29 June 2012

Attacking the Dukan Diet...

I'm now on day 5, the last of my 'attack' days of the Dukan diet, and I have noticed that I'm not as hungry as I have been when trying to diet or cut down on food before. At least, I'm not as hungry in the same way. I don't seem to be craving food and feeling weak - I suppose that is because my body isn't getting a rush of high G.I carbohydrates followed by a slump in blood sugar levels. The only thing I've really thought about is fruit and peas! Obviously I've missed vegetables at meal times too. 

The Dukan Diet Life Plan book recommends that you weigh yourself a lot during this first phase to see the benefits and spur you on, but I've avoided this in case it hasn't been working. I've followed it to the letter with no cheats, but it can't work for everyone, and it is only 5 days after all. Still, I will weigh myself tomorrow morning to see if it is worth me moving on to phase 2.

Wednesday - Day 3

Breakfast: nat yog + 1 tbsp oat bran

Snacks: 5 x seafood sticks

Lunch: 2 x poached egg
           smoked salmon
           mackerel fillet

Dinner: prawns stir-fried with garlic
            3 x slice reduced fat bacon
            nat yog + 1 tbsp oat bran



Thursday - Day 4


Breakfast: nat yog + 1 tbsp oat bran

Snacks: 4 x seafood sticks

Lunch: small piece steak
           1 x fried egg (no oil)
           2 x slice reduced fat bacon
           fat-free yog

Dinner: prawns 
            lean beef mince with liver, onion, garlic and stock

 

Project 52 - Look Up, Mr Gull

Having been surrounded by seagulls down on the coast last week, I thought it appropriate to use one for the 'look up' theme. It never fails to amaze me how cheeky and greedy they can be, especially if you're a bit free and easy eating your food outside!


I managed to take this shot using only my kit lens (a 55-200mm lens is next on my photography wishlist!), which means it has been cropped down quite a bit. I was happy to discover that I'd done a good job holding the camera still in the wind! Mr Gull here might not be the prettiest bird, but I find him very interesting to look at all the same.

I used Camera Bag 2 and Picmonkey to process the image. 

My reject shots were the same image in black and white (but I felt you needed the colour around his beak and eye), and this one of the Devon flag flying high in the winds at sunset.




26 June 2012

Kan I du the Dukan Diet?

Firstly let me apologise for the terrible pun in the title. I've been meaning to shift a few pounds for a little while now, but the last straw came when I could no longer squeeze into my jeans. I am not going to buy a bigger pair, so I have no choice. I happened to see a book on the Dukan diet in a shop on my way home from holiday, and my mum knows someone who has lost a lot of weight on it, so I thought I'd give it a go.

So what is the Dukan diet? It's basically a low-card, high protein diet with 4 phases. You start with an attack phase which is protein only for 1-10 days. I've decided to do 5 days. I'm not looking too far beyond these 5 days for now, but I'll continue with it if I can see some weight loss. It will be tough - I love fruit and vegetables, but surely I can cope for a week?

Monday - Day 1

Breakfast: 1 x poached egg (Delia Smith's method is fantastic!)
                Smoked salmon

Snacks: 4 x seafood sticks

Lunch: 4 x slices bressaola
           2 x tiny haddock fillets rubbed with (too much) garlic
           Bowl fat free natural yoghurt + 1 tbsp oat bran

Dinner: Mussels
            Chicken breast
            Small bowl natural yoghurt

They were very alien plates of food to look at - I'm used to a whole plate of veg!


Day 2

B: Natural yoghurt + 1 tbsp oat bran (a new feature which has to be eaten every day)

S: 6 x seafood sticks

Lunch: 2 x poached egg
           Smoked salmon

Dinner: Basa fillets
            1/2 tin tuna in spring water
            Fat free toffee yoghurt

I have to say that it is going OK until late afternoon when hunger starts to set in, along with thoughts of what a rubbish dinner is in store! It's just not a meal. Anyway, I'm only really craving fruit, not chocolate or crisps which is usually what happens when I try to cut down. I think knowing I can't have any of those things is making it easier at the moment, rather than allowing myself a tiny amount of them. Right now (9pm) I am getting hungry again, but drinking lots of water. I'd usually tuck into some fruit right now. If this diet doesn't work I'll be annoyed.

If anyone has tried the Dukan diet and has any good meal tips or resources to share, I'd love to take a look! Please leave a comment below.

Tuesday Tunes

This guy has such an amazing voice..........


The Wolves by Ben Howard 

If you enjoyed that one please have a listen to his cover of Lana Del Rey's Video Games - pure class..............


Video Games by Ben Howard 

25 June 2012

Sunny (or not!!) Lego Bench Monday


No wonder us Brits are so obsessed with the weather if this is a typical British summer on the beach - spots of rain, lashing wind and the sun hiding behind the clouds! This brave Lego lady will soon be putting on her raincoat, hiding behind a windbreak and clutching a hot cup of tea I bet. No matter what, she'll be staying on that damn beach all day.

Supernatural Lego Bench Monday (from last week!!)



A little delayed as I was away, but Bench Monday did happen last week! 

These are the guys from Supernatural that I have put together - we have Dean and Sam on the bench with the Colt, a shotgun, the demon killing knife and a handgun; Castiel the angel is on the left, and Bobby Singer is to the right, holding his rifle.

Can anyone tell I'm suffering from Supernatural withdrawal while I wait for Season 7 to make it to Netflix?!!

19 June 2012

Tuesday Tunes

We're going retro this week with a truely gorgeous classic...I adore this song.......


Nights in White Satin by The Moody Blues

13 June 2012

Bring me Sunshine........

So, it looks like I'm a sucker for a 365 project - I finished my 365 self portrait project the other day, and am straight into another one. This time, I'm not the subject (thank God), and I'm allowing myself some freedom so I don't have to take a photo every single day if I'm not in the mood - as long as I have 365 at the end of the year, I'm happy. 

Having discovered Obitsu dolls this year, I just knew I had to create one myself. They are so much better than Barbie! So, meet Sunshine. She has a Parabox child head with a sunshine yellow wig, on a 27cm 2-part soft bust white body. I tried her head on the smaller 21cm and 23cm bodies, but I much prefer the shape of the 27cm - it's more curvy, and it's much easier to buy clothes for.


I plan on making some other outfits for her at some point, and converting a cardboard box into a house (well, a room at least). This will make photos easier too, as I'll always have a good backdrop for them. Not quite sure how this will turn out yet, but it will be a work in progress for a good while. I've got quite a few little toys I've collected for props and photos generally, and I'm planning on using lots with her over the year too. 

I already know Sunshine loves nature, and I'm sure she shares quite a few of my other interests too, which is handy! If I do run low on ideas I plan on creating some photos for Flickr challenge groups, like Macro Mondays or the These Moments Challenge group, to keep up my interest. 

I hope you enjoy seeing what she gets up to this year. Please feel free to comment or ask any questions. It can get a bit lonely here sometimes!!

12 June 2012

Tuesday Tunes

A kind of edgy, sultry song for today.........


Recovery by Kosheen

11 June 2012

Just One More Lego Bench Monday.......



As great TV detectives go, Columbo is up there with the best. Here is the custom Lego Columbo I made for a birthday gift to a big Columbo fan. Of course, he had to make a visit to the famous bench. Oh,  and just one more thing.............

06 June 2012

Project 52 - Rings and Things


Out of all the types of jewellery, rings are my favourite thing to wear - I have lots of them in unusual shapes and styles, and some that mean an awful lot to me. I just couldn't think of a way to photograph them all, and my attempts at wearing as many as I could, didn't quite work out! 

My next idea was inspired by the bag of British-themed Haribo sweets I was bought over the Jubilee weekend. It contained lots of yummy jelly rings. My aim was to save them until the following day so I could make a photo out of them, but temptation won over and I scoffed the lot!

An impromptu trip to the local Aldi supermarket on Monday saved the day - here I spotted the last remaining bag of mini Party Rings! I used to loooove Party Rings, and here they were in mini form!! Perfect. My first photos were of them alone, but it was missing the 'and things' part of the theme. My brain suggested children's toys as a colourful accompaniment - and from there, my Alice in Wonderland children's party theme photo was born.



05 June 2012

Tuesday Tunes

I've got a great one for you this week:


Night Air by Jamie Woon

04 June 2012

Happy Lego Bench Monday Grandma!


All the better to eat you with..............
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