STABALIZE

I have spent the last 3 weeks just maintaining my weight with no losses until today. Actually I was content to maintain during the summer months and then in the fall start the losses again but I guess if more weight comes off that is a bonus. I have also been trying to figure out how to change my blog so that I can move all the recipes off the blog and onto the Recipe section on the right hand side of this blog. It should have been easier to do but I am stuck on linking and labeling so I will continue to try........I also want to update some of the recipes that were put on some time ago and that I have made minor changes to make them better...
Yesterday, on "Favorite Blogs" I removed some that have now left the Dukan diet and are trying other things and added a new one with great recipes....
I will try to update a bit more often but if the rain ever stops and we get some sun and summer like weather, I will be out side more as well, walking and gardening. Hopefully that will shake up the darn little fat pockets to get them moving on and out a bit better.
This diet does work if you stick to it and is something one can adjust to as a life long eating plan.

STRUGGLE

I had a bad fall on the weekend, not a physical fall, but a diet fall. I was away from home and ate in fast foods and then a real dessert explosion on Mother's Day. I have no idea, why my ability to say NO to forbidden foods seemed to melt away and cause the fall.  The next day I was up 6 pounds. Now in no way I consummed enough food to gain 6 pounds in body fat......It has come off some but I am still 2 pounds to get back to my lowest weight....
For some reason ,spring and summer seemd to be harder, but I think it will work it self out. I have not lost my determination to lose the rest of the weigh to get to my goal, even though some people are already telling me I have lost enough. Only my body can determine that time.
One of the hardest things to get use to is that my clothes are loose. After spending a lifetime of wearing tight clothes, both for the reason that I was always gaining and also that I felt tight clothes held in the fat better.
I really would like to buy a tight pair of jeans for comfort reasons but I do not want to waste the money as I WILL lose more.

MISSED IT

I was hoping to hit the 50 pound loss today, but went straight to 51 pounds off. Usually when I hit a new low target number I jump off the scale and give aloud "WHOOPIE", but as it took place at 2 am as I rose to watch the Royal Wedding of William and Kate, I had to do a silent "whoop". That means I am now 19 pounds from  my goal.  I don't have any qualms that it will not come off with spring finally arriving and getting out walking to boost the effort.... A winter of sitting on my butt at the computer or my craft table probably made this loss a bit slower but as the diet is so simple to follow and appetite satisfying, I really have no hurry to lose the weight. I know I must follow this eating pattern to some extent for the rest of my life......  A life time of dieting has taught me one thing, once you stop the diet, you will gain the weight again....I have lost and gained hundreds of pounds. I must be diligent in abstaining from certain deadly foods if I want to get to my goal and stay there.

STILL AT IT

I can not believe I have not posted for 9 days....For some reason with no weight loss, I tend to not post.....I could be putting on recipes etc but with spring, I have been busy with plants and outside more....
I have not been eating wrong, but neglecting my water and still fighting off the water retention from Easter Ham and ham leftovers, leftovers, left overs....
I also have started walking everyday and that tends to retain at first, but I hope tomorrow am I can post that I finally have a new weight loss.... but like the weather these days, it can change unexpectedly..

WEEKEND REPORT

I think I handled my weekend retreat very well. For brunch I ate the scrambled eggs with cheese,some bacon, a sausage, and 2 poached eggs. I did not touch the crepes, breakfast pizza, muffins, potatoes, desserts, and dozens of other carb laden delights. I did not feel good after the brunch as there was just too much grease in my proteins but ate what I felt was the less of the evils. For supper I ate chicken breasts, roast beef and a few dry ribs with lots of salad with no dressing and carrot medley vegetables. No other carbs or fruits or desserts. While others were munching during the day on chips, cookies, cakes and candies, I took a large container of raw veggies and a bought dip.  I ate lots of the veggies but did have a bit of the dip....I brought home a lot of it so I don't think many others ate much of the healthy stuff.
For late night in my room I had my yogurt and goji muffin and diet soda.
Now even though I thought I did excellent with what I had to work with, I was up 4 pounds but it is coming off fast.... I did read that eating all that raw veggies does retain fluid somewhat so hopefully in a few days it will be gone..

ANOTHER CHALLENGE

I have now lost what I had put on a week ago and now down to my lowest weight in a long time. I have lost 49 pounds and really excited about hitting the big 50.  Now if that was just my age it would be even more exciting but hey I am old, but I am healthy,happy and a lot more fit than I was when I was 50.
I am off to a weekend retreat of crafting where meals are made for us and everyone brings munchies for during the day....I will not eat the snacks , I will choose the best I can for meals, I will drink lots, I will eat the veggie tray I am taking and also the goji muffins, turkey bites, and FF cheese I will have in my cooler.
There I have made the commitment, now to put it in action. I want that 50 pound loss so much that I think I can do it. I may even diarize every thing that goes into my mouth all weekend and report here as another incentive to keep on track.

SLIP AND FALL - GET UP AND SHAKE IT OFF

I have been away for a few days and I always find that I do not stay as strict on my eating plan as when I am at home. Oh it is possible but stinking thinking takes over and I can convince myself that it is ok to eat things that are not good for me. The result was a 4 pound gain of which I am sure some is just fluid as I did not drink my water limit at all while away. I had one really bad slip and it was not in my mouth for more than 15 seconds and really not worth the slip. I will not confess what it was as it is over and done, but I can tell you it was thought out and planned and could have been stopped if I had worked harder at it.
Another part of my gain was due to just over eating on "as tolerated foods."
Because the Dukan bread and muffins are Dukan, I some how convinced myself that it was ok to eat them morning noon and night  in excess as "well they are DUKAN".
NO, we are allowed 2 Tbls of oat bran a day, not 20 Tbls in the form of muffins or bread.
So I am back on my eating plan for 24 hours and doing fine. I am down nearly one pound today and I know I will soon get back to my lowest weight and keep on....I have no fear that I can not do it......
I feel so much healthier by eating right and the mental freedom is great too.
Confession over!

IMAGINE

Recall the things that have held you back. And imagine how you now can get beyond them.

Think of the problems that have frustrated you so. And imagine how you can now rise above them.

Look at how far you've come. And imagine how far you can now go.

Think of all that you've learned. And imagine what you can now do with that knowledge.

Consider all you've done in the past year.
And imagine what you'll now be able to do.

You're now in a better position than ever to imagine the very best. And what you can imagine will lead to what you can be.
-- Ralph Marston

ATTEMPT AT HOMEMADE KETCHUP

Yesterday I attempted to make homemade Dukan friendly Ketchup..... It still needs some work but is not too bad...I did make some mistakes so will work on those and post the recipe when I think it is better. I am sure I can never match Heinz but if I can get a bit closer I will be happy.......stay tuned

LAZY EXERCISES FROM DR DUKAN

The B.A.T. secret

How do you burn up calories in any place or situation and especially if you work sitting down....

B.A.T this is: Buttock Muscles, Abdominals, Triceps. Buttock muscles: whilst seated on your office chair, squeeze your buttock muscles for 6 seconds in a row and repeat this 10 times without a break.

Half an hour later, repeat the exercise so that your buttocks don't get crushed on your seat for too long. Remaining immobile and compressed very quickly weakens this large muscle which is responsible for your buttocks' posture. Abdominals: whilst seated, in your mind concentrate on your abdominal muscles and contract them without moving your trunk.

Keep this position for 6 seconds and start the operation again 10 times in a row. As with the previous exercise you can repeat this every half hour. Triceps: whilst seated, with your arms bent and your palms pressing on the arm rests of your chair, push down on your palms so that you stretch your arms until your body is raised from your chair and then lower yourself down slowly.

Try to repeat this movement 10 times and repeat the same thing every half hour. All in all, 30 movements which only take one minute but which use up a lot of energy.

CELEBRATIONS

I always like to celebrate the loss of another pound when it is a ten number like 20, 30, 40 etc. But today I hit the minus 45 pound mark and maybe it is time to celebrate the 1/2 ten marks...  As the losses are much slower it will be nice to recognize these points in my recovery.
Ok you ask.."How will you celebrate"
I will not celebrate with food as that is what got me into all of this in the first place. I have celebrated every day with food for the last 50 + years. Food was meant to sustain us and to give our body energy to work hard..  Somewhere along the time line we changed the role of food and decided to use it when we were happy, when we were sad, when we worried, when we were angry, and for every type of family holiday, food played the biggest role of all.
Why do we feel we need to serve food or even drink when company arrives, if it is not meal time. I know I need to change my thinking about the role of Food in my life and remember it really is only for sustenance. Good healthy quality food when my body requires it, not something gooey, sweet, or salty that I can not control the amounts I will consume.
 It is not my stomach that tells me what to eat, it is my mind that says" Oh you can eat just one, just this time" My stomach would be happy with just nourishing pablum....lol.

Ok back to the question.."How will you celebrate your 45 pound loss today Cheryl"
I plan to finish reading a  book that is calling my name, I plan to read something motivational as brain food, and I plan on staying in this present moment and enjoying today for what it is, a celebration and not dwell on the past or the future as I can not change the past and there is no future to think about as it has not happened yet. One day at a time and enjoy each one for the progress I have made.

MISTAKES HAPPEN

I had written the following on a fellow Dukanier's blog comment who was having trouble with chocolate Easter eggs and thought I would share as I imagine others are having same type cravings.

Mistakes happen….they are not right or not even acceptable but shake it off and do not let yourself even be close to such things as chocolate if you can not say NO.
An alcoholic would not put a glass of vodka in front of themselves and expect to be able to say NO……He would stay as far away as he could while he is trying to heal his addiction,, We need to do the same and realize that you may never in your life be able to eat chocolate eggs etc….if you want to stay slim and be healthy….Accept the real facts of addictive personalities..I know this is true of myself

SLOW LOSSES

My losses are very slow these days and I know that it is caused by just too much "as tolerated foods".
I have been trying new recipes and using a fair amount of corn flour/starch to thicken sauces, too much soya sauce to make things taste better as well as extra skim milk powder and cream cheese. Yes these are all tolerated foods but the word I keep missing is "AS".  I guess I am not tolerating them very well and will cut back a bit and use these only for maybe one meal a week or celebration or having company....
I will continue to post the recipes I have tried and that we like, but use with discretion...Limit them and do not let them become every day eating..

TODAY'S HINT

 Those of you who have dieted many times before, it is common to think that the less you eat, the more you will lose. On the Dukan diet it is important to eat and eat until you are full as long as you are eating only what is acceptable food for the particular day PP/PV. You never want to be hungry and if you stick to this plan , you will get to the time where you are never hungry and eat only because it is necessary for your energy and life.

On the Dukan chat yesterday this is the comment.....

"You really have to eat enough and especially proteins as it takes more energy for your body to digest them and it takes this energy from its fat stocks."

THOUGHTS FOR SATURDAY

The only time it's too late to change yourself is when you're dead.
Until then, you're simply making excuses or lying to yourself.

"If we defend our habits, we have no intentions of quitting them."

Start doing what's necessary, then do what's possible, and suddenly you'll be doing the impossible!

CORN FLOUR vs CORN STARCH

Dukans "as tolerated"  list says we can have 20g of corn flour a day which is about 3 Tbls.
I did read sometime ago that corn starch is the same as corn flour so I googled and it seems that they are interchangeable.
In the USA, they call in cornstarch.

In the UK and Europe, cornstarch is referred to as cornflour.

Corn flour can  refer to flour made from corn, or corn meal (as opposed to cornstarch, which is only part of the corn flour). While they will both thicken a broth or juice, the corn flour will leave a strong taste. The cornstarch will not leave an aftertaste, which is why it is used as a thickener.


BUT for losing weight I would in no way eat 3T of cornstarch in a day.
I use a tiny bit to thicken chicken broth a bit in some recipes....

DON'T QUIT

When you've eaten too much and you can't write it down,

And you feel like the biggest failure in town.

When you want to give up just because you gave in,

and forget all about being healthy and thin.

So What! You went off the edge a bit,

It's your next move that counts...So don't you quit!

It's a moment of truth, it's an attitude change.

It's learning the skills to get back in your range.

It's telling yourself, "You've done great up till now.

You can take on this challenge and beat it somehow."

It's part of your journey toward reaching your goal.

You're still gonna make it, just stay in control.

To stumble and fall is not a disgrace,

If you summon the will to get back in the race.

But, often the struggler's, when loosing their grip,

Just throw in the towel and continue to slip.

And learn too late when the damage is done,

that the race wasn't over...they still could have won.

Lifestyle change can be awkward and slow,

but facing each challenge will help you grow.

Success is failure turned inside out,

the silver tint in a cloud of doubt.

When you're pushing to the brink, just refuse to submit,

If you bite it, you write it....But don't you quit!

- Author Unknown

GO BALSAMIC - SLIMMING VINEGAR

FROM-Dukan site
Vinegar is in fashion, vinegars range from white vinegar to rice vinegar, not forgetting raspberry, sherry and balsamic vinegar...

Cider vinegar is virtually a medicinal potion and many studies and experiments have proved its lysis action on proteins and its detergent effect on fats. But balsamic vinegar has another quite exclusive advantage for weight control. It enables you to make sauces almost without any oil at all. Why? Because it is slightly caramelized and a little more viscous and thick than other vinegars. Did you know that as far as weight is concerned oil is the most dangerous food? It is by far, even by very far, the richest food in creation:
9 calories for just one single gram. One tablespoon of oil, of any oil, contains 135 calories. And as a really nice salad needs two of them this amounts to 270 calories, so you end up injecting almost as much as a a slice of cake with this innocent salad without even realizing it.
With balsamic vinegar, there's no such problem. I make up my vinaigrette with 5 tablespoons of this precious vinegar, 1 tablespoon of mild mustard, one tablespoonful of water and one teaspoon of olive oil. I add 8 basil leaves and a clove of garlic; the result is fit for a king and nearly 20 times less rich than a traditional vinaigrette. What's more, balsamic vinegar is tasty and you can include it in your cooking. Just for once try it when you de-glaze for example with chicken livers...you won't be able to do without it any more.

If you only use 1 Tbls spoon or less on your salad  you are only getting a couple of drops of oil. Do not use if you are stagnating.
I love really good Italian Balsamic which can prove quite expensive, but if you have cheap Balsamic that is quite thin, you can boil some with brown sugar Splenda and it will thicken and almost taste like 5 year old Balsamic....

MOTIVATION 4 TODAY

We can reverse years of damage to our bodies by deciding to raise our standards for ourselves,
                        then living differently.
Old wounds heal, injuries repair, and the whole system improves with just a few changes in what
                      we put into our bodies and how we move them..

RECIPES ALL TESTED

Any recipes that I put on this blog,have been tried by myself before posting. I will not add any recipes that we do not like or are not Dukan friendly. I love to look for recipes and see if I can change them to be sure they are legal in every way for those doing the DUKAN diet. I have many new recipes that I have not tried yet as I need to purchase ingredients that I may not have in my cupboard.

I expect to be eating this way for the rest of my life. This is no longer a diet for us but a way of life to help us to feel better and eat well. Losing weight has become just a side effect of eating this way and nice when it happens but I am in no hurry to be at my goal as I know I can never go back to eating certain foods again if I want to remain healthy.

I am never hungry eating this way and do not crave any type of foods but I also see that now that Harvey has reached his goal and is eating his 2 slices of whole grain bread that is allowed in his Consolidation stage of the diet, that he is hungry more often and craves again. We need to assess this to see if it is worth it or if he will eat the Dukan type bread that has no flour.

Recipes will be put on the blog and then 2 weeks later I will move  to the Recipe File on the right hand side.