dukan : month 4

Ah month 4, how I hated you. Month 4 was all about plateaus and getting sick of eating-Dukan approved food. Those two things probably weren't mutually exclusive but a girl's gotta eat regular food once in a while! I think the weight is also having a harder time coming off since I'm getting closer to my target weigh.  Mark is definitely over this whole Dukan thing and honestly I am too except I'm still 14 pounds shy of my target. I don't know why but my target weight is a big deal to me. I think that's the tension for me now: I really want to reach my goal but my determination is fading as I've eaten Dukan food for 4 months now. Whenever we cheat it tastes so good but I always regret it when I look at the scale. I guess I should be thankful that I'm not gaining weight back but it's just as frustrating to not lose anything. When I started this journey my target date to reach my goal weight was the end of June. I don't think it's reasonable to think I will lose 14 pounds in a month but I think getting there by July is doable.

My month 4 breakdown:
Week 1 (only 3 days): 0 pounds lost
Week 2: 0 pounds lost
Week 3, pre-menstrual: 3 pounds lost
Week 4, menstrual: 0 pounds lost
Week 5, post-menstrual: 1 pound lost
Overall weight lost: 26 pounds. I'm able to fit in even older pants and some of the pants that I fit in last month look more baggy. Still trying to coerce more of the back fat to go away by doing weights with some progress but some old dresses still won't zip up all the way. :/

diy project : ribbon sticks

When I was buying materials for the wedding two years ago in CA I went to LA and bought a handful of colorful satin ribbons. I bought them mainly to make our flower girl ribbon wands but I had a lot left over after the wedding. Since our anniversary was this week I thought I'd do a little decorating in our apt using our wedding ribbon. 

1. I just happen to have a couple of large dried out branches from the winter (I'm telling you - hoarder tendencies) that I had used for winter decor. First thing I did was use a stiff brush to take off any dust or dirt from the branches. Since we rent our apt I really didn't want to risk getting paint anywhere inside so I used a big box as a drying rack/splatter guard for the paint outside. 

2. I used plain ol' white acrylic paint and an old brush. I went for the solid white look but if you add a touch of water to the acrylic paint you could also achieve a whitewashed look too. If you need to walk away mid-painting wrap your paint and brushes in plastic wrap so they don't dry out. Spray paint would work for this project too. Just remember to spray in a continuous stream if you use spray paint.

3. Check out the box in action! After the first coat dries do some touch ups and a second coat if needed. 

4. While the paint dried I cut my ribbon to the length I wanted. I used satin ribbon but you could use strips of fabric too. After the branches are completely dry knot your ribbon along the branches. I always do the thicker ribbons first and do all of one color at the same time. This way it's easier to get color and size balance between your branches. 



5. Be creative with how you use the ribbon sticks. I decided to hang mine from the ceiling using twine. Our apt doesn't get a lot of natural light so having some color inside is kind of nice. That's it, enjoy!

two years ago today

Time flies when you're having fun. Hard to believe that it's already been two years since Mark and I got married and I wouldn't have it any other way. We've already had our share of difficulties and joys and through it all we had each other. Thank you for loving me, my sweet hubby, and letting me love you.

(I wish I had known about the Dukan Diet before the wedding. Keekee I just had to say that.)

Photo by Love & Lemonade

singing in the rain umbrella

This week has been overcast and drizzly which reminds me of the movie, "Singin' in the Rain." I love Gene Kelly. In honor of the movie and because the weather inspired it I thought I'd transform a plain red umbrella into something more personalized and unique. 

First thing I had to do was remove the branding on the umbrella. Luckily there wasn't too much to remove and it all peeled nicely off the nylon. 

Next, I wrote a short portion from the "Singin' in the Rain" song lyrics and repeated it around the bottom portion of the umbrella using black permanent marker.

Last, I drew raindrops on the top portion of the umbrella using metallic silver permanent marker. That was it!

omd : kate spade saturday

Current OMD (object of my desire) is the Kate Spade Saturday Weekender Bag in Stripe. It's beautiful and functional. I love the zippered shoe compartment on the bottom. If only I went places over the weekend. If only I didn't already have bags this size. If only I have $180 laying around. If only ...

dukan : month 3

 

Month 3 really put the Dukan Diet and my mind to the test. I was home alone for a week while Mark was out of town for work and then we had Mark's parent's in town for a week. I cheated a bit while Mark was gone. Convenience of drive-thru got the better of me. This made me realize two things: 1. Having Mark doing Dukan with me really keeps me on track.  2. I have zero will power. During the week of the in-laws Dukan basically went out the door. I really didn't want to hinder them or myself from enjoying the visit including enjoying the meals. Mark and I would try to make healthier decisions without being hard on ourselves if we indulged ourselves too.

In terms of walking it was much easier for me to stay on track when Mark was gone versus when the in-laws were in town. I think I only got the chance to walk twice during the week. Even with all the cheating I didn't see too much change at the scale. I could definitely tell that I was retaining a lot of water from the normal food I was eating but my menstrual cycle also played a part in water retention.

After 3 months of Dukan I have noticed that my menstrual cramps have intensified. I don't know why but that's just what I've noticed. Even with eating oat bran everyday I have also been constipated since I started the Dukan Diet. I tried buying gummy fiber supplements but they didn't really help although I do enjoy eating them because they're tasty. Last week I tried eating prunes even though they're not "Dukan approved" since they're fruit. I eat 5 prunes a day and they have been helping and I will continue to eat them. I have also decided to keep walking 45-50 min instead of the 30 min recommended by the diet. Since I'm in the second half of my weight-loss journey I know that the body has a tendency to plateau as it gets used to the program. Next month I'm going to try to target losing more of my back/bra fat! ;P

My month 3 breakdown:
Week 1: lost 2 pounds
Week 2, pre-menstrual and Mark out of town: lost 3 pounds
Week 3, menstrual and in-laws in town: lost 1 pound
Week 4, post-menstrual: lost 2 pounds
Week 5 (just two days): lost 2 pounds
Overall weight-lost: 24 pounds and I feel really comfortable in my old pants. My waist isn't screaming when I sit down and I don't immediately change to stretchy pants when I come home. I'm able to force my even smaller pants to zip-up but there's definitely muffin top action.  Haha, next goal!

monday sketchbook illustration

Illustration by Hannah Yoon
Lamy Safari fountain pen with 1.1 nib
Waterman ink in Serenity Blue