Day 5 Of Challenge - PV

Daily Weight Loss: .8 Lbs
Total Loss on the challenge: 3.8 lbs

So, 3.8 Lbs in 4 days. Pretty cool. Happy about it. Hopefully it'll keep going this way!

Breakfast: Coffee w/ non fat creamer , Activia light
Lunch: Mexican salad (beef seasoned with Mexican seasoning w/ lettuce, tomatoes and a little avocado w/ fat free sour cream).
Dinner: 1/2 slice of pita bread w/ 2 slices of non fact cheese (i know! shouldn't have)

I officially have a cold. Didn't have the energy to cook today. So just had whatever was there around me.  Drinking a lot of water and tea. Hoping it'll help the cold a bit.

That's about it for today. Hopefully this weekend I will do well with food. Weekends are the hardest! - But feeling pretty good so far about my weight loss. Keep in mind, I still didn't get to the lowest weight since I've begun the Dukan! Hopefully soon.

Have a good one!

Day 3 on my challenge - 7 Lbs to go & PB Review

Lost another pound this morning. Felt good. Still feel it's water weight, but at least it's coming off. 
Not sure now how my plan should be. How many days on PP? before going to cruise? This will be my 3rd day. Should I start with PV tomorrow? or do another 2 days of PP? Any thoughts?
Thanks for your comments on my last post. Your encouragement and thoughts help me big time. Yes, a little exercise goes a long way & you guys are right. The first few minutes and getting to start is the hardest. Once you've started, it feels great and you keep going. Need to keep that in mind! :)
. 
WF Peanut Butter Spread Review:
Oh, and for you who asked about the WF peanut butter spread. Again, not your real thing. It's creamy, doesn't REALLY taste like peanut butter, a little sweet I'd say. But it works.  Yesterday I used it as a dipping sauce for my chicken. What I did is I put a little in the pan, mixed it (made it smoother) and added some fresh Ginger to it. It did kinda feel like I was eating Thai food -well, at least it was pretty close! :)  - I would recommend it as it is a different texture/tast. Something different to try for sure.
Breakfast: coffee w/ non fat creamer
Snack: 1 slice of non fat Cheddar cheese & 1 slice of fat free Bologna && cup of coffee
Lunch: 3 slices of non fat Swiss cheese & 3 slices of fat free Bologna
Dinner: 2 thinly cut beef steaks w/ WF Ketchup & Mayo

I'm really full right now, but I need to have my oat bran. I'll probably have an Oat Bran cookie w/ some tea later on "hopefully" :)

I had some "tummy problems" today (I'll spare you the details) but that's why I didn't really have a proper lunch/breakfast. But managed to eat dinner. Hopefully it'll sit! :)

Hope you're all having a good Dukan Day.

Good Day - Hopefully Good Results Tomorrow! :)

I did pretty well today. Stuck to a PP day and felt good about it.

Breakfast: 1 cup of coffee w/ non fat creamer
Snack: Oat Bran Chocolate Muffin
Lunch: Grilled Beef Kebab & Chicken Kebab
Snack: 2 slices of non fat Swiss cheese
Dinner: Miracle Noodles w/ chicken in a Walden Farm Alfredo Sauce
Snack: 2 slices of Cheddar Cheese/ non fat

Ohh, I think my son just woke up. Got to go check on him. Sorry for the short post! I'll update you tomorrow! Wish me luck! :)

Ready, set, BAKE!

Good day in general. Nothing exciting really. Rained almost all day, it sucks! Everywhere else in the States are getting a massive heat wave, except us, here in Seattle! You'd think we get used to it. We don't! Oh well, it's just another day.
I wanted to workout, but again, didn't get the chance to do that. Also, I know I need to drink more water. I don't drink enough. Some days, I realize I've only had 1 or 2 cups of water. NOT GOOD!  Got to get myself into the habit of drinking more.

Breakfast: 1 cup of coffee/ non fat creamer, Activia light
Lunch: 2 eggs, 1 slice of 2% Swiss cheese, a little crab
Snack: Cup of coffee w/ non fat creamer
Dinner: Miracle Noodle & Walden Farms Pasta Tomato Sauce & Ground Beef
Snack: 3 slices of fat free swiss cheese & some crab (felt a bit hungry after dinner).

I'm "attempting" to bake Chocolate Oatbran Muffins tonight! If they're good, i'll probably have it for a snack with a cup of tea. I'm trying Vicki's recipe. Wish me luck! :)

FYI: I didn't have the Wheat Bran that the recipe needed, but did find something called Cream of Wheat (it's not creamy at all, has the Oat Bran texture). Thought I'd give it a try with that. Let's hope it works! :)

The last few days have been really tough for me. Not talking about the diet (directly), but life in general. That's when I struggle with my food. It's like "yeah, whatever, I'll just eat" . In the past, that's something I would do. Lately, I've been better. Although it takes everything in me to be disciplined about it.
It's also really hard to concentrate on myself and what I need to do to get healthier and be happier. It takes a lot of work to do that. Especially with the daily struggles, routines and experiences with my two little boys. Don't get me wrong, I love my boys. I would do anything and everything for them. I'm just saying, it takes a lot of effort physically and emotionally to juggle between the family needs and my own personal needs.
I'm sure a lot of mom's out there understand where I'm coming from :)

with my husband at the Manchester United Game

Going to another subject now! Last night, my husband and I went to a soccer game (as it's called in the united states) also known internationally as football! :) - My favorite team, Manchester United  were the visiting team. And they were playing our own Seattle Sounders FC. It was a great game.Great atmosphere. And I loved every minute of it. And the timing was great, since I needed a break and do something with my husband without the kids :) 

Have a great one!

Getting back on track - PV Day

Morning Weigh in: 184.4 Lbs

Because I wasn't sure how much I weighed yesterday, I'm not sure how much weight I lost. Either way, it's a pretty good one :)  (Either 2.4 Lbs or 3 Lbs - Doesn't really matter as long as it's going down).

You cannot believe how much I want to be out of the 180's! I haven't been under in a very long time. It'll happen. I know it will :)

I decided to do 1 day PP/ 1 day PV for a few days. Just because I haven't had vegetables in a long time. So, i'm looking forward to my PV day today.

Breakfast: Coffee w/ non fat creamer w/ Activia Light
Lunch: 2 hot dogs w/ a little sauerkraut & Light Greek Yogurt w/ Cucumber Salad
Dinner: Sliced Beef w/ Taco Seasoning with Oat Bran Wrap w/ 2 Tbl non fat sour cream. Topped with a fresh tomato, parsley, garlic, hot pepper salsa.
Snack: 1 Activia Light & Cup of Tea & Salad, no dressing (cucumber, tomato and lettuce).

Taco Seasoned Beef w/ Fresh Salsa
Kinda ended up like pizza!

Great day. Feeling full. Loved dinner. The Oat Bran Wrap was good. Though i wasn't able to wrap anything in it because it would break apart. So what I did was just lay it down on a plate and put the beef on top, and then the salsa on top of the beef w/ the side of light sour cream. It was delicious! To me, next time, I will make the beef and salsa without the wrap. For one reason only, which is I would rather my Oat goes towards the Oat Cookie! Yep, I like that more! :) Especially with my cup of tea in the evening/morning. Don't get me wrong, the wrap was really good. It's just my preference with the cookie.

I wanted to do some exercise today, but didn't get the chance to do anything. Except running around 2 hyper boys all day! (I think i got a little exercise doing that!)  :)

Hope you all had a great Dukan Day. Looking forward to hearing about your day.

Dukan Loses?!?!

So, Dr. Dukan lost the law suit. People are saying that the Dukan diet is unhealthy. Lots of mixed reviews about the diet. No problem about whether it works or not. But the main problem is if it's healthy or not. And if it's good for you on the long term.
Have you ever wondered? Any thoughts about that?
Here's the link about losing the law suit if you're interested in reading it
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14020154

I come from a family with a lot of "heart problem" issues and I've always wondered if this diet works for me, health wise. Although i LOVE how i can actually lose weight on it and feel good.

I'm not trying to encourage or discourage anybody about the diet. I'm just wondering how much you know and how much are you willing to risk? or if there are any health risks.

Just random thoughts! :)

Survived Pizza!

Yes, you read it right! I survived pizza! and some good pizza if i may add! Gourmet Style umm, looked and smelled delicious. I didn't even have a bite! Soo proud of myself .. had to post it! :)

Have a great day everybody!

Day four of five - Attack Phase

Morning weigh in: 186.4 Lbs
Daily weight loss: Zero!
Total weight loss: 2.0 Lbs
So, no loss today. Bummer! But it kinda is the same way every time I'm in the 186's  - 185! It takes forever to get under 185. I can't even remember the last time I was under 185. I was hoping to lose 4 Lbs in the 5 days of Attack (what the chart said I should lose). I have one more day to go. So we'll see. I'll try and do better.
It was a rough day. Especially in the morning. Had a preschool activity with my 3yr old that lasted all morning. Couldn't eat anything. Came back got busy with the kids and took forever to prepare something to eat. It was very challenging. But I stuck to Dukan.

Here's what I had:
- Non Fat Latte
- 1/2 cup of Non Fat cottage cheese
- 2 Miracle Noodles
- Beef w/ a little soy sauce and fresh ginger
- A sip of beer/ before i realized that I can't have it! Only 1 sip, I promise! :)
- 1 non fat/sugar free ice cream

Still didn't manage to put in any workout. Before I started Dukan i was very active and did at least 4 days a week at the gym. Taking Cycling classes/body pump and general cardio. I took the month off from the gym to try and manage things around the house. I wanted to put in my treadmill (which is in the garage) and start working out on it, but I still didn't get to that. Maybe over the weekend.

Tomorrow will be a better day!

Day Three of Five - Attack Phase

Morning Weigh in: 186.4 Lbs
Weight Loss: 0.4 Lbs
Total Weight Loss: 2 Lbs

Was hoping for a little more weight loss, but that's ok. As long as it's going down! That's what I learned after trying soo many different diets. Focus on the weight loss no matter how little it may seem. It's heading in the right way for sure. Slowly at times but steadily! We'll see :)

First, a big thank you to "Veerukka" who follows my blog. She sent me an email with the P90X schedule/program. I'll share it with everybody in a different post soon.

As for the day, I got to admit i was hungry at different times throughout the days. Almost ate a bite of pumpkin spice bread which i made for my boys. But i was able to resist. I really need to prepare more Dukan Friendly. Makes it easier for sure.

Oh, as i'm writing this post i just realized i forgot to have my Oat Bran! It's important to have it. I got to rememeber eating it! :)

Here's what i had today:
- 2 hot dogs
- Non fat latte
- Salmon cakes (4) - Gluten Free & Dukan Approved!
- 2 fat free mozzarella cheese

Hope you are all doing well on Dukan. Keep us updated with your progress!

Cheers!

P90X

Got the P90X Dvd's, now i'm not really sure how to start. I found a lot of schedules online, but if anybody has any recommendations, please let me know. I'm thinking of starting next week. Also, i'm not sure what equipment i need to have for the workout.
I know i want to try and do the P90X, i just still don't know much about it and i need to research it more!

Cruise Phase (PV) - A good weigh in!

Morning weigh in: 187.6
Daily Loss: 0.8

Yippie! Haven't been out of the 188's for a while now. It feels like I'm back on track.

Breakfast:
- Cup of coffee w/ non fat creamer
- 2 eggs w/ vegetables (mushroom, zucchini,tomato)

Lunch:
- Spinach pies (not supposed to be eating these!)
- Non Fat Latte
- Green Tea

Dinner:
- Grilled Salmon w/ Soy Sauce
- Sauteed Spinach w/ ground beef meat
-  Spinach pies

Snack:
- Green Tea
- Non fat yogurt

What did i do today! Total mess up with food! Not a good weigh in tomorrow for sure. How do all you Dukaneers do this? How do you get the will power not to eat certain things? I know i need to try harder. I really need to start losing some serious weight! I have no one and nothing to blame but myself. Can't seem to get myself to stop eating things i shouldn't be eating.

Cruise Phase (PV)

Morning Weigh in: 189.5

Weight Gain: 0.7 Lbs (Yikes)

Wow, i really did mess up last night  & it showed on the scales this morning. Okay, i won't let this get to me. After all it's my bad judgement with food that caused this. Today is a new day. I should be doing better with a PV day (with my cravings that is) :)

Things that I've noticed:

• I have to eat better during the day, so i don't feel hungry and eat whatever i find in the evening
• I need to prepare some Dukan foods for snacking (which I've had non the last few days)
• Need to prepare some good desserts from all those wonderful recipes out there! Although i usually don't like dessert and sweets, i think being on this diet is bumping my cravings for sugary things!
• Need to drink more water!
• I"m going to try to boost up my exercise. Maybe i can put in some more time at the gym, after my 1 hr cycling class
• Stop telling myself one piece of this won't affect my weight (speaking of non dukan food). Does it happen to you? I've been doing it lately. Not good. And that explains the lack of weight loss!

Breakfast:

- Cup of Coffee w/ non fat creamer

Lunch:

-  2 egg omelet with mushrooms and 2% grated cheddar cheese

- Non fat, sugar free, chocolate mousse

Snack:

- 2 roasted chicken drum sticks (with no skin)

- Non fat latte

Dinner:

- Roasted Chicken Breast

- Sliced fresh mushroom w/ rosemary sauteed in a drop of olive oil (then wiped off).

Finally Better

Thanks for all your emails/concerns about my health. I'm fine now but my two little boys (3 and 1) are now sick with a fever and same symptoms. Poor boys.

I've been sticking to Dukan as much as i can. And i think i did a good job doing that. My morning weigh in was 188.8 Lbs. Not too bad for not being 100% Dukan. I'll take it! :)

I'm thinking of starting 2 PP days tomorrow to make up for the last few days of PV.  I'll try my best to prepare for my PP days today, so i have everything i need right there. For my experience, it helps big time. If I'm hungry, i always find Dukan friendly food around! :)

Have a great Dukan Day!

Day 9 - Cruise (PP)

Morning Weigh in : 190.6 Lbs

Weight Change : - 0.4 Lbs

Total Weight Loss: 3.2 lbs

Breakfast:

- Cup of coffee w/ non fat creamer

Exercise:

- 1 Hour of cycling @ the gym

Lunch:

- 2 small cans of tuna with about 1/4 cup of non fat cottage cheese

- 1 Beef Sausage Stick

Dinner:

- Almond Crusted Salmon ( i know, shouldn't have had the almonds, but i put some in).

Snack:

- Non Fat Chocolate Mousse

I feel pretty good today. Especially that i lost some weight, for a change! ;)  hehe I had a very busy day. I even forgot to have breakfast! Can you believe that?! I really did. Had my coffee, went to the gym and then i started feeling really hungry! That's when i realized that i didn't have anything all morning.

I also feel like i might be coming down with something. A cold or something. Not sure. Hopefully NOT! Tomorrow i hit the gym again for another cycling class. Love these classes. I'm also considering having a personal trainer for a month (it's pretty expensive so i don't think i can do more than a month) but it'll give me a good head start.  If i end up doing that i won't start till the end of the month. I feel good about this. I'm hoping this helps me lose more weight and get's me to where i need to be on time.

Have a great Dukan Day my Dukaneer friends!

Day 8 - Cruise (PV) - A bad weigh in :(

Morning Weigh in : 191.00  lbs(Seriously?!?!?!)

Weight change: + 1.2 lbs (seriously?!?!?!)

Total Weight Loss: 2.8 lbs (how disappointing)

What went wrong?! Was it the lack of food during the day yesterday than all the food at night? even though it was supposed to be Dukan friendly? Was it too much dairy? I don't know really. All i know is that I'm very disappointed-in myself mostly. It takes forever to lose 1 pound and then i add it in one day. Just great.

Ok, enough with myself pity. I'll concentrate on today. Today is a new day, a new way and a better Dukan day for sure! I'm going to the gym shortly and I'll be doing PV. I'm sticking to the plan (although i thought maybe another PP day, but decided to just go ahead with my schedule).

Here's how the day went

Breakfast:

- Oatbran

- coffee with non fat creamer

Exercise: 1 hour of cycling/spinning

Snack:
- 2 Eggs w/ 1 tsp grated cheese
- 1 non fat latte

Lunch:- Egg Plant with ground beef

Dinner:
- Brussels Sprouts w/ bacon bits Recipe here

I'm stuffed right now!! Can't think of food ... good sign of course. I'm worried about the scales tomorrow, it hasn't been good to me lately :)  ... but i did what i could do today. I put in 1 hour of intense cycling, ate well and I'm feeling good. Hopefully i won't be disappointed tomorrow. Wish me luck! 

I'm thinking if i do get hungry later on tonight (since it's still 7:00 p.m) I'll probably have some edamame beans.

Day 6 Cruise Phase (PV) - 1st Mini Goal Done!

Morning Weigh in : 189.8 Lbs

Daily Weight Loss: 1 Lbs

Total Weight Loss: 4 Lbs (in 5 days).

Yippie! I'm excited that I'm finally below 190, even though it is by a very little margin. But I'm down! I also short .45 from my True Weight Chart. But it was pretty close. Over all I'm happy and excited for my PV Day! ~ Finally! :)

Here's how my day went:

Breakfast:

- 2 Egg Omelet with bacon, mushroom, tomatoes and a little cheddar cheese

- Cup of coffee

Lunch:

- 5 Grilled Chicken Wings

Dinner:

- 3 Pieces of Beef (seasoned with salt and pepper then in the slow cooker with some tomato sauce)

- Lettuce & Tomato Salad

- 2 Small pieces of Chinese Chicken

Good day today. Didn't feel hungry at all & i didn't do one single mistake with food! Yay! :) Feels good when that happens. Hopefully the addition of vegetables won't affect my weigh in tomorrow morning.

Turkey Meat Balls

This is my first attempt at making Turkey Meat Balls. It's very simple and basic but it turned out really well. I just thought of what i wanted to put in it as i mixed and cooked everything. That's why sorry for not having exact measrements & quantities!

Good for PV days
Makes 8 Medium Size Turkey Meat Balls

For the Turkey Meat Balls:

• 1 1/4  Lbs Minced Turkey
• 1/2 onion (chopped).
• 1 whole egg
• Italian Seasoning (to taste) - i used around 2 Tbsp
• Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 375 F . I mixed everything very well and then shaped them into medium size balls. Placed them on a baking sheet that i sprayed with olive oil. In the oven they go for about 20 minutes on bake. Then for about 5 minutes on Broil to give them some color.  (Time depends on the oven, so keep checking them).

For the Sauce: i used one can of stewed tomatoes. Put them in a pot, on high until they're boiling then reduce it to low and let it simmer for a few minutes (until it reduces). I then put them in the food processor to make a smoother texture and back in the pot for a 2 more minutes simmering on low.  Add some salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.

When everything is ready, top the turkey meat balls with some sauce and you can add some grated non fat mozzarella cheese!

Here's a picture of how everything turned out

Bon Appetite!

Vanilla Moist Muffins

Here's a picture of my first batch

Attack Phase - Day 2 (- 0.4 Lbs)

Morning Weigh-in: 193.6 lbs -> Can't deny that i was a little disappointed wieghing myself this morning. But then again, i think i messed up with the food. Today is a new day! And i know it'll be better! :)

Water Check: I lost track of how much water i drank, but i know that it's not enough! Gotta work more on that! 2 Diet Pepsi.

Breakfast: Coffe with NON Fat Milk/ 1 Fat Free Mozarella stick/

Mid Morning Snack: Nothing / Wasn't hungry

Lunch: hot dog / beef cubes marinated in non fat yogurt & soy sauce.

Afternoon Snack: 1 non fat yogurt

Dinner: Salmon poached with non fat yogur & soy sauce for dipping

Excercise: was out walking with my 3 yr old at the Flight Museum for about 4 hours! , does it count? :)