Thursday, May 31, 2012

Day 6 - How Can I Dukan without Dairy?!

Weight: 160.2 (GAINED!) :(
Exercise: Walked up a few flights of stairs w/Baby Bjorn. That's IT!

I ate:
2 fried eggs + a bunch of egg whites
Iced coffee w/stevia & skim milk
Lite string cheese
Celery
97% fat free hot dog (GROSS)
sugar free ketchup & mustard (I think I'm over sf ketchup!)
Laughing Cow Cheese
Iced green tea w/lemon - at least 64 oz
2 slices sourdough toast w/spray butter & stevia
Black coffee
Watermelon
Ham cold cuts
Apple
2T peanut butter

I'm going to have to cut out dairy again. I thought my baby would be ready to tolerate it since she's 3 months, but her gas has suddenly started really acting up again. Sudden screams of pain, legs stiffening, grunting, straining, etc.

Without dairy, I don't think I can be on the Dukan Diet. But I'm still going to diet and keep track of what I eat. Being accountable here will help me. I've definitely changed what I was eating - for the better. I needed to get out of my carb rut and develop some new routines. Eggs for breakfast is so much better than cereal (oh, I just LOVE cereal!). Please share any other high protein breakfast ideas!

In my previous post, I mentioned something about green tea being a slimming secret. Today I started drinking it in mass quantities. I really enjoyed it iced w/lemon & stevia. Looking forward to seeing if it helps the weight loss efforts.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Day 5 - Cravings REALLY ARE better! I'm less hungry -- WOW!

Weight: 159.6 (GAINED! But only .4)
Exercise: Walked 40 min w/my big sis!

I ate:
Fried eggs
Iced coffee w/stevia & skim milk
Lite string cheese (<5% fat)
Celery
Dill & Garlic Dip (1/2 c nonfat plain yogurt, 1t minced garlic & 1T dill. Delish!) (from http://mydukandiet.com/recipes)
2 cheeseburgers (fat free cheddar, lean beef)
sugar free ketchup & mustard
Bread & butter pickles (cheat - couldn't resist)
a zillion grapes (too many)
Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss Cheese
Water - at least 48 oz
Nonfat yogurt w/oat bran, stevia & cinnamon

I found 97% fat free hot dogs (Hebrew National). They do have some modified food starch added, but I'm going to eat them.

I also found out you only need to limit egg yolks if you have a cholesterol problem. I don't, but Husband does.

I haven't eaten much today. I'm not as hungry as usual and am eating more for survival. I guess my cravings are really down!! This is a new experience for me! I'm also getting a little sick of the allowed foods. I've eaten more cheese today. And I've been busy -- but that's never stopped me from eating before. ;-)

I rediscovered Laughing Cow cheese at Strack & Van Til. There are a ton of flavors, and the Light is <5% fat! I'm not sure if it technically qualifies but it seems like a safe bet to me. I did not find low fat bacon there. I'm giving up that search. Please let me know if you find it in Chicago!

Have you ever reached a "dieting plateau", where you've been doing well but you just can't seem to lose any more weight? Well, today I read about a possible remedy...a "slimming secret". It was on a blog - dukantopia.wordpress.com who had seen it on Dr. Dukan's site. It recommends drinking green tea and only green tea all day for 3 days. It really worked for dukantopia! Looking forward to testing this out.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Day 3 (Last Day of Attack Phase) - It's Getting Easier!! Eating Galettes.

Weight: 159.4
Exercise: Rode my bike around the house a few times w/Kid2 - he's only 4 so it was pretty slow! Should've done more but hey - I'm a brat in 90 degree weather. AND, my tennis match got canceled!

Today was easier. It doesn't hurt that I've lost almost 5 pounds in 2 days! But really, I felt less deprived today. Maybe the cravings really are subsiding, like Dukan said they would!

Here's what I ate:
Fried eggs - 2 yolks & several whites
Reduced fat bacon
2 slices sourdough toast w/Splenda sprinkled on top
Water - ~32 oz (slacked a bit today)
Iced coffee w/stevia & skim milk
Dukan Oat Bran Galette (see below)
1 Apple
Hunk of cheddar cheese
Grilled steak
Grilled chicken
1/2 slice yogurt cheese (this was a cheat)
Coke Zero
1 "bunch" of grapes

I LOVE the Galette! I finally broke down and made them for Husband and myself. It's really simple/easy (also see pic):

1 egg white (beat until foamy, then mix w/the rest of the ingredients)
2T oat bran
2T fat free plain yogurt
1 t sweetener suitable for cooking (I used Splenda)

You just cook it like a pancake. It's soooo good! Very satisfying. Dukan says 1/day but you can have more for up to 2-3 days if you're really fighting cravings. No more than that bc too much oat bran can prevent nutrient absorption.

Can't wait to weigh tomorrow! I have already been able to wear my medium shirts. I was only able to wear larges when I started the diet!

The Whole Dukan Plan and an Atkins Comparison

Here are the 4 phases of the Dukan Diet. I thought I'd already laid these out, but I can't find it in my past posts. Sorry!!

1. Attack Phase - short phase where you eat only lean proteins and nonfat dairy. Lose weight fast during these few days - very motivating! Eat all you want of the 72 allowed foods. (I'll post the allowed foods separately.)

Nursing moms add daily:
2 servings of fruit
2 slices of whole wheat bread
1 slice of cheese
2T oat bran instead of 1.5
All allowed vegetables

As a nursing mom, I didn't think I'd lose fast with all these add-ons, but I've lost 5# in 2 days!!

2. Cruise Phase - longest phase; lose the bulk of your weight. Alternate pure protein days (as in Attack Phase) with protein + vegetable days.

3. Consolidation Phase - lasts 5 days for every pound lost; Eat as much protein and vegetables each day as you want.
Add:
1 serving of fruit/day.
2 slices of whole wheat bread/day, with low-fat butter.
1 serving of hard cheese/day.
1 serving of 'starchy foods'/week in the 1st half, increasing to 2 servings/week in the 2nd half.
Eat 1 celebration meal (Eat whatever you want!) a week in the 1st half of the Consolidation Phase. Eat 2 celebration meals in the 2nd half!

4. Stabilization Phase - Eat whatever you want! But use the basic tenets of the Consolidation Phase as a base.
Pick 1 day/week - for the rest of your life - when you eat nothing but protein. This is what allows you to eat normally for the other 6 days of the week without putting any weight back on.
Never take elevators or escalators again!
Eat 3T of oat bran a day.

ALL PHASES:
Drink at least 48 oz. of water.
Walk for 20 minutes a day.
Eat 1.5T of oat bran a day.

COMPARISON TO ATKINS
Dukan is much healthier than Atkins and it has a plan for keeping the weight off. For a Dukan v. Atkins comparison, click here: http://www.dukandiet.com/The-Dukan-Diet/The-Dukan-Diet-vs.-Atkins.

Keep the questions coming!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Dukan Day 2 – Lost 3#! But can I really do this?!

Weight: 161.2
Exercise: Walked 45 min

I ate:
Fried eggs - 2 yolks & 1 white
2 slices sourdough toast
1 c strawberries
Grilled Filet mignon
Nonfat yogurt w/stevia, cinnamon & 2T oat bran
Grilled hamburger w/fat free cheddar
Grilled steak (not sure what kind)
Sugar free jell-o cups
Water
Iced coffee w/stevia & skim milk

Today was hard. It's hard to only eat meat, and I really like steak. I know I could make all sorts of fabulous recipes, but I'm not a cook. I'm also tired & busy right now. I have 3 kids. Two are wild Indians and the other is 3 months old!!

I feel too restricted by the food list. You can eat as much as you want but the choices aren't exciting me. Except for the filet - I've got to get more of that! I miss fruit, and I'm even allowing myself 2 servings a day bc of nursing.

It's motivating that I lost 3# and Husband lost 2. I'm going to keep trying. I know it's hard for H too, and he's a HUGE protein eater. Time will tell what we end up doing. Maybe this will just be a springboard to healthier eating. But we really need structure, and I know I'm better off without all those carbs bc of the gluten. My digestion is waaaaaay better!!

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Dukan Day 1 – Not Super Easy!

Weight: 164.2
Exercise: Walked 25 min

I ate:
Fried eggs - 2 yolks & 1 white
Bacon (reduced fat bacon is allowed - see below for pics of what I found)
Fat free cottage cheese
Iced coffee w/Stevia & skim milk
2 pieces dry sourdough toast (an add-on for bf'ing) (I read that your body processes sourdough similarly to whole wheat.)
Watermelon (an add-on for bf'ing)
Roast beef slices
Low fat ham slices
Filet Mignon grilled w/Trader Joe's South African seasoning
Hamburger grilled w/a little mustard & sugar-free ketchup
Plain yogurt w/stevia, cinnamon & oat bran
"Skinny" water
64 oz water
Coke Zero
1 sugar free jell-o cup

Husband is really glad he can have eggs & bacon. :) I'm thrilled I can have my iced coffee! I got our water ready in big containers this morning so we won't forget and can work on it all day.

It wasn't really that easy. I'm used to eating cereal and pita chips! I enjoyed the filet tho!!! Sugar free ketchup is something to get used to. I did find a great dessert - yogurt, stevia & cinnamon -- delish! There are a lot of recipes online but I don't really cook. But when we start eating vegetables I'll make a dip recipe I found - just garlic, yogurt & dried dill.

We didn't eat all of the cookies last night, and H says he keeps thinking about them. I've got to go throw them away!! Late-night bingeing could occur!!

Can't wait to see if we've lost any weight tomorrow!

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Diet Starts TOMORROW!

Weight: 164(!)
Exercise: Officially: None (Unofficially: Walked around school carnival w baby in Bjorn)

We start tomorrow! I gained weight today. Ugh. I hope this will be the last of THAT!

I was reading Dukan's book (The Dukan Diet) yesterday and I found a couple of quotes I really liked:

"...what overweight people most hate and simply cannot do is decide for themselves when and how they are going to deprive themselves of food."

"For big eaters, the very idea of having to ration their happiness [i.e., food] is preposterous."

We always say we're turning over a new leaf, but how quickly we go back to our old habits without some structure. Often the very same day!!

I've been in a carb rut lately. Cereal (one of my all-time favorite foods), pita chips (LOVE!), regular chips (My 8-yo got mad at me for finishing off the bag yesterday. My defense: "I LOST CONTROL!"). Partly bc I'm nursing and the baby can't tolerate a lot of foods, like dairy and a lot of vegetables. But I'm going to try to reintroduce a little of each thru the diet. She's 3 months now -- maybe she's ready for it!

10:20 pm Just went to my 3rd grocery store. Think I'm finally ready. Couldn't resist some treats tho!

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Actually Reading the Book. Starting Saturday!

Weight: 162.0
Exercise: Walked 40 min.

Husband & I are starting Dukan on Saturday! I read that people always start on Mondays and that you should pick a different day bc Mondays suck already. We picked Saturday bc it's a holiday weekend so that'll give us 3 days at home/together to establish some habits. H is especially worried about sticking to the rules at work. He hates bringing his lunch and needs an outing midday.

A friend loaned me the book (The Dukan Diet by Dr. Pierre Dukan), so I'll start reading it today. I think learning the physiology / reasoning behind the plan will help motivate me. I'll share the highlights as I learn.

Later!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Procrastinating the Diet Start Date?

Weight: 161.2
Exercise: Walked 20 min.

My weight is fluctuating bw 161-163. Right now I'm a size 10. Can't wait to wear an 8 and maybe someday a 6 again!!

I still haven't started the diet, but I walked 20 minutes today. I also had my iced coffee without milk...thought I was going to have to get used to that, but then I realized I can have skim milk! Hey -- better than nothing! And I use Stevia in the Raw as a sweetener, so that's a change I won't have to make. Whoopee!

Gearing up to lose weight while nursing - Dukan Diet - 1st Steps

I had a baby about 3 months ago. My 3rd. I'm 41. I was in my 30s for the other 2 pregnancies, and while it has never been easy to lose weight, I was able to get my baby weight off without too much of a fight -- those 2 times. But when I got pregnant this last time, I was NOT expecting it and I was about 10 pounds over my ideal weight. I'm 5'6" and my ideal weight is 140. That's a size 6 for me. At that weight, I feel great -- healthy and "light." Now that I'm post partum, I weigh 163. I haven't seen the scale move in a few weeks, so I think it's time to diet.

I've been hearing a lot about the Dukan Diet. It sounds similar to Atkins, but healthier and more realistic. I know a few people who have had success with it. I didn't think I could do it while nursing, but I found a modification that is supposed to still allow you to lose weight while providing enough nutrients for your baby.

I should also mention that I loooooooove sweets. I was nicknamed the "candy fiend" when I was little, and the name still applies. If I could eat anything I wanted, it would be cookies and candy. And cake. And just about anything I can find with tons of sugar. I never really want to eat healthy foods. I also am often very lethargic (big shock, huh?!). (Although God has been helping me a lot with that!!) Since Dukan is supposed to help reduce sweet cravings and increase your energy, it seems worth a try.

Dukan has several phases. The first is the Attack Phase. You lose a lot of weight during this phase (up to 10#!) and it lasts 3-10 days depending on the person. Mine will last only 3 days. I'm using a free app on my iPhone -- iDukan -- to help track my progress. (DID I MENTION THAT I'M ALSO TRYING TO DO THIS ON THE CHEAP?! There's a lot of free info out there, so I'm utilizing as much of that as possible.) iDukan helped me figure out how long my Attack Phase should last. You can do this at http://www.dukandiet.co.uk/.

SO...THE BASIC RULES...

Eat as much as you want from the allowed foods list.

Drink at least 1.5 quarts of water daily.

Eat at least 1.5 Tablespoons of oat bran daily.

Walk 20 minutes a day.

THE ALLOWED FOODS...

Unless otherwise stated, the foods should be les than 5% fat.

Lean beef, veal or rabbit (avoid ribs)
Chicken and turkey (except skin and outside part of the wings)
Ham (low fat and lean)
Beef, veal, or chicken liver
Any fish (except canned in oil or sauce)
Shellfish and crustaceans
Eggs (up to two per day, unlimited egg whites)
Dairy products (low fat, below 2% fat)
Sweeteners (except fructose based)
Vinegar, mustard, spices, herbs, garlic, onion (as spice), lemon juice (only as spice, not for drinking)
Sugar free chewing gum
Coffee, Tea, any drink with 0 calories

I'm not ready to start the diet yet. I still need to shop. But I'm SO ready to not feel like a sausage in my jeans!!! Once I get started, I'll post my daily weight and what I eat, etc. I also plan to post pics - maybe minus my head!! I also plan to get my husband on the diet and I'll post his progress too. But he's shy, so no pics of him!

My progress will be slower than typical, bc I'm nursing. Oh yeah! That reminds me...here are the

ADDITIONS / MODIFICATIONS FOR NURSING MOMS:

eat all of the protein you want (from list)

eat all of the veggies you want (from list) (below)

2 T of Oat Bran per day

one slice of cheese per day

two slices of whole wheat bread

two servings of fruit

1 1/2 quarts of water per day

walk 25 minutes per day (I HOPE I CAN DO THIS! It's hard with 3 kids and usually no sitter, and not sleeping much at night!!)

APPROVED VEGGIES:
Artichoke
Eggplant
Asparagus
Cabbage - all types
Beetroot
Broccoli and Purple sprouting broccoli
Carrot
Chicory
Courgette or Zucchini
Celery/ Celeriac or Celery Root
Cucumber
Leek
Fennel
French beans - String beans
Mushroom
Onion
Palm Heart
Pepper
Pumpkin - Marrow - Squash
Radish
Rhubarb
Salad leaves
Soy Beans
Spinach
Swede
Swiss chard
Tomato
Turnip

Thats it for now! I hope you'll follow along, and feel free to cheer me on!