Dukanista's Diary: Part III!

[Joodle]

Joodle, a bit of a random one but, how is it looking on the belly front?

Do you have any stretchmarks/looseskin or has it shrunk bank into its' former state?

Sorry if you think it's too personal

Is anything too personal on minimins Maria!? Me and my tummy go back a long way though and it's definitely the first place I put on weight and the last place I lose it. In fact, way back when I was 21, I got down to about 7st 6lbs and still had a noticeable roll of tummy fat. Consequently, although it's tubby, I don't have any stretch marks there for some reason. Presumably because it never changes that much! So I guess the answer to your question is that I don't have a former state to go back to!

My stretch marks are more around the top of my thighs and towards my back and my boobs are a complete state - long-distance running and slightly larger boobs do not mix, even with a good sports bra. They are a disgrace, far worse than someone who has been pregnant and breast fed. I just avoid looking at them to be honest!

Isn't it funny though? I know exactly what bits of me I hate but I never ever think 'oh, that's good, my tummy is still stretch mark free,'. Suspect I'm not the only one with that mindset.....

Are you worrying about yours? Did you say you have a little girl, or did I make that up? I'm making sure I moisturise every single day now I'm losing weight, in an attempt to prevent things getting too bad. Sorry, not a very helpful response! And Caro, sorry for taking up your diary with talk of my stretchmarks!! Jx

 

[Joodle]

Super helpful Caro, I think you're absolutely right! I am going to treat it all as a learning experience and not beat myself up. Re: your salad dressing experience...I really don't think it's that bad. I'm starting to suspect there's a hierarchy of 'bad' with carbs coming out worse than fats, so if you have to choose....

Funny that you say you're an introvert, you don't sound it from the way you write! Oh, and also agree about the support here. It's so reassuring to know there are other people going through pretty much the exact same thing too.

And a MASSIVE well done on your mammoth day of exercise! You are going to HURT tomorrow sister! Do you think dairy affects you that much? I'm still playing around to see what's what but it's definitely on the list of potential suspects.

Here's hoping the scales reward your efforts!

Jx

 

[Triniprinc3ss]

Is anything too personal on minimins Maria!? Me and my tummy go back a long way though and it's definitely the first place I put on weight and the last place I lose it. In fact, way back when I was 21, I got down to about 7st 6lbs and still had a noticeable roll of tummy fat. Consequently, although it's tubby, I don't have any stretch marks there for some reason. Presumably because it never changes that much! So I guess the answer to your question is that I don't have a former state to go back to!

My stretch marks are more around the top of my thighs and towards my back and my boobs are a complete state - long-distance running and slightly larger boobs do not mix, even with a good sports bra. They are a disgrace, far worse than someone who has been pregnant and breast fed. I just avoid looking at them to be honest!

Isn't it funny though? I know exactly what bits of me I hate but I never ever think 'oh, that's good, my tummy is still stretch mark free,'. Suspect I'm not the only one with that mindset.....

Are you worrying about yours? Did you say you have a little girl, or did I make that up? I'm making sure I moisturise every single day now I'm losing weight, in an attempt to prevent things getting too bad. Sorry, not a very helpful response! And Caro, sorry for taking up your diary with talk of my stretchmarks!! Jx

Lol! Sorry Caro x2 xx

I have an 8yr old little woman lol. After pregnancy I was left with stretchmarks around my navel, so I know they will remain, just hope they get to see the sun at some point lmao! I also have stretchmarks at the top of my thighs since starting Dukan, as that's where my fat always leaves first.

My issue is more with whether or not we will be left with saggy skin or if it will just tone up over time with exercise.

Having dry skin, I've always had to moisturise anyway but I might invest in some stretchmark cream to see if that helps

 

[Dukanista]

urgh, just lost my post trying to insert an image. oh, well, i wanted to keep this short anyway

today was a sweltering 37 degrees in shanghai. i cycled to work but almost melted. feeling good after yesterday's gym session, though. quite surprising as i couldn't walk for 2 days after the first session.

pp today:
- the usual muffin and coffee (need a change tomorrow )
- salmon sashimi and crabsticks; frozen yoghurt

really wanted to try quiche for dinner but all my supermarkets are out. experimented with a 'tuna pie' instead: tuna, lite sour cream, cottage cheese, eggs, chopped onion and herbs. yummy although a little bit too dry, so next time i'll add more quark or yoghurt.



the scale has been steady on 56 for 3 days now, and i'm also approaching totm. really hoping i see a loss this week... i'll be quite frustrated if i don't catch sight of 55. but no point in worrying about that 4 days b4 wi!

right, off to catch up on some work now. i'm a little bit behind and i blame you guys... i'm finding it very hard to stay away from minimins! it's become addictive very soon, and i can't help popping in to see how everyone is doing, catch up with the goss, celebrate everyone's losses...

til tomorrow then :wavey:

 

[Triniprinc3ss]

urgh, just lost my post trying to insert an image. oh, well, i wanted to keep this short anyway

today was a sweltering 37 degrees in shanghai. i cycled to work but almost melted. feeling good after yesterday's gym session, though. quite surprising as i couldn't walk for 2 days after the first session.

pp today:
- the usual muffin and coffee (need a change tomorrow )
- salmon sashimi and crabsticks; frozen yoghurt

really wanted to try quiche for dinner but all my supermarkets are out. experimented with a 'tuna pie' instead: tuna, lite sour cream, cottage cheese, eggs, chopped onion and herbs. yummy although a little bit too dry, so next time i'll add more quark or yoghurt.

View attachment 55353

the scale has been steady on 56 for 3 days now, and i'm also approaching totm. really hoping i see a loss this week... i'll be quite frustrated if i don't catch sight of 55. but no point in worrying about that 4 days b4 wi!

right, off to catch up on some work now. i'm a little bit behind and i blame you guys... i'm finding it very hard to stay away from minimins! it's become addictive very soon, and i can't help popping in to see how everyone is doing, catch up with the goss, celebrate everyone's losses...

til tomorrow then :wavey:

I know exactly what you mean *she says as she sits at her work desk lol*.

The pies look good, might have to do some in ramekins (for my own portion control )

 

[Dukanista]

I used a few different size muffin cases to finish the mixture, and it turned out quite nice to have bigger and smaller ones, depending how hungry I am. Was going to bring them to work for lunch but in a rush this morning. Plus it's a pv day so easy to go grab a salad.

This morning the scale was up 400g and I am blaming hot weather, totm and muscle gain! Am getting a bit worried about conso... If the loss in cruise is so gradual, won't I go up when I introduce carbs? But I guess no point worrying about that yet. Need to make tw first!

Cx

 

[Triniprinc3ss]

I used a few different size muffin cases to finish the mixture, and it turned out quite nice to have bigger and smaller ones, depending how hungry I am. Was going to bring them to work for lunch but in a rush this morning. Plus it's a pv day so easy to go grab a salad.

This morning the scale was up 400g and I am blaming hot weather, totm and muscle gain! Am getting a bit worried about conso... If the loss in cruise is so gradual, won't I go up when I introduce carbs? But I guess no point worrying about that yet. Need to make tw first!

Cx

Yes, this muscle gain thing has its' pitfalls.

No movement on the scales this morning for me but it might the fact that it was a PV day or the amount of wind that built up in my stomach after eating some sugar-free sweets lol!

 

[Joodle]

Hmmm, I too am worrying about conso but like you say Caro, no point worrying about it until we're there! The fluctuations are crazy on this though - I am basically going up or staying the same on PV days then losing a bit on PP days with some random changes in between....oh well, as long as it's going down overall, I guess. Definitely think the week I went back to the gym had an effect and skewed things slightly.

Anyway, good for us for getting to they gym! Caro, we had exactly the same experience with Body Pump. Agony the first time back then barely noticing the pain the next week. All I can surmise from this is that our bodies are very odd!!

Jx

 

[Dukanista]

thanks J, the mystery 400g are gone today and i think i'm getting more used to the ups and downs as time goes by. it might also have been the crabsticks, but it looks like the cabbage counteracted the effects (hehe - Caro's Personal Theory of Beating Dukan Water Retention with Diuretic Veg )

it's a bit cooler today (30 instead of 38...) and so hopefully that will help. i've been reading that extreme heat can cause water retention of up to 3 or 4kg, and i think that was a big factor this week. not to mention frying my brain and making it hard to fit in my walking! i ended up walking for 30 mins in lovely warm rain yesterday evening!

so glad it's the weekend at last, and i'm going to try and learn from Becca and Maria and the other kitchen goddesses and do bulk cooking for the week ahead. although i'm enjoying the kitchen time, i'm spending quite a few hours shopping and cooking every week, and i need to start cutting that down.

i have some smoked mackerel in the freezer and i've been eyeing this recipe for a while now:
http://www.minimins.com/dukan-recipes/237001-smoked-mackerel-pate.html

I also bought some gelatine and really want to try Becca's jelly/ yoghurt mousse. and if i can track down the elusive quark or 0% from frais, i'll do some mini quiches for next week.

week 8 Cruise: Friday: (pv)
- muffin, coffee
- salmon sashimi and lettuce/tomato salad
- tuna cakes on steamed cabbage with yog/cott. cheese/herby dip
- activia yogurt, plus a few scoops of 'fresh and fruity lite' yoghurt - i know it sounds like it should be banned but it has 0.1% fat, 5.5% carb and no added sugar, so i have it sparingly.

ex: 30 mins fast walk

 

[Triniprinc3ss]

thanks J, the mystery 400g are gone today and i think i'm getting more used to the ups and downs as time goes by. it might also have been the crabsticks, but it looks like the cabbage counteracted the effects (hehe - Caro's Personal Theory of Beating Dukan Water Retention with Diuretic Veg )

it's a bit cooler today (30 instead of 38...) and so hopefully that will help. i've been reading that extreme heat can cause water retention of up to 3 or 4kg, and i think that was a big factor this week. not to mention frying my brain and making it hard to fit in my walking! i ended up walking for 30 mins in lovely warm rain yesterday evening!

so glad it's the weekend at last, and i'm going to try and learn from Becca and Maria and the other kitchen goddesses and do bulk cooking for the week ahead. although i'm enjoying the kitchen time, i'm spending quite a few hours shopping and cooking every week, and i need to start cutting that down.

i have some smoked mackerel in the freezer and i've been eyeing this recipe for a while now:
http://www.minimins.com/dukan-recipes/237001-smoked-mackerel-pate.html

I also bought some gelatine and really want to try Becca's jelly/ yoghurt mousse. and if i can track down the elusive quark or 0% from frais, i'll do some mini quiches for next week.

week 8 Cruise: Friday: (pv)
- muffin, coffee
- salmon sashimi and lettuce/tomato salad
- tuna cakes on steamed cabbage with yog/cott. cheese/herby dip
- activia yogurt, plus a few scoops of 'fresh and fruity lite' yoghurt - i know it sounds like it should be banned but it has 0.1% fat, 5.5% carb and no added sugar, so i have it sparingly.

ex: 30 mins fast walk

That recipe looks so easy to make...I like

 

[Joodle]

Glad to hear the 400g disappeared - I too am coming to terms with the randomness of the daily weigh in. On most other diets, you sort of know what to expect the next day depending on how 'good' you've been. With this one, it's unguessable!

I'm a big fan of mackerel pate and got through a big batch last week. I used quark with 30g extra light philly though and prefer the peppered mackerel fillets for a wee bit of kick.

Don't think I'd be dealing with that heat out there too well to be honest. Saying that, I wish July would buck up a bit - it's been raining and freezing for ages. I was actually back wearing my winter coat yesterday. Depressing!

Jx

 

[Dukanista]

Well, I shouldn't have got excited. The 400g are back today. Ironic that they disappeared after pv and came back after pp. but I ate a lot yesterday and the totm cravings are striking. I made the choc muffins with choc mint icing this morning and had one for breakfast. And went back twice to lick the icing bowl. Sheesh...

Anyway, first taste was a little odd but I swear by the end I could have polished off the whole batch. I think this choc mint flavor will work even better in frozen yoghurt- my very own dukan Haagen Dazs... (dukan dazs?)

 

[Joodle]

OMG, mint choc chip is my favourite! (Well, along with pistachio and with coconut and with melon....don't make me choose!!) Sounds luverly - do you use quark as the frosting or how?

And yes, we all know about those pesky ups and downs on the scales. I am baffled. First I thought PV brought ups and PPs brought down but I can now see it's not that simple....

Maybe this will be good for us though as we'll be forced to learn not to take the scales so seriously??

Happy Sunday - report back on the frozen yoghurt!.

Jx

 

[Dukanista]

It's my last day before wi and I am dreading the results, since it will be a gain for the week if the scales stay the same as this morning. The whole day I have preparing myself for the worst, just getting mentally ready. Period starting tomorrow but even so, is it normal to gain in cruise, with no cheating? (not counting my semi-skimmed milk!) I just worry that things have been going so slowly the last few weeks, I will be tempted to cheat.

I might be being silly by thinking thru this before the wi, but I would rather have the strategy clear in my head before I weigh.

So here are my options: 1. I can avoid wi altogether this week and wait till after totm. 2. I can go back on a short attack to kickstart things again. 3. I can just accept what the scale says and do nothing until the week after. 4. I can evaluate my eating plan and do a stricter cruise.

Advice appreciated, but at the moment I am leaning towards 3 and maybe also 4. It might be time for a week of chicken and water and very limited dairy.

Oh well, at least I seem to have talked myself into hanging tight for another week, no matter what the scales say tomorrow. Thanks for letting me think aloud

Crossing fingers for tomorrow, ladies

Cxx

 

[Dukanista]

Hey snap joodle, we posted together. I am either going to do the frozen yoghurt or the black currant mousse. Probably the mousse because I still have one tub of yog in the freezer and I really want to see how the jelly turns out.

I adapted the cream cheese icing recipe Maria sent, adding cocoa, chocolate flavoring and a few drops of peppermint essence to some quark and Splenda and a few drops of lemon juice - not sure the lemon was needed. Whipped it all up til frothy. Yummmmm!

I also made a note to try coffee / mocha flavor muffins. (We could have a whole extra thread just on muffin ideas!)

I also tried the pumpkin crisps this morning. I have to report that they tasted great but are probably not worth the effort, as it's a ton of work. Definitely better to do them as chunky chips instead.

The flavoring was nice and spicy, though. A mix of cumin, chili pepper, paprika and a splash of apple cider vinegar to make everything stick.

Hope u r having a good Sunday. I am at the hairdresser getting a much overdue cut. I think I will walk the 25 mins home although I did quite a bit already today.

Cx

 

[kirsty822001]

Hi dukanista, well don on fab loss so far, please dont worry about gains, esp totm ones, u will be holding water, just carry on cruisin and loosin and it will all reset and come off. PLenty of protein as u know, and see what next week brings, if u havent 'cheated' and its just totm then carry on cruising. You will get there to where you want to be, there is no rush, let your body adjust and keep going. Have a great week!

 

[Joodle]

I agree with Kirsty m'dear. You can easily gain several pounds before your period, so it's bound to be that.

What's an average weight gain before a period?

If you want to give yourself the very best chance of success for your next weigh in, I'd say yes, cut right down on dairy and up the extremely lean protein i.e. chicken and white fish rather than oily fish like salmon. But don't go back to attack - you need to keep up with the veg. Did you have more salt that usual (inc soya sauce etc obviously?) the last few days? I'm starting to think that it's a huge factor in these seemingly random fluctuations.

Just hang in there - the scales have moved and will move further, you just need to give it time. Don't forget, you're already super slim - your start BMI is my target BMI for god's sake! Are you definitely sure you want/need to get that low?

Hope the hair looks fab!

Jx

PS Think I already replied this to you on someone else's diary, but there's already a muffin thread out there - let's make it definitive! http://www.minimins.com/dukan-recipes/281618-ellie1969-anyone-who-can-help-me-her-muffin-recipe.html

 

[Dukanista]

mmwwwwwah! you guys rock. i am off to sleep now, ready to face whatever the scales bring tomorrow morning. i also just checked back over my diary and saw that the last totm was during my conference break, which explains why i didn't notice the effect last time.

Joodle, i don't know that i trust bmi sometimes. sure, it sounds low but i used to weigh around 50kg at age 18, and had already said goodbye to my skinny days at that weight. and i haven't gotten any taller... i've been measured by the machines at the gym and doctors', and they gave me a higher bmi and percentage of body fat than the stats here show. but i did promise to post pics, so i will try and do that this week to reassure you that the spare tyre exists!

enjoy the rest of your Sunday,

Cx

 

[Joodle]

Well, ok....just looking out for ya, don't want anyone going the other way with the food issues!

Good luck tomorrow - fingers crossed for you!

Jx

 

[Dukanista]

thanks, sweetie, and i appreciate it. i'm glad i have people watching my back. or my butt, as the case may be

i admit that i've always struggled to stay in shape by watching the scales alone, since my body manages to keep a fairly stable weight yet look completely different. i have a thin bone structure and small changes in body fat percentage are visible very fast. the dukan site gave me a tw of 53-55 depending on how i answered the quiz, so i choose 54k as a rough guide. but honestly, if i just manage to get back to the gym regularly and get my muscles back, my current weight might be fine. so watch this space!

anyway, whooop whooooop!! panic over, the scales did another swing this morning and i clocked another steady 350g loss this week! so relieved, and of course i feel like a big drama queen myself. but honestly, reading the other diaries and seeing people's reactions to the daily dukan fluctuations makes me think that i'm not the only one who gets this way. lesson for the rest of you: just keep dukanning, no matter what the scales say!

oops, OH not happy with me as my smoked mackerel is still in the fridge and hasn't been transformed into pate yet... I wonder if I can whip that up before work? better give it a try!

crossing fingers for all of you Monday weighers. Cxx