Help, my pants keep falling down!

[Quillan]

With women I am told its seeing their feet, or more to the point NOT being able to see them, with men its loosing sight of 'Mr Willy' due to this bulbous 'dome' that seems to have mysteriously appeared, over night, obstructing our line of sight. For some men in middle age its like a 'I have arrived' statement (he said thinking of Gazza's old mate 'Jimmy Five Bellies'). For others, well we just accept it as part of getting older. Mind you its good for sex, you just use your feet to gently rock yourself back and forth but then that's probably not too comfortable for 'er in doors'. Yes of course we get told at the doctors, who gently tap us on our bellies, that we should try and loose some weight, we smile, we think, we think again and then come to the conclusion that any form of diet could be very hard work and forget about it.

Probably like loads of men before me I have really tried a diet, I think my greatest success was two days, bit like giving up fags, its easy, I have done it loads of times. Anyway dieting is for women and not for us chaps. I mean, remember the good old days in the UK with those restaurants (I use the term lightly) that sold 28oz steaks which looked like half a cow when served and if you could scoff the lot you got another free. Well us chaps won't have our manhood diminished by not coming away without our free ticket for another steak. Then there's the obligatory curry after 10 pints down the pub on Friday night with our mates coupled with the 'who can eat the hottest curry' competition and then wonder why the great love of our lives won't have nothing to do with us for the rest of the weekend.

So forget about all this medical stuff and physiological mambo jumbo, the biggest driving force amongst men is PAIN, we don't handle it very well, ask any woman. Recently I had a knee operation to have something called a meniscus sorted. A few weeks after a mild pain appeared again in the same knee which has got a bit worse as weeks pass to the point where the pain at night actually wakes me up around 2:30 and I have to 'pop' a couple of pills then wait 30 minutes before I can drift off again. Mind you I think the sharp elbow in the ribs and the words 'roll over' is probably worse. [;-)] So I went back to hospital and saw the chap who did the operation who informed my that I also had a cartilage problem. Being too young (its nice to be flattered) to have a knee replacement a course of injections is required plus I was told the only way for sure is to loose weight and quickly.

Fortune would have it that Mrs 'Q' is an ardent Daily Mail reader, OK, I can already see peoples eyes role but stay with me. The day after I came back from visiting the guy in hospital they ran a three day spread on something called 'The Dr Dukan diet'. It says he is a French chap, I doubt it because French women don't diet, they simply don't eat and smoke loads of cigarettes, we all know that. [;-)] Well I love my food, I am a carnivore and I make no apologies for being so and the first thing she said is "your love this you can eat as much as you like, when you like", well to me this is heaven, I mean eat loads AND loose weight, there must be a catch.

Well I won't bore you with the diet details, you can read them yourself using the links below but I have gone from 90.4 kilos to 84.8 in 12 days and I have been scoffing all sorts of stuff especially sliced chicken, massive lumps of fish, beefburgers etc, drinking a shed load of Zero Coke, my favorite drink, and its great. My target weight it 77 kilos according to what Dr Dukan calculates and I should be there in a further 22 days.

There are several effects from this diet, firstly I am starting to sleep better, my afternoon siestas have gone, I have more energy and I can now see Mr Willy with only a slight forward tilt, its like seeing an old friend after many years. There is one bad side effect, my pants keep falling down. Luckily I wear trousers (of course) so there are no embarrassing moments, well not know I have bought a set of braces but then it could be worse, I could be Scottish and have to wear a kilt (God the mind boggles, standing in the supermarket queue with a skirt and my pants round my ankles). [:'(]

So if anyone has the need to loose some weight and has tried other diets or does not fancy spending months nibbling a lettuce leaves and turning in to a rabbit then this diet could be for you. The first link will help calculate your required weight based on a few questions, yes you have to give your email address but I have only had one email from them and no spam. This is a four stage diet and if you are a 'grazer' like me you can carry on grazing, eating as much as you like, when you like. So not only will it tell you how much you should weigh but how long it will take you to get there and how long it will take to retrain your body to maintain that weight (which with most diets is the biggest problem, putting it back on afterwards). Don't be put off by some of the time scales until you have read the DM articles which gives you a taste of what you can eat although I would recommend that you buy the two Dr Dukan books which cost about £12 for the two with free delivery from Amazon UK.

Calculate your weight.

Daily Mail articles.

A couple of disclaimers. Of course you all know me, I have nothing to do with any companies or the Dr Dukan website. You don't have to join the Dr Dukan plan on the website, I didn't. You don't have to buy the books either although its a good idea but there are loads of websites giving recipes, just Google.

As for the DM saying its all the rage in France, well knowbody I know has heard of it but then thats typical of the DM.

If you don't eat meat but eat fish then you can still do the diet.

If you have colesterol problems just watch out for the eggs otherwise you can eat as many as you want.

Why did I put this in the Health section, well because of the knee problem and loosing weight makes you healthier.

[Clarkkent]

This may be of interest:

http://www.dietsinreview.com/diets/the-dukan-diet/

Are there any significant differences between this and the Atkins diet? Does the diet have any other effect on Mr Willy besides making him more visible? 

[Quillan]

I suppose like most thing it varies from one person to another. Somebody claimed, in the comments, their husband has become 'unpleasant, moody and difficult to live with' but you don't know how he is feeling inside. I guess if you don't appear to be loosing weight as fast as they claim or as fast as you think you should you might be like this. I mean you know what us chaps are like, we do one day and expect to wake up with the body of a 16 year old the next. Personally I am much happier but that could be because I am seeing the expected result every morning at my weigh in i.e. loosing weight every day.

Also in the comments was about possibly loosing weight too fast. In his book he goes in to detail how he came about the diet, how it compares with other diets like the Atkins and how it works. The 'tweaking' he has done over the years does mean that the right body chemistry is maintained and you don't get left with things like 'owl wings' and folds of skin where your belly used to be. Therefor loosing weight quickly, following his rules, is not a problem.

The two biggest differences to the Atkins diet, he says, is that your only on a high protein diet for a short period (the attack stage) and that there is less chance of regaining weight afterwards because you are also training your body and yourself i.e. your eating habits.

The article is not quite correct but somebody has explained it better in the 'Comments', try reading the one by 'Piper' which is more accurate. For the attack stage I can see it might get boring but there were enough recipes in the DM for 7 days after which you can go back to the beginning. We like fish as well as meat (Mrs 'Q' is also doing the diet) and our supermarket always has one special for one type of fish every couple of days.

As I said there are two books, one is about the diet, how it came apart and the technical description of how it works and how your body works, the final 1/3rd is recipes. The second book is all recipes and there are loads of them for both the attack and 'Cruise stage', loads more than you will need to get through both. This is why we bought the two books, for the recipes. The English recipes on websites are geared to the UK and/or the US, we all know the problems with UK recipes in France, you get half way through and some key ingredient is not available here but having such a big selection means you can do over half of them (sweetener in a liquid form for instance does not seem available in French supermarkets so we use powder instead). Oat bran appears to be for animals in France but we did find some in a health shop).

With the Atkins diet things are done with weight (of ingredients) and you eat at specific times which can be harder. With this there is no limit and you can snack. Feel like a snack in the morning then have a few slices of chicken or turkey. The other thing we noticed is the food is quick to create, about 15 minutes a go (other than those meals that need to marinate) so its easy to eat any time of the day. One snack at night I like is dry fried ham (I have never fried packet ham before, it comes out like bacon but with no fat) and scrambled eggs. I noticed in the comments for the Atkins diet that many give up and a lot put weight on when they have finished where as technically you never finish the Dukan diet as this is how you keep your weight down. Another difference is exercise, there is none with the Atkins but the Dukan diet says you should walk 'briskly' for 20 minutes per day so ideal for me with the two dog's, I walk faster and a bit further.

As for 'Mr Willy' well apparently I am looking a lot more attractive now most of 'the dome' has gone and he is getting a bit more 'action' these days but don't tell Mrs 'Q' (only joking). Actually she says I don't look so much like a beached whale anymore. [;-)]

Like most things in life its down to will power and with every diet people fall by the wayside, I think that's true of any diet. Look at Wooly, he has lost loads of weight (well done Wooly) yet he has done a different diet and stuck with it, as I said its all down to will power. This diet is good because you can snack and most of the time you don't feel you are really on a diet. I think the biggest difference is that right from the start there are interesting meals to produce which stops it from being boring.

[just john]

[quote user="Quillan"] and expect to wake up with the body of a 16 year old.  [/quote]

Obvious I know, and I'm surprised I've beaten WB on this one, but . . . check their passport otherwise you could be in trouble![:P]

 

[nectarine]

Quillan, thanks for this post, it's really encouraging. Mr. Nectarine and I have certainly got a bit rounder since we came to France and my problem is snacking - I don't eat a lot but I like to eat often! So we are reading the articles and will give it a go. Your weight loss is encouraging - I think it's interesting that it was prompted by a health issue. Guess we all need something to get us going and Mr. N has a bad back (took a tumble while cutting a tree the other day, so I think carrying some excess weight isn't helping) and, as for me, I've started to take that afternoon nap that I swore I would never take, so I obviously need to lose some of my spare tyre!

Thanks

[woolybanana]

[quote user="just john "]

[quote user="Quillan"] and expect to wake up with the body of a 16 year old.  [/quote]

Obvious I know, and I'm surprised I've beaten WB on this one, but . . . check their passport otherwise you could be in trouble![:P]

 

[/quote]

The last person to beat the Woolybanana was only 16  and knicknamed (sic) Miss Lash; she was my babysitter and later governess in the mansion. But she later made up for it when I discovered that, like Quillan, she could not keep her pants up. The things she used to say were really quite endearing such as one I remember which was "Oh what a lovely firm Banana you are, only one of you is enough for a really filling meal", which is where I learnt the link between food and the other thing.

Seriously though, Q is right about the pleasures of weight loss. I'm approaching the 60 pounds off and from the sound of it have used elements of Atkins and Dukan though not so intensively. If you too wanna try the lost Willy test, just stand straight back to a wall and look down. If the little lovely is there, then your weight is about right. If not, then do something about it.

And as for knickers, well, dont be mean, M and S website has all sorts of deals to make sending a pack of stuff to you quite cheap, and your partner will think it is Xmas if you include a little something naughty for her too.

So, guys, go out there, let you knickers drop and make someone happy.

[Chancer]

Your posting has come at a good time for me Q and I will read the links with interest.

One thing though I am sure that you have posted before saying that you had lost a lot weight since moving to France due to the change of regime, hard work, eating better etc, what do you think has caused the reversal as it seems to mirror my situation?

 

[Quillan]

[quote user="Chancer"]

Your posting has come at a good time for me Q and I will read the links with interest.

One thing though I am sure that you have posted before saying that you had lost a lot weight since moving to France due to the change of regime, hard work, eating better etc, what do you think has caused the reversal as it seems to mirror my situation?

[/quote]

True, but I thought coming down from around 120 kilos was good enough but it wasn't (who was I kidding). Basically I enjoy walking especially with my dogs (we had a new arrival a few months back) and what with the knee problem I am really scared that I won't be able to do much more walking plus the pain at night can be intolerable so both those things (especially the pain) is what's driving me. Plus I got the shock of my life when the calculator told me I should weigh 77 kilo's. I even tried a couple of other 'tue weight) calculators think the first was wrong but they all told me roughly the same thing. Not only that but seeing 'Mr Willy' again without bending over (and that can get you in to trouble in some places) is like meeting a long lost friend.

[Chancer]

It looks like it has been around for some time in France judging by the books on Amazon.fr -http://www.amazon.fr/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?__mk_fr_FR=%C5M%C5Z%D5%D1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Regime+Dukan&x=14&y=18#%2Fref%3Dsr_pg_1%3Frh%3Dn%253A301061%252Ck%253ARegime%2BDukan%26keywords%3DRegime%2BDukan%26ie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1288349532&enc=1

I hope this doesnt make the page wide, I did use the create link tab.

Its probably been consigned to history in France hence the UK launch.

No surprise that the new books are cheaper in the UK than the second hand ones in France!

I was pleased to see that I have big bones, that has been my excuse all these years [;-)] I vividly remember my late father showing me that he could wrap his fingers around his wrist with loads of space to spare even when he had a middle aged spread. He was pretty much starved as a child during  the depression, he at at soup kitchens, 5 out of 10 of the children died incuding his twin, the mother was dead at 34.

I have 10 kilos to lose, I have been 13 kilos heavier, where can I get a more detailed idea of how it works before deciding to buy the books?

Its amusing that the first books I ever bought from Amazon were the Atkins diet, it still recommends those type of books to me, I lost 20k on that but have regained 7, it feels like a lot more but I think like you Q my age is having an effect.

[Quillan]

Try reading through the Daily Whale stuff. THIS is the one we started using plus THIS for an explanation, for for further explanation there is THIS and the last is THIS, I would suggest you print them off.

With the information you got from checking your weight from their website you have enough to get started and then you can invest in the books if you think you need more recipes because your getting bored.

Vinegarets are a problem for the second stage so we have used the basic Dukan one that uses balsamic vinegar and experimented with different vinegars, white wine is quite good, if you can't get fresh herbs look in the supermarkets in the frozen section you can find about 3 or 4 different ones there in little containers. The trick is to make a load of different ones in old jars and leave them in the fridge, they marinate and give a better taste. We have also used lemon juice from plastic bottles instead of fresh lemon but its worth keeping one or two as some recipes use lemon zest.

If anyone wants I can start another thread, a little less cheeky, where people can go to exchange recipes and notes if they use the diet. A sort of place to go if your single for a bit of support. It is a definite advantage if you and your partner do the same diet.

[just john]

It looks very similar to the Atkins diet which I tried once, but put it all back on afterwards; I am Mega big boned (in everyway WB); currently I am losing weight when controlling my diet (unfortunately this means giving up cake and alcohol).[:)]

I was not entirely surprised to see that I could lose approx 162pounds at exactly the same time that Dr Dukan gains it.[Www]

[ViVienne]

thanks Wooly, I've just told my husband to get up against the wall!

[Alan Zoff]

I've tried a few dieting techniques over the years and they have ALL worked - at first. I put it down simply to making a conscious effort to lose weight. Unfortunately, with me the novelty all too soon wears off and the weight starts coming back on.

As a dear old (90-plus) lady told me recently when we had commented on how well each other looked and I said I needed to lose some weight:

"It's simple. You should eat less and move around more."

She's regarded by many locals as a rather batty old crone. But she's dead right, of course, and will probably outlive (as in, live to a greater age), in good health to the end, most of her detractors.

[Gardengirl]

While out on a walk yesterday in this beautiful weather I was chatting to a neighbour. She mentioned that she had eaten prawns for breakfast, chicken for lunch, and would be having fish for supper. As it was Thursday I asked was she on the Dukan diet, which she was. Now this person hadn't been at all plump, but certainly wasn't slim - and I don't know what she could or couldn't see when she looked down!  [:D] 

The conversation provoked a lot of interest amongst the dozen or so on the walk, as others who heard part of it joined in to hear more. My neighbour is on the maintainance part now, but explained what she had done over the months. I found it fascinating, partly as I'd heard about it here first, and partly because of the stir she had caused at the apartment swimming pool when she appeared in a bikini in June! A catty neighbour exclaimed that the newly slim woman thought she was a teenager again (she's in her fifties), while a few of us admired her flat stomach - I definitely admired that!  [:)]

So there's someone else for whom it has worked; now I, never having tried dieting before in my life am thinking I might dip my toes in the water (water's allowed, surely!) and try it for a day each week. I'm going back to re-read Quillan's posts to find out a bit more. I don't think I'm dedicated enough to tackle the whole thing - I know my weaknesses - which include wine, cheese, chocolate etc! Thanks Quillan for the intro. [:)]

[Jonzjob]

A very interesting and amusing thread Q!!

I folowed the Atkins for a while and the biggest problem that people had with it was that they didn't read the instructions for it. All they saw was loose weight quickly with the first stage and that was where they stayed. If they had gone on to the second and third stages, the second being less severe and the third being the maintanience and from then on continued with the third they would have been OK. But the first was literally the killer when people tried to loose too much too quickly. It was a shame because it worked for me and I still weigh a lot less than I did before I started it even though I stopped it years back. In fact I have lost weight since we moved over.

As a matter of interst Q, you say you should weigh 77K? How tall are you? I weigh around 85K and am 5' 10" ish, perhapse a bit taller? I would ike to get to about 13 stone (just to keep the measure simple you understand. Well, it does for me!)

when I can keep my eyes open, tired, I will have a look at the link above...

[Quillan]

5' 9" but then its also to do with frame size. I didn't put any desired weight in to the Dukan calculator which allows it to come up with your idea weight. This is the thing really its not just getting to your ideal weight but getting to the one you want to be. For me if I can (and it looks like I will) reach 80kg or just below I will be more than happy. As to getting to 77, well if I do then its a bonus but I'm not that bothered.

[crossy67]

I need to be 6'4" lol.

I stopped eating wheat, never been able to loose weight until then.  I have a very healthy diet but always a bit porky, since stopping eating wheat I am still a touch chubby but can loose weight if I want to in a matter of a week or two.  I lost 2 stones (13kg) in 2 months eating what I wanted just no wheat.

[Quillan]

Ahhhhh bread, I just love it. My ideal weekend is a couple of French stick's, 6 bags of crisps. some lovely butter, pickled onions, Branston's sandwich pickle and about 1/2 kilo of strong cheese not to mention a few tinnies in front of the TV watching England beat New Zealand, Ireland beat South Africa and Wales beating Australia. All seems in the dark distant past now as does the rugby win's.[:(]

All that aside I do love bread but it's a killer for putting weight on as is pot's, rice and pasta. At the weekend 'weigh-in' I am now in to the 84's which consider most of last week was eating evening meals with the guests is not so bad. Tonight it's fillet steak, got a good deal at Intermache, 14.95 a kilo so we walked away with 2kg worth and have to say having tried a small piece on a test run it's the best steak I have ever cooked and eaten in my own home.

The other benefit is all those old cloths that we bought from the UK that had been in the loft there since the 1970 's seem to fit, all I want is for Loon's to come back in and I have it cracked, won't have to spend money on new cloths.

[crossy67]

[quote user="Quillan"]

Ahhhhh bread, I just love it. My ideal weekend is a couple of French stick's, 6 bags of crisps. some lovely butter, pickled onions, Branston's sandwich pickle and about 1/2 kilo of strong cheese not to mention a few tinnies in front of the TV watching England beat New Zealand, Ireland beat South Africa and Wales beating Australia. All seems in the dark distant past now as does the rugby win's.[:(] [/quote]

Not funny[:'(]  After over a year without I don't miss it much at all but wheat is absolutely every where.  I am not looking forward to my new life in France with all the pan au chocolate's tempting me daily.  Not fare, not fare at all :-(

[:D]

[Quillan]

You do get back in to eating bread on the Dukan diet but that's not till the 3rd stage and then its only a couple of slices per day but your right you do get weaned of it quite quick. There are some Dukan alternatives that we have made and tried but its not even in the same park let alone ball park so we thought it best just to not bother.

What I have noticed is the great lack in French supermarkets of low fat and low salt products. Yes there are some (yogurts, Fromage Frais and 2% fat chicken or turkey) but the biggest area is snack's, crisps, snack bars etc. I we travel further to Carcassonne and Perpignan we can get a better selection but it all tends to be Weight Watchers stuff which is expensive. Look on websites like thegreatbritishcornerahop and there is loads of the stuff same as their are for people with eating disorders.

[Russethouse]

 Whats the difference between this and South Beach diet ?

 I see even Weight Watchers is bringing out a more protein lead diet

[Quillan]

I don't have a clue, this is the diet Mrs 'Q' found and researched.

Trouble with Weight Watchers is there is not enough of the product down here and it will cost a lot to get it from the UK plus there are no support groups which I think (but don't know for sure) is an integral part of the WW diet. Perhaps the real thing with the Dukan diet is that you don't have to buy 'special' foods, most of what is required can be bought anywhere.

[Chancer]

There was quite a long report on the Dukan diet on FR3 news at mid-day including an interview with the man him-self, it will almost certainly be repeated tonight at 19.30.

[woolybanana]

This may be of help to weightlossers:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/finally-largest-ever-study-finds-formula-for-lasting-weight-loss-2143123.html

 

[debbie]

This sounds much like the LomaLinda diet (aka cabbage soup diet). This was created by Loma Linda Hospital in California and is given to heart patients to prepare them for surgery. It consists of meats, fruit and vegetables with a little dairy - no starchy carbs except potatoes. I've been most successful on this one.