Just wanted to give a post-holiday update, especially since it's the one subject which previously most gave me the Dukan heeby-jeebies.
As you may know, I was out in a wilderness region of Canada for most of our hols and was very dubious about being able to continue to stabilise my weight. Here's what happened...
Holidays and special occasions (such as Christmas) have been danger times for me in the past, when I tend to put on weight and end up unable to lose it again. It would all build up and that played a big part in how I came to gain my excess pounds in the first place. So I decided to enjoy myself, but modify my behaviour. I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to do any PP days, though.
In the past, I would have at least 2 (and sometimes 3) desserts a day on holiday. I resolved to have only 1 per day - and managed to keep to this, with the exception of a small extra sweet treat on 2 days.
Bread rolls and butter were also my downfall in the past. This time around, I ate a piece of extra bread on only 3 occasions - and only when they were something really special, such as the Native bannock I'd always wanted to try. I ate a little butter on 1 roll once during the holiday, which is a huge improvement.
Where possible (ie, when I had access to a 'fridge and a food shop), I ate fat-free yoghurt with oatbran for breakfast, although I did have 6 cooked breakfasts. Again, an improvement.
I kept away from sugary drinks (with the exception of a glass homemade blueberry lemonade) and one cocktail. I also only drank about 4 glasses of alcohol during the whole holiday. Crisps were avoided completely, whereas I used to eat a packet almost every day on holiday in the past.
So, I managed to eat well (a greater quantity than usual, too) and enjoyed my food very much, but I didn't go on my usual crazy holiday binge.
Not only that, but I did manage BOTH PP days! Whilst I did feel that I was missing out a bit during my PP days and didn't enjoy them particularly, I was so glad that I did them. In fact, it felt good to counteract the full, slightly bloated feeling from eating to excess by turning to pure protein for one day each week. Even though I wasn't able to follow them perfectly to the letter, I really believe that they helped.
For my first PP day, I ate fat-free yoghurt (it was a fruity one, alas, but I fished out all of the fruit pieces) mixed with oatbran for breakfast. Lunch was some rosemary baked ham (I must have looked so odd eating this out in full view of passersby on a park bench!), followed by fat-free vanilla yoghurt and sugar-free jelly. Dinner was just over half of a whole roast chicken from the supermarket, followed by another little tub of sugar-free jelly.
For my second week's PP day, I ate vanilla fat-free yoghurt with oatbran for breakfast. Lunch was fat-free chicken (tasted nicer than I thought it would) with a hard boiled egg, more vanilla fat-free yoghurt and a small tub of sugar-free yoghurt. For dinner, I was lucky enough to find a fantastic buffet place with fresh cooked food, so I ate an enormous plate of meat (looked like something only a man would normally choose!) with 2 chicken breasts, several large slices of roast beef and a little bit of ham. Back at the hotel, I rounded off the meal with another small tub of sugar-free jelly.
This was the first ever holiday (since I've been over the age of 35 at least) when I came back feeling slim and not looking at least 6 months pregnant. All of my normal clothes still fitted and I didn't have to resort to any "fat clothes".
Of course, the biggest test was when I stepped on the scales on my usual weigh-in day, 3 days after arriving home...to find that I had put on less than 1lb during the whole of our holidays. I'd normally expect to have gained at least 6 or 7lbs.
All I can say is: Dr Dukan, I love you!
