No Change

Today was the final weigh in for our at work weight loss challenge. My weight did not change from last week - at all. Even after the Magnesium Citrate! I would say that, it sort of 'cleaned me out', but less than I expected. So am I empty on the inside? No idea. My tummy looks flat. But no real weight change. In fact, it was up 1/2 a pound from last week.

The weight loss challenge was 12 weeks. I lost one pound in that entire time. Note that I hadn't started the Dukan at first, gained a bit, and then went down some. And then up some, and then down some. On a good note, My stomach measurements  went down from 29 inches to 27 inches. So there is some sunshine in my life. Perhaps I have gained muscle, and my body has morphed for the better.

We have two weeks off now, and a new challenge will then start. Obviously, I'm not going to chow down on everything in sight, but I have to admit to you, dear friends...I'm having pizza tomorrow. Yes, it's not at all Dukan approved. And it's not something I'm going to make a habit. But my weight has changed very little, and I'm a slightly frazzled by this. Tomorrow, it's a friend's birthday, and our Pediatric Sleep Conference day - and a bit of a celebration. On a happy mental note, this is a planned cheat and not an emotional binge (which, trust me on this one, I have succumbed to on many occasions in the past). I will enjoy the day, and then recommence or continue my journey. I'm afraid I do not have the iron will that some of you demonstrate daily. I enjoy food. I feel that it is a big part of community and togetherness. It is sad that food brings people together in a good way - but it does. And I love those moments. I don't want to be the girl who can't partake in these things. I just don't want to partake in them everyday. And yes, I'm defensive! And neurotic.

Today's Meals (on the other hand)
Breakfast: Oat bran and protein
Lunch: Can of chicken and can of green beans
Dinner: Dak Kalbi (korean spicy chicken and cabbage)
Snack: some turkey, soy latte

Today's Workout
5Km walk to work
1 hour Fit Mix Class - 2 min cardio/2 min weights repeat, repeat, repeat - CRAZY HARD! 

Dukan Chicken Fingers

Dukan Chicken Fingers

Preheat oven to 350. 

Make assembly line; 

- First up, sliced raw chicken breast

- Second, Egg whites, 1/2 cup

-Third, Plate of miscellaneous spices, oat-bran and parmesan cheese

- Fourth, lay out two slightly spray oiled cookie sheets

   

I use cayenne, mixed italian, onion salt, pepper, garlic salt for my spices

Now, take one slice of chicken, dip in egg whites, let it drip a bit (or it will get all over your spices, and they will all clump together), then roll it in the mix, and place on a cookie sheet. 

Now Bake 15 minutes, turn, and then bake 15 more minutes. 

Note: The ones on the left, are breaded w/ Panko - and the ones on the right are not breaded at all!! Can you even tell the difference?

And voila, serve with some philly cheese and spices, or your Dukan Mayo, or Mustard!

Taste like spicy breaded chicken fingers!!

Healthy and Strong....and waiting!

Score 100% for good diet today, and good fitness. I'd love to say I feel on top my game, but I'm still tired, and bloated. But I feel...pretty good. I woke up before 6am, and went to walk to work - when a friend drove by and gave me a lift. I considered walking, but I'm a sucker for peer pressure at 7am. Especially if that peer has 4 wheels and is heading my direction.

I was the lone girl at work, with everyone (and I mean everyone) off with sick family or on vacation. March is always the worst for both scenarios - flues going around, and everyone trying to get their last minute vacation days used up before April, when it all starts over. So it was little old me, taking care of patients, the doctors, and the paper work. I really enjoyed it, to be honest. Makes you feel somewhat useful if you know what I mean. Like I saved the day.

I also got an X-ray of my belly. To be discussed later with doctor.

And twenty minutes ago I took the Magnesium Citrate. I'm scared right now. I'm afraid I'm going to get a horrific stomach ache, and not go. The drink was as sour as you can possibly imagine. My husband took a wee sip, and then joked that it would be funny if that cleaned him out, but I didn't go at all. While I smiled, and chuckled - it ain't that funny!! I keep reading these horror stories on the internet about explosions or the opposite; no progress. I should stop reading them, but it's addictive. So stay tuned for more fun stories of me and my poop!
I know that's why you keep tuning in.....

Today's Meals:
Breakfast: Egg creations and 1.5tbsp oatbran
Lunch: Egg creations with two burgers from last night.
Dinner: Turkey sausages
Dessert? Snack? Not feeling it at the moment.
I also drank lots of water, and lots of coffee (w/ milk)

Exercise Log: 
5Km run - 30 minutes.

The Jury is Out

So after being awake about 24 hours (with a one hour nap in there at the very end), I went to my Doctor's appointment. The Jury is out. My blood work was perfect - I would be perfect for cloning - haha. So, no low thyroid. No low iron even, which is a shock, as I've always been low iron and I don't even take my supplements any more, as they don't help much with digestion, if you know what I mean. We're getting an X-ray done of my belly tomorrow, to see what that looks like. I feel somewhat skeptical about it all. Like I'm fine, but just want something to be wrong, and nothing will be. I know that so many people out there think they are 'special' when it comes to weight loss - and while they are correct in that our bodies are all different - what it really comes down to is calories in/calories out. I think when I need to accept that. And go to the bathroom. Perhaps it is just my neurosis that is holding it all in!

Beyond that, nothing to report. I slept all day, and now my hubby is making up some beef/chicken burgers - and I will probably call it a night again! Back to work tomorrow a.m.

No exercise. Burgers. There's my logs:) And some milk in coffee.

Manic Monday

I woke up to the alarm this morning, and actually hopped delightfully out of bed. I've been sleeping so poorly lately that I was dreading waking up at 6am today - but it wasn't bad at all! In fact, I got ready and had time to spare before leaving for work. My day has went smoothly so far, not too much stress! I'm just going to hit the gym now.

Meal Log:
Breakfast: Oat bran porridge w/ protein, egg creatiions
Lunch: Can of chicken w/ broccolli
Snack: carrots, yogurt, pumpkin w/ protein and egg whites
Dinner: Will be 'Dak Kalbi' which is a Korean dish of spicy chicken and cabbage.
Dessert: maybe? maybe not

I realize I've been having all Protien/Veggie days which is not what I planned! It has completely presented itself and I haven't held back. It's difficult for me to see veggies as restricted, even 50% of the time. But I should have faith in the good doctor's plan. Tuesday and Wednesday I will do strict protein! Promise!

Exercise:
5Km walk
I think will do an upper body workout at the gym, but we'll see. I may do a run. I'll keep you posted!

Everyday, I log my food and workouts on fitday. I took a look at the my calendar since I started Dukan, and I have done some form of exercise every day with the exception of last Thurs/Fri. That is 5Km bare minimum! I'm fairly stoked about that!

Next week is the Lung Run 5K. I'd like to run it, but I'm so broke right now, that I don't think I'll be able to find the $25 to donate to charity in order to run. It's a shame really.

I also want to run the Bluenose 10K in May, and it is $55. I'm a little worried about that too - and I HAVE TO run it! I'll have to work on saving my pennies!!

POST SCRIPT!
Ended up doing a 2.5 mile run. Not a biggie, but a good one!! And then I got called back into work! No dinner yet!


Also made a 'protein cake' with protien, pumpkin, egg whites and cocoa. 

Sunday Walking

What a gorgeous (yet freezing), beautiful day! Not a big post. Just checking in.

Meal Log: 
Breakfast: 2 eggs with butternut squash
Lunch: oatbran with cottage cheese and cinnamon
Dinner: Chicken fingers (not breaded) with spaghetti sauce
Dessert????

Exercise:
10Km walk with a friend - a wonderful way to spend a few hours.

Sqaushaghetti Fail????

Okay, so first things first, when you are trying to make "SQUASHAGHETTI", you must indeed buy the correct kind of squash. The kind you are looking for can be seen here. So, SPAGHETTI SQUASH is what you want to buy. What did I buy? Oh, Butternut. I don't even have a good excuse. I thought, oh there it is..."Oh and look at the price! 99 cents/lb! What a great deal!", and into the buggy it went. Anyhow...here is 'squashaghetti' made with regular butternut squash. 

The Wrong Squash!

Buy the right squash. If you didn't, no biggie. Take a fork, and put holes into squash and then place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for one hour.

Veggies


Saute up some Mushrooms, garlic, onions, and green pepper




Add your beef

Add Chili Powder

The secret ingredient du Renaissance : Cocoa

Add tomatoes (I used a can of stewed)

Humour Hungry Hannah, the Beautiful Basset.

Now take your sqaush out. If you bought the correct squash or the wrong one, cut in half. Scoop out the seeds and yuckies with a spoon.

If you did indeed purchase the correct squash, take your fork and and graze the inside of the squash. It will peel off in strands, like spaghetti (hence the name). If you bought the wrong squash, you can feel really stupid, and just scoop it out however you darn well please. Just look really confident, and pretend that you know exactly what you are doing,as this was exactly what you intended.

Apres, top your wonderful squash that looks just like spaghetti (or nothing like it whatsoever) with the spaghetti sauce you have been simmering for the last hour or so.

And Voila!

Butternut Squashaghetti! I maka da momma proud!!

Saturday Moves and Grooves!

Got my groove back on! Great day for exercising, and eating. That pretty much sums up the extent of my Saturday. But it was great....here are some pics of my walk to the gym, and what I pass on my run/walks everyday.

Snowing in March!!

Early signs of Spring

More Early signs of Spring

Two Drug dealers on this street (shoes on wire)

"Wish You Webe Hepe"
So my favourite thing to see!

Can you see the monkeys?

Support Halifax Crafters by donating change

Citadel Hill, which will be great for hill training!

That sums up the things I see on my run in March. Snow and flowers, and a lot of beauty hidden under the surface of a grey, murky atmosphere. One day, I'll show you the more glamourous side of Halifax. I like the artsy side personally!

My exercise for today!

5Km walk to the gym

30 minute Full-body Circuit

2.5 mile run (interspersed 5 minutes between circuits)

25 minute precor

There's Always Tomorrow...

....it's only a day away!

Tomorrow will be the day I hit the gym with all I got. I've been under the weather (where did that expression come from? does anybody know?) the last few days, and I haven't worked out at all. Today I was crazy busy, and could have hit the gym, but with the stern look of my beautiful hubby - I realized that I should not go just yet. I'm burnt out. I'm struggling. I'm weak. So I worked my butt off - had lunch with a friend, and then worked my butt off. At work. Not at the gym. Boo. I even had some chicken soup, to make me feel a bit better, and yes - there were some little noodles in there. Not dukany of me. But had it with chicken and salad if that makes a difference.

Meal Log:
Breakfast: nada. got up late.
Lunch: Chicken soup, chicken and salad
Dinner:Scrambled eggs, chicken bacon and 'turnip homefries'


That's all for today folks!

P.S. I also had a bowl of oatbran mixed w/ cottage cheese and vanilla! That was my yummy  dessert last night. Do they sell maple extract? That would be delightful!

Weight loss - a little bit!

I'm not complaining. Well, maybe just a little. Switching over from night shifts is no easy feat. You'll hear a lot of that from me. I did sleep well last night (at least 8 hours!). But soooo out of it today.

I weighed in, and I guess I am happy (ish). My weight was down to 154.4lbs. I'm happy it is down, although was hoping for a little more. If the doctor helps figure out what is going on, then I will be a happy camper. If not, then I will have to revamp things and figure out what works for me. Cutting back on dairy has me feeling a little better - whether it is all an illusion, I have no idea. I did have some regular milk in my coffee yesterday and today. But for the past week, it's been soy products.

Oh, last night I had the Dukan brownie for a snack, with a little extra light cream cheese on top (dairy - I know).

I went and did my blood work this morning - so it was a fasting morning. No brekkie. That may be why I am so zonked! AND!! I forgot my workout pants at home, so can't go to the gym (even though I wore my sneakers and sports bra - it would be a difficult workout in cords!).

Meal Log:
Brekkie: n/a
Lunch: Frittata w/ mandarin salad (sans mandarin!).
Dinner: I think we're either having 'squashgetti' or turkey sausages and veggies. I'll leave it up to the man.

Exercise:
Nothing??????? Say What????

I'll check back in later to hopefully change that last one!

The A-Z of what I would like to have?

The thought crossed my mind to do a post of the alphabet including all of the things I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, that are not 'dukan friendly'. It didn't linger long, as I figured it would not be good for myself - somewhat of a trigger perhaps. It may also trigger some of my readers, which I would never want to do. We're in this thing together, right?? But the funny thing is, I realized that most of what I want is 'dukan friendly' it's just not 'cruise friendly'.

For the most part, I'm not really craving anything. Yes, I do want somethings, because who doesn't? But when I think about what I'm looking forward to - I see fruit. Maybe some really good cheese. And these are things that are coming my way once I hit consolidation. I worry about going over the edge with celebration meals - but I'm really thinking about incorporating other healthy treats into them. Recipes made with almond flour, fruit, and organic goodies. I love reading healthy living blogs, food blogs, recipes and the such. I love the idea of taking whatever it is your craving, and making it as healthy as you can. Be it vegan, organic, paleo or whatever. Just healthy. And while I sit here in my cruise phase, I will consider it a challenge to take recipes and make them low carb! Hopefully this weekend, I will have an exciting recipe/photos to share with you. Alas, tonight I'm so sleepy that I don't know what to do with myself! So turkey burgers it is!

Meal Log:
Okay, to be honest, I haven't eaten anything but some soy milk. I got up at 2pm, hit the gym and now my hubby is cooking dinner. I had a soy latte though, or two. Just a little soy milk in each! There won't be a lot of calories today - as this is what happens on your turn around day. I may have a dukan brownie, or a bowl of porridge after dinner. Maybe some Jell-O.

Exercise Log:
5Km walk
30 minute cycle
15 minute sauna (do I consider this exercise???)

Have a good one ladies and gents! Keep Dukaning it!

My Dukan - From A to Z

Most things I've tried, others are going to be made in the future. What's your list look like??

The Dukan Alphabet

A – Autumnal veggies are my faves, like pumpkin and squash!

B – Burgers are wonderful, whether they are turkey, beef, or tuna!

C – Cottage Cheese makes a fantastic high protein snack when tired of meat!

D – Dukan Brownies! Can I say more?? Seriously, they are that good!

E – Egg whites are low in fat, and high in protein

F – Fish is brain and heart food!! Eat up!

G – Galette is a funny word for a pancake! But they are scrumptious!

H – H20 is the best purifier on any diet, including Dukan! Aim for 1.5-2 litres.

I – Ice Cream, the ultimate challenge. Might freeze some yogurt.

J – Jell-O is the best low-cal option for dessert or snack!

K – Kimchi Chigae is a spicy alternative to the standard meat and veg! Try it out!

L – Lattes, soy or regular milk! Gotta love ‘em. You could add some sugar free vanilla!

M – Meat of all forms, minus the fatty bits!!

N – Nutella – Dukan Style – You mix Cocao, Cream Cheese, splenda, vanilla and milk!

O – Oatbran is the ticket for filling you up, and cleaning you out! (sorry, couldn’t resist)

P – Pumpkin has lots of fibre, zinc and potassium. Great for the immune system!

Q – Quark is a healthy substitute for sour cream or cream cheese!

R – Rhubarb will help clean your pipes, and is yummy if you need some fruit!

S – Spinach is extremely rich in antioxidants! And Popeye said it’s the bomb!

T – Turkey is a great source of iron, and full of protein.

U – Ummm…..?????

V – Vanilla Greek Yogurt is my favourite out there! Now trying Vanilla Soy.

W – Wheat Bran is a great tolerated food to use with muffins or make bigger porridges!

X – Xylitol – ah, in all our diet chewing gum!!

Y – Yogurt has active cultures that aid in digestion (but not mine – boo!)

Z – Zucchini would be great, maybe covered in egg whites, and dipped in oatbran and spices! Baked up like ‘faux fried zucchini! Sounds like a plan to me!

Today's Meals:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs w/ turkey burger and some soy yogurt

Lunch: Turkey burgers

Snack: Jello

Dinner: Turkey burgers (ah, the variety! what? working nights is difficult - I'm lazy!).

Exercise:

Did 30 minutes on the Precor. I promise I'll do better later in the week!

Happy FIrst Day of Spring!!!

We hit 4 degrees today! Yay! I think we're supposed to get snow tomorrow - but whatevs!

Quick Post for Today! Starting work shortly. Had a great walk into work, but skipped the gym. I felt so sleepy and out of it, that I thought I could still use some rest. I don't feel bad about not hitting the gym while I'm on nights, as I truly think my body is just completely screwed up. It's true that working nights also messes with your digestive system! I actually gained the 15-20lbs back working night shifts. I don't blame them completely - but they are a contributor for sure. But last night was perfect, I ate well, I ate lots - but all Dukan friendly. By the way, that Spaghetti Squash w/ laughing cow is amazing! I'll make it at home some day and take some good pics.

I'm having another PV day today, and will hit two Protein only days following. I find it helps to eat some veggies while on night shift, and it allows me to sneak a few cucumbers/carrots or whatever the other girl's offer without being rude.

Todays Meals:
Breakfast (only meal so far): Egg Creations and chicken bacon, Protein, egg whites, pumpkin stirred up.
Lunch: Will be salad with turkey burgers on top
Dinner: Same
Snack: Dukan brownie

Exercise:
5K walk.

Happy Spring guys!! Hope you are Dukaning it well, and giving it all you've got! Not many bloggers posting lately it seems....boo!


After thought Post Script!

Still no dairy. And trying to chug just green tea tonight! Mind you, my co-worker just brought me a XL coffee from timmies! Will start after that!

A Much Needed Rest Day

When I work nights, I usually do a Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday night shift. What this means to me is that I have a great excuse to spend the whole Sunday lingering in bed, having breakfast served to me, and no workouts! Don't get me wrong, I love going to the gym (most days), but it's nice to have a day off guilt-free.
Today, I slept in until 12 noon (I know, I'm awesome - not everyone could do this even if they had the opportunity!). I awoke to a nice soy latte, watched some CNN news reports in bed, got up, made my dukan brownies for work, and some meatballs for work, and some lunch for then, and went back to bed, trying to doze off while watching X-men. A nice, walk to work at 3 degrees, with the sun shining was the perfect 'start' to my day. And now here I am, an hour early with my coffee and some time to blog before the hustle begins. Ahhh...perfect Sunday.

Meal Log:
Breakfast: Soy latte (not much of a meal - but I have to eat tonight at work too!)
Lunch: Pumpkin mixed with egg whites, cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla extract (this was yummy!)
Dinner: Will be scrambled eggs and chicken bacon
Later Dinner: Turkey meatballs
Dessert: Pumpkin brownie

And here's hoping, the other girl who's working said she might bring in some 'spaghetti squash mac n' cheese' which is made with laughing cow, spices, and squash. I'm going to try this at home, as soon as I come to terms with my fear of cooking squash that hasnt' been cut up for me!

Exercise:
Easy paced 5Km walk

Have a wonderful Sunday!! Cheers!

OH! Forgot - Haven't had any real dairy in a few days, and I feel lighter, and did 'go' on Friday and Saturday! So here's hoping. I still have a big belly sticking out, so I know there's something going on, but I feel better!

Dukan Grocery Shopping!!!!

Today was the Grand Opening of the updated Sobey's Grocery store in our neighbourhood. I had the big 10% off coupon, and free grocery bag coupon, and a big list of all the sales. It seems that grocery prices are taking a huge price increase, what with everything that is going on in the world. Wish my salary would!! But I was armed and ready to get as much as I could for the 10% off. I was a woman on a mission!! The one thing I can say about Dukan is - it ain't cheap. But IT IS cheaper than eating out often! Not to mention what I'm saving on wine!

So here we have a little look see on the protein I puchased!

DUKAN GROCERIES

Now this is just the protein portion of groceries, which is really most of it! I bought a few cans of veggies, and I bought my husband almost the same amount in carbs (which was the cheaper part - wonderbread, rice, etc). In this photo we have, 8 packages of ground turkey, a few steaks, some stir fry beef, two packages of turkey sausages, 3 cartons of eggs, tofu, evaporated fat free milk, two tubs of SOY yogurt, 2 tetras of SOY milk, chicken bacon, scallops, cottage cheese, and a big 4 litre jug of skim milk, 2 pkgs of light cream cheese (which I can't see in the picture, but it's in there somewhere!). Hopefully this will get me through a few weeks! I may have to return to buy more yogurt (soy yogurt is pricier too!).
I looked for goat's milk products, but could only find goat's milk and cheese. No yogurt. 

My Leaning Tower of Meat

Now, you'll notice, I've bought both soy and milk products. I bought the milk for my hubby and the Soy milk for me. I did buy the cottage cheese for myself, well, because it was on sale and I couldn't resist - I'm going to save it for the end of the week after seeing how I do with the soy products. 

All of this came to about 80$. Not too bad, after all the price reductions. Oh, and they had a contest where you spin the wheel to win a prize. The odds are 50/50 that you'll win something. Guess what I won! A loaf of beer bread! Too good to be true....ah the irony. Hopefully, my hubby will like it. I KNOW I would! 

While at the store, I was starving, so I bought two boiled eggs for a snack. Perfect. 

Today's Meals:

Breakfast: Oatbran porridge

Lunch: 2 eggs (I know - unprepared!)

Snacks: Soy latte * 2

Dinner: Burgers (made with beef and turkey) 

Dessert: Jello

Workout:

15 minute run - 1.5 miles

15 minute bike ride 

15 minute row

Mixing it up! My muscles were pretty sore from yesterday. I should have hit the sauna again, but instead I indulged in a nice long bath. 

A Windy Day!! A Mixture of Workouts!

Today's run was crazy! It was so windy out that literally my tuque was blowing off! And it seemed to come from every direction - no matter which street I turned to, no matter which way I was heading it was full blown, gale force wind! Needless to say my 3 mile run turned into a 3 mile run/walk against the crazy forces of nature! It was 7 degrees, but felt like it was freezing! I made it to the gym though, and really gave 'er.

I started off with a BodyPump class. I workout at Goodlife Fitness, and they have a selection of classes (LesMills) which are a form of very specific and organized, exercise set to music. It seems as though they have one set 'program' for a month, with the same music and same steps. It's great for people who don't like mixing it up, and learning new moves every time. It does get sort of monotonous - but it's a short (1 hour) and sharp workout geared towards getting the best burn. The BodyPump is my favourite, as it is all muscle conditioning, lots of reps with decent weight, building muscle endurance and working them to failure. When working out on my own, I usually use heavy weight, low reps - or a Pyramid style of lifting, going from 12 reps of lighter weights to 6 reps of heavy. So BodyPump is a great way to mix things up and not let my body adapt too much to one routine.

My plan was to then do a Zumba class - which for anyone out there who hasn't done one, I highly recommend it. Zumba is a latin inspired dance fitness class. At my gym, there is a good mix of latin dancing, what I call 'bollywood dancing' and hip hop. Some of the instructors are amazing - and it is so much fun. You might be worried about not having the co-ordination to do something like Zumba - but I say, whatever! It's hilarious to watch everyone (including myself) - It always reminds me of a 10 year old dance recital, where each kid is doing their own thing (the wrong thing, at the wrong time) - except we are all adults looking silly! Anyhow - I didn't end up going, as the instructor was not one of my faves. She is far too spinny for me, and there is no flow to her classes - it's almost as if she is at a bar, drunk, and has no idea what she is doing. But, I digress.

I ended up doing 50 minutes on the Precor instead while watching a mixture of the news and MuchMusic videos. I cranked the incline up to 16 and pushed as hard as I could. Burning off all that wine from last night!

A great workout I think!

Today's Meals:
Breakfast: Cottage Cheese and 1 Source Yoplait Yogurt  (all dairy now gone from the fridge)
Lunch: Oatbran porridge with scrambled eggs
Dinner: Turkey/beef Hamburgers
Dessert: Jello

I'm a little nervous about taking my concoction the Doc gave me. It says I have to drink a glass of water every hour for 4 hours before and after, and that it completely empties you out. I think tomorrow may be the day, and it will be a right off in terms of going anywhere. And I have to go grocery shopping!!! Could be an interesting situation!

Meeting with the Doctor

So I just wrote a huge long post about the experience with the Doctor today - and then I accidentally deleted it all!!! So here's the abbreviated version!

First off, my weight was at 156 today. Still one pound down from starting, and I'm not crazy upset about this, as I feel like I have 10 pounds of crap in my system. Literally. Sorry for the illustrious description. Haha. I know that once I get everything sorted out, it will start moving in the right direction - so just bear with me! Please???

I visited the Doctor today, and it was a good session. It seems as though all of my 'symptoms' point towards hypothyroidism. My 'not going', my 'female issues' (which I don't think I've discussed here), and my general blueness (my word for depression - when I think it's circumstantial:) all meet up. And even symptoms I never thought about - sensitivity to cold, dry hair and skin, muscle cramps. So here's hoping he's right. I'm being sent for blood work and we'll see. 

As for what I'm going to do - i'm going to put it on hold for a bit (maybe - my mind changes like the weather). He did give me a prescription to 'empty me out' (sorry for the crudeness - but you love me, right?). It's used for people going in for enemas and said most people don't really look forward taking it. I, on the other hand, am VERY EXCITED!! I will take it at some point this weekend, when I've nothing planned. Yay!

So tonight, I'm doing something not very Dukany - and I apologize to all the strict Dukaners out there. It took me some thinking to agree to this, but I'm going to indulge in some wine. There, I said it. It's St. Patty's Day, and I think that is the way it should be celebrated. So I'm kind of not completely Dukan today. 

So far, I've had salad with chicken (and I've had three veggie days in a row!), and yogurt. Not sure what is on the go for dinner. 

Exercise was 10Km walk. And I can't find my pedometer!!!! Will I stay motivated without it??

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!

Keep on Truckin'

I was optimistic today. Not as much about my weight, but where I am in the grand picture. I'm eating healthy, I don't feel too bad. My energy levels are up. It is that time of month, so they are a little down, and I have a headache - but on a whole, I feel pretty decent. I know that my weight will not be down tomorrow - and I'm okay with that.

So, I have two plans - not sure which way I'll venture. 

1)I may give up dairy for a week and see what happens. I think I eat a lot of cottage cheese and yogurt, and milk (albeit, under or equal to the 1 Kg the Dukan plan suggests), but that is still a fair amount of carbs. I think that perhaps if I let them go for a while, it will be interesting to see if the weight budges. If I do this, I'll have to prepare more - I'm not completely sure on what to snack on when it comes to non-dairy sources of protein. But we'll think of something.

2)I may give up fake sugars for a week. It is possible (read comments below last post) that aspartame may cause weight stalls. I've heard this in the past - and that is one thing that I didn't really imbibe prior to the Dukan. I now drink Coke zero, eat Jello, and have splenda in my desserts. And I've been chewing a lot of gum, which I'm sure also has lots of the fake stuff in it.

I want to do one or the other, not both. I still have some dairy in my fridge, that I want to get rid of, and Jello already made for tonight's dessert. I also have to keep in mind that there my weight may drop some anyhow due to the fact that it's my 'time' right now. Oh! And I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow (check-up), so I may ask for advice concerning the 'not going' side of my life.

As for right now, I'm going to eat dinner and take it easy. Nurse my headache. Cuddle up in bed with the boy, and watch some Biggest Loser.

Today's Meals: 
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs w/ oatbran/wheatbran/flax porridge
Lunch: Salad with tuna and assorted meats. We had lunch at work, so I just tossed the bread from the sandwiches and added them to my salad.
Snack: 2 source yogurts
Dinner: Turkey sausages with cottage cheese
Dessert: Jello w/ yogurt

Exercise: 
5Km walk
25 minutes on the precor
I wanted to run today - but my headache was too much. Oh, woe is me.....

Isn't Yoga Supposed to be Calming????

Cruise Day 21: Protein/Veggie

Not much to say today, but much on my mind. I'm afraid to weigh in. I'm craving carbs. I'm considering nixing dairy, but wondering what affect that will have on me. I'm wondering if I can consistently go without carbs. I'm wondering what other Dukaners do, and how they are feeling. Once you get to consolidation, do you have carbs in your celebration meals? Do you think, I'd rather have normal pizza than the less fulfilling Dukan pizza? Or have your views on carbs totally changed, and do you feel as though you are not tempted by them in the slightest? Do you eat as much dairy as I do? What are your day to day emotions? Why haven't people been blogging lately? All of these things are racing through my mind. I wish my bowels were as fast acting as my spinning brain! And to think I did yoga today! Isn't that supposed to calm me???? I'm really working on staying focused right now, and happy in the moment. But my brain is on fire.

Meal log:
Breakfast: 2 eggs/2 egg whites, oatbran/wheatbran/flax porridge
Lunch: edamame (soy beans) with plain yogurt and 1.5 cans of tuna!
Dinner: Turkey sausages with cottage cheese
Snacks: Source yogurts (2)
Dessert: Jello

Exercise: 
10Km walk
1 hour yoga class (which was really nice and calming at that moment:)

Variety in the Workplace

At my place of employment, we are predominantly all women. We range in age from early 30s to late 50s, with a mixture of younger university students thrown in for good measure. Keeps us youthful and on our toes! We also have the mother hen, or a few of them - looking out for us younger ones, and keeping us on our good morals! Haha. While there are many things that bind us together, the one thing that seems to be a common interest to all of us, is our health. We are all rather focused on improving it, in one way or another - but that is where the variety is thrown in. We are all our own people, with our own opinions. We give each other tips, some of which we listen to, while others we choose to ignore. Some of us are extremely thin already, could eat as much as we want (not me!), but are vegetarian. Some of us are on the heavier side, always trying the next thing. We have Weight Watchers and South Beachers. We have detoxers, and fitness buffs. We have master cleansers, and the Jillian Michaels fanatic. We have all sorts. We have aerobic instructors, non-exercisers, and one girl who hadn't run one step up until last year, who is now going to run the 10K.

Where do I fit into this? To tell you the truth, I've done all of the above, with even more thrown in (Atkins, Body For Life, Cabbage Soup diet, Denmark diet, 5-factor, and now the Dukan). I mentioned before, they all work - but some are more maintainable than others. We'll save that for another post. But for me, my strength throughout everything - what has kept me at my current weight, or thereabouts, is FITNESS. And when I look at the women around the office, the ones that have the least problem with weight gain - are the ones that exercise regularly. They also happen to be the ones that don't 'diet' but just eat healthfully 90% of the time. (They are also the wine drinkers, coincidently!).

With Dukan, we have encouragement to exercise daily. I need to read the book for sure to get his full opinion on fitness - but for me, I know that I require more than a 30 minute workout a day. In a way, I'd rather be at my weight and be able to run 10Km, then to lose 10 pounds. That's me. My favourite quote, and I have no idea where I heard it, is;

"Diet to look good in clothes. Workout to look good Naked." 

That is obviously not my main reason for working out as much as I do, but it's a good bonus! I was happy to read on the Dukan Uk site the story of the Marathon Runner who had great success on Dukan. It gives me faith that an athlete can succeed on a low-carb diet such as Dukan. She's amazing! Such an inspiration!

So, I think that I will keep my workouts as what they are, and esteem for more. I will run the 10K race this Spring (my first), and next year, my goal is to run the 1/2 marathon. And hopefully, the Dukan will help me all along the way. Hopefully, as my weight goes down, my speed will go up. Although I've never really cared much about how fast I went. I'm just proud of the fact that my body, the one I thought of completely non-athletic the majority of my life, can now run as far as it can!

What's your take on the Exercise component? How often do you exercise? Would you rather do without it? 

Exercise Log for today: 
3K walk
Step Class (1 hour), mixed with some weights
25 minutes on the Precor

Meal Log: 
Breakfast: Eggs with Chicken bacon
Lunch: Canned turkey mixed with cottage cheese
Snack: yogurt (2)
Dinner: More burgers (turkey mixed w/ beef)
Snack: Oatbran porridge w/ yogurt

Note: I've done two days of just protein, to see if that will help with shedding those I gained last week. I'm a little scared to weigh myself, so haven't. My tummy feels flatter though, so that is a good sign. But it's been a no-go in the loo. Here's hoping!

Spring Ahead Sunday

I can't decide whether I like daylight savings or not. I mean, it's 6:30pm, and the sun is still shining. However, I slept into 10am, which was really 11am, which means I'm not going to be tired at all tonight, and I have to get up at 6am for work~!!! We'll just see how well I function tomorrow. I hope it's nice in the morning. 5K is tough at that time a day! Even if it is just walking. Maybe if I were walking to the beach it might be more tolerable, but work???

Today was gorgeous outside, and I spent a lot of it outside. It was really the first warm day without rain (although it did start to spit a bit when I was almost home). I can't wait to start wearing dresses and skirts again. I loathe pants and socks!

OH! Last night, I did make the Cream Cheese Muffins. They were very delicious! I didn't take pics, as they weren't that photogenic. I made a 1/2 batch, which made 7 little tiny thin muffins. I had one right out of the oven, and one a few hours later. The later one was better - so I'd leave them for a while. My husband had 4 with Raspberry Jam on top, and loved them. Just like tiny little cheesecakes! Next time I'll take pics!

Meal Log:
Breakfast; Greek Yogurt with cinnamon
Lunch: more yogurt
Dinner: beef/turkey burgers with eggs.
Dessert? My oatbran porridge, with some sweetener I'm thinking.

Exercise: 
10Km walk
30 minutes full-body circuit (weight training)

Have a wonderful Sunday night all!!
Heather:)

DUKAN TUNA HORS D'OEUVRES

Greetings fellow Dukaners!

Just to touch on yesterdays eating, my calories ended up around 1800 or so. I ate quite a bit at dinner, and kept snacking, albeit on cottage cheese and yogurt mixed with cocoa (yum).

As for today; I made a delightful brunch, which I think would serve wonderfully as Dukan Hors D'oeuvres.

DUKAN TUNA HORS D'OEUVRES

Recipe: Just mix together 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 

1/2 can of tuna, add some garlic and onion powder. 

Cut up some cucumbers, and arrange beautifully. 

(even my hubby liked them!)

I think my next big adventure in the kitchen will be Low Carb Cream Cheese Muffins!
This lady has a fantastic blog for low carb recipes. Some of them are higher in fat than Dukan would recommend, but I'm all about mixing things up and trying to figure out ways to do it the Dukan way! Shall I make them tonight???

Meal Log:
Brunch: (what? I got up really late!) Dukan Tuna Hors D'oeuvres
Snack: Cottage cheese melted with a touch of vanilla extract and Cocoa (deeelish!!)
Dinner: (cooking now and SMELLS GOOD) Roast w/ squash, carrots, onions, mushrooms (and potatoes for the hubby carb monster).
Dessert: Will either be Dukan Brownies, or those Cream Cheese Muffins!

Calories estimated to be about 1200.

Exercise Log:
1 hour of precor.
It was raining outside today, so no walking to the gym - hence the long workout. It was easy paced, as I didn't really want to 'exercise' today - to take it easy. Lots of stretching though and a sauna!

Trying to up my water intake as well, and I'm up to 3 big glasses (they're about 500ml).

A Quick Post

Just a quick post for today.

First off, my heart goes out to the people of Japan affected by this horrendous earthquake. It must be dreadfully frightening to undergo such an event, and it makes me count my blessings. Things like this really put life into perspective, and make me tremendously grateful for all that I have. It seems so silly to be saddened by the day to day trivial things I let  affect me, when things could be so much more serious.


My meals for today:
Breakfast: yogurt and oatbran
Lunch: some chicken, and yogurt
Dinner: Turkey sausages and eggs
Snacks: yogurt, cottage cheese w/ cocoa

Fitness Log:
5Km run
30 minutes Precor

My run was excellent today, perhaps due to a new inner drive to actually lose the weight I just gained. Mentally, it got me through it, made me faster, instead of dragging me down. My appetite has been ferocious though - seems always the case after a really good run. And I've been downing the diet coke like nobody's business. Funny, I had given it up prior to Dukan, but put it back in to replace my wine. You gotta have a vice.

And We Won't Even Talk About What it is Like When The Scales Aren't Moving....

Don't even know what to say today. Don't know where to go with this.
I went to my weigh in at work. It's been a week since I weighed in. I was feeling quite confident, and to be honest with you, quite light. My rings feel loose, my clothing not clinging. I'm wearing feather weight clothes. I went to the bathroom last night. And my weight is up. There. I said it. It's not up a pound. It's up to 155.2lbs. Which is more than at the end of my two day attack. I should be, roughly, at 151 according to the charts at the dukan site. I've been strict (with the exception of my run in with the popcorn). And as I wasn't feeling the best yesterday, you can guarantee that I'm not feeling that great today. I almost started crying. Mostly because I was so sure that it would be down.

I've got enough will power to not look at this as an excuse to throw in the towel and polish off a big cinnamon bun, or a bottle of wine - but I'll let you know; it is very tempting!! But what it makes me feel like doing is burying myself in bed, and not looking at anyone. It makes me feel like a failure.

I could pull out all the things I'd say to other people in this situation, which are all honest things;
'maybe you are retaining water', 'maybe you're hormones are off', 'maybe you are eating more than you think you are'. Scratch the last one, as if I'm eating on plan, then I should be able to eat how ever much I like.

Maybe it's the dairy? That is one thought I've had.

I can't look down at myself at these times. I just can't. I won't. Maybe I will in the privacy of my house, but it won't last long.

Today's meal:
Breakfast: oatbran and egg whites
Lunch: salad with turkey and fish
Dinner: Beef Stirfry w/ pumpkin
Snack: yogurt and bite of dukan brownie

Exercise:
Walked 5Km,
10Km run

Later Gators. Would love to hear from you.
H

Depression and Moderation

Often times, moderation goes out the window as soon as depression opens a door. Depression makes us feel as though there is no point to anything - let alone eating properly, exercising, and taking good care of your body. For those of us who are affected by depression from time to time - they are used to the cycle. Nothing necessarily changes in their lives, but everything means less. For myself, I have episodes in my life where things look terrible. And I can predict that without fail, I will snap out of it eventually. I always do. Things might look grim, and perhaps are grim - but generally, after a few days, or a week, or a few weeks, I'm smiling again. But what do you do in the meantime?

Having recently given up smoking, eating carbs for the most part, and alcohol - there is a lot of ways i can fall. In the past, I would go to a glass of wine, which is not bad, but not on plan. I'm more inclined to turn to alcohol than food - as it changes my mood after just a little bit. Food, on the other hand, changes nothing in my mind. It might 'comfort' me momentarily, but then leaves me with nothing. Not guilt, but nothing. Now, a beautiful feast at a restaurant, that might be different. The camaraderie would be the winning factor. But there are things I can work on to stay on the up and up, without taking to food or drink. Reading other peoples' blogs, both on Dukan and other things. I can go for long walks. I can practice cooking new things. Now mind you, all of these things might feel forced, and albeit - they are! But, they are good distractions. I think the key to getting through depressive episodes for me is all about distraction. And when, for whatever reason, the sun looks shinier, I can feel good about how I coped with everything, and be proud of my self-efficacy.

All of this being said, it is a struggle to stay on track when the skies are gray. And we won't even talk about what it is like when the scales aren't moving either! We'll save that for another day. I'd love to hear your ideas on what to do in regards to willpower when you are feeling down and out. 


Today is Day 15 of Cruise: Protein/Veggie - however, I did not eat veggies today, as I'm going to have salad tomorrow for lunch at work. At least this is the plan.


Today's Meals: 
Breakfast: Two eggs scrambled w/ two egg whites, chicken bacon
Lunch: oat bran with protein
Dinner: Tilapia w/ spices,
Dessert: Jellos

Oops: Also snacked on some beets. And had a small piece of Dukan brownie - so had some veggies, and probably a little too much oatbran.
Calories around 1200

Exercise: 
10Km walk
30 minutes precor

Happy (dukan) Pancake Tuesday!!!

I love celebrating! Any reason is a good reason! National Cookie day? Christmas? Sleep Awareness week? By the way, it is also that last one! Get some zzzz.....

But I'm sure you all know that it is also Pancake Tuesday, aka Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, or the day before you give something up that your really like, because your mother and teachers all made you. But what a great day to make some flapjacks!!

Dukan Pancakes with Cinnamon Yogurt

2 tbsp oat bran

1 tsp flax meal

1/4 cup vanilla whey protein

4 egg whites

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

Blend it all, and fry it up!

Mix some sweetener and cinnamon with plain yogurt for topping. 

Delicious!

Glad to be finished my night shifts, and now have the rest of the week off. Such a blessing. And it looks like Nova Scotia is showing the first signs of Spring. It's zero degrees outside, but sunny and the birds are chirping. The snow has melted, and the grass is such a sight for sore eyes! I love this time of year, so long as it is not raining. It is fantastic for running!

Today's Meal Log: 

Breakfast: See above! Yummy pancake with cinnamon yogurt

Snack: Source yogurt

Dinner: Steak and eggs

Roughly about 1100 calories today - but it was a short day. I slept most of it! 

Exercise: 

5Km run

40 minute Full-body circuit training

25 minutes Precor

No weigh ins until Thursday. Not sure if I'm losing or not, but I'll keep at it. Hopefully that popcorn didn't derail me too much. Oh, and I didn't write last nights food in, but it was all good. Salad, chicken, eggs, yogurt, a few baby carrots. COFFEE! 

All finished for today!!!

Nobody is Perfect

I made my first booboo today, and I have a huge bag full of excuses....

Remember my big post about the disadvantages of working nightshifts. Well, I've got another one. There is no one there to borrow a can opener off of. That's right ladies and gentlemen, I derailed my diet (exaggerating) because I forgot my can opener.

Courtesy of Rob MacIntosh

I had packed in my bag one can of tuna, and one can of chicken to get me through the night. I also had my oatbran and yogurt, which was my dinner upon arrival. Even had a cup of cottage cheese left over. But then, I had two other meals to plan with it. Chicken mixed in. Tuna mixed in. And what did I do??? Forget the stupid can opener. I found an old crumby one that clearly wouldn't work, but tried anything. I managed to at least pin a hole in the can of tuna, which wasted it. So with 10 hours left in my shift, I drank a lot of water and a lot of tea. And then I turned to the darkside briefly, and ate.....a bag of popcorn. There was nothing else remotely healthy in the fridge that was somewhat 'free for the taking'. I could have had cookies or cereal, but I thought, popcorn might be the best decision. So yes. I have a big carb belly today, and a guilty face.

But I'll get back up on that horse, and keep trotting along. It is difficult, once you've given in to temptation, to not give in more though. I have a taste for carbs now, and would love some more. I will get to my goal weight, and then if I want carbs, so be it. This is a life time journey. I'm not going to kick myself too hard for this. And I did something surprising to myself again. I told you about it. This would be something in the past that would have been left unsaid.

For today??? Haven't eaten yet, just woke up. Having a big glass of water before I do anything. I'll keep you posted. I tell you one thing though, I'll be prepared! Cans, Openers, and all!

Dukan and Night Shifts

(Cruise Day 12 - Protein Only )

Working night shift no doubt makes eating healthy, and maintaining weight a lot more difficult. Your hours are screwed up, you lose sleep, your meal time schedule is altered, your workout schedule is altered. If I were to get into the scientific side of things, we could talk about leptin and ghrelin and how they control your appetite, and how not sleeping proper hours messes them all up. But I'm not all that scientific (or at least not before a night shift!). Then there is the 12 hours of hunger. Or what you think is hunger, but is probably a mixture of tiredness and a silly attempt to stay busier than you might be. You see, I'm a sleep technician. My 12 hours (or at least 8 of those) are spent watching people sleep. There's more to it than that - but there is a lot of that included! So staring at a computer for 12 hours, with a fridge near by. Well.....you can guess where that leads me.

And with Dukan, there's another problem. Do I count tonight's food as todays? Or tomorrows? What about Monday nights? Is that Monday, or Tuesday? I'm not to worried, as it doesn't really matter, so long as one night is protein only (tonight) and the next the opposite. I think eating Dukan will help me not feel so sluggish at 4am! What I brought with me; yogurt, cottage cheese, turkey, tuna, more tuna, my oats and protein powder. So here's a look at what I imagine my log to be come morning. Oh, and I already ate a lot today!

Meal Log
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and chicken bacon
Lunch: cottage cheese mixed with vanilla whey protein and cinnamon (yummy!)
Snack: Yogurt mixed with small amount of cream cheese and cocoa
Dinner: (breakfast 2?): Oatbran and protein
Snack: tuna
Snack: turkey
Snack: Yogurt and cottage cheese????

Total calories: 1582 calories, 66% protein (booyah)

Exercise:
No walk today. So sleepy from trying to nap!
50 minutes Precor though - and well paced!

Wish me luck! Off to my night shift!

Kimchi Jjigae and Dukan Brownies

Lots of Cooking and Baking!!

Having spent 6 years living in S. Korea, I have become quite partial to their food. One of my all time favourites, and perhaps one that took a little getting used to - is Kimchi. Kimchi is one of the healthiest foods out there, and a staple for every meal for most Koreans. It is usually served as a side dish, or as part of a dish - and boasts super healthy attributes, such as probiotics, tons of vitamins and minerals, and fibre. As a probiotic, I've heard it is ranked higher than the majority of yogurts out there. Essentially, kimchi is cabbage that is fermented in red pepper based spices. It can be incredibly hot, but is so worth it!


My favourite dish is Dukan Kimchi JJigae (or kimchi stew). And it is perfect for the Dukan! It's quite spicy, so not for the weak!

Dukan Kimchi Jjigae

2 cloves of garlic

One carrot, diced

500 grams of beef (lean cut)

1kg of kimchi 

900 ml Beef broth (low sodium)

250 grams of tofu

Kimchi JJigae!

First 'fry' up some garlic, carrots and beef 

(in traditional Jjigae, they use pork)

 Once beef is cooked, add your Kimchi and cook for 5 minutes or so

Add beef broth

Add tofu

Bring to a boil, and simmer for an hour

Enjoy! Piping hot. 

And for dessert; how sweet it is!!! Finally some chocolaty goodness!

Dukan Brownies

Dukan Brownies

1 cup oat bran

1/3 cup vanilla whey protein

1/2 cup pumpkin

300 grams tofu

1/3 cup cocoa (no sugar variety)

1/3 cup sweetener (i used sugar twin, brown)

1tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

Dash of milk

Mix everything together, and mix well! Cook for 20 minutes at 450 degrees.

This makes quite a big tray, and gives us a huge serving when divided by 5 (as there is 10 tbsps of oatbran). It taste absolutely marvelous without icing (as we tried right out of the oven). However, I decided to make a little icing for my second piece, which is still 1 serving!

Icing for two

3 tbsps Extra Light Cream Cheese

1/2 scoop of vanilla whey protein

1 tsp orange extract (for the Jaffa lovers!)

My Meal log for today: 

Breakfast: cottage cheese, one egg, whey protein

Lunch: Pumpkin mixed with cottage cheese

Snack: Yogurt and Dukan Brownie

Dinner: Kimchi Jjigae!

Dessert: Delicious Dukan Brownie with Orange icing

Total Calories: 1568 roughly. 53% protein

Exercise: 

5Km walk 

40 minutes Precor