Gigi, msg to you on prev. page, cheers, Cate
1st August, 2007.
Day 8 of re-feed(repeated days 6&7)
Today I add 90g "old" protein, 120g "old" vegies. 1 "good" fruit(canteloupe) & 1 bad fruit(banana). May have 3 slices of bread & no crackers or can have 3 crackers instead of any of the slices of bread(or have 9 crackers & no bread!)
Breakfast-I had a 1 egg omelette(added 40g extra veg) with 2 crackers. Had my "good fruit, canteloupe afterwards. 1 apple before lunch.
Lunch- Chicken soup with extra 60g chicken & extra 40g vegies & 2 crackers. I didn't dish up all of my soup. I'm saving the rest until just before my dinner. Lisa recommended changing the variety of the food I eat to enable my body to get used to eating different things so I decided this would be a different tactic, if not diff. food. I ate a banana just after my soup. It hasn't stopped repeating on me since!
I can now mix proteins & don't have to wait 5 hrs between meals!! Wow!
Dinner tonight will be the remainder of my soup & then "chop suey" (I know I can hear you say what's different about that?!) followed by a fresh fruit platter (same, same!) but I love chicken soup, chop suey & fruit! Once again I will have orange, kiwi fruit & honey dew melon. I love the combination as it's a bit sweet & sour.
I have decided to skip bread again as I just don't fancy it at all.
I still feel good after yesterday but am in a calm, quiet mood today (very unusual!)
I have ordered the timber for the next job & have to call in to a place in my local town to chat about another job. I'm getting things slowly but surely organised & my head feels clear these days. It seems ages since I had palpitations & felt so stressed. Phew!
Cheers for today, Cate.

Hi Cate,
I am glad to see your re-feed going so well. You are doing this like a pro, while I am all mixed up. I can't seem to get all my meals perfect and have not added a thing on since a couple days into it. It is just so much preparation and with a husband with a broken leg (who usually helps with all kind of things) I am just exhausted. We are leaving for a family vacation on Friday... coming back after a week... then heading off to Las Vegas and I am now the lone person to do all the pre preparations. I haven't gained or lost which is good but I hope this won't affect me to much when I start re-feed. What do you think? I wish things where a bit quieter so I could get this done but I will get through it.
Meanwhile, you are doing great which always makes me smile. I am not sure if I will be able to check in before I leave but I may have access to a computer when I get to the resort. Take care.

Lori- I'm glad I make you smile!
Re-feed is quite complicated & you've got enough on your plate at the moment (pun intended!) so don't be too hard on yourself. From my slant on re-feed a more gradual addition shouldn't hurt as you're giving your body a bit more time to adjust to the extra food. Have a lovely vacation! xo Cate.
Day 9 of re-feed. Weight 70kg.
Today I add 120g! "old" protein, 160g "old" vegies, 1 "good" fruit, 1 "bad" fruit & may have 3 slices of bread (or 9 crackers etc.- 1 slice of bread =3 crackers)
Breakfast- Yoghurt & 100g blueberries( 1 "good" fruit)
Ate a banana( 1 "bad" fruit) at about 10.30am.
Visited my DIL as I wanted to see my gorgeous grand-daughter. Bought a loaf of light rye bread at the baker's along the way. Stayed there for an hour & a half. It was lovely!
When I got home I cut some rye bread so that I had 2 tiny slices, weighing just under 30g(1 slice bread), spread both slices with my mayo allowance, topped with some cooked chicken breast( to make up some of the extra allowance), salt & pepper & very slowly ate it. Heaven!
Lunch- An hour later I cooked my normal sized chicken portion with extra 80g vegies, mostly silver beet as I wanted it gone. I much prefer bok choy or cabbage so won't buy silver beet again.
Ate an orange after lunch.
Dinner- will be an eye-fillet steak, weighing 188g, which will bring my extra protein up to 120g, with either a salad or, more likely a stir-fry vegie combination of mostly onion, tomato, mushroom, garlic, celery & prob. cabbage. That sounds good. Forget the salad! Once again I will have a little fruit platter afterwards. I might even have some more rye bread as it was so delicious.
My YS is coming to stay on Friday night, along with 2 of his 8-ball buddies. I have to come up with an extra mattress before tomorrow night. It's too late to go buy one as I couldn't get it home in my car or have it delivered on time. I might ring a neigbour. I do need to change the set-up with beds. I think 2 singles, that can be put together if necessary, would be better in 1 room & a single with a trundle in the other. I'll have to check out the alternatives. I will get around to this sometime.
Something really strange is happening on re-feed. I am eating much more & am hungry quite often (like now!) I find that odd. I must ring or email the clinic & ask if that's common & if so, why.
Enough for now. I might pop back tonight. Cheers, Cate.

I have bumped Annie's thread back to the top so join in folks & play the game. It's a bit of a distraction & can be fun! Quiet in here tonight so off to bed. Cheers, Cate

Last night I had 2 very thin slices of Rye bread(29g) with my dinner & then I had 2 crackers at about 9.15pm as I was a bit hungry! I used all my carb allowance so thought I would prob. put on weight.
Day 10 of re-feed- Weight 69.5kg.
Well what a sausage I am. I have felt so attuned to my body that I thought I would have been going back 2 days today so got out my food allowance accordingly. Instead I have lost weight which makes me very happy!!
I had frozen some things in small portions so could mix my proteins so put 1 in the fridge for tomorrow & will attempt to work that out tonight. I opened a can of salmon for "new" protein.
Today I add 80g "old" protein & 40g new protein, 160g "old" vegies, 2 "naughty"(bad) fruit & may have 3 slices of bread or 9 crackers or a mixture of these- 1x30g bread=3 crackers). I am typing this from memory but think I could add 50ml low-fat milk but reduce some old protein(40g?). I have decided not to do this as I am so used to not having milk that I am not going to get back into that habit. I am asthmatic & I have noticed a really big improvement since going on the program. I may have a low-fat cappuccino 1 day later on & see if I like it still but am not going to have milk as a part of my regular diet. It will just be an occasional thing.
Breakfast- Yoghurt & warm, stewed apple(1) with some psyllium husks.
I will have some rye bread again today while it is fresh as I didn't seem to have any reaction to it. Before Cohen's I used to eat multi-grain bread that I made myself, from a mix. It will be interesting to see, after re-feed, if I have a reaction to it. If I do I will start making a light Rye instead. We might have to have his & hers bread!
I have to get stuck into the housework as we have 3 staying the night & I have been neglecting the floors. I hate vacuuming. I usually sweep as we don't have carpet in much of our home, only the snooker room. I wouldn't worry about it too much if it was just my YS & 1 of his friends but the 3rd one I am not that comfortable with. I'll be polite & say he doesn't have many social graces. I keep saying to myself I will give up being nice to him but I find myself always being polite & friendly towards him but mostly get no response. He is like this with most people his mother tells me. She is lovely.
Ok- I had better go! Be back this afternoon when my home is clean! It's almost always tidy at least!
Cheers, Cate.

Had a very big clean up. Phew! Nice, clean, tidy home. They'll be here in about an hour.
Mid-morning 9 cherries(80g), 1 "bad" fruit, that I found in the freezer. They were delicious! Even though they had been frozen they were just yummy.
Lunch- Entree of some crackers with a mixture of salmon(40g "new" protein), onion, parsley, celery, asparagus, mayo, salt & pepper.(extra 40g "old" vegies.)
Main course- Chop suey (+50g "old" protein, + 60g "old" vegies).
Mid afternoon 1/2 an orange & some crackers.
Just before dinner a banana (1 bad fruit)
Dinner- Large chicken soup(+extra 30g "old" protein & extra 60g "old" vegies) plus a slice of rye bread toast.
I have had an orange & a kiwi fruit since. Still have 2 crackers left.
Good to see Annie's Q & A game moving along! It's a good distraction.
Better go, cheers, Cate.

Well, my son & his 8-ball buddies are here & currently watching the Chaser, which I saw the other night. He had my laptop still connected so thought I would quickly check in. What a quiet night. Every-one else must have a social life!
I'll be back tomorrow as no-one seems to be about, 'night, Cate.

Day 11 of re-feed.(repeated 6&7)
Weight 69kg again!
Add 80 "old" protein & 40g "new" protein; add 2 "bad" fruit; may have 3 slices of bread or crackers( 1 slice of bread=3 crackers); may have 50ml of low-fat milk but must reduce "old" protein by 40g; add 50g carb's(cooked weight.)
Breakfast- Yoghurt with 50g passionfruit("bad" fruit)
1 hr before lunch 2 crackers & an apple.
Lunch- Chop Suey on rice(40g extra "old" protein, 100g extra "old" vegies.)
Mid afternoon 2 crackers with salmon(40g 'new' protein) mixed with 50g "old " veg (onion, tomato, celery, parsley,) 1tspn mayo, salt & pepper. About 30mins after that had a banana(1 "bad" fruit)
Dinner- Chicken Soup ( 40g extra "old" protein & 50g extra "old" vegies. I bamixed my soup & it was very thick & filling. I ate it with 2 crackers.
Since then I have had the remainder of my fruit allowance & can have 2 more crackers later.
I am full!

Observation-
The foods I used to love & thought I would have trouble living without have lost a lot of their appeal. Passionfruit just tastes ok. Same with bananas, bread & salmon. What's next? Am I going to have a glass of red wine & find I don't enjoy it much any more?
I saw a woman at the supermarket this morning who completed re-feed about 6 weeks ago. She has found that her tastes have changed almost totally & her beloved Scotch & Lemonade no longer appeals at all & her food tastes have changed in favour of Cohen's foods.
I think it's great but she didn't seem so happy about it.
Younger son- Our YS played in the Tasmanian state 8-ball singles championship today & won it! The final was best of 11 games & he was down 0-3 & got up to win 6-4. I'm very proud of him. He is wonderful to watch! I think we'll go over to Melb in October to the Nationals to watch him & our Tasmanian team play. He is the vice-captain. We know all of the team & it would be good to go & support them.
I had a fairly full on day today & am tired tonight. There is very little activity in the support thread so won't bother going there.
Goodnight folks, cheers, Cate.

Hi Cate,

I was just reading up on your refeed it does sound complicated but you seem really on top of it. You are my inspiration I will keep coming back to your diary for daily inspiration I think. It is such a good read and your dedication is something I will aspire to.

Have a good nite

Suzie- You are very sweet. I love your energy! May I have some please? Cheers, Cate.
Day 12 of re-feed (repeated days 6&7)- Weight 69.5.
Today I add 40g only of "old" protein but add 80g "new" protein; add 200g "old" vegies; 2 "bad" fruit; may have 3 slices of bread or crackers (30g slice of bread= 3 crackers); may have 50ml of low-fat milk but must reduce "old" protein by 40g; add 50g carb's. (I nearly forgot about the carbs! I will have rice with my dinner tonight again! Yummy.)
Breakfast- Yoghurt & 9 cherries (1 "bad" fruit)
Just before lunch I ate an apple & 2 crackers.
Lunch- Tiger prawn salad with 80g extra "old" vegies, balsamic/mayo dressing, followed by a banana (1 "bad" fruit.)
About 4pm I ate a 30g slice of rye bread with a mixture of salmon(extra 80g "new" protein), celery, spring onion & parsley, salt, pepper & a little balsamic. Nice!
Dinner- is going to be beef rissoles(extra 40g "old" vegies) with a stir-fry of vegies (extra 80g "old" vegies) on 50g rice. I admit I'm now sick of chop suey.
I think I'll have crackers for the rest of my allowance, rather than more bread & I don't want any milk as I would prefer the extra meat. I am a carnivore but wouldn't want to eat any more meat than I am now that's for sure!
I'll pop back in later tonight as I had better go make my beef burgers & weigh out my vegies.
I have a white board in the kitchen where I list what I have left for the day in case I forget. Re-feed is fairly complicated & I really have to keep tabs on it closely. If I have not gained .5 kg tomorrow I get to add broccolli! Fingers crossed, cheers, Cate.

Dinner ended up being a beef mince stir fry with bok choy mainly. Every time I cook a mince dish it is quite different. I call it chop suey but it is never really the same. I use diff. spices or diff. ingredients. Tonight's was delicious! I was drinking a diet sprite & added some of that as I needed a bit of liquid & it was next to me. Sometimes I add a bit of asparagus water or diet dry ginger or stock(my own vegetable stock-Cohen's of course!) Often I just add water.
After eating all of my allowed food today I feel too full!
I am busting to get my maintenance program. I am so curious! I keep hearing & reading about those who have finished the program & jump straight back into eating whatever & put weight back on that I am absolutely determined to not do this myself. I might try to drop a few more kilos after I finish re-feed as 69 is the top end of the Cohen's goal weight range of 66-69kg. It would give me a little leeway I think. I'll ask Lisa what she thinks when I order the maint. program, after I finish re-feed. I don't feel like increasing my food at all. What I ate today was plenty! If I haven't put any weight on tomorrow I get to add broccolli...yum. 'Night, Cate.

Day 13 of re-feed- Weight 69kg.
This morning I weighed & measured myself. It is exactly 28 weeks since I started Cohen's & I am at my goal weight. This last 4 weeks I still lost 3kgs so am very impressed with how consistent it has been. Every other 4 week period was always 4kg or more. (The 1st 4wks was 10kgs!)
Today I add 40g "old" protein & 80g "new" protein; add 160g "old" vegies & 40g "new" vegies(ta da-broccolli!); 2 "bad" fruit ; may have 3 slices of bread or 9 crackers(1 slice of bread =3 crackers); may have 50ml of low-fat milk but must reduce "old" protein by 40g; add 50g carb's.
Breakfast- Yoghurt & 9 cherries(1 "bad" fruit.) This is just delicious & I am not hungry for a few hours afterwards. Late morning I ate an apple & 2 crackers.
Lunch- I cooked my meal 3 meal, getting it ready for dinner & then ate it for lunch as it was irresistable! 2 beef rissoles,(40g extra "old" protein) using my 50g carb allowance of cooked rice to help them stick together; onion & parsley from my vegie allowance,a few spices, served with pan "fried" mushroom, tomato & quickly blanched cauli(extra 60g "old" veg) & broccolli (40g "new" vegies) What a lunch! Followed by a banana.
Funny thing- An hour after my biggish lunch I felt hungry & ate 2 crackers!
Dinner- will be grilled fish with a salad(meal 2 allowance) & extra 60g.
I still have 5 crackers (not having bread today) & 2 "old" fruit & dinner & a salmon(80g "new" protein,) celery, parsley, tomato, balsamic mix left to eat sometime. I was going to have that as an entree & then beef for main course but now I'm having fish & then fish. It doesn't matter though! It's all good.
Because I have been eating all this extra food I find I am not sleeping as well so am a bit sluggish during the day. It's really interesting to observe my body's reaction to the additions. I felt better physically on the weight-loss part of the program & was very rarely hungry. On re-feed I seem to alternate between being either full or hungry, instead of just comfortable. Mmm. All will be revealed soon I'm sure. I should give the clinic a ring. I decided against introducing milk as I mostly drink herbal tea & don't feel like eating potatoes either. I can take or leave bread too.
Broccolli was nice but the cauli & my original vegies were nicer! It seems that my tastes have changed almost totally.
Tomorrow, unless I put on a kg in a day, I will add carrot & see how that tastes! The 50g of extra carb I think I will keep having as rice as it seems to go a long way.
Gee this forum is quiet at the moment. I'm boring myself!....I think I am going to have to get out more! Spring is around the corner & I will have to get on the move again after my hibernation. Will pop back tonight to see if there's any life in here. Feel free just to say hi won't you? Cheers, Cate.

I had a couple of hours of feeling miserable this afternoon. Just as I was finishing typing in here this afternoon my YS rang me on my mobile to talk about his day on Saturday. After talking about the 8-ball championships he then told me that the day did not end well. He and his 2 friends went out to celebrate & he left his jacket with a girl behind the bar to mind. He bought this jacket in London on his recent trip. It's a lovely jacket. They left the night club, he realised he had left his jacket behind & went back to get. The barmaid had given it to someone else. She said she knew who she had given it to & would ask him next time he was in. Our YS gave his phone number & name & took a card with their number.
As they were heading for a taxi rank to catch a cab back to one of his old school-friends home they were attacked by a group of about 12 or 13, who crossed the street to attack them. Our son was king hit & one of his mates was head-butted. YS got up, his mate was very angry & fighting back. Ys said they should take off as they were badly out-numbered. They ran off, expecting the 3rd mate to be with them but when they looked back he was on the ground being kicked. Of course, they quickly ran back to get him. Luckily the police came along. YS waved them down & apparently they were quite unhelpful but did arrest the one who had punched our son as they had a warrant out for his arrest. Our son & his 2 mates were just left to find a taxi with these other guys back towards the taxi rank. They headed off in the opposite direction & eventually found a cab further away & got back to his friends home.
This has really shaken me up. I have always worried about things like this. Violence is so common these days. It is not safe to be out on our streets in the middle of the night. I felt safer in the US, even at night, than I feel in Launceston in the middle of the night or anytime for that matter. How sad!
I am looking forward to the day that he gets sick of night-clubbing! Excess & binge drinking is a huge problem in our society. It affects your judgement too much. Even a few drinks makes you feel indestructable & you are not as aware of potential dangers.
I am very grateful that he wasn't badly hurt & I hope he learns to take more care. I know that I'm a worrier but I feel a little better just "talking" about it. My husband's brother rang tonight & I told him about it & that made me feel a little better too. I talked about his problems instead. I haven't been able to tell my husband yet as he is working until 11pm. I don't like him working evenings or nights much. He also much prefers to get up early & prefers the 7am-3pm shift or a normal day shift. I do like him being home in the evenings.
Back to food- I feel too full. I am going to ring Cohen's in the morning & ask if I really have to add all this extra food! I feel like my stomach might explode!
Will be back tomorrow feeling better I hope, mentally & physically. Hopefully there will be some life in the forum.
Good night, Cate.

Hi cate,

I am so sorry to hear about your sun, all this violence is ridiculous and it seems to strike closer to home each time. Hope you are feeling a little better, I imagine it would be tough.

Take care.

oh cate, I'm sorry to hear about your son also. The bloke that was charged must be bad if they had a warrent.

Hope he and yourself are feeling better.

Take care,

Moni