Well, as promised, I'm back to report on my progress with the Dukan Diet. Sadly, I have not progressed as far as I hoped. I lost 10/12 pounds (depending on which scale you want to believe) rather quickly, but have stalled there for about six weeks. In my defense, it took me some time to get into the walking-20-minutes-a-day part of the regimen. I'm not, or should I say, have not, done much walking in the past several years that didn't involve a shopping cart. Walk all over the supermarket, or the Big Box store, as long as I had a cart to hang onto. And I do walk when I mow the grass, but that involves hanging onto the lawn mower. But flat out going for a walk is not something I do.
However, on June 7, on advice from my Personal Trainer, (my youngest son), I began by strolling to the corner of my street and back. I did that for several days and then walked a half block more each day. 'til I stepped up a little farther and a little farther until I was walking completely around the block. Took me 20 minutes. Time passed and I was doing that walk in only 12 minutes, so I have been extending my distance each evening to get me to the 20-minute mark. The past few days, however, have been extremely hot and humid and it's folly to think that I need to face that exertion. So I cut my walk down to a do-able distance.
Getting back to my stall at 155#. I was doing everything the diet called for. The oat bran, the protein, the permitted vegetables. Drinking the water. Diet Pepsi. Splenda sweetener. I decided the plateau was caused by my not walking the required amount. Until I did, on June 7, begin to walk, sure in my mind that the exercise was the answer and I would begin to lose. Weight, that is. But five weeks later and I'm still stuck. The absolute only cheating I have done was one bagel at four weeks and that was without cream cheese. Oh, yes, some baked sweet potato strips two weeks ago. I figured WTH, I'm stuck.
Now, I'm seriously considering moving on to the Atkins, since it is a little more liberal than Dukan. I am, however, reading the book, and researching what I can find on Atkins, just as I did before I started Dukan. And while I do that, I will continue with Dr. Dukan and his Oat Bran Galettes, and 20 minute walks, and if by some chance I begin once again to lose, I'll stick with him.
I've never been fickle. Just fat.
