UPDATED Before & After pictures (part 2)

I'm back! 11.3 stone - Almost 50lbs lost

Hello all.
I have been a bit busy for the past month with my job and everything, so I haven't been able to update. I have been reading your inspirational blogs all that I could and have been dieting at the same time.
My weight loss has been slow which is to be expected at this stage. There were 2 weeks where I didn't lose any weight at all, so I am happy to be back on track and losing weight again. I dropped another dress size which is cool. I also don't notice it in my appearance as much as other people do... My legs feel very different but other than that...I don't see it.
Being 3-4 dress sizes down must mean I look different though? That's what is keeping me motivated.

So today I hit the scales at 11.3 stone. My original weight was 14.8 stone. To be near the 10 section is a little crazy! I have 2 stone and 3lbs left before I am finished. Ideally I would love to be finished by March or April but who knows!
December is my next target which is *drum roll* 10.8 stone (8lbs)  I hope I can do it...

UPDATE Almost 40lbs

Hello all. I am almost at my 1st target! I am currently at 38lbs lost, and want to get to 40 by next monday...
I am carrying a bit of period weight which may delay this slightly!

Starting Weight: 14.8 stone (6th June)
Current Weight: 11.12 stone (22nd Sept)

NEVER in my life would I have imagined to be in the 11's! I have to wait for my period to be over before I can go further...

I'm back!

Hello all. I have had a busy couple of days, no time to blog at all...
My health has been really awful...a blood test result showed my body is not doing well.

Anywho! I am finally in the 11's! I am currently at 11.13 stone for the 1st time in my adult life. I thought being in the 12's was cool...
I am buying clothes 2 or 3 sizes smaller which is great! Buying dresses slightly shorter and denim!

Starting weight: 14.8 stone
Current weight: 11.13 stone.

Happy dieting!

New Recipes to try

Here is a list of new recipes I want to try. My point in posting this is you guys might get some ideas from it too!

• Gazpacho! (cold spanish tomato soup)
• Fruit protein shake
• Poached eggs on a roasted vegetable salad
• Tofu noodle pasta (If I can find a place to get them from)
• Chicken shawarma with wholemeal bread
• String bean and beef stir fry 

Any new recipes you guys will be trying? 

Update

Starting weight: 14.8 stone
Current weight: 12.1 stone

Hello all! So now that I am on my 35th lb I decided to think about my goals again.

I am losing 1 lb every 4 days (sometimes 3 days) so here are my next few goals:

Lose 1 stone by November: 11 stone
From November - January: 10 stone
From January - March: 9.5 stone
From March I see where it goes! 

I made the goals quite far apart to make them more realistic. At the moment I seem to be ahead of my goals.
I hope these goals are doable!

New diet routine

I just want to say a big thank you for all of the comments on my last post. It's amazing to know I have the support from you guys!!!
I am still eating oatbran, I think it's a good substitute for when I want to make cakes etc...
I am still losing weight on this new way of eating I have been trying.

I am currently on 34lbs. This is a typical day for me:

Breakfast:

Oatbran pancake with a banana, apple, and strawberry smoothie.

Lunch:
Lebanese style chicken shish taouk, a side salad and garlic sauce

Dinner:
Either a beef steak with roasted veggies, or my healthy version of moussaka.

For snacks I eat fruit or raisins!

As you can see this is not too different from Dukan. I will still check back with the book every now and then for tips. I am adding in hair friendly food, fruit and spinach.

Saying bye to dukan...

Well, I don't know how to quite put this. I'm no longer following the Dukan diet. I was taking out my hair in clumps this week, which is caused by fad dieting. My hair is looking paper thin and I am truly upset. I am going to carry on dieting as normal, but I am going to do it the normal way. This diet has potentially ruined my hair, so thanks for that!
If you feel like you only want to follow this blog if it's dukan related, unfollow if you like! But this will be a healthy diet diary.
I respect anyone who wishes to do this diet, but it's just not for my body in particular. Has anyone had symptoms out of the ordinary?

30lbs lost (13.6 kilos) Month 3, Week 2.

Hello Dieters. Just a quick post to say I have lost 30lbs now. I thought I was stuck at 12.10 stone earlier on in the month when I had surgery. Phew, I am now at 12.6. A couple of lbs really do make a difference to your appearance. It's a weird feeling seeing your body wasting away.

On a quick note, the stretchmarks on my hips seem to be fading for no apparent reason at all. With all of the research I did on the topic, I never saw that losing weight could help the appearance. I am not sure about the ones on my lower back since I am all bandaged up. But let's see soon!

Measuring.

I thought I'd do a different post today. Non Dukan related.

I regret not measuring my waist before I started dieting. I wore a UK 38C bra but I am pretty sure my waist was a little bigger than that. I have to say I am probably more on the B cup side now. I'm not fussed though!

Today I measured my waist and I am 34.5 inches! I can only estimate I was around 39 inches before maybe? Maybe more? 40? who knows. I guess I never wanted to do it for obvious reasons. I always had a really small waist comparing to my hips, so it was not really an area I focused on measuring.
I have sisters. One of my sisters who I am most similar to is at a normal weight. She is 8.5 stone and looks a really good size. If she weighed anymore than 9.5 stone she would look chubby. Her waist is around 30-32. My aim is going to be 32 if I am already close to 34. I honestly thought I would be 34 at the end of this diet, now I'm shocked! I forgot everything has to do with your personal frame.
Let me know if you guys have done any measuring! I regret not measuring more parts of my body. My legs look so different too. I know my aim is 9.5 stone now. Before, it was 10 stone.

Weigh in - Month 2, Week 1

I have been really careful recently considering the fact that my weight loss is suddenly much slower. I thought to myself "If I am still at 12.8 stone tomorrow I will be really sad and know that this diet is not for me"
Well thankfully today I am at 12.7 stone! It seems as though I lose an lb every 3 days now instead of every 2 days like before. That's normal I guess!
I'm just a bit of a perfectionist... My starting weight was 14.8 stone. Um...I have just noticed what a difference that is. I think once I get to 12 stone or even 11.13...It will hit me that I have lost a lot of weight.
Yesterday I was food shopping for my diet needs and I saw a girl from my old secondary school (age 11-18 school for those of you in the US) she stopped and stared at me for a second...and gave me the oddest look (we weren't exactly 2 peas in a pod) but that fact that she looked me up and down meant something I think.

Quick Update

Hello lovely dieters.
There is something really funny about losing weight. I have never really been thin in my adult life, so I am suddenly seeing what my body shape is like. Normally I would have a really small upper half and big hips. I would complain that my hips just don't shrink and that I will always be bottom heavy.
Um...how wrong am I? My hips seem to be losing more fat now than ever. They are catching up with my upper half and I am not as curvacious as I thought I was! I have to say, I am slightly disappointed to be parting with my bum and hips (haha) I have a flat bum!
I ACTUALLY went out to try on clothes. I haven't felt happy doing that in ages.
I picked up the most amazing blouse and to my horror...they did not have my size. I picked up the size smaller and I went to try it on. It fit! I went from a UK size 18, to a UK size 14 (upper half) so so happy! My bottom half, I am pretty sure, is still a 16 (it's getting there though!) I was a UK 20 on my bottom half before.
Tomorrow is my weigh in. Last time i weighed myself I was at 12.8 and a half. I hope to be 12.7 by tomorrow...

I. HATE. OATBRAN. *gasp*

After a 2 month love affair with oatbran... I have come to the conclusion that I hate it. I was so happy with the pancakes, microwave biscuits, bakes biscuits, muffins and what not...but now I am just SICK of it. I can't bring myself to eat any of it. What do I do?
I haven't had chocolate in so long and I need something to fill that void. I know, I have tried the chocolate oatbran muffin, tried the cookies, but nothing is like pure chocolate. hmfffff :-(

Reached 2 stone!

I had to work extra hard this week to get to a 2 stone loss. I had surgery not too long ago which made my weightloss stop completely. It was upsetting because I was losing weight so fast before that...

My starting weight was 14.8 stone
My current weight is 12.8 stone ...It sounds like such a big thing, but I have way more to go!
Before my surgery I had some mini goals...I want to reach 12 stone by the end of August, but now I am going to make that the start of September purely because of what happened with my surgery.
My surgical wound is much smaller now & I was able to walk for 40 minutes on my treadmill yesterday with no pain.
I'll be honest, I was forgetting to do my arm toning exercises because I have a problem with my shoulders... with a bit of agony and persistence, I did some yesterday! It's worth it I am sure.

Happy Dieting!

(Also, how have I reached 1,240 views? amazeballs!)

Re-starting the Attack Phase

I took your advice, my lovely readers - I am going to do another attack phase.
I am stuck on 12.9 stone...which is not far away from the 12.11 I was before my surgery. Sucks! I need to lose one more lb to make it a 2 stone loss.
The surgery screwed up my diet system a bit, so here I start again!
Wish me luck :)

Yummy Roasted Tomato/Piri Chicken & Roasted Veggies (EASY)

Forgive me as I burst my own bubble here...

I make up some really great savory dishes. I watched my Mother cook so many things throughout my youth & I certainly picked up as much as I could. This is something I made up today, I hope you guys try and enjoy it!

Ingredients: (for one person)

1 red pepper (sliced)
1 courgette (sliced)
1 Chicken breast
Tomato puree (paste)
Piri Piri powder
Salt
Half a lemon
Sunflower oil

Roasted Vegetables method:
Place the sliced red peppers and courgettes into an oven proof dish, use 2tsp of sunflower oil and drizzle on top. Set the oven to 180c (fan oven) and leave for 35 minutes turning occasionally.


Roasted Chicken breast method:
Place the chicken into an oven proof dish, slightly deep. Squeeze half a lemon onto the chicken and sprinkle on a small amount of salt. Get the piri piri powder and sprinkle as much as you would like according to taste. Use one or two table spoons of tomato puree and spread on top of the chicken. Get one tsp of sunflower oil and drizzle. Put into the oven at 180c (fan oven) for 35 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken breast, check the inside is not pink! leave for longer if needed)

The piri piri powder I used was from sainsburys, view HERE

Weight loss halt...

Ah people...I am still at 12.10 stone. The other day I had surgery which made me gain 3lbs... They have gone away but I have been at .10/.11 for the past couple of days.
If any of you hit a weight loss halt like me...what did you do to solve it?

Back on it! - Update

Hello my lovely dieters :)
After my fiasco of a 3lb gain after surgery...I can happily say those 3 little pounds have gone away. Phew! I am still having troubles in the poopy department due to meds but I hope it goes away soon....
So now I am back to square one. 3lbs away from a 2 stone loss *sigh*
The nurse who changed my bandage today really hurt me...so walking is going to be very slow.
Lets see how much I can lose like this!

I'm back from Surgery...

Well what can I say. Surgery was traumatic like I thought it would be. No not the actual wound itself...the anaesthetic was worse! (the thing that makes you sleep)


I woke up ill as anything. I watched other patients go in and out of the room, all recovering nicely. But the anaesthetic had made me ill. I ended up staying for 2 extra hours with extra anti-sickness fluid given to me. That being said, I magically gained 3lbs overnight. My guess is that the fluid they gave me from the drip in combination with not eating for an entire day & suddenly eating when I got home, not being able to....*cough* poop etc has made me gain this weight.
It is quite depressing and I hope that the 3lbs go away soon.

I can walk (yay) but I can't walk fast enough for it to be called exercise. Hence why I am nervous about gaining weight. Ah well...lets see if I can recover quick enough.

:( NOOOOO!!!! I'm having surgery.

Ugh...guys, I am having surgery tomorrow which means a lot of things wont be good for me.


1. I wont be able to blog for a while
2. I don't know how long it will take for me to heal up
3. I WONT BE ABLE TO WALK OR DO EXERCISE
4. I will be sitting down most of the time...I am scared this will make me gain weight.
5 I am going to fall way behind on my diet plan, which means it is going to take me even longer to lose the weight :(

This has totally disrupted my diet :( I don't want to gain weight and stop losing weight. It could take me a month or maybe longer to get better...

*Gulp* Before & After Pictures - Almost 2 stone

The before picture is the only thing I could find, because I rarely took photos of my body. I think the difference shows a lot more in person, but I'll show you anyway.
I still have a lot more to go if you read my previous post.

Putting these pictures up is a huge step for me! The After picture was taken at 21 lbs I think, so I have lost a bit more weight since then. I have currently lost 25lbs.

This is the lowest I have been since I was maybe...14? huge step!!!

Mini Goals :)

Starting weight 14.8 stone.
Current weight 12.11 stone.

I thought that it would probably be wise to sit down and figure out what comes next. My Dukan analysis told me that I would reach 10.11 stone by the end of November. Since I am only 5'4 and have a naturally small frame, I have to go a little more than that. I have to reach around 9.5 stone. I will be happy at 10, but health wise it would be better to lose a bit more.

Goals:

1. Reach under 11 stone by the end of November
2. From December till March, reach 10 stone. 
3. From March until June (1 year on from the day I started) reach 9.5 stone.

So that means I have to lose 2 stone by December. I think it's doable. I think it's always good to give yourself a realistic amount of time, because if you manage to lose weight quicker it makes you feel better! I am currently losing around 2-3lbs a week. 
Good news is I am 3lbs away from 2 stone loss!

If you guys have any goals you want to talk about, let me know in the comments. Happy Dieting!

Stretch Marks - follow up post.

I am sure some of you saw my stretch mark rant in my last post. I am very VERY thankful for your comments. I took each of them into account and have been doing some research! You all have very kind and reassuring words!

I was going through all of my old cosmetics and what not, when I found a tiny pink and white bottle unopened amongst my junk. It read 'Rio Rosa Mosqueta' and I remembered that my mother had got it for me after I had some scarring from eczema. I decided to research it and WHY HAVE I NEVER USED IT BEFORE? 90% ...yes 90% of people who use this see a difference. 

It helps:

• Scars
• Stretch Marks
• Fine Lines
• Crow's Feet
• Sun Damage
• Dry Skin 
• Wrinkles

(even if you already have them!)
So, I myself have dry skin, stretchmarks, fine lines, scars and developing crows feet. This product is perfect for me as a little goes a long way AND it soaks into my skin. I am using it once in the morning and once at night all over my face and scarred body areas. I have a few freckles from the sun and some rosacea. I will update you on how it is. Read the testimonials on the website, they help! My skin so far feels moisturised.

Stretch Marks.

If there is one thing that really depresses me, it is the awful stretchmarks I have developed over the years. If I was married, had kids and happy with my life it would not be that big of a problem. I am in my twenties, I haven't met someone yet. It will be a problem having to find someone my age who is comfortable with having a girlfriend with stretchmarks, as silly as it sounds. I have them all over my lower tummy, my hips, my lower back, my upper arms, my (ahem) boobs and the middle of my stomach. Great.
I don't exactly know what treatments are available, but it is highly depressing. I don't think I can wear a bikini. Anyone know of treatments?

Cinnamon Muffins

Vicki posted a cinnamon muffin recipe and i love love love them!
Recipe here <<<<click

Update + confidence.

Starting weight: 6th June 2011 = 14.8 stone
Current weight: 16th July 2011 = 13 stone

Hoorah. I have reached 13 stone. As soon as I lose one more lb I will be at my lowest weight within my teenage years. I am 21 now, and thinking about this is giving me motivation. Yes the weightloss IS slower, but that is expected.


Now that I have lost some weight, I feel like a tiny bit of confidence has crept its way back into my mind. I am just out of University and looking for a job. Ask me to search for a job one year ago and I would have been nervous as hell. I don't know if I am alone on this, but I always used to get that feeling that an interviewer would judge me too much on my appearance and refuse to give me a job subconsciously. Sounds silly but that's how my mind has adapted to thinking. At least now a smart outfit for work wont look AS bad as it did before. Once I am in the 12 point something range... I know that I am a lot closer to 10 stone than I was before.

I am due my period tomorrow. Going to have the time of my life as per usual (sarcasm people, sarcasm) ... I need to see if my period is as light as last month. My body is having a tough time adjusting to my new weight within a month. I am obviously carrying a bit of period weight, hence no weight loss today.

I am going to try vicki's cinnamon muffin recipe! I feel bad that my chocolate oat bran muffins did not work for everyone. I'm not sure why they only worked for me... I will try to update the recipe having read all of your tries at it.

Bad Breath? + Meal Diary

A kind of diet like the Dukan can lead to really awful breath. I wake up (with bad breath) brush my teeth, use moutwash, and wahey I don't feel it anymore! One hour later and it's back. AGHHH. I need to get rid of it but I am not sure how...

I haven't really posted any meal diaries, so maybe I can start here. I do include more protein vegetable days than just pure protein, and YES I eat carbs once a day. Only the good ones! And I am still losing weight. Kind of like my own rendition of the Dukan. Do what suits your body best I say!

Yesterday:

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and one wholemeal toast. A mug of tea and a chocolate oat bran cookie (recipe anyone?)

Lunch: Chicken Salad (Cucumbers, sweet lettuce, tomatoes, french beans) and light dressing with WATER.

Dinner: Lean fillet steak, cooked tomatoes, leaks,  2 large mushrooms and low salt/low sugar ketchup. WATER.

That was all!

I am also on my 21st lb. Exciting :)

20 lbs lost - Month 2, Day 4.

This is a proud moment for me. Not too long ago I blogged that I had lost 17lbs. But finally, I have hit 20!!! <3
This is huge for me because in 3lbs, I will be in the 12's! well 12.13 that is...
I started off as 14.8 stone, I am only planning to go on with this diet until November for health reasons.
I have also started to eat one wholemeal toast every morning. I feel like the carbs are needed for our bodies and for now, this one carb is enough.

Everyone update me on how you are doing. I love knowing everyone's journeys. Please also tell me your average weightloss per week :)

"you have halved!" Compliments & Cravings

-I still can't comment on anyone's blogs fyi :( 

That's a direct quote from my brother. I hadn't seen him in months and he noticed my weight loss right away. He keeps telling me I have 'halved' but obviously I haven't just yet. I am on my 18th lb so far, which is HUGE for me. I have never been that good on a diet yet not slipped up once.
I keep thinking that at some point I will slip up...But I haven't yet...YET.
I am officially a size down in my clothes <3 and I can finally see a difference in my stubborn areas.

I stepped up my exercise. Walking twice a day now and more up hill!

I am REALLY CRAVING CHOCOLATE. I can't handle this. Even my Oat Bran muffins aren't cutting it since I want that melty...gooey goodness. argh.



Stay Motivated peeps!

1 Month Summary: 17lbs down

6th of June: Starting Weight 14.8 stone
3rd of July: Current Weight 13.5 and a half stone!
Total Weight loss: 17lbs in almost a month

I have almost reached the 20lb mark! Can't believe it!
I am just using this opportunity to update you guys on how I'm feeling, what I'm doing blah blah.
Currently, I love the fact that I don't need to hide my ass under a cardigan just as much any more. It feels good! Imagine how I'll feel in a month?
Last month my period felt VERY light, I am waiting for the 17th of July to see how my period is then. I'm guessing the weight loss has confused my body a bit.

I am getting to the point where recipes in my brain are not coming very fast. I'm getting stuck for ideas. I do not eat seafood so I am looking for chicken/beef/turkey recipes. Paste links of recipes that you like in the comments. It would help me a lot!

Don't you just love the fact that you can turn to someone in a conversation and say "Hey I don't eat McDonalds! or drink CocaCola" (Well I wouldn't suggest you drink CocaCola or eat Mcdonalds anyway, BDS)
But it's like, yeah, I'm healthy. Yay!

I'm also making some other changes. I am drying my hair naturally to let it grow out healthier. My hair used to be black/brown but from damage it's going brown. Not even joking lol.


Here are some blogs I am currently reading:
http://dukanmemoirs.blogspot.com/
http://dukanblogging.blogspot.com/
http://veerukka.blogspot.com/
http://alexasdukanblog.blogspot.com/
http://lebbok.blogspot.com/
http://lmcontrary.blogspot.com/

Happy Dieting!

CHOCOLATE Oat Bran Muffins! Get your chocolate fix :)

Ingredients:

11g of Baking Powder

50g of Hot Chocolate powder (Low in fat)

30g of Cocoa Powder (Low fat)

2 eggs

6tbsp of oatbran

One cup of milk

Sweetener (I used 5 tablespoons because my sweetener isn't that sweet. Use your sweetener according to taste)

Method:

Mix all of the ingredients (minus the milk) together until a paste. Slowly add the milk and mix more. (if you feel like it is becoming too liquidy, stop pouring in the milk!)
Put 2.5 tablespoons of the mixture into each cupcake casing. (Use silicone ones if possible)

Set the oven to 170 degrees Celsius and leave for 20-25 minutes.

If eating on the 2nd day, warm up your muffin for 10 seconds in the microwave.

Enjoy! Let me know if you try it :)

Weight loss halt + Exercise!

Starting weight: 14.8 stone (eeek)
Current weight at week four: 13.7 stone and a half!

My weight has been steady for a good few days now, so it's time for me to step up my exercise routine to start knocking off the lbs again! The Dukan book did state that the 'Cruise phase' would take some time to catch up with you, and that's happening now.
My current routine as advised by Dukan has been walking for thirty minutes a day. However, I feel like some stubborn areas of my body need to be tackled!
Walking has been great for my number one problem area: My hips & legs.
My legs need a bit more work, and my upper arms still make me look like a bat! My stomach, due to my shape, is going down very nicely!

Okay, so down to business.
WALKING: I will be walking as per usual, every morning for 30 minutes or more.
ARMS:When I arrive home I shall rest for 30 minutes and use small weights for my upper arm toning (20 times with each arm)
THIGHS: Squats! Basic Chair Squats

I would love it if some of you left in the comments below, what exercises you have been doing!

Day 19, Week 3 - 14lbs lost! UPDATE

I'm not sure if this is normal...but I have lost a full stone. I'm not complaining, but I just don't know what to expect from this diet! So that's 1 stone down...3.5 more to go! I'm thinking that because I am very young, I seem to be losing weight quicker. You should know that I have not had one single cheat day in almost 3 weeks.
I have noticed more people commenting on my blog, and it's amazing to know people are reading it. However I can't seem to comment on anyone's blogs. Blogger just wont let me! ahhh, so frustrating.
I get to the comment section, sign in, and the sign in area looks blank and wont let me comment...if anyone knows what this is let me know!

Would it be helpful to anyone if I posted before/after pictures? Let me know...
Happy Dukaning!

"Haha, She's so fat" Day 16, Week 3

This isn't the typical type of post that I would write for my blog. I hope that my followers can have a good read. Just sit back and sink your teeth into it.
I am 5'4 and a half, overweight, unhappy and always have been. I was a normal chubby child, like anyone else I had puppy fat. Looking back at my Dad's baby photos, so was he. He grew up to be a very SKINNY, narrow, slender man. It was his natural body shape.
Having majorly taken after my Dad in looks, I started to wonder why I myself was not that skinny girl. I'm not saying my goal is to be skinny as such...but I know I have taken after him in 99% of my looks.

When I was five years old, I remember being invited to a friend's house from school. Myself and my two friends were in the back seat of the car and one of them pointed at my thighs under my school uniform skirt.
"Her legs are bigger than ours" ...That was the 1st time I realised that there was anything wrong with me. However, there really was nothing wrong with me, I was a child with puppy fat. I grew self conscious, "Why am I bigger than the other girls" I asked my Mum, and she looked horrified.
To be honest I don't blame her. What would you do if your FIVE year old asked you why she was fat?
I didn't understand.

I got to 7 years old, with that girl's comment at the back of my mind at all times. But it was slowly becoming true. I started to gain weight when I switched schools, maybe I got depressed, eating was my way out of boredom. I am the youngest of many children with a large age gap between us. I had no one to go outside and play with.
Becoming overweight had made me less confident and I felt like no one wanted to be my friend.
My Dad, all my life, had been overweight. He had a large belly and I knew that I had also taken after him in eating. I have an incredibly slow metabolism.

I got a little older and was suddenly used to people pointing at me and calling me fat. People used to come up to me and say "you are so fat" ...Okay, and what? What is someone supposed to say to that?
If ever someone was arguing with me they would say "go and lose some weight" "haha she's so fat!"
So it was funny to people that I had this misfortune. My siblings honestly ate the same way I did, and I didn't understand what I was doing wrong and they were so thin. My Aunt's would tell me "you will be beautiful when you lose weight"

My mind had adapted to thinking about weight no less than 10 times a day. In fact, I am still the same now. I got to around 15 years old when I found a good group of friends at school. I started to go running with some people and I started to eat like them. Naturally I lost around a stone in weight. I was happier and confident (even though I was still over weight)...
I didn't look like the weight I was because as I stated above, I had taken after my Dad in looks.
Still, going to a girl's school and being around looks 24/7 had made me obsessed.

I got to the next stage of school, and went on to University. New people, new work, new stress. I gained weight again. I would sit at home, so depressed I didn't want to face my lectures at school.
I was back to square one! Heavily overweight and un-confident. I stuck like this for 2 years.

On my recent time dieting, having lost almost a stone has changed me, even mentally. I am suddenly wondering why on earth I ever let my weight stop me from achieving what I want in life.
No one has the right to tell me I am not beautiful and I can't do anything. Who are you? Do I give a damn about you? Call me fat, call me ugly, but I am now doing this for myself and for my health. All of the right reasons! I was obsessed with looks, obsessed with being perfect. But until you decide that losing weight will help YOU first, you will not go any further than thinking about losing weight. Something about this time just clicked. I am now losing weight and not one person on this planet can ever make me feel bad anymore. You have to change your mental state before anything.


You are beautiful.

Pizza Recipe + Day 13 - Week 2!

Ingredients:

• 1tsp of Baking Powder
• 1tbsp of Corn Flour
• 2 Eggs
• 2tbsp of Oat Bran
• 2tbsp of Fat Free Yogurt
• (Toppings of your choice) Mushrooms, Turkey Ham, Tomatoes and Chicken strips
• 1tsp of Tomato Puree mixed with a drop of water
• 1tbsp of Quark

1. Put the eggs, yoghurt, oat bran, cornflour, baking powder into a bowl and mix
2. Meanwhile, put the mushrooms and chicken slices into a pan to get crispy
3. Once crispy enough, pour the mixture over the mushroom and chicken and cover the pan so the bottom goes crispy. 
4. While the top is still liquid and the base is slightly crispy, add the rest of your toppings and leave to get a little crispier. 
5. Once it's not as liquidy, put the pizza onto the grill at a medium setting and add little drops of the puree+water and a few blobs of Quark on top. 
6. Leave until crispy then enjoy!

Starting weight 14.8 stone, Current weight 13.10 stone and a quarter!
I have not fallen off the diet once! Who knew I had so much willpower...

Day 11, Week 2 - 9.5lbs lost (kind of) + Period Weight

Being a female, we often gain a little 'period weight' ...however, what seems to be happening to me is one day i'll be 1 lb more than the previous day...and then it goes down again.
I'm curious to know how much I will weigh when my period is finished. Normally when I am on my period I gain around 3lbs in water weight, YES 3. I have the bloated feeling for a good week, so let's see how that goes.

I just checked my weight it shows that I have lost 9.5lbs. But like I said, it changes due to my period. Being a woman is so hard eh?
Yes, I am planning on doing some before/after pictures once i lose a bit more weight...
If anyone knows of any good bingo wing exercises (u know the flappy part of the upper arm) I would be so happy to know what they are! I find that area so tedious and even when i lose weight it stays so large.
If I lose 5lbs more, I will be my weight at 16 years old! can't wait.

My current exercise routine:

• walk 30 minutes in the morning to the grocery shop
• midday (if i have time) use dumbbells
• walk for 15 minutes after dinner

Let me know how you guys are catching on!

Day 9, Week 2 - 7lbs lost!

I ended the Attack phase of the diet 4 days ago which I lost 5lbs...Now my current total is 7lbs lost!!!
My parents are telling me that it shows in my face which made me very happy :)
I am alternating the cruise phase with a 1/1 alternation.
One day pure protein, one day protein and vegetables. Any shortness of breath has gone and I feel much happier. I made oat bran muffins the other day and they went down a treat.

I forgot to mention my Dukan chart from the start of my diet. The evaluation shows I should be done by november.

Happy dieting! x

Day 5, Week 1 - Oat Bran Cookies!

 

 

Hi everyone! I have set my comments to a new setting, so ANYONE can comment. You do not have to register for an account or have a name :)
I know that someone or some people from Germany have been viewing my blog, so if ANYONE is reading this, let me know!

My starting weight was 14.8 stone. My current weight is 14.5! woop, I have lost 3 pounds in 5 days.
I tried a new recipe today, Oat Bran cookies! from a blog I found. I will post the recipe below, it's SUPER EASY! I mean EASYYYY.

Oat Bran Cookies

Ingredients:
Cinnamon1/8 tsp.
Oat bran 2 tblsp.
Skimmed milk 1 tblsp.  
Splenda1 packet (2 tsp.)

Method:
Mix all ingredients, shape into cookie and place on microwave-safe dish
Microwave on high for 1 minute.  

Cookies!  

Dukan Diet, Day 3 - week 1

One thing that the Dukan Diet outlines is that you must weigh yourself constantly. I decided to weigh myself on the 3rd day and wahey, I seem to have lost 1 pound. I know it's not much yet, but in 2 days that sounds like success to me. As silly as it seems, I feel motivated.

Tonight for dinner, I will be trying Portuguese style Piri Piri chicken. I got this from www.dukandietrecipes.co.uk

I'll update you on what it's like!

A love hate relationship with Oat Bran Pancakes.

It's my 2nd day on the Dukan diet and let me tell you, it's NOT easy. I have only come to realise how much I rely on chocolate. I never really used to have chocolate by the day or anything...but suddenly it's like I NEED IT. Like a good girl, I have resisted.
In all honesty I'm struggling. I never knew how quickly I could get sick of meat and poultry (I don't eat fish) but living a life of being overweight is spurring me on. I do not want to give up.

Two days in a row I have had Oat Bran pancakes for breakfast. This is because it is required for us to eat 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran per day during the 'attack' phase. They smell amazing when you make them but the taste is pretty bland. Right now I'm using a little bit of sweetener in them, alternating it with 0% fat free yogurt. I also have tea with it.

I'm not sure if I like it...but I might try the porridge or make oat cookies. I'll keep you updated!

Day 1, Week 1

Before I get into which diet I will be following, let me get into some background info. I have been overweight since I was around 7 years old. Yep I know. I was always a chubby kid but never at a critical weight. I have been through life as the chubby girl and now is the time to change.


My current weight is 14.8stone. My target weight is 10 stone.

The diet I will be following is the Dukan Diet. This is a French diet which includes a four step system.
The 1st stage: The Attack stage 
You are allowed unrestricted amounts of lean cuts of hams, meats, poultry, fishes, egg, seafood, fat-free dairy (apart from cheese) from 1-10 days. During this time you will lose a fair amount of weight to kick start the diet.  20 minutes of walking per day.

The 2nd stage: Cruise phase.
Inclusion of veggies like spinach, eggplants, Brussels sprouts is advised in this phase. Starch-based veggies such as corn, bean, potato, lentil, pea are forbidden.  This is allowed alongside the protein and 30 minutes of walking per day is included. This will go on until you reach your target weight, and could last for months in my case.

The 3rd stage: Consolidation phase.
designed to gradually ease clients off the diet and into a lifelong regimen. At this stage, slimmers start eating whole grain bread, fruit and cheese, with starchy food added twice a week. A weekly "celebration" of a main course, dessert and glass of wine is also included.

The 4th stage:  Stabilisation.
Eat only protein on Thursdays for the rest of your life, walk 20 minutes every day and consume three tablespoons of oat bran a day to maintain results.

The only thing i disagree with this diet...is the fact that you have to cut out food groups. That is why I will be including natural carbs and fibre once a week. If it seems to hinder my weightloss I will cut them out.

Wish me luck!