Monday 27 February 2012

Dukan Diet End of Week 4

By Belinda
154.8
Last week was a "celebratory week." I had a granddaughter's 14th birthday dinner out in a restaurant, and cooked an appreciation lunch for an Events Committee at work. The Events Committee are all people who love hospitality and they all insist on bringing food, even though I am trying to lavish appreciation on THEM! Long story short--it was a small miracle that on Sunday morning when I weighed in I was only a pound and a half more than the week before. 


It was disappointing though and I didn't want to post 154.8. I tried to convince myself it was (don't laugh) because I hadn't produced any waste products to speak of since last Thursday (trying to put it delicately!) Talk about rationalization. :)


I have been following the easiest path in Dr. Dukan's book (for those who have only a little weight to lose--two protein days, with eating normally (but not extremes) in between. Even at 154.8 I was down 7lb from my highest weight in January, but I could see that the progress this way was going to be slow. One pound a week is not bad at all, but a week with a few extras can thwart progress towards my goal.


What encouraged me was my friend Susan entering the fray as well. On Sunday I decided, after a protein day on Saturday, to do a vegetable and protein day (for the first time) in solidarity with her because we had a fundraising soup and sandwich lunch at church and I didn't want her to feel left out. It ended up that I did myself a big favour because this morning I weighed in at a respectable 153 1b. 


As a result I decided today to follow the plan where you do two protein days (mine will be Monday and Saturday) and vegetables and proteins for five days. I may make an exception for special meals, but still this form of the Cruise phase of the diet will get me to my goal weight more quickly.


Susan has enthusiastically improved on the galette recipe by adding baking soda to make them more fluffy, and adding spices and flavourings to zip them up. These are her recipes for 4 galattes:

       8 tablespoons oat bran

8 tablespoons plain yogurt

4 eggs (or equivalent in egg whites)

1 level teaspoon baking soda

For sweet:  2 tablespoons splenda, 1 level teaspoon cinnamon (more to taste if you like)

For savoury:  2 teaspoons onion powder (or cut up some fresh onions and throw them in), pepper, salt  (or any other kind of spices which suit your fancy - italian spice, roasted red peppers, garlic, etc, etc)

Cool on a baking rack.  

I continue to have so much hope that this way of eating; this plan; is something I can use to get where I long to be and stay there for life.


Monday 20 February 2012

Dukan Diet End of Week 3

By Belinda


153.2 1b


I read a lot this week about the Dukan diet. I discovered that it's the diet Kate Middleton and Pippa, as well as their mother, used to get in shape for the wedding. 


I also read some success stories on the Dukan web site and watched a video clip on Dr. Oz, where one of the people whose blog address I have in the side bar here, ("How the Dukan Diet Works") was on the show. He had regained 25 of the 50 he lost on the diet but was back on track again, following the rules he had relaxed. He also said that now he knows how to lose it and he was still looking much better than he did at his original weight.


I read a diet review that raised a red flag about the lack of some essential nutrients at the beginning of the diet in the Attack Phase and Cruise Phase where only certain vegetables, and no fruit are allowed as well as no whole grains. 


The fact is that does seem worth paying attention to. Carrying excess weight and eating a typical high fat, high sugar diet is also not healthy and the Dukan diet does help to break that cycle.


The worries about nutritional balance are not an issue in the way I am choosing to follow the diet though since I am doing two Attack Days followed by five days of eating normally. If I lose weight more slowly this way that is okay. 


What I am finding is that the Attack Days, when you eat only protein and an oat bran gelatte, seem to have broken my craving for junk food and sweets. 


When you are eating only protein, you really only want to eat to satisfy your hunger and although you can eat as much protein as you want, you don't need much to feel full. I have become more in tune with when to eat and how much to eat.


I have also found that coming off the Attack Days, the increased sensitivity to true hunger carries over, and I am eating less.


I can eat anything I want to, but I don't want junk food snacks. I can see how having one Attack Day on the same day every week for life would have many benefits. 


Paul noticed a difference in my weight yesterday and commented on it! Encouraging!


Exercise is one part of the diet that I have to incorporate more of. Generating "heat" is an important part of heating up the metabolism andburning calories. Yesterday, for the first time in ages I put on a Lesley Sansome, Walk Away the Pounds DVD and did 21/2 miles,  (about half an hour,) which got my heart rate up to 120 beats and really gave my body an overdue shock! I bought one of her newer sets of DVDs to work in some variety and plan to use them in between regular outdoor walks. First though my calf muscles have to recover from the unaccustomed exercise they got yesterday!

Monday 13 February 2012

Dukan Diet Progress

By Belinda
154.8 1b; less than I've weighed for a while.
Since coming home from England on January 28th, I've been gradually incorporating parts of the Dukan diet into my life. This is probably not the best way to go about the diet, ideally, but it is the way I have gone about it! Most things in my life are slow but steady (-ish.)


1) I started by making Dr. Dukan's Oatbran Galettes and finding them delicious and satisfying. I have ended up quadrupling the recipe and making them every few days.
2. Next I tried having an Attack Day on Saturday, February 4th. I really just wanted to see how it worked and if I could survive just eating low fat protein. I found it easier than I expected. I decided that Saturdays would be my weekly Attack Day.
3) This past weekend I had two Attack Days on both Saturday and Sunday. This is when I literally saw the scale go down quickly.
4) On Monday I have gone back to eating normally, but focusing mainly on the foods Dr. Dukan recommends overall.


I'm finding that I'm not craving junk food. The thing that is tantalizing to me is that I can live with this set of rules for life. If this truly works for me, even applying it less rigidly, I know I can get rid of my remaining 13 1b of blubber and live the rest of my life at a perfect weight for me!


Now that is a goal worth shooting for.