As of this morning, I am happy to announce that I've lost a total of 17lbs so far so only 3 more lbs to my True Weight goal. This is amazing considering I've been eating A LOT.
I watched an episode about binge eaters on the Dr. Oz show and felt like sometimes I binge eat too. Not to that extent but I can certainly pack a lot of food in. I guess I'm still losing weight because I have been generally good about only eating from the list of 100 allowable foods.
I went to get a physical check up this week and everything is good. My weight, waist line, BMI, blood pressure are all within normal or average range. In fact, my blood pressure is the lowest it has ever been. Not that I've ever had a blood pressure problem before (except for at the end of my 2nd pregnancy) but it's great to know that this diet hasn't made my blood pressure go up. :)
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
My top 8 favorite Dukan Diet foods
I've lost 15lbs on the Dukan Diet so far! Here is a collection of my own Dukan Diet recipes and tips. These recipes are mainly for the PP days because it's easy to add veggies to any of these recipes to make it a PV meal.
1. Every morning I look forward to having my breakfast of 2 tbsp oat bran and 3/4 cup lactose free skim milk. I microwave it for 2 minutes and let it cool and thicken for 5 minutes. It becomes a bowl of satisfying, creamy, deliciousness!
2. Silken tofu is an easy and portable protein that I bring to work for lunch. I just drain it out of the package, put it on a plate, microwave for 3 minutes, cut it into 12 chunks, and pour 1 tbsp of soy sauce over it and voila, eat it with a hard boiled egg and you have a perfect PP lunch!
3. I am a steak lover and recently discovered how to prepare a whole beef tenderloin into steaks. I've been doing this and individually freezing the steaks so I can have beef tenderloin (aka filet mignon) steaks whenever I want. I defrost individual steaks in the fridge for 2 days and pat it dry before I generously grind on fresh ground pepper and kosher salt. Then I put it on a hot pan for 1-3 mins a side, including the edges (so 6 sides in all). Let it rest for a couple of minutes and then enjoy!
4. My husband made a chicken souvlaki the other day using lemon juice, lemon zest, and oregano as seasoning. Skewer and probably baked at 350F for 30 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. There's something about eating meat on a stick. It was delicious with a salad, even without the tzaziki sauce and pita bread!
5. Smoked salmon is also a very easy protein. Just defrost in water for 10 minutes and serve it with some firm tofu slices with a squeeze of lemon juice.
6. The tilapia filets from Costco are really great too. I cook it like a steak. Take it out of the fridge for 30 min to let it come to room temperature. Make sure your fish is dried off with a paper towel. Right before you cook it, just grind some salt and pepper on each side, spray a non stick pan with some oil (not too much), and pan fry each side for 4 minutes on med-hi heat. The fish should brown nicely on the outside and still be moist on the inside.
7. Grilled chicken with stir fry veggies with shirataki noodles are very yummy too. Just pan fry the chicken to get some browning, add the veggies until they are almost cooked through but not too mushy, add the rinsed shirataki noodles, add a splash of soy sauce and cook through.
8. Hard boiled eggs make great PP snacks. I usually bring one to work and then have one in the evening. I make 6 hard boiled eggs at a time and keep them in the fridge so I have 3 days worth of hard boiled eggs ready to go.
1. Every morning I look forward to having my breakfast of 2 tbsp oat bran and 3/4 cup lactose free skim milk. I microwave it for 2 minutes and let it cool and thicken for 5 minutes. It becomes a bowl of satisfying, creamy, deliciousness!
2. Silken tofu is an easy and portable protein that I bring to work for lunch. I just drain it out of the package, put it on a plate, microwave for 3 minutes, cut it into 12 chunks, and pour 1 tbsp of soy sauce over it and voila, eat it with a hard boiled egg and you have a perfect PP lunch!
3. I am a steak lover and recently discovered how to prepare a whole beef tenderloin into steaks. I've been doing this and individually freezing the steaks so I can have beef tenderloin (aka filet mignon) steaks whenever I want. I defrost individual steaks in the fridge for 2 days and pat it dry before I generously grind on fresh ground pepper and kosher salt. Then I put it on a hot pan for 1-3 mins a side, including the edges (so 6 sides in all). Let it rest for a couple of minutes and then enjoy!
4. My husband made a chicken souvlaki the other day using lemon juice, lemon zest, and oregano as seasoning. Skewer and probably baked at 350F for 30 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. There's something about eating meat on a stick. It was delicious with a salad, even without the tzaziki sauce and pita bread!
5. Smoked salmon is also a very easy protein. Just defrost in water for 10 minutes and serve it with some firm tofu slices with a squeeze of lemon juice.
6. The tilapia filets from Costco are really great too. I cook it like a steak. Take it out of the fridge for 30 min to let it come to room temperature. Make sure your fish is dried off with a paper towel. Right before you cook it, just grind some salt and pepper on each side, spray a non stick pan with some oil (not too much), and pan fry each side for 4 minutes on med-hi heat. The fish should brown nicely on the outside and still be moist on the inside.
7. Grilled chicken with stir fry veggies with shirataki noodles are very yummy too. Just pan fry the chicken to get some browning, add the veggies until they are almost cooked through but not too mushy, add the rinsed shirataki noodles, add a splash of soy sauce and cook through.
8. Hard boiled eggs make great PP snacks. I usually bring one to work and then have one in the evening. I make 6 hard boiled eggs at a time and keep them in the fridge so I have 3 days worth of hard boiled eggs ready to go.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Happy 5th birthday Keith!
Keith, today is the actual day of your 5th birthday. We have already had 2 birthday parties for you, one with daddy's family and another one with your friends. Mommy loves to celebrate your birthday because you have grown so much in 5 years. You have become an intelligent, funny, kind, compassionate, genuine, polite, respectful, talkative, obedient, friendly, outgoing and an overall amazing boy. I'm so proud of you. I'm proud to be your mommy (or 'mom' as you call me now). I love you so much and want you to know that.
Five years ago yesterday (Sept 13, 2007), mommy went into labour around 3pm, 3 weeks before your due date. We went to the hospital around 10pm and you were born around 5:30am on Sept 14. Mommy and daddy were very excited to finally meet you after waiting for 9 months. We had pretty much decided on your name before you were born but we waited until after we met you to finalize. You could have been called James or even Jude - Jude Law like the actor - that's what daddy wanted to call you which obviously mommy veto'd! You were so tiny as a newborn (5lb 13oz) that you didn't fit into any of the clothes that we brought for you to the hospital. Getting you to eat was difficult because you were so tiny and a bit jaundiced which made you sleepy all the time. Somehow mommy got through all of that and you started growing really well and became a chubby bunny over the next 6 months. Mommy took you to do so many things during her year of mat leave. We did Ontario Early Years classes where we met your friends Sophie, Jared, and Jayden. We did sign language classes, music, swimming, and had playdates with mommy's friends from church and work who were also on mat leave. Everyday was an adventure. We also went stroller walking on the 10km Leslie trail almost every week - that was a lot of fun cuz you would nap and mommy would chat with her friends the whole time.
We took you to NYC when you were only 5 months old. It was your first plane trip and you did great. When you were 11 months old, we took you to HK to meet kai ma and mommy's side of the family. We stayed for 3 weeks and also went to Thailand with the whole family. You didn't like the sand on the beach but you enjoyed being in the pool and we took lots of naps. We came back to Canada after our HK/Thailand trip and mommy went back to work when you were 13 months old. You started daycare at Mrs.Bond's home but by 18 months, we had to move you to Pineway (I'll blog this story another day if I haven't already blogged it before). Pineway was amazing and you had so many friend's there and the teachers loved you. After mui was born, we took you out of Pineway for the summer before you started JK and we went traveling as a family all over the place - San Diego, Las Vegas, Muskoka, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Hong Kong, Macau. Then mommy went back to work again after you started JK. In JK, you also had lots of friends and your teacher, Ms Chui, loved you. You loved school and you learned so much. You learned how to hold a pencil properly, how to write letters and words, how to read words and simple sentences, how to count to 100, how to play, how to take turns and how to share. You learned so much in just 1 year. We went on a trip to Mexico in February with Sophie and Jayden and you said that Mexico was your favorite country. :)
After JK, you and daddy and mui spent the summer going to Wonderland a lot. You also went to 4 weeks of VBS which you loved.
Daddy wants to take you to Chuck Cheese today and Mommy wants to take you out for ice cream after dinner. It's your special day!
Mommy can't imagine life without you and mui now. You and mui bring so much joy, laughter, and purpose into mommy and daddy's life. I love to plan things for you and we consider your needs in everything we do. I love giving you hugs and kisses everyday and I cherish those moments because one day, you will grow up and you won't let mommy hug and kiss you anymore, at least not in front of your friends. :) I love you!
Five years ago yesterday (Sept 13, 2007), mommy went into labour around 3pm, 3 weeks before your due date. We went to the hospital around 10pm and you were born around 5:30am on Sept 14. Mommy and daddy were very excited to finally meet you after waiting for 9 months. We had pretty much decided on your name before you were born but we waited until after we met you to finalize. You could have been called James or even Jude - Jude Law like the actor - that's what daddy wanted to call you which obviously mommy veto'd! You were so tiny as a newborn (5lb 13oz) that you didn't fit into any of the clothes that we brought for you to the hospital. Getting you to eat was difficult because you were so tiny and a bit jaundiced which made you sleepy all the time. Somehow mommy got through all of that and you started growing really well and became a chubby bunny over the next 6 months. Mommy took you to do so many things during her year of mat leave. We did Ontario Early Years classes where we met your friends Sophie, Jared, and Jayden. We did sign language classes, music, swimming, and had playdates with mommy's friends from church and work who were also on mat leave. Everyday was an adventure. We also went stroller walking on the 10km Leslie trail almost every week - that was a lot of fun cuz you would nap and mommy would chat with her friends the whole time.
We took you to NYC when you were only 5 months old. It was your first plane trip and you did great. When you were 11 months old, we took you to HK to meet kai ma and mommy's side of the family. We stayed for 3 weeks and also went to Thailand with the whole family. You didn't like the sand on the beach but you enjoyed being in the pool and we took lots of naps. We came back to Canada after our HK/Thailand trip and mommy went back to work when you were 13 months old. You started daycare at Mrs.Bond's home but by 18 months, we had to move you to Pineway (I'll blog this story another day if I haven't already blogged it before). Pineway was amazing and you had so many friend's there and the teachers loved you. After mui was born, we took you out of Pineway for the summer before you started JK and we went traveling as a family all over the place - San Diego, Las Vegas, Muskoka, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Hong Kong, Macau. Then mommy went back to work again after you started JK. In JK, you also had lots of friends and your teacher, Ms Chui, loved you. You loved school and you learned so much. You learned how to hold a pencil properly, how to write letters and words, how to read words and simple sentences, how to count to 100, how to play, how to take turns and how to share. You learned so much in just 1 year. We went on a trip to Mexico in February with Sophie and Jayden and you said that Mexico was your favorite country. :)
After JK, you and daddy and mui spent the summer going to Wonderland a lot. You also went to 4 weeks of VBS which you loved.
Daddy wants to take you to Chuck Cheese today and Mommy wants to take you out for ice cream after dinner. It's your special day!
Mommy can't imagine life without you and mui now. You and mui bring so much joy, laughter, and purpose into mommy and daddy's life. I love to plan things for you and we consider your needs in everything we do. I love giving you hugs and kisses everyday and I cherish those moments because one day, you will grow up and you won't let mommy hug and kiss you anymore, at least not in front of your friends. :) I love you!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Dukan Diet - end of week 10
This week, I was back on track (except for a couple of homemade peanut butter cookies and i don't think Menchie's no fat yogurt is allowed) and lost another pound so now I've lost a total of 15 lbs. Just 5 more to go to get to my True Weight. I have dropped 4 dress sizes from 10 to 6! I don't know if it's just because I was trying on clothes while I was in America so the sizes there are larger but I can't remember the last time I fit into size 6 clothes!
I'm going for a full body physical check up next week so I'm hoping that my doctor will check my cholesterol levels and stuff just to be sure that everything is still within normal ranges. I feel great though so I'm sure everything will be fine.
My 5 yr old son is my own person Dukan coach. He asks me everyday whether it's my protein day or protein+vegetable day. When I eat something that's questionable that's not meat or vegetable (like tofu or yogurt), he will ask me if I'm allowed to eat it. It's good to have someone to keep me accountable, even if it's my 5 year old!
I'm going for a full body physical check up next week so I'm hoping that my doctor will check my cholesterol levels and stuff just to be sure that everything is still within normal ranges. I feel great though so I'm sure everything will be fine.
My 5 yr old son is my own person Dukan coach. He asks me everyday whether it's my protein day or protein+vegetable day. When I eat something that's questionable that's not meat or vegetable (like tofu or yogurt), he will ask me if I'm allowed to eat it. It's good to have someone to keep me accountable, even if it's my 5 year old!
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Happy 5th Birthday Keith!
I did a Rocket themed party for Keith this year because Jeremy has been launching rockets with Keith all summer. I had a lot of fun planning, organizing, and decorating.
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| Homemade rocket-shaped cupcake cake |
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| The party guests |
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| Happy Birthday! |
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| Enjoying his birthday party - Priceless |
Dukan Diet - end of week 9
I fell off the wagon a bit in week 8 because I took a staycation and we celebrated some birthdays. I ate ribs, sausages, chicken wings, vegetables grilled with olive oil, grilled pineapple, watermelon, a half piece of ice cream cake, and a cupcake or 2. The good news is that I maintained 13 lbs of weight loss. I've gone back to my PP and PV diet this week and I lost 1 more pound so 6 more pounds to go!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
11 tips for Grove city outlet shopping from Toronto
Three girl friends and I recently went on a cross border shopping trip to Pennsylvania where there is no tax on clothing and shoes. We had a great time. Here are some tips:
1. We crossed the border at Peace Bridge which was much faster than going through the Queenston-Lewiston bridge.
2. We stopped at a McD's which was conveniently located just off the highway for a bathroom break about 30min after we crossed the border. There was also a gas station there where we could have gotten some US (cheaper than Canada) gas.
3. After about 3.5 hours, we arrived in Erie, Pennsylvania for our first shopping stop. We had lunch at the food court at the Millcreek Mall. I had a huge salad at Fuddruckers which was delicious but so big that I couldn't finish.
4. There was nothing much at the mall other than a good sale at The Limited so I would suggest skipping the Mall next time.
5. We also went to a nearby TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Designer Shoe Warehouse, and Target. I would prioritize Marshall's and DSW next time although I did find stuff at TJ Maxx and we walked off our TGIFridays dinner at Target since it was the only store that opened late.
6. We drove another 1.5 hours and stayed overnight at the Hampton Inn Grove City which was clean, comfy, and spacious for the four of us. They also had a pretty good spread for the free breakfast buffet.
7. We spent the day shopping at the Grove City Premium Outlets. Be sure to join their mailing list and print out a voucher for their coupon book and additional coupons. It's worth it especially since the four of us pooled our purchases so we got additional discounts at many stores.
8. Some stores will give you an additional discount if you sign up for their credit card. You just need to give them your SIN and drivers license. You can pay it off right at the cashier so you don't have to remember to make the credit card payment layer.
9. We had dinner at Primanti Brothers, a Pittsburgh local chain right beside the outlet featuring famous meat, coleslaw, and french fries sandwiches. 10. On our way home, we stopped at the same McD's rest stop and filled up on American gas (cheaper than Canada) one last time.
11. We got charged 13% tax on our way back into Canada because we all went over our $200/person limit for less than a 48hour stay. Kids clothes are only taxed at 5%. You are taxed on the full amount once you go over the exemption. It still worked out to be slightly less than an extra night of hotel stay. So depending on how much you are planning to spend, it may or may not be worth it to spend an extra night in the US.
Even though we had to pay for the hotel ($40/person), 3 meals ($50/person), gas ($30/person) and taxes (13%), the trip was well worth it. I forgot how much fun it was to go shopping and just to hang out with girl friends.
1. We crossed the border at Peace Bridge which was much faster than going through the Queenston-Lewiston bridge.
2. We stopped at a McD's which was conveniently located just off the highway for a bathroom break about 30min after we crossed the border. There was also a gas station there where we could have gotten some US (cheaper than Canada) gas.
3. After about 3.5 hours, we arrived in Erie, Pennsylvania for our first shopping stop. We had lunch at the food court at the Millcreek Mall. I had a huge salad at Fuddruckers which was delicious but so big that I couldn't finish.
4. There was nothing much at the mall other than a good sale at The Limited so I would suggest skipping the Mall next time.
5. We also went to a nearby TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Designer Shoe Warehouse, and Target. I would prioritize Marshall's and DSW next time although I did find stuff at TJ Maxx and we walked off our TGIFridays dinner at Target since it was the only store that opened late.
6. We drove another 1.5 hours and stayed overnight at the Hampton Inn Grove City which was clean, comfy, and spacious for the four of us. They also had a pretty good spread for the free breakfast buffet.
7. We spent the day shopping at the Grove City Premium Outlets. Be sure to join their mailing list and print out a voucher for their coupon book and additional coupons. It's worth it especially since the four of us pooled our purchases so we got additional discounts at many stores.
8. Some stores will give you an additional discount if you sign up for their credit card. You just need to give them your SIN and drivers license. You can pay it off right at the cashier so you don't have to remember to make the credit card payment layer.
9. We had dinner at Primanti Brothers, a Pittsburgh local chain right beside the outlet featuring famous meat, coleslaw, and french fries sandwiches. 10. On our way home, we stopped at the same McD's rest stop and filled up on American gas (cheaper than Canada) one last time.
11. We got charged 13% tax on our way back into Canada because we all went over our $200/person limit for less than a 48hour stay. Kids clothes are only taxed at 5%. You are taxed on the full amount once you go over the exemption. It still worked out to be slightly less than an extra night of hotel stay. So depending on how much you are planning to spend, it may or may not be worth it to spend an extra night in the US.
Even though we had to pay for the hotel ($40/person), 3 meals ($50/person), gas ($30/person) and taxes (13%), the trip was well worth it. I forgot how much fun it was to go shopping and just to hang out with girl friends.
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