Hi Cate,
Just popping in to say hi and wish you well with refeed, I will be away again soon and won't be around when you start so hope all goes great !
Enjoy!!
Annie Lusion

Sorry Cate, I have been too busy to get on here so I am sending you my email now it will be in your private message box. I will get back in here later. (I hope)

Annie- Thanks once again for your good wishes. I am really looking forward to re-feed & being able to become more sociable, especially, having friends for dinner. Are you going away with work again or do you mean your trip for your birthday?
Lori-I have replied to your message tonight before typing in here. I'm really glad your daughter is feeling better today. It will be good to compare our re-feeds.
My day-
Today was a really good day. Had an ap't with the counsellor & just had a lovely chat. She doesn't think I need to see her any more but says I am welcome to keep doing so if I wish. We agreed that once a month for the next few months would be good. I told her that I think it has helped me quite a bit in that I now know that I have it within me to deal with life's stresses. She has helped me work out which strategies work for me. I really enjoy chatting to her. She has helped build my self-esteem considerably. Between her, my doctor & this wonderful forum I feel sane, happy & much more confident!
We went for a drive after the ap't, stocked up on lots of meat, ready for re-feed, including some "new protein"- LAMB!! Yummy! I got a selection of books from the library, including Nikki Gemmel's(?) "Shiver," which had a good review recently, did lots of Vegie shopping, including "new good fruit,"- canteloupe & some frozen berries & didn't get home until 2pm when I had my lunch. I was starving! I have to wait 15 more minutes to eat my dinner which is chicken soup. Come on re-feed as I am sooo hungry again.
I think I will have to be even more organised with re-feed but am going to go very simple with the first 4-5 days food. I may go back to the stand-by chicken soup for lunch, beef chop suey for "dinner". When I start mixing proteins & not having to wait 5 hours between meals I will be more adventurous I think.
I'll be back tomorrow & it's my GD's 1st birthday then. I must visit her! She is gorgeous & such a character!
I'm fairly tired tonight, so will finish now, cheers, Cate.

Hi Cate,
I sent you my refeed so we can compare. I am going to start tomorrow. I am just getting ready to send a letter to Cohen's with a few questions. Have fun with you GD tomorrow, 1 is such a great age, so curious and loving.

Lori-Loved your photos & YES you(well I) can see a big difference between the two. You looked lovely before & fantastic now! It's such a shame that we don't see ourselves as others see us. You had no-where near as much as me to lose so it's not as obvious as it may be for some. Your husband looks like he would be a really nice person, like my LH. Aren't we lucky?! As do you too, of course!
It's interesting to compare re-feeds between the Aus & the US version. There are some subtle differences but not many. eg I've been able to eat kiwi fruit all along. We don't get the maintenence advice until after finishing our re-feed so it was very interesting to read that & also quite sobering (literally)
I woke up this morning with the irrational fear that our scales might be inaccurate. Whenever I have had to be weighed at the doctor's I am always about 5kg more than at home. Of course at home I weigh without clothes or shoes & first thing in the morning with an empty bladder & at the doctor's I am clothed, shod etc but my brain played havoc with me for a couple of hours until I made myself snap out of it!
My LH does not want me to get thin & he thinks I look great now.
I think I am seeing the untoned Cate as still being fat. I think I look really healthy & slim with clothes on. It's the naked flesh that bothers me. I am going to have to be strong & say enough is enough. I am going on re-feed on Monday. I would like to see another kg or 2 go but........
I spent 3 hours today cooking, getting ready for our week-end in Launceston. I didn't feel like cooking at all & pushed myself. I even have my breakfasts ready. (2x1/2 a Mexican mango & yoghurt.)
I probably won't type in my diary over the week-end as Sat will be late & our YS is probably going to come home with us to stay the night & then I will drive them in again first thing Sunday. Enjoy your week-end fellow Cohenites & happy losing, cheers, Cate.

Congratulations Cate, I have followed your journey and you have done so well. I wish you all the very best with re-feed.

rolypoly (your cohen's troublemaker)

Cate, good luck with commencing re-feed on Monday. You have done sooooooooooo well and are truly inspirational. Catch ya Gina

rolypoly I, for one am very pleased to see you back posting in the forum. I was very upset the last time we had a "fracas" in the support thread. You often say what I am thinking & make me laugh! These days I have decided that if I read posts that annoy me too much I do not post at all & just stick to my diary.Thank you for your kind words & support. I started re-feed today but haven't eaten any of the additions yet. I'm reallly looking forward to lunch though! Keep posting won't you. I would love to see you start a diary! Cheers forum buddy, Cate.
Gina Hi & thank you too! I'll catch up with you soon & will read your diary later today to see how you're going. I'm trying to fill in 1 hour until lunch-time as I'm very hungry. It has been my strategy for the last couple of months. When I'm typing in here time flies!
Measurements-
Arms 66cm(33x2).No loss for 5 wks.Total loss -14cm(-7x2)
Bust 96cm (-1cm this week, -21cm total)
Waist 88cm (-1cm this wk, -27cm total) Love this loss!
Hips 103cm (-1cm this wk, -30cm total) " " "
Thighs 110cm (55x2)No loss this wk.{-42cm total loss(-21x2)}
Lost another 3cm this week, total loss 134cm
Weight- 71.5kg.
This is the first week since starting the program that I have not lost a whole kg, only 1/2. I'm sure I'm ready for re-feed now as all of the week-end I was absolutely ravenous!
Day 1 of my re-feed-
Add 30g of old protein
Add 40g of old vegetables
Can have a slice of bread if I wish (w/o spread) & only have 3 crackers. May have a slice tonight but I'm not very keen as I don't much like bread w/o grain.
Add 1 'good fruit' which is going to be canteloupe(150g). Will also have that tonight.
Today's diaryI will come back later as it's now lunch time & my empty stomach and the chicken soup beckon.....Cate

I've had a busy day & am back just a little bit later than expected.
I cannot believe how good canteloupe tastes. I think I had forgotten how good. I am wondering whether it's just because it's something new, after 6 months without.
I have felt quite full after my 2 main meals. I just had chicken & veg soup for lunch but with 30g extra chicken & 20g extra veg. Tonight beef "chop suey" with extra 20g vegies. It just seems so much more! I decided not to brave a slice of bread. I'm not in hurry to feel bloated & uncomfortable as I think I will when I re-introduce bread. I'll have to try it within a few days.
My week-end was tiring. Our YS qualified in the Tasmanian 8-ball team so will travel to Melb for the National titles in October. We might go over for a while & will use the opportunity to catch up with some Melb Cohenites as well. It was nice seeing him but didn't get much of a chance to talk. Will see him again in a couple of weeks but it will be similar ( State singles next time.)
I'll come back tomorrow when I'm not so tired, 'night, Cate.

Day 2 of re-feed- Weight 70.5kg.
Had breakfast of yoghurt +100g blueberries. It was quite nice for a change. I had bought frozen blueberries as rec. by my consultant as most of the new "good" fruit are out of season. The extra food yesterday really filled me up & I feel quite full still today. No BM though.
When I cooked my chicken soup yesterday I also cooked another for today. I think I will have to go back to being more adventurous with my meals even for the rest of re-feed. I had tried to employ the KISS(keep it simple stupid) principle so that it would be easier adding things but there is a limit to how many chicken soups & chop sueys you can eat. I might cook a spag bol. sauce today & have it on a slice of toast (reduce my crackers by 3 though? )for my lunch as I haven't had any crackers yet. I can then have my meal 2 chicken soup for dinner tonight before going out to 8-ball. If the food on Cohen's is boring it's your own fault I think. I've never been very interested in cooking but am now & it's very easy to vary flavours, still using the same ingredients. You do have to have a well stocked spice cupboard & pantry.
Today-
It's a miserable, cold, cloudy day. I'm not miserable but feel a little tired & have a heavy head. I hope it's not a cold coming on or early hay fever! I've brought wood up to the house already & done the necessary house-work & it's only 9.30am. I might go make a spag bol sauce with my mince (extra 30g beef, 20g veg!) & then settle down in my comfy chair to read Nikki Gemmels's "Shiver." Sounds like a good plan to me!
Cheers, Cate.

[QUOTE=cate;292985]If the food on Cohen's is boring it's your own fault I think.

I totally agree with your comment Cate. I have always loved cooking and have always had to drag me from the kitchen but during the week always just kept to the old faithfuls of steak and three veg or pasta and just change the sauces around where now we have something different every night and many things both I and my partner (I usually just do him a side dish to go with) actually prefer the food cooked the Cohen friendly way.

Before this if we wanted prawns and calamari we would go out and get take away because it always seemed too hard (flour, egg, breadcrumbs)… But the Cohen’s way (pulverised bread crumbs and salt and pepper) means it quicker than getting take away and it taste much better because you can actually taste the seafood instead of just breadcrumbs! We will never go back.

My favourites are the goulash, rissoles, zucchini fettuccini with bolg sauce that I make! Yum!!!

hmmm... no offence intended... but i find this a little harsh? it's indeed true that Cohen food is bland compared to non-cohen's like a meaty & cheesy piping hot pizza? and not everyone is born with the talents and creativity to come up with yummy & tasty dishes with variations on a regular basis, given the restrictions. i'm one of them not to mention, not everyone has the means, resources and time to cook up flavourful dishes all the time.

on the other hand i do admit that after a while, i'm getting used to the rather plain food, the dishes somehow got nicer especially when i have the time to experiment with new recipes

Dont want to overtake your diary Cate but must reply...

Hi Tuberose - you're right not everyone has the means, resources and time but you dont necessarily need any of them to create tasty dishes. I dont have a lot of time since I work full time and study full time but I have found because you know exactly what you can and cant have it takes the think time out. It's about the herb and spices. I've made some pretty ordinary meals when not on Cohens when the sky is the limit! Use what you do have. Next time you have beef cube it and cook it off onion and mushrooms sprinkle in garlic and paprika and add water and there is a tasty hungarian goulash! Next time you grill some chicken breast to go on a salad make up a marinade/baster with some water, garlic powder and mixed herbs and you got tasty chicken pieces to go on your salad. Use you mayonnaise allowance to make tzaziki (sic) with some finely diced cucumber and garlic granuals that have been softened in a tspn of hot water. Crack fresh black pepper on your steak before searing it in a pan.

I hope some of these ideas can help you eat Cohens with flavour and pizazz!

Time wise being prepared is the key. My meals never take longer than 15 minutes to get on my plate because time is limited.

It's all about the spices to enhance the flavour!

Lauren

Tuberose- I will take your post as a back-handed compliment. Both of my sons would have burst out laughing if they read about my "talent & inventiveness" in the kitchen. My kitchen "skills" have been a joke in our family since my sons were old enough to talk! They are as amazed as I am at my new-found ability.
I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone & I apologise to you if I did. Whenever I have read that some find the food boring I have just never understood why. I have thought it often but never typed it. I do feel though that I should be able to state my opinions(experiences, doubts, fears, insecurities etc.) in my diary though as that's what it's for.
I am curious to know where "da sunny island" is.
Our island of Tasmania is very cold at the moment & not very sunny!
LG(Lauren)- I loved your post in the support thread & love your enthusiasm. You should be very proud of yourself being assertive with your father. It's interesting how people seem to look at you differently aferwards & have more respect, even family. My mother finds it hard to be encouraging & it's like she's waiting for me to fail. Good for you! Thanks for your comments in my diary. I am going to hang onto this new-found passion & confidence in my ability to cook delicious food. I am going to continue with cooking & learning more skills & will enjoy preparing & cooking a dinner for friends & family in late August/early Sept, after re-feed. We will probably share the cooking & it will be Vietnamese-themed. Yummy! I would love to go back to Vietnam one day. Cheers & a , Cate
My day-
I drove out to get our mail & pick up some free-range eggs from some neighbours & was inspired by the two of them, outside in the cold, busily doing things( 1 hammering away making something & the other dividing up plants & re-potting). When I got home instead of curling up with a book I got out into the garden & did some digging & planting, mulching etc. Then I brought some more wood in, did some more house-work, cooked lunch with my increased quantities & then sat down & demolished a whole book.
My LH is home from work, napping in his chair, after working a 12 hour shift yesterday & then having to be up early this morning, so that is why I'm back in here.
I have my tea cooked for tonight- chicken soup again but fairly firey this time. I added chilli flakes for a bit of bite & powdered ginger.
I am looking forward to 8-ball tonight as my husband's team are really funny & good company & I think I need that today. I must admit it doesn't take much to make me have a fit of the miseries on a cold, dark winter's day so I will push myself out the door tonight & will shower again to spark myself up & put on some nice clothes.
Popping back in here didn't do much for my mood.
Be back tomorrow, xo Cate.

Lauren- Thanks. We must have been typing at the same time. I just didn't have the energy to say what you said. I appreciate it!