Living with someone who doesn't share your eating habits is interesting. Not only does David eat meat, he's NOT on the Dukan Diet with me, which means that his lunch can (often does) consist of toaster strudels, and I get to watch. It's different, especially since I do the majority of the cooking.
For example, yesterday I made garlic butter for pasta and a cookie recipe his mother was nice enough to provide for me when I asked, exasperated, what he actually eats. The answer was meat and cookies. Since I'm morally opposed to the former if it isn't provided under very exact specifications, and have never made the latter, his mother took pity on me and gave me a recipe. I can't explain how depressing it was to cook cookies and not be able to sample anything, or how difficult it was to prepare the garlic butter judging by smell alone. Apparently, it turned out well enough, because he ate three of the cookies, and all of the pasta before leaving for his second job.
This morning, I sent him off with more cookies, secretly hoping that he would take all of them and I wouldn't have to look at them any time I pass the dining room table during the day. Every time I see the delicious, fresh, homemade cookies, I can't deny the irrational desire to stuff one in my mouth, but I know I should resist, and I often do.
Out of sheer frustration at the diet yesterday, I ate entirely too much yogurt, and gained .3 kg overnight. Roughly a pound. David said that all of his coworkers enjoyed the cookies, which is encouraging, since I substituted karob chips instead of chocolate chips, because we shop together and chocolate chips would've been a dead giveaway as to my intentions. I had no idea how it would taste, and I'm glad it turned out decently. However, I swear, the cookies taunt me every time I pass them. If I weren't on this stupid diet, I would have eaten all of them by now.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Can I do it? Yes, Dukan! Well, maybe Dukan't.
Bad pun.
Anyway, the past two days have been devoted to getting as much inspiration as possible for continuing with my weight loss regime. For the past month, I've been devoted to the Dukan diet. Apparently, it's a big celebrity diet right now, reputed to be much more manageable than Atkins, and it doesn't limit any sorts of portions whatsoever. I first heard about it at one of my jobs, bought the book, and started the first phase the next morning. Probably not the smartest idea, because it was right when David and I were moving in, but there's never a really good time for a diet, a baby, or exercise.
There are four tiers to the program:
1. Attack
2. Cruise
3. Consolidate
4. Stabilize
The first phase lasts anywhere from 3 to 10 days, based on how much weight you need to lose. I completed the first phase in 8 days about a month ago now. During the first phase, you are only allowed to eat lean proteins, drink lots of liquids, walk 20 minutes per day, and eat one and a half tablespoons of oat bran per day.
During the Cruise phase, you alternate days of just protein, and protein with vegetables. You aren't allowed all vegetables (for example, starchy veggies high in sugar like corn and peas are strictly verbotten) but for the most part, you aren't very limited. Some people do the cruise phase alternating five days of pure protein and five days of protein and vegetables, but the book recommends the one-one ratio for lasting weight loss. How long you stay in the Cruise phase depends on how much weight you have to lose.
Dukan's website offers a free service wherein he calculates your "true weight," which takes into account your habits, bone structure, past weight loss and diet plans, previous pregnancies, and spits out a number that's supposed to be attainable and manageable for the rest of your life. Dukan doesn't recommend that you lose weight beyond your "true weight," but let's face it: with a history of encouraging dieting behind you, when you finally reach your true weight, it's superhuman to expect anyone to stop.
I've been in the Cruise phase for over three weeks now and I'm honestly getting sick of eating the same thing over and over. At first, I was excited to try new recipes from the book, but now I'm just sick of losing maybe one pound per day, three or four per week. If this keeps up, I'll be in this phase for another two months to reach my true weight, and of course my goal is lower.
I'm about 17 pounds away from the true weight set for me by the website, but the fact that my scale now tells me my weight in kilograms means that my weight loss is much more mystical than it was previously. Also, I'm not fitting into my clothes as well as I was hoping I would at this stage. He does prescribe exercise daily, which I was getting pretty good at until I sprained my foot biking to the grocery store.
Now, I'm crippled (dramatization, but valid, I swear), and eating my feelings, and protein isn't very good at keeping away the sad.
I've already lost almost half of the weight I wanted to lose, and with another two pounds, I will be solidly at the halfway point. However, I'm definitely losing a bit of focus, as well as motivation. There are just always so many things to do, and so many people to do them with, and food is almost always included in activities, and it's just difficult to say no.
I feel like I'm always obsessing over food, one way or the other. I'm either obsessed with eating as much as I can, or as little as possible to punish myself for the times that I indulge. It's important to find a balance if I want to maintain the weight I lose. I suppose that's what I should work on above anything else.
Made crab cakes the other night, which turned out very well. I've also been exploring the wonderful world of Boca burgers and tofurkey as alternatives to omelets every single day and fish when I can afford it. I also go through epic portions of nonfat yogurt, and I've been to frozen yogurt more times than I care to count.
It's a small indulgence, but it means a lot, especially when I can't have sugar added to anything. Not that I'm complaining; Stevia is pretty delish; but I'd like something normal.
Last night, David and I went to his mom's to pick up bandages for my foot, and she made me a boca burger without the bun and hesitatingly gave me a tiny glass full of a smoothie she blended especially for us. I ate the burger even though it probably isn't on the list of approved burgers, but sat with the drink in front of me for the entire night. I can't believe I didn't even sip it; she must think I'm one of the craziest people she's ever encountered.
With Nanowrimo lurking around the corner, I'm also getting a little terrified of the challenge. 50,000 words in a month. I did it last year, but who's to say what I'll do this year? Maybe I can make it, but the amount of ideas I've had have been dwindling. Aside from a pretty terrifying dream I had about the Demonic Male Theory last night, my creativity has been limited to color schemes for the kitchen and bathroom. Maybe that'll change within the next few months.
Somewhat frustrated,
Maria
Anyway, the past two days have been devoted to getting as much inspiration as possible for continuing with my weight loss regime. For the past month, I've been devoted to the Dukan diet. Apparently, it's a big celebrity diet right now, reputed to be much more manageable than Atkins, and it doesn't limit any sorts of portions whatsoever. I first heard about it at one of my jobs, bought the book, and started the first phase the next morning. Probably not the smartest idea, because it was right when David and I were moving in, but there's never a really good time for a diet, a baby, or exercise.
There are four tiers to the program:
1. Attack
2. Cruise
3. Consolidate
4. Stabilize
The first phase lasts anywhere from 3 to 10 days, based on how much weight you need to lose. I completed the first phase in 8 days about a month ago now. During the first phase, you are only allowed to eat lean proteins, drink lots of liquids, walk 20 minutes per day, and eat one and a half tablespoons of oat bran per day.
During the Cruise phase, you alternate days of just protein, and protein with vegetables. You aren't allowed all vegetables (for example, starchy veggies high in sugar like corn and peas are strictly verbotten) but for the most part, you aren't very limited. Some people do the cruise phase alternating five days of pure protein and five days of protein and vegetables, but the book recommends the one-one ratio for lasting weight loss. How long you stay in the Cruise phase depends on how much weight you have to lose.
Dukan's website offers a free service wherein he calculates your "true weight," which takes into account your habits, bone structure, past weight loss and diet plans, previous pregnancies, and spits out a number that's supposed to be attainable and manageable for the rest of your life. Dukan doesn't recommend that you lose weight beyond your "true weight," but let's face it: with a history of encouraging dieting behind you, when you finally reach your true weight, it's superhuman to expect anyone to stop.
I've been in the Cruise phase for over three weeks now and I'm honestly getting sick of eating the same thing over and over. At first, I was excited to try new recipes from the book, but now I'm just sick of losing maybe one pound per day, three or four per week. If this keeps up, I'll be in this phase for another two months to reach my true weight, and of course my goal is lower.
I'm about 17 pounds away from the true weight set for me by the website, but the fact that my scale now tells me my weight in kilograms means that my weight loss is much more mystical than it was previously. Also, I'm not fitting into my clothes as well as I was hoping I would at this stage. He does prescribe exercise daily, which I was getting pretty good at until I sprained my foot biking to the grocery store.
Now, I'm crippled (dramatization, but valid, I swear), and eating my feelings, and protein isn't very good at keeping away the sad.
I've already lost almost half of the weight I wanted to lose, and with another two pounds, I will be solidly at the halfway point. However, I'm definitely losing a bit of focus, as well as motivation. There are just always so many things to do, and so many people to do them with, and food is almost always included in activities, and it's just difficult to say no.
I feel like I'm always obsessing over food, one way or the other. I'm either obsessed with eating as much as I can, or as little as possible to punish myself for the times that I indulge. It's important to find a balance if I want to maintain the weight I lose. I suppose that's what I should work on above anything else.
Made crab cakes the other night, which turned out very well. I've also been exploring the wonderful world of Boca burgers and tofurkey as alternatives to omelets every single day and fish when I can afford it. I also go through epic portions of nonfat yogurt, and I've been to frozen yogurt more times than I care to count.
It's a small indulgence, but it means a lot, especially when I can't have sugar added to anything. Not that I'm complaining; Stevia is pretty delish; but I'd like something normal.
Last night, David and I went to his mom's to pick up bandages for my foot, and she made me a boca burger without the bun and hesitatingly gave me a tiny glass full of a smoothie she blended especially for us. I ate the burger even though it probably isn't on the list of approved burgers, but sat with the drink in front of me for the entire night. I can't believe I didn't even sip it; she must think I'm one of the craziest people she's ever encountered.
With Nanowrimo lurking around the corner, I'm also getting a little terrified of the challenge. 50,000 words in a month. I did it last year, but who's to say what I'll do this year? Maybe I can make it, but the amount of ideas I've had have been dwindling. Aside from a pretty terrifying dream I had about the Demonic Male Theory last night, my creativity has been limited to color schemes for the kitchen and bathroom. Maybe that'll change within the next few months.
Somewhat frustrated,
Maria
Saturday, August 13, 2011
An update on life, or something like it
Due to full-time work schedule at one job, part time at another, and moving things, I've been unable to update anything like regularly.
That's untrue. Instead, I found it inspiring to sit on my couch, read lots of diet books, and completely change my lifestyle to account for an extra person. And consume what must be an unhealthy amount of non-fat dairy products in the form of yogurt, both frozen and simply chilled variety. But due to a very recent change in my work life and increasing internal/external pressure to update people on my life, I've decided to take a few minutes today to jot a few impressions down, and possibly provide insight into the last three months since returning from Europe.
First things first: Best Book Read in the Past Month
While it was a close race between my first Agatha Christie book (Murder on the Orient Express; phenom!) the diet that changed me for the next year of my life (The Dukan Diet, which is going swimmingly, thank you), and the entire Harry Potter series as I was gearing up for the last movie, the prize must go to Chocolat.
Let me begin by saying that it's almost nothing like the movie. While I've never actually watched the movie version, it's my understanding that the female character seduces Johnny Depp, and he ends up falling in love with her and her free-spirited drifter hippy child after moderate unpleasantness with the townsfolk. A decent movie, possibly quite good considering the cast, but overall played and seen before.
The book, however, is in its own special category for excellence. The setup is parallel first-person narrative, and only half of it is from Vianne's perspective. It's a modern tale of living as a single mother, the daughter of a gypsy, whose internal compass led her all over Europe and eventually to America, constantly running from "The Black Man," who seeks to force women to conform to society's steriotypes. The road is no life for a child. One must go to church every Sunday. You must live as your neighbors do, and respect your priest, and not indulge the senses. The story is a champion of freedom within society instead of slavery to one's social milieu. Oh, and there are deliciously-crafted scenes during which Vianne cooks her chocolate, almost as intricate as the confections Joanne Harris depicts.
There is a sequel, which I will be picking up as soon as I get the chance. The style is earthy and realistic and fragile. A lovely read. Highly, highly recommended.
On Gainful Employment
I am now the proud employee of two companies, both of which are located very far from my current living quarters. Armani Exchange, which is a two-hour drive away, and ESM, which is also two hours away. Luckily, ESM allowed me to work from home, since the majority of my work is simply sitting at a desk and answering a phone. Also, being an insufferable know-it-all, which is one of my many natural talents.
Work interferes with a lot of things. I am grateful to have the jobs, and I do enjoy the autonomy the money allows me, but I still feel as though I'm wasting a good portion of my life. I'm exchanging valuable hours of my time and energy for meagre wages that would be lower if the company could get away with it. It's better than the limbo I was in before ESM hired me on, of course, but there are positives and negatives to any situation.
On Living, and Relationships
David and I moved in together lyke offichul this Monday. Looking back, I really have no idea how it happened, but we just get along really well. Also, as I've concluded, this was the only way we could stay together during the school year.
Long distance doesn't really work. It can, as long as the understanding is that the situation is temporary, and you have a very solid base of trust under the relationship. If the timing of long-distance is undefined, you end up going crazy like the pidgeon in the Skinner Box that keeps getting shocked with no sense of control over the pain.
At least now, when we say "hello" or "goodbye," I know that the standard is the former. Since I work from home, I can go into his closet at any moment and see his clothes. His pictures are on the wall (something I've just come to accept, in spite of our completely divergent opinions on design) and his movies are in the DVD rack. His shoes are lined up next to mine on the shoe rack. We share a bed. It's unbelievably strange to look back on our awkward courtship and countless misunderstandings with the perspective of today, but there it is. I'm now living in Greeley.
School
I'm at the school here, but I have no time with work. I'll need to ask for at least one more day off per week in order to get anything like a normal schedule, but it's nice to be registered for at least once class, and an interesting one at that. All about literature and art. Not something that will techincally help me with my degree, perse, but it's fascinating, and I look forward to learning a lot.
Other things
My diet's doing pretty well. I've been on it for about a month, and have another two months or so to go. It's difficult for me to work on controlling portions, but luckily, this diet doesn't restrict quantity. Just type.
My life is consumed with a million little household dramas that resolve themselves in due time, of course. When are the dishes going to be done? Who's going to make the bed? Where do I put all of my shoes? Do we need a drying rack for dishes? What about clothing?
Time passes quickly, and I always intend to contact people, but it doesn't always happen. I need shelves for the books and I need more time in the day. Possibly less time working.
Till next time!
That's untrue. Instead, I found it inspiring to sit on my couch, read lots of diet books, and completely change my lifestyle to account for an extra person. And consume what must be an unhealthy amount of non-fat dairy products in the form of yogurt, both frozen and simply chilled variety. But due to a very recent change in my work life and increasing internal/external pressure to update people on my life, I've decided to take a few minutes today to jot a few impressions down, and possibly provide insight into the last three months since returning from Europe.
First things first: Best Book Read in the Past Month
While it was a close race between my first Agatha Christie book (Murder on the Orient Express; phenom!) the diet that changed me for the next year of my life (The Dukan Diet, which is going swimmingly, thank you), and the entire Harry Potter series as I was gearing up for the last movie, the prize must go to Chocolat.
Let me begin by saying that it's almost nothing like the movie. While I've never actually watched the movie version, it's my understanding that the female character seduces Johnny Depp, and he ends up falling in love with her and her free-spirited drifter hippy child after moderate unpleasantness with the townsfolk. A decent movie, possibly quite good considering the cast, but overall played and seen before.
The book, however, is in its own special category for excellence. The setup is parallel first-person narrative, and only half of it is from Vianne's perspective. It's a modern tale of living as a single mother, the daughter of a gypsy, whose internal compass led her all over Europe and eventually to America, constantly running from "The Black Man," who seeks to force women to conform to society's steriotypes. The road is no life for a child. One must go to church every Sunday. You must live as your neighbors do, and respect your priest, and not indulge the senses. The story is a champion of freedom within society instead of slavery to one's social milieu. Oh, and there are deliciously-crafted scenes during which Vianne cooks her chocolate, almost as intricate as the confections Joanne Harris depicts.
There is a sequel, which I will be picking up as soon as I get the chance. The style is earthy and realistic and fragile. A lovely read. Highly, highly recommended.
On Gainful Employment
I am now the proud employee of two companies, both of which are located very far from my current living quarters. Armani Exchange, which is a two-hour drive away, and ESM, which is also two hours away. Luckily, ESM allowed me to work from home, since the majority of my work is simply sitting at a desk and answering a phone. Also, being an insufferable know-it-all, which is one of my many natural talents.
Work interferes with a lot of things. I am grateful to have the jobs, and I do enjoy the autonomy the money allows me, but I still feel as though I'm wasting a good portion of my life. I'm exchanging valuable hours of my time and energy for meagre wages that would be lower if the company could get away with it. It's better than the limbo I was in before ESM hired me on, of course, but there are positives and negatives to any situation.
On Living, and Relationships
David and I moved in together lyke offichul this Monday. Looking back, I really have no idea how it happened, but we just get along really well. Also, as I've concluded, this was the only way we could stay together during the school year.
Long distance doesn't really work. It can, as long as the understanding is that the situation is temporary, and you have a very solid base of trust under the relationship. If the timing of long-distance is undefined, you end up going crazy like the pidgeon in the Skinner Box that keeps getting shocked with no sense of control over the pain.
At least now, when we say "hello" or "goodbye," I know that the standard is the former. Since I work from home, I can go into his closet at any moment and see his clothes. His pictures are on the wall (something I've just come to accept, in spite of our completely divergent opinions on design) and his movies are in the DVD rack. His shoes are lined up next to mine on the shoe rack. We share a bed. It's unbelievably strange to look back on our awkward courtship and countless misunderstandings with the perspective of today, but there it is. I'm now living in Greeley.
School
I'm at the school here, but I have no time with work. I'll need to ask for at least one more day off per week in order to get anything like a normal schedule, but it's nice to be registered for at least once class, and an interesting one at that. All about literature and art. Not something that will techincally help me with my degree, perse, but it's fascinating, and I look forward to learning a lot.
Other things
My diet's doing pretty well. I've been on it for about a month, and have another two months or so to go. It's difficult for me to work on controlling portions, but luckily, this diet doesn't restrict quantity. Just type.
My life is consumed with a million little household dramas that resolve themselves in due time, of course. When are the dishes going to be done? Who's going to make the bed? Where do I put all of my shoes? Do we need a drying rack for dishes? What about clothing?
Time passes quickly, and I always intend to contact people, but it doesn't always happen. I need shelves for the books and I need more time in the day. Possibly less time working.
Till next time!
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