Day 80: The How To's of The Dukan Diet

Happy Friday My Friends,

Here we are sitting at day 80, I am down 25 pounds and I feel great!  I have become very motivated now that I have been successful with the first 25lbs but I know what this means and recognize that I will cheat if I don’t keep going.  So I have become more determined to lose the last 25.  It’s not going to come off as easily as the first, but I am hoping with more effort and more exercise I can become successful!  My goal is to hit the gym 2-3 times per week to get back into a routine, mixing it up with cardio, abs, weights etc.

I cheated two weekends in a row, the first was my best friends Bachelorette and Bridal shower.  I didn’t over indulge, I just had some cake and some nachos and some candy, and let me tell you in very small quantities.  This past weekend I had Gatorade and the icing off four cupcakes.  And I am done now, the ramifications of this are: 1. I have a headache today 2. I have not lost any weight and 3. I don’t feel good about myself.  So back on the strict band wagon I go and off to the races! 

Tairalyn and I have been very successful with this diet and we are fielding questions and requests, left right and center on how we did it, how to do it, how much does it cost, the list is endless.  SO, I thought I would dedicate this post to the How To’s of the Dukan Diet. (Check out Little Miss Mama's blog today for her tips and tricks)

Like most diets, they are a lifestyle change, just like quitting smoking; if you are not ready you will not be successful.  Trust me.  But Tairalyn and I were definitely ready for this and we read up and found recipes to help us through.  We used resources like Google and Pinterest.  The Dukan Diet consists mainly of cutting out all carbs including sugars and limiting the fat intake into your body, low fat milk products, no fruit, no breads, pastas, grains and no veggies (for the attack phase).

What Tairalyn and I did to prepare ourselves for this diet was to go on a cleanse for the first week.  We cut out carbs and sugars, mainly breads, candy, chocolate and drank THIS each day for the first 7 days.  After that we then started on Phase 1: Attack Phase. 

Like I have stated before PLAN PLAN PLAN! Tairalyn and I spent one whole day, 12 hours planning out every single meal including snacks, making every single meal including snacks and organizing each day.  We were beat, tired, bitchy, but we knew come Monday we would be successfully embarking on a new lifestyle and we were ready to welcome it with open arms.  Check out our PINTEREST here, here, and here for recipes used.  We did the attack phase for the maximum of 10 days, reasoning is that our goal is to lose 50lbs.

What is the Attack Phase?

High protein, basically only protein with non-fat milk and dairy, at least 3 liters of water a day to avoid overworking your kidneys and 20 minutes of light exercise a day!

Only allowed 2 egg yolks a day, unlimited egg whites

2 Tbs of Oat Bran every day, I mixed mine into my yogurt

Any seasonings must be sugar free 

NO VEGGIES - NO FRUIT - NO CARBS

It’s definitely an adjustment and you have to push through the cravings and the bad days.  Making sure you have an amazing support system will help for the low days and the high days!

What is the Cruise Phase?

There are different versions of this phase as to which days you eat what.  I followed the PP (pure protein) and PV (Protein Veg) alternating days.  But check out mydukandiet.com for the variation you feel will work for you.  You are still limited in the vegetables that you can eat but boy will you appreciate them more!

Approved Veggies:

1. Artichokes (Globe not Jerusalem)
2. Asparagus
3. Egg Plant
4. Beetroot
5. Broccoli
6. Cabbage (Broccoli and Cabbage are both a member of the Cole family and this allows you to eat a very wide variety of vegetables such as cauliflower, purple sprouting broccoli, red cabbage, white cabbage, collard greens, kale and brussel sprouts)
7. Carrots
8. Celery and Celeriac
9. Chicory
10. Zucchini
11. Cucumber
12. Fennel
13. French Beans/String Beans/Runner Beans/Mangetout
14. Leeks
15. Mushrooms ( all varieties including White Button, Shiitake, Oyster and Portabella)
16. Onions (Red, White, Salad or Spring)
17. Palm Hearts
18. Peppers
19. Pumpkins, Squashes and Marrows
20. Radishes
21. Salad Leaves (Of any sort including all types of Lettuce, Rocket and Watercress)
22. Sorrel
23. Soya Beans
24. Spinach
25. Swede
26. Swiss Chard
27. Tomatoes
28. Turnips

Now the possibilities are endless, it’s like a whole new world has opened up.  You can eat anyone of these however you like it.  Just remember to always check the ingredients to make sure there is no sugar, use skim milk products and try to add a little exercise into your diet. 

There are more phases to this diet but we aren’t there yet!Cost: Just a grocery bill.  As with many diets, when you start buying fresh foods you have to spend a little more but that is about it.

I have put together a list of the must-haves I have learned and wish I had known during the attack phase.  My secret tips and tricks that will help YOU be successful:

1. Go to shopdukandiet.ca and order some products here that will help seize those cravings you will have.  Promocodes youcandukan15 or youcandukan5
2. PUDDING.  Jello makes a fat free, sugar free pudding that you just add skim milk to; honestly it is better than sliced bread and a lifesaver.
3. Sugar twin.  The white sugar twin has proven its value in this diet as the best sugar replacement on the market.  We tried many varieties and found this one to be the best for baking and eating.
4. Greek Yogurt Lifesaver.  0% Greek plain yogurt, with some cinnamon and sugar twin, this will help you anytime, anywhere if you are having a craving.  Very satisfying.
5. Spend the money for the low fat cheese, it is worth it.  I have found that the marble is the best one that doesn’t lose much of the taste.
6. Mustard, the no calorie flavor booster
7. Save-On-Foods.  They have bulk foods and this is where I have found the cheapest Goji berries and bulk oat bran.

The internet is your oyster and Google is your best friend, use it to your full advantage to look anything up and become successful.

I hope this will help you on your way to a new better version of you.  If you have any questions please feel free to email me ohsolindz@gmail.com or leave a comment.  I would love to help each of you!

NOW, head on over to Little Miss Mama and read her secrets to success!

Have a fabulous weekend my friends!

Xoxo Lindsay

JOIN US: Okay come’on, we’re on day 80, I know there are a few of you that are lingering on the idea of jumping onboard! What are you waiting for folks? Buy your books {here or here}, plan and pin your favorite recipes from our weight loss journey board {here}, menu plan your attack phase, ensure you visit shopdukandiet.com {promocodes 15% off $100+ youcandukan15, or 5% off $50 youcandukan5}, and reach out to us letting us know you’re making a movement into health and happiness with us.

HASHTAG HANGOUT: Don’t forget to tag your posts with #youcandukan so Tairalyn and I can see the success of all of you, cheering you on along the way with great tips and tricks we have learned as we go.FIND US PINTERESTING?
My Weightloss Journey Pinterest Board Dukan Diet Recipe Pinterest Board
INSTAGRAM: I am constantly posting pics of my success and healthy snacks and meals add ohsolindsay for inspiration

UPDATE: Dukeing It Out With Little Miss Mama

Happy Wednesday My Friends,

Well this past week and a half hasn't been an easy one but Little Miss Mama and I made it through.  A little more of a struggle than I anticipated even though we were able to add veggies into our diet.

Day 15: Cruise Phase, Introducing Veggies

I was pretty shocked at the results of the weigh in, I didn't feel like I had lost any weight at all but my scale doesn't like, well at least I hope it doesn't! I didn't lose many inches which is to be expected when you don't exercise, I know if I put a little more effort into the exercise part I would see higher results which has now become my goal over the next few weeks as I know this will only benefit me.  Today I received the good news that we get to introduce protein & vegetable days!  Yaaay, oh happy day!  I was definitely starting to get sick of only protein day in and day out.  So how does this work?  During the cruise phase you alternate between pure protein days and protein and veggie days.  This breaks up the full protein days which is fantastic and opens up the meal possibilities exponentially.  We will stay in this phase until we have reached our goal weights, which looks to be about another 4-5 months, this is a lifestyle change after all and I am ready for it.

I must admit I fell off the wagon, on day 18 I was cranky, hungry and exhausted after a full day of training at my new job.  I came home and decided to nap, hoping that would help, nope.  It made it worse, so for the sake of my family and my sanity I ate a plain burger patty and a salad in hopes that would satisfy my hunger but it didn't so I had a cookie.  I had 6.  Homemade chocolate chip cookies that had been taunting me for a week but one of the key factors in a diet is being accountable.  Feeling defeated I messaged my bestie Little Miss Mama, without her I wouldn't make it through this.  Trust me when I say this, doing this with someone is the best way to do it!  The best way!  She talked me down from the binge ledge I was hanging on and gave me the support and encouragement I needed!  So what do I do from here?  Of course she offered to get together this weekend find some new recipes and prepare some meals so that we can be successful in this.

Day 22: Cruise, Cruise, Cruise

Well my friends I must say another successful week has come and gone and I am happy with the results.  I lost 2.5 lbs and 1.5 inches on my bust and 3 inches on my hips, I can't believe it!  I didn't expect to lose that much weight or lose any inches as I have not been super active, but I am pleasantly surprised!  I have to give credit to my bestie Tairalyn, without her and her support I don't think I would be this successful, when I am down she picks me up and this is exactly what I and someone needs when making such a change in life.  I am beginning to see some major differences in my upper body, fitting into shirts that were too tight to close and finding my bra's and shirts a little looser!  I don't see the changes day to day but when I look back on the photos I can see the differences, 22 days in and I am down 11 lbs!  I would never have imagined it to be possible but it is!  I must admit that I was a little unsure when Little Miss Mama told me we would be losing at least 10 lbs a month, I didn't believe her at all.  But the Dukan Diet has a rhyme and reason for everything and is turning out to be successful.

Planning; It is a huge HUGE part of this diet, without the planning of weekly meals I would not be successful.  It takes a lot of time but it is worth it in the end, even the cooking til all hours of the night, saves my bacon when I am starving.

A few hidden gems we discovered during the cruise phase, carrot cake muffins, fat free instant pudding and sugar twin.  I should actually be calling these lifesavers because without these I don't think I could keep myself sane without any treats.

Check out these delicious recipes we found and trust me I would eat everything on this list even if I wasn't on this diet!

Mongolian Beef

Sesame Chicken

Meatballs & Sauce

Thai Beef Skewers

Thai Chicken

Butternut Squash Fries

Zucchini Lasagna

Carrot Cake Recipes

Whoopie Pies

Have a fabulous day!

Dukeing It Out With Little Miss Mama

Don't worry my friends,

We are not fighting, we are starting a new lifestyle called the Dukan Diet, please, don't let the word diet freak you out or come with any misconceptions, this is what we need to do to kick start our healthy lifestyle, it may not work for everyone but we know and feel it will for us. 
For those of you who follow Little Miss Mama you have seen the new lifestyle she has begun, all starting with the Dukan diet.  You may not know this little fact: Little Miss Mama and I have known each other since grade 3, so when my bestie text me to tell me her naturopath said she needed to lose 50lbs I said, with no hesitations: so will I!  (Actually the first thing I said was, 'Are you serious? I don't believe it' and then I said I'd do it with her)  That's right my friends, Little Miss Mama and I are going to lose FIFTY pounds, come hell or high water, we will get there. 
Doing something this big with a friend always makes it easier and in my opinion successful, especially with this girl.  She lets me be me and I let her be her, which brings comfort in knowing that we can both be hangry, irritable, cranky, bitchy, testy, sad and happy with each other and still have the support we need from each other at the end of the day! 

Be kind

Week 1:  Cleanse

We eased our bodies into this new diet/lifestyle by cutting out all out carbs meaning all breads, flours, and sugars and drinking 64 ounces a day of a cleansing drink for 7 days. 

This week started off easy peasy for me, I knew I could do this and then day 5 came and I could've killed for a chocolate bar or any sugar of any type, even just one little granule, but I stayed strong and was successful not cheating and with that hurdle I lost 5lbs!  FIVE POUNDS in one week, who would've thought, it was a very happy moment for me and gave me the drive to continue on with this new lifestyle.

Cleanse recipe :
64oz Water
1 Lemon | thinly sliced
1 Cucumber | peeled, sliced
1 to 2 tsp Gingers | grated
10 to 15 Mint Leaves

To optimize taste, steep the night before.

Be kind

Week 2: Attack

PLAN.PLAN.PLAN.  That's all I can say and my number one advice tip for the attack phase. Tairalyn and I spent one whole day, literally 12 hours, buying, making and prepping every single meal even snacks for our 10 day attack phase.  Thanks to Pinterest we were able to come up with some delicious and creative ideas for each meal. (check it out on interest here and here).  Out of all the choices available to us we made meatballs for days, burgers to feed a herd, stuffed chicken to feed a family of 20, Thai beef skewers to feed a whole ball team, Mongolian chicken and sesame chicken.  We also found some great 'dessert' recipes that have helped our sugar cravings; cheesecake cupcakes, yogurt drops and meringues.  I honestly believe this is the only thing that is helping me stay successful, because the first thing I do when I am starving is grab something quick and easy and for me it turns into one cheat, then another and then another and then here I am at 230 lbs.  So prep all your meals, each and every one and make some extra just in case you have an extra hungry day.

What does the attack phase consist of you ask?  High protein, basically only protein with non-fat milk and dairy, at least 3 liters of water a day to avoid overworking your kidneys and 20 minutes of light exercise a day!  Hard yes, can it be done? Yes.  It's been 5 days since we began the attack phase and I am doing okay, I am not craving sugar like the first week but definitely missing veggies and fruit.  I have noticed a definite decline in my hunger and I am not eating nearly as much as I did a week and a half ago.  Its been hard when the people around me are eating cookies, cakes and nachos, omg nachos would be delicious, but I will never make the 50 lb goal if I cheat now! 

I have also found a great blog to follow when I need to refresh my mind on the phases and what I can and can not have www.mydukandiet.com

Stay tuned for continued success from both myself and Little Miss Mama

Have a happy and healthy day my friends!

Fit In 30 Minutes... OKAY!!!

That's right my friends,

You heard me fit in THIRTY minutes, who would've thought.  And this is how it all started...

My bestie, Little Miss Mama, invited me to a session to which she said it was just going to be a consult on eating habits and such, but when we arrived the gym was set up and ready to go for our own personal session.  Tairalyn, Sofia and I had all these plans to go roam Granville Island and spend the day in Vancouver, those went out to window after one of the best workouts I have ever had!

When walked in we were greeted by one of the co-owners Hannah Fletcher, fitness guru at Fit In 30 Minutes downtown, she was so welcoming and so friendly I didn't feel self conscious or afraid at all, okay maybe just a little ;).  This was the cleanest gym I had ever been to and once I found out that we were working out I was excited to learn a new workout.  This became the best workout of my life, this first time I used the TRX band and ab exercises that renewed my faith that in there somewhere there are abs!  She was kind and understanding to our strengths and weaknesses and knew just how far she could push us before we just couldn't move.  The best soreness I have ever had after a workout, even if it hurt to walk for 4 days, it was all worth it.

Fit In 30 Minutes

Website//Facebook//Twitter

Now let me tell you a little about Fit in 30 Minutes, it stands up to its name, this is it.  It truly is all you need to get into the best shape you can, 30 minutes a day a few times a week, sign me up!  Clients of the studio do their own cardio prior to meeting with their personal trainer, they schedule an appointment with the personal trainer of their choice, show up for their allotted time slot and workout with that personal trainer for 30 minutes, it's just that easy. And here comes the best part: they even stretch you out at the end of the session, you read me right they stretch YOU.  The perfect ending to the perfect work out.

One of the coolest parts of Fit in 30 Minutes, next to the amazing trainers and gorgeous studio is the back-end of their website.  Those that are clients of Fit in 30 Minutes get to log in and book classes or sessions with their personal trainer 24/7.  So many of us use the excuse that there isn't enough time in the day or I work too late and everything is closed, but not this place, their website is open every minute of every day to schedule in the quickest most productive workout ever.  All it takes is for you to log in, find your favorite class and book your spot with seconds, OR if one-on-one is what you are after then snag a trainer that suits your fancy and block off a time that works for you that they have free. It's literally that easy my friends. I love that Fit in 30 Minutes has not only made having a personal trainer affordable, taken the gym to the online world and made it extra convenient for those of us that require. 

With all this said Tairalyn and I loved our ass-kicking thanks to Hannah at Fit in 30 Minutes. The studio is quaint and felt inspiring and inviting unlike some gyms I've been too. From the stretching to the online reservations, to the serving of chilled lemon and cucumber water for everyone Fit in 30 Minutes did not miss a beat when designing the perfect fitness studio.

Without further ado, here is your chance at winning a $50 credit with Fit in 30 Minutes that will get you well on your way to the beach body you have been dreaming about.   As you all know Little Miss Mama began her lifestyle change this week, well being her bestie what would you do?  That's right, I am right beside her encouraging her all the way oh and I'm doing it with her!  She is the push I needed to stop making excuses and now I couldn't be more excited for one of you to win this, hopefully being the push you never knew you needed to get to a healthier you!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Year, New Me, New You, New Blog

Well my friends,

2013 is now but a memory and we are well on our way into 2014, with this New Year comes new goals and fresh new ideas.  There will be a few changes to my blog, now don't worry, I am still your TV guru as I will always LOVE television but have decided to expand my blog to reach and relate to more people.

I will start this year off with retro blogging, a detailed series of my trip to Europe this past fall.  I didn’t have enough time to write about every experience each day and I want to share it all with you.  I will have some must see features, the highs and lows, and some great travelling tips that will be useful for future travels!

I will also be incorporating some DIY’s with none other than Little MissMama and look forward to some vlogs as her and I are going to be trying some of those this year.

It’s a new exciting year, full of hopes, dreams and new blogs!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Now let’s get to it… here is a rundown of the winter premieres of our favourite shows:

Friday, January 10^th
Bones 8pm on Fox

Sunday, January 12th
THE GOLDEN GLOBES, 8pm on NBC
Shameless, Season 3, 9pm on Showtime
True Detective, *New Series*, 9pm on HBO and HBO Canada
Girls, 10pm on HBO and HBO Canada
House of Lives, 10pm on Bravo and Showtime
Episodes, Season 3 10:30pm pm Bravo and Showtime

Monday, January 13^th
How I Met Your Mother, 8pm on CBS
Sleepy Hollow, 9pm on Fox
The Blacklist, 10pm on NBC
Archer, *New Series* 10pm pm on FX and FX Canada

Tuesday, January 14^th
Supernatural, 9pm on The CW

Wednesday, January 15^th
American Idol, 8pm on FOX
Arrow, 8pm on The CW
Suburgatory, 8:30pm on ABC
Criminal Minds, 9pm on CBS
The Tomorrow People, 9pm on The CW
CSI, 10pm on CBS
Nashville, 10pm on ABC

Saturday, January 18^th
Saturday Night Live, 11:30pm on NBC

Sunday, January 19th
The Following, After NFC on Fox
Looking, *New Series* 10:30pm on HBO and HBO Canada

Thursday, January 23^rd
The Vampire Diaries, 8pm on The CW
Rake *New Series*, 9pm on Fox
Reign, 9pm on The CW

Sunday, February 9^th
The Walking Dead, 9pm on AMC

Friday February 14^th
House of Cards, Season 2 on Netflix

Monday, February 24^th
The Voice, 8pm on NBC
Dallas, 9pm on Bravo

Tuesday, February 25^th
Glee, 8pm pm Fox

Wednesday, February 26^th
The Americans, Season 2 10pm on FX and FX Canada

Thursday, February 27^th
Grey's Anatomy, 8pm on ABC

Thursday, March 6^th
Suits, 9pm on Bravo

Happy Watching!

@ohsolindsay

New Year, New Lips

Happy New Year my friends,

Don't worry I am not talking about the duck lips botox look!  I am talking about the DIY lip scrubs Little Miss Mama and I decided to do on a rainy day in Vancouver.

As you can see I am quite amazing at scrubbing my lips lol.  None the less, it worked and my lips felt amazing after.  I must admit I have always felt all these DIY projects very daunting 1. because I am not creative and 2. because they usually have 15 steps and you end up with a fail or at least I do, because I am not creatively inclined at all.  But when this duo gets together something good is always produced and lets be honest, it's always Little Miss Mama's creations.

Results: Sugar is better than coffee. Why?
The sugar granuals were smaller and proved to be better to scrub your lips with and a smoother result, whereas the coffee grinds were a little too big to be effective but I think if you ground them up smaller they would be more effective.

What I liked: It was quick, simple and effective.
It takes 3 (only, I know!) ingredients, 2 minutes to mix , 1 min to scrub and BAM you're done!  You walk away with your lips feeling smooth, soft and refreshed!  A great way to start the day and new year off.

Give it a try and have a great day!

Little Miss Mama is Turning Oh So 30!

Have you heard of my friend Little Miss Mama?!  Well here she is:

And I would like to wish her a HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

Little Miss Mama and I go waaaaay waaaaay back to when side pony tails were cool, slouchy socks were all the rage and Vanilla Ice's 'Ice, Ice Baby' was playing on everyone's cassette players (yes I said cassette)!  Although we lost touch for awhile it's like we never missed a beat; two peas in a pod you could say, I mean how many of you out there lick your chips before eating them?!  I only know one other person who doesn't look at me weird when I say that and it's her!

This friend has blossomed into an amazing wife, mother, fashionista and blogger.  Little Miss Mama is a Jill of all trades and this fashionista mama should be on your weekly, if not daily, read.  She has so many mama tips, life tips, recipes, diy projects, the latest fashion trends, giveaways and the list goes on and on, so go check her out already!

Right now she has an amazing giveaway going on you should check out.  Have you heard of yoga jeans?  They are the best jeans ever, they stretch, come in low, mid and high rise (to keep us all sucked in) and they come in a wide variety of colours to fit your style needs!  These jeans are like cashmere on your legs, the softest jeans ever and you must try them!!  Head on over to Little Miss Mama and enter to win a pair of these jeans, a $200 value!

Happy Birthday to an amazingly beautiful friend inside and out!

#50ShadesOfSummer is Coming to An Instagram Near You

You know the steamy book, 50 shades of grey?! Yeah this has nothing to do with that. Sorry. But what it does have is a promise of 50 days of fun ending with a giveaway that lasts forever!  Almost as fun as the book, minus the foreplay (wink wink nudge nudge). 

In collaboration with Prinstagram, Little Miss Mama and I are hosting a summer photo challenge for all you instragram'mers out there starting July 1st. Summertime fun, summertime love, summertime shenanigans, anything and everything that screams summer we wanna see it. All you need to do is hashtag #50shadesofsummer on one of your most memorable shots of the day for 50 days straight.  

From July 1^st to August 19th {50 straight days}, we are asking you to take at least one pic a day, of anything summer, be creative, get crafty, push the envelope {just don't open it} and post it to your instagram account for all to see, but don't forget to hashtag #50shadesofgrey.
After the 50 days have passed, on August 20th, a giveaway will go live on our sites for all who participated to enter running for 1 week.  And on August 28th, 3 winners will be chosen by random to win a set of 2 Minibooks via Printsagram; one will be filled with your #50shadesofsummer photos and the other can be a duplicate or a collection of your absolute favorite images of your choosing. What a great way to celebrate summer and create memories to last a lifetime!

Here is what you need to do to get started:

1. Follow @LovelyLittleMoi, @OhSoLindsay, @SocialPS to stay in the loop

2. July 1st - August 19th hashtag #50shadesofsummer, on 1 summer-infused picture each day

3. August 20th visit us at LittleMissMama or OhSo Lindsay to enter in the giveaway
**note we will be informing everyone of the giveaway once it's live via instagram, facebook and twitter; so no need to stress over missing out. As long as you are following us one way or another, you will be informed**

#50shadesofsummer

You have all weekend to clean your lenses and rest your finger because there is going to be a lot of clicking going on for 50 days straight!!  Your finger may get sore, your lens might get sweaty, but at the end of the day it will all be worth it!!  

Little Miss Mama and myself are looking forward to seeing what you all come up with.... starting Monday! 

xoxo Lindsay