Day 60 Cruise - PP

What an exhausting day! On top of feeling fluey it was the first day of school for 6 Nursery students today. They were only at school until 11:30 but we were all exhausted. At least I could escape the classrooms and have a break but the teachers were in there with some screaming kids for 4 hours. Man what a day! I am not sure who was worse, the kids or the moms waiting outside trying to sneak in and see their kids:-)

I skipped breakfast - BAD IDEA and only ended up eating my first meal at about 12. Unfortunately that meant the rest of the day went badly as I was really feeling weak and hungry and ratty by then!!!

Breakfast - none

Lunch - turkey ham with mustard and Philly light

Snack - Laughing Cow Light cheese wedge

Supper - beef stew and Oat bran porridge

I stepped on the scales this am and they def were slightly below 65. Woo hoo hopefully tomorrow they will go right down.

No formal exercise except stair climbing and wrestling with angry 3 years olds trying to escape.

I drank countless cups of coffee and tea

Day 59 Cruise - EXERCISE DAY

Well I had an interesting day!

I made 5 batches of playdough - yes you heard right! I had all the nursery teachers come so I could show them how to make playdough. Hopefully this means that next time they need it they will be able to make it themselves. I made 2 batches in the microwave which was super easy! My arm got lots of exercise today with the dough on the stove.

Breakfast - Oat bran porridge

Lunch - Turkey ham rolls with light Philly (chive flavour)

Supper - Steak, egg, baby marrow and green pepper.

I had so much coffee today - I am hoping I will sleep tonight. I also had about 2.5 l of water today.

My other HUGE news is that I finally got to the gym and did 20 min on the walking/jogging machine. I even managed to jog for 3 min - with walking breaks in between - I would not want you to think I am super fit or good at jogging - cos I am not!

I then did 10 min on the bike so I am very pleased with myself. My husband got sick of me moaning that I can't get off 65 kg so he told me to get myself to the gym and do some exercise. 65 kg - you will be history SOON................

Day 58 Cruise

Well I went online to the official website and it was kind of weird. I updated or changed my weight and stats and they said I should weigh 56.1 and that I basically needed 2 more months.

Nothing changed except I have lost 8 kg but they changed my goal weight. Originally they said 57 kg - huh???? Well I am still aiming for 53!!

Breakfast - nothing, I was in a rush

Lunch - Oat bran porridge and yoghurt(0%)

Snack - baby bel and left over beef from last nights supper

Supper - Crab salad

Snack - 2 low carb biscuits

I am feeling all coldy and sniffly so it has not been a great day health wise. I was enjoying the last 2 months and feeling so well, so it was kind of a shock getting a cold.

I have done lots of walking up the stairs today as we have had no electricity for most of the day. I think I walked up and down about 4 or 5 times- once with shopping bags weighing me down. We live on the 4th floor so a fair bit of effort!

Day 57 - I WANT CHOCOLATE

Well my title says it all. Today, this afternoon I had a sudden CRAZY urge for chocolate. I have some yummy things in the house and I have packed them away for later when I can enjoy them, in moderation. So this craving came totally out of the blue as I have been faced with loads of yummy looking cakes and food lately. I have not been tempted until today.

And so I confess to my readers that I opened my freezer and took out a frozen blue Lindt ball and scoffed it. I ate it so fast I didn't even appreciate it. I think that is what makes the whole things worse. It was like I was crazy, ripping it open, stuffing it in and just barely chewing it before swallowing. What was that about???

The rest of the day was fine:

Breakfast - Oat bran porridge

Snack - Hard boiled eggs

Lunch - Turkey ham and light cream cheese

CRAZY MOMENT - 1 blue Lindt ball from freezer

Supper - beef stroganoff and green beans

Today I felt hungry, I have no idea why? I also know that there are times in a month where I feel like I need something sweet and chocolatey. Hopefully that is it for me now.

I weighed myself and I am stuck on 65 kg. All the reading I have done says that people hit plateaus where your body sticks. I weighed 65 for a long time at one stage and my body has remembered that weight and wants to stay on it.

I need to step up the exercise and water. I also need to have another few PP days.

Day 55 & 56 Cruise PV

Day 55

Breakfast - Oat Bran Porridge

Lunch - various Salads and Chicken

Snack - Low Carb biscuits

Supper - Turkey rolled up with Light Philly cream cheese and Chives

Day 56

Breakfast - none as I was running late

Tea and coffee

Lunch - broccoli salad with cheese and bacon bits, crab salad

Supper - Oat bran porridge

We had been invited to a lunch today and there were so many non Dukan things. They served Chicken lasagna and regular lasagna. I love the chicken one but I resisted, mostly because there were people there who I had not seen for ages so they could see I had lost some weight and wanted to know how. So while it was hard to say no to some of the food it was helped by the fact that it is obvious I have lost weight.

I was also really pleased as my friends had come back from overseas and brought me some more oat bran as well as wheat bran. However they also brought me some Thorntons Brazil Nut toffee - which I have put safely away for sometime later.

There were some delicious desserts on the table - choc squares and ice cream, cake, tart etc etc. I almost took some vanilla ice cream...............almost!!!

I am sitting here typing and eating my porridge for supper, thinking that I really need to get more creative with my food. That broccoli salad today was delicious.

Day 54 Cruise PV

Breakfast - Oat Bran porridge

Lunch - (really late as I was running around getting a washing machine!) Turkey Ham and Light Philly Cream Cheese with chives. Mini babybel light

Snack - some low carb oat biscuits

Supper - Grilled meat, chicken and salad

Snack - left over salad

Wow it was a crazy day - and so hot too. I drank bottles and bottles of water so no worries about liquids today. I was so hungry by the time I got home after washing machine shopping I had a pounding headache and I was famished. Even eating did not take the headache away so I eventually resorted to Ibuprofin.

We had a sort of social function with the Kindergarten teachers tonight and I went along. They served a sweet, syrupy thing that I politely took and had 2 bites of.

I have been getting lots of comments from them and compliments about my weight. They all want to know how I am doing it but are surprised when I tell them. They sort of look at me disbelievingly.

This society is always on diet - well my teachers are anyway. They come to school telling me what a "hard" diet they are on. I have kept relatively quiet about this diet and only acknowledged being on diet when they noticed my weight loss. I think it is better this way.

So much of life here is about food - that is the amazing thing about this diet. I can go to most social events as there is normally salad and veg things. It is not a hardship or difficulty. It is just when they only serve sweets that it is interesting!!!!

Well another day over...............must get to bed early tonight - for a change. I wake up in teh middle of the night either needing the loo from all the water I have drank or with my head buzzing with school ideas!

Day 53 Cruise PP

Breakfast - Oat bran porridge

Lunch - Rolled Turkey Ham with Philly light and mustard - my new favourite snack

Snack - 3 low carb oat biscuits

Supper - Bobotie

I have had 2 PP days in a row so looking forward to a nice salad or something with veg tomorrow. I look back and realise that I am not eating enough - this was mentioned before but I just can't make myself eat when I am not hungry. I was thinking of making some more muffins so that I can just have a muffin or 2 a day but I have my oat bran in the morning and I love eating it that way. I will probably get sick of it soon.

I really wish we could get some nice fat free yoghurts here. I must also make more of an effort to vary my diet - there some nice ideas out there I must get off my butt and make some new things.

Still really hot here in Lebanon which helps with drinking water - I am wondering what will happen when it get a bit cooler............

Day 52 Cruise PP

Breakfast - Oat bran porridge(surprise, surprise)

Lunch - Turkey with light cream cheese and chives, Laughing Cow light cheese wedge

Snack - 2 more slices of Turkey with light cream cheese and mustard - surprisingly yummy

Supper - Kafta and tomato(left overs), Chicken Shawarma

Drank lots of water and was buoyed by my weight loss of the morning. I am going to try another PP day tomorrow as I have stuff in my fridge and normally I struggle to get enough PP days in.

Feeling good although I am drinking so much water in the day I am waking at night to go to the toilet!!!

2 more kg's until my mini goal of half way.............I need to think of a treat to spoil myself - NOT FOOD!!!

Here is a random question - I want to make vanilla muffins and the recipe calls for vanilla yoghurt. If you can't get vanilla fat free yoghurt, what could you substitute it with????

Hope all my fellow Dukaners had a great day...............I did!!!

Weigh day at last

Starting weight:73 kg

Current weight:65 kg

Weight Lost: 8 kg

Day 51 Cruise

We have had no internet since before the weekend so I am sorry that I have been away. It has been so frustrating as I have missed getting on here and posting.
I am just going to start posting again from today but rest assured the days I was away I was still eating Dukan friendly.
Breakfast - Oat bran porridge
Snack - bit of cheese bread as I was out on visit and it would have been rude, VERY sweet tea - ugh
Lunch - Salad
Snack - 3 low carb biscuits
Supper - Kafta(mince and parsley) and tomato baked in oven.

I def drank enough and today was the first day in ages that I had diet pepsi again and I missed it. Never used to like fizzy stuff but I so enjoy it now - weird.

I have my period so I have not weighed myself since last week. I am somehow scared to weigh myself but I will have to bite the bullet soon.

I have been telling loads of people about this diet and they all want to try it. Of course the problem is that you cannot get oat bran here. I also realise that now is a dangerous time for me as people are all complimenting me on my weight loss and it is so tempting to just have a tiny bit of this and that - just as a treat.

I must remind myself of what I want to achieve and that it will take work.

Tomorrow I have a date with the girls to get into the gym to work out. So that will be interesting!!!

Have missed reading everyone elses blogs and will have to catch up on what is happening over the next few days.

Hopefully the internet problems are over.

Day 47 and 48 Cruise

Sorry I am posting late but the internet has been terrible for 2 days so I will just post 2 days in 1 as it is likely to go down any minute.

I chickened out of weighing in this morning and will do it tomorrow am - I PROMISE.

Breakfast - Oat bran porridge(both days)

Lunch - Day 47 - turkey rolled up with cream cheese light

Day 48 - left over asparagus and little beef sausages

Supper - Day 47 - Grilled meat and chicken

Day 48 -

Sorry for the pathetic posting!!! Will be back online tomorrow with a more inspired posting.

Oh on the one postive note, one of my friends has started Dukan and is doing so well. She does not have the book so we keep chatting on the phone so she can check things. I am so pleased that she is enjoying it and doing well.

Day 46 Cruise

Breakfast - Oat bran porridge

Snack - 2 low carb biscuits and crab stick

Lunch - left over ratatouille

Supper - sausages, asparagus and green beans

Visit - small piece of cake which had been bought in honour of my birthday so I had to have a small amount.

I was actually starting to feel like lately everyone is out to sabotage me - well not really but honestly - the amount of non Dukan food that has been presented to me lately is unbelievable!

I keep trying to remind myself that nothing tastes as good as thin feels.

I also ate more today - don't feel uncomfortable but I do feel more full than usual.

Me in my dress that now fits! - excuse husbands head cut off!!!

Day 45 Cruise PV

MY BIRTHDAY TODAY................

Breakfast - Oat bran porridge

Snack - coffee at Costa with 1/2 lemon muffin

Lunch - Turkey and light cream cheese

Supper - Salad and Ratatouille

Dessert - I had 4 cakes in front of me. I took a sliver of 2 of them but could not finish it. They tasted good but I could not eat much.

Well I did slip up today but not as badly as I could have done. I will name the cakes and you will see what I mean:

Ice cream cake

Toffee Cream Cake

Mocha Chocolate cake

Chocolate cream cake with LOADS of choc pieces.

I only tasted the toffee cream and ice cream so I am pretty pleased with myself. I will be having 2 PP days in a row to make up for having 2 PV ones in a row or is it 3 PV days - eekk.

Will also NOT be weighing tomorrow and I will wait until Saturday. Hopefully I make 65 kg then.

Day 44 Cruise PV

Breakfast - Oat bran porridge

Snack - 1 small piece of shortbread - could not resist it

Lunch - turkey ham and light cream cheese

Supper - WEDDING

Well I was worrying about how I would manage at the wedding and surprisingly it was fine. That is the lovely thing about food here. It was all salady and things like vine leaves, and thyme salad, and labne and I avoided the humos and potatoes and things fried in oil. The main dish was meat and rice so I had a few pieces of meat with my salad and left the rice. We left before the cake was cut and I did not have fruit so all in all it was great. there was no alcohol anyway so I drank water and Diet 7 Up all evening. Oh and danced the dubke - does that count as exercise? My legs were so sore.

As I have previously mentioned one of the things I am LOVING about this diet is that I do not have the bloated feeling after eating that I used to. It was great to be full but not gassy and bloated - excuse the graphic descriptions.

On another note today/tomorrow is my birthday and I am hoping I will be able to resist what comes my way. I never thought I would be 36 and 7 kg lighter - that is the BEST birthday present!

Day 43 Cruise PV

I was too late to post last night and I had a crazy day!

Breakfast - Blueberry zero fat yoghurt

Lunch - turkey ham and cream cheese light

Snack - 4 low carb oat biscuits

Supper - 2 roasted chicken thighs, ratatouille

I did not have oat bran yesterday and I drank loads of water

It was really weird without the oat bran for breakfast. Def won't do that again. having it at breakfast helps keep me full.

I am trying to eat more as it was pointed out that I might not be eating enough. I will try harder.

I have a wedding on Tuesday night and I am hoping to fit into my dress that has been hanging in my closet for ages without being worn. If I do, I will post a picture!!!

Day 42 Cruise PP

Breakfast - Oat Bran porridge

Lunch - 2 crab sticks, 4 low carb biscuits, 1 Dukan choc muffin, 1 chocolate cookie - BAD

Supper - 2 fried eggs

I must get out and buy some Dukan friendly stuff for my fridge. It was a bad day hunger wise as I felt hungry from about 12 - 4. I think I am not eating enough so will step that up tomorrow.

I think it has cooled down enough for me to attempt some exercise - either walking or at the school gym.

I was so pleased with my weight loss today. I think I must just be careful not to decide to eat non Dukan things. That is what normally happens on a diet. I get all encouraged because I have lost some weight and then start eating things I should not. The weight all goes straight back on.

Day 42 Cruise Weekly weigh in

Weigh day!!!

I was worried as I have had so many PV days although I have been walking a lot more and drinking loads of water.

Starting weight - 73 kg

Current weight - 66 kg.

Only 3 kg to go until I get to my halfway goal. When I get to 63 that will be the lowest I have weighed in a while - a long while...........

Day 41 Cruise - yet another PV day.....

Breakfast - omelette and turkey ham

Lunch - tabouleh, cucumber, tomato, small amount of goats labne, meat, zaater saj(small)

Snack - 2 oat low carb biscuits

Supper - yoghurt and Oat bran

Too tired to post more, but it wasn't too hard to resist all that was on offer at the lunch we went to today. I probably made some bad choices with the goats labne and saj but I felt like it!!!

Will have to make a concerted effort to do 2 PP days in a row starting tomorrow. I am so bad at PP only.

Day 40 Cruise PV

Breakfast - Oat bran porridge

Lunch - Rolled Turkey ham with light cream cheese

Supper - Grilled chicken and beef with small helping of salad.

Snack - 3 Low carb biscuits

I have had a very hungry day today. Maybe I am not drinking enough??

All I know is that today my will power was at a low point. However all my friends now know I am doing this diet and were around all day so I dared not do anything too naughty. I am glad the day has ended............

I will try drink another 2 glasses of water before bed.

Will post bobotie recipe when I get my recipe book back from my neighbour - she also wanted to copy it down.

I also have these PP days and then go have a salad at night. I am not doing this properly as I could be having veg throughout the day if I want. I sort of keep meaning to have a few PP days as I find it hard to get enough of them in.

Day 39 Cruise PP

Breakfast - Oat bran porridge

Lunch - Turkey ham slices with light cream cheese

Snack - 2 Dukan friendly chocolate muffins(see recipe posted)

Supper - Bobotie and small amount of tomato and cucumber - supposed to be a PP day!!!!!

Snack - 1 Dukan friendly chocolate muffin - oh dear...............

The meal I did for supper was fantastic, I tweaked it a bit to be Dukan friendly and I will post a recipe tomorrow. It is basically a savory mince dish cooked with delicious curry spices and baked in the oven with egg on top. It is a famous South African dish and it was definitely something I would have again.

Somehow is was a hard day - I felt like eating all the time??? Have no idea why??

I was also reflecting on the fact that I have done 39 days - I can't quite believe it myself!! I actually stuck to something for more than 1 week.

Carrot cake dilemma

Ok well today was my husband's birthday and I made 2 cakes - chocolate and carrot cake. Carrot being one of my absolute favourites - boo hoo

I was very good although I did lick the frosting spoon - couldn't help it.

Anyway there I was watching a whole lounge full of people eating cake and I could not have any. Well I could but I didn't want to.

So I was inspired to search for a recipe to make muffins or something cake like:

So here is is thanks to Sally:

chocolate muffins
(make enough for 6 muffins)
preheat oven to 180′c
4 tbsp oat bran
2 tbsp wheat bran
4 tbsp sweetner
7 tbsp vanilla yoghurt
1 egg
1tsp baking powder
2tbsp low fat cocoa powder

*put all ingredients in a bowl and mix spoon in muffin cases (silicone are easy to use)
* pop into oven for 15mins (depend on your oven)

icing
1/2 sweetner
1 drop of vanilla extract
2 tbsp of light cream cheese

* mix ingredients and spread on muffins

And it was yummy even though I only added 1 T of sweetener instead of 4. Maybe she meant

4 t?? Who knows but they were delicious and I did them without the icing.

Day 38 Cruise PV

Breakfast - Oat bran porridge

Lunch - rolled Turkey ham with cream cheese inside

Supper - Grilled meat and salad

Snack - 2 Low carb biscuits

Well I was flying high most of the day from my weigh in. It was my husbands birthday today so he got choccies and naughty stuff like that. I have been so good for 38 days that I asked him if I could have a piece of chocolate. Bless him, he is trying to encourage me so he asked if it was allowed - of course not!!!

The 2 oat biscuits helped - somewhat!!!

So it is thanks to him that I go to bed without a guilty conscience and determined to not give up. I knew it wasn't going to be easy and I have to be prepared to sacrifice now for later. I will get to the stage where I will be able to eat chocolate I am sure - in a while............a long long while..........

Day 38 weight update

Yippee I weighed myself and another 1/2 kg gone. I have been feeling really good lately so I decided to weigh midweek.

Starting weight - 73 kg

Current weight - 66.5 kg

Total lost - 6.5 kg

Day 37 Cruise PP

Breakfast - fat free yoghurt

Lunch - Oat bran porridge

Snack - 3 low carb biscuits

Supper - Chicken Tikka Masala

As I mentioned previously, my eating is under control and it has been so hot the last 2 days that I have not actually felt like eating very much. I have been drinking loads f water - so much that I am waking up in the night to wee.

I have decided to weigh myself tomorrow am and see what is happening.

I have had 2 PP days in a row as I tend to always do PV. It is easier to do PV but hopefully the 2 PP days will have made a small difference.

I find it strange that I am not feeling tempted? Is my will power so strong or have I just lost the taste for these things?

I must also get moving on making muffins and bread as now we have started school, I have no time for Oat bran although it is the best thing to fill me up. Some muffins on the way out would be nice for a change.

Day 36 Cruise PP

Breakfast - fat free yoghurt

Lunch - Oat bran porridge

Dinner - Grilled Chicken

I feel like I have my eating well under control, the problem is the evenings out. Last night we went to the last visit. The table was laden with food!! It was not a problem to resist, the problem was when the hostess put food on my plate and I had to eat some of it. I drank loads of water.

It is really fun seeing the weight come off and fitting into my clothes again.

Day 35 Cruise

Breakfast - nothing

Lunch - Oat bran porridge and 2 slices Turkey ham

Snack - 2 slices turkey ham and little sausages

Supper - we had supper out - iftar at a friend. I tried to eat only Dukan friendly foods but some rice sneaked in in the stuffed baby marrows. I ate: plain meat, stuffed vine leaves and baby marrows, salad and we started with soup.

I did have a half a sweet pastry but it did not taste nice so to stop at half was easy.

Just a few more days of Ramadan and I think when Ramadan is over it will be much easier for me to follow this diet.

I am so excited because my friend in Beirut that I was talking to about this diet has decided to give it a try and I know she will enjoy it. She is an Atkins fan so she should do well on this as it allows vegetables.

Another great encouragement is that I tried on my green trousers and they fit so well. Woo hoo I can't wait to try on my jeans in a few weeks. Nothing makes you feel so good as when your clothes fit better............

Day 35 Update

Well I weighed this morning and even though I lost it was only 1/2 a kg. boo hoo. I was hoping for a whole KG. On the other hand I feel bloated and have done for the last 3 days so maybe in a day or two I will have more of a loss.

So 6 kg lost. 14 to go..................

Day 34 Cruise

Breakfast - oatbran porridge

Lunch - turkey ham

Supper - BBQ on beach - fish, meat kebab and chicken. Salad

Today I felt ugh most of the morning and slept for 3 hours in afternoon.

I am not sure I drank enough today so will have a large glass of water now before I go to bed.

A lot of people are so skeptical of this diet - it has been quite fun to try explain it and defend it to them. I am almost finished reading the book and while it is repetitive it is also very helpful.

The explanation about our fat cells totally freaked me out!!!! I think it would to others if they knew it. It was the first time I have ever heard that about our fat cells splitting into 2 when they get saturated. And that while you can lose weight you will never make those 2 fat cells go back into 1 cell.eeeeeeeeeekkkkkkk

Day 33 Cruise PP

Breakfast - oat bran porridge

Lunch - yoghurt

Supper - beef sausages and grilled steak. Fried egg

I was doing great until we went to the airport to fetch a friend and the guy who took me bought me a coffee - it was sickly sweet with condensed milk. I think my body went into shock.

He also bought me a kaa3k with cheese which I ate about a 1/4 before I just couldn't any more.

This morning I could hardly get out of bed. I don't feel great and I have a stomach ache. I honestly think my body can't handle sugar and carbs the way it used it. So I have just climbed back into bed for a nap because I have had enough!!! Hopefully I will feel better later.

weigh day tomorrow maybe I will wait until Sunday now.

Day 32 Cruise PP

I was very strict with myself today. Only PP and tomorrow will be the same.

Breakfast - Oat bran porridge

Lunch - mince and crab sticks

Snack - yoghurt zero fat

Super - grilled beef kebabs

I reckon I drank about 2.5 l of water today. Everybody kept saying it felt cooler today but I didn't feel it.

I am so bored with all the food in the shops here - there is nothing tasty and interesting. I must get some more turkey ham - that was delicious - have to wait until I go up to Beirut to get that.

I was out with friends tonight and they were eating and eating - humos and fuul. I did not even feel tempted and I am feeling very pleased with myself for not eating any. I better go to bed now as it is really late. I have a feeling I will be in the loo all night with the water I drank today............lol

Day 31 Cruise

Breakfast - Oat bran porridge

Lunch - Lebanese dish, with mince and yoghurt - Shish Barak

Supper - left over eggplant and meat from last night

Snack - some nuts and a Ramadan pancake

As you can see it was not a very inspired day. I am getting bored and need to experiment with some recipes. I was getting worried because I have about 1 day left of oat bran but my friend called to let me know that she had 2 packets of oat bran and 2 of wheat so now I can try make some muffins and bread. Yippeee for friends. This bran came all the way from Oz.

Waiting for it to get a bit cooler so I can do some exercise but maybe that is just an excuse and I should just get off my butt and walk anyway regardless of the extreme heat.

Drank loads - I seem to spend lots of my day in the toilet!!! Oh well I guess all the water is good for me.:-)

Off to bed now - here's hoping tomorrow will be a better and more inspiring day!!!