Questions and Comments. Oh my!

Hi new followers!  So glad to have you.  Regardless of what leg of this journey you're on, I'd be glad to hear from you.  I figure first off I'll address the questions and comments I've received thus far.  I'm assuming most of you found your way here via my testimonial on dukandiet.com.  It was thanks to you all that I even knew my testimonial was up yet.  It isn't up to date.  My lowest weigh-in is now 179.6.  Meaning my grand total lost is 120 lbs!

So now onto the comments!
-ANON:  You're certainly a huge inspiration I started the DD a month ago and till now I'm pretty happy of what I've lost but the journey is gonna be very long for me since I have to lost at least 80 pounds more and see your pictures really inspired me. I'm really happy for you, congrats!!!
I know it is daunting right now to look at the road you have ahead of you.  I remember exactly what it felt like to be both excited by how far I'd come and frightened by how far I'd yet to go.  But you just have to keep trudging onward.  The benefits you reap will only increase with time!  I'm so glad I could be of help to you.  Would love to hear about your progress!
-And thanks for the compliment dukandoittoo!
-ANON:  You ARE on the US Dukan website. Check it out: http://www.dukandiet.com/brianna

My mother is placing all of us on the Dukan. ALL of us being herself, me and my Dad. We'll see how it works out. I've got the most to let goes.

CONGRATULATIONS to you. I'll look for you on Facebook.

I want to thank you very much for letting me know this.  I would not have known otherwise!  Good luck to you and your family.  It works believe me!  And yes feel free to add me on FB :)

-ahna_1969 said...

Congratulations!!! I bought the book and am currently reading it. I working on my shopping list, so I can start this diet after Easter dinner.

that sounds like a great plan ahna!  You can do it :)

-

1quincy said...

Oops I found where to comment to you.
First I need to tell you how inspireing you are being to all of us out there starting dow that road that you've gotten so far, Bravo.
Your first photo showed a pretty but chubby girl next one show the results of sticking with the program. You look marvelous!
Where did you get those recipes you mentioned? I got my Dukan Diet from Amazon UK and have ordered the recipe book but no one seems to know when or where it'll be available.
Thanks for the great role model you are to all of us who are just starting down our own roads to a healthier and probably happier life.
Please let us know how you are doing now on your third phase.

I appreciate your kind words so much.  The recipes I mentioned are all my own creations :)  I will definitely keep you up to date, and will post more pics along the way :) Best of luck to you!

Aisha said...

Thanks for the inspiration! I just purchased the DD book today...and reading this post on the same day I decided to commit to the program makes me feel great and very hopeful about this new adventure. You're before and after pics are amazing - I look forward to seeing more posts, recipes, and progress updates from you!

Thank you so much Aisha!  You have every reason in the world to be hopeful.  It truly works like magic if you play by the rules :)  

Anne said...

Fantastic to read! Great inspiration. I am just beginning my journey as well, and I plan to blog about it as a mode of accountability. http://thisdukandietthing.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the motivation!

Thank you Anne!  I would love to follow your blog.  Blogging does very much help.  Pay the motivation forward :D

Anonymous said...

Do you use the online coaching on dukandiet.com? Do you find it useful, or do you use just the book?

I do not use the online coaching, simply because my finances do not permit.  However, I have known those who have, and they have found it very insightful and helpful.  If you can afford to do it I highly recommend it.  The book of course is a must-have as well!

And since ya'll asked so nicely ;)  Here's some pics from my weekend fishing adventure.  It was quite possibly the happiest weekend of my life.  This summer is shaping up to be mind-blowing!

Wishing you all the best of luck on your journeys.  Ask me anything, anytime!

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be”

George Sheehan

Today's the Day!

This morning upon weighing, I discovered that I'd reached my true weight.  I stood before the mirror and sobbed.  I kept thinking, "I did it.  I really did it."  Now, I don't intend to stop here, but this is the biggest milestone.  To use the worse cliche for a diet blog ever, the rest of the weight I plan to lose will be icing on the cake.  ;)

I just hope that for those of you that are midway through or just beginning, and you feel like the journey is still so long and difficult; you can read this and realize that if you stick with it, you'll have a day like this too.  I've never been prouder, and this is coming from someone who has struggled with self-esteem issues her whole life.

"If you want it, you can have it...But you've got to learn to reach out there and grab it." - Weezer

Dukan in the News

So ABC has been Dukan crazy these past few days.  Loads of reports and videos.  If you go to ABC.com and search for "Dukan" you can watch Dr. Dukan be interviewed.  While they did interview me about the diet, there was no mention of me.  However, they did interview Marshall Brain which is equally exciting for me as without his blog post, I would've never began this journey.

On the weight loss front, the true weight goal lingers near but just out of reach.  I'm 2.8 lbs from it.  So patience is key I suppose.  I was also just informed that I will be the VID of the week on the UK Dukan site on May 6th.  So I updated my testimonial and photos for it.  Here's the most recent before/after splice I've made.

They will be featuring me on the US site as well, but I've yet to hear when that will be.  Will keep you posted.

I hope you all are doing well and staying strong.  Summer is just around the corner, and I cannot wait!  It will almost be as though it is the first summer of my life as I can finally go out and live. :)

A Waning Resolve + Newest Recipe!

Well, as usual, despite my best efforts I was less than well-behaved this weekend.  Thursday (the beginning of my weekend) went over flawlessly as did Friday...but then Saturday came and my two new friends came over with an entire catered party in tow.  (You think I'm kidding, these fellas do it up right.  Brought everything to make mixed drinks, had a crock pot with a dip concoction they'd made, some simmered meatballs, and a delightful fruit salad).  So yes, common courtesy gave me the perfect excuse to indulge, and as usually happens, that indulgence snowballed into the next day.  So I wake up today retaining water, feeling guilty, and just plain frustrated.  How do I allow myself to lapse into these silly behaviors that make me have to work twice as hard?  It's completely psychological.  Some release occurs when I eat things that are considered "bad."  The things don't even have to taste that great; it's just the idea that they're taboo and I want them.  So how am I going to counter this?  Well I'm going to be creative.  I'm going to come up with new ideas for Dukan friendly food that is appealing to me.  So much of my dilemma is that I've been on the diet for so long that I'm growing bored with my original go-to recipes.  So tonight for example I made a lovely Chicken Stir Fry.  Here's the thing, in the early days I would've been a Dukan stickler and said well you know carrots are no nos and snap peas are a bit starchy, but in mixed veggies there's so few of them, and the rest is perfect.  So, a few extra carbs are totally worth it if I've made something I can actually enjoy and will choose to eat as opposed to sitting about pining over the thought of fast food.  I think this will work.  Let's hope so.

Chicken Stir Fry

1 bag mixed stir fry veggies (Squash, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, peppers, cauliflower, and snap peas)

5 chicken breasts seasoned with pepper, garlic, chili powder, and a pinch of mongolian seasoning

1 bell pepper

1 clove garlic

chopped chives

Pan cook the chicken breasts with garlic and chives

Cut into pieces

Use same pan to put chicken back in + veggies

Season to taste

The greatest delight the fields and woods minister is the suggestion of an occult relation between man and the vegetable.  I am not alone and unacknowledged.  They nod to me and I to them.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Add

Exciting News and a Recipe for Spring!

I was contacted by Dukan Diet North America about their new PR campaign in the US.  They'll be releasing a book, and they're developing a website.  I've been asked to be involved in the PR campaign by participating in interview for news segments, and the possibility of meeting Dr. Dukan was even mentioned!  They say it will be all expenses paid, and I just couldn't say no.  I think it's an amazing opportunity to pay this gift I've been given forward.  My life was saved, and I want others to be too.  So the future looks quite bright at the moment.

On the dieting front, the day prior to being contacted I decided to recommit myself to the diet.  I'd been slacking quite horribly, and had managed to gain 2 lbs that hung around for nearly 10 days (which is unheard of for me).  I'm now back to within two tenths of a lb of my lowest weight thus far, so I would say I'm back on track.  It's still a struggle, but hey I enjoyed myself quite fiendishly for a good week straight, and if I can correct those missteps in a matter of a few days, I think that's a pretty acceptable turn around.

I fit into my first pair of size 12 jeans ever yesterday.  I used to dream of being a size 18, or maybe, just maybe a size 16.  Then I fit into a size 14, and my mind was blown.  So fitting into a 12 is quite the surreal experience for me.  I distinctly remember buying pants at the age of 11 that were size 13/14's, and from there I just got bigger.  I was thrilled in high school when I barely fit into a pair of size 16's for a few months.  As silly as it sounds though,  I still very much struggle with my self-perception.  Somedays I look in the mirror and am amazed at my progress.  Other days it's as though I feel so big still.  The only comfort I find lies in the fact that the last time I lost weight, I recall never feeling anywhere close to average sized.  But when I look at pictures of myself from that time, I see that I was smaller than I ever imagined.  So who knows.  I don't think I'll ever feel truly fit or truly small.

Moving onward, I spent quite a bit of time cooking this week in order to ensure that I had access to Dukan approved meals.  I updated a classic recipe of mine and turned it into something fabulous, and I would like to share it with you.  I've been eating two servings of this a day and steadily losing .5 lbs per day after a horrid plateau.  Combine this with some green tea, and it's a magic combination!

Spring Stew

combine the following in a pot with 99% fat free low sodium beef broth

• lean roast (either cook it yourself or buy precooked)
• yellow squash, peeled and cut into pieces
• frozen asparagus, broccoli, and cauliflower
• chopped bell pepper
• chopped cabbage
• mushrooms

In a separate pan, saute chopped onions and celery until golden for taste, season with garlic and black pepper.

Add these to the the other ingredients and simmer until fully cooked.  S
Serve topped with chopped fresh chive.

To ensure your veggies are not overcooked, feel free to add in the frozen vegetables last.

Good luck to you all!  As always, feel free to comment with any questions or advice!

“Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.”

Me today, feeling the littlest I've ever felt in my whole life :)