Close to Maintenance...

So I've decided that September 20th is the day I finally go on maintenace.
That would make it exactly 110 days since starting the Dr. Bernstein diet.

I know I won't reach my ideal goal weight of 125 lbs., but if I hit 130 lbs., I think I'll be happy (enough).

I'm having a great time burning through my credit card buying new clothes. I had to donate 95% of my clothing since I've gone down 5 sizes!

But along with this new found happiness, I have to be honest, I'm a bit scared... Now I'm starting to worry about thing like..."Will I start to gain back my weight? Will I be able to keep it off?"

Logically speaking, the next step should be for me to start working out. Gym membership? Yoga? Bootcamp? Kick boxing? Swimming?
So many choices... but will I commit to any one of those?

I guess we shall see in the next several weeks...


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August 30, 2010

Weight 137.0 lbs - down 5.2 (since my last post on August 10)↓

It's been a while...

Hi everyone.

I'm sorry that it's been a while since my last post. I guess it's been close to a month now. Ooops.

Things to update you on:

The weight is slowly coming off. Unfortunately not as quickly like it did in month one. I'm loosing about 1.5 to 3 lbs. a week. Not too bad, but it could be better. I'm thinking that it's because my body has gotten used to this whole Dr. Bernstein diet thinggy.

I've changed my goal weight a bit. I think realistically, it's going to be 130 lbs. Yes, of course I would like to lose more, but I've already paid 2 eight week packages and with all the extras like vitamins, protein bars, etc., it's really starting to hurt my bank account.

I'm definitely scared to go on maintenance for fear that I'll just "let loose" and eat my way back to my original weight.

The great thing is now I'm able to fit into much smaller clothing. Going from an XL to a S/M is wonderful. Recently I picked up a new pair of GAP jeans in a size 27/4. That's crazy, but it makes me very happy.

Right now I'm thinking that I'll stay on the strict portion of the diet till the end of August, maybe possibly till mid September. To be continued...


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August 10, 2010

Weight 142.2 lbs - down 8.6 (since my last post on July 13)↓

3 days in Disneyland

It was a pleasant surprise when my significant other decided to take me on a trip to Disneyland. I had never been there before, so I was very excited.

I was looking forward to the trip, but at the same time I started to feel extremely stressed. "What was I going to eat? Will I cave into temptation?"
It is a theme park, so it's obviously going to have stores and stands that offer items full of sugary goodies...

So I started to research the Disneyland website, experience/trip blogs, restaurant menus etc., to see if I could hunt down and pre-plan my eating menu. Yes, there were a few options, but not really anything that fit perfectly into the Dr. Bernstein diet regimen.

So, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

Here's what I ate during my 3 days in the magic kingdom.

Day 1
- Munched on 1 Proti Bar, had a cup of water with my vitamins and then had a few sips of caffeinated coffee at the airport before departing
- 2 cups of water on the plane
- No food or water till 3pm - transportation travelling time, etc.
- 1/2 Proti Bar and 1 bottle of water at hotel, plus vitamins
- 1/2 Proti Bar and 1 bottle of water

Day 2
- Breakfast buffet at hotel - 2 egg whites (asked for no oil, but it looked awfully shinny...), strawberries, bacon, ham, cucumber, tomatoes, 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of coffee, plus vitamins
- 6 oz. fillet mignon (yup I splurged), salad with no dressing, apple slices, plus vitamins
- 3 bottles of water during the park stay

Day 3
- Breakfast buffet at hotel - 4 egg whites scrambled, 3 bacon, cucumber, tomatoes, strawberries, 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of coffee, plus vitamins
- 1/2 Proti Bar and 1 bottle of water, plus vitamins
- apple slices
- 2 bottles of water during the park stay
- Large salad with tomatoes (no dressing) and 2 cups of water at the airport before boarding for home

Sweet, sugary, oh so lovely carb-temptations were everywhere. So if you are not strong and tend to cave into temptations, then going to Disneyland is not something I would recommend.

Things I would have loved to have taken a bite of...
- popcorn (both buttered and caramel covered)
- ice cream
- regular Coca Cola
- corn dog
- pizza
- freshly made toffee brittle
- Mickey Mouse shaped bread available on the California Adventure park side
- bread
- bread
- more bread
and finally Mickey Mouse cupcakes (see picture above)

Sigh...

Well I'm happy to say, I survived Disneyland!

And on Monday's weigh-in, I found out that I had lost 2 lbs. since Friday. Not too bad considering I had more protein than recommended.

One thing that did notice at the park was the large numbers of obese people, especially very young children. It was very sad to see them struggling to walk and trying to squeeze into the rides. Many of them were eating foods that contain no nutritional value. Disneyland is trying to introduce healthier options like fresh fruit stands, but it's just not enough. Especially when the ice cream stand is right beside the apples and oranges... As a child, which would you really choose?

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July 12, 2010

Weight 150.8 lbs - down 2.0 ↓

Finally at 20!

It's taken a while, but I've offically lost 20 lbs.

I thought I would get to this point much sooner, but oh well...

Since starting June 1st, I've been completely fathiful to the Dr. Bernstein diet. I have not fallen off the wagon and I've been determined not to cave into temptations. I am strong, but at the same time I have been pretty paranoid about my ketones levels and always thinking... "What am I burning at today? Am I burning during the evening too?" Also when you live with someone who loves to eat, cook and entertain, it's always a challenge.

Recently my daily food choices/selection has become pretty boring. I've become a tad bit lazy and just can't seem to be motivated to create new and interesting dishes.

Up to now, my BIG salivating tempations have included:
- Microwave popcorn
- Thai green coconut curry
- Pasta
- Deep fried chicken
- Ice cream

I guess it's not too many things...

Well my next big challenge is coming up this weekend. I'm heading to Disneyland! I've never been there before, so I'm very excited, but of course you know what I'm going to say next. Yup, I am completely paranoid about what I am going to eat. I'll be packing some Proti protein bars and my essential vitamins, but besides that I'm going to have to figure it out when I get there.

I sure hope that the food selection in the park won't be too bad and they'll have more than just burgers and ice cream.

I wonder if they have an all you can eat salad bar...

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July 7, 2010

Weight 151.0 lbs - down 2.0 (since Friday) ↓

Happy One Month Anniversary!

Happy One Month Anniversary to me!

Yes, it's been a month since I started my journey on the Dr. B diet. Some days it feels like I've been on the diet forever, but other days, not so much.

I've lost a total of 18 lbs., but I was really hoping for 20. As one of my friends pointed out, "Hey, that's as much as a whole turkey!" Don't ask me why they used that analogy... but heck, the amount of weight lost is much easier to understand that way.

I'm now on to month two. I hope to lose a further 15-20 lbs.

Also, I've finally received a copy of Dr. B's Simply Sensational Diet Recipes book.

It has taken exactly a month to get my book. A bit annoying, but I'm glad that I can now peruse through it to see if I can find anything interesting to make. I have to be honest... I've been eating pretty much the same stuff for the past month - it was staring to get very tiresome.

Tonight I might try the "Cheese Cake with Fruit Topping"... mmm... yup, straight to the dessert section of the book :P

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July 2, 2010

Weight 153.0 lbs - down 1.0 (since Wednesday) ↓

New pair of jeans!

So I didn't lose a lot over the weekend, only 0.6 lbs. As per usual, a bit dissapointing, but oh well...

On a happier note, I finally decided to spend some money and buy a new pair of jeans. I've been trying to hold on to my existing pair, but I've lost enough weight that they are now starting to fall off when I walk around.

I was pretty happy to find out that I went down from a size 12 to a 10 at Old Navy. I know I'll lose more weight, so I didn't want to spend too much money. I was glad to find a pair of jeans on sale for $15—sweet!

Hopefully it won't take me too much longer to ditch the size 10 and move on down to a 8 or even a 6...

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June 28, 2010
Weight 154.8 lbs - down 0.6 ↓

Friday update

It finally feels like summer here on the west coast. I'm finally starting to wear capris and sandals. Blue sky and warm temperatures = T.G.I.F.

I just came back from the clinic. Got my shot and stocked up on my vitamins, K-cal and Bari-effa. Bye bye $56...

I'm a little dissappointed (yet again). I'm losing weight, but last nights EU sample came back zero. I wasn't burning ketones during the evening. I feel so bummed out about it.

I've still managed to lose another pound, but in the back of my mind, I'm thinking maybe I would have lost more if I was burning ketones 24/7?

Oh well, I guess there's not much I can do since I'm following the diet to the T. I will continue to putt along and hopefully will make my goal of loosing 20 lbs. in the first month.

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June 25, 2010
Weight 155.4 lbs - down 1.0 ↓

Big bruise

I've been going to Dr. Bernstein since June 1st. So 3 times a week for the past three and a half weeks, I've been getting my B6/B12 shot.

Usually when the nurse injects, it hurts for a few seconds and that's it. Well on Monday I got a shot from a nurse that I have never dealt with before. It seemed fine, but this morning when I woke up and found that I had a HUGE bruise. It's probably the size of my palm. Luckily it doesn't hurt, but boy oh boy, it looks pretty ugly.

Today's nurse said that the vitamins were injected too low on my stomach. Ugh.

Oh well, hopefully that won't happen again.

On the brighter side, I'm down 1.6 lbs since Monday and burning ketones at +2.

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June 23, 2010
Weight 156.4 lbs - down 1.6 ↓

The t-shirt...

Being overweight for the majority of my adult life, it's been very difficult for me to wear certain types of clothing. I'm not talking about the oh so predictable item like a bikini, but something much more basic.

For years I haven't been able to wear a simple t-shirt out in public. I hate my fat chubby arms, so even on a super sweltering hot summer day, I refuse to wear anything that shows any skin above the elbow. I can be sweating like a pig, but I still refuse to wear a cool comfy t-shirt. I feel so self conscious about my arms and in general how it accentuates my fat body.

As a part of my weight loss goal is to be able to wear, yup, a t-shirt. So today I've decided to post a pic of one (it's a bit of a fancy one, but oh so pretty) to keep me motivated. Hopefully I'll have lost enough weight in the next several months so I can be comfortable wearing it out and about in public.

Moving along slowly...

I don't know if has anything to do with "that time of the month," but my weight loss speed has dramatically slown down.

Last week was prety pathetic, so it got a bit depressed. I was hoping to be weighing much less by this point in my diet journey. So I spoke to the doctor at the clinic about this and he assured me that the most important thing is the ketone level. Luckily I'm still burning at +3, so I may not see a dramatic weight loss, but my body is still burning the fat.

I have noticed my pants are fitting differently. My so-called straight legged/tight jeans are now looking and feeling more like loose fit.

How do you deal with weight loss slow down?

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June 21, 2010
Weight 158.0 lbs - down 1.2 ↓

Lunch time!

I thought I'd share a pic of my lunch today.
It's worth: 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Protein, 1 Bread Substitute, 1 Miscellaneous

GARDEN SALAD
Spring mix greens
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Yellow Peppers
Mushrooms
1 tbsp. Kraft Fat Free salad dressing in Italian.
1 piece of Wasa Rye crisp bread
and my fave,
2 pieces of bacon!

Mid-week slow down...

When I went to the Dr. B. clinic today, I was slightly disappointed that I didn't loose at least a pound since Monday. Okay, it's 0.8 lbs., but still, it's not the big "1"...

So I'm hoping things like hormonal changes, weird sleep patterns, water intake amounts can be factors in loosing more or less weight.

Should I be expecting more? Am I being too hard on myself? I've been following the Dr. B. program rigorously.

Can't I expect to be loosing one pound or more every two days?

Maybe I'm just thinking too much about it.

How do you feel when you loose less than you were hoping for?

On a positive note, I came out of today's appointment burning ketones at +4. Hopefully that means I'll loose a bit more in the next couple of days.


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June 16, 2010
Weight 159.4 lbs - down 0.8 ↓

Weekend roundup

I survived weekend number two.

The sun finally paid us a visit here on the west coast and it was actually warm enough to really enjoy the roof top deck. Our friends got a new dog from the SPCA (what a cutie!), so I got a wee bit of exercise by walking the dog around the neighbourhood.

Sunday's breakfast was great. I had lots of veggies, egg whites and my weekend treat, BACON. Yum, yum, yum! I'm not a great cook, but I think I did a pretty good job :)

This weekend's temptations included:
Lemon souflé cake
Drumstick ice cream
Greasy Chinese take-away


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June 14, 2010
Weight 160.2 lbs - down 2.2 ↓

Lobster Salad recipe

Last night's dinner was the tastiest and yummiest since starting the Dr. B. diet.

I've never shared a recipe before, but I thought I'd share my not-so difficult, but totally tasty variation of a lobster salad.

It would consist of 1 Protein, 1 Vegetable, 1 Bread Substitute (optional) and 2 Miscellaneous.

DR. B-OBSTER SALAD

Ingredients:
100 g of fresh cooked lobster meat (I used two caner lobster tails)
70 g of green beans
60 g of fresh baby spinach
50 g of baby tomato
30 g of sliced mushroom
15 g of chopped onion
5 g of garlic (optional)
.5 tbsp Hellman's 1/2 Fat Mayonnaise
.5 tbsp French's Dijon Mustard
Lemon
Salt
Pepper

Method:
Chop lobster meat into bite size pieces.
Place into a bowl.
Add mayonnaise and mustard and then mix.
Add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Place to side.

Heat up non-stick pan
Spray a bit of Pam Original
Sauté the chopped onions and garlic quickly first.
Add the remaining vegetables (minus the spinach), but do not over cook them.
Once done, place to the side.

Plate:
Place spinach in a bowl or dish.
Add stir-fried vegetables on top (should still be warm).
Finally, add tasty lobster mix on top of vegetables.

Optional item is a bread substitute. I usually like to have 1 piece of Wasa Rye crisp bread.

Hope you'll try it or a variation of it.

Today at my Friday check-in, I lost 1 pound since Wednesday.


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June 11, 2010
Weight 162.4 lbs - down 1.0 ↓

Proti-Bars

I don't think I've ever taken this many vitamins before in my life. Every day, twice a day, it consists of: 2 multi-vitamins, 2 Cal-K, 2 Bari-Efa.

The nurses have told me to eat something first before taking the vitamins. Well it's been a bit of a challenge since my daily intake of food is so limited. Every morning I have to think about what to eat before taking my vitamins. I don't want to eat too much so early in the morning, or I won't have food left for later on in the afternoon or evening (especially protein).

Luckily, I've been able to find something I like. I've always had a sweet tooth, so having a Proti-Bar with a cup of caffeinated coffee around 9am works well for me. I would highly recommend the chocolate peanut flavour... yum!

It's worth 1 protein and 1/2 fruit. So what I usually do is have 1/2 of the bar and then 1/2 of another protein item for lunch. Today I'm having 50 grams of tuna.

I'm really looking forward to that today. :)

Ewww to EU

Last night I had the glorious task of collecting an EU. For those of you out there who don't know what that is, it is an evening urine sample.

It wouldn't have been a huge issue if it was done in the comfort of my own home, but guess what? Yup, I was out at a birthday dinner party. Ugh! That sure wasn't fun at all.

Well it's on to week two of the Dr. B. diet.

This morning when the nurse checked my ketone levels from my lovely EU sample, it was high. So that means I am burning ketones day and night—that makes me happy :)

I have started to notice that my face isn't as round, my pants and shirts feel looser. Even friends and family have started to comment too. Yay!


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June 9, 2010
Weight 163.4 lbs - down 1.0 ↓

Monday monday...

Arrived at the Dr.B. clinic at 8:40am for my Monday shot.

No one waiting, so I quickly hopped on the scale. Yay! Another 1.8 lbs down.

Since my first week at the clinic is nearly over (the consultation included the first week of shots), the nurse asked if I had decided on how to proceed with "payment"—pay per shot, or pick from a few "package" deals. For me my options were between, 4 weeks or 8 weeks. It didn't take me long to decide on the 8 week package at $1132...

My Ketone results? Yup, burning at +3.
Any issues? Well, I've had a bit of a headache since yesterday, so the nurse told me if it continues to increase my intake of Cal-K.

My shots have moved from butt to gut...


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June 7, 2010
Weight 164.4 lbs - down 1.8 ↓

First weekend recap...

I'm happy to announce that I made it through weekend number one.

Yes, there was dinner on Saturday and an unexpected one on Sunday too!

Saturday was much easier since the dinner was at home, so portion control and weighing food was not an issue, but Sunday was definitely quite a challenge since it was out at a friend's place.

But I made it through so, yay for me!

Temptations this weekend included: Lamb chops, steaks, mashed potatoes, bread, rice, ice cream, birthday cake and going to Costco...

Day Four

It was a quick 5 minute session at Dr. B. this morning.

Good news is that I'm down and tracing ketones. Yay! I'm very happy that I'm on track to Ketosis.

This morning I don't feel as hungry. Don't get me wrong, I still feel hungry, but not as much.

I guess this weekend will be interesting. It would be much easier if I could just stay home and cocoon, but I may have a dinner party to go to on Saturday. We shall see how that goes...


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June 4, 2010
Weight 166.2 lbs - down 1.8 ↓

Day Three

Last night I was feeling pretty hungry and while in bed, my stomach growled quite loudly—and let's just say more than a few times...

So, I have to say this morning I'm still feeling quite hungry. I'm hoping that my stomach will start to shrink very very soon.

Also, last night was my very first "challenge". We had a few friends over and a smorgasbord of tasty offerings laid out on the dinner table. Yup, things like beef tartare, artisan breads (my fave, carbs!), cheese, wines, and even some sweets like macaroons.

Actually it wasn't that difficult to stay on track. Yes, the bread smelled lovely, but I was fine. No going crazy. No foaming at the mouth. Maybe it's my willpower? Or maybe it's because it was only day two of my Dr. B. diet? Well whatever gets me closer to my results, I'll be happy with.

I checked my weight this morning on my home scale (different weight from the one at the clinic), but there's definitely a change in my weight.

This morning I had:
1) Mott's Fruitsations Unsweetened in Peach Medley
2) 1/3 of a Proti bar in Chocolate Peanut
3) Starbucks coffee (Pike Place)
4) Vitamins (Swiss 50, Cal-K and Bari-Efa)

Day Two and dealing with hunger pangs...

I went this morning to get my double shot of B6/B12. I really wished it has been a double shot of espresso... I was up late last night doing some catch-up work, so I'm pretty tired.

Luckily it wasn't busy at the clinic, so I quickly jumped on the scale. What?? I'm down 3.4 lbs? In one day? It sure did feel good being back in the 160's, but I do believe it's because I started my diet yesterday, strictly following the Dr. B. Diet Manual and stopped gorging myself silly with food.

I was in and out of the clinic in no time, my tush feeling a bit sore.

How do I feel right now?

Well it's 12:53pm, I've just finished my halibut and spinach lunch and I'm still feeling a bit hungry. This morning I had a cup of Mott's Fruitsations in apple and 10 Breton Mini crackers. I'll continue to munch on my grape tomatoes and red pepper slices till dinner. Oh, and of course drown myself silly in water.

Hunger pangs...
It's going to be a long day...

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June 2, 2010
Weight 168.0 lbs - down 3.4 ↓

Day One

I arrived promptly at my local Dr. B clinic at 7:30am this morning. I already had all my medical history and info forms filled out prior to the appointment. I was excited and ready to start the program.

After being introduced to one of the nurses, it was my off to the scale for my first "official weigh-in." I knew I had gained weight, but not THAT much. Ugh! I guess I had been indulging a bit too much recently. I thought I was around 165 lbs, but the scale said 171.4 lbs...

I quickly moved over to have my height checked. Yikes! Another blow! I thought I was at least 5 ft 3.5 inches, but nope, I was only a short 5 ft 2.5 inches. Okay, so it doesn't sound that different, but when you're short, every little bit counts.

Payment for the consultation was processed next, and might I say very quickly. It's a tightly run organization when it came to payments... :) I said good-bye to my $265.00. *Note: $50 was already charged when I made the appointment.

Then I had a 10 minute one-on-one consultation with the nurse about my medical history, waist and hip measurements taken and then got my pulse and blood pressure checked. Done. I was now off to the group orientation. A brief explanation of the program, a quick run through of the Dr. B. Diet Manual and then it was time for my B6/B12 injection.

It didn't hurt much, just a quick prick, but it did feel a bit sore for 3 minutes or so after wards (yes, in the butt).

I also decided to stocked up on a few essentials like the Swiss Multivitamin, Cal-K, Bari-Efa and Proti Bars in Chocolate Peanut.

So, that was it. Day one at the Dr. B clinic complete.
Since tomorrow is Wednesday, I'll be heading there again for my second injection.

Can't wait for Ketosis!

Just a note... I'll be posting my weekly weight change.
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June 1, 2010
Weight 171.4 lbs
Waist 39 inch
Hip 40 3/4 inch

The last sinful snack...

Before I start my new diet adventure tomorrow, I decided that I really needed to indulge my sweet tooth...

It all starts tomorrow...

I've never been a real "hardcore" dieter. My first real diet experience was last year using Nutrisystem. 20 pounds lighter after 6 months of portion control, light exercising and enduring the not-so-tasty N.S. dinners (lunch was my favourite and the most convenient), I felt and looked good. I didn't miraculously morph into a size 0, just a comfortable and happy move from size 16 to 12. Unfortunately I've gained back half of it already... ugh.

So this time, after seeing a few of my friends go through the Dr. Bernstein program, I've decided to take the plunge and trust me, I'm being realistic. I will most likely gain back the majority of my pre-Dr. B. weight, but I'm hoping to keep it off as long as possible.

This blog is mainly for me to use like a diary, but maybe others will check it out, get some useful info, and/or at least get a chuckle or two...

Tomorrow I'll be posting my "first day" experience.

Stay tuned!