Dukan – Day 216 – Eating on the Run

Posted on March 23, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Thursday was a PP day 🙂

Daily Weight Loss: 0.9 lb/0.40 kg
Total Weight Loss: 80.8 lb/36.71 kg

And MY BMI IS NOW NOT IN THE OBESE CATAGORY!!! WOO HOO! 😀 Cart wheels… well, not really, I’d probably hurt myself! My BMI is now 30… DOWN FROM 45. Nevermind the fact that I’ve lost over 80 pounds in 7 months, I’m not OBESE anymore… OK, a couple more cart wheels!

Yesterday was a true midwife day and thus the loss on the scale… I will write about it in a different post… but lets just say that I’m knackered, sad, happy, ecstatic and exhausted all wound in to one midwife!

Breakfast: 2 tea eggs
Late lunch: Grilled chicken chunks
Later dinner: left over grilled chicken chunks

3 coffees, 1.5 liters of water

Exercise: Well a funny thing about that… I went out for my run (in the cold rain… again) and did the whole C25K segment and I hadn’t moved it to the NEXT DAY!!! So it just showed that I had finished what I did 2 days before 😦 I went back inside and thought about it and went back out and ran it again… getting credit for it. And I shaved more than 2 minutes off the run from just before 🙂 That made me very happy. What I really love about C25K is that even though I thought moving forward would be insurmountable, it’s not! It was at first, and I was stuck on Week 4 FOREVER (my own screwed up head), but now I’m running and I’m not out of breath… winded a bit, yes, but not GASPING FOR AIR, like I was before. And, in fact, my legs start getting tired way before my lungs do, how cool is that???

I’m not sure how it will be when the real spring finally arrives here in Hangzhou, China and the pavement isn’t wet… LOL. I’m so used to running in the rain. I would say it has rained 8 out of every 10 times I’ve run. I’m still running past the gym every night… three times and each time I go past, all the people are on the treadmills and I just think out loud… treadmills are for wussies 🙂 Cheeky little bint I am 🙂

Ciao!

Oh… and a before and after shot today… I am wearing the same shirt in both pics… The first couple were taken in 2008 when my precious granddaughter Sofia was born… I bought the shirt at a MANA conference and they didn’t have my size 2XL or even a 1XL… only a large and I wanted support the organization represented on the shirt, so I bought a large, and forced it on… LOL.
The second pic was today. Midwives, do indeed, help people out, and nothing could be truer in regard the birth I was blessed to attend last night/early this morning. I think the shirt is a little big now… but I’ll keep wearing it!!

OMG, I can't believe I'm actually sharing this pic!

The white pants were outrageous!

I think the shirt fits a lot better now!

Posted on March 23, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Yummy, easy and Dukan PV friendly!

Dukan – Reflections of Spring

Posted on March 22, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Wednesday was a PV day 🙂

Daily weight loss: 0.4 lb/0.2 kg
Total weight loss: 79.8 lb/36.31 kg

Wednesday started out at 39 degrees and rose to 57! And this afternoon(Thursday) it is a glorious 72!!! I’m sitting on the balcony basking in the sun 😀

Breakfast: 2 tea eggs
Lunch: grilled chicken breast
Dinner: Citrus Pork and a yummy mixed green organic salad.
Snack: FF Greek yogurt with Splenda and bran.

Spring is a time to clean things up and reflect… I have thought a lot about reflecting lately and today on the way back from getting coffee I caught my reflection in a storefront window and I’m starting to like what I see!

Eating right, exercising, running and a good attitude (most of the time) have brought me to this place.

Life is good.

Ciao!

Dukan – Day 214 – Cruisin’ Towards the End

Posted on March 21, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Tuesday was a PV day 🙂

Daily weight loss: 0.4 lb/0.2 kg
Total weight loss: 79.4 lb/36.11 kg

Tuesday was cold and dark, definitely ushered out winter in a harsh way! Started my day out by a nice 1 mile walk to work. I also did something I don’t do very often…
Breakfast… wait for it… Yogurt! 🙂 with Splenda and bran
Morning Snack: Tea egg
Lunch: 1/2 can tuna and 2 tea eggs

I then took a public bus (I know, shocking!) towards town and walked the remaining 2 miles to The Vineyard, which is run by a guy named Reuben from Boston. He cooks me Dukan friendly meals 🙂 How cool is that? I had naked chicken wings with hot sauce and a Philly cheese steak w/o the bread, with extra onions and low fat mozzarella, just a tiny bit.

I then walked 1.4 miles to a friend’s flat for a 2 hour visit and then I started walking home. I had my jeans on, my back pack and in my back pack I had stuffed a yoga ball… after 5 or 6 minutes of walking, I decided to run… I did a warm up of a 3 min run/90 sec walk/4 min run/90 sec walk… then I ran for 36 minutes… I really focused on pacing myself and breathing. Just when I thought I wouldn’t be able to keep going I’d get a burst of energy and just keep going… I ended my run by going up and over a bridge (just a little one, lol, but an incline none the less). I then walked the remaining way home, about 5 minutes. The total trip is 3.6 miles, I have no idea how far I ran in that 36 minutes… what I do know is that oddly, I wasn’t out of breath… my legs were definitely fatigued after all was said and done, but not too bad. I woke up this morning expecting to be sore, nada… I definitely felt some twinges, but really no pain… tonight is a “night off” from C25K… I’m going to make myself rest my legs 🙂

Ciao!

Ghandi’s Top 10 Ways to Change the World

Posted on March 21, 2012 by flamidwyfe

A lesson we could all learn from. Can you imagine, for one moment, what one single day would be like if everyone followed these simple principles? It would be amazing. I find myself not doing random acts of kindness here in China… no one looks at you and smiles, just blank stares at the “foreigner” and that has really changed my attitude… sad, but true. The other day I decided that needed to change. And I’ve been trying to smile more at the starers instead of making a negative comment. It has affected my own inner peace, as well as getting a few smiles back.

I challenge everyone to try these principles to day and let’s see how fantastic your Wednesday turns out!

Ciao!

Posted on March 20, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Just thought this would be nice for a couple people today 🙂

Flamidwyfe's Blog

So this goes right along with Moonday’s Philosophy, she’s a fellow Dukaner, who I discovered early in my journey and put her words on my fridge… Will I regret NOT eating this? The answer of course is always NO.

I ran into this problem yesterday. It’s been rare for me to be conflicted. Fortunately it wasn’t carbs, but low fat Gouda. I know, I know… Not allowed on Dukan, but I picked up a 200g block while in Shanghai as a treat on the train, along with my Shashimi.

I filled up on the Shashimi and had a tiny bite of the cheese. Then I took it and the ham slices to work for lunch with the intent of having a tiny amount again. I found myself OBSESSED with wanting to eat all of it! After my 4th little piece I started searching my inspirational quotes for some help and…

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Blogger Awards – Part 2

Posted on March 20, 2012 by flamidwyfe

So this is the 2nd Blogger Award that I was nominated for this past week. It is called the Very Inspiring Blogger Award and looks like this:

I searched for nearly an hour for the origins of this blog award and could not find anything. So I’m going to tell you what it means to me. To be a Very Inspiring Blogger you write posts that inspire others. Pretty simple, if you ask me. I was nominated by MJ at emjayandthem … thank you, MJ… MJ told me that my blog inspired her to begin the Dukan diet this week… how awesome is that?!?!?

There are 2 things you must do if you ACCEPT this award: 1. Tell 7 things about yourself that others may not know and 2. Nominate 7 people that inspire you. So here goes:

1. I am a midwife that is tired of being up all night waiting on babies 🙂

2. I am a mom to 3 terrific kids Nick, Jenni and Tiffany… I wasn’t the best mom, but I did the best I could and they’ve turned out to be pretty awesome adults! I also have an “adopted” daughter, Ashley, who I love like my own kids and who lived with us for a time in her teens, she’s a pretty awesome adult, too!

3. I am the “Momma” to 2 grandchildren from Jenni, 3 from Tiffany and 2 from Ashley. I am only 48 😀

4. I actually look forward to turning 50 years old in 21 months. I keep getting better with age!

5. I took up running in December and LOVE IT… “Run” was NOT in my vocabulary 7 months ago.

6. I adore my mother… she is my biggest fan in ANYTHING I do… I thank God on a daily basis for giving me to her or her to me… either way I am BLESSED!

7. I have 4 sisters and 2 brothers… most of whom I don’t communicate with… LOL That is balanced by the fact that I have some of the very best friends a girl could EVER have and I am so fortunate that most of them still live in my home town. They are closer to me than most sisters and brothers!

Now for the 7 people I am nominating and why. They are not only inspirational to me, but they will be inspirational to YOU. I encourage you to take the time to click on every single one of their blogs. Here we go…

1. Mel at http://wwangel.wordpress.com/ Mel is a runner and a Dukaner… she is just a couple of kilos from her goal weight and even though the scale has been up and down for her the past month or so, she keeps plugging along!!! She doesn’t give up. Her posts about running give me the inspiration to lace up my Brooks and go out for a run… now if I only had a dog as cute as her Millie!

2. The DukanDietress She lost over 100 pounds on the Dukan Diet and looks TERRIFIC! She is in the Consolidation Phase (Phase 3) of the diet and her insight is invaluable! Lots of very inspiring before and after pics on her blog!

3. Cyn at the ChunkyGoddess. Cyn tells it like it is and I like that. She’s awesome, she’s close to her WW goal and she’s raisin’ hell. Her brutal honesty is refreshing!

4. Sonia at My Dukan Diet . She has lost 83 pounds and is doing GREAT! Her posts inspire me to keep going and they’ll inspire you get started!

5. Brett at NoTimeToW8. Brett has lost 64.8 lbs and is still going. He is also doing the C25K and has just finished Week 3… WOO HOO!!!

6. Russell at TheEaglesNest. Russell has lost 96.4 lbs on Weight Watchers… he is now a mentor to many… his blog is incredibly inspiring to me!

7. And Pat at i~Nurse Educator. Pat is a Nurse (obviously) and an educator and an advocate and a dieter. He’s lost 23.4 lbs so far and his advocacy for nurses is one of the things that drew me in. Go Pat!

So there you have it… 7 more very deserving bloggers getting an award. I have 2 more to pay forward this week… maybe tomorrow 🙂

Ciao!

Posted on March 20, 2012 by flamidwyfe

My friend Miri leads an insanely crazy life!

What a Wonderful World, Indeed

When my eldest son walked in to my room tonight holding a gold band and stated “look what my girlfriend bought me” I almost thought this post was going to begin with the words: So the best thing that happened to me today was that I was almost abducted by a sexual predictor. Fortunately, the band was a replica of The ONE RING and the near kidnapping shot back up the chart to #1 shitty event.

This has been a ridiculously long day. So for those who have not hear or want more details, let me elaborate.

I headed off to teach yoga today at 6:00. I dragged Zach along for the ride but realized as we arrived that my key to the studio had fallen off my key chain. In a moment of pre-coffee brilliance (which isn’t very bright at all) we made the decision to leave me there…

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Dukan – Day 213 – Dukan Recipe – Chicken with Olives

Posted on March 19, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Monday was a PV day 🙂

Today marks the 7th month since I started this life changing journey on August 20th.
Here are the stats: (you have to read all the way to the bottom to get the final stat) 😀

Aug 20, 2011 / March 20, 2012
Chest: 42 / 36
Waist: 45 / 33
Hips: 56 / 42 (LOL, my HIPS are smaller than what my WAIST was!)

Daily weight Gain: 0.4 lb/0.2 kg
Total weight Loss: 79.0 lb/35.91 kg

😀 I knew that would happen… LOL… 2 steps forward 1/2 a step back… Hakuna Matata, I had a pretty good day. Worked 1/2 a day to make up for working all day on Sunday.

Breakfast: 2 tea eggs
Lunch: Citrus Pork and Onions (recipe posted yesterday)
Dinner: Chicken with Olives – recipe posted below

Water: 2 liters
Exercise: Walk to and from work 2 miles roundtrip
C25K run: 2.13 miles

RECIPE: DUKAN CHICKEN WITH OLIVES
This recipe comes from my favorite Dukan recipe blog Hapa Couple. I changed it up a little bit to make it Dukan Cruise friendly and because some of the items on their list are not necessarily available here in China. Additionally, I don’t have an oven, so mine was cooked on the gas burner. Also, their recipe is for 4 Servings.

Servings: 2
Ingredients:
1 Tbs Olive Oil
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts – cut into strips or cubes
1/2 large Red onion – I cut mine chunky
5 cloves of garlic – minced
1 green pepper – I cut mine chunky
1 14oz can of whole tomatoes – chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth (mixed 1/2 c hot water with 1 cube and stirred)
2 Tbs of Skim milk mixed with 1 tsp corn starch
8 – 10 whole green olives (stuffed) *couldn’t get these, so I sliced mine off the pit

Place 1/2 Tbs Olive oil in pan on med/high heat and add chicken. Brown on both sides, remove to a bowl.

Place 1/2 Tbs Olive oil in pan on medium heat and add onion, garlic and pepper, cook for 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.

Pour in chicken broth, stir and cover for 2 minutes.

Add cooked chicken into mix and reduce temperature to low. Simmer 7 minutes.

Pour in the cornstarch mix stir, Add Olives, stir. Simmer 2 minutes.
Enjoy!

You could put this over zucchini pasta it’s zucchini cut to resemble pasta and parboiled… OR you could put this over shiritaki noodles.
We ate it as is, kind of like a stew and it was delish! I also prepared a fresh, organic green salad that had the yummiest combination of greens in it… and a splash of olive oil… Yum

Delish dinner!

And the final stat that I promised at the top. I haven’t mentioned on my blog my starting weight OR my current weight at any point. Few people knew (up til now) how much I weighed when I started on Dukan.

WEIGHT:
AUGUST 20, 2012 = 255
MARCH 20, 2012 = 176

I still have 11 pounds to reach Dukan’s True Weight of 165 lbs and 21 pounds to MY goal of 155.

I can’t say it enough times… the support I get from all of you; my family, friends and new blogger friends has been the key to my success. I am humbled by your kind words and cheering!

Blessings and Ciao!
Sandi

Blogger Awards – Part 1

Posted on March 19, 2012 by flamidwyfe

I’ve been nominated for several blog awards the past couple of weeks. It is humbling to me that others think what I write is worthy of such things. Part of receiving these awards is giving back and in honor of that I am going to take my time nominating others so that each one receives the attention it deserves.

I want to thank MJ from EmJayAndThem for the nominations. Her post the past week The Look will give you an idea of her sense of humor 🙂

Today’s featured Blogger Award is the Hope Unites Globally Award (HUG Award).

This is an excerpt from the web site:
The HUG Award© is for people with an expectant desire for the world, for which they: Hope for Love; Hope for Freedom; Hope for Peace; Hope for Equality; Hope for Unity; Hope for Joy and Happiness; Hope for Compassion and Mercy; Hope for Faith; Hope for Wholeness and Wellness; Hope for Prosperity; Hope for Ecological Preservation; Hope for Oneness

I have 3 blogs that I follow that I feel truly deserve this award. Each one gives me hope in different ways and I encourage you to follow the links to their blogs and have a little read.

First up is Olive from OliveTwist. Olive has lived a very rich life, has lived through a lot of adversity and has an amazing and powerful positive outlook on life. She is also a gifted writer and I encourage you to spend some time going through her blog… her latest post Gandalf: A Sketch of a Lunatic is one of my favorites!

Next up is Alpha Miguel-Sanford of Aspire.Motivate.Succeed Her blog features daily inspiration, success stories and is motivating on many levels! I look forward to her posts in my mailbox in the morning to get me going!

And last, but certainly not least is Talin from TalinOrfali
Talin writes from the heart. She loves to travel and tells you about it from a really neat perspective. She also loves to blog about her homeland of Armenia and I’ve learned so much about it’s rich history!

There are 3 more awards to go… I will spread them out over the next week. I have so many awesome blogs that I follow that I want to spread the love ♥

Ciao!