Cruise Phase: Week 1

Cruise Phase

Week 1: 

Monday 18th March - Sunday 24th March

Hey guys! So, week one of the second phase has been successfully completed :) 

It's been a difficult week, not in terms of lack of food but because of what challenges I have had to face being around people and being a part of certain events. There has been a number of times when I could have lapsed, and been very naughty, but I have been so strong and made sure this didn't happen. I've tackled a lot of temptations this week which I'm very proud of and will continue to do so for as long as possible. I haven't had a drop of alcohol since 9th March, the day I started the diet. 

So now for the food......

Monday 18th March - Protein and Veg

Now today I am ravenous, but that is only because I stayed up all night doing work for a deadline that I ended up getting an extension for.......after handing it in!! What a nightmare. I was in my uni library for 22 hours. Lets just say I was a bit shaky and the hallucinations were getting the better of me! Anyway, it was a great day to introduce some lovely juicy veg back into my diet. And my lovely Daddy, bless him, made my first meal, which was my lunch (since I missed breakfast.....oopsies!)

Lunch: Chicken Salad with Tomatoes, Spring Onions, Mushrooms, Peppers, Cucumber and Salad Leaves

Day 9: Lunch

Dinner: Baked Salmon topped with Garlic, Shallots and Dill with Green Peppers and Cucumber

Day 9: Dinner

As today is my first day with veg, I made sure I ate any veg I had with my meal, cold. This is because of one of Dr Dukan's tips I read in my Dukan Bible! He says that by consuming cold food, your body burns calories heating the food up before it can be released into the bloodstream. Although this is a small amount of calories, it all adds up doesn't it? So it could be the difference between being, for example 9st 13lbs and 10st 1lb. Bonus! 

Tuesday 19th March - Pure Protein

Breakfast: Oat Bran Cinnamon Porridge

No photo for this...sorry! Now that I've mastered the right amount of sweetness and cinnamon, it's becoming the norm, I just bang it in the microwave and enjoy! Simply divine. And a lovely winter warmer for the crap weather Britain is having at the moment.

Lunch: Fat-free Bacon, Chicken Strips and a Poached Egg

Day 10: Lunch

It looks a bit greasy but I assure you that was only due to a little dash of balsamic vinegar I splashed on to give it a little extra taste.

Dinner: Baked Mackerel with Garlic, Basil, Dill, Dijon Mustard and Olive Oil on a bed of Scrambled Egg Yolk with Shallots and Chives

Day 10: Dinner

This was absolutely beautiful :) and I made my first ever Dukan dessert out of my Dukan Bible today......it didn't go absolutely to plan, but not bad for a first attempt; the gelatine didn't liquidize very well which was due to my bad timing but hey! I can always practice!

Dessert: Fluffy Mint Mousse

Day 10: Dessert

Wednesday 20th March - Protein and Veg

Today was a very successful day! I'm starting to get smart with the construction of my meals, making sure I get the best amount of nutrition in each meal. Dr Dukan states that in the Cruise Phase, on your Protein and Veg day, although yes, it is about adding veg to your meal, you can't forget about protein, so really try to just add veg to your meal rather than think solely of veggie meals. It's about consistency and balancing the two food groups equally. So don't forget your PROTEIN.

Breakfast: Soft Boiled Eggs with Asparagus Wrapped in Ham

Day 11: Breakfast

Lunch: Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Millefeuilles with Chicken, Bacon and Veg Soup

Day 11: Lunch

The millefeuilles were a starter recipe taken out of my Dukan Bible, and although I had two with the soup, I did make more that I did eat as a starter. They were delicious, but very slippery and messy haha. This is what they looked like on their own:

Day 11: Starter

All they are, are stacks of salmon and cucumber with fat-free fromage frais spread in between each slice of cucumber and salmon. Yum!

Dinner: Baked Chicken Breast with Swede, Broccoli, Carrots and a Spread of Dijon Mustard

Day 11: Dinner

Now for dessert, I made another Dukan recipe. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of it but I have a photo of the one in the book. They did look similar although my consistency was a little more of a 'block' than the one in the photo. But tasty all in all. This was made with Oat Bran so I had my daily intake from this.

Dessert: Muesli Ice Cream

Day 11: Dessert

Thursday 21st March - Pure Protein

So yesterday I went to a class at the gym: Body Pump. It was amazing! You use a weight bar and weights and you change up or down in weight according to what exercise you do. The exercises work all the different muscle groups of your body and I think I did about 100 squats altogether. I'm feeling the pain today though. I'm easing myself back into the gym, firstly trying out all the different classes to see which one's I like but also to give myself varied workouts which keep the notion of exercising exciting and attractive. By the end of next week I'm going to aim to do 3-4 classes throughout the week and build it up. 

Breakfast: Oat Bran Cinnamon Porridge

No photo.....you know the score ;)

Lunch: Ham with Prawn, Squid and Mussel 'Wraps' with a Fat-Free Honey Yoghurt

Day 12: Lunch

This was a little poor, due to how busy my day was. But surprisingly, it did the trick! 

Dinner: Fillet Steaks Encrusted with Crushed Peppercorns with a Seafood 'Salsa'

Day 12: Dinner

I made the salsa using ginger, shallots and garlic to give a kick to the seafood mix of prawns, mussels and squid. 

Now, dessert, my god, dessert was just what I needed.....

Dessert: Tofu Choc Cream

Day 12: Dessert

This was absolutely delicious, tasted exactly like the full fat version. The absolute mother of Dukan desserts so far. Definitely be making this again!

Friday 22nd March - Protein and Veg

Breakfast: Bacon, Eggs and Tomato Smile :)

Day 13: Breakfast

Lunch: Tuna Salad

Sorry, no photo for this. It was basically like the salad I had on Monday but without the mushrooms and chicken. I mixed in a little dijon mustard and quark cheese to liven it up.

Dinner

Starter: Smoked Salmon and Chive Oat Bran Roulade

Day 13: Starter

This was absolutely delicious and I highly recommend. Make the Oat Bran galette as normal and roll smoked salmon, chives and quark in it. Mamma mia!

Main: Baked Cod on a Bed of Vegetable Lasagne

Day 13: Main

The vegetable lasagne was a recipe taken out of my Dukan Bible, and I just added baked cod to it. It included all the usual seasoning, garlic, dill, salt, pepper etc and the lasagne part contained courgettes, tomatoes, onion and it was seasoned with half a low salt chicken stock cube. Very tasty. I finished the meal off with the last of the tofu choc cream I made yesterday and a yoghurt.

Saturday 23rd March - Pure Protein

Now today was the toughest day I have experienced on this diet so far. My family came up from the south for a big family event to celebrate the birthday of my 13 year old cousin. A big day and night was planned and this included many moments of extreme temptations, which although I managed to control, I found very very tough. It's hard for some people to stay strong in situations where you are surrounded by food you can't have and people you want to enjoy the day or night with. Let's start from the beginning.

Breakfast: Ham and Chive Omelette

Day 14: Breakfast

This was lovely so I had no problem scoffing this down as the rest of my family ate a full English breakfast with all the trimmings including buttery toast, which I have been craving so much. Now comes the first hurdle. After we had been out in Jesmond Dene, we stopped off at a cafe for a nice hot beverage to warm us up. But once we got sat down and the menus were handed to us, the family decided to order food. Nothing on the menu was okay to have, so I had to sit there drinking my green tea, as they ate their meal. What's worse is I didn't have a little snack on me to munch on so it was harder, plus the food took about 45 minutes to get out so they brought out three bowls of french fries to make up for the waiting time! And here's a photo:

Day 14: Hurdle

I think the main thing to take from this is, ALWAYS BE PREPARED with little snacks in case your family decide to go somewhere for a bite to eat. Some seafood sticks, ham slices, cottage cheese, yoghurt - all can be taken with you just in case you are stuck in what I was today. I ordered another green tea to keep my hands busy which seemed to work okay, but if I had brought my own stuff, I'd be even more distracted and be less bothered about the lovely nachos my family were tucking into. It is inevitable that this kind of thing is going to happen, you just have to be smart and organised. And bless my family, they were so supportive. At the end of the day I chose this so I have to be prepared to take on all the hurdles! Now for my lunch!

Lunch: Chicken and Prawns in Soy Sauce with Ham and Chive Quark Rolls and Seafood Sticks

Day 14: Lunch

And now, Dinner.......after being around all the amazing buffet food at the party (at my Nana's house), I realised I needed to get the hell out of there, get my own stuff and cook my dinner at the party. Once I did this I was all happy again, but boy was it tough being around huge square pizzas, cake and all sorts of gorgeous stuff. Anyway, my meal......

Dinner: Mince Meatballs with Onions and Herbs

Day 14: Dinner

I attempted to make a hot chocolate sponge pudding, but it just went a big eggy in the microwave. I don't like heating up my desserts in the microwave, it just doesn't seem to work for me. I need to start looking at baking my desserts. So, I made a cocoa milkshake instead, which was okay, but not great. All in all, it saved me from tucking into any of the party food there which is the main thing! An achievement actually. And I did have some seafood sticks over the course of the night to suppress any temptations!

WORST HURDLE OVER!!!! GET IN!!!!

Sunday 24th March - Protein and Veg

So since its Sunday, and my family are still here having a big breakfast, I thought I'd join in....ish, and have a full English...ish. But it was lush anyway so that's the main thing!

Breakfast: Bacon, Eggs, Tomatoes and Mushrooms

Day 15: Breakfast

Lunch: Mixed Veg Soup with Prawns

Since I don't really like having just veg on its own, I just improvised and chucked the prawns in to add a bit of protein. And it wasn't bad actually! Good healthy and tasty soup, can't go wrong really!

Day 15: Lunch

Dinner: Butternut Squashes filled with Mince Bolognaise

This was gooorrgeous. Should have kept the squashes in for a little longer but it was soo tasty. I mixed the mince meat with a tin of tomatoes and voila! Beautiful, definitely recommend this one!

Day 15: Dinner

And that, is that! Week one of the cruise phase is over, and I'm 15 days into my diet. Feeling fabulous. This week I have lost 3lbs, so that's 9lbs lost altogether, and I only went to the gym once this week, soooo I'm going to aim to lose the 5lbs to make it up to a stone by the end of next week and go to the gym at least 3 times. Let's get a stone lost by the end of the month! All I've got to say is BRING IT ON!

Now to end, I feel it is appropriate to post a motivational picture up, for me and for you, so here's picture number one:

Thanks for reading :) and remember.....

Keep Following!

See you next week.

Kate :)

Attack Phase: Day 8

Sunday 17th March:

Day 8

Well well well, here we are. Last day of the attack phase, I've nearly completed it. I'm feeling more hopeful today but still very flat. Happy St Patrick's Day, to you all by the way. One of my best friends lives in Ireland and I had planned to go over there around this time to celebrate it the proper Irish way, but unfortunately I have a uni deadline tomorrow which has become the bane of my life and I can't really sit and reflect on anything that has happened this week despite how shocking it may have been. Before I start getting on with work I get stuck in to breakfast.

Breakfast: Ham and Chive Omelette

Day 8: Breakfast

Really satisfying. And I was absolutely starving after last night's antics. We had to help take the set down after the final show, which took about and hour and a half. By then I was just sooo exhausted, but then it got worse. When we finally finished, we headed for the bar where a huge table of buffet food was set out for everyone. Here are a couple of pictures of the buffet:

Not one piece of food on that table was I allowed. I think it's safe to say I was absolutely livid. I went straight home as I couldn't even have a celebratory drink (or maybe I could I just want to stick to the diet by the letter). I am so looking forward to the cruise phase as I have been starting to really miss veg. I'm going to be alternating between pure protein days and pure protein + veg days over one day alternations. So one day PP and one day PV. Hopefully this will make the diet that little bit more easier, although I haven't struggled as much in this first phase as I thought I would, which is great. I think it's because I really want this badly, where as before my mind hasn't been fully in it. 

Anyway, I try to do my work at home but I just can't seem to concentrate. My friend is at university in the library doing the same work so I decide to go up since a bit of moral support always helps.

Unfortunately I don't have a photo for my lunch, since I was knee deep in this work. However what I had is easy enough explained:

Lunch: Cottage Cheese, Lean Ham Slices, Can of Diet Coke

No time to waste and I stay at the library all the way through tea time, having to go to Sainsburys nearby to grab some 'dinner'.

This is what I had......

Day 8: Dinner

Diabolical I know. But at least I ate something to see me through the night. Yes I said night. Turns out this work is proving to take longer than one thought........

So from now on I'll only be doing weekly blogs; since the Cruise Phase is the longest phase where weight loss slows down and becomes a gradual process it will be impossible for me to keep a daily blog. Plus, the most important parts will be covered, they will just be briefer than usual. In the blogs I will briefly discuss my weekly food intake - with photos of course - and give you a weekly update on my weight loss. 

It's been a great journey so far and I really hope you have enjoyed reading my blog as much as I have enjoyed writing it. And, more importantly, please keep following, the more support I get, the easier this will be to actually see through right to the very end.

It's been a pleasure.

Speak soon,

Kate :)

Oh, and one more thing........I've lost 6lbs so far :) onwards and upwards!

Attack Phase: Day 7

Saturday 16th March:

Day 7

I'm ecstatic today; tonight is the final showing of King Lear, and the seventh day of the diet! I'm going to carry this phase on for eight days, but I feel extremely proud that I'm this far already and I haven't ONCE fallen off the bandwagon, sticking to the diet by the absolute letter. Now for breakfast. I'm in the mood for eggs. Wakey wakey eggs and bakey.....

Lunch: Eggs and Bacon with Dukan Mayonnaise

Day 7: Breakfast

Mmm, you can't beat a good fry up. A good hearty breakfast is so important in setting you up for the day and providing you with the right amount of energy to keep you going through to lunch.

It is with deepest sadness that I receive some incredibly bad news this morning. One of my friends passed away, last weekend. I only found out today as his family didn't want it discussed over social networking sites due to the nature of his passing. This dampens my day and I don't feel up to talking too much about my day on here. I just want to stress that it has made me really value my life and understand how precious it is because at any moment it could be over. This makes me more determined to do all of the things I want to do and succeed in everything I do. 

Lunch: Tuna Cakes with Pickled Onions and Mussels Covered in Dukan Mayonnaise

Day 7: Lunch

These were beautiful. I made some for my dad too and he loved them. And they were so simple:

Ingredients:

2 small cans of tuna in spring water

2 teaspoons of dijon mustard

1 tablespoon of oat bran

1 egg

1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of water

2 tablespoons of fresh chives

A pinch of salt and pepper

A small chili 

Simple.

For dinner I was really using up all I had left so here it is:

Bacon Wrapped Salmon with a Garlic Paste and Shallots

Day 7: Dinner

Finished off with a cup of hot water and lemon.

I apologise for the briefness of today's blog. I hope you still enjoyed reading about my meals.

Thanks,

Keep following.

Attack Phase: Day 6

Friday 15th March:
Day 6

I am feeling hungry today, but also exhausted. I have to be in Uni for 10am, it is 7:30am and I nearly choose sleep over my education. But no, that little voice in my head that, although sometimes annoying, keeps me from being lazy and I peel myself out of bed into the cold. I rustle up a quick but tasty breakfast just to get it over with mainly but also so I can go back into bed to eat it for one last shred of cosiness. 

And here it is:

Breakfast: Salmon Scrambled Eggs

Day 6: Breakfast

Because I'll still be up in Uni around lunch time I make a packed lunch. I finally meet up with my friend for the first time since before we both started the diet, and it's great to see her! She has lost a few pounds and she looks great. I started a week after her so I'm still wanting to wait until nearer the end of the Attack Phase before I weigh myself just so I see better results. I'm hoping to have lost around 4-5 pounds, though I'll be happy with any sort of loss, as long as it is a loss! The Dukan Diet life plan book has a really interesting section about how eating cold foods help you to lose even more weight because your body has to use energy to heat the food up to the right temperature before it can go into the blood stream, so although it may only be a couple of calories, it all adds up! Thinking of extra ways to help get that fat burnt will always be beneficial if your serious about seeing this diet to the end. To be honest, I should, from now on stop calling this a diet, and start calling it a life plan, because that's exactly what it is.

For lunch my friend and I eat together, bless us, Dukan dudes together, supporting each other as we eat our cottage cheese and other protein foods. So what did I have?

Lunch: Lean Ham Slices, Cottage Cheese, Seafood Sticks and a Can of Diet Coke

Day 6: Lunch

One word. Simple. And it was much easier to eat with someone eating pretty much the same stuff. However, the greek yoghurt was absolutely disgusting, boring and hard to swallow. I think i'll just stick to the flavoured ones thank you!

I'm back home in time to make dinner before my second last King Lear show. This meal is a lot more interesting than lunch!

Dinner: Basa Fillet Topped with Dill, Pickled Onions and Mussels Topped with Dukan Mayonnaise

Day 6: Dinner

Really fresh and really clean, if you know what I mean? Haha I'm a poet and I didn't know it! Anyway yes this was a lovely dinner, finished off with a greek style yoghurt.

So, today has been about really looking for those times when you can make your weight loss go even further. Walking more, taking the stairs rather than the lift, drinking and eating cold foods often. There are more than that too, it's all about doing your research and even looking back over stuff you have previously read just to refresh yourself; I've forgotten about a lot of important information and when read back through my Dukan Life Plan book, remembered important stuff that has helped me at that time!

Well that's it for now!

Keep following :)

Attack Phase: Day 5

Thursday 14th March:

Day 5

I struggle to keep my eyes open this morning. All this King Lear business has the life of me and I'm just so god damned tired. As I peel open my eyes I know in my mind, heart and gut that I need a proper hearty breakfast to get my day going! So, what better way than a good fry up?:

Breakfast: Low Fat Bacon Slices Topped With Eggs Sunny Side Up Completed With a Chive Smile

Day 5: Breakfast

And look, it's happy to see you :) - I may not have my energy yet but at least I have my sense of humour! I absolutely love eggs and the bacon was such a lovely treat, making me forget I was even on a diet. Gorgeous. I made my daddy breakfast at the same time, although his turned out a little different:

War of the breakfasts

So I thought I'd just show you this to give you a little perspective. I thought making my daddy's would make me miss the toast, and the mushrooms and all the other trimmings that full English breakfasts usually come with, but if you take a look, there's not really much to miss. My eggs look better and so does my bacon (although you can't see them, they are gorgeous thick pieces with no horrible fat on them) and the mushrooms just look a bit limp to me. Now, I'm sure it was tasty, and as my dad tucked in with delight I knew that he thought it was tasty, but in hindsight there really isn't much to miss. So STAY STRONG, because in the end it will all pay off! 

And as the day progresses, it gets even better! Check out my lunch:

Lunch: Antipasto of Tuna, Cottage Cheese With Chives, Mussels, Smoked Salmon and Ham Slices

Day 5: Lunch

A delicious simple lunch. You can't really go wrong! End of. Now for dinner...

Dinner: Crispy Onion Mustard Chicken 

Day 5: Dinner

Now, unfortunately I leave making dinner a little to the last minute and spend my last moments I have before I have to leave for the theatre, running around the kitchen like a headless chicken, whilst cooking a headless chicken (haha!), so tonight's dinner is a bit of a cop out. I was meant to grate the onions in order to get the 'crispiness' however I forgot to do that, so this is how it came out. It was nice, but it felt more like fast food than dinner. I help it go down with a cup of hot water and lemon. When I get to the theatre, I begin eating my muller light yoghurt, and one of the cast members calls me on it, asking if I am allowed it as part of my diet. I say yes taken aback, and she advises me that although it says 'fat free' it is absolutely packed with sugar so eating them three times a day could probably prolong weight loss. I'm glad she tells me and I make sure that I will cut down my intake of them. Always take advice from others around you even if you feel it may not be true, look it up and take it on board because you never know....

So, I apologise for this entry being particularly shorter than usual, life seems to have got in the way and I am suddenly finding it hard to get precious time at the moment. But fear not, the shows are over soon and I will soon be back to my chatty self!

Ciao for now, and remember.........keep following :)

Attack Phase: Day 4

Wednesday 13th March:

Day 4

I wake up this morning feeling quite tired, so, although I planned to cook a scrumptious breakfast of scrambled eggs and salmon, I just couldn't be bloody bothered - better to be honest than make up an excuse! So since I planned to be at Uni for most of the day I decide to get my oat bran intake via the cinnamon porridge, and this time I add a full teaspoon of cinnamon rather than half.

And I have a photo this time:

Day 4: Breakfast

Even with an extra half a teaspoon I still couldn't quite get that flavour to power through the blandness. Maybe if I add sweetener next time? 

My friend is doing this diet as well and she has a saying: "With Dukan you Kan". I think of this every time I have a little lapse with my meals, like this one. It's always good to have the support of someone else who is in the same boat as you, because you can keep each other going. Like when runners all run together - they motivate each other to push harder and maintain that energy and spirit needed to get to the finish point. That's what we are doing. And with each other's support we can reach it with flying colours. And although my friend and I haven't seen each other since we both started the diet, we'll text each other some words of support, pics of our food, give each other tips and advice and it all helps toward our creativity in the kitchen as well as our motivation. Make sure you have someone there, even if they aren't on a diet, someone who will really support you and motivate you to carry on, and be there to stop you if you should ever feel your about to fall of the band wagon.

Anyway, I realised yesterday that I was starting to eat the same foods, and that is very dangerous. I actually come back from Uni in time for lunch so I make sure I go shopping for some different kinds of flavours. However, as I still havn't managed to shake off this 'half-arsed' spirit that's looming over me like a bad smell, I rustle up a quick and simple lunch.

Lunch: Lean Slices of Cooked Ham Filled With Cottage Cheese and Quark Cream Cheese and Pickled Onions

Day 4: Lunch

I finish off with a can of diet coke and a muller light greek style yoghurt. And it did the trick. For my snack I had a small jar of pickled cockles...yum, and a cranberry fruit tea.

I'm starting to feel a little tired today, and slightly hungry but not to the point where I want to stuff my face with cake - and to be fair since the first show there has been dozens and dozens of cakes, and biscuits and chocolate and sweets, you name it, that fellow cast members have lovingly brought in for the rest of us, and I walk past them in the dressing rooms with not even the slightest urge to have one, so that says something, doesn't it? I think mostly the tiredness is coming from the last couple of weeks of intense rehearsals but I think the hunger is down to the fact that sometimes I'm not having 'three courses' at every meal time, which the Dukan Diet advises. So a small starter, for example, some seafood sticks, then a main and then a dessert. I also think it comes down to the fact that I'm eating a lot of yoghurts as desserts and it's getting a bit boring now so tomorrow I'm going to test out a Dukan dessert recipe and hopefully that will keep my taste buds happy for the time being! I can't wait until the cruise phase when I'm allowed more 'condiments' and 'tolerated' ingredients such as reduced fat cocoa powder, and fruits to make yummy desserts with!

Now, for dinner! I make sure I really go to town with this one since I have been a bit of a lazy bugger today so here's the finale.....

Dinner: Baked Kipper with a Hollandaise Sauce, Chopped Shallots and Dill

Day 4: Dinner

Now those of you who are a bit squeamish about the whole fish being on there then....what are you thinking? With the taste of that fish I didn't even notice the eye ball glaring up at me. Haha, no but honestly, this meal rocked my world. It was awesome and fun to make. The hollandaise sauce requires a large amount of leg work, or arm work rather, as you have to constantly whisk it so it doesn't curdle. But it was an absolute corker and I highly recommend it to anyone who, like me, is absolutely gaga about fish! I finish with a muller yoghurt, and off to rehearsals I go!

So, today has been a bit of a downer to start with ending on an absolute climax by the end. So I think it's fair to say that if your having a bit of a 'can't be bothered' day, then let that come through you good and proper even if a couple of meals have to suffer the blow. But once you find your enthusiasm again - which, by the way, I did once I sat down and planned my dinner after going shopping for stuff - then regroup your thoughts and creativity and GET COOKING! 

Thanks for reading, and remember........keep following! :)

Attack Phase: Day 3

Tuesday 12th March:
Day 3

I love waking up to a sunny morning! The sun is shining and, although I have a lot of uni work to do, I can't help but just want to get outside and soak in those rays! But first, time for some breakfast:

Breakfast: Dippy Eggs and Chicken Shoulders

I boiled two eggs (and two for daddy), and fried some strips of chicken breast in a pan with a couple of sprays of extra virgin olive oil spray. It feels strange cooking chicken for breakfast but once I get that lovely smell coming from them I know I'm in for a tasty treat...

Day 3: Breakfast

So for some reason, daddy's were, and I quote him, "as runny as me nose on a winters morning". But in that small time it took me to plate up my chicken, while my eggs were still in the boiling water, they became hard boiled, a minor disappointed, since I looooove my eggs runny. But all in all it was a really tasty breakfast. The chicken shoulders really filled me up, which is the most important thing. I admit it was a tad dry but I reckon that's down to the eggs being overcooked. So, the verdict is, with runny eggs, this dish is certainly not a yolk of a breakfast...hehe.

So today I feel like doing some light exercise as I haven't since starting the diet, so I decide to do a few lengths at the pool. Swimming is a brilliant form of exercise and it hardly even feels like your working out, you just glide through the water. Being low impact I wasn't tired out after it; I actually felt even more energised. Perfect to get me through the long night ahead (the first public showing of King Lear is tonight!!).

When I get back I make lunch, and I include my oat bran intake in this meal, in the form of a galette, however this time I experiment with different spices to make it that little bit more tasty. And my, what a result! Here it is:

Lunch: Smoked Salmon on a Seasoned Oat Bran and Chive Galette with a Prawn and Cottage Cheese Accompaniment

Day 3: Lunch

It's official, I have finally achieved a scrumptious galette! It's a Dukan miracle! All I added to the regular ingredients was half a teaspoon of cumin, half a teaspoon of celery salt, half a teaspoon of curry powder and some chopped live chives. It was so tasty. I am so happy I can actually enjoy oat bran now as a savoury dish, although I will still experiment with some tasty desserts :)

So I totally forgot about having a snack in between lunch and dinner so instead I just ate a couple of seafood sticks and drank a can of diet coke before dinner. And boy was my dinner a tasty mother! I think I'm starting to get the hang of this....finally!

Dinner: House Special Curry (Beef, King Prawn and Chicken)

No I did not make a mistake. Yes I mean a CURRY! Now, whoever said that you couldn't have a great tasting "just like the Chinese takeaway" curry should hang their head in shame because I totally did it with this dish, and it was, if I may say so myself, even better than the curry you get at the Chinese takeaway. All I did was look over my Dukan Bible at all the 72 foods allowed, used my brain, and my creativity to create a gorgeous meal! And here's how I did it:

Ingredients:
1 beef fillet, sliced into strips
1 chicken breast, sliced into strips
A handful of cooked and peeled king prawns
3 tablespoons of fat free fromage frais
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1/4 teaspoon of tumeric
1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin
Pinch of black pepper

Fry the onions in a frying pan for 5 minutes. Add the beef and chicken to the pan and fry for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the cumin and tumeric and fry for 2 minutes. Add the fromage frais and simmer for 5 minutes.

And here it is (it tasted much better than it looked):

Day 3: Dinner

I finished it off with a lovely Muller light fat-free Greek yoghurt - which is my absolute saviour in the times I have a craving for something sweet and creamy. Yum. And just to note it, at the theatre I had a cup of tea and as I write this I indulge in a camomile tea to sooth my throat and settle me down for peepies.

I think the main thing to take from today is that I didn't let the diet get the better of me in terms of the limitations. I focused on the foods that I can have and took it from there, experimenting and not being afraid to try out things. However, I have also come to realise that I am starting to eat the same foods, soooo, to stop it becoming monotonous, I'm going to start mixing it up good and proper from now on, and get some more life into my meals, starting with fish and shellfish, since I absolutely love fish!

Anyway, time for my slumber. Thanks for reading and remember....keep following :)

Attack Phase: Day 2

Monday 11th March:

Day 2

Another day arrives and I wake up feeling peckish but not ravenous, which is brilliant. Since I have planned an eggs-ellent lunch I choose to have another bash at an Oat Bran brekkie, but this time as porridge!

Breakfast: Cinnamon Oat Bran Porridge

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of Oat Bran

1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon

Splash of Skimmed Milk (up to you how much you want)

I placed the Oat Bran Porridge in the microwave and warmed for 1 minute, stirred well, then popped back in for another minute. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of it, buuut I can safely say, it looked exactly like porridge, just a tad bit more smooth. It was edible, a lot more edible than the galette but I couldn't really taste my half teaspoon of cinnamon, so I'm putting the blandness down to lack of that. Next time I will use at least a full teaspoon of cinnamon and then I think we are on to a winning oat bran breakfast. Something simple but substantial. I finish it off with a cup of English Breakfast tea!

Since I'm just chilling in the house today before my call at the theatre tonight, I have more time to spend on creating a yummy lunch. This one I feel will be the best so far.

Lunch

Starter: Salmon parcels filled with King Prawns, Creme Fraiche and Chives

And here is the result:

Best Starter So Far!

And, my, what a result! Just beautiful. So refreshing and moreish. This is the winning starter dish so far. Highly recommended.

Main: Spicy Omelette with Fresh Mint

This is a Dukan Recipe I have been dying to try since I was given my Dukan Bible.

Ingredients (2 servings):

4 eggs

50g fat-free fromage frais

1 generous pinch of curry powder

A few fresh mint leaves

Salt and black pepper

Beat together the eggs and fromage frais in a bowl. Add salt, black pepper and curry powder.

Chop up the mint leaves and add them to the mixture. Stir them in well.

In a non-stick frying pan (still haven't got mine so instead I add a few sprays using extra virgin olive oil spray - only 1 calorie per spray!!) pour in half the mixture and cook on both sides of the omelette over a gentle heat until cooked. Serve the first one then cook the second one.

The First Omelette

Now, this one looks pretty darn good if I may say so myself. However, I hadn't poured out half for this one so the next one had more mixture to cook. I left this first one, which led to it cooling really quickly. And by the time I realised the second one was going to take much longer it was too late. I was eating a cold omelette which although tasted refreshing with the mint, would have been much nicer had I ate it straight off the pan. So I would recommend that if you are going to try this, eat the first one straight away while you wait for the other one to cook and make sure you evenly pour out the mixture to make two even omelettes.

Here's what happens when you have two much mixture....

The Second Omelette

Not a pretty sight is it? And it didn't taste better - yes I ate it, I'm on a diet I need all I can get! So, it seems that day two is another day of trial and error! At least I have some snacks to keep me going until dinner:

Day 2 Snack: Lemon Green Tea and Seafood Sticks

Now dinner, is a much better outcome. I left it slightly to the last minute so I found myself 'hoying' some ingredients together but wow what an amazing result. It's true that you should sometimes throw away the recipe book and mix it up! So my concoction is as follows:

Dinner: Strips of Fillet Beef in Soy Sauce, Garlic and Chilli with Onion 'Crackers'

And here it is:

Day 2 Dinner: The Best Main Meal So Far

Now it may not look that special, but believe you me, it was the tastiest main meal I have had all week! I marinated the extremely lean and succulent beef strips in the soy sauce and added the garlic, onion 'crackers' and chilli before frying them in a pan with a couple of sprays of extra virgin olive oil. Now the chilli dilemma I had yesterday (with the prawn starter): I realise now one more reason why it was so hot. The first, was obviously because yesterday I didn't dee-seed them, but the second was when I decided to actually use my eyes and read the label: "Bird-eye chilli's" - nowhere near as close as the heat of a scotch bonnet but my god my nostrils were burning just from chopping them up! I also made the worst mistake by rubbing my nose with what I thought was my washed hands, but nooo, the chilli lingers on for dear life on the pores of your skin, and my whole face was on fire! Fortunately the heat died down before I ate the main and I was able to enjoy it. And boy did I enjoy it! Would highly recommend a dish similar to this dish of not this exact dish. And the spice of chilli's without the seeds, was the perfect spice! Glad I've sorted that out!

I finished off the meal with a fat free greek style yoghurt, coconut flavoured with a hint of vanilla. I had to go to the shop for this, as the yoghurts I ate yesterday weren't the correct one's for this phase, so I ate this at the theatre during my final dress rehearsal so I do not have a photo, however they are the Muller Light one's and are extremely tasty so I would highly recommend them!

So although today has been yet another day of trial and error I have found two meals that tantalise my taste buds so much, it doesn't even feel like I'm on a diet. Diet? What's one of those? ;)

And as I lie here in bed, with a cup of English breakfast tea, ready for my rest, I realise that another day has passed and I am another step closer to achieving my goal. I am not even the slightest bit peckish and I look forward to another day of creative thinking...and cooking! 

Bring on tomorrow! :)

Attack Phase: Day 1

Introduction

It's Saturday 9th March and I am out with my Mum and Sister celebrating Mother's Day a day early, as I am in a play which requires me tomorrow for a dress rehearsal on the day itself. It's the last chance I have to eat what I want, as I am starting the Dukan Diet tomorrow, so what better place to go than the gorgeous La Tasca's on the Quayside for some mouth watering Spanish Tapas.....here's some pictures to get your taste buds going...

Manchego Cheese, Homemade Bread with Balsamic and Olive Oil Dip

Chicken and Seafood Paella

So, if I'm about to start an intensive diet, why am I showing you these pictures? Well, probably for motivation. Once I achieve the weight that I am happy with I will then be able to treat myself - once in a while - with gorgeous food like this. Another reason, is that people think that being on a diet means being restricted to boring tasteless food, but if anything it should make you want to test out your culinary skills even more. I think the message is, don't be afraid to try new things. And with the Dukan Diet Life Plan Book, that my awesome Daddy got me well before Christmas last year - yes, it's taken me this long to start it! - you are given dozens of interesting recipes which not only tantalise your taste buds, but provide surprising satisfaction keeping you fuller for longer. Here's a picture of the book (I would seriously recommend this one out of all of them - it is more of a bible than anything with handy tips and detailed information of each phase, not to mention the helpful meal plans that he has compiled to help your inner creativity come out!):

Use Sticky Tabs to Mark Important Pages

Attack Phase

Sunday 10th March:

Day 1

It's day 1 of the Attack Phase and I'm feeling more motivated than ever - as we all do! This phase can last from one to ten days depending how much weight you want to lose. For me, I want to lose about three stones over the whole course of the diet - not in this phase alone!! - so I am going to be in this phase for seven days. Dr Pierre Dukan explains how long you should stay in this phase for in The Dukan Diet Life Plan Book.

For Breakfast I jump straight into the deep end as I'm curious to know how the Oat Bran Galette, Dr Dukan himself so enthusiastically recommends, tastes....

Breakfast: 

Oat Bran Galette

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons of oat bran

1 whole egg or just the white (I used the whole egg)

1 1/2 tablespoons of fat-free fromage frais or virtually fat free quark (I used the fromage frais)

1 teaspoon of aspartame or a little salt (I actually used two crushed stevia a natural sweeteners made from plants)

Whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl then pour onto a non-stick frying pan without any fat (or if you don't have a non-stick frying pan, like me, add a drop of oil and wipe the surface using kitchen roll). Cook on either side of the galette. 

So, my first attempt of making it looks like this:

Oat Bran Galette

And the verdict? Well, let's just say I need a few more attempts to make this a 'winning' dish. Firstly, the pan I used just doesn't cook the galette well without needing a substantial amount of oil. So I would recommend buying a non-stick frying pan. Secondly, I used only two small stevia sweeteners which after re-checking the ingredients I realised I need at least a full teaspoon of crushed stevia to make this taste remotely edible! To help get it down this time I plopped a generous blob of creme fraiche to liven it up, but this limp galette proved to be a bit of an anti-climax, though I wasn't going to let it dishearten me. There are many ways you can get your recommended oat bran intake (1-2 tablespoons), you just need to be creative. I realised that if I use it more for desserts I get the best of both worlds, a yummy pud and my recommended intake! Win, win!

I finished off the breakfast with a cherry fat-free yoghurt and a cup of English breakfast tea!

As I have my dress rehearsal today, I need to think about what quick, easy but tasty lunch I can take to the theatre. As a result, I throw a bunch of things in my bag which work well separately but also together....

Day 1: Lunch

Lunch

Ingredients:

Smoked salmon slices

Small tub of fat-free cottage cheese with chives

Fat-free strawberry yoghurt

Water

Diet Coke

I ripped up my lovely smoked salmon slices and mixed them into the cottage cheese. The Diet Coke was a brilliant way to see me through this loooooong rehearsal.

The seafood sticks and the chamomile tea were my snacks which I munched on - and gulped down - throughout the dress rehearsal.

Tip: Water is extremely important to any healthy lifestyle but the Dukan Diet requires it more than ever, so make sure you get your recommended daily amount of 1.5 litres :)

I don't get back from the theatre until 7pm, which I'm unhappy about, as the Dukan Diet suggests not eating after 7pm which allows your body to digest the food properly before you go to sleep, but alas "suffer for your art", and I get cooking regardless. I am looking forward to this meal the most as I have more time to spend on making it really delicious.

Dinner

Starter: King Prawns in Chilli, Garlic and Soy Sauce

And here it is:

Day 1: Dinner (Starter)

Funny thing, there actually was more prawns here. A dozen at least, but they were so tasty I couldn't help myself and so I forgot all about taking a photo. Such a simple but tasty dish. I gently fried the chilli and garlic just to soften them up, then I marinated the prawns in the light soy sauce and added them to the pan for just a few seconds and Voila! Done! Although maybe I should have de-seeded the chilli's cause, damn! That was a spicy one, even for a spice lover like me!

For those chilli haters out there, you can always replace the chilli with ginger - it's a dukan recipe so I have no doubt it will be gorgeous! I think I will give it a try once I get a hold of some ginger myself.

So my main meal was a bit of a cop out, but filling nonetheless...

Main: Boiled Chicken Breast Stuffed with Fat-Free Fromage Frais, Fresh Chives and Lemon Juice

Day 1: Dinner (Main)

So the reason it was a cop out was because the fromage frais was a little too bitter for the chicken, and as chicken is already quite a plain flavour when on it's own, it became quite a dull and dry dish, something which I didn't want to happen, but of course is inevitable when trying out new things. It did however do the most important thing, which was fill me up. 

However, as I looked forward to tucking into another fat-free yoghurt (the third of the day), something hit me and before I knew it I was flicking through the pages of my Dukan Bible to make sure it was okay to have these fruity yoghurts all the time. Luckily I did check because although you are allowed to have as much fat-free flavoured yoghurt as you want, it is recommended you only have up to two fat-free fruit yoghurts throughout this phase. Phew! So I've had my two today and that's all I can have for the next week. However, that means I don't have a dessert lined up for afterwards. I'm disappointed but have learnt from my mistake, ALWAYS STOCK UP ON PURE PROTEIN FOODS: that way if anything goes wrong you can substitute for something else you have. Good thing I have my seafood sticks; I munch on two and have a cup of tea to take the ease off my craving for something sweet. I'll not make that mistake again.

And this is where the oat bran can come into play. Think oat bran cookies, oat bran muffins, oat bran ice cream. The possibilities are endless. And I can imagine having oat bran in desserts will go down a lot better than the galette I had this morning, cooked correctly or not.

The key is to think creatively.

Now we come on to the subject of alcohol. Can you drink alcohol in the Attack Phase? The answer is NO! Now I think I have done quite a clever thing by starting my diet around the same time as the week of my shows. This means that since I will be performing on stage from 7:30pm until 11pm I will not be subdued to any temptations i.e. snacking or drinking alcohol, and all I will want to do when I finish is go home to bed! Fool proof. What's even better, is that my call at the theatre is 6:15pm to warm up and prepare which means that I will be eating dinner at the earlier time of 5-5:30pm which, again, is a bonus because I won't be eating so late and my body will have a chance to digest all of the food well before I go to sleep - I might even burn a few extra calories since I'll be performing on stage! It all adds up! So the key here is to pick the best time for YOU and only you, not near holidays, or weekend nights out. Try pick a time when you know you will be able to see this phase of the diet through! Maybe you have a deadline coming up and you know that this will be your priority for the next 7 days and all you will be doing is sitting in the library doing it then going home to bed? Just think. But make sure you get your recommended sleep - 8 hours minimum. Sleep is so important in this phase.  

Oh and one more note on an important subject: Exercise. Dr Dukan suggests that because the Attack Phase is all about giving your body a shock to enable fast weight loss, it's advised that you don't participate in any extremely strenuous exercise. This by no means suggests that you lie around all day in your pyjamas, watching wor Jezza Kyle. Make sure you dedicate 20 minutes to take a brisk walk. Or if you can't do that, just make sure you take the stairs rather than the elevator. Just think about incorporating this 20 minutes of walking into your day, even if you only get 5 minutes to do so, it's better than nothing. 

Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to take a walk however I think the dress rehearsal counts as some sort of energy output, if not exercise!

So, day one has been a day of trial and error. I realise all the things I need and the things I need to change, but if anything it has made me more motivated to have a successful day of rustling up scrumptious food. Hopefully day two will be a lot more successful. But if it isn't, who cares!?! :)