Day 3-5

Current Weight: 174.0 lbs             Lost yesterday: 2.2 lbs
Total Lost: 5.2lbs

So got through my first weekend.   Of course there was a family BBQ this weekend, and literally, 4 varieties of pie.  I thought ahead and brought a fruit tray, even if that isn't on the Dukan I still feel it is much more sensible then just dabbling into a piece of pie.

If any of you followed me on the Dukan last time, you will know I have a little problem with candy.  I came to the awful realization that in moderation, it doesn't cause your weight to fluctuate so sometimes I can binge a bit.  I did have more than I anticipated but overall I don't think it negatively impacted my results.

I did have a very small serving of salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing, but otherwise have been pretty good with sticking to just protein.

I will start introducing vegetables in likely tomorrow, and see how this goes. 

I still have 44lbs to go to my goal weight...this is going to be a long road this time.

Day 2

Current Weight: 176.2 lbs             Lost yesterday: 1.4 lbs
Total Lost: 3lbs


Breakfast:
-1/2 container of Vanilla Silhouette Fat Free Yogurt & 2 tsp of Oats

Lunch:
-Chicken Breast

Dinner:
-Steak

Beverages:
-1 Iced Coffee

I feel pretty crappy today, but this is normal.  Between always having water handy & munching on some tic tacs, I am doing fairly well with my eating.  The attack phase of only eating protein and no vegetables yet really sucks.  Its very bland, in a time when your body is like what is going on, feed me!

I have to go out for dinner with friends this evening, so I am going to have to have vegetables, will likely have a salad, but think I can make a good enough choice that I shouldn't mess anything up too much.

My 3lbs down is no surprise, I will be excited once I get into the double digits because I know that's when the 'for real' weight loss starts!

Day 1

Current Weight: 177.6 lbs             Lost yesterday: 1.6 lbs
Total Lost: 1.6lbs


Breakfast:
-1/2 container of Vanilla Silhouette Fat Free Yogurt & 2 tsp of Oats

Lunch:
-Chicken Breast

Dinner:
-Chicken Breast

Beverages:
-1 Iced Coffee
-1 Green Tea

Wow what a variety of foods yesterday...not.  Oddly I wasn't too hungry throughout the day, I thought it would be worse considering my stomache is now in the shrinking phase so not used to such little food.  About 4pm I wasn't feeling so hot, but once I had dinner I felt okay again.

The first two weeks are always the worst.  Sometimes you forget you are doing this and go to pick at food, sometimes you could eat your arm off just for a little more variety, but after week 2 it is smooth sailing.  These foods become routine and the way you feel counter acts all thoughts of other food.

I am not surprised with the 1.6lbs of weight loss yesterday, the first few days are a lot of water weight, so the first week feels amazing cause you are losing like a pound a day, but I know those numbers don't hold up and will start slowing down next week.

In all honesty though, I am guessing it is from how little I ate yesterday but my stomache felt flatter this morning.  These are the feelings I love about the Dukan because its so consistent and you really see a difference, everyday.

Today I have a bunch of errands to run which should help me keep my mind off the fact that I can't stop for a lemon poppyseed loaf or muffin with my coffee.

Here we go again...

Well I am ashamed to say it but shit got bad. 

It has been a long long time since I posted last & a lot has changed in my life.  It was almost 4 years ago to the day that I posted for the first time in this blog.  I thought I was at rock bottom then, but here I am, this is rock bottom.  I weigh almost 20lbs more then when I started last time, so this journey is going to be a much longer process, and I have no one to blame but myself.

For starters, it has nothing to do with the rebound of dieting - the transitioning back onto normal foods and gaining double the weight.  I held the weight off for almost 3 years, leading a normal life, and then 2013 happened.

2013 started off with a major life-altering surgery, followed by a nightmare house experience, piled on with an insane work load & then ending with the death of someone near and dear.  Before I knew it I was mentally fragile, and I took comfort in food.  My job is not easy - I work crazy hours, a lot of driving and a lot of drive thrus.  Instead of smart choices, there was a lot of fries, burgers, bagels & all those delicious things.  You gain 20lbs and then another 10, and you sort of give up and figure what's another 10 more.

So here we go again....

My goal is to be down into the 130's again by end of October. Let's check out these mortifying stats to start this off

STATS
Weight: 179.2 lbs
Thigh: 25 Inches
Hips: 44 Inches
Waist: 38 Inches
Chest: 41.5 Inches
Arm: 12.5 Inches
Neck: 14.5 Inches

I am off now to get back into the routine.  I will consume my first bowl of yogurt & oats, and start the attack phase of The Dukan Diet.  My goal is to make it to at least Monday on just protein.

Follow along & encourage me this go around - I am going to need it!

Everyday foods for Dukan

I am such a picky eater.  Since I was a kid, I have been insanely picky with my food.  My issue with most diets is...I don't eat eggs.  They are #2 on the grossest foods in my world(second to onions), and I can't do it.

When I was looking at the Dukan Diet and saw you can eat "fat free yogurt", I was intrigued.  I decided I liked the principals of the Dukan Diet & felt there was possibility of success, since I didn't have to rely on eggs, so off I went.

When I first started, I wasn't sure what kind of yogurt would work.  After much researching, I found most people were eating Plain or Natural Yogurt.  I tried it once, and will not try it again.  So I decided to try my favourite yogurt - Silhouette Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt.  After 2 weeks of consistent weight loss results, Vanilla yogurt was in!

I am fortunate enough that I don't really get sick of foods I do enjoy.  So as you follow my progress, you will see...I eat the same breakfast and lunch basically everyday.  Lunch may vary based on if I am going out to meet someone, but generally I have yogurt in the morning & a chicken breast at lunch.

Silhouette Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt

This is my basic every morning, plus a cup of coffee.  On the Dukan Diet, you need to have 2 tbsp of Oats, so I eat those in my yogurt.  It helps keep me full until lunch & I really do not have another opportunity to consume it in my other meals.

Morning Yogurt

For lunch, I would say I have a chicken breast minimum 4 out of the 7 days in a week.  If I am out I will have a salad (always get dressing on the side and dip lightly for flavour), but generally I will stop at a grocery store and pick up a 1/4 chicken breast.  I am fortunate enough to have a job that I get my lunch paid for everyday, so the cost of this is not a burden.

Chicken Breast

It may not look that appetizing, but that is because I have removed the skin, since that would defeat the healthy purpose, and already ripped it apart a bit.

Finally, my guilty pleasure.

McD's Iced Coffee

I don't know about anywhere else in the World, but in Canada during the summer, McDonald's has "Dollar Drink Days" & included in that, is a medium iced coffee for $1 which I consume at least once daily.  Thankfully coffee is on the Dukan Diet, otherwise, I'd go completely mental.

If you followed me the first time, you will remember that a couple weeks into the diet, I tried a coffee.  I had obviously tried them in the past, but was not a coffee drinker, then being deprived of desserts on the Dukan Diet, coffee really replaced that & since my first go at Dukan, I have been addicted.

So there you have it.  Those are my everyday foods for the Dukan Diet.  You will see these things on my daily recap of foods virtually everyday, thought some images & background may be of interest to some folk.

A Dukan Update

So I decided to log back into my account today since I am toying with the idea of starting a new blog as I have recently become engaged and find blogging a fun little side activity.

When I logged back in, I noticed a comment on my last post so thought if there was still people who read this, I would give an update on my Dukan progress.

I basically stopped following the Dukan strictly.  I still have my yogurt every morning, with 3 tsps of oats & try and stick to chicken on most days for lunch, but I by no means am following it the way you are supposed to.  The interesting thing is, my weight fluctuates, but I have yet to have a drastic change.  The main thing I am working with: MODERATION

3 weeks ago I weighed in at 127lbs.  This was my lowest weight EVER & I had been eating what I wanted, but in reasonable quantities.  This morning I weighed 133.2lbs.  This is after eating much more than I should have over the holidays and some days, falling into my old binging ways.  I know once the new year kicks into gear, I go back to my daily routine, I will be able to maintain this weight.

I think the reason Dr Dukan has you follow his steps so closely is basically because the reason most people are overweight is we have zero control over how we eat.  I feel like on the whole, Dukan changed my way of eating.  I do follow the no 'seconds' rule, as realistically I know I never need it and then I feel less bad about eating some dessert, but I think if you can harness control of your portions it really makes all the difference.

All and all, I think Dukan really does work.  The consolidation I find such a challenge as once you start enjoying pieces of the foods that made you fat, you can't just do the Dukan & forget about that delicious bowl of pasta.

If you can really mentally change yourself to go along with the physical changes of Dukan, you will be successful.  If you go back to eating the way you used to, you will get fat again. 

Good luck to all those who try and venture onto the Dukan.  It has changed my life and I hope it does the same for you.

The Dukan Diet - Final Post

So needless to say, my blogging went down the shitter.  After a couple 'misses' about 2 months in, I kind of forgot to make it a part of my morning routine.  I didn't want to leave everyone hanging on how I have done, so this post is basically to finalize this blog & touch on my final thoughts of the Dukan Diet.

Today, over 3 months on Dukan, I am sitting at 30.2lbs lost.  Actually quite incredible when you think about it, and the majority of those pounds were lost the first two months.  I have nothing but great things to say about the Dukan Diet.  It has literally changed my life.   I have gone from a size 12 to a comfortable size 6, "muffin-top" is virtually impossible to achieve since I have very little extra skin anymore.

The last month has been a struggle though, and looking back, the first two months were really easy to coast through, but it is getting harder and harder.  The first two months you have significant weight loss, everyday.  You aren't longing for the variety anymore, and you just feel like you can conquer the world with this diet.

Realistically, there is only so long I could have eaten these same food groups without going mental.  So I have been trying to stay as focused as possible, whenever possible eating strictly protein & vegetables, but there are days, like last night, when I had 2 good slices of pizza & 2 breadsticks and still managed to be down .2lbs this morning.  I do believe this weight can stay off. 

My eating habits since the September long weekend have been nothing but 'off and on'.  I can honestly say I have not gone back to binge eating, which is really a testament for the life changing experience this has been.  I have however enjoyed things, like chips, pizza, pasta, even bread, all in moderation.  I have found no significant backlash from eating sensibly, which leads me to believe, with determination and self-discipline I can keep this weight off.  I even enjoyed "The Mandarin" last weekend, which is my favourite chinese buffet ever.  With my 'new eyes' for food, I was able to make surprisingly sensible decisions, stick mostly to protein & vegetables, with the except of one chicken ball & some small desserts.  The next day I did gain .6lbs, but within a day it was all off again.  Fantastic!

I am slowly filling my closet up with clothes that fit me (pricey endeavour hehe), and even in a change room a few weeks back, a lady said to me "you are so tiny", not a sales lady, like another customer.  Right out of her mouth.  I was on a high for days.  Comments like this & fitting into single digit pieces of clothing is what makes it worth while.

Here are some tips I can offer for those wanting to endeavour onto The Dukan Diet

-Get through the first 2 weeks.  These were the biggest struggle, but really be determined to stick to it for 2 weeks.  You would be surprised how fast that time goes, and once that is up, you have gotten a routine down, you have lost enough weight to keep you motivated, you have lost virtually all cravings & most importantly, your energy levels begin to be back to normal & only increase from there.

-Find the right foods you can cheat with.  This took me a while to get into, as I was quite strict with the Dukan, but eventually you are tempted & you need more than Dukan friendly foods.  Candy has been a big part of my diet.  I have noticed that a small package of candy, like swedish berries, have zero effect on your results the next day & really satisfy your mind & stomache.  Other foods I can recommend (in moderation of course!): Tostito Tortilla Chips, Frozen Yogurt, MINTS!! and Almonds.  Also fruit is a usual go-to when temptation arises at a party.  Beside those lovely displays of dessert, usually lies a fruit tray.  I stuck with Cantaloupe, Melon & Strawberries and was pretty safe with my next day results.

-Talk to people about it.  I found the more people that knew, the less I was likely to cheat in front of them. 

-Weigh yourself everyday & make sure it is a digital scale that displays the decimal value.  Some days you may lose .8lbs but if you don't have a digital decimal read, you may think you have lost nothing.  Daily weigh-ins were the thing that really kept me motivated.

-Don't be alarmed when you get 'dry mouth syndrome'.  I read something once about how this happens due to high amounts of protein, or maybe it was the lack of carbs, who knows, either way, you get serious dry mouth.  You wake up in the middle of the night and your mouth feels like you haven't drank water in days.  Just always have a bottle of water by the bed.

-..on that note: Make sure you drink the 1.5-2 litres of water everyday.  There was 2 days in a row when I was on Dukan that I didn't hit this target, and my body literally felt like it was shutting down.  I drank about 3L the day I felt this way and was back on track, so don't take this water thing for granted

-Coffee:  I am not a coffee drinker, at all.  So if you aren't, start introducing it as a dessert.  I took it with 2 sweetener, so it was sweet, but it really was so satisfying.  However, I did notice a slow-down in my weight loss when I introduced it, but it was worth it.



-Buy clothes that fit.  I found it important to have at least one pair of correct size pants when I was on this diet.  You don't want to fill your wardrobe because you know it won't last long, but having a pair that fits makes you feel good, since it is at least one size lower than the last pair.  Thrift stores could be a good option, so you aren't spending a lot of money.

-Lastly, stick to it.  This really works.  It may not be for everyone, as your food choices are somewhat limited, but if you want a guaranteed method to lose weight, try the Dukan.  I look unbelievable & I feel even better, you can't deny the positive effects this diet will have on your life.

I hope My Dukan Diet Journal has inspired someone out there to give this diet a shot.  I am sad to see this blog go, but happy to see the 30lbs that came along with go more.

Being fat is old news.