Dukan Diet: Week 1

As I posted, I am doing a new "eating plan." It's the Dukan Diet, the French Protein Diet or The Middleton's Pre-Wedding diet (lol). It's a low-carb, protein thing very much like the Metabolism Miracle I was doing before. Only, low fat. 

My report... 

I am very happy with the first week of this diet. I still need to add the required 20-30 minutes of exercise. I don’t necessarily have low energy because of the diet but I’ve been sluggish this week. Grouchy. More tired than usual. I am in my last week of class for May and that’s is a little stressful for me.

I found out (too late) that I am not allowed pudding (of any kind, no sugar free/fat free) but can still have Jello (the jiggly kind!). I am unsure about the Protein Shakes but continuing to have them because they satisfy the chocolate craving and keep me on my toes about breakfast.

Here is my week:

Day 1: Thursday, May 19, 2011

Starting weight: 158 (guess, based on Monday AM weighing)

Phase: Attack (day 1 of 3)

B: Cottage cheese
L: Oat bran galette
D: Hamburger patties
S: Ricotta/yogurt lemon (extract) "pudding"

I was hungry in the afternoon until I figured out what I could eat. I made a sweet, cinnamon/butter galette (the Dukan "pancake") that was pretty yummy.  I could have eaten more but I didn't need to.

Day 2: Friday, May 20, 2011

Weight: 155 (3 pound LOSS!!!)

Phase: Attack (day 2 of 3)

B: 1 hardboiled egg

L: 2 hamburger patties

D: BBQ Tri-tip

S: Cottage cheese, galette with sugar/fat free maple syrup

SHOCKED yes SHOCKED to see a 3 pound drop. Expecting my weight to increase tomorrow or the next day? Guessing it's water weight but I don't care. Pants fit better. Lol Went too long in the AM without food and had the egg at the last minute. I made the hamburgers last night for dinner and had the leftovers.

Day 3: Saturday, May 21, 2011

Weight: 154.4

Phase: Attack (day 3 of 3)

B: Skipped L only had a Large Diet Coke. oops

L: Galette

D: Scrambled eggs with cottage cheese

S: Cottage cheese

Skipped breakfast because I had to leave the house. That was a bad idea. I did okay as far as cravings but I paid the price the next day.

Day 4: Sunday, May 22, 2011

Weight: 154.8 (probably from skipping meals)

Phase: Cruise (day 1-PV of 73)

B: Chocolate protein shake

L: Low fat ham slices, Fat Free cream cheese, pickles

D: BBQ’d London Broil, green beans

S: Chocolate oat bran.

The oat bran was an experiment. I tried to make a cookie but it was more like oatmeal. LOL I should probably have had a salad but I had a lot of green beans which were cooked with Smart Balance, bad?

Day 5: Monday, May 23, 2011

Weight: 152.4 (WOOOOO HOOOOO!!!!)

Phase: Cruise (day 2 -PP- of 73)

B: Chocolate protein shake

L: Cottage cheese and leftover London Broil

D: BBQ Chicken & deviled eggs

S: Galette

I was hungry last night but decided not to eat past 8:00 PM and that decision seemed to pay off.

Day 6: Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Weight: 153.4

Phase: Cruise (day 3 –PV- of 73)

B: Deviled eggs & chocolate mousse

L: Chicken (leftover BBQ), tomato

D: Cottage cheese and jello

S: Galette

The BBQ chicken was delicious. Definitely going to have make more of that  to have around. I did not get enough veggies and not sure how to incorporate more. I should have had a salad but kind of afraid of the dressing. The jello is helping with the sugar needs.

Day 7: Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Weight: 153

Phase: Cruise (day 4 –PP- of 73)

B: Chocolate mousse

L: Cottage cheese & Jello

D: Hamburger patty with a fried egg

S: Galette

Enjoying the pancakes, er, “Galette’s.” I doubt the “fried” egg was okay but I did not add any oil to my pan and since we have no oven broiling was not an option (and a microwaved hamburger patty? I don’t think so…) I was hungry ALL day. That was bad. I need more meat around the house and we ran out of eggs too fast.

B (Breakfast): L (Lunch): D (Dinner): S (Snack/Dessert)

FYI: I have Opinions

I am sure this comes as a shock to some but it’s true. I have opinions.

I have opinions about parenting children; education, special needs, chores, XXYY, allowance, friends, Autism, schools, food, and clothing.

I have opinions about what movies I watch, what’s on TV, what I listen to on the radio and CD’s (iTunes), and what I read; books, magazines, and even the backs of cereal boxes.

I have opinions about politics; the death penalty, the President, Abortion, illegal immigration, stem cell research, taxes, the Governor (of California) and local issues.

I have opinions about beauty, I do sell Mary Kay cosmetics, after all. But also weight, style, clothing choices and obviously shoes, purses and jewelry.

I have opinions about shopping.

I have opinions about marriage.

I have opinions about exercise, dieting and “food management.”

I have opinions about myself, my friends, my enemies (!), my home, my family and my role as a woman.

I have opinions about God, religion and morality.

I have lots of opinions and I’m going to start expressing them more.

The funny thing about my opinions though, they are flexible. I have strong beliefs (specifically about God) but I’m also very open-minded and enjoy a good argument, ahem, aka “discussion.”

Read on!

Trendy Trimming

I've been able to lose over 40 lbs. using the Metabolism Miracle diet, which I HIGHLY recommend. I have managed to maintain for over a year, but now I am going to try the Dukan Diet to lose the last 20-25 pounds. I am hoping to document my progress, if not every day then at least 3-4 times a week.

I'm not interested in creating a whole new website devoted to this but I really like what this lady has done, so I'm going to keep track of my progress, notes on recipes, what does and doesn't work, etc.

It's also important to make an effort to exercise and I know I need to do that. Maybe keeping notes and talking about it will finally get my fat @$$ off the couch! 

At the Dukan Diet website it asks a few questions to calculate your true weight.

I am 5'5"

The most I have ever weighed is 192 lbs.

The least I have ever weighed is 122 lbs.

My average weight is approx. 145 lbs.

I am small boned.

Here are my results:

There are actually four phases. The last phase they call the stabilization phase where you keep your weight stable for an extended period and are basically free to eat however you want. There are three rules to this phase which are:

1. Have a pure protein day once a week (they call them Protein Thursdays)

2. Walk 20+minutes a day

3. Eat 3 Tablespoons of Oat Bran a day.

here I go.

Who am I?

I used to know who I was. I used to know what I wanted. I used to be able to accomplish things and make commitments. I used to feel up to the challenge, whatever it was. Now I feel like every little thing is a major accomplishment.  It’s not that I cannot do it, it’s not that I will not do it, it’s more a combination of both. I choose what I will and won’t do. I choose what is most important and some things are chosen for me.

I am Katrina. I love to read. I love to write. I love sunshine. I love swimming. I love lemonade and Diet Coke. I love peanuts. I love bread and potatoes but I don’t eat them anymore because they make me feel bad (sick). I love Randy, my husband. I love romances and mysteries. I love my family, my parents, my nieces and nephews. I love my brothers.

I am a mom. I have five children. My oldest is now turning 18 (this week) and my youngest just turned nine in March. Each pregnancy took its toll on my body. I have stretch marks and scars. My three boys nearly killed me, which is why I don’t have more than five! The first ten years of my marriage are a blur because of babies and diapers and nursing and late nights and early mornings and laundry, Laundry, LAUNDRY!

I am a housewife. No, I’m not married to a house. I prefer Home-Maker. I am making a home for my family. A slice of heaven. A place of peace to rest and relax and not feel the anxiety and pressure of the outside world. I am not sure I am truly successful at this job as I know my husband still feels stress. I know clutter and dirt make this difficult for all of us. I try. But, the Laundry. Ugh.

I have Depression. I believe it’s genetic. I am medicated but not every day is good. The medication makes it easier to cope, it is not a “Happy Pill.” I struggle with sleep; either not getting enough or getting too much. I struggle with motivation, like doing even the things I love to do. I struggle at different times of day, at different seasons of the year and at odd times every day.

I am overweight. I lost over 40 pounds in 2009 but I can’t seem to lose the last 25-30 pounds. It’s making me crazy. I hate to sweat. I don’t really like exercise. I have never felt that “Runner’s High” or the release of endorphins when I exercise. All I’ve ever felt is tired and sore. Supposedly exercise helps with depression but for me it only makes me feel worse. And the anticipation of exercise is even worse! LOL

I have a son with 48 chromosomes. He has Klinefelter’s Syndrome XXYY variant. I can’t really tell you what all that means except that he’s difficult. He has to be taught everything. From how to walk to how to lick his upper lip; he had to be taught. He is almost 13 and is sometimes out of control. I’m no longer embarrassed by his behavior but it does frighten me. I am afraid for when he is older and bigger and might actually hurt himself or someone else.

This is my blog and I am hoping there are other women (or men) out there like me. People who struggle with who they are and what they are supposed to be doing. We are humans. We have faults. We struggle. I’m looking to not be struggling alone.

Failure is not an Option

I love finding out that things are misquoted, or just simply made up because Hollywood likes the sound of it. This infamous Apollo 13 movie quote was never actually uttered but was understood by those who worked on the project. Losing men during the Apollo missions was devastating, the worst being the loss of Gus Grissom, Edward White II and Roger Chaffee during the Apollo 1 Launch Rehearsal. The concept of Failure to bring Apollo 13 home was unthinkable and the knowledgeable and dedicated workers persevered until Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise returned. It was a miracle, in a sense, but truthfully the miracle is the human spirit that refused to quit. I believe that Failure actually only occurs when you choose to Quit.

When I was eighteen I had an interesting discussion with my father. We were visiting Brian Head, Utah for the first time and six of us were sharing a tiny two room condo and enjoying some family vacation time. My father and I stayed up late one night talking. He was concerned about me because I was not interested in going back to college. He asked me, “Aren‘t you afraid of failure?” The concept baffled me. How could I fail if I did not begin? Furthermore, how could I fail if I never quit? I did go back to college and am still pursuing that dream, however I do not consider myself a failure for not finishing sooner. It is a regret but not a failure because I refuse to quit. I will quit pursuing my educational goals when I can no longer breathe.

Furthermore, I refuse to quit on many other things in my life. I refused to quit on my marriage and family although at times the idea has seemed appealing. I refuse to quit on my Special Needs son who makes me mostly crazy but I love dearly. I refuse to quit on my dreams because I don’t know where they will take me. I just keep going. As long as I keep trying I am not quitting therefore I cannot fail. Once I decide to Quit, I am a Failure.

Sometimes I think I am afraid of success. I am somewhat concerned about my abilities to follow through on deadlines and consistency. Commitments frighten me. Some of it is legitimate as I am often called away to take care of my children or some other similar concern. However, it is also the idea that my creative energy has to be harnessed and tamed to produce at will. I still am not disciplined enough for that kind of obligation. Maybe.

I’m trying, however. And until I quit I do not consider myself a FAILURE.