Sunday 31 July 2011

The Sun is shining this weekend ! Not so friendly on the scales

Well it didn’t work so well – you simply cannot go to someone’s house and bring your own salmon and eggs. So Dominos pizza it was – and there is simply no point in killing a lamb for a sheep so full house it was (very bad).
Lots of champagne followed by white wine and the scales are not so friendly today. So it’s back to the start again.
Today I am 64.7 kilos
Target 55 kilos by the 23rd of September
The plan is to go for a very long walk today, I am also going to buy the shapers trainers and see if that helps.

Today being Sunday, it is once again the mission of the perfect roast as well. Mine shall be Durkan friendly (however it shall be served with wine)
The other BIG news in the tiny flat is that we have a new TV – we had lived with a great big dinosaur for too long and now have a slim line plasma. It didn’t go down well when the man pointed out that he has fallen in love and that the television is a very slim supermodel and that if he had to choose?? Mmm actually maybe no roast for him tonight.
After a long conversation last night we have also decided to postpone the trying for our little ray of sunshine until after our trip to Australia.

Successful gathering completed today - roast lamb from the amazing butchers that have opened up near us Laverstoke Park Farm. They are simply brilliant - so polite, so friendly and the food although expensive is amazing. The plan is that the man will have his with baked potatoes and i shall only be having cabbage and peas.


As you can see two bottles of wine at the ready - I know not Dukan friendly but it does make that tomorrow is Monday, just that little bit easier to cope with.
The Man doesn’t think we should have a bottle each - I think if I am pregnant soon I won’t be able to drink anyway - so while the sun shines we shall and should.

Dinner was brilliant - it was the man’s turn to cook what I had gathered and he did a brilliant job. He is doing a new thing with Mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes all boiled up together and it tastes amazing. I had no potatoes as you can see and I have given up salt as well. Choosing chili flakes instead to give flavor. I had this with cabbage, broccoli and mashed sweet potatoes. The lamb was really lovely but after costing £12 it really probably should be. The wine went down a treat too. Now to settle on front of TV and lull into Sunday night.
Tomorrow I plan on having another protein and vegetable day and Tuesday will be protein only.
Monday night we are doing spaghetti bolognaise with buffalo mince and made from scratch (no jarred pasta sauce) I have gathered the mince, onion, garlic, tomatoes, a little bacon, mushrooms. Mine will be with cabbage and peas – the Mans will have pasta.

Friday 29 July 2011

Not too bad - Durkan Friendly Day with Pret and Loch Fyne

Thank goodness it is Friday.
Yesterday I had a long train journey, so in the mad rush at St. Pancreas I grabbed some Pret - I do love the Pret Baguettes but no carbs allowed. The most Durkan friendly thing I could find was the chicken salad, a coffee and a diet coke. After reading a few chapters of the book I have learnt that lipids are really bad - so I left the dressing unopened. Today was my dedicated allowed day for salad and vegetables on the account that I knew it was going to be too difficult to find protein only a South Eastern Train. I had skipped breakfast in the rush to get ready, but I did get my 30 min walk in before heading off.
My journey home after a long meeting, was hot, tiresome and delayed. After getting in at 8pm it was time for a wine in the beer garden. Neither of us felt like going home to the little flat to sit and watch nothing on TV. So it was off to Loch Fyne. Well I thought fish couldn’t be too bad.
A bottle of wine and I had the salmon fishcakes with green beans (I normally have the Fish Pie). I gave the accompanying mayonnaise to the Man who had Fish and Chips. My Fishcakes were really lovely and we had a fantastic evening sitting outside and just catching up. The man also ordered a cheese platter afterwards - I love a good cheese platter but refrained from even having a bite. Well done to me - but I did order another glass of wine to be enjoyed while he tucked in. Loch Fyne is always great, consistently good and the service is always excellent - last night was no exception. A really lovely evening was had by all, then home to bed for a good night sleep.

Today’s lunch will be good – scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and cottage cheese. However, I am staying with a friend this evening and she wants to order pizza. Is it rude to take your own salmon and salad to someone else’s house ? Or perhaps Dominos do something that would fit into the Durkan Diet ?




Tuesday 26 July 2011

Dukan Diet - Week 2

So I officially started the Durkan Diet last week on the Tuesday so today marks 1 week. Today for lunch is Quorn Ham, with scrambled eggs and cottage cheese. Lunch for the remainder of the week will be the same. Although Thursday I am going to be on a train so may need to pack something a bit more travel friendly.

Tonight for dinner I am planning baked chicken with cottage cheese. The baked chicken I am planning on doing in the over for 45 min with some chilli flakes, garlic and lime juice. I am planning on doing some baked potatoes for the man. He needs carbs !

I walked for 45 min this morning after my yogurt breakfast. I planning on doing another 45 this afternoon.

Last night’s dinner was really nice - I had carrots and cabbage with the bolognaise onto. I did the bolognaise in a healthier version than I normally would. Fired mince, garlic and onion with tinned tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, basil, 500ml of water with a dissolved beef stock and mushrooms - all boiled up together for 30 min. Note there was no purchased pasta sauce and no bacon - the man wasn’t so happy about this however as he at least had pasta with his - he limited his complaints.

Haven’t weighed myself today, I plan on doing that on Saturday – I am gunning for a 2 kilo weight loss this week

Monday 25 July 2011

Roast Chicken Sunday Night Dinner - Declared A Triumph !

Another triumph from the man - he was in charge of cooking the roast and he did very very well. Roast chicken with asparagus, peas, carrots and cabbage - however the truly lovely part was mushrooms simmered in tomatoes and olives. Really really good I highly recommend. No potatoes for me this week.
Today’s lunch was leftovers (chicken and vegetables)and I had a yogurt for breakfast.
I have to say I highly recommend adopting roasts on a sunday night with a glass of wine - there is no better way to roll into sunday night movie and bed! I just wish the next day wasn't Monday.
Tonight it is my turn - I am going to Dukan spaghetti bolognaise. Basically I am going to have the mince with some cabbage. The man will have with pasta.
I am planning on doing a healthy version. Not sure I will get a walk in today as am really really very tired as did not sleep well at all last night.

Sunday 24 July 2011

Yeah 63.5 Kilos !!

protein only – I am on my way. Today have had a sandwich but plan on having a protein only dinner.
The plan is to cook a roast chicken, with asparagus, cabbage and peas. The man shall have some roast potatoes.
I shall not be having the potatoes.
My lunch today although did have bread, was some Quark spread, cucumber and Quorn ham with some cottage cheese. I will give you my honest opinion it was absolutely lovely!
Served with some chilled cold Diet Coke – this diet is wonderful.
Now off to go enjoy some sunshine lying on the green and read Now magazine. Well have to enjoy while the sun shines



Saturday 23 July 2011

Looks Like it is working - even with a glass or a few glasses of wine on a friday night

This morning I got on the scales and saw what I wanted to see 64.5 kilos!! I broke under the dreaded 65 - Not bad. However, I was feeling very sick and very weak. So today I have had some bread. Fresh bread from the bakery - just lovely. I put some Quark on top (see photo below). I have never had this before and went looking for it yesterday as lots of the recipes in the Daily Mails Durkan Diet included it. What a find, it is a lovely spread, a vegetarian version of a cheese spread and apparently very low in fat. I cut up some olives and had this on top with my favourite drink - Diet Coke.
Prior to this for breakfast I had Fat Free yogurt with vanilla – allowed, the only yogurts not allowed are ones with fruit in.
As for last night’s dinner - 2 glasses of wine in the beer garden on a lovely summer evening, the rain stayed away. Then off home - I purchased 4 hamburger patties at the local butchers. The Man had his in rolls from the bakery with some baked chips and I had mine with cottage cheese and some asparagus. We decided to put some greens in my diet as the Man was getting a bit worried in case I got pregnant soon. I googled to see if the diet could have a negative effect on any pregnancy and apparently it doesn’t. So no need to worry.
As for tonight, well the Man is out and I never get to have the tiny apartment to myself so I may just treat myself. Not sure what, perhaps an Egg Foo Young from the local Chinese or a Chicken stir fry from the local Thai with a glass of wine and full control of the remote !!

I have also found this page on the Daily Mail with other receipe ideas

Lets see what the result is tomorrow

Friday 22 July 2011

Dukan Diet

Day 2 of the Durkan Diet, I skipped breakfast again and opted for a coffee, lunch was the same (scrambled eggs in the microwave and salmon)
Dinner was baked Chicken with cottage cheese and scrambled eggs – I baked the chicken in foil with some minced garlic, chilli flakes and some chopped up onions. Dinner was lovely but I forgot to take a photo (sorry)
For desert before bed I had some 100% fat free yogurt
Walked for 1 hour in the morning

Day 3 – was out of the office and as such could not be as disciplined as I liked.
I did call ahead and ask for a protein only lunch. However the catering had already been worked out
Breakfast was a Starbucks skinny Late and lunch was Con Carn mince, I left the baked potatoes and sandwiches at the buffet ! However did have a quarter of a tuna sandwich (bad).
Walked for 30 minutes

Day 4 – I was out of the office again and in central London.
Breakfast was a Starbucks latte and a yogurt pot with granola.
My work colleague convinced me to go to Ping Pong – I love Ping Pong. We had the Dim Sum Feat – I knew I was being bad but convinced myself that it was find. One meal won’t hurt, if I had a protein only dinner surely I can have some Dim Sum. It was absolutely lovely.
When I got home, the man and I went to the pub for two glasses of wine – it was absolutely lovely and after a long two days was required to distress
Dinner was pan fried chicken pieces with some peppered mackerel (could not do scrambled eggs again)

Day 5 – no breakfast
Lunch was scrambled eggs and salmon again, really lovely and nice to be back in the office.
Being Friday I am thinking about dinner. The man wants burgers !! If I just have the burger meat with some cottage cheese. Would that work?
Or perhaps he can have burgers and I have some kippers – not sure you, only thing I am sure about is there shall be wine
Being Friday night it shall be white and I thinking a Pino Gregio. I am planning on going for a 2 hour walk after work near the huge parks near our tiny apartment.
Let’s see how we go

But I am still on 65 kilos - perhaps the wine and Dim Sum may need to go

Tuesday 19 July 2011

Dukan Diet - Day 1

So as much as I love Spaghetti bolognaise Monday – my quest for the perfect roast and perfect spaghetti bolognaise has resulted in me not being in my ideal bridesmaid shape. I will be my sisters Bridesmaid in October. So normally I would write about the great restaurants we go to, our love of cooking amazing meals etc etc – for a bit there shall be a detour while I do the Dukan Diet. I came up with the idea after seeing in The Daily Mail on Sunday. A friend at work and I are going to do it together – join me along the way if you want.

So today I am on Day 1 – Attach Phase

The rules – must walk for 20 min a day and only protein for 1 week
My Goal – 55 kilos by the 22nd of September, current weight 65 kilos

Woke at 6.30am and walked for 1 hour.
Skipped breakfast and instead had a coffee (allowed apparently)
Lunch – 2 eggs and a bit of milk whisked with a folk, popped into the microwave for 3 min. I stirred at random interviews
This was then popped with some M&S Smoked Salmon.
I purchased the 3 for £10 Smoked Salmon at M&S and some eggs so that my work lunches sorted. I will worry about Fridays lunch on Friday

Dinner tonight shall be a fillet of steak, cottage cheese and some onion – let’s see how this goes. With no wine - lets deffinately see how that goes !

Dinner was steak pan fried no oil ! Scrambled egg (just one) with some pan fried onion with cottage cheese and mustard. Not bad actually it was really nice.
Just before bed I had some no fat Greek yogurt. Overall I would say day 1 went well.

Sunday 17 July 2011

Sunday - the quest for the perfect roast and red wine

We love food and wine and we love relaxing. So today being Sunday it is about the perfect roast and red wine.
Tomorrow being Monday will be about the perfect bolognaise and red wine.
But let’s only deal with today.
My favorite red for a Sunday is Wolf Blas, smooth easy drinking and lulls me into Sunday night.
As for the roast well the man loves roast chicken, but we did that last Sunday so I am about to go off in search of the meat and buy the wine. This is my job on Sunday afternoon as I am the gatherer.Not so sure about him being the hunter.
So after the flat is cleaned and the washing is on I shall venture out, fingers crossed I don’t get caught in the rain.
So far on our quest for the perfect roast I would say Annies restaurant in
Chiswick or a cavery we went to in Devon have won the award.

Dinner worked a treat - roast beef from the local butcher, cooked under instructions of only 45 min and with a little water at the bottom of the dish.
The Man was in charge of dinner and cooked it up with the ingredients I had supplied.
Mushrooms pan fried with tomatoes and garlic
Sweet potatoes boiled then mashed
Roasted potatoes - par boiled first then roasted with the meat
Onions popped into the roasting dish with the meat and potatoes.
It was absolutely amazing, with the wine and a relaxing Sunday movie.
I may have left the washing up until after I get home tonight


Sunrise

So this is my first blog, I have been thinking about doing this for a while. Why ? Because I love telling stories, I love turning an awful situation into something funny. I love having fun and sharing it. So this is my journey to record and share the things I love, the things I love doing and the smiles and tears along the way.

For me this is going to be a record of when life is good it feels like sunshine, when life throws the curve balls that are awful - these are the grey clouds. Trying to find the funny side of the situation or finding the silver lining often makes the grey clouds go away. Letting the sunshine again.
So in our little tiny flat is me - the man who is the sun and we are hoping to one day, fingers crossed soon, have a little ray of sunshine. Wish us luck, join us along the way, it will be fun and there there will probably be drama as the forecast is a mixture of rainy days and summer time x