It is so helpful to read these posts! I am on day 9 and have now lost 13.3 lbs and over 7 inches overall. I have attended two social functions and passed - for me, a HUGE victory. Before I would want to sample at least one of everything! I definitely think drinking the water is the key (I'm drinking 3 liters per day).

Does anyone have a list of approved crackers? I am in the USA and a friend of mine just found the ryvitas, are there any others?

A nice breakfast: dice up your apple (allowance), small dash of cinnamon & 1 packet splenda - bake in oven for about 30 minutes then mix into your yogurt allowance. Nice and warm and so tasty!!

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Hi all,
Dreamer, I don't expect to see numbers every day. I know what I expect to lose and if I don't then I will assess what I may have been doing different or wrong. I occasionally become a little heavy handed on the salt, or may be slacking on my water. If everything is in order I just move on.
I am a bit obsessive because the last time I decided I was becoming obsessive with weighing I threw my scales away. The next time I weighed myself I was 112kgs!!!!!! I don't feel myself putting weight on, I don't feel big (a bit like when I was anorexic I never felt small). Anyway I feel that I do need to keep an eye on my weight, but I do set myself realistic goals.

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I go to the same clinic as ICL, Herm, Brieziel, 8-2Much, and others go to...

I have found Sue and Karin MAGNIFICENT!?

I don't need hand-holding, I don't need someone to ring me daily to check whether I've eaten my veggies, I'm VERY happy with the level of support I get.

Initially I was going in for weighing weekly, now I've dropped back to forthnightly, and Sue's quite happy to run things at my pace. If I don't come in and don't tell her I'm not, she rings me to see what's up. My emails get answered within hours, without fail.

I think it's a matter of TELLING them what you want from them. If they rang me every day I'd feel choked. It'd drive me nuts! The support I'm getting is just PERFECT for me. But I really do think it's critical to let them know what you want. She's good, but she ain't no mind reader.

Mermaid, I sure hope your programme gets sorted out. It'd be VERY frustrating to be unwell on the programme. I'm feeling very lucky that I'm settled in to it really well... Please let us know how things go, I'm hoping it's easilly sorted.

asy

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Hi Myshy,
Have you considered an aupair???????? I have had one now for over a year, since I started working full time. They make SOOO much difference to our lives.
The aupair picks the children up from school, does all the housework (including laundry and ironing), cooks the dinners, helps the children with homework, takes them to extra curricular activities etc etc etc. It costs a lot less than paying for after school care for 2 children, and it means when we get home we can concentrate on time with the children and each other. Its made a big difference to our stress levels and relationships.
Ours lives in. We don't have a big house... we moved the children around to fit them in, and only have one bathroom, which can be a strain. But most of the aupairs don't expect a huge home. We bought a little car for them to use, which uses $30 petrol every fortnight.
I can highly recommend it!

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Asyoz dropped of the clothes at the clinic today.... woo hoo it'll be like xmas unwrapping a new wardrobe! Can't wait to see how your weigh in went!! (under 1/2 way???)

HeavenlyLamb I'd like an Aupair to look after my other half (he he he) -they classify as children sometimes don't they?

Weighed my self again this morning (there goes the serial weigher again!!!-----ohhh i'm such a bad girl!) i just love cohens! i'm down another 1/2 kg woohoo! i have past my first goal which was 92kg so i have booked myself in for a spray tan.
My other half is really proud of me. he was really sceptical at first and is still concerned that at 58kg i'll be too thin, however he's asked me to tell him when i get to 89kg (i have to show him that figure on the scales) and he says has a surprise for me! I LOVE surprises!
I find my fat is melting and going soft (gross) and really floppy. My celulite is definately diminishing, which is great, and i'm looking forward to toning up after all this excess baggage has gone.
Have a wonderful melting day everyone, and stay positive!!!

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Started cohens 2nd Oct 2006. Goal weight 57-60kg

Hello Everyone,

I am terrible...I deviated - badly. Melbourne Cup day yesterday and I swore to myself I was going to be good but I deviated by having "just the one" sandwich..then it went downhill very fast..red wine, champagne, pies and then to top it all off....McDonalds just before bed.

Today I feel so angry at myself. I also didn't make my breakfast and lunch for today so I am going to have make do somehow.

And the worse thing is - I stepped on the scales this morning (stupid move) and I have put on a kilo.

So the moral of my story is - don't deviate cause it isn't worth it and it's definately not worth the feeling you have let yourself down.

Sorry for the depressing post.....

But I suppose the only thing I can do ....as Finding Nemo says ......is "just keep swimming" , get back on the wagon, continue to read your inspirational posts and know that I have learnt a valuable lesson.

dreamer - sorry I can't remember the brand of scales I have - but I got them on Ebay. Huge range of kitchen and personal scales on there.

Hope you all have a great day

lilsaintly1

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Hi again,
Well this morning I have hit my first goal!!! I was feeling really hungry last night and that niggly little voice was saying "just one thing won't hurt", so I reminded myself of the 40th I have to go to in 3 weeks time with all my old school friends (many of whom I haven't seen since I was 112kgs) and the little voice magically disappeared and hasn't been heard from since, and my reward this morning was .5kg drop bringing me down under 90.
L-Jay, great to see you dropping again at a rapid rate. One of the things I love about Cohens is that most of the time I don't feel like eating at all, I just eat because it is that time of the day. After many years of obsessively stuffing myself or obsessively starving myself, it is so nice for food to no longer be an issue. It makes me feel "normal".
Myshy, great to "see" you again. Sorry to hear things are so stressful for you. You are doing really well to be maintaining your weight and good on you for keeping your fruit and crackers in the car. You could even try keeping some little tins of tuna (the kind with the ringpull lids) in the car too, at least then you would be getting your protein as well. Hope things settle down for you soon.
Briezel, looks like we are at just about the same stage. Your other half will be seeing you at 89 in no time at all.
Have a great day all. Talk to you soon.

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Well done rjm, you've cracked the first goal WOOO HOO! hopefully i'm gonna catch up real soon!

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Started cohens 2nd Oct 2006. Goal weight 57-60kg

Attached Files

new_biscuit_and_drinks_list2.pdf (48.7 KB, 98 views)

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Sparkles, Stars & Smiles (and much, much less of me!)
Jody

Started Cohen's 14th March 2006
Finished Cohen's 16th October 2006!

I realise that Sue and Karin are not "mind readers" but during the introduction and hand over of my plan they indicated that they would be contacting me to check up on me! and made a point about the amount of support you recieve from the clinic.

I didn't ask for any or extra support/check up phone calls and I haven't needed it, I was merely asking how much contact you have had from your clinic, not bagging mine - just asking and really it was to get an idea of where most of you guys are located.

Sue has actually rung me this morning and booked me in on Minday for my 4 week check in - so maybe she is a "mind reader"!

Janine

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G'day Everyone,

How are you all? Hope you are traveling well and staying Cohen's Kosher. I know it can be tricky at times but lets beat the negative talk and prove our skinny selves right! (Can you tell I'm in need of some motivation!!!)

I have just printed myself out a big bright colourful poster to stick onto my pantry door to help me stay on track. It reads, "STICK WITH IT! The only person you are cheating is yourself. KEEP GOING!" I have found myself recently justifying a teaspoon here and a tablespoon there, especially around dinner time and with the kids. It's just not good enough. A teaspoon here or there quickly adds up and I am so mad at myself for allowing my thought process to overtake like this. It is exactly how I ended up 30 kilos overweight. Arrrgghhh! The frustration! So, I am vowing to you all that from this day forward until refeed there will not so much as be a lick of a bloody spoon! It is only food and the light is at the end of the tunnel. I do not want to jeopardise all of the great work I have done so far. Help me along guys! I only wish I'd won the superdraw on Sat night. I'd be flying you all to Brissie for celebrations when I get to to goal weight! (It would be a Cohen friendly affair of course - maybe Dreamworld where we could laugh ourselves silly as we bash around on rollercoaster's etc!)

Official 12 week weigh in this Friday! I can not believe how quickly the time has gone. For those of you starting out, I was so daunted by the task at hand. I would never have imagined that I would have made it this far. WOW! It is a great feeling - you just wait until you get there!

Anyway, thanks for listening. Hope to read more great stories later.
Bye for now,

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8-2 Much






Began Cohen's Friday 18th August

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7th Aug 2006- Started the Cohen's Program!
Only changing ticker monthly!

Bam... i deviated quite a bit 2 weeks back... but now i'm back on the wagon... juz think about it.. if u dun get back on it... u will nvr reach refeeding... and once u dun clear refeeding... the hard work that u put in will be wasted... the weight that u lost will juz keep piling back... and u be back to sq 1...ye people tell mi i look great too... but i dun wanna look juz great... i wanna look fantastic! so bam, get on back... remember ur target for Xmas~!!

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Started:18th July 06(24 wks) B.M.I: 26.9
4th m.g: 66kg by end of jan~

rjm: great work and congrats! I don't even know the last time I was below 90! Keep it up and remember the look on your friends faces - it will make you feel fab!

lilsaintly1: tut tut. set yourself a goal like me. no deviations for 1 week. baby steps and small goals to keep you motivated. the guilt is not worth it is it! If you need extra motivation especially when you are out and about... instead of a pic of the boyfriend, or your your kids or your dog - carry a really unflattering fat photo of yourself in your wallet. Every time you think of eating evil Maccas or the like, take a good look! Works a charm for me.

Brieziel: !!! what happened to no scales! aw, am I the only one avoiding them for the week? Well I don't mind. I can't wait to reveal a nice big fat number on Tuesday! I'm the same as you, my fat goes loose - which is good! Hard fat is bad fat as it's solid and evil! Loose is gooood. If you can do daily streching every day - this helps with circualtion and toning. Nothing too over the top.

heavenlylamb: can I still have an aupair if I don't have kids? I have one big kid who acts like a 5 year old most of the time?

Keep up the great work everyone! x



Goal 1: Day 1 Monday (started 2nd time around 6 Nov 06)
Goal 2: No deviations for 1 week (so stay tuned for next Sunday).
Goal 3: Drop 10kg stat.
Goal 4: Be under 100kg by Christmas!

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I will one day love my belly button.