Alien Lego Bench Monday

Must...exterminate...evil...unknown..object.

Tuesday Tunes

A brilliant rock band I only discovered a couple of months ago when I heard this song on Kerrang radio. Brilliant...........

The Waiting Room by We Are the Ocean

Inspiring Lego Bench Monday

My Lego self is as excited as I am this week, as we are starting an online painting course! Our first task is to search out inspiration from books and real life, and to gather our supplies. If you'd like to join us please visit here to book a place!

Project 52 - Fun in the Sun

Something we all need when we get the chance. Seeing as summer is a slowburner at the moment, every time the sun so much as peers around a cloud, I'm there. And so is Ted. 

Dukan Update

I'm now on Phase 2 of the good old Dukan diet. I lost 5lbs after 5 days of Phase 1 so I'm definitely carrying on, even if it does mean eating more of those bizarre 'meals'. A chicken breast alone on a plate still does not constitute a meal, but hey. So, Phase 2 means I'm alternating the proteins only with protein + vegetable days. At last, some greenery. Never has a cucumber tasted so damn good. I wasn't going to try on the dreaded jeans for a few weeks but I lapsed - they still don't fit. I think exercise has to be stepped up tomorrow - perhaps 3 miles on the treadmill to start off with. 

Another bonus is that I worked out (by experimenting) how to make a kind of curry for the protein only days, and it turned out pretty damn good! I'm easily impressed by my cooking skills, as they are somewhat limited generally.

Tuesday Tunes

My favourite song of the moment, and I just got tickets to go see her perform in October!!!! So excited. There is no official video for this one as it's an album track only at the moment, but enjoy................

Living Dead by Marina and the Diamonds

Anyone for Tennis? Lego Bench Monday

With Wimbledon well under way, this Lego guy felt inspired to have a go himself. I think he's ventured outside the official court area to take this shot though - I don't remember a park bench and trees on Centre Court, although that would make it slightly more interesting.

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.

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.