Cruise Phase: Week 5

Cruise Phase:

Week 5

Monday 15th April - Sunday 21st April

Hello again! Another week down, another week lighter! As you all will know by now, I like my spicy food! Especially spicy coated chicken! This week I have relished in this further, but after realising that maybe too much of something can only end in tears, the latter part of the meals this week are a focus on searching for yummy alternatives, to keep my dinner times varied and exciting. This is a very important aspect of this diet, which some weeks I have definitely grasped, and others have fallen to the same things again due to lack of energy, and for quickness! I hope you find the 'new' foods interesting and good looking enough in the photo for you to want to try, and if not, then I will make sure that next week is even better!

Now for the food.....

Monday 15th April - Pure Protein

Breakfast: Oat Bran Cinnamon Porridge

Because I had taken a little break from this last week, I actually woke up with a craving for the stuff. However, I am going to make sure that I only have it once more this week, to keep my breakfast times varied and exciting.

Lunch: Ham and Quark Rolls with Seafood Sticks and a Strawberry Yoghurt with Live Cultures

Day 37: Lunch

 This amount of food has started to fill me up. My stomach is shrinking. Sweeeeet!

So today has been a really positive day. For the past 5 weeks, and since starting the diet, I have, each week, tried on a pair of really old jeans (but my favourite pair of jeans) that haven't fit since before I turned into an adult, which is about 4-5 years. Each week I have tried them on, and each week they have slowly risen further and further up my legs. And today! Today they finally fit me again! And here is a pic of my amazing milestone.....

Day 37: Milestone

This is a really good incentive to keep you motivated to carry on. Find an old pair of jeans, or top that no longer fits, and aim to be able to fit into just a further part of it each week. It's really kept me going, and it means you not only feel the results, but you get to actually see them! Amazing feeling.

I also today had my try at the tastiest herbal tea ever. I met up with a friend from school for a catch up and to congratulate her on her recent engagement to her other half! We meet in Allards in Tynemouth and she gets a latte. I have already had a latte today so I ask at the bar what herbal teas are available. The gentleman at the bar offered up a 'special' tea which consists of a green tea tea bag, fresh mint, and a slice of lemon. Here it is...

Day 37: Snack

It was absolutely gorgeous! So fresh and full of zesty minty goodness. Really clears your throat and you feel all the impurities in your body are washed away! Will definitely be coming back for more of that! 

Dinner: Spicy Chicken Strips wrapped in Bacon with a Cheese and Chive Egg Omelette 

Day 37: Dinner

I know this kind of dish has been made so much now, but I just can't help it, it is so delicious! And I do try to vary it, i.e. using different spices, putting different herbs in the omelette, adding sesame seeds etc. However, I am going to try to cook some other things so I don't get sick of this dish. Probably a good idea. How else do you think people lapse? I finish the meal with a yoghurt and a cup of tea.

Tuesday 16th April - Protein and Veg

Breakfast: Lean Bacon and Poached Eggs

Day 38: Breakfast

These were lovely but I usually love to sprinkle a bit of ground black pepper over the yolks just to give them a little flavour and aesthetic quality. 

Lunch: Ham and Quark Slices with Fat Free Cottage Cheese, Seafood Sticks and a Fat Free Vanilla Yoghurt

Day 38: Lunch

Snack: Green, Mint and Lemon Tea

Day 38: Snack

 I told you I'd be back for more :)

Dinner: Almost Chicken Nuggets with a Chive Scramble and a Dollop of Quark

Day 38: Dinner

I have tried this dish a good few times however I had never coated the chicken in enough of the oat bran batter for it to be deemed as an 'almost' chicken nugget dish. However, after trying it, I think my version of it is much better, just coating the top with the oat bran mixed with chives and yoghurt or quark. It gives it that tasty crunch without it being too 'oaty'. I finished the meal off with a yoghurt.

Wednesday 17th April - Protein and Veg

Breakfast: Vanilla Yoghurt and a Cup of Tea

Lunch: 2 Servings of Tuna Salad (Tuna, Peppers, Tomatoes, Cucumber and Salad Leaves) with a Drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar

Day 39: Lunch

Snack: Seafood Sticks and Ginger Tea

Dinner: Bacon, Mushroom, Tomato and Cheese Quiche with Parsnip Chips

Day 39: Dinner

This bad boy was absolutely delicious! The quiche was huge but I had no bother gobbling it down, and the parsnip chips tasted just like regular potato chips! It was cheesy, and really tasty. Definitely recommend this! All I did to find recipe instructions was type in the ingredients into google as well as "quiche" and lots of instructions came up to which I just adapted. And I did the same for the parsnip chips. The internet is absolutely ram packed with Dukan diet meal ideas, so if your ever stuck for an idea just have a look in the fridge, see what ingredients you have, type those ingredients into google with the word "dukan diet" and you'll be bombarded with great ideas!

Thursday 18th April - Pure Protein

I was feeling a bit peckish this morning so I thought I'd treat myself to a bacon and egg McMuffin.........haha JOKING...about the "Mc" bit....

Breakfast: Bacon and Egg Cheese Muffin (Better than McDonalds)

Day 40: Breakfast

Day 40: Breakfast

These were gorgeous, so tasty! I felt like I was being really naughty but they are simply healthy and so easy to make:

Ingredients:

3 slices of lean bacon with no fat on

1 medium egg

A handful 5% hard mild cheese

Preheat your oven to 175 degrees celcius (350 degrees farenheit). Cut the slices of bacon in half, to get six thin strips. Line three cake moulds of a muffin tin tray with the bacon, using two strips for each mould. Try to cover all of the inside of the mould, but lining the sides is more important then covering the bottom. In a bowl, whisk the egg with the cheese and pour the mixture into the three lined muffin moulds up to about 3/4 of the way up. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes checking them regularly. Serve nice and hot!

Lunch: Ham and Quark Slices with Cottage Cheese with a Yoghurt

Day 40: Lunch

Dinner: Almost Chicken Nuggets with a Ham Omelette

Day 40: Dinner

So I thought tonight I'd give the old chicken nuggets a go again al a Kate style! And my way is by far the best. Just getting that crunchy bit on the top. Lovely.

Friday 19th April - Protein and Veg

Breakfast: Yoghurt and a Cup of Tea

Lunch: Ham Salad (Salad Leaves, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Cheese) with a Splash of Balsamic Vinegar, and Seafood Sticks

Day 41: Lunch

Dinner: Balsamic Chicken with a Carrot Flan Drizzled with Balsamic Glaze

Day 41: Main

The carrot flan is a recipe from my Dukan Bible so I thought I'd give it a try. Here's a closer look:

Day 41: Main

Now, although this didn't turn out like the picture in the book, this flan was absolutely gorgeous! The only the was that the top of it burnt so when I flipped it over I just had to scrape the flan out and leave the burnt bottom. It must be something to do with my oven, maybe mine is hotter than Dr Dukan's! Anyway, this is a beautiful tasting flan, it's got this gorgeous sweetness from the nutmeg, and when put with the balsamic glaze, it really complimented the balsamic chicken. Here's how to make it:

Ingredients:

200g of carrots

2 eggs

200g of fat-free fromage frais OR 100g of fat-free fromage frais + 100ml of creme fraiche (3% fat)

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 generous handful of Emmental or other hard cheese (5% fat), grated

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

A little parsley

Salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 240 degrees celcius (475 degrees farenheit). Peel, wash and grate the carrots. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, fromage frais, nutmeg and grated cheese. Add salt and black pepper (you can also substitute different spices for example curry powder, cumin etc according to your taste.)

Using some kitchen roll, oil four ramekins (or one large ovenproof flan dish) and divide the grated carrots among them. Scatter over a little parsley, then pour the creamy egg mixture on top. Place the ramekins or flan dish on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. 

Leave to cool down a little, then turn the flan(s) out onto plates and sprinkle over a little more parsley if desired. You may need a knife to turn them out.

This carrot flan is an excellent accompaniment for white meat. So go on, give it a try! And enjoy!

Now for dessert ;)

Dessert: Homemade Chocolate Truffles

So I thought I'd treat myself...

Day 41: Dessert

Day 41: Dessert

Oh mama!!! This is by far the best dessert I have made and tasted on this diet TO DATE! Even better than the tofu chocolate creams, which I rave on about. Bloody gorgeous. Just like Thornton's chocolates. And the best thing is, they take next to no time to make!

So if you feel like indulging and feeling naughty without actually being naughty then read on....

Ingredients

4 teaspoons of low fat cocoa powder, and extra to roll the truffles in

1 tablespoon of fat free fromage frais (or thick yoghurt; I used vanilla!)

5 tablespoons of powdered skim milk

2 egg yolks

5 drops of vanilla flavoring/extract

3 tablespoons of sweetener (or to taste)

Mix everything together. Add extra powdered skim milk if necessary until the paste reaches a firm consistency. Put aside in the fridge for a few hours until mixture is hard enough to scoop and roll into small balls. Before serving, roll the balls in cocoa powder.

Note: When sweetener is concerned, as well as nearly any Dukan recipe, I always taste, taste, taste.  Low-fat recipes are hard to calculate precisely, and in order to enjoy your dessert once it’s finished, you should be sure you are going to enjoy it!  So please – take a spoon and taste, then adjust flavors and ingredients (slightly) to match to your taste.

I 100% RECOMMEND THIS...AND THEN SOME. And I even think you could double the ingredients to make extra so that you will have more to indulge on should you get a mid-afternoon or mid-whatever craving! Bloody gorgeous!

While I made this dessert I indulged on a bowl of fat-free vanilla yoghurt combined with oat bran...

Day 41: Dessert

Nice tummy filler. Bulks up a yoghurt to give it that extra bite.

Saturday 20th April - Pure Protein

So today is a little brief, due to the fact I am spending all day at a hen party. Pole dancing lessons, house party and a stripper cabaret show are all of what's in store and I'll be moving around to different locations throughout the day. This means food will be limited, and this entry won't include any photos.

Breakfast: Oat Bran Cinnamon Porridge

To line my stomach ya nah.

Lunch: Tin of Tuna, Seafood Sticks, Vanilla Yoghurt and a Can of Coke

Dinner: Ham Slices, Half a Boiled Egg and a Handful of Prawns

These were from the buffet. The only thing available.

What a class night!

Sunday 21st April - Protein and Veg

So as a result of last night's antics I spent most of the day....as you do....and as a result skipped breakfast and lunch....however, fear not! I made up for it with a champions brunch tummy filler!

Dinner: Champions Brunch of Bacon, Chicken, Tinned Tomatoes, Eggs and an Oat Bran Tummy Filler

Day 43: Dinner

The oat bran tummy filler is a kind of onion pancake that acts as a subsitiute to hash browns. Here's how to make it:

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of oat bran

1 tablespoon of 0% fat yoghurt

1 egg, beaten

1 onion finely chopped

chives

Fry the onion in a pan for a couple of minutes until the onions have sweat. Once brown, mix the onion in a bowl with all the other ingredients. Shape the mixture into a pancake and fry until brown, flip and brown the other side. Enjoy!

I finished off the meal with the rest of my gorgeous truffles ;)

Day 43: Dessert

Day 43: Dessert

YUM! Good end to an awesome week!

And the weigh in results this week.....1lb lost. Which wasn't as much as I'd hoped for, but hey, who cares, I've lost ANOTHER pound. That's 18lbs altogether :)

So....

It's as simple as that!

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

Kate x