Dukan – Day 231

Posted on April 7, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Friday was a PP Day 🙂

Daily weight loss: 1.1 lb/0.50 kg
Total weight loss: 85.2 lb/38.71 kg
I’ve lost 1/3 of my weight since August! 33.40% to be exact.
I’m in the 160’s!!! And have 4.84 lbs to go until I reach Dr. Dukan’s True weight and 14.84 lbs to go to reach my goal.

The full moon last night was gorgeous:

Breakfast: 2 tea eggs and bacon
Lunch: tuna
Dinner: stir fry steak with onions and garlic

Exercise: I RAN and I was FINE : D

No pain in the knee while running!

I hope everyone is having a good Easter weekend!

Ciao!

Dukan – Day 230 – Tummy Tuck consult

Posted on April 6, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Thursday was a PV day because of travel 🙂

Daily weight loss: 1.5 lbs/0.70 kg I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I LOST THIS MUCH, but I ain’t complaining… More on that in a bit.
Total weight loss: 84.1 lb/38.21 kg AND SIX STONE (for my Brit friends) SIX!!
I have 5.94 pounds to reach Dr. Dukan’s True Weight for me… Which in August, when I faced losing 90 pounds, I thought impossible… WELL IT’S NOT! 😀
I have 15.94 pounds to reach what I think I should weight (155)… Which will be exactly 100 pounds less than I weighed on August 20, 2012… You do the math.

With all the weight loss, there are some extra bits here and there, although its not as bad as I thought it would be for someone my age (48). So Kitty (my Personal Assistant) and I traveled 4 hours by train to Wenzhou for a plastic surgery consult. Here we are at the train station…

Here’s Kitty ~~drooling~~ sleeping on my shoulder… The girl can sleep 23 hours a day and anywhere! It’s amazing…

First, I want to say that my hospital is paying for my surgery. My hospital and the hospital in Wenzhou are owned by the same company… My hospital is paying for it to (ready for this??) “make me more marketable”… Me? I was going to pay for it at some point, so it I’m good with that, LOL.

My requests:
1. Full abdomioplasty
2. Liposuction the (now teeny) bit of fat on my back
3. Liposuction above knees, inside knees, back of thighs and calves

My bosses request (the CEO):
1. Laser resurfacing of hands and face

The consult went well. The surgeon is 31 and has done 10 full abdomioplasty ops. He will be supervised and assisted by someone with 20 years experience. As crazy as it sounds, I like this guy. He was honest about his age and experience. He looks 14 🙂 Kitty said we should ask for a better doctor… Lol… I love that girl!

When he examined my abdomen he told me there was hardly any fat to lipo from there… You can imagine how that made me feel! He also said he would not do all of the above requests by me at the same time because of the risk of hypovolemia from too much liposuction (all the tummy fat is in my legs, lol!) I tried to goad him into it and he flat refused… I like that about him, as well.

So, what I’m getting done on April 30th:
1. Full abdomioplasty
2. Liposuction above knee and inside of knee
3. Liposuction the teeny bit of fat on back
And MAYBE (depending on fat loss and blood loss) a bit from the back of my thigh, he will decide at the time

The rest will be done later… I really hate my calves 😦 But I get the risks.

What I got done yesterday:
Round 1 of laser resurfacing of face and hands and lower arms.
The premise behind the laser resurfacing is to activate collagen below the skin. I’m going to post a close up pic of my face and tell you this… MY FACE LOOKS LIKE THIS FROM 25 YEARS of SMOKING… I haven’t smoked in nearly 7 years, and my face still looks like this…
MESSAGE: DON’T SMOKE and if you do… QUIT!

Now that I look at it, I really need to do something about those eyebrows!!!

Getting lasered was interesting… It heats up your skin, they use some gadget to check your skin temp, apparently 41C is optimal… Very little discomfort.

And then the 4 hour train ride back. Long day, worth it!

About the weight loss this week… I’ve been very surprised because I haven’t run. I haven’t even walked at night. I’ve walked the 1 mile to work and the 1 mile home from work, but that’s been it. I have gotten tons of water and my bran in… So I’m waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under me!

I’m going on a test run tonight… Will be cautious and not stupid. It’s dry and 70 and perfect. My knee doesn’t hurt when I walk, just when I try to sit… Bizarre! I’m using a compression brace on it and will continue to do so. I did some light weights at the gym this afternoon (3 reps of 15 at just 20 pounds) and that seemed fine, as long as I don’t bend it more than 90 degrees.

So, that’s my update. I hope everyone is having a fabulous week!

Ciao!

Dukan – Day 229

Posted on April 5, 2012 by flamidwyfe

In very late from consult, so quickie update….

Wednesday was a PV Day 🙂

Daily weight loss: 0.7 lb/0.37 kg
Total weight loss: 82.5 lb/37.51 kg

1. The 160’s are very close!
2. Plastic surgery consult went well, full update in morning blog tomorrow 🙂
3. Sneak peek… Doc said I had very little fat to lipo from abdomen… I love him 😀
4. Didn’t get enough calories in today, but did take some food… Need to work on that better!

I’m off to bed, spent a total of 8 hours on high speed trains today!

Ciao!

Gorgeous old stone bridge contrasted against new buildings in background. Seen from train this morning.

Kitty and I at the train station…

Dukan – Day 228 – Quick update

Posted on April 4, 2012 by flamidwyfe

On iPhone, so quick update!

Daily weight loss: 0.2 lbs/0.10 kg
Total weight loss: 81.9 lbs/37.21 kg 32.10% of my body weight since August 20, 2011!

Going for plastic surgery consult tomorrow for a tummy tuck and liposuction of the legs. I’m excited and nervous, but happy the consult day is finally here!

Made a yummy chicken dinner tonight for Vivien and Romina, will post recipe tomorrow… Off to bed, WAY past my bedtime!

Ciao!

Parting shot: This is how you open a can of green chilis when you don’t have a can opener 🙂

Dukan Recipe – Vietnamese Pork

Posted on April 3, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Monday was a PV Day 🙂 I posted the dinner I made last night.

Daily weight loss: 0.2 lb/0.1 kg
Total weight loss: 81.6 lb/37.11 kg

This is the dinner I’m enjoying while typing this up!

Recipe: VIETNAMESE PORK
Serves 2 (I boxed my other half up for lunch tomorrow)

Ingredients:
10 oz of lean pork loin, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 Tbs fresh ginger, I cut mine in little chunks for some bite 🙂
1/2 large onion, cut in chunks
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs oyster sauce (if you don’t have use 3 Tbs soy sauce)
**To make this Whole30 compliant use Coconut Aminos**
1/2 tsp olive oil
5 garlic cloves, crushed
A few bits of cilantro

In a zip close Baggie put soy sauce, oyster sauce and ginger. Shake bag gently.

Place cubed pork in bag. Zip closed and shake gently. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add garlic and simmer 3 minutes. Then add onions for 1 minute.

While garlic is simmering, remove pork from fridge. Remove meat from marinade and drain.

Toss meat in with the garlic and onions, turn heat up to medium-high and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.

Plate, top with cilantro and ENJOY!

Ciao!

Dukan Recipe – Sautéed Veggies with Beef

Posted on April 2, 2012 by flamidwyfe

When I was in Hong Kong last week I found organic coconut oil on sale. I’ve been doing a lot of research on the Paleo diet for while I’m in Consolidation. I have no plans on ever eating wheat again. EVER. So i think Paleo will work well for me. One of the oils you find in Paleo recipes is coconut oil. It is zero carbs, but a bit high in fat. I typically won’t eat something if the fat is more than 9 grams. This coconut oil is 14 grams of fat per Tablespoon.

So, this is technically NOT a Dukan recipe, but it is a good fat, and if you’re using very lean beef, it should be fine. This is definitely Atkins, low carb and Paleo friendly.

Sautéed Veggies with Beef
Serves 1
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes

Ingredients:
6 oz very lean beef, cut into 1″ chunks
1 Tbs organic coconut oil
1/2 large onion, cut in large chunks
2 tsp soy sauce
**To make this Whole30 compliant use Coconut Aminos**
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, diced
1/2 cup mushrooms, cut in chunks
Handful of fresh spinach leaves

Melt 3/4 Tbs coconut oil over medium high heat and brown the meat. I can’t describe the amazing aroma this created in my small kitchen 🙂

Remove beef and drain… Set aside.

Melt 1/4 Tbs coconut oil over medium heat and sauté the onions and ginger for 2 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and sauté for an additional minute. Add soy sauce. Stirring frequently.

Add the beef back into the pan, stir. Cook 1 more minute.

Add spinach on top…

Give a good stir, cover 1 minute and Serve!

This was super easy to make and it was yummy!

Enjoy 😀

Dukan – Day 226 – Whoosh

Posted on April 2, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Monday was a PP Day 🙂

And God said, “Sandi needs a break today” and so it was….
Daily weight loss: 1.1 lb/0.50 kg
Total weight loss: 81.4 lb/37.01 kg

I needed that whoosh! Even with that whoosh I only lost a pound this week, but I’m going with it! I think I’ll do another PP Day today to keep the ketones up and hopefully lose 2 pounds this week. The original goal was to be at 165 by April 15th… That ain’t going to happen since that’s 8 pounds away and the 15th is 2 weeks away and this week I’m taking a 4 hour train ride each way to Wenzhou and then flying to Guangzhou next Monday for a week (with a train ride into Hong Kong). But, that’s OK, because even if I lose 2 lbs a week, that’ll be 85 pounds down in less than 8 months and that’s a pretty awesome accomplishment!

Knee update: I got a brace last night and feel 100% better… like its stabilized. I also got treated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and have a plaster patch on with TCM stuff on it now. I’ll see the TCM doc today for a manipulation/massage/acupuncture. I had a total and complete melt down about the knee yesterday. My friend Julia reminded me that it’s OK to have melt downs and I’m sure there was way more going on, and the knee was a good excuse to work through it. I’ve accepted that I’m not going to run until the end of the week and then give it a try… With the brace. I think it’s totally hysterical and ironic that I am so bummed about having to take 5 days off from running. 8 months ago I couldn’t climb 2 flights of stairs without stopping to catch my breath. Now I run 30 minutes and I’m not out of breath!

And lastly, I took a muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory pill last night and went to bed at 911pm (I’m a number freak, lol)… Anyway, I got a call at 1001 saying A was having mild contractions, I told her hubby to keep an eye on them, but for them to try and get rest. I got a call at 1033 saying they were very strong and every 4 minutes, I say get in taxi, lol. I get a call at 1046 that they are in taxi, I tell them I’m walking to work (I’m shocked that I’m up and alert and dressed and walking the 1 mile to work without swaying!). I get to hospital at 1101 and she’s upstairs and apparently 4 cms and already in the water birth tub. She’s behaving like she’s going to have a baby any minute… And at 1142 she did. Baby T came peacefully into her daddy’s hands in the water. I kept the ~~vultures~~, errr other staff away from suctioning, stimulating or otherwise interrupting the beauty of normal birth and this baby just opened her eyes, looked at mommy and daddy and took a little nap… It was amazing to watch. She was totally unaffected by her very fast labor! What a beautiful transition to be part of. I delayed cord clamping by nearly 10 minutes. I love showing my staff here that the baby needs to be with mommy and daddy and not with them. Baby T never cried, just pinked up beautifully and rested on her mommy’s chest in the warm water of the birth tub.
I was home just over 2 hours after I left… 🙂

Ciao!

Baby T enjoying her gentle water birth at 3 minutes old.

Dukan – Day 225 – Bummed Knee & Aussie Football

Posted on March 31, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Saturday was a PV day 🙂

Daily weight loss: 0
Total weight loss: 80.3 lbs/36.51 kg

Well at least I stayed the same. LOL – Trying very hard to keep my humor about all of this!

I had a fantastic Saturday… worked half a day and taught an awesome childbirth education class on nutrition and pregnancy and breastfeeding. Childbirth education really is my forte… I love it and wish I could do it full-time.

Then Vivien, Reena and I headed out for The Vineyard to watch my very first Australian Football League game. I am apparently a Geelong Cat fan 😀 They lost, but it was a tight game and very exciting to watch. And I have to say much more physical than American football… WITHOUT all of the equipment! AND they don’t stop for anything… including INJURIES! They just keep going. It was a lot of fun to watch and I’m looking forward to the next match on Easter Monday!

While watching the game I simply crossed my right leg over my left and rested the heel of my right foot on the area just above my left knee. And when I put my right foot back down I had the most incredible pain in my left knee! So I stood up… no problem there, and then I sat back down and screamed out in pain… I can’t SIT down and put weight on that knee while sitting… I have to stretch it out and use my right knee and the heel of my left foot to sit. I can straight leg lift it, no pain, I can walk on it, no pain, but I can’t bend it to sit 😦 I’ve self diagnosed myself with Runner’s knee and will heed the advise given in the article. I am beyond bummed… I was suppose to run last night after I got back from the football game. I am bordering on obsessed about when I’ll be able to run again… as in how many days will I rest it before I run again, and do I even do my walks? I’m getting ready for work right now and I’m planning on walking to work (1 mile)… I’ve never gone to work any other way in the 6 months I’ve lived here… I’ve actually walked to work every day for over 6 months… I’ll see how that goes… there are taxis if I need to hop in one.

Food for the day:
Breakfast: 2 tea eggs
Lunch: 100% beef burger and a side salad
Dinner: Chicken wings w/ hot sauce not dipped in anything for breading… the chef at The Vineyard makes these special just for me 🙂

Exercise prior to knee failing me: 3.5 mile round-trip walk to see K and H and get some baby snuggle time in.

I hope everyone else has had a fabulous weekend thus far!

Ciao!

1st quarter update on Bucket List/Goals for 2012

Posted on March 30, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Sitting on the plane, thought I’d do a quarterly update 🙂

Bucket List 2012

1. Reach Dukan “True Weight” of 165 – Getting SO close!
2. Reach “My True Weight” of 155
3. Nurture relationships – DOING
4. Fix my tummy 🙂 – consult April 6
5. Run 5k without stopping – I’ve done this twice in the past week! Signed up for my first 5K for June 9th in Ocala
6. Enjoy my job more – DOING
7. Accomplish teaching the 6 IPSG’s to the staff – DONE
8. Accomplish 100% compliance on at least 4 of the IPSG’s! – This one is a toughie!
9. Accomplish teaching the 13 JCI Standards to the staff – First class in 2 weeks
10. Visit the Philippines
11. Visit Singapore
12. Visit Thailand… Again
13. Continue my daily random acts of kindness, blog it – trying… Sometimes it’s just a smile or a nod
14. Blog everyday, can be challenging if VPN goes out – I’ve posted more blogs than days of the year, so far!
15. Get rid of all the “stuff” I don’t need… In my storage unit AND in my flat! – Gave away more than 10 bags of stuff from my storage unit when I was home in January AND threw out 6 bags of stuff. Reduced my stuff in my China flat from 9 boxes to 3 boxes!
16. Live as green as possible – Hard to do in China, but I walk EVERYWHERE! The only exception is if I am going to train station or airport. I even walk to and from my friend K’s house a couple times a week (3.57 miles each way!)
17. Start an indoor herb garden
18. Run 10k without stopping!
19. Read 100 books – I’ve read 6, on my 7th, most have been on iBooks.
20. Start yoga classes by March 1st – difficult in Hangzhou, doing wii yoga, took class that kicked my ass, but was fun, in Hong Kong. Will go back to studio in a month on my next visa run.
21. Take yoga at least once per week – Doing it on wii, 30 mins/3 times a week
22. Run at least 3 times a week – I’m running 2 days on and 1 day off, so definitely meeting this goal
23.save 25% of my annual income… This will be challenging given my propensity for travel 🙂 I accomplished this with my February pay and my March pay
24. Travel coach 🙂 – Yup! I’m actually sitting on my 9th flight of the year, in coach… Although I did get a free upgrade on 2 flight segments going home in January… And I used my British Air miles to fly back to China from Miami in February… Only had to pay taxes 🙂
25. Plan a 50th birthday cruise for my mates and aim to get at least 100 people to go! – Cruise planned… Not sure of the numbers
26. Get another tattoo.
27. Attend a rock concert
28. Paint 2 big canvases and complete my little canvas series
29. Surprise someone I love by giving her the series (I’m pretty sure she doesn’t read my blog… But she’d totally guess it was her, if she did)
30. Start my own blog site with help from Charlotte, one of my Dukan buddies.
31. Try not to send emails or make phones calls on the nights I take sleep medicine 😀 – So far, so good
32. Celebrate a holiday that I don’t usually celebrate!
33. Figure out how to set up my wii again… I love the yoga and the boxing – DONE
34. Take 2 backpacking trips 1 down, one to go
35. See more of China since I live here! – been to Taizhou, Wuzhen and I’m going to Guangzhou next week!
36. Take an overnight train in China… – DONE – IT WAS HELL!
37. Open up my heart and take some chances – Yeah, not in China, this one will have to wait, unless someone amazing pops up.
38. At least 80% of my quotes of the day will be by women I respect – most of my quotes have been by women 🙂
39. Send in my absentee ballot for the Presidential election
40. Drink 1.5 liters of water per day – DOING
41. Weigh myself every day – DOING
42. Get a minimum of a 30 minute walk in per day – DOING
43. Take my bran every single day – DOING
44. Pray and meditate for good health each day, purposefully – DOING
45. Pray for the health of those I love, purposefully – DOING
46. Continue reading john shore.com and Pastor Bob every time thy post a blog… Their wisdom fills me up. – DOING
47. Don’t make excuses – I haven’t allowed myself… I’m really proud of thus far meeting this goal
48. Work on being less angry – Um, I AM working on this
49. Just for today, I will refrain from improving anybody but myself. – DOING

Dukan in Hong Kong

Posted on March 30, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Thursday was a PP Day 🙂
I’m up 200 grams today and I have NO BLOODY IDEA how that can be!
I did the following:
Walked all over the city at a brisk pace = 5.21 miles
I pooped 🙂
I RAN UPHILL and the down = 2.58 miles
I did KYA Ashtanga yoga (KYA is Kick Your Ass, name of the class, and it did!) = 90 minutes

I ate:
Breakfast- 4 slices oven roasted turkey and a small chunk of low fat (6%) cheese
Lunch – same as above
Dinner – street pork, two pieces of he crispy skin (could not resist) and NOTHING ELSE
Snack – pot of fat free Greek yogurt with 2 T bran and a Splenda
Drank- 1 coffee and 3.5 liters of water

I’m a bit disappointed…. Which is out of character for me 😦 That’s a net gain of 300 grams for 2 days.

I had a really good day though and a massage in the middle of all the exercise, and the best news is that I’m still able to move this morning! I was a bit worried after the yoga.

Here’s some pics if my day!

Ciao!