekend.
Marie x

Thanks all for info, bin reading around and think I’m gonna aim for between 30-50g carbs and not worry too much about the others but keep cal close to 800, playing around with my meal plans I was struggling to get enough cals with too little fat.

Willothewisp found some tips for headaches! Half teaspoon of salt in a large glass of water (I don’t mind taking the extra salt as obv no processed foods at all at the mo) I had one a couple of hours ago and it did ease the headache, having another one now in hope of a better nights sleep as the headaches have been keeping me up. I’ve had it in warm water and actually quite enjoying the savoury hit, sites have also suggested bovril or meat stock as it’s high in salt. Science is cus your insulin is low your kidneys are excreting more water (I.e. The water weight loss) but at the same time more sodium so that is making the dehydration worse. The additional salt helps the body rebalance.

Hi everyone. I hope you’re all having a good week. I just want to update a bit and say how much I love seeing the notifications come up for this thread. I feel a bit mean that I’m not joining into the conversations more. But just reading others comments and discussions has really cheered me on.
Now having said that I’ve been having another iffy week. I haven’t settled down yet but I’m sticking to the principles . So I’m not posting a weight loss yet but given that I’ve been quite unwell and that involved an emergency admission I’m actually doing okay. Lots of tests revealed just how successful this is. I wrote before about my renal dietician being very sceptical of this diet for me. Yesterday she said my numbers were perfect . So she can only talk about exercise now! My potassium had dropped to 4.3 which is great for me. It just meant instead of my huge salads I am having small ones and now boil veges before I make dishes to wash off the potassium. I’ve worked out how to do it all successfully. I’ve also lost blood so I’m allowed plenty of protein. So I’m enjoying steaks.
I also saw another of my surgeons on Wednesday and it’s now planned to do 3 operations in one with 3 surgeons on the 25.1 he was really pleased with my weight loss and I’m aiming to lose another 4 kg before surgery.
Meanwhile with all my medical drama I haven’t had energy to cook and I’ve been in hospital so my go to is a variation on the no- carb ploughmans plate and when in hospital I order 2x sandwiches and just eat the fillings . In renal they are high protein mixed and no salt etc beef, egg, cheese, chicken etc I start the day with yoghurt and fresh berries. My snack is 10 almonds. I feel I’m going ok but a bit over on calories when I have extra nuts. Okay I’ll stop raving on now. Enjoy your journey, I eat the best I can afford and as fresh as possible. When I can I shop at a farmers market. Right now I’m enjoying fresh raspberries every day. Wishing you all every success, good health and happiness x

Great to read all the updates. I’m still on plan. Forgot about the headaches early on in this woe. I must be doing something right as I got a banging headache earlier today. Also this is the first day in a long time that I got through a 2 litre bottle of water. That used to be so easy to do. I did it. I’m feeling better. Hopefully the scales will show some movement shortly too. I’m back to skipping breakfast. Just coffee until 1ish when I had berries, yogurt and a homemade seed mix sprinkled on top. Dinner was mediterranean chicken. Continued success everyone!

Hi Laska I have mint as well and it’s my fake Mohito. I did add sweetener and 1/2 nip of Bacardi over the holidays but I’m back to the basic mint soda lime and ice now. With our hot weather I make a long glass and continually top it up. Works a treat as my fake cocktail in the evening. Best wishes

Hello All
Have posted this as a response to sunshine-girl on another thread – forgotten the name already – but makes sense to re-post here.

Hi sunshine-girl
What a pain about your Amazon account. I know I’ve had a couple of attempts on different accounts, too, hence my interest.
Here is the address of the cyber-security course I mentioned in the earlier post:
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/introduction-to-cyber-security
It’s titled Introduction to Cybersecurity. The start dates: 8th Jan, or 7th May. It runs for 8 weeks, 3 hours per week – run by the Open University.
To be honest, I started this course last September and unlike the other courses I’ve done, I gave up the ghost part way through – probably because it’s a course I feel I need to do rather than want to do. But I’m starting it again on 8th Jan – I’ve started so I’ll finish etc. But this time I’m going to take Esnecca’s approach and ‘romp through’
When I was looking for the above just now I also came across this course which might be worth looking at:
Cyber Security: Safety at Home, Online, in Life
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/cyber-security#section-overview
This runs for 3 weeks 3 hrs per week – run by Newcastle University
You can join now, 5th Feb or later….
I might well join this one at weekend and try to whizz through it before Jan 8th. May not need to do the longer one!
Hope this helps. Let me know how you get on.
Marie

Zolou you are standing firm on that surf board, well done! The oats sound good sueblue, I’ve always stuck to my Greek yoghurt and berries but think I’ll invest in a packet of oats, it’s gotta be good if no hunger pangs, even at 25g carbs. I agree I should just ignore the ‘snacking’ habit and do some mindfulness instead 😌. Feeling good about the BSD, good luck everyone.

You’re all so positive and doing so well!
I read a post this morning that mentioned ‘carb flu’ and it has played on my mind resulting in a bit of a lapse (wine and cheese) – I’m still under 800 calories but not very healthy. I tend to overdo it when I start and I know that can lead to over compensation but I have prematurely over compensated (POC) this time lol! Positive news I can feel that my tightest jeans are looser yay!
Loved Laska’s posts – sums it up for many of us I think. Well done MrsGettingthere with the biscuits! Natalie, SUNBURNED!, ha! not likely in my part of France any time soon.

I weighed myself…. 15 2! So 3lb down since Tuesday 😁
Weekend is going to be a struggle… we usually go out on Friday night and I’ve got all the little bods ( grandkids) on Saturday wanting sweets/ popcorn lol
So not weighing myself till Monday now. Fingers crossed I survive the weekend 😁

KazzUK, I don’t think you should only stick to green vegetables, you need a variety of vitamins and minerals from plants. Eat the rainbow, if only in small amounts. A couple of cherry tomatoes, a few carrot sticks, baby corn in a stir-fry. They are high carb compared to leafy greens but it doesn’t add up to much in small quantities. Just my opinion.

Hi everyone, I’ve managed to take back some control of my eating habits and have amazingly not found it too hard (even resisted freshly baked biscuits that I made with the kids)! I’m weighing myself every morning at the moment which is motivating me so much as I’ve lost everyday but I’m aware my losses will slow down and i need to remind myself not to suddenly become disheartened and undo the good work. Everyone is so supportive on this thread and it’s lovely reading all your posts 😊keep it up bsders

TC, I’m pleased to say the zonkdom is behind me now! At least the cheese won’t have messed up your blood sugar hormones, so hopefully you won’t have another withdrawal to go through.

Feeling heaps better today – still a bit blurry around the edges, but no problem with hunger (skipped breakfast which may have helped) and walked miles. First week done! Had the veg curry and cauli rice – everyone in the family enjoyed it. Also served up the egg and smoked salmon stacks at lunch and DH said it was a real treat.

I’m not diabetic or pre- as far as I know, but do have a hiatus hernia, which behaves much better if I’m not overweight, so that’s my motivation. This diet is perfect for me, because of the portion control as well as the macro balance. Sugar can be a factor in weakening the sphincter apparently, and those low-fat diets I’ve been on in the past where you can eat masses of volume can’t have helped.

Mmm SunnyB, lamb chops or steak, good plan, hope you enjoyed and that your scales fall back into line.

Well I had a ‘perfect’ BSD day yesterday; low calories and carbs, lots of water, gentle exercise. And I gained 0.2 kg! I think that’s about the same as your 0.4lb, SunnyB! I think I might be retaining some water because I got a bit sunburned yesterday at the zoo despite sunscreen and hat (I’m very fair). But I’ve gained two days in a row. I admit I was expecting a big loss in my first week, not this wobbling. Regardless, I’ll just keep going and know the weight has got to go sometime on this level of calorie intake.

Thank you for the support, I also have fibromyalgia and an autoimmune disease – so I am very concerned with how my body is going to react to such a massive change, but to be honest it cannot be worse than what the last 10 years have thrown at me!

I’m in, started in the 2nd to allow for a birthday party in NYC… I know who has a bday party on new years day. I last committed at the turn of the year 17, and lost 13kg in a few months. I kept at it for a while without being too strict. Felt great, bought new suits as I dropped a waist size, but then got complacent. Put 7 kg back on and just felt silly for doing it.

So here goes. Early days, but thanks to everyone for sharing and supporting.

Hi sunshine-girl

What a pain about your Amazon account. I know I’ve had a couple of attempts on different accounts, too, hence my interest.

Here is the address of the cyber-security course I mentioned in the earlier post:
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/introduction-to-cyber-security
It’s titled Introduction to Cybersecurity. The start dates: 8th Jan, or 7th May. It runs for 8 weeks, 3 hours per week – run by the Open University.

To be honest, I started this course last September and unlike the other courses I’ve done, I gave up the ghost part way through – probably because it’s a course I feel I need to do rather than want to do. But I’m starting it again on 8th Jan – I’ve started so I’ll finish etc. But this time I’m going to take Esnecca’s approach and ‘romp through’

When I was looking for the above just now I also came across this course which might be worth looking at:

Cyber Security: Safety at Home, Online, in Life
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/cyber-security#section-overview
This runs for 3 weeks 3 hrs per week – run by Newcastle University
You can join now, 5th Feb or later….

I might well join this one at weekend and try to whizz through it before Jan 8th. May not need to do the longer one!

Hope this helps. Let me know how you get on.
Marie

The nibs do not disintegrate. They barely soften, truth be told. They just lose that chip-like crunch but are still plenty toothsome. There’s even some flavor left after a 10-minute boil; just a lot less of it. I like the idea of using them as a fiber source. I could easily pop them in my dehydrator and dry them right back out to keep them shelf-stable. Then all I’d have to do is grind them to make a powdered fiber supplement.

Oh man, lupin cornbread muffins are one of the greatest of all bread replacements. Lupin flour comes from the lupini bean, not the fuzzy colorful flower. Because lupins are basically poison as picked, they need to be soaked for two days to be made digestible which is why the beans themselves can be hard to track down, and the flour even more so. Online is your best option. I get it from Netrition (https://www2.netrition.com/lopino_lupin_flour.html ). Check out the nutritional panel. Is that not a thing of beauty?

Here is the original recipe I found for lupin cornbread muffins: https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/lupin-flour-corn-muffins/ . (A ton of great low carb recipes on that blog, btw, including some phenomenal baked goods. You should definitely have a browse.) I probably don’t even have to say this, but I modified it a little (okay, a medium amount). I don’t like coconut flour in savory recipes, so I replace 1 Tblsp with oat fiber and the other Tblsp with ground psyllium husk. I also throw in a Tblsp of nutritional yeast ground to a powder. It injects a small additional hint of breadlikeness that I appreciate even when nobody else notices. I add one minced jalapeno, 1 minced green onion (16 grams or so), 1 tsp garlic powder and use two cheeses, 3/4 cup extra-sharp cheddar, 1/4 cup microplaned Parmegiano Reggiano (not the can kind; the fluffy texture and sharp, aged real stuff is necessary). I also replace two Tblsp of the olive oil with my homemade tofu mayo, although I bet drained silken tofu alone would work a treat as long as you blend it up until it’s creamy. Last but never, ever least, I add salt, 1/2 tsp Applewood smoked. Unforgiveable oversight that it wasn’t in the original.

The lupin flour is quite a happy yellow, so it works on every level to look like real conbread. When you make other kinds of breads with it that yellow tint can be a little jarring to people who are pining for Wonder Bread or whatever. I can’t imagine giving a rat’s ass, but takes all kinds, I suppose. It’s a little dry and there is a legumey flavor to it, so you do have to make a blend with other subs to get the breadiness you’re looking for. It is truly a blast to work with and I can’t wait for you to try it. 🙂

I tried making the broccoli bread. I think I used a too-big pan as it ended up thin and rather dry even with a runny egg on top. I don’t think I’ll be eating it but I will try making a half batch with the almond meal I have left, but thicker. Or is thick more like a little broccoli quiche?

Allie, the baked fennel with orange zest sounds great….something more interesting with fish than the same ole same ole I have gotten into a rut with.

I am on a jag with Spanish mackerel right now….love the stuff and its so good for you. It is now on a rotating with salmon with a very infrequent tuna steak now and then. And some sea bass.

Really miss orange roughy, which is too vulnerable for commercial fishing. Boo hoo.

Red snapper just too pricy and rarely seen in my fish market really fresh (plus investigations have found it is highly highly being substituted with less quality snapper and sold at the higher price falsely labbled as red snapper).

Bored by tilapia unless really jazzed up.

I grab up skate when I can find it. Need to give monkfish another go as I recently saw it at my Korean market looking much nicer than at our big upscale grocer.

Do rockfish and grouper once in a while but you need to buy them whole….which is a stretch for one person.

Any other favorites out there that I am missing out on? I love fish and am only limited by my laziness in needing to go to the market to buy it fresh the same day I want to have it.

I think the cocoa nibs tea is brilliant….you are so right that it would give you the dark bitter edge.

As for using them later….all depends what is left after brewing (do they disinegrate into nothingness) and if something is left….what does it taste like? I not much, then can use them for the fiber benefits in just about anything you want.

But lupin cornbread muffins are new for me….what are they? Do you have a link to a recipe for them? You have peaked my interest. Never even heard of using lupin in cooking. You amaze me with the diversity of stuff you know about. Hats off to ye.

Hi, all. I agree with Esnecca on the formula for establishing the moderate
level of protein that is compatible with this diet. I’m at ideal body weight
and have been in maintenance for 8 months. My protein is set at 50-55gm,
carbs 30gm, and the rest is allocated for healthy plant based fats. Excess
protein turns into glucose and then gets stored as fat.

I was very frustrated by the recipes in the book – but the actual recipe book gives proper food values, and a lot of the recipes look very adaptable.

Hello Esnecca, thanks for the advice. I will alter accordingly.

Chewsnoo, yes, that’s right. MFP is a US-based app and they follow the USDA’s atrocious labelling laws. That’s why you have to manually deduct fiber grams to get the net carbs.

I stay under 20 grams a day, a very strict limit because I am insulin resistant. Most people on the forum seem to aim for around 50 grams a day. It’s a bit of a sweet spot for remaining in a fat-burning state instead of the body reverting to burning carbs for energy. Anything in the 50 or fewer should work for you unless you have blood sugar processing issues.

WillotheWisp, Your protein is a little high, I think, depending on the amount of intense exercise you do and your goal weight. For most people a range of .5-1 grams of protein per kilo of ideal body weight is more than sufficient. Unless you do a lot of heavy weight training or Iron Man competitions, you don’t need more than that. Whatever protein is not needed for mucle building and repair will eventually be converted to glucose by the body. You could use more fat anyway so you can shift the excess protein grams over into the fat column.

Jackie and Marie, thank you for the sweet window into your childhood! We
could have had our own play group way back when 🙂 I guess that I’m still
at it now that I’ve essentially retired. So, it’s never too late to set our hands
in motion once again….Recently I’ve been working on handmade greeting
cards, some of which are multi dimensional, using die cut shapes and
embossed paper created with embossing plates. I ship them in clear 1″
card boxes. Yes, I must really get an iphone!!! I don’t need all the bells
and whistles, but a decent camera. Any suggestions would really be
welcome. Help!
Liz, your work is beautiful. I particularly enjoyed seeing the Herman Miller
office chairs! I use to install them in board rooms and in private offices.
What a nice memory to recreate in miniature. You have clearly been busy
with your hands for decades and are multi talented. I liked the cat story too!
We’ve always had a pair of siamese, and they are particularly creative at
disturbing those still asleep at 5:00am. We used to own a large home in
rural Connecticut with a full basement. The felines would crawl on top of
the forced hot air heating ducts and locate field mice that found their way
in over the winter. The best part is that they would carefully transport them,
very much alive, and deposit them on our bed! I’m sorry that you’re having
a problem with hair loss. Have you tried entering “hair loss” in the search
box?
Kazz, yes my friend I got your email. I’ve been having problems with that
program today and a reply is on the way. Alert me on the usual thread if
it doesn’t turn up! I didn’t know Belle made specialty celebration cakes…
I think she might enjoy seeing my sugarpaste flower decorations for wedding
and anniversary cakes?

Have a great evening, everyone,

Allie

Glad things are going well Nick C. Will look forward to reading your results – keep up the good work.

Hey V, I’m here, I have posted about this on a couple of other threads and given info on the Science of Nutrition courses running in Jan and March to a couple of interested people. I wont be doing anything myself although someone mentioned a cyber security course which I will look at as I got hacked over Christmas (very painful). I want to concentrate on my French and I have 3 courses in the pipeline which I never seem to get around to. Always interested in FL courses and they send me emails every week so if I see anything interesting I will post here (or other thread). By the way, I still have the Science of Nut on my computer as I completed it last year so could dip back into that but might see you in March.

Hello Chewnoo, I have just read on another thread 20g of carbs a day is the magic amount, but also read watch how much protein you eat. I have altered my amounts accordingly.

Having seen the ‘talk up’ of the Tom Kerridge programme on breakfast TV, I didn’t have the patience to watch the actual programme. It struck me that there was a hypocrisy in advocating something different to the method he had used to lose his weight, but also using himself as an example of what can be achieved. He also mentioned during the interview, that this ‘new’ diet was more inline with NHS guidelines – for me that said it all really.

I will continue to keep the faith with the BSD and advocate it at any opportunity.

Couldn’t agree more, Allie – and yet another thing we have in common 😊

I found the Tom Kerridge thing really annoying too. He said what worked for him, but got his victims doing something else! Fair enough to say not all diets will work for everyone and suggest alternatives, but why ONLY give alternatives and no info on the diet he followed and which he knows works??? It was a bit like going to the doctor with an infection and being told ‘antibiotics would clear that up no trouble, so here’s a plaster and a pint of lager’.

Did anyone see the thing about the two naturally slim people who didn’t exercise or diet? It was sort of interesting, but a bit misleading. They both did two hours really energetic exercise a week, which isn’t none! They also didn’t snack or drink alcohol very often, which would help keep the calories down.

Last night I blazed through half of a FutureLearn class on Tudor feasting and quickly became obsessed with adapting period recipes to the BSD. I had an idea that may be mad genius or just plain mad and I’d love to hear what y’all think of it.

The dish is Mortreus de Chare (http://www.godecookery.com/mtrans/mtrans17.htm ), a sort of savory pudding/polenta thing made of ground pork, stock, flat ale and thickened with bread crumbs. The bread crumbs I’ve got (stale lupin cornbread muffins have a perfect crumb for this sort of job, just like real corn muffins do), the pork will be sausage because I can’t bring myself to boil, chop and mash a roast, but what to do for the ale? First I considered a combination of lemon juice, Worcestershire, smoked salt and turmeric juice based in an attempt to capture the more bitter/citrussy notes of hops and roasted barley in the ale. No idea if it would work, though. It could just be weird and discordant, and it barely has any liquid at all so the chemistry of the cook could be off.

Then the lightning bolt hit. What if I made tea out of cacao nibs and used that to replace the ale? It’s naturally bitter, rich in flavor and comes out of the boil tasting vaguely reminscent of a flat stout. I’m also thinking of mole which uses chocolate’s richness to such fantastic effect. The only downside is I would not be able to eat those nibs once boiled and I can never get enough of those crunchy little nuggets of chocolatey goodness. Hmm… Maybe I could figure out a way to use them. Something to consider.

Yes, Theo, I haven’t had to share a bathroom in over 40 years, also! Some
things are just better left to the imagination 🙂 🙂 🙂

Oh Sarah, it’s so nice to meet you! Welcome to the forum. I know only
too well what living with CFS looks like. I was diagnosed with Lyme disease
about 18 years ago, which eventually resolved, but I was left with fibromyalgia
and CFS. I expected to have to live a greatly marginalized life because of it,
in a state of chronic pain and fatigue. I was diagnosed with Lyme at the age
of 50. In june 2016 I began the Fast 800 BSD. Over the next 10 months I
lost 140 lbs, and am today right in the center of a healthy BMI, with 12 lbs
of wriggle room below my target. As soon as I went into ketosis the fatigue
lifted, and I’m now at about 8 1/2 months in maintenance. My pain levels
have reduced significantly also, although I still take some medication. For
8 months I wasn’t able to do any exercise either, but started walking in
month 9 + 10. None of these changes would have been possible without
the BSD, and keeping carbs under 20 gm made it possible for me to lose
a steady stone a month. I sincerely hope that it is the answer for you too!
Best of luck, and always ask questions! There is always someone around
to help.

Allie

We will Theo it really doesn’t take up as much time as they allocate. Sunshine-girl where are you???

Oat fiber makes a good sub for cornstarch in dredges. It has the same very fluffy, finely powdered texture and is all insoluble fiber so zero net carbs. (This is not the same as oats blitzed up in a blender, btw. It’s its own thing.) I would ditch the panko all together. The dredge will be more than sufficient to put a nice crust on the tofu. You don’t even need to do any of the dredging/breading, in fact. Extra-firm tofu, pressed and marinated, slices up and sears in a pan beautifully. Crisp out the outside, soft on the inside, zero effort. I’d rub a spice mix — ginger, garlic, salt, pepper — into it and call it a day.

Corn can be replaced by baby corn which is far lower in sugar and carbs than mature kernels because you’re eating the whole fibrous cob. As a happy coincidence, they also fit the Asian food style better than kernel corn. Cool recipe, LTC. Definitely going to try it to keep me warm and toasty during the Big Chill.

Mmm, I have one like that as well. We have been in our house for 9.5yrs now and the refurb is nowhere near being finished! Hopefully you new courses will give you the focus needed to tolerate the invasion of your bathroom.

HaHa, Sunny – maybe that’s the secret to how we’ve stayed married for 48 years😝

Mind you, on a not so positive note, he has now decided to replace his shower tray, which will take him ages (he is not the speediest of workers, but he is a perfectionist) so I’ll let you know if we’re still married after sharing my bathroom with him for the next week or so😉

WooHoo, V – we’re going to be study buddies x 2😊 Let’s hope we can find enough time to take 2 courses concurrently, and make it to the end.

I just posted on the welcome thread and followed you all. 🙂

Have joined the 15th Jan course too Theo….we ar going to be so busy!

Theo … I’m following you!

Pastas made with pulses like lentils, chickenpeas, and beans are all high carb as well because pulses are high in carbohydrates. They’re even less BSD friendly when you check the ingredients because they often have some kind of flour/sugar added.

Grannyvee, do you know how your BGL reacts to more complex carbs like beans? Have you noticed any patterns in your testing based on what you’ve eaten? Sunshine-girl, for instance, recently discovered that oranges send her BG through the roof. Other people seem to be able to handle a small piece of sweet fruit without adverse reaction.

Wow Theo, a bathroom each, that must be wonderful! Good to see another new name popping up on this thread Nick C.

My positives for today are:

1) Have squared away the account reconciliations for the village hall this morning.
2) Had a lovely long video chat with one of our Turkish friends.
3) Finding getting back in to the swing of the BSD again quite easy and it’s making me more mindful of what I’m consuming and when.

Stay positive everyone and please keep telling us all about it.

Oops….and omit the coconut sugar….can replace with a bit of stevia or monk fruit extract etc.

Good looking vegetarian meal….must sub for ramen and breading on tofu but otherwise looks great. Perfect winter meal…..warm spices, steamy and creamy

Curry “Ramen” with Crispy Baked Tofu

★★★★

4 from 4 reviews

If you’re going to marinade the tofu (optional), you’ll want to add an extra hour to the prep time.

Author: Well Vegan
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

Crispy Tofu

1 – 14-oz. package extra-firm tofu
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup coconut sugar…omit or use a few drops of stevia or monk fruit
1 small lime, juiced
½ Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp. vegetable or peanut oil
1 Tbsp. panko….use low carb alternative such as mixture of ground golden flax and cheap parm cheese (out of the can)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch…omit or sub low carb alternative such as ground chia which would absorb some of the dampness
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Faux Ramen

2 package dried or equivalent fresh ramen noodles…..use shirataki faux noodles or spiralized daikon radish (which works VERY well)
1 baby bok choy, quarted lengthwise
1 generous handful broccoli, cut in small flourettes
1/2 cup frozen corn….omit or at least cut in half
2 tsp. curry paste (more or less to your liking)….sugar free
4 Tbsp. coconut cream (more or less to your liking of creaminess to heat ratio)
Soy sauce, to taste
Note: you chili heads out there may want to add some extra heat….dash of cayenne, slices of Thai chilis (yes Ensecca, I am thinking of you)

INSTRUCTIONS

Press the tofu with several layers of paper towel to remove as much water as possible. Cut the tofu into ½-inch slabs and press with paper towels again. Alternatively, you can dice the tofu into 1-inch cubes.
To prepare the marinade, first combine the soy sauce and coconut sugar in a small mixing bowl. Microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until the coconut sugar dissolves. This should take less than a minute. Add the lime juice and fresh ginger. Whisk to combine.
Transfer the tofu to a shallow baking dish and pour in the marinade. Move the pieces around so each is completely coated. Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hours, flipping the pieces over and recovering with the marinade half way through.
Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the tofu from the marinade and press with paper towels to remove excess marinade.
In a medium bowl add 2 tbsp. vegetable or peanut oil. Add tofu to the bowl and toss gently to coat.
Add panko, cornstarch and sesame seeds to tofu. Toss gently until coated and pour out onto your prepared baking sheet.
Bake tofu for 30-40 minutes, turning half way through.
Bring water to a boil over medium heat. Cook your noodles according to package directions. Two minutes before ramen is done, add bok choy , broccoli and corn to the water. Cook until vegetables are just done and broccoli and bok choy are bright green.
Remove noodles and vegetables from heat. Add curry paste, coconut cream and soy sauce to taste. Add baked tofu just before serving.

https://wellvegan.com/recipe/curry-ramen-with-crispy-baked-tofu

Love that there is so much positivity here and have enjoyed reading how everyone is getting on.

Bit miffed this morning, with a 0.4lb increase despite being under on both cals and carbs for the last two days – overall still a loss on start weight though, so not getting stresses. It’s just one of those day to day fluctuations I’m sure and at some point there will be better scales reading. Have found it quite easy to slip back into the 800/20 and 16:8 regimes and am managing to keep hydration up too.

Happy to be back on the BSD proper and it’s making me think more carefully about what I’m eating, which in turn means I’m choosing a wider variety of foods again. Haven’t decided on dinner this evening, but it will be either lamb chops or steak. Had some of the veg and stilton soup I made yesterday, for lunch again today.

Keep going and keep posting everyone.