Diet Central checking in ...

As the chart above shows, the diet is actually working!!!   I'm now officially into the 2nd stage called the Cruise Phase (in which I apparently 'cruise' my way to my goal?) Those last few pounds took some achieving though!  After a breeze of a first week, I added vegetables seven days ago, (I'm now on alternating days of pure protein, then vegetables + protein) and bang the scales stopped moving!  What?  OK, I thought, I can handle this, tomorrow it will move again.  But, it didn't budge.  I hadn't eaten anything I shouldn't, but having come down with an awful cold I wasn't out in the -20c weather walking as I should have been, nor moving too fast inside - except to the medicine cabinet for more Advil, or downstairs for another box of kleenex.  I assumed that must be it.  But as the week progressed and every morning the scales gave me back the same weight, I really started to doubt the diet, and myself!

So, I went to the Dukan website and signed up for coaching.  I thought I could do this without any outside help.  But, with the scales staying still for five days I realized I needed ALL the help I could get if I was to meet my goal of 40 lbs off.  I couldln't figure out what I was doing wrong!

I paid my $140 on line, and suddenly this whole new world opened up to me (and this will be available to me until I reach my goal and have maintained it for 200 days.  I decided it was a good investment in myself.)  What does my 'new coaching world' consist of?  Well, firstly, I have access to real live people at the Dukan end, to whom I can email any questions or frustrations.  Immediately I fired off an email unloading my worries that my diet had stopped.  I then checked a number of other emails in my IN box, and when I finished I had received an answer!  Now, to be fair, I've since realized that after 3pm emails are answered faster (I wonder where they are based?) but this was amazing.  So was the response I received.  It wasn't some basic 'form' email, but a REAL person - I knew because we exchanged a number of emails back and forth after that and the conversation flowed - this was NO computer!  I was impressed.

The staff greatly encouraged me, and assured me this pause in weight-loss is totally normal when you add vegetables to the pure protein.  She then went into the science of it so I understood why, and I was much relieved.  It feels so good to know I have this safety net.

Coaching also includes a cutesy 'virtual apartment' in which I can 'visit' to see recipes using the allowed foods, exercises, others experiences, my emails from staff, plus a daily report based on the nightly report I'm to send into them (I feel this last is computer generated, it has that feel.)  However, there is also a forum where I can participate in dialogue with other Dukan Dieters, or just read FAQ etc.

I love this!  It's my style.  I do acknowledge that there are many different ways to lose weight, and it's not a one-size-fits-all. (For example, I'm not attracted to weekly 'Weight Watchers' classes, yet it's a great system, and I know of many friends for whom this method has worked well.  Similarly, pumping iron at the gym every day, or simply being careful what you eat and cutting down on portion size works for those with great will-power, but that's definitely not me!)

I was thinking during the night how well I felt.  I've stopped all forms of sugar, most carbs except my daily oat bran cereal in the morning, and am no longer drinking wine with my dinner every night, (knowing I can resume my daily 'wine habit' about Oct. when I have maintained my new weight for 200 days keeps me sane on that score.)  I'm eating no processed foods or drinking artificial protein shakes ... I have great energy (now my cold is gone) and I'm hardly ever hungry!

OK, I confess, this is a good day ... it surely can't continue ... can it?

Stay tuned ...