Stabilization CONSOSTAB (shared diary)

[Maintainer]

Sounds excellent Anja - it's interesting too, seeing you three "success story people", still planning your holiday food as indeed we all need to. I obviously forgot that side of things when previously in Conso / Stab. You don't get nothing for nothing these days and we'll always have to work hard to maintain what we sought so hard to lose.

My memories of Spain are somewhat ensaimada (or is that Mallorca?), paella and sangria soaked so I can't help you there. But I would have thought that you might be able to play the Atkins card a little DD in Canada. They'll have heard of that (and perhaps get an order in now on the low carb site - speak to vicky perhaps - for low carb maple syrup - not ok Dukan of course but the Atkins folk like it!).

It's true what you say too, Robin, about not needing the higher caloried foods so much in the "summer". And I'm just the same as you re chips (my fish and chip gala on Sunday will include a small chip portion because I'm not fussed at all. I'd flick them across the table at my family but that the portions are so heavy handed where we're going that they'll have plenty of their own to dispose of!

Well done Anja and Robin on the weight front too. These little tweaks I see you two making must be getting through to me as I find myself doing them too!

 

[dukandebut]

Jo - Where we're going, I wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't even heard of Atkins. It really is the back of beyond - they even call it the Wilderness Region!

Good tip about the Atkins site, I'll take a look. Having said that, I'm not sure that I could bring myself to eat Atkins stylee. It feels a bit adulterous to even think about it!

 

[anjuschka]

Hi everyone,

time for me to check in again. First things first - I have STS - SORT OF. A more generous week, including some gorgeous home made strawberry cream roulade brought by visitors on Sunday didn't help , but my tummy looks better than it has for a while, size 12 M&S clothes still nearly falling down, so I just have to get used to the fluctuations up and down...

I *have* been having a treat a day, and small portions of carbs with main meals on most days (new potatoes mmhh). And just now I had a few little cake bites (the ones that come in tubs) at a colleague's leaving do - at least I managed to decline the invitation to the Chinese buffet at lunchtime, that could have been dangerous

Can't wait for the holidays! Kids clothes are piled up now ready for packing, I just need to sort out my own. We're not off till tomorrow evening though, so plenty of time left.

I have decided how I'm going to play it in the holidays. Strict(ish - as possible) conso-style during the day and then 'normal' evening meals trying to avoid fatty/carby options. I hope this gives me the flexibility needed when joining a large family self-catering on a buget! I'll probably have my dukan bread for breakfast and a boiled egg-salad type combo for lunch, and I should be able to get low-fat yoghurt at the very least. Of course I'll have some drinks and no doubt I'll have something 'gala' nearly every day.
Planning to do LOTS OF SWIMMING (before breakfast maybe?) - the problem there is the kids always want to join in and then I end up supporting them and not swimming myself...

For evening meals I'll try and steer the cooking in the healthy direction but I won't veto things like pizza etc - after all we *are* on holiday. Hopefully we'll have lots of BBQs then I can stick to chicken. Unfortunately FIL is no fan of fish so I can't see us cooking any ourselves.

Anyway - if you don't hear from me for a while, I'll be sunning myself in Spain! Which is a nice change, it's freezing here again (13C), though still not much rain (not enough for the garden anyway).

Have a good week everyone!

 

[Maintainer]

oooh another lovely read Anja... you sound totally organised, and sorted, and I'm sure you'll breeze through the food stuff on holiday. "Normal people" enjoy their annual holidays, and come back with a few pounds to lose, so there's no reason we shouldn't too - particularly at your stage of the proceedings. Just, as you say, to keep an eye on not allowing all your good habits to go at once.

I don't like to suggest leaving your children to their own devices in the pool, as I'd probably be lynched, but perhaps sneak out when they're distracted and go and get YOUR swim independently from theirs. I shall have to do this with my walk, as my sister wants to walk with me she says (but I can't walk slowly cos it's so irritating!!)... so I'll do mine, then hers!!

tum teetum... off to sunny Spain... Viva ESPANA! YIPPEE!!


DD... Easter week, I did confess to having a FREE (cos 2nd breakfast was free) Atkins breakfast at BHS. 3 x bacon and 2 x eggs. Mouse giggled when I told her and said that they'd probably not allowed me to have 5 x eggs for my 5 ingredients! Just imagine the eyes of the waitress had I asked?!!


Come back soon Anja

 

[anjuschka]

Thanks Jo - yes kids have flotation vests so as long as I'm around they will be fine. I suspect it's not going to be a big pool in any case (private with the villa) so I will never be far. It's more the faff of getting them (and me) dressed and changed... esp before breakfast ;-)...

Thanks yes I *will* enjoy my annual holiday with the people I like a lot but rarely see and just make it up afterwards like everyone else :-D

 

[Maintainer]

If you've got a chance to see BE in her diary... she could use your lumières... as we say!

 

[dukandebut]

That sounds like an excellent balance between enjoying yourself and retaining some control, Anja. Have a wonderful time in Spain!

Jo - I would have dearly loved to see the face of the BHS waitress if you'd made that particularly eggy request! It's almost worth doing it just for the hell of it! ;-)

 

[soshbfly]

Okay, this is my new Dukan book for the Conso phase - any chance there's a printed version so I can actually get back to work!!

Will need to take laptop to bed tonight and get a proper read. Thanks for the loads of great info Anja (and hope you're enjoying your hols!)

 

[robinhood]

Happy holidays, Anja. Hope it's all perfect.

 

[robinhood]

So, monthly weigh-in for me (on new scales) and I am happy to have STS. It may be a bit more or less, but am not nit-picking as they are basic scales and just to give us an idea.

This week was hard though, we had a gala weekend so I did a very strict PP day yesterday which was dreary, to say the least.

New plan (again) is to do conso-style (but dividing 2 x 200gr-ish carbs between 5 days) + PV x 1 + fruit or cheese and Green PV (low carb veg) for Thursday during the week BEFORE having a huge splurge.

If no weekend away (with friends) planned, will do as normal (which is basically conso but with extras - semi-skimmed yogurt daily, custard with sugar occasionally, oil in dressings maybe a couple of times a week, a glass of wine here and there... although gala meals are no longer added in as a matter of course) with 2 PV per week instead of 1 x PP.

So, we'll see next month...

 

[LVLLM]

well done you xxxx

 

[dukandebut]

Only another 4 weeks until I join you and Anja on Stab, Laura. It's so inspiring to me that you two are still making it work. I also find it useful to learn about the way you're both adapting things. Hope I can emulate you when the time comes.

 

[robinhood]

I'm still tweaking though, DD - we'll all get there eventually.

But, I don't feel like I'm on a diet now, it all comes fairly naturally, so that has to be good.

 

[dukandebut]

But, I don't feel like I'm on a diet now, it all comes fairly naturally, so that has to be good.

That's fantastic and extremely encouraging, Laura, because that's exactly the kind of thing we're all aiming for. I'm pretty much feeling that way on Conso already and am just hoping that I can keep it going through Stab. I want it to be the kind of eating that I feel relaxed and happy with and that I can stick to.

 

[anjuschka]

Hello I'm baaaaack!

Just a quick hello, had a great time, managed NOT to get stuck in transit at Madrid Airport yesterday (long story, missed flight etc) and catching up with washing etc before back to work tomorrow.

My apologies, it's going to take me a while to get round everyone's diaries...

Laura - you're got it sussed - brilliant stuff!! I hope I can get there too... I find temptation always at my door Not helped by a few Easter Eggs still hiding in the kitchen and the Spanish Almond Turron I just bought to take to my work colleagues!

Had a brilliant time in Spain, weather was good though not too hot all the time. Managed not to get sunburnt unlike everyone else (yes, I use factor 50 all the time). Swam (15-20mins up and down - 6 strokes the length of the pool) before breakfast every day except first day when negotiations with DD2 failed
Managed to stick to my plan, without PP Thursday obviously, had plenty of nice food, drink and treats and came back more or less the same - I felt confident enough to step on the scales this morning (64.5 from 64.1 on departure). Now I just have to remember that I'm back to my sedentary life and I can't get away with as many treats!

More details later just wanted to say hello and I'm reading again when time permits!

Oh and Jess - please remember that Laura and I are in Stab for this diary - you'll have to dig a bit to find our Conso diaries, mine ended in Feb I think. But you probably have!

Off to make a batch of coleslaw now... Have a good week everyone!

 

[Maintainer]

Okay, this is my new Dukan book for the Conso phase - any chance there's a printed version so I can actually get back to work!!

Will need to take laptop to bed tonight and get a proper read. Thanks for the loads of great info Anja (and hope you're enjoying your hols!)

This is their Stabilisation diary... you'll have to look a bit further back to find their Conso ones!

 

[Maintainer]

ooooh Anja - so glad to read that you're back!! (Well, not for you, just selfishly for us!!!). When you've more time, tell us more!

 

[jaqys]

Oh thats brilliant to come home almost the same.
Glad you had a brilliant time.

 

[dukandebut]

Can't wait to hear more about your holiday, Anja. It's lovely to have you back.

And how fantastic that you managed to stay practically the same, weight-wise. That gives me hope. In fact, it probably gives all of us hope.

 

[anjuschka]

My holiday

Hi, better take this chance of a lunch break to fill you in on my hols.

DISCLAIMER for those who don't yet know me: I am not on the diet proper anymore - Like others in this diary I am maintaining in the Stabilization phase so I can eat 'what I want' (ahem) so please don't copy me!

So by the nature of the holiday I was able to avoid a lot of the hotel pitfalls: we were staying in a rented private Villa, large family: 6 adults 4 kids (3, 6, 12, 14). Private Pool and 15 mins drive from any shops /restaurants etc.

As we're all on a budget we self-catered all the way, and trips out were mostly half-days with return home for lunch.

So it was not problem for me to:

Have breakfast of my dukan with linseed bread and yoghurt and fruit

For lunch we always had a table laid with fresh bread and meats & cheese & salad, so I easily had a small piece of bread and lots of Salad and protein (meat / fish / eggs, whatever was around that day), and *some* cheese or chorizo / salami.

For dinner we cooked proper meals and I joined in with the Family - we had Pizza, SpagBol (I made from scratch, but of course no low-fat mince), BBQ (I did have a sausage but apart from that stuck to chicken, steak and prawns), Lean pork chops baked with Veg (I made that too), Pizza again, Chicken Fahitas, with lots of salad.

And I joined in those meals without overdoing it, ate potatoes, chips, pasta, potato wedges, had some cheese, mayonnaise etc.

Due to faddy eaters and kids we did not really indulge in more interesting fish and local produce

As everyone got up late (myself as late as 7am which is a lie-in by my standards!) we never stopped for a mid-morning snack which is my problem at home.

I did have biscuits with cups of coffee, bought some delicious pastries dripping with honey and filled with fruit , and had about 1 ice-cream a day (mini-magnum type). Snacks in the evening; some crisps, olives etc.
I had wine or Sangria in the evening - about 1 glass but the glasses were huge ! And the odd bit of fruit juice during the day. But no fizzy pop (unlike the teenagers!).

Lots of fruit, I did not count! - I think me and my kids were nearly the only ones eating them once the grapes had disappeared: Nectarines, flat peaches, pears, watermelon, strawberries, cherries, grapes. I even had bits of banana when DD2 did not finish hers.

I swam for ~20 mins before having breakfast (but after making DD2s and sitting with her) so didn't have breakfast till about 8 myself which helped with not needing that mid-morning snack too!

Lots of swimming, a fair bit of walking (up to the Castillo in Malaga the long way, and back down again) means that I got away with all of the above!

Whilst travelling I took only a few hard-boiled eggs and ate those when hungry and those saw me through the day - after a breakfast of muffins or dukan bread. For lunches on trips out I made the Dukan bread into sandwiches - which was a good things as the Water-Park only sold deep-fried churros and gaufres and burgers and pasta salads etc... All of which I didn't even FANCY

And now I'm lunching on leaves from the garden with Dukan coleslaw, with some tinned salmon and a rye bread sandwich with air-dried smoked ham.