As I thought yesterday, much of the weight gain was due to intake of sodium on Sunday and associated water retention. Today, I have lost three quarters of a pound so am a net one quarter pound over my lowest weight on this program so far. I still have 14. 25 pounds to go...

Yesterday, I was able to do the prescribed walking, however, today I was not. This week is going to be bit difficult as I will be at meetings all day Thursday and Friday which will make following this program a bit difficult to accomplish.

I am not experiencing hunger pangs or food cravings. Today, I was unable to eat lunch until 3:30 PM and was not excessively hungry or headachy by that time as I would have been on most other diet programs.

Since my last posting, I lost a pound and a half, but then gained a pound back this morning. I am still down a half pound from the last posting with 15.25 pounds to still lose. I did not do the prescribed walking these past 3 days which clearly had an effect on my weight loss. Friday was fairly sedentary because I was at an all day meeting. However, on the weekend, I continued to be very active physically, unpacking boxes and putting things away that entails going up and down several flights of stairs repeatedly and a lot of bending, climbing and reaching. I also mowed the lawn which involves walking behind a "self-minded" (read fast-moving) self-propelled lawn mower for the better part of an hour.

From an eating perspective, on Friday, I was at an all day meeting to which I had brought my yogurt and carrots (it being a P&V day). I drank water and coffee but was able to follow the eating regime of the Dukan program. I also continue the regime on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday night, I "treated" myself to a lean steak with peppers, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. Normally, I do not eat beef, but wanted to have a bit of variety from the protein I normally eat. It was very lean and I broiled the meat to remove any additional fat of which there was very little. I did use a grilled steak spice seasoning mixture. It was all spices, no sugar, but did contain salt which would easily account for re-gaining that one pound.

This slow weight loss is SO FRUSTRATING!

More progress... in ounces... but at least it is progress. I lost a half pound today. I am now 15.75 pounds from my ultimate goal. I am wearing a fitted blouse that I have not been able to wear for a long time, so that feels good.

I am calculating daily calorie intake just to keep track of what I am actually eating from a more technical perspective. It is averaging about 1000 calories a day. Using an online calorie calculator (http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm), I determined that to lose weight slowly I could eat up to 1400 calories per day and to lose weight quickly, I could eat up to 1100 calories per day. For my current weight, the site recommends losing 1 to 2 pounds a week. The extreme weight loss rate is considered acceptable for people who are extremely obese and need to lose a large amount of weight. I'm not so sure I agree with that, having on more than one occasion been extremely overweight. When a person is extremely overweight, it is MUCH harder to reduce the volume of eating to such a minimal level, without feeling hungry and becoming light-headed and experiencing overall weakness. This makes it much more difficult to stick with a eating program and experience enough satiation to stay with the program. I am not endorsing the site nor does it appear to be a scholarly site. It simply had a weight calculator that was convenient and easy to use.

The calculator also says that my daily need to maintain my current weight is 1700 calories. Since a pound of body fat equates to 3500 hundred calories, and I am eating 1800 fewer than that per day, I should losing one pound every two days!  Clearly, that is not happening so what's wrong with all these values and calculations?  As I said in previous postings, I sincerely believe that my body is extremely resistance to shedding fat due to the many diets I have been on over the years, my body's ability to process food and use its energy very efficiently, and my genetic background of coming from obese ancestors.

Yeah! Lost a quarter of a pound! So small, I almost didn't believe my eyes! But it is a little movement in the right direction.

I am resigned to the fact that this is going to be a slow process for a diet program that touts fast results. Clearly, this program is not the magic bullet for persistent weight loss results for those of us who have been consistently overweight and struggle with this for our entire lives. To be fair, the Dukan Diet book states this may be the case; I happen to be a person who proves the point. Because the results are slow, this type of program which prescribes a very restricted regime becomes difficult to follow. Both the normal demands of everyday living as well as the boredom associated with a lack of change with no relief in sight makes it difficult.

A case in point is a reception that I attended last evening, where I had a glass a water at an event where a wide variety of appetizers and alcoholic beverages were available at no cost to me. The appetizers would not have met any healthy eating program's list of acceptable food-- most of the food was high fat, high calorie, high carbohydrate and high sugar options. Even the roasted eggplant was saturated in oil. But to follow any regime for healthy eating meant abstaining from that large selection of food, difficult to do without feeling a sense of deprivation for someone who loves food.

I continue to like the fact that my clothes are fitting better, that I don't dread getting up in the morning for fear of facing what I can wear and still manage to breath comfortably. I also like the fact that I have more energy when abstaining from eating carbohydrates.

But at this rate of a quarter pound every two weeks, I seriously doubt that I will sustain this Cruise period of the Dukan program for the 128 weeks or 32 months that this rate of weight loss will require. If my rate of weight loss does not improve in the next few weeks, I will ultimately need to take breaks from it, which is disappointing because I was hoping this program would be different and more successful than other programs. It is too early to determine that for sure, but realistically the results of this program has to improve drastically for it to be sustainable for me.

Another day and continued weight loss stagnation. Hmmm.... But it felt good to be able to wear a pair of slacks that I have not worn in a really long time. I have begun taking psyllium once a day to deal with the sluggish digestive tract. I know this stagnation thing is just my body being stubborn because there is absolutely no way I am taking in more calories than I am burning each day. It just doesn't add up at all. At some point, my body will just have to let go of the extra weight-- it is a scientific fact and perfectly logical. I will be as active as possible to make things happen. It will happen, I know that, but is it ever hard to be patient!

Time to change strategy. The scales are still not budging one ounce! I've cut back on breakfast this morning, although I truly don't think I'm eating too much. I really think my body is being stubborn about giving up its fat reserves. I am trying to switch from carbonated diet beverages to drinking more plain water to see if that will help. I also need to speed up my digestive track which has predictably slowed way down. For that, I intend to use a psyllium product which is natural and which I've used in the past. I like Konsyl because it does not contain any sugar, dyes or flavoring (unless you buy the orange flavored version).

Although frustrated by the lack of evidence on the scale of weight loss, I do really feel better staying away from sugars and carbohydrates. I don't have cravings for them providing I don't eat them at all. One tiny bite and I would be craving all over the place. Tomorrow night, I go to a reception after work at which there will be an abundance of appetizer type of foods. I will have stick to the shrimp cocktail only, as the other selections will all be high fat, high sugar and high carbohydrates. Tomorrow is a pure protein day, so I cannot even indulge in any vegetables.

This is where a diet like this can become difficult. If I was doing Weight Watchers again, I would have more choices to select from. BUT, in some ways, having more choices makes the regime more difficult to follow because it is easier to cheat and convince myself that I haven't really cheated. Whereas knowing I can only eat lean protein, I will have no leeway to convince myself a food is acceptable. For me, that is good, because I am great at playing mind games when it comes to negotiating with myself about eating and food. It is why I believe I have a food addiction to carbohydrates-- it is like other substance and behavioral abuse. Addiction to food is similar to addiction to alcohol, drugs, violence, and power. When indulging in the substance or behavior of choice, it is almost impossible to recognize that abusive behavior of over-indulging. The abuser can justify to no end the indulgence. It is a vicious downward spiral to the depths of despair and destruction. The difference is we cannot live without food entirely-- we have to eat something to survive so we cannot abstain from our vice completely, making it very difficult to manage.

Today is one week plus the third day into the Dukan Trial. My weight loss continues to stagnate at 8.5 pounds. I am in the Cruise phase, alternating pure protein with protein & vegetables each day. I have not lost weight in the past five days, frustrating because I want to see immediate and fast results, but in reality I know this is "normal" for me. Although I am eager to see the scales moving downward again, I realize that my body is just resisting the weight loss. I am certainly not eating too much, nor do I feel I am eating too little.

I have to focus on the fact that my clothes feel better and the end result when I will be losing the weight I want to lose. I am focusing on the fact that eating protein and vegetables does make me feel better. I feel as if my body is stronger and more energetic than when I am eating carbohydrates. I feel full faster, and am satisfied longer, not looking for the next time and item that I can eat. When I eat carbohydrates, I feel sluggish and soft. Mentally, carbohydrates seem to affect my thinking and I feel spacey. I feel that eating carbohydrates drives me to eat more-- I am not satisfied after eating a carbohydrate or sugar loaded food-- I want more and more. My mind seems sharper when not eating carbohydrates. I know that is contrary to science which says we need glucose to think clearly and to exercise self control. This could all well be my imagination, but I've done this enough times in various forms to know that it is a result I can expect to have happen as I change my eating habits.

Yesterday, I did not do the prescribed walking but was very active moving furniture and boxes from a storage facility to my home, including multiple trips up and down stairs. It was a very active and full day-- doing this from 9:00 AM until 7:00 PM with short rest breaks.

Today will be more of the same, plus mowing the lawn with a walking mower which takes at least an hour, so I will get in the walking albeit not a focused "walk" per se.

One week and one day on Dukan. Again, no change on the scales, so I am still at a total loss of 8.5 pounds, which for me is acceptable. I fully expected a major stagnation after losing so much weight so quickly in the Attack phase. I am one of those people who is highly resistant to losing weight. My body seems to be very efficient at processing foods and gleaning the most calories possible out of anything I eat and holding onto them!

Considering my history with weight issues, family weight history, and vast experience with trying to lose weight, this is to be expected. I have struggled with being overweight since being a toddler. I was overweight throughout elementary school, only starting to manage my weight in junior high school. In high school, I was able to reduce my weight significantly to a healthy range, but it shot up again once I started college. Since then, I have gained and lost weight numerous times, being 100 pounds overweight at one point. I lost that 100 pounds using Weight Watchers' points (not Points Plus) program and managed to keep most of it off for five years. I frankly got tired and bored of restricted eating and being hungry with cravings all the time. So the weight started creeping back on slowly at first and then at an accelerate rate in the past few months. When I started the Dukan Diet I was 25 pounds heavier than I want to be, and now still have 16.5 to lose. Unfortunately, for me it will be a slow process because my body just doesn't want to give up that fat!

I can say that my clothes continue to feel less tight each day and I have more energy with it seeming to take less effort to move around. I do not have cravings on Dukan Diet at all so far, and only get hungry close to regular meal time, unlike what I've experienced with Weight Watchers' points and Points Plus programs.

Having now fully reached the one week mark in my Dukan Trial, the weight is still not budging one way or the other beyond the initial 8.5 pounds I lost during the Attack phase. I am noticing a difference in my clothes feeling looser, so I'm hoping the scales will reflect the change shortly. Today, I was able to get back to my routine of walking to work, which I could not do for the past two days, and hopefully that will help. It has also been very humid, conditions under which I retain fluid easily so, with no AC working in my home presently, I could be experiencing fluid retention.

Today is my second protein & vegetable day on the Cruise segment of the program. I have carrots and tomatoes for lunch, and will have something green for dinner along with my protein selections. I am still experiencing thirst, and am having no problem with consuming the prescribed amount of fluids and more!

I am not craving carbohydrates yet, and am not realizing hunger pangs, other than mild hunger when meal time is approaching.

Day 7 of the Dukan trial. No weight loss or gain today, but I did less walking yesterday and my eating times were changed around due to my work schedule. Same thing will happen today, I'm afraid, although I may do a bit more walking than yesterday. Also, the program warns that weight loss will slow down once vegetables are added to the eating regime, because the vegetables add fluid to the diet. Yesterday was my first protein and vegetable day, so I added carrots and brussels sprouts to my meals.

I am feeling a bit hungry today. Yesterday I ate a late lunch/early dinner at 4:00 PM, so didn't eat after that. This morning I was hungry! I had some leftover salmon and the bran pancake for breakfast at 6:00 but was feeling hungry again at 9:00 so I had a yogurt. With the hunger getting ahead of me overnight, I think I am tending to become hungry more quickly having experienced those hunger pangs this morning, although I ate enough at breakfast for them to dissipate for a while. Today is a Pure Protein day so I really need to eat enough to become full as soon as I start the first feelings of hunger. Unfortunately, my work schedule will probably not allow that again today.

The inclusion of bran into the program is a key component. It is a bit unusual food or diet additive to most people but the ideal of eating bran for health reasons has been around for a long time. Ironically, I added daily bran to my diet many times when trying to lose weight and in pursuit of good health over the years, and it did help curb my appetite significantly, as it is with the Dukan diet. I initially latched onto the idea of bran's benefits in 1975 when I read the book, "The Save-Your-Life Diet : High-Fiber Protection from Six of the Most Serious Diseases of Civilization" by David Reuben, M.D. and Barbara Reuben, M.S.. This book is still available on the market and in libraries. I still have my original copy, attesting to how significant it is to me.

Day 6 of my Dukan trial - Today starts the Cruise phase of the program during which time I will add in vegetables from the list of 100 desirable foods. This phase prescribes eating unlimited amounts of lean protein and non-starchy vegetables, with carrots, beets and artichokes in limited quantities due to their high sugar content. Not difficult for me, because I love vegetables. It also increases the walking exercise to 30 minutes a day. I'm even anticipating eating broccoli which is my least favorite vegetable! The Cruise phase prescribes alternating pure protein days and protein & vegetable days according to a prescribed pattern. The program identifies several different patterns, but I will follow the 1/1 alternating pattern, with one day of pure protein and one day of protein & vegetables. The prescribe amount of oat bran increases from 1.5 tablespoons to 2 tablespoons, which I have in the Dukan pancake each morning.

In spite of walking an hour and 20 minutes yesterday, this morning, I lost 1/2 pound, a slow down which I expected to see happen, because the program indicates this will happen at this time and also because my body feels sluggish today. However, having lost about 9 pounds, my clothes are beginning to feel loser which is really nice. Today and tomorrow, my work schedule will not probably allow me to include much walking, but I will try to fit in as much as possible.

The Cruise phase lasts until the prescribed or desired weight loss is achieved. The program indicates I will achieve my True Weight sometime around November 4. However, I would like to lose a few more pounds than my True Weight, so I will see how it goes.

I like the fact that the True Weight is calculated on a number of criteria, not just some government or BMI charts that are really averages and do not take an individual's history, makeup, age and needs into consideration. It is a reasonable and generous goal, although for myself, it is a little higher than what I hope to ultimately weigh. The criteria includes gender, the most and least you have ever weighed as an adult, height, number of previous diets followed, number of pregnancies, family weight history, ability to lose weight easily, energy level when losing weight, and bone structure.

Shopping for groceries has been a little challenging, but now that I will be in this phase for an extended period of time, it should become more routine.

Day 5 of Dukan Diet

Today is day 5 of my trial with the Dukan diet. I have lost a total of 8 pounds in 5 days, which I realize is mostly fluid as I said before. I have not experienced hunger pangs, except for mild hunger when it was time to eat anyway. No cravings at all. The oat bran pancake recommended by the program is very filling--I've eaten it for breakfast almost every day. I did not walk the minimum 20 minutes on Saturday or Sunday, but was very active moving boxes in and out of my car and carrying them up and down flights of stairs and unpacking them, so I was not sedentary by any means. I also mowed my lawn, a two hour endeavor which means I walked behind the mower for at least 1 hour, perhaps longer. Also, on weekdays, I am walking 40 minutes, double the prescribed length of time. The foods I ate included baked pork loin, pan (non-stick) fried scallops with dill and sour cream, poached salmon with dill and sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese and eggs. I am still extremely thirsty, and making sure to drink plenty of liquids. I feel fine, not tired or bloated or constipated, as the program indicated one might feel at this point.

Day 2 of my Dukan trial. I lost 4.5 pounds in the first 24 hours of the program. Not a bad start. Comparatively, with the old Weight Watchers' program, I would have lost about the same amount the first day. With Weight Watchers' Points Plus, I didn't lose anything for the first several days. It is encouraging to see a weight drop the first day, however much I realize it is mostly fluid and not fat that I am losing.

I did not at any point in the past 24 hours feel hunger pangs. By the time I ate dinner, I was getting hungry but not desperately so. For dinner, I ate ground turkey with a dab of ricotta cheese on it. I was full about two thirds of the way through dinner, so saved the rest for a bedtime snack.

I am finding that I am very thirsty on this program. Normally that would indicate to me that I've been eating too much sodium, but I've checked the sodium content on all the foods and beverages that I consumed yesterday. The only thing that was relatively high was the cottage cheese I had at lunch time, but a third cup of cottage cheese would not normally make me this thirsty. Losing 4.5 pounds of fluid in 24 hours can have a dehydrating effect! Consequently, it is easy to drink the 1.5 - 2 liters of fluid recommended. I actually drank much more than that.

It was recommended that I be on the Attack Phase for 4 days, which means I would switch to the Cruise Phase on Monday. I might wait until Tuesday, depending on how I feel and what I've lost. The program is recommending a weight for me that is ten pounds higher than I want to be so I'm thinking that I need to be a bit more aggressive than recommended.

I walked about 40 minutes, double the recommended 20, but I am used to walking and riding an exercise bike on a regular basis. I didn't ride the bike yesterday, but was doing some physical work of unpacking boxes for several hours.

I probably will not be posting over the weekend.

Today, Thursday, September 8, is day one of my Dukan Diet trial.

Living a life-long battle with being overweight and having tried many diets in the past with Weight Watchers being the most successful, I was skeptical when first hearing about the Dukan Diet. However, after reading Dr. Dukan's book, The Dukan Diet: 2 Steps to Lose the Weight, 2 Steps to Keep It Off Forever, his website at http://www.dukandiet.com/ , as well as the many other web sites out there on the Internet about the diet, I realized that my Weight Watcher "choices" were effectively following the Dukan Diet anyway for the most part, the big difference being the Attack Phase and being allowed only Pure Protein during that time.

So I decided to give the Dukan Diet a try, since in recent months I have undergone a truly stressful experience that resulted in me being separated from my scale for four months which, of course, was self-permission to eat, drink and be merry! The end result is that I've gain 10 pounds on top of the 15 that had already crept on over the past five years since I lost 100 pounds using Weight Watchers.

I will be posting from time to time about my experiences with this diet, and how it compares to Weight Watchers for me. I emphasize the "for me" because Weight Watchers allows for choices and others may chose a radically different approach to it than I ever did. For me, I realize that I must practically be allergic and addicted to carbohydrates, because if I eat them, I simply want more and more and more, resulting in huge weight gains when I give in to the constant struggle of being hungry and craving carbohydrates. So, to lose weight and to maintain a weight loss for any period of time, I have to avoid carbohydrates like they are poison, regardless of what diet program I am following. Unfortunately, that usually, even on Weight Watchers, leaves me feeling constantly hunger and not satiated.

At the beginning of this year, I even tried to lose the initial extra 15 pounds that I was packing by joining Weight Watchers again, using their "Points Plus" plan which allows for 29 points per day. For the several weeks that I followed the program, I actually had to reduce my daily consumption to 23 points in order to lose at all and then lost so slowly it was a frustrating exercise of "one step forward and two steps back." Then some non-food related issues arose in my life and I found myself living in a situation where I did not have access to my scale for my daily weigh-ins.

For breakfast today, I had a cup of Chobani plain fat free yogurt with oat bran and did not feel my usually mid-morning hunger pangs. For lunch, I had an 8 ounce baked chicken breast and half a cup of fat free cottage cheese, followed by a piece of sugar free gum. Beverages are always a challenge for me, but so far I have had 3 cups of tea and a cup of water. I'm heading out to get a cup of coffee now. More to come tomorrow....