Wed, Nov 30, 2011 - As I anticipated, I lost another 1.5 pounds of bloat since yesterday. I am now a total of 13 pounds over my ultimate goal weight, and 3.5 pounds over the weight I was at on November 17 before taking this latest break. I'm going to assume that if I lose anymore of the 3.5 pounds this week, it will still be "bloat" not "fat" weight that is coming off. It will take at least a week of eating "on program" to begin to lose "fat" weight, which is always much more arduous.

Tue Nov 29 - Sunday was the end of a 10 day break in the program, and when I stepped on the scales yesterday morning, I had gained 9.5 lbs, which puts me 19 pounds over my desired weight. This morning when I weighed myself, I had lost 4.5 lbs, putting me 14.5 pounds over my desired weight and 5 pounds over the weight I was at when I started this break from the program on November 18.

Yesterday, I started back on the Attack phase of the Dukan program which resulted in the loss of 4.5 lbs-- all fluid bloating I have no doubt. I'm sure that loss did not include the loss of any real fat! I probably have a couple more pounds of fluid bloat to lose, and the rest of the weight gain I would attribute to "true weight gain" in the form of fat.

With the Christmas season looming ahead, it will be a challenge to get the weight back down to where I was on November 17, but I will focus on following the program for the next several weeks until Christmas, then maybe take a break for the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

Thur, Nov 17: I am 9.5 pounds away from my ultimate goal. I'm not sure I lost the quarter pound since yesterday, or if I read the scale wrong but it is better than gaining at any rate. I am looking forward to taking a break next week for Thanksgiving, but I first have the reception and concert tomorrow night to attend so that may effectively be the beginning of the break for me. I will see how it goes. I have been walking to work each day this week, so that is good.

Wed, Nov 16, 2011: Gained three quarters of a pound, so I am now 9.75 pounds away from my ultimate goal. I still have less than 10 pounds to lose, my goal to achieve by Thanksgiving so that's good. Perhaps it was the Indian food from Saturday that caused the gain, or it could be that yesterday was the last of 5 protein and vegetable days. The fiber in the vegetables can retain fluid which shows up as a weight gain. Today, I start back on all protein for 5 days, so hopefully I will lose this weight before Thanksgiving next week.

Tue, Nov 15 - I lost another pound, so now I am 8.75 pounds away from my overall goal weight, and 1.25 pounds BELOW my Thanksgiving goal weight. Interesting that I didn't gain weight from eating off-program on Saturday night. I thought for sure I would have. My total weight loss since September 8 is 16.75 pounds, so I am about two thirds of the way there.

This will be a good week for exercise. Sunday and yesterday, I worked outside in the garden and cleaning up leaves off the lawns all day, as well as cleaning out my car and the garage, so that was good physical activity. I will be able to walk to work each day this week which will also help.

As mentioned this coming weekend with the concert reception to attend and then the upcoming Thanksgiving week break, I'm sure to gain some weight but hopefully can take it off quickly afterward. 

Good health to you all!

Sunday, Nov 13, 2011 - I have now lost 15.75 pounds, since September 8, 2011, an average of 1.66 pounds per week-- not exactly fast as the Dukan program touts, but about average for me at this stage, based on my past experiences with Weight Watchers. I have 9.75 pounds to lose,  meeting my goal of needing to lose less than 10 pounds before Thanksgiving next week. As I get closer to my goal, I expect the weight loss to slow down and to experience plateaus of several weeks with no weight loss at all, if the past is any indication of what will happen this time. In the past, I have used Weight Watchers' program so we will see the difference with Dukan-- if there is any difference at all.

I am actually surprised to have lost any weight when I stepped on the scale this morning, as I attended an Indian Festival last night and ate Indian food. It was buffet style so it was hard to make healthy choices, and it was hard to refuse foods as it would have been awkward and potentially insulting to my companions. So I ate a small portion of most of the foods, fully expecting to see a gain this morning. I would not be at all surprised if I see a gain tomorrow or Tuesday as a result of this splurge, but so be it. Sometimes, you have to live a little and enjoy aspects of life with less regimentation than usual.

This coming week will be challenging as well, as I am attending a reception and concert on Friday night at which there will be alcoholic beverages and appetizers, again in a situation where it could be potentially awkward and insulting to the hosts and my guest if I am prudish about eating and having a drink. We will see what happens.

Today, I will be working in the garden, doing more fall cleanup, so I will getting some good exercise, and I will able to walk to work most days this week as I did this past week for some good exercise there.

Thur, Nov 10 - No change in weight since my last posting on Monday, so I still have 10.5 pounds to lose, and am hoping to lose at least a half pound before Thanksgiving, two weeks away. Today is the last of 5 days of protein only, then I go back to protein and vegetable for five days. This schedule is working out to be much easier to manage. I will go shopping tonight to purchase fresh vegetables for the next five days, as well as whatever else I need. I have been able to walk to work each day this week, and yesterday took a long walk at lunch time, something I used to do all the time and seem to have fallen away from since starting this program! Although the cold winter weather is coming, I'm going to try to do more walking on my lunch breaks. Having said that, I can't do it today, because I have another appointment-- it is always something...

Mon. Nov 7, 2011 - I lost 1.5 pounds since I last posted on Friday. This is a surprise since I haven't walked much at all in the past week due to work schedule and the streets being blocked by downed trees and snow piles from last weekend's storm. I did a lot of garden work all day Saturday and Sunday, cleaning up downed tree limbs at both my house and my son's home as well as cutting back perennials that were damaged by the snow and frost. I was outside half of Saturday and all day Sunday, working steadily so perhaps that physical activity helped move the weight off. Today, I am in day 2 of a 5 day protein only interval. Alternating protein only and protein & vegetable days for 5 days is proving to be much easier for me to manage logistically and I think the results are a bit steadier, although not really faster than alternating each day.

I now have 10.5 pounds to lose in total. I would really be pleased if I can get that under 10 pounds before Thanksgiving arrives in two and a half weeks, but that might be asking too much since I lose weight so incredibly slowly.

I continue to find that I am much more satisfied following this high protein diet than I ever was following Weight Watchers as they prescribe one should follow it. Although they now emphasize eating more protein to fill up, I don't think they emphasize it enough. It is too easy with the choices available with Weight Watchers to use the points allowance on carbohydrate based foods and not enough on protein. Essentially, I am following the points value limits associated with Weight Watchers while on the Dukan diet, but I'm just using all the points for lean protein choices. While on Weight Watchers, I felt "entitled" to having some carbohydrates so I would have them, and that would leave me feeling hungry and not satisfied. I was always thinking about food; when and what I could eat next. My life revolved around thoughts of food and eating. I am finding that on the Dukan diet I am not always craving "something". I do sometimes get hungry at meal times, but I eat and am full and stay full for a long time, able to do and enjoy other things without counting the hours until I can eat again.

Having said all that, I do think that taking periodic breaks is important for me to do, because I lose weight so slowly. Sustaining the Attack/Cruise phases of Dukan for a long period of time without a significant weight lose and without breaks would be really difficult to do. The interesting thing about the breaks is that I feel so bloated and heavy by the end of the break, that I am ready and eager to restart the Dukan program! 

Fri, Nov 4 - Lost three quarters of a pound, so I now have 12 pounds to lose overall-- getting back down from my recent gain after that muffin on Sunday, but very slowly!! I am on the 4th of 5 protein & vegetable days so maybe I will see a jump in the weight loss after I go back to all protein on Sunday for the subsequent five days. I bought some clothes this week-- tops, slacks, and sweaters. I bought them to fit the size I am at now, rather than wait until I lose any additional weight. I'm tired of buying clothes that fit when I am at my lowest weight which I never manage to maintain for very long and then am never able to fit into the clothes comfortably. I'd rather wear things on the loose and baggy side than not wear them at all. The curse of having a body that won't settle in at a normal weight for long!

Wed Nov 2, 2011 - Lost a quarter of a pound, so now have 12.75 pounds to lose. This up and down business is really frustrating, especially it always goes up really fast and comes back down incredibly slow. I would really like to lose 3 pounds before Thanksgiving, but that is not looking so good to happen.

Tue, Nov 1 2011 - Gained 1.5 pounds-- guess the pistachio nut muffin from Sunday made its mark! Oh well, I will just keep at it. Today is a protein & vegetable day, so perhaps the extra fiber will move things along and I will lose some of that pound and a half quickly. I also bought wheat bran last night and used some in my breakfast this morning, so that may help with things, too. I don't doubt some of this is fat gain from the muffin, not just bloat, but I will deal with it and get it off as soon as I can. I bought snowshoes, boots, poles and backpack to be able to commute to work by snowshoe when the weather calls for it. Ironically, I was planning to make these purchases at the end of October, without the catastrophic storm this past weekend. Not that I can snowshoe through this storm-- there are too many downed trees in the roads and on the sidewalks for safely traveling by foot at this point in time. Many people are still without power, although I have mine back, fortunately.