Cruise Phase - 5th Day of Attack / Weekend Oh Boy!

Yep, it's the weekend and this is when a lot of unwanted things happen. Ate things I wasn't supposed to do. We went earlier in the morning to Home Depot to buy a few things. We're working on our backyard. Then got busy with the kids & I didn't get a chance to eat (forgot actually) until I was starving at around 2:30 p.m!

So, we stopped by McDonald's, that's what I wanted, and had a small cheese burger (from the dollar menu). I also ate a little bit of fries. BAD BAD BAD

We then went for a picnic with friends (84 Degrees today in Seattle, AWESOME) so we had some snacks packed (very hard to pack Allowed Dukan - And i didn't have the time to prepare anything). So I ended up eating a few carrots, more fries (but not a lot), few slices of cucumbers, a hand full of chips. BAD BAD BAD

In addition to all that I had an Iced Non Fat Latte - Felt soo good on a hot day!

Overall, I didn't eat A LOT throughout the day, but I sure did eat things I wasn't supposed to eat.  And the timing sucks really. Tomorrow is my weigh in! ugh ... I should've done better but It's okay. I just went with the flow of the day and it turned out to be a fun day with my family and friends.

Hope you're having a good weekend!

Cruise Phase - 4th Day Ooops!

Oh, what a hard day it was! Busy busy busy all morning and a terrible headache all afternoon (up until now as i write 9:00 p.m) Not sure if it's because of the PP days or it's just a headache! I'll go get a couple of Tylenol in a bit. Hopefully that will help.
It was a weird day food wise. Because of the craziness there wasn't time to prepare food for myself (but did cook for my children and hubby!) :)

Breakfast: Non Fat Cappuccino! (hehe, a change because of a suggestion from Masha)!
Lunch: Shrimp with Alfredo Sauce (Sauteed the shrimps w a little garlic and added the Alfredo Sauce)
Snack: 1 Activia Light & Non Fat Iced Latte
Dinner: 2 mini biscuits, 1 Activia, 1 slice of ham, 1slice of cheese

I was really hungry and I was about to prepare dinner for myself when I noticed the bag of mini biscuits. So, I had two of those. Then I wasn't hungry at all & didn't even finish cooking my dinner! I actually had the ham and cheese just for the sake of having something for dinner besides the biscuits! :)

Cruise Day 1 PP (New Cycle) & New Product Review!

First day of my 5 day PP cycle. Pretty excited and feeling good about it.

Here's how my day went:

Breakfast: Coffee w/ non fat creamer , 2 hard boiled eggs
Snack: 1 Non Fat Latte
Lunch: 2 hot dogs w/ Non Fat, No Carb, No calorie Thousand Island dressing as dip (Yep, no sugar, no carb, no gluten, no calorie product - Will tell you all about it in a bit!).
Snack: 2 slices no fat cheese/ 2 slices of shaved chicken (cold cut)
Dinner: Chicken strips cooked w/ Alfredo Sauce (no carb, no sugar, no calorie) with Miracle Noodle & 1 piece of Kiftah.

Okay, here we go ... I tried 2 new products today. Here are my thoughts:

1) Thousand Island Dressing: AWESOME! It actually did taste really good. It's not as creamy as the regular dressing, but it tasted really good and almost the same. I'd give it a thumbs up and would recommend it.

2) Alfredo Sauce: First thing you notice when you open the jar is that it's not a thick sauce. Rather light and kinda like a dressing. I tasted it (before cooking) and it tasted a little like ranch dressing. Which is still good really. When I added the Alfredo Sauce to my miracle noodles and cooked chicken,it did taste good. Don't expect thick Alfredo sauce though. But pretty good. I mean, common, it's ZERO CALORIE, ZERO CARB, ZERO FAT, ZERO SUGAR, ZERO EVERYTHING! I would say, it's pretty darn good! :) - A thumbs up again & would recommend it too.

It's me again! Cruise Phase PV

Things were pretty good today. I survived the Birthday Party. Although it was a PV day, there was absolutely nothing I could eat! No vegetables! Can you believe that? :) - Just some fruit, chips, pizza and cake. I had none of that. I just kept busy with my son, trying to feed him while he was playing. So, here I am again. Surviving Pizza for the 2nd time :)

Throughout the day, i had some slices of turkey ham, 1 wedge of laughing cow fat free cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, carrots, eggs, Iced Latte, Tea, some water (need to drink more for sure), roasted chicken (no skin).

Good day overall and I feel happy and satisfied - tummy wise! ;)

Hope you all had a great day!

Day 12 Quick Note - Emotional Eater?!

Sorry this is going to be fast. There has been no change in my weight. My day was pretty rough & soo many things happening in the wrong direction. Not talking totally about Dukan, but for the first time I realize that I AM AN EMOTIONAL EATER! I just ruined it. Ate things I wasn't supposed to it. 2 bread sticks, about a cup of rice crackers and a couple of bites of the White Sauce Pasta that I cooked for my family. Anyways, not good in any way. I have to admit I am disappointed in myself. It was a rough day, seriously. I know, no excuse to eat. Should've known better. 

I can't wait for this day to be over. Tomorrow is a new day. New way. Hopefully a new attitude towards the diet and the things that are going on.

Sorry for this post. But had to let it all out and be honest about everything.

Have a great day. 

Day 9 - Cruise Phase (PV)

Morning Weigh in: 184.2 Lbs (no no no no)!
Daily Gain : 0.4 Lbs
Total Weight Loss: 4.2 Lbs
Seriously? a GAIN?? Ohh, i was soo happy to be in the 183's and now back to the 184s. Could blame this on a few things but still, doesn't make me feel better.
Like, not enough food, digestive problems (constipation!) & almost that "TOM" . Between the last two reasons I feel very bloated and almost going to explode.
Ok, nothing I can do about the gain right now. I have to move on and concentrate on having a good day. After all, it's father's day!! Yay :) - We are going to celebrate it with the family. Big dinner and all. I made sure there's something for me to have, so i won't be going eating Non Dukan food. Good thing it's a PV day. Makes it easier for sure. 
Got to go now and prepare breakfast for my husband (in bed!) & let the boys give him his gift! Excited to see if he'll like it! :)

Happy Father's Day to all the great and wonderful dad's out there!
Hello, it's me again (I usually post the first part of my blog in the morning right after I weigh in! - Then finish it at the end of the day, when I'm supposedly done eating!) :)
So, here's how my day went :)

Breakfast:
- Cup of coffee w/ creamer
-  2 boiled eggs

Lunch:
- 2 home made burgers
- Sauteed Mushrooms - Using one spray of Olive Oil
- 2 slices of tomato
Dinner:
- 2 round tip steaks - slowly cooked
- 1/2 cup of non fat yogurt
- Mashed Cauliflower w/ a little non fat milk and 2 tbl non fat cream cheese

Sorry, got to cut this short now... Have a great day & I hope you had a wonderful Father's Day with your loved ones.

Day 7 - Cruise Phase (PV)

Morning Weigh In: 184.4 lbs
Daily Weight Loss: 1 Lbs
Total Weight Loss: 4 Lbs
Yay! One pound down. Feeling gooooooooood about it :) .. Hope I can keep it up.  I would like to thank all my Dukan friends who are giving me advice and more knowledge about the Dukan Diet. I thought I knew what I needed to know, but I don't. If it weren't for you guys I would have done it somehow wrong. Thank you!

Breakfast:
- Oat Bran Cookie (A new favorite for me! - Quick, easy and delicious!)
- Non Fat Latte

Lunch:
- 3 scrambled eggs w/ bacon
Snack:
- Non Fat Yogurt

Dinner:
- Dukan Pizza (cauliflower crust w/ egg whites) topped with sausage, mushrooms & a little cheese
- Glass of wine

Didn't feel hungry today. It's probably the good start with the Oat Bran cooking. I LOVE IT! It's soo easy to make and it tastes really really good. You guys should try it.

I know, i had wine! But we had friends over for Pizza night and i managed to stay completely away from Pizza and made my own version. That took some effort really, but I passed the test! :) - but not the glass of wine test! :)

I feel really good about my weight loss today, hopefully tomorrow it won't go back up (which has been the case after a PV day). Wish me luck! :)

Have a great day!

Day 6 - Cruise Phase (PP)

Morning weigh in: 185.4 Lbs
No weight change
Total Weight Loss: 3 Lbs

Hmmm, still the same weight although I think I did pretty well yesterday. Things I need to concentrate on:
- Exercising
- Eating Oat Meal
- Drinking more water
- Less Dairy - More Protein

Breakfast:
- Cup of Tea w/ non fat creamer
- 2 hard boiled eggs

Snack:
- 2 slices of Black Forrest Ham
- 2 non fat cheese wedges (Laughing Cow Light/Swiss)
- Cup of coffee w/ creamer

Lunch:
- Soup w/ Beef pieces & Miracle Noodle (Seasoned with Soy Sauce, Ginger & hot sauce)
Snack:
- Non Fat Latte
- Activia Strawberry Light

Dinner:
- 4 mini skewers of Kiftah
- 1/4 cup of Non Fat Yogurt

Snack:
- Cup of Tea
- Oat Cookies - recipe here

A really good day for me. Everything was going well "in general". Didn't have time to prepare/cook food for me, but I did have a few things ready in the freezer. Like the kiftah skewers, which i usually have extra for days like this. 

I still didn't try the Oat cookies, but I know later on in the evening I'm going to drink a cup of tea and I will make the cookies then. I'll give you my opinion on them tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I might have a challenge. I'll be out and about all day with a group of mommy photographers. We'll be going to a very nice park area in "Seattle" and take pictures of our little ones, nature and whatever we want. The challenging part is pack a satisfying Dukan snack. Not sure what I'll take yet, but I'll have it all ready tonight so i don't have to rush into everything in the morning (and therefore not make good dukan choices!) :) - I think i have things under control for the time being! :)

Have a wonderful Dukan day!

Day 5- Cruise Phase PV

Morning weigh in: 185.4
Daily Loss: .6 Lbs
Total Weight Loss: 3 Lbs

Not too great after a PP day, but I'll take it! At least it's going down and not up! Now, let's see how the rest of the day will go! Thank you all for the positive messages and encouragement. It means a lot to me and it sure does keep me going. Thank you my Dukan friends.

Breakfast:
- Cup of tea w/ creamer
- 2 Hard Boiled Eggs
- 2 Tbls Labaneh (I make it with 1% milk)

Snack:
- Non Fat Latte

Lunch:
- 4 sticks of kiftah
- Non Fat Yogurt

Snack:
- 3 "Laughing Cow" fat free cheese wedges
- Cup of Coffee w/ creamer
- 4 mini red bell pepper
Dinner:
- Spinach w/ ground beef
- Miracle Noodles
- 1 "laughing cow" fat free cheese wedge

A very good day. I feel satisfied in my overall "eating" and I'm actually feeling full :) - It's about 7 P.M so I still have a few more  hours before I call it a night, but hopefully I won't indulge in eating. Hope you all had a good day too.
Can't wait to get on the scales tomorrow!

Day 4 Cruise Phase - (PP)

Morning weigh in: 186 Lbs
No change on weight this morning
Total Weight Loss: 2.4 Lbs
Disappointed. 4 days into cruise and I just managed to gain weight and not lose any. Not sure if I'm doing something wrong. Got to get back to basics and try harder. Try and mix up my food. Today is a PP day. I would hope to find a drop in my weight tomorrow.
Here's how my day went:
Breakfast:
- Cup of Tea
- 2 Hard Boiled Eggs
- 1 Tbls Labaneh
Lunch:
- Home made beef burger w/ a little ketchup
- 1 non fat laughing cow cheese wedge

Snack:
- 2 bites of donuts
- Green Tea
- Cup of Coffee
Dinner:
- Miracle Noodle Soup w/ chicken bits (hot sauce, soy sauce & ginger)
- A small bread bun :(  

Ahh, i just gave in and had 2 bites of donuts and the bread later on. Why why? I wasn't even feeling hungry. (i guess that's why I'm over weight! I eat when I'm not hungry!)

On the other hand, I did pretty well with water today!! Yay! Had lots to drink.
Oh well, tomorrow is a new day. Have a great day all.

Day 3 - Cruise Phase (PV)

Morning Weigh In: 186 Lbs
Another Gain of 0.2

With all the cheese I had yesterday I kinda expected this. I'll be on track today. Tomorrow the scales go down!

Breakfast:
- 2 Hard Boiled Eggs
- 1 Tbl Labaneh (It's an Arabic spread, in between cream cheese and yogurt)

Lunch:
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps - those were really good. I enjoyed eating them
(Roasted Chicken w/ a little mayo, slices of cucumber and tomato's wrapped in iceberg lettuce) - add a little hot sauce to it, umm, yummy.
- Diet Pepsi

Snack:
- 3 fat free laughing cow cheese
- 1 slices of black Forrest Ham

Dinner:
- Cheese & Black Forrest Ham Pizza (Find the recipe here).
- Diet Pepsi

My thoughts on the Pizza recipe:

My Black Forrest Ham Pizza - Pretty Good ha? :)

This recipe was great. It tasted really good. I followed the exact Cauliflower Dough recipe and then added some tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, Irish cheese and black Forrest Ham. Was delicious. BUT i wasn't able to get to a hard crust following the directions mentioned. I'm thinking that maybe I need to keep it longer in the oven to get the crust before adding the toppings. Will give it another try soon and see if i can get the dough to be hard.

Overall a good day. Tried to eat regularly on time which definitely helps with the hunger. I have to drink more water. For some reason i keep forgetting! As the weather gets warmer I'm sure I'll start drinking more.

Day 2 - Cruise Phase (PP)

Morning Weigh In : 185.8 Lbs (YIKES!)
Daily weight GAIN : 1.8 Lbs

Wow. I kinda felt that I might add a little weight (going to Cruise Phase) but 1.8 Lbs! That was a shocker! I'm a bit disappointed, but it won't slow me down. I'm motivated enough this time around that I'll keep going!
I didn't mention before, but I plan on doing 1 day PV then 1 day PP. So, today is a PP day. Hopefully I can make up for the weight gain today.

Here's my food for the day:
- Non Fat Latte
- 3 egg omelet w/ cheese
- 3 slices of cheddar cheese
- 2 small home made burgers (used a little light mayo and ketchup)
- 2 slices Black Forrest Ham
- A "lick" of cream cheese frosting!! Just had to do that after baking/decorating cupcakes!
- Cheese Pizza. Dough made from oat bran (not too sure about it ... didn't like it, didn't hate it, could've been better).

I had a lot of dairy today. Everything cheese! I guess it was the easiest snack. I have to moderate my dairy intake for sure.

Another thought: I used to post recipes and food ideas when i first started but haven't been doing that lately. Sorry about that. Just really busy and barely finding time to update on my progress. But I'll sort things out pretty soon and hopefully I'll start giving you ideas/food recipes soon.

Day 1 - Cruise Phase

Morning Weight: 184 Lbs
Total Weight Loss: 4.4 Lbs

First day on the Cruise Phase. Another hectic day! Been having a lot of these days lately! Oh well, it keeps me busy so i'm not really complaining. I thought i'd had more veggies today, but because i was on the go a lot, i mainly had protein.

I had:
- Store bought Roasted Chicken (part of the breast and a thigh)
- 1/2 tomato
- 1 small cucumber
- 1 small spoon of Nutella (bad bad bad)
- 3 slices of Mozzarella cheese
- 2 slices of cheddar cheese
- Non Fat Chai Latte

Trying to drink a lot of water. And again, i just realized I haven't been eating any Oat Bran! Will try and remember that.

Haven't been exercising lately, which is unfortunate. My schedule has been really awkward and I need to work more on trying to find some time to work out.

Day Five of Five - Attack Phase

Morning weigh in: 185.6 Lbs
Daily weight loss: 0.8 Lbs
Total weight loss: 2.8 Lbs

Woohoo! Happy about the weight loss. Got 1.2 Lbs to go to end attack phase. Today is my last day on Attack, not sure if I'll manage to lose 1.2 Lbs in a day, but I'm not thinking of that right now. Just happy about the 0.8 Lbs loss :)

It was a crazy day. Soo many things to do. My breakfast, lunch and dinner had no time really. Just ate when i could throughout the day. Surprisingly, as I'm writing this now (10:20 p.m) I feel really full, happy and content! Love the feeling.

My food for today:
2 Non Fat Latte
5 mini sausages
Salmon Fillet
3 small almond gluten free crackers (not something I should eat)
1 hot dog w/ a little mayo

Good day. Feeling good. Can't wait for the scales tomorrow which will let me know how much I lost on my 5 day Attack Phase.

I also can't wait to eat some veggies tomorrow! (Never thought I'd ever say that!) :)

Have a wonderful day.

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!

Way too slow! - Cruise Phase- PP

Morning Weigh in : 188 Lbs

Yes, weight is going down, but so awfully slowly. Not the diet problem, but me. Haven't stuck to Dukan 100% since i started it! I'm going to do it today. I'm going to make it my 1st REAL Dukan PP Day! Yes, that's the plan!

Breakfast:

- Cup of coffee with non fat milk

- Non fat fruit yogurt

Exercise:

- 1 hr of cycling/spinning class

- 20 minutes of cardio work out (Elliptical)

Lunch:

- Miracle Pasta with a little soy sauce, topped with a lean hamburger which was also topped with a fried egg! Yummy! That was really good!

Snack:

- 1 stick of non fat cheese

Dinner:

- Lunch was soo good that i made it again! It was delicious the 2nd time around too. Maybe I'll have this tomorrow too! :)

Snack:

- Non fat chocolate mousse

- a couple of bites of banana cream pie (without the cream, just a little crust)

I wanted to go through the day with NO mistakes! Didn't work out at the end :( i couldn't resist dessert after dinner (we had some people over).

Going to the gym was good today. I was a little weak though as i was recovering from a stomach bug or something since yesterday. So i definitely felt it at the gym, but i survived it! :)

Cruise Phase (PV)

Morning Weigh in: 188.4 Lbs

Not a big weight loss this morning, but it's down and i'll take it.

Breakfast:

- 1 soft pretzel (Bad)!

Snack:

- Non Fat Latte

Lunch:

- 3 slices of Oatbran and Flax meal bread w/ cream cheese

- Few slices of tomatoes

Snack:

- 1 fat free cheese stick

Dinner:

-  Shirataki noodles made with tomatoe sauce and ground lean beef (YUMMY)!

- 1/2 a Glass of Red Wine

No exercise today! Woke up with a really bad headache that lasted most of the afernoon! On the good side, i signed up for Bikram Hot Yoga!! Yes, i'm going to try it. I've read a lot about it and it's one of the best exercises to lose a lot of calories! So, why not try it?! right?? :) Did any of you try it? any thoughts on it?

Hopefully tomorrow i can make it to the gym and make up for today's lack of exercise!

Have a great day!

Cruise Phase (PP)

(Picture from our backyard this morning)

Morning Weigh in: 188.4 Lbs

Daily Loss:  1.1 Lbs

  

And i'm back!! (to losing weight, that is!) :) Yes, i'm happy and excited that it's down. I'll take anything. As long as it's going down and not up! :)

Woke up to a beautiful snowy morning! Yep, it snowed heavily last night. We have about 3" of snow and seems like more is on the way! Love the snow although i think i'm ready for some warm weather now!

Here is how my day went

Breakfast:

- Coffee w/ non fat creamer
- 2 hard boiled eggs

Snack:
- 3 Slices of Cheese
- Non Fat Chai Latte

Late Afternoon Snack:
- 1 min bread bun :(    - i was out all afternoon, didn't have lunch, couldn't eat anything but this on the road

Dinner:
- Left over Roasted Chicken
- 1 TBL Sour Cream

I didn't get the chance to leave the hosue to go to the gym today. They cancelled the classes for today because of the snow, although the roads and everything was open! Anyways, took the opportunity to go run some errands, which lasted all afternoon! By the time i got home i was starving (since i skipped lunch and just had a mini bread bun). Not doing that again!

I'm thinking of baking some Vanilla Cup Cakes (Dukan Style).  I used to make them a while ago, but haven't lately. I'll let you know how they turn out! :)

Have a great day!

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).