I started the Cruise phase of the Dukan Diet on Friday 8/12/11. Just to review, during the Cruise phase you alternate days of Pure Protein (PP) eating (same as the Attack phase) with days of Protein + Vegetables (PV). You alternate these days until you reach your true weight. The website calculated my true weight for me, which was different (higher) than my usual goal weight. Your true weight is supposed to be a weight you can comfortably maintain for the rest of your life. It is based on your history, bone structure, genetics, etc. According to my online coaching plan, in total, I was to lose 15.5lbs. I was estimated to lose 3.1lbs during Attack phase and 12.4lbs during the Cruise phase. As a recap, over the 4 day Attack phase I lost 5.6lbs, which was 2.5lbs over my estimated loss. I am supposed to be 'Crusing' for 49 days to lose 12.4lbs. Dr. Dukan states that if you reach your estimated true weight before your cruising phase is over, then your true weight might have been calculated too high. There is always room for error in how the body/weight equation works. Regardless, you should follow the cruise phase for the full amount of time. That means, I am on this cruising journey for the next 49 days! Let's see what happens.
I had some technical difficulties with the Dukan coaching website this past week. Luckily, I also had the book to reference for the Cruise Phase. I forgot to submit my daily report on Thursday night so I was not sent new instructions for Friday. I contacted customer service and they were super helpful with correcting this problem. I was relieved until Saturday, when I did not receive updated instructions again even after submitting my daily report on time. I emailed customer service regarding the issue. Customer service does not work over the weekends, but they responded today and again were super nice. Everything seems to be back on track now!
~*~
I had three challenges this weekend.
The first was my out-of-town friend visited me on Friday night and Saturday morning. This covered Cruise Day 1 - PV and Cruise Day 2 - PP.
We went out to eat at The Church Brew Works on Friday night. I managed to stay on course with my PV day as much as possible. I ordered Bison and mushroom meatloaf with spinach and carrots. I know there was probably some hidden carb fillers in the meatloaf and probably oils or butter in the vegetables, but I still consider this a success. The meatloaf came with mashed potatoes and I asked to substitute for a healthier option that was on my plan. I also refrained from any alcoholic beverages and enjoyed a Diet Coke instead. Even though this place is known for it's local microbrews.
On Saturday morning we went to breakfast at Pamela's. Pamela's is another Pittsburgh favorite known for their crepes and variety of breakfast foods served cash only. Staying with my PP day, I ordered 2 eggs and a ham slice. I opted out of their 'world famous lyonnaise potatoes' and the local Mancini bakery bread. Instead, I asked for tomato slices to accompany my meals. Yes, tomato slices are considered a 'cheat' technically on a PP day however I did not eat any other veg the rest of the day. Considering the alternatives though, I believe this was a HUGE success.
The second challenge came Sunday - Cruise Day 3 PV - when I went to an art festival in Ohio for the day. My friend from Indiana, PA took the drive out and came with me. It was 12:45 and we were starving. We didn't eat breakfast because we got on the road too early... just had some coffee to take with us. There were so many festival food options. Luckily though, we only had about $7 cash between us... which wasn't enough to buy food there. My friend suggested we buy a fry and split it. I politely refused and told her I would wait until we left the festival to get food, but that she should get whatever she likes for herself. I bought a Diet Coke and after we left the festival I ordered a grilled chicken salad with fat free balsamic dressing. Success!
The third challenge came Sunday night when I met my in-laws for dinner. They wanted to meet at a park and bring pizza and fruit salad for everyone. My husband was really supportive of my desire to be included yet stay on track with things. He ordered me chicken lettuce wraps and picked them up on the way to the park! That way I had my own meal, but could still be included. I didn't even care about the pizza!
~*~
I have been more hungry lately, especially today....and craving some things not on the list. I think this is mostly an emotional reaction to stress right now at work and in life. I also feel like I am getting sick. I am not happy about this. I worry this could be due to the change in diet... a lot less antioxidants from no fruit and less veg. I am going to make it a point to take my vitamins everyday... they have an antioxidant complex in them. I am also going to take Vitamin C. I was staying away from it because 2 tablets were 30 calories and have sugar in them... I know this is stupid. I felt that I was cheating by taking them! I need to get over that and not be so extreme. I hate being sick and it is making me feel unmotivated to work out. I came home from work today and took a nap. I had all the intentions of going to the gym afterwards, but my head feels so congested and my throat hurts. Maybe I can try to go tomorrow and just walk even. As an activity today.. I did do the stairs in my building! I have been working up motivation to take the stairs up and down all day. I did today :)
~*~
Results:
Weight:
-5.6lbs Attack
-1.2lbs Cruise Days 1-3
-6.8lbs Total to Date!
Measurements:
-1.5 Waist, -2.5 Hips, -1 Arm, -1 Thigh
Monday, August 15, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Cruise Phase Day 1?
I am a big stressed this morning. When I looked at my instructions for the day on the website... they said I was still in the Attack phase? When my overall program plan said I should only do Attack for 4 days - then move onto Cruise. Something here is not adding up!! I 'Attacked' Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I should be cruising now....
I am just going to follow the cruising thing and see what happens.
I am just going to follow the cruising thing and see what happens.
Dukan Diet: Attack Phase - Day 4
The results are in!! I completed all 4 days of my Attack Phase on the Dukan Diet. I followed the instructions pretty closely... except I did have some non-fat creamer yesterday instead of non-fat milk in my coffee. I don't think that really counts as a cheat though?
Anyhow.. here are my Attack Phase results:
Weight: -5.6lbs
Measurements: Waist -1.0, Hips -.5, Arm 0, Thigh -.5 each
I didn't measure my chest.. .because.. honestly that never really changes for me.. and I forgot to this morning.
~*~
I have been trying to be a little more creative with my food lately. Yesterday I made three recipes from the Dukan Diet coaching website.
Anyhow.. here are my Attack Phase results:
Weight: -5.6lbs
Measurements: Waist -1.0, Hips -.5, Arm 0, Thigh -.5 each
I didn't measure my chest.. .because.. honestly that never really changes for me.. and I forgot to this morning.
~*~
I have been trying to be a little more creative with my food lately. Yesterday I made three recipes from the Dukan Diet coaching website.
- Dukan Smoothie: Diet Root Beer, Plan Non-Fat Greek Yogurt, Splenda, Ice; Blend and enjoy! I really like this one.. it tasted kinda like a modified root beer float to me!! I felt like I was eating a dessert. I definitely will be making this again!
- Curry Shrimp: Shrimp, Curry Powder, Onion, Salt and Pepper, Basil (dry or fresh); Marinade shrimp in mixture of curry, onion, and basil for at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Saute and enjoy! This was really delicious. Even if I wasn't 'dieting' I would still enjoy this food! This one I will definitely make again.
- Crab and Shrimp Saute: Crab sticks, Shrimp, Onion, Garlic, Salt and Pepper, Lemon Juice, any other spices you want. This was super gross. I think it was just the texture and flavor of the crab sticks that got to me. They started getting all stringy and yucky during the cooking process. I pulled out the shrimp from it to eat today... and will probably end up feeding the crab mixture of my dog.. he loves seafood :) Or else I will try to salvage it into something else... maybe Crab Balls.
~*~
Exercise: Yesterday I walked for about 30 minutes during lunch with two girls I work with. It was a nice break in the middle of the day! I still haven't taken the steps up 5 floors in the mornings... I need to start that next week. That will be my goal!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Dukan Diet: Attack Phase - Day 3
I'm going to jump right to the results today because they are exciting!
Results:
Weight: -1.8lb (-4.8lb total)... again... who knew I have so much water.. but I don't care!
I did not take my measurements again. But I will after Day 4 and get a total for the Attack Phase.
~*~
Today went pretty well. I had more cravings than the first two days for food that aren't on my plan right now. Especially pretzels. I think I have a pretzel addiction! At work, we have bags and bags of pretzels... as the only snack food! I would eat those every day in the afternoon as a snack / break from work. Now, I have to actually deal with being at work and the afternoon slump in a way that doesn't involve reaching for food. Another emotional barrier to overcome. I made it through without eating anything not on my list... success.
I decided to try to run again today. I have been training for a 5k and am doing pretty well overall. I ran outside with a friend and could not make it very far. It definitely took a lot out of me. I was upset that I wasn't able to make it further... which I felt was due to my diet and lack of energy. However, there were other factors too.. such as running outside vs. on a treadmill! So it's hard to say really what was the culprit. All I know is that when I got home I felt exhausted like I was going to pass out. I laid down for a while and read and felt better after about 30 minutes or so. I can see why Dr. Dukan says no exercise other than brisk walking.... I made it though!
~*~
Today I was slightly more creative with eating. Besides my usual hard boiled eggs, 3-4 yogurts and lean deli ham and turkey... I made a more creative chicken dish!
To shredded leftover baked chicken I added onion (allowed in attack.. not sure why), hard boiled egg, and a dressing of 'mayo' that included 1 liquid pasteurized egg white, salt and pepper, splenda, 3 tablespoons of plain non-fat greek yogurt, curry powder and mustard. I mixed it all together then added more curry, cumin, turmeric, and a hint of nutmeg seasonings.
I am not a big fan of strong meat flavors. I felt that the chicken was a little too 'meaty' flavored for me.. but overall this is pretty good! I also found that by heating it.. it made the chicken taste a bit milder.
I also took a probiotic and multivitamin today.
Tomorrow is my final Attack phase day! Go Me!
Results:
Weight: -1.8lb (-4.8lb total)... again... who knew I have so much water.. but I don't care!
I did not take my measurements again. But I will after Day 4 and get a total for the Attack Phase.
~*~
Today went pretty well. I had more cravings than the first two days for food that aren't on my plan right now. Especially pretzels. I think I have a pretzel addiction! At work, we have bags and bags of pretzels... as the only snack food! I would eat those every day in the afternoon as a snack / break from work. Now, I have to actually deal with being at work and the afternoon slump in a way that doesn't involve reaching for food. Another emotional barrier to overcome. I made it through without eating anything not on my list... success.
I decided to try to run again today. I have been training for a 5k and am doing pretty well overall. I ran outside with a friend and could not make it very far. It definitely took a lot out of me. I was upset that I wasn't able to make it further... which I felt was due to my diet and lack of energy. However, there were other factors too.. such as running outside vs. on a treadmill! So it's hard to say really what was the culprit. All I know is that when I got home I felt exhausted like I was going to pass out. I laid down for a while and read and felt better after about 30 minutes or so. I can see why Dr. Dukan says no exercise other than brisk walking.... I made it though!
~*~
Today I was slightly more creative with eating. Besides my usual hard boiled eggs, 3-4 yogurts and lean deli ham and turkey... I made a more creative chicken dish!
To shredded leftover baked chicken I added onion (allowed in attack.. not sure why), hard boiled egg, and a dressing of 'mayo' that included 1 liquid pasteurized egg white, salt and pepper, splenda, 3 tablespoons of plain non-fat greek yogurt, curry powder and mustard. I mixed it all together then added more curry, cumin, turmeric, and a hint of nutmeg seasonings.
I am not a big fan of strong meat flavors. I felt that the chicken was a little too 'meaty' flavored for me.. but overall this is pretty good! I also found that by heating it.. it made the chicken taste a bit milder.
I also took a probiotic and multivitamin today.
Tomorrow is my final Attack phase day! Go Me!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Dukan Diet: Attack Phase - Day 2
Overall, Day 2 went pretty well. I ate according to my plan and did not feel hungry during the day. The only time I was hungry was after not eating from 3:30pm until 9:30pm. I managed to drink my water and I took the stairs down 5 floors today. I still haven't managed to motivate myself to take the stairs up in the morning with my heavy work bag. Maybe tomorrow!
My Menu:
Breakfast: 2 Hard Boiled Eggs (no yolks.. I don't like them), Non fat yogurt, Coffee w/ splenda and skim milk
Lunch: 1 turkey roll up with mustard, 1 ham roll up with fat free cream cheese, non fat yogurt
Snack: 1 turkey roll up with mustard, 1 ham roll up with mustard, non fat yogurt
Dinner: Baked chicken with fat free cream cheese mixed with garlic seasonings and onions, 1/2 savory Dukan pancake, 1/2 sweet Dukan pancake, fat free yogurt
I realized that I eat a lot of yogurt! I hope the yogurt doesn't get old after a couple days. I am curious if non fat creamer is allowed on pure protein days (PP). On my coaching site there are live chats every day of the week. I might try to sign up for one this week and ask that question. I don't see why it wouldn't be allowed.. but not all non fat dairy products are on the list. For now, I make my coffee at home with skim milk because at work we only have fat free creamer. I am really trying to follow everything by the book.
Today I reflected on the fact that food is for energy and nutrition... not for pleasure. Usually I focus too much on the emotional pleasure purposes of food. I am still processing this thought about food being more for nourishment...
I also had a fleeting thought today about really valuing food. It's starting to feel good to me to actually prepare some things to eat.. even if they are small. Taking the time to prepare the food properly makes me respect it more. Again, another thought I'm working on processing...
~*~
I had a couple cravings today one for pizza for about 3 seconds. The thought literally popped into my head and out. The other was for vegetables. I really wanted some celery for my cream cheese... which is weird because I don't even eat or like celery!
Why I don't like celery:
When I was about 5 years old I was chomping on celery while watching a Charlie Brown special on TV with my dad. My mom wasn't home at the time... it had to be like 8 o'clock at night... maybe she was working? Anyhow.. I remember the music came on and I started dancing around the living room in front of the coffee table. I must have been really excited because I was dancing so fast that I took a huge gulp of air and sucked in the celery and choked. My dad saved me. I kinda blacked out I think, so I don't really remember what / how he saved me. I just remember not being able to breathe and my dad freaking out... and then he was pulling celery out of my throat. Even after he removed the celery from my throat I still felt like I couldn't breathe. I think it was my first panic attack. He called the emergency nurse and she told him to put me in some cold air to open my airways. The porch was covered in snow, but he opened the sliding door and made me stick my head out into the air. I had to stay there for a long time while he talked to the nurse more. I guess they determined that I could breathe and would live. My mom came home shortly after and was pretty much hysterical when my dad told her what just happened. I remember my throat hurting and feeling really upset and crying to my mom. I pretty much vowed then and there to never eat celery again.
~*~
Results:
Weight: -3lbs; I must carry a lot of water weight. It doesn't matter to me that this is just water weight... it's motivating to see the scale go down for the first time in months.
Inches: -1 waist; -1.5 hips; -1 arms; -1 thighs. Again, this is just water being flushed out. Amazing what even a difference a little water can make in measurements.
I only felt dizzy one time today in the afternoon. I attribute this to not eating for a while and being overall stressed today with lots of tension in my muscles around my shoulders and neck. I also felt like I had more energy today than yesterday. I am going to try to run tomorrow and I will see how I do given the circumstances. Dr. Dukan does not recommend strenuous exercise during the Attack phase... however, I'm going to try to at least push myself a little tomorrow! I'll let you know how I do.
~*~
It's only been two days and I am amazed by the outpouring of support I have received. I want to give a shout out to everyone that is reading my blog and giving me their support! It really means the world to me and helps motivate me even more to know that other people are cheering me on :) Thank you!!!
~*~
I hope this blog gets better once I get more into it!! It's taking me a while to get going.. but.. keep checking back. I hope to post some more interesting things soon!
My Menu:
Breakfast: 2 Hard Boiled Eggs (no yolks.. I don't like them), Non fat yogurt, Coffee w/ splenda and skim milk
Lunch: 1 turkey roll up with mustard, 1 ham roll up with fat free cream cheese, non fat yogurt
Snack: 1 turkey roll up with mustard, 1 ham roll up with mustard, non fat yogurt
Dinner: Baked chicken with fat free cream cheese mixed with garlic seasonings and onions, 1/2 savory Dukan pancake, 1/2 sweet Dukan pancake, fat free yogurt
I realized that I eat a lot of yogurt! I hope the yogurt doesn't get old after a couple days. I am curious if non fat creamer is allowed on pure protein days (PP). On my coaching site there are live chats every day of the week. I might try to sign up for one this week and ask that question. I don't see why it wouldn't be allowed.. but not all non fat dairy products are on the list. For now, I make my coffee at home with skim milk because at work we only have fat free creamer. I am really trying to follow everything by the book.
Today I reflected on the fact that food is for energy and nutrition... not for pleasure. Usually I focus too much on the emotional pleasure purposes of food. I am still processing this thought about food being more for nourishment...
I also had a fleeting thought today about really valuing food. It's starting to feel good to me to actually prepare some things to eat.. even if they are small. Taking the time to prepare the food properly makes me respect it more. Again, another thought I'm working on processing...
~*~
I had a couple cravings today one for pizza for about 3 seconds. The thought literally popped into my head and out. The other was for vegetables. I really wanted some celery for my cream cheese... which is weird because I don't even eat or like celery!
Why I don't like celery:
When I was about 5 years old I was chomping on celery while watching a Charlie Brown special on TV with my dad. My mom wasn't home at the time... it had to be like 8 o'clock at night... maybe she was working? Anyhow.. I remember the music came on and I started dancing around the living room in front of the coffee table. I must have been really excited because I was dancing so fast that I took a huge gulp of air and sucked in the celery and choked. My dad saved me. I kinda blacked out I think, so I don't really remember what / how he saved me. I just remember not being able to breathe and my dad freaking out... and then he was pulling celery out of my throat. Even after he removed the celery from my throat I still felt like I couldn't breathe. I think it was my first panic attack. He called the emergency nurse and she told him to put me in some cold air to open my airways. The porch was covered in snow, but he opened the sliding door and made me stick my head out into the air. I had to stay there for a long time while he talked to the nurse more. I guess they determined that I could breathe and would live. My mom came home shortly after and was pretty much hysterical when my dad told her what just happened. I remember my throat hurting and feeling really upset and crying to my mom. I pretty much vowed then and there to never eat celery again.
~*~
Results:
Weight: -3lbs; I must carry a lot of water weight. It doesn't matter to me that this is just water weight... it's motivating to see the scale go down for the first time in months.
Inches: -1 waist; -1.5 hips; -1 arms; -1 thighs. Again, this is just water being flushed out. Amazing what even a difference a little water can make in measurements.
I only felt dizzy one time today in the afternoon. I attribute this to not eating for a while and being overall stressed today with lots of tension in my muscles around my shoulders and neck. I also felt like I had more energy today than yesterday. I am going to try to run tomorrow and I will see how I do given the circumstances. Dr. Dukan does not recommend strenuous exercise during the Attack phase... however, I'm going to try to at least push myself a little tomorrow! I'll let you know how I do.
~*~
It's only been two days and I am amazed by the outpouring of support I have received. I want to give a shout out to everyone that is reading my blog and giving me their support! It really means the world to me and helps motivate me even more to know that other people are cheering me on :) Thank you!!!
~*~
I hope this blog gets better once I get more into it!! It's taking me a while to get going.. but.. keep checking back. I hope to post some more interesting things soon!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Dukan Diet: Attack Phase - Day 1
Today was day 1. I received my instructions from the coaching website in my inbox this morning around 4am. The email directed me to my 'secret corner' on the Dukan Diet website. When I arrived I had Motivation, Food, and Exercise instructions for the day.
Motivation: The instructions warned me about becoming tired during the first two days and encouraged me to eat lots of foods and exercise moderately. It also gave a story about Aborigines in Australia and conforming with the group... this story didn't make much sense to me so I ignored it. Then it stated too focus on the 'everything allowed' instead of the 'everything disallowed' and congratulated me on starting this journey.
Food: This was my favorite page! It first reminded me on the importance of drinking 6 to 8 cups of water a day, especially when trying to lose weight... and even more so when using a high protein diet. Drinking water is important because of the increased uric acid the body absorbs due to the increased levels of protein. Uric acid can cause kidney stones, so drinking a lot of water to flush the kidneys is essential. Next, this page gave me at least 12 food options in the categories of "on-the-run," "express," and "classic," for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each meal links to the online recipe book to help with preparation. The page also listed healthy snack options at the bottom. A lot of the recipes really interested me. It was amazing how you can combine 'healthy' ingredients.. actually almost pure protein ingredients... to make so many things. There were recipes for vanilla flan, homemade custard, vanilla cookies, ice cream, cheesecake, and baked chocolate pudding! I attempted to make the custard. More on that later.
Today I am supposed to eat pure protein in unlimited quantities from lean meats, non-fat dairy (not cheese.. but cream cheese and yogurt are ok), and seafood. I am also allowed 1.5Tbspn of Oat Bran. I need to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water. Simple enough.
Exercise: The bare minimum workout was to 'stand-up' during the day for 60 minutes and walk for 15 minutes. They also instructed to do 15 crunches, 15 squats, and take the stairs whenever possible.
~*~
Today I woke up early and read my instructions. I was too curious so I ended up reading them at 4:30 in the morning. I decided on my menu for the day and wrote it down.
Soon after, I returned to bed for another couple hours of sleep. When I finally got myself out of bed for good, I went to the kitchen and tried my hand at the homemade custard recipe from my secret corner food instructions. Note: making custard is actually pretty hard... and.. should probably not be attempted half asleep or by someone without many culinary skills such as myself. After mixing the yolks... boiling the milk.. adding the splenda and vanilla extract... tempering the eggs... and dividing into baby cooking crocks I baked for 25 minutes @ 350degrees. Something went wrong here. My baby custards never did set up right... they were liquidy with bits of cooked egg inside instead of a cheesecake consistency. Despite the texture, they were pretty delicious and fulfilled my need for something sweet after a meal. Maybe I will attempt them again, but not for a while. Too much for a beginner, like I said. While the custard was baking, I used the egg whites that I separated from the yolks for the custard recipe and made a baby omelet. Egg whites and chives... that's it. It was actually pretty satisfying. So was the coffee and the yogurt. Seemed like a pretty normal meal to me.
I headed to work like normal and lasted through the morning on my breakfast. I ate the turkey and ham roll ups for lunch along with yogurt and a custard that I brought to work with me. I saved two of the turkey and ham roll ups for a snack along with half of the custard.
For dinner I had the chicken, onions, mustard, yogurt, and the Dukan Galette. The Dukan Galette is basically an oat bran pancake made with the allowable amount of oat bran for the day. I made two... a sweet one and a savory one. I ate half of each and like them both in different ways. This really was a little piece of heaven for me. I savored every bite of that pancake. After I ranted and raved about the taste of it, my husband decided to give them a try.... he didn't think they were anything spectacular. Maybe it was just me... maybe I am starting to already appreciate food more.
In terms of exercise, I didn't take the stairs in the morning. I am on floor 5 and was holding a hot wobbly custard in one hand... I felt that was a big enough excuse to take the elevator. I made up for it by taking the steps down and up from the 3rd floor when I went for a walk outside around the building. However, I took the elevator down to my car at night. The steps semi creep me out. I'm not against steps... just those steps. Well, and really any parking garage steps... those are definitely creepy. Along with a midday walk outside, I ended up doing a Leslie Sansone Walk at Home video for about 20 minutes and an Upper Body strength training routine from the book Lean, Long, and Strong, which lasted about 15 minutes.
~*~
Results: I took my measurements and my weight this morning on an empty stomach. I will update with the changes at the end of the attack phase.
Overall, I think today was a complete success. I barely felt hungry during the day. The protein really seemed to fill me up adequately. However, I did feel dizzy a few times. I am not sure if that is from my blood sugar stabilizing, not eating carbs, tense muscles in my neck, or a virus I am fighting off. I will see if that feeling goes away as my body adapts to the new eating habits. I also felt pretty tired today. My body just felt a little weak. Luckily, today was not a running day for me at the gym so I was able to skip it and do a home workout instead. I am not sure I would be able to get through a tough workout right now. In the book Dr. Dukan says that all of these feelings are normal during your first couple days on the diet. I am not concerned by them. Also, I really felt no intense cravings for other foods today. I hope this stays constant, but I doubt it. I looked at the pretzels in the kitchen at work, but not longingly.. just observantly.
I did have a couple of emotional doubts today... such as a 'why are you doing this' thought. And a 'can you really keep this up' thought. But, knowing that in 3 more days I will be having vegetables... is pretty exciting. I think I can make it.
Time for reading and relaxation... then on to day 2!
Motivation: The instructions warned me about becoming tired during the first two days and encouraged me to eat lots of foods and exercise moderately. It also gave a story about Aborigines in Australia and conforming with the group... this story didn't make much sense to me so I ignored it. Then it stated too focus on the 'everything allowed' instead of the 'everything disallowed' and congratulated me on starting this journey.
Food: This was my favorite page! It first reminded me on the importance of drinking 6 to 8 cups of water a day, especially when trying to lose weight... and even more so when using a high protein diet. Drinking water is important because of the increased uric acid the body absorbs due to the increased levels of protein. Uric acid can cause kidney stones, so drinking a lot of water to flush the kidneys is essential. Next, this page gave me at least 12 food options in the categories of "on-the-run," "express," and "classic," for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each meal links to the online recipe book to help with preparation. The page also listed healthy snack options at the bottom. A lot of the recipes really interested me. It was amazing how you can combine 'healthy' ingredients.. actually almost pure protein ingredients... to make so many things. There were recipes for vanilla flan, homemade custard, vanilla cookies, ice cream, cheesecake, and baked chocolate pudding! I attempted to make the custard. More on that later.
Today I am supposed to eat pure protein in unlimited quantities from lean meats, non-fat dairy (not cheese.. but cream cheese and yogurt are ok), and seafood. I am also allowed 1.5Tbspn of Oat Bran. I need to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water. Simple enough.
Exercise: The bare minimum workout was to 'stand-up' during the day for 60 minutes and walk for 15 minutes. They also instructed to do 15 crunches, 15 squats, and take the stairs whenever possible.
~*~
Today I woke up early and read my instructions. I was too curious so I ended up reading them at 4:30 in the morning. I decided on my menu for the day and wrote it down.
- Breakfast: Coffee with splenda and skim milk, non-fat yogurt, 2 egg whites with chives
- Lunch: ham and turkey roll-ups - lean ham and turkey with cream cheese and herbs (I used a variety) rolled up like sushi and cut into bite sized pieces, non-fat yogurt, homemade custard
- Dinner: Baked chicken with mustard and onions, non-fat yogurt, homemade custard. (notes: onions and pickles are allowed as condiments.. but not in a quantity to count as a vegetable)
- Snacks: ham and turkey roll-ups
Soon after, I returned to bed for another couple hours of sleep. When I finally got myself out of bed for good, I went to the kitchen and tried my hand at the homemade custard recipe from my secret corner food instructions. Note: making custard is actually pretty hard... and.. should probably not be attempted half asleep or by someone without many culinary skills such as myself. After mixing the yolks... boiling the milk.. adding the splenda and vanilla extract... tempering the eggs... and dividing into baby cooking crocks I baked for 25 minutes @ 350degrees. Something went wrong here. My baby custards never did set up right... they were liquidy with bits of cooked egg inside instead of a cheesecake consistency. Despite the texture, they were pretty delicious and fulfilled my need for something sweet after a meal. Maybe I will attempt them again, but not for a while. Too much for a beginner, like I said. While the custard was baking, I used the egg whites that I separated from the yolks for the custard recipe and made a baby omelet. Egg whites and chives... that's it. It was actually pretty satisfying. So was the coffee and the yogurt. Seemed like a pretty normal meal to me.
I headed to work like normal and lasted through the morning on my breakfast. I ate the turkey and ham roll ups for lunch along with yogurt and a custard that I brought to work with me. I saved two of the turkey and ham roll ups for a snack along with half of the custard.
For dinner I had the chicken, onions, mustard, yogurt, and the Dukan Galette. The Dukan Galette is basically an oat bran pancake made with the allowable amount of oat bran for the day. I made two... a sweet one and a savory one. I ate half of each and like them both in different ways. This really was a little piece of heaven for me. I savored every bite of that pancake. After I ranted and raved about the taste of it, my husband decided to give them a try.... he didn't think they were anything spectacular. Maybe it was just me... maybe I am starting to already appreciate food more.
In terms of exercise, I didn't take the stairs in the morning. I am on floor 5 and was holding a hot wobbly custard in one hand... I felt that was a big enough excuse to take the elevator. I made up for it by taking the steps down and up from the 3rd floor when I went for a walk outside around the building. However, I took the elevator down to my car at night. The steps semi creep me out. I'm not against steps... just those steps. Well, and really any parking garage steps... those are definitely creepy. Along with a midday walk outside, I ended up doing a Leslie Sansone Walk at Home video for about 20 minutes and an Upper Body strength training routine from the book Lean, Long, and Strong, which lasted about 15 minutes.
~*~
Results: I took my measurements and my weight this morning on an empty stomach. I will update with the changes at the end of the attack phase.
Overall, I think today was a complete success. I barely felt hungry during the day. The protein really seemed to fill me up adequately. However, I did feel dizzy a few times. I am not sure if that is from my blood sugar stabilizing, not eating carbs, tense muscles in my neck, or a virus I am fighting off. I will see if that feeling goes away as my body adapts to the new eating habits. I also felt pretty tired today. My body just felt a little weak. Luckily, today was not a running day for me at the gym so I was able to skip it and do a home workout instead. I am not sure I would be able to get through a tough workout right now. In the book Dr. Dukan says that all of these feelings are normal during your first couple days on the diet. I am not concerned by them. Also, I really felt no intense cravings for other foods today. I hope this stays constant, but I doubt it. I looked at the pretzels in the kitchen at work, but not longingly.. just observantly.
I did have a couple of emotional doubts today... such as a 'why are you doing this' thought. And a 'can you really keep this up' thought. But, knowing that in 3 more days I will be having vegetables... is pretty exciting. I think I can make it.
Time for reading and relaxation... then on to day 2!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Last Night of Freedom - How I got here
... Tonight.. I had a bachelorette party of sorts with carbs. Man oh man did I indulge. I am paying for it now. It was so worth it. (pretty much how my real bachelorette party went as well!)
Let me back up a bit... and tell you how I got to this point in the first place.
I originally tried to name this blog 'struggles,' but it was already taken. I have struggled with my weight since 3rd grade. I remember having to step on the scale in front of my whole gym class and they would announce your weight out loud for everyone to hear. I knew that day was coming.. and I dreaded it. I stepped on the scale at age 10... 5'0" tall... and weighed 105lbs. The gym teacher that day decided to pity me and only said my weight in a whisper... though the whole class stared at me and asked persistently what it was until one smart kid in the front said that he was able to read the scale when I got on... and proudly announced my weight to everyone. The class roared with laughter and all of the petite girls whispered about me. It is one of the first times I really remember being conscious about my weight. (Disclaimer: In fact weighing 105lbs at 5'0" tall is a very healthy weight... for an adult... as a child... peers don't consider all the factors when determining whether you are 'fat'.... only the numbers matter... and when most of the other girls in my class weighed 60-80lbs... I was fat by their standards)
I was always the 'big' girl.. always taller than everyone else.. and overall larger. I was made fun of a lot for it.. called 'Jolly Green Giant' until I was about 13. Through the years, I was ridiculed by girls in the locker room.. especially during swim class (I still won't change in the locker room at the gym to this day!). Boys said they would never date me because I was too ugly or too fat... flat out to my face with other girls standing by to listen. I started as an outcast on the playground...then on the bus... then in high school. All the pretty popular girls were constantly dating guys... going on diets... participating in sports... wearing cute clothes.. etc. I felt that my weight caused me to an outcast. I hid behind my clothes, glasses, and books becoming one of the weird smart people. All I ever wanted was to be accepted by everyone else.
I finally got a boyfriend in 9th grade. I went on my first starvation diet that summer. I did not eat all day and only ate dinner. Once in a while I allowed myself a lettuce sandwich. I would run up and down the driveway to exercise.. 32 times a day... and perform a full set of exercises from the Navy Seal Handbook. I lost some weight and dropped a few sizes. I started to feel confident about myself and open up. I cut my hair short, got contacts, etc. My braces came off and I felt pretty. He always told me that he appreciated my 'feminine' body and didn't want one of the 'skinny' girls. Things were looking up. Then during a party at his house.. after I, the g/f, left... he and his friends decided to play strip poker (or something similar). The next day he confessed to me what they did... and told me how 'he noticed a big difference' between me and his other female friends, especially their stomachs were so tight and toned compared to mine. Back down I went onto the couch eating potato chips dipped in ranch dressing.
I didn't diet again until my freshman year of college. I got a new boyfriend pretty fast in college. He is now my husband. He was always super supportive of me.. and still is. He made me feel awesome and would constantly say things like "I don't know why all these guys love the Victoria's Secret models... they are just way too skinny to me." He even wrote an article for our college newspaper about girls not appreciating a 'curvy' or 'feminine' body... and how he wanted to support women who were healthy and curvy and take pressure away from women feeling the need to replicate the airbrushed beauties on the magazine covers. The spring of our freshman year we decided to do a variation of the GI Diet. We watched our carbs and worked out a lot. I don't even think I weighed myself for 2 or 3 months. I remember going home for Easter and my sister gave me some 'skinnier' jeans of hers to wear. I was able to fit into them... that was motivation enough. Soon I went from a size 12 to a size 6... and eventually to a size 2/4. Overall, I lost around 60lbs. Still, outsiders were very critical of me and I never felt good enough or slim enough. I remember being mocked for certain outfits I wore to parties.. or for being 'too fat' still. One day, some of my girlfriends and I were knocking on the window of my boyfriends apartment trying to get his attention to come unlock the door. Some guys walked by and asked us what we were doing. I forget exactly what was said after that... but all I know is someone said.. "I would never date you.. you are way too fat." I ran up onto the side walk with my hands on my hips and yelled, "I am a SIZE FOUR!!! I AM NOT FAT!!" I didn't believe myself. Then my boyfriend unlocked his apartment door.. I told him what happened and he ran outside to yell at them some more. They were gone.. and so was my confidence.
After college my weight began to gradually creep back up. The stress from work, sitting all day, eating good home cooking at my parents, and feeling pressured to eat 'like everyone else' all played a part. I tried diet after diet during this time. Weight Watchers, Skinny Bitch, counting calories, Eat this Not that, Portion Teller Plan, Skinny Girls Don't Eat Salads, Slim and Skinny... and the list goes on. Diet after diet I lost some weight.. and put some back on... lost some weight.. and put some back on. I never got back to the lowest weight I was in college or the highest weight I was in high school. I just floated around in the middle up 20lbs... down 20lbs... up 30 lbs.... down 15lbs... up 10lbs... down 20lbs... for the past 5 years.
I honestly think all of that 'dieting' only to plateau.. give up.. and emotionally crack and stuff my face until I literally puked... really ruined my metabolism. My metabolism needs a complete makeover. I am 26 years old.. and it has been calculated by a professional that my metabolism is equal to that of a 47 year old due to all of my yo-yo dieting.
This past year I started Joy Bauer's Skinny diet and had a lot of success by losing about 30lbs. I looked and felt great. I really do think this is a great diet that teaches you about portion control and healthy eating. Unfortunately, my emotions got the best of me and I ended up gaining back about 20lbs this spring. As a result, I bought a BodyMedia FIT Weight Management Solution Armband
and started tracking what I ate and how many calories I expended during my workouts. I love this armband and still use it a lot. (More on this armband in another post! It deserves on to itself). Then I joined weight watchers. I lost about 15 to 17 lbs before hitting my plateau. I was so close to my weight goal. Not sure if it was realistic or not, but nonetheless I was almost there.
This spring my company started paying for us to see a nutritionist as part of a healthy living initiative. The nutritionist encouraged me to maintain my weight for at least two months and told me she felt that I did not need to lose anymore weight. While trying to maintain I ended up gaining 12lbs in 2 months. It made no sense to me. My calories out were less than the calories in. I was meticulous about recording my food down to the teaspoon of olive oil I used to cook with. Yet, I kept gaining weight. I joined a gym and took up a running program (hence the 5k portion of this blog). I felt like I was doing everything right. After a few visits of frustration, the nutritionist told me she thought I should really try to lose about 20lbs. I was so angry. Not only would that put me at a very low weight for me, but a couple of visits before she let me loose to 'maintain' and I ended up gaining 12lbs when I was so close to my goal! Wow, I was frustrated. However, I liked her and she did help me discover the benefit to keeping a food journal and that I am an emotional / stress eater. No I never realized that before.. isn't that weird? Nothing like some good ole fashioned denial!
My last visit with her was 3 weeks ago. I lost about 6lbs with her. She would list out goals for me for each session including: Drink more water, Relax on Mondays, and Stop Night Eating. I followed her instructions and plateaued after about 3 weeks. I have maintained my weight for the past 2 months, while trying to lose weight. Well, not really trying... but doing whatever she said. During my last visit she finally said, "Okay, well if I wasn't here to help you... you tell me what you would do now." That was the final straw to me. She didn't want to lay out any type of plan and I wasn't making any progress. I felt like I wasn't really trying either. I learned what I needed to from her. I learned the importance of maintaining... and that I was able to do so.
Now, I needed some action. I picked up a magazine the other day that had METABOLISM MAKEOVER in big bold letters across the middle. "This is exactly what I need," I thought. My metabolism is shot to the point is won't respond to any efforts of dieting or exercise. I need to reset it. I read the article about The Dukan Diet. How it supposedly is great for people who are 'diet resistant' and can't achieve results through other methods. It was also used by Kate Middleton for her wedding preparations... can't go wrong with the method of Royalty right? I ordered the book on Amazon with one day shipping. I received it yesterday and started to learn about the plan. I went online to the website and figured out my 'true weight' according to Dr. Dukan. I actually only need to lose 15lbs. Significant enough, but not overbearing. The true weight calculated for me was slightly higher than my original goal weight, and I hit that same weight a couple of times this past spring before the nutritionist mishap. So, it seems reasonable enough to me. The first two phases of the diet seem hard and very protein focused. However, when I think back to losing all that weight my freshman year in college... I followed a very similar idea. Low carb foods in unlimited quantities. I think this will work. Finally, I liked that the diet has two phases that focus on maintaining the weight that you lost....probably the most important part.
Today I cancelled my appointment with the nutritionist this week and instead spent the $80 on joining the online coaching website for The Dukan Diet. I set my start date as tomorrow, 8/8/2011. I printed out grocery lists and recipes for the week and packed my refrigerator with high protein foods including egg whites, lean turkey and ham, crab sticks, and yogurt. Then I came home from the grocery store... downed a pound of pasta with sauce, sesame chicken, an egg roll, vegetable lo mein, and a soft serve ice cream cone as a final good-bye to carbs for the next 53 days. I went out with a bang... like I said.
I have a lot of hesitation about this... thoughts such as "Why am I doing this to myself?" and "Do I really want to commit to this?".... That's when my husband said, "You already bought all the food... too late to back down now!"
Out of all of the reasons... I truly believe that in order to see results... I really need to sacrifice... show commitment... and exert effort. Maximum effort = maximum results. I can't expect to sit around.. eating whatever I want each day waiting for the pounds to magically fall off. Though I might not be 'obese' or 'overfat' or even 'overweight' technically ... I don't feel that I am the best I can be.
I feel like I was intended to be fit.... to be a motivator.... to succeed.
Everyone has to start somewhere. I start tomorrow.
Let me back up a bit... and tell you how I got to this point in the first place.
I originally tried to name this blog 'struggles,' but it was already taken. I have struggled with my weight since 3rd grade. I remember having to step on the scale in front of my whole gym class and they would announce your weight out loud for everyone to hear. I knew that day was coming.. and I dreaded it. I stepped on the scale at age 10... 5'0" tall... and weighed 105lbs. The gym teacher that day decided to pity me and only said my weight in a whisper... though the whole class stared at me and asked persistently what it was until one smart kid in the front said that he was able to read the scale when I got on... and proudly announced my weight to everyone. The class roared with laughter and all of the petite girls whispered about me. It is one of the first times I really remember being conscious about my weight. (Disclaimer: In fact weighing 105lbs at 5'0" tall is a very healthy weight... for an adult... as a child... peers don't consider all the factors when determining whether you are 'fat'.... only the numbers matter... and when most of the other girls in my class weighed 60-80lbs... I was fat by their standards)
I was always the 'big' girl.. always taller than everyone else.. and overall larger. I was made fun of a lot for it.. called 'Jolly Green Giant' until I was about 13. Through the years, I was ridiculed by girls in the locker room.. especially during swim class (I still won't change in the locker room at the gym to this day!). Boys said they would never date me because I was too ugly or too fat... flat out to my face with other girls standing by to listen. I started as an outcast on the playground...then on the bus... then in high school. All the pretty popular girls were constantly dating guys... going on diets... participating in sports... wearing cute clothes.. etc. I felt that my weight caused me to an outcast. I hid behind my clothes, glasses, and books becoming one of the weird smart people. All I ever wanted was to be accepted by everyone else.
I finally got a boyfriend in 9th grade. I went on my first starvation diet that summer. I did not eat all day and only ate dinner. Once in a while I allowed myself a lettuce sandwich. I would run up and down the driveway to exercise.. 32 times a day... and perform a full set of exercises from the Navy Seal Handbook. I lost some weight and dropped a few sizes. I started to feel confident about myself and open up. I cut my hair short, got contacts, etc. My braces came off and I felt pretty. He always told me that he appreciated my 'feminine' body and didn't want one of the 'skinny' girls. Things were looking up. Then during a party at his house.. after I, the g/f, left... he and his friends decided to play strip poker (or something similar). The next day he confessed to me what they did... and told me how 'he noticed a big difference' between me and his other female friends, especially their stomachs were so tight and toned compared to mine. Back down I went onto the couch eating potato chips dipped in ranch dressing.
I didn't diet again until my freshman year of college. I got a new boyfriend pretty fast in college. He is now my husband. He was always super supportive of me.. and still is. He made me feel awesome and would constantly say things like "I don't know why all these guys love the Victoria's Secret models... they are just way too skinny to me." He even wrote an article for our college newspaper about girls not appreciating a 'curvy' or 'feminine' body... and how he wanted to support women who were healthy and curvy and take pressure away from women feeling the need to replicate the airbrushed beauties on the magazine covers. The spring of our freshman year we decided to do a variation of the GI Diet. We watched our carbs and worked out a lot. I don't even think I weighed myself for 2 or 3 months. I remember going home for Easter and my sister gave me some 'skinnier' jeans of hers to wear. I was able to fit into them... that was motivation enough. Soon I went from a size 12 to a size 6... and eventually to a size 2/4. Overall, I lost around 60lbs. Still, outsiders were very critical of me and I never felt good enough or slim enough. I remember being mocked for certain outfits I wore to parties.. or for being 'too fat' still. One day, some of my girlfriends and I were knocking on the window of my boyfriends apartment trying to get his attention to come unlock the door. Some guys walked by and asked us what we were doing. I forget exactly what was said after that... but all I know is someone said.. "I would never date you.. you are way too fat." I ran up onto the side walk with my hands on my hips and yelled, "I am a SIZE FOUR!!! I AM NOT FAT!!" I didn't believe myself. Then my boyfriend unlocked his apartment door.. I told him what happened and he ran outside to yell at them some more. They were gone.. and so was my confidence.
After college my weight began to gradually creep back up. The stress from work, sitting all day, eating good home cooking at my parents, and feeling pressured to eat 'like everyone else' all played a part. I tried diet after diet during this time. Weight Watchers, Skinny Bitch, counting calories, Eat this Not that, Portion Teller Plan, Skinny Girls Don't Eat Salads, Slim and Skinny... and the list goes on. Diet after diet I lost some weight.. and put some back on... lost some weight.. and put some back on. I never got back to the lowest weight I was in college or the highest weight I was in high school. I just floated around in the middle up 20lbs... down 20lbs... up 30 lbs.... down 15lbs... up 10lbs... down 20lbs... for the past 5 years.
I honestly think all of that 'dieting' only to plateau.. give up.. and emotionally crack and stuff my face until I literally puked... really ruined my metabolism. My metabolism needs a complete makeover. I am 26 years old.. and it has been calculated by a professional that my metabolism is equal to that of a 47 year old due to all of my yo-yo dieting.
This past year I started Joy Bauer's Skinny diet and had a lot of success by losing about 30lbs. I looked and felt great. I really do think this is a great diet that teaches you about portion control and healthy eating. Unfortunately, my emotions got the best of me and I ended up gaining back about 20lbs this spring. As a result, I bought a BodyMedia FIT Weight Management Solution Armband
and started tracking what I ate and how many calories I expended during my workouts. I love this armband and still use it a lot. (More on this armband in another post! It deserves on to itself). Then I joined weight watchers. I lost about 15 to 17 lbs before hitting my plateau. I was so close to my weight goal. Not sure if it was realistic or not, but nonetheless I was almost there. This spring my company started paying for us to see a nutritionist as part of a healthy living initiative. The nutritionist encouraged me to maintain my weight for at least two months and told me she felt that I did not need to lose anymore weight. While trying to maintain I ended up gaining 12lbs in 2 months. It made no sense to me. My calories out were less than the calories in. I was meticulous about recording my food down to the teaspoon of olive oil I used to cook with. Yet, I kept gaining weight. I joined a gym and took up a running program (hence the 5k portion of this blog). I felt like I was doing everything right. After a few visits of frustration, the nutritionist told me she thought I should really try to lose about 20lbs. I was so angry. Not only would that put me at a very low weight for me, but a couple of visits before she let me loose to 'maintain' and I ended up gaining 12lbs when I was so close to my goal! Wow, I was frustrated. However, I liked her and she did help me discover the benefit to keeping a food journal and that I am an emotional / stress eater. No I never realized that before.. isn't that weird? Nothing like some good ole fashioned denial!
My last visit with her was 3 weeks ago. I lost about 6lbs with her. She would list out goals for me for each session including: Drink more water, Relax on Mondays, and Stop Night Eating. I followed her instructions and plateaued after about 3 weeks. I have maintained my weight for the past 2 months, while trying to lose weight. Well, not really trying... but doing whatever she said. During my last visit she finally said, "Okay, well if I wasn't here to help you... you tell me what you would do now." That was the final straw to me. She didn't want to lay out any type of plan and I wasn't making any progress. I felt like I wasn't really trying either. I learned what I needed to from her. I learned the importance of maintaining... and that I was able to do so.
Now, I needed some action. I picked up a magazine the other day that had METABOLISM MAKEOVER in big bold letters across the middle. "This is exactly what I need," I thought. My metabolism is shot to the point is won't respond to any efforts of dieting or exercise. I need to reset it. I read the article about The Dukan Diet. How it supposedly is great for people who are 'diet resistant' and can't achieve results through other methods. It was also used by Kate Middleton for her wedding preparations... can't go wrong with the method of Royalty right? I ordered the book on Amazon with one day shipping. I received it yesterday and started to learn about the plan. I went online to the website and figured out my 'true weight' according to Dr. Dukan. I actually only need to lose 15lbs. Significant enough, but not overbearing. The true weight calculated for me was slightly higher than my original goal weight, and I hit that same weight a couple of times this past spring before the nutritionist mishap. So, it seems reasonable enough to me. The first two phases of the diet seem hard and very protein focused. However, when I think back to losing all that weight my freshman year in college... I followed a very similar idea. Low carb foods in unlimited quantities. I think this will work. Finally, I liked that the diet has two phases that focus on maintaining the weight that you lost....probably the most important part.
Today I cancelled my appointment with the nutritionist this week and instead spent the $80 on joining the online coaching website for The Dukan Diet. I set my start date as tomorrow, 8/8/2011. I printed out grocery lists and recipes for the week and packed my refrigerator with high protein foods including egg whites, lean turkey and ham, crab sticks, and yogurt. Then I came home from the grocery store... downed a pound of pasta with sauce, sesame chicken, an egg roll, vegetable lo mein, and a soft serve ice cream cone as a final good-bye to carbs for the next 53 days. I went out with a bang... like I said.
I have a lot of hesitation about this... thoughts such as "Why am I doing this to myself?" and "Do I really want to commit to this?".... That's when my husband said, "You already bought all the food... too late to back down now!"
Out of all of the reasons... I truly believe that in order to see results... I really need to sacrifice... show commitment... and exert effort. Maximum effort = maximum results. I can't expect to sit around.. eating whatever I want each day waiting for the pounds to magically fall off. Though I might not be 'obese' or 'overfat' or even 'overweight' technically ... I don't feel that I am the best I can be.
I feel like I was intended to be fit.... to be a motivator.... to succeed.
Everyone has to start somewhere. I start tomorrow.
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