Day 25 Cruise - Where are my PP Days?

Yesterday's Weigh-in: 74.4 kgs

Today's Weigh-in: 74.3 kgs

Daily Loss: 0.1 kgs


I have a confession to make. I have NOT been good about having Pure Protein days. I haven't wanted to. There is a part of me that opposes is it completely. I feel it is not good for me. That said, I am thinking that to hurry things along I will do a mini-attack a month. A person can stand a strict diet for a few days at a time, it is the no foreseeable end in sight that derails diets. 


For now, I am happy with my veggies, and I even have the occasional berries with my greek non fat yogurt. When I feel I need more fiber I have even eaten a banana, and it has been wonderful. I am counting calories though, trying to stick to 1000-1200 calories a day, just to make sure that the fruit does not make me go overboard. So I guess I haven't been Dukan strict, but it has been working nevertheless. 


As for exercise, I am on week 2 of C25K. It is really hard for me, because my knee hurts while "running" - it is more of a shuffle really - and I don't have that much strength on my left leg, but I am still doing it. Also, while boot camp is on hiatus, I am doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. Since I don't do it every day, I am only on Day 6 of Level 1. I am getting stronger though, and I am loving the fact that each time I exercise I get better. 


This week post ToTM has been nice. I prefer slow and steady, versus huge ups and downs, with the eventual Whoosh. If I could lose 150 grams every day until Goal Weight I would be soo happy. It would be nice if weight-loss was as simple as a formula, where you know exactly what to do for the desired result. Sadly it is a bit more complicated than that. But one thing is sure, if you diet and you exercise you will get there eventually. It is hard work, but if it wasn't we would all be thin.

Day 23 Cruise - 2nd Mini Goal Achieved!

Yesterday's Weigh-in: 75.6 kgs

Today's Weigh-in: 74.7 kgs

Daily Loss: 0.9kgs

FINALLY!!!! It took forever,but I got to the 74s. Hopefully the scale will not go towards 75 again! Having a Mini-Goal, besides the Big Final Goal, is a good idea, because you fight for them, with all your might. When you reach them you don't just stop though, because it was only a small step towards the final goal. You celebrate, you bask in the light of accomplishment and then you push up your sleeves and get back to work.

Losing weight is A LOT of hard work. At least for me. It is not just a mindless thing I do in the back of my mind. It is not JUST eating right, eating less, or in the case of Dukan, eating  only the allowed list of foods. For me losing weight is thinking about it ALL the time. I wish it wasn't the case, I wish it was an after thought. But the truth is, if food was just an after thought, I wouldn't need to diet. 

I am definitely hoping that once I reached the weight I want, eating the way I do, but especially exercising, will just be a part of who I am, and not an all consuming obsession. For now, I am doing everything in my power to concentrate on the Prize. For now, I am really happy about this accomplishment. I am down 3kgs since I started Dukan Cycle number 2 and looking forward to shedding the next 14 and beyond.

Day 21 Cruise - 2.6 kgs in 3 weeks

Morning Weigh-in: 75.1 kgs

Weekly Loss: 0.0 kgs

I haven't posted my weight in a while, I didn't want the influence of my "cycle" on my weight to be a deterrent to my journey. I know how hard it is for me to lose weight, I was just expecting a bigger loss than 2.5 kgs in 3 weeks. However it might be a result of all the exercise I have been doing. Fat percentage this morning was 35.8%, which is one percentage point less than last week. So since I am at the same weight I was last monday, it would mean I lost 750 grams of fat. I will take that, even if I don't trust the fat readings in my scale. I think it will be very good in the long run, when differences will be bigger and not affected by changes in water retention and other things that might affect the readings.

The other day I read that slow metabolizers (me) should avoid dairy all together, while carbs are not so bad for us. I do think dairy is bad for me, and I am trying to have it only in the morning. Maybe I should try to avoid it altogether, although it is very, very hard for me. Nothing means morning more than my non fat latte. But who knows, if it is that detrimental for me, I might be able to live without it! 

I am not on the other side of my TOM yet, so I still have hope I will see a Whoosh this week and that it will be the extra jolt I need to keep going and keep pushing. I am so determined, that even the scale isn't able to make me frown. I hadn't felt like this in a long time. I do see a difference in the mirror, I see a difference in my clothes. I feel better too and I am very much energized by the exercise. This is who I want to be. I want to continue exercising after the weight is gone, I want to continue to eat right after the weight is gone. So whatever the scale says I will keep on going, but I would be lying if I said I don't hope for a big whoosh every morning. I also wish I were a more patient woman, but maybe that is another lesson I need to learn on this journey.

Day 17 Cruise - To be a Woman!

No weight stats today.. as it is useless. I am waiting for my time of the month and even if I am weighing myself it is only out of habit and curiosity. I know what it says is not a reflection of my diet.
That said, to be a woman on a diet is HARD! When men diet, and are responsible with it, they lose weight faster and with less effort. However, that is not what bothers me. I don't mind working hard for something. What does bother me in my diet, which is why I envy dieting men, is the fluctuations on the scale. Men don't experience them, and if they do I am sure not to the degree we do.

Somebody should invent a scale that tells you how much of our weight is not really ours, but is owned by our hormones.

End of rant. For now, I am waiting anxiously for next week. I hope my patience and hard work will show.

Happy Easter!

Day 14 Cruise - Hungry

Morning Weigh-in: 75.1 kgs

Daily Loss: 0.1 kgs

Today hunger has been attacking like it hadn't in a long time. Well, it isn't really hunger. You know the feeling. You need food, but nutrition has nothing to do with it. In ketosis it doesn't happen normally. But I am a woman, and this is me on PMS! All the symptoms are alive and well, and the inexplicable need to fill a void in the middle of my stomach is here, with a vengeance. The good news is that I can snack on Dukan friendly food. 

I bought some turkey bresaola and had it with cottage cheese and some organic rye groats bread. I know it isn't very Dukanish, but it has only 30% carbs, which is really low. All the breads I saw had at least 80% carbs. It is delicious. I am giving it a try to see the effect it has on my diet. The excuse is of course PMS and the fact that Boot Camp today completely obliterated me. 

I asked my Boot Camp coach today if it is true that if you don't eat carbs and you exercise you might have a slight reduction in muscle. He said that protein creates muscle but that carbs provide energy. This is not a  surprise to me as I have been researching on the subject. Some of my research said that if you don't have any carbs that if you exercise agressively then your body might take the energy it needs from the muscle. However it is also true that among all diets, the one that provides you with the lowest reduction in muscle tissue is a low-carb, high-protein diet. My coach said he doesn't eat carbs often, and if he does they are the organic, whole grain type, but he does have oatmeal every morning. 

For the first time in the longest time I am energized. I wake up early, I am exercising a lot and I am everything but lazy, which isn't very normal for me. However, despite being so active I feel I am weak, like I don't have the energy to do all I want. I am trying to eat more and add a little bit more of energy to my life, without letting it affect my weight-loss. I am  looking to get on the other side of my Time of the Month and see a nice, friendly number on my new, shiny scale!

Day 13 Cruise - weight down, fat up?

Morning Weigh-in: 75.2 kgs

Daily Loss: 0.2 kgs


I guess that with this new scale I have managed a new way of bumming myself out in the morning!! Maybe I haven't really figured out how this whole fat measurement thing works. I was so happy last night because I stepped on the scale and my "fat weight" was down in kilos, not percentage, even if my normal weight was up (it was 11pm after all). Then this morning... UP! I even did what the instructions say, after I weighed myself as soon as I woke up, I waited 30 minutes, because that is supposed to take care of the fact you were lying down all night and move the fat around to its normal position. Well, no fun! Fat went up even further, and the weight went up to 75.4 after drinking water. I think I prefer to weigh myself while completely dehydrated, thanks!!!


In any case, I decided I don't care. I am working hard, and I am doing this. No matter what the scale says. It can't resist me forever. I will get to my next goal next week, and I will continue on the journey to achieve my TRUE weight, with a new and improved body composition. By the way, I saw on different blogs people talking about their Dukan True Weight and it not being low enough for some, or maybe too low for others. My Dukan True Weight hit right on the spot. I mean I would LOVE to go down to 56kgs, but that isn't a realistic weight I can maintain in the Long Run. At least I haven't in the past. At 61kgs I was happy, I looked fit and felt wonderful. I am not saying I won't try to get to 56 kgs, I will, and maybe a new athletic, low fat me will be able to pull it off. For now 61 is my goal. We will see what the future brings.

Day 12 Cruise - FAT!

Morning Weigh-in: 75.4 kgs

Daily Loss: 0.7 kgs


I have been reading like crazy these past few days, trying to make up my mind about FAT! I got my new scale on Thursday, and not surprisingly my body composition is far from ideal with a whopping 36.8% fat. 
The American Council on Exercise establishes the following:

Classification	Women (% fat)	Men (% fat)
Essential Fat	10-12%	2-4%
Athletes	14-20%	6-13%
Fitness	21-24%	14-17%
Acceptable	25-31%	18-25%
Obese	32% plus	25% plus

Which of course means that although my BMI is below 30 (barely) I am still obese. SIGH!
If you want to establish your fat percentage from your BMI you can use the following formula:


Adult body fat % = (1.20 × BMI) + (0.23 × Age) − (10.8 × sex*) − 5.4 
* sex is male=1 ; female=0


Which in my case gave me a Fat % of 37,57%, which is not so far from what my super expensive and cool scale gave me. I guess what this formula tells you though, is that when you lose weight you are losing fat. Which is not always the case. At least not from all I have been reading. 


Reading all I can on fitness and weight loss is giving me a headache. I studied Economics, and I must say, weight loss is much a science as Economics. In the sense that it isn't an exact science, and that everyone has a different opinion. 


The reason I have been reading up so much is because I am REALLY committed this time and I must admit I am a geek. For now I am pretty confused on the best way to lose weight while changing my body composition i.e. losing those fat kilos and increasing the lean kilos in my body. Hopefully when my research is done I will have a clearer idea and will post my findings.

Day 9 Cruise - Measuring

Morning Weigh-in: 75.5 kgs

Daily Loss: 0.6 kgs


When I saw my weight yesterday I really didn't think I had much to say. I didn't want to keep on complaining about the roller coaster that is my weight. I KNOW that after a loss, especially a big one, my weight is going to go up. It is almost like if my body is trying to test me, trying to see how bad I want it. In truth, it probably just wants to know I am not starving myself. Which sometimes I worry I might. Not on purpose of course. 


By 6pm this afternoon I had only consumed around 600 calories. I had also done Jillian Michaels 30 day shred Level 1, which burns around 200 calories. When I came home tonight I had beef with mushrooms and aubergine and some lettuce, along with a little non-fat cheese wrapped in low fat ham. I don't know if that will account for 600 - 800 more calories. I hope so. For a healthy weight loss I should consume 1200 calories net. That will allow me to lose 2 pounds a week. That would be ok for me. I don't want to lose more than 1kg a week. I doubt it is too healthy, and also I doubt it would give my skin enough time to keep up. I don't wanna be fat, but I want to be tight.

The one thing I decided to do to feel more in control of my weight's ups and downs is buy an extravagant scale. It is a Whitings Wi-Fi scale which tells you your weight but also your BMI, and your fat %. Now that I am exercising, I will be able to know if my daily gain or loss is muscle or fat. This makes me incredibly happy and I can't wait to weigh myself with it probably Friday morning.


I know I am not alone in these small "stagnation crises", which definitely helps me not freak out. All I want to know is that the hard work will pay off, so reading other people's experiences is helping me more than I can ever say. 
I hope I can help someone who is feeling frustrated at some point in their journey by successfully reaching my goal. 

Day 8 Cruise - no comment

Morning Weigh-in: 76.1 kgs

Daily Gain: 0.5 kgs


GRRRRRRRRRRR

Day 7 Cruise - same old same old

Morning Weigh-in: 75.6 kgs

Daily Gain: 0.1 kgs


Nothing much to report on the weight loss front. It was supposed to be a PV day, but I had none at home, so my vegetables were olives, and I am not sure they were allowed. In the afternoon I did Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Level 1. That made me proud, because I am definitely stronger. I probably won't see a loss tomorrow, or for the immediate future if I continue to exercise every day. But in the long run it will go down. 


In the meantime I continue. It is a bit overwhelming to think I am only 25% there. I keep on weighing myself and obsessing about it. I keep on thinking about at what moment in time I will reach a particular weight. I am pretty sure that is not so healthy. I am longing for the day this will no longer feel like a diet. That I won't have to think about it so much. 


I am going to India in May. As the date approaches I am longing to be thinner and stronger. I am already thinking of the clothes I need to buy, and hoping to look great in them. We will see.


For now... I keep on Dukaning.

Day 6 Attack - No change and some walking

Morning Weigh-in: 75.5 kgs

Daily Loss: 0 kgs


No change today. But I don't care. I am still very hopeful and really excited of where I am right now. I am happy that I came back to Dukan, after I had basically decided to quit it for good. Even today I heard from someone that the diet was very unhealthy, and that always gives me pause. But how unhealthy can it be? I mean, yes, protein (especially beef) is not good for you in such large quantities, but that is why we have to drink all the water, to help our kidneys. And it is not forever. I am sure I am not going to harm myself with this diet. Tomorrow starts the Cruise phase, and with it all those delicious vegetables. 

Michelangelo's Moses part of Papa Giulio II Mausoleum

I have already lost 5.5 kgs since January, which is the most I have ever lost on a diet, back when that was all I actually needed to lose. Now it is only the beginning of my journey, but given all my previous problems, I am just happy to be on my way.

Today I went on a tour of Michelangelo's Rome, excluding the Vatican. We visited San Pietro in Vincoli, the church that holds the famous Moses by Michelangelo. After that we headed to Piazza del Campidoglio, which he designed, and la Basilica sopra Minerva, which holds Michelangelo's Christ the Redeemer. Finally we headed to Palazzo Farnese, of which he was one of the architects. All in all a very pleasurable afternoon which involved a 3.7 km walk, and a whole lot of standing. Not really exercise.. but close enough!

Day 5 Attack - Determination brings hope, eventually

Swordfish Carpaccio dinner

Morning Weigh-in: 75.5 kgs

Daily Loss: 1.4 kgs


Pretty big loss today. Now I feel dumb for complaining! I guess all this does is teach me that if I continue being constant then the weight will go down. It is very hard for me to think that my body actually works that way. For a long time I would diet and nothing would happen. I would even gain weight in the beginning and then maybe after a month I would have lost 1 kg, maybe 2 at the most. But then demoralized I would quit the diet and the weight would creep up again.


Since 2005 I have been battling with my weight, more than ever before. I have never been able to eat normally. Not only since I have had problems with my thyroid, but even before. My metabolism has never been very fast. Sluggish doesn't begin to describe it. I wouldn't help it either though. Exercise can help speed up your  metabolism, but it was not a word in my vocabulary. So slowly but surely my weight continued increasing. 


Late last year I finally got the thyroid under control (hopefully it will stay that way). It also coincided with me moving to Italy, so I continued gaining weight. I did notice my body reverting to its former self though. WIth the thyroid problems I had become more apple shaped than I had ever been. I thought it was normal because of the increased weight. However, since successfully "solving" my thyroid problem I lost a lot of the pudge around my waist, reverting to my former pear shape. I thought I was losing weight. I was actually gaining, it was just redistributing somehow. 


January 2012 came along, and with it the usual new year's resolutions. I downloaded the Dukan book on my kindle and on January 8th, at 81 kgs, the heaviest I have ever been, my Dukan journey started. After some loss and a few weeks "forced" break, I am back.


I need to remember this big loss when my weight will surely stagnate at some point. I need to remember that even if somedays I have a gain, if I continue to follow the diet faithfully I  WILL lose weight, eventually. I must say that reading other people's blogs, especially those on my blog list, has really helped me. They are living proof that the weight will come off and give me hope that I too can be successful. So thanks to them I am back, and I have a new found determination.