Hi Cate,

I found it was getting really quiet here as well I have been checking in when I can I have had a lot of travel but I have also been moonlighting between here and New You, and last night i couldn't get into here and things look different which has confused me a little.

Good to hear you are still on track, you should start a thread in New You too I am sure many people there will have a lot to learn and ask you with all your experience.

Annie- Hi! I have replied to you personally, by email. You may be right I think. I'll give it some thought, xo, Cate
Kath- Yesterday was very frustrating & the forum has been very quiet for a while. Life does have a purpose & it's good to know you can make a difference, albeit however small. It is nice to feel that I am in a good space & I am really enjoying my life. Thanks for the visit, xo Cate
Merci- I have heard of others losing hair but have not experienced it myself thank goodness. I have taken a 1000mg capsule of Omega 3 for years. It is recommended by our consultant's along with a good slow-release multi-vitamin. I also take "Equisetum 2000" which is horsetail (or organic silica). I take it because I have calcium spurs under my feet, but on the packet it says it's for hair & nails. Either or both may help.
My diary changed as I went along. I don't want to talk constantly about the program or mostly about food. I find it is helping me personally learning to share my thoughts & my life with others. I am not as frightened as I used to be. I don't tell it all of course but it has been quite liberating. I sometimes wonder what I used to worry about. Here in Tasmania you become fairly well known anyway. It's a small place. Thanks for visiting my diary & posting. It's always been a major part of my enjoyment of it when others contribute. Cheers, Cate.
PS I have had 3 trips to the US & loved it, especially the hospitality & New York City(WOW!)- I ate at Po's in Greenwich Village with my brother-in-law& met the owner & have a photo of him & his head waiter. Apparently he is a well-known celebrity chef. I could hardly keep from walking around with my mouth wide open in awe of NY. My BIL drove me up from Baltimore, drove me all over & around the city, pointing out the landmarks, took me for lunch at Po's & then drove me all the way back to Baltimore that night. It was about 7hrs of driving. He was an absolute darling.
Suzie - I accidentally started typing on the page before your post & can't read it & I have a memory like a sieve. I may move my diary over & have thought about it before. I find this forum quicker because there's less activity(or typing anyway!) Thanks for the visit & the post, cheers, Cate. I might post again later after re-reading yours!
My day- Weight 69kg.
Went shopping this morning & visited some Cohen's buddies which was lovely. Both are doing very well, feeling positive & looking good.
Also bumped into a lovely woman who had heard about my weight-loss & was very sweet. Her husband's cancer is back but they are being very positive. She is much younger & has small children. I hope he will be ok. I had rung a mutual friend yesterday for her birthday & she had then spoken to this woman. Tassie is such a small place & co-incidences are common. I decided recently that if you are wondering how some-one is you should just ring & ask & make an effort. I think this is more important than almost anything. Friendships, compassion & caring take effort mainly. Effort that is well worth it.
This afternoon one of my sisters-in-law visited me with a fellow who has brain injury caused from a car accident. She & her husband are employed as carers & often take them for drives in the country. This same chap we met on Anzac day in Deloraine. He seems very nice & is quite cheeky. I love my SIL. You know where you stand with her & she is a fiery, live-wire. We get on very well. She has been very supportive of my weight-loss also & very encouraging. She loved my new top & the jeans I had on today.
We are meant to be going out tonight & my LH does not want to go. I have wanted to all week & was thrilled to be asked but I must admit I am starting to feel very settled & cosy. We were invited to an introductory night for a re-furbished bar in our local town. They are aiming at a different bar crowd & trying to get away from a rough image. The pub was fairly run-down & in need of a big re-vamp. They are going to have a baby grand piano, have spent quite a bit of money on decor, including a blackwood bar & we should go... I was thinking a part-time job there might be fun....
I have told my husband now that we don't have to go & now there is no way I will get him there. Oh well. I'll just kick back, relax & maybe have a glass of wine at home. Cheers Cate.

Merci- I did a bit of home-work re the hair-loss situation & found some information for you. Apparently this is not uncommon but may be due to a zinc deficiency, which may be remedied by taking a hair, skin & nails formula. There is a Blackmore's formula that may do the trick. I have found they make your hair much healthier & shiny & also your nails will be stronger. It's also ok with our Cohen's consultants.
Today is cold & windy. We are going to the movies as we have 7 movie passes that we need to use before March & we haven't been to the movies for so long we can't remember. I took the boys occasionally when they were young but my husband cannot remember the last time he went. We think it may have been to "Dances with Wolves" at least 15 years ago!
I feel like I had better do something constructive this week. I am turning into a lazy bones! I keep saying what I am going to do but do nothing much. Mmm. Ebay selling, Wacky Walkers, Tai Chi, writing, getting a part-time job..........
We didn't go out last night but really should have. I always feel if people go to the trouble of inviting you somewhere then you should go to the trouble of going. My LH was so relieved not to have to go. He had played golf all day & was happy to put his feet up & watch sport on tv. We didn't have any wine though. I finished a book instead. I am a book demolisher. I read way too fast & probably don't absorb enough.
While I don't seem to have a lot of direction at the moment I must say that I am enjoying just drifting along. It's so unusual for me not to have everything planned. I occasionally get the guilts & feel I should take myself in hand.
It has been suggested to me to move my diary over to the New You forum but there are so many threads & diaries over there I wouldn't get anything done. At least here it only takes a short time to read the new posts, other than mine! I might start weaning myself off posting soon. It might be classified as an addiction.
OK. It's 10.45 on Sunday morning & here the 2 of us are, sitting in our chairs, reading (or typing), in our dressing gowns! I had better go have a shower & get dressed. My LH is going to make a beef curry & some dendeng, which is a delicious Indonesian dried beef snack. I love it! He is cooking it so I can have a protein snack handy that I love. He doesn't mind me putting in requests for my favourite things. He is such a sweety! He is happiest when he is cooking for people that appreciate it! That would be me.. He was at a bit of a loss when he wasn't able to cook his special dishes for me. I just asked him if Dendeng is Indonesian & he jumped up & is in the kitchen already. He just put on a Paul Kelly CD so I will head. I can ignore tv easily but music makes me want to move! Good! I'm off, bye, Cate.

Cate I had just had an idea u know how you are looking for qork or thinking about it why don't you look into being a consultant for cohens or maybe look into what you need to do to open a clinic I think you would be perfect for the job you take so much time and effort to answer peoples questions and give such good advice and you have so much knowledge about the nutrition, vitamins etc... i think it would suit you very well maybe you could look into that !!

"qork" is another word for "work" hahaha i was so exxited about my idea i was typing to fast

Suzie - Sweetie, I appreciate your confidence in me but I don't think I am knowledgeable enough.
I just like helping when I can. I have my thinking cap on though. My mind is getting well & truly back in gear. I don't want to get lazy though so will have to get on the move! I knew what you meant by qork but you really made me laugh! xo Cate
We went to see "The Bourne Ultimatum" at CMAX in Devonport. Wow! I forgot to breathe often. It was very thrilling. We will have to go to the movies more often.
I don't think I have ever been more aware of my body. It's a really odd feeling. Everything I do I am aware of myself(my body really) more than I ever have been before. I love this feeling of being slim. It is absolutely bloody wonderful! I must never get even slightly chubby ever again. I feel more alive.
I will achieve something very positive tomorrow & will come in tomorrow night & tell you about it. Cheers, Cate.

Hi Cate, you have done so well. I remember that feeling of being skinny and it is great. You are helping me to get motivated to get back to being skinny again. Thanks. Take care.

Beck

Hi Cate,

That was so thoughtful of you to check into the hair loss problem for me. That makes sense that I could be calcium deficient with so little meat. I did start takinga hair, skin, and nails supp today as a matter of fact and I'll have to check and see if it contains zinc. Where did you find that info?

I agree with Suzie that you'd make a great consltant if you wanted to. I'm sure they put you through their own training anyway. And who better to consult than someone who had successfully graduated their program? ANd, you like helping people!

Merci

Beck- Hi! Feeling slim is a feeling I want to hang onto & never let it go. I don't think I have ever felt this way. As a teenager I was very fit, but like most teenagers never happy with my body. Now I can look at myself & say that I am happy with it. It's not perfect but I am very happy. Now to make sure I don't stuff it up! Thank you for your nice words. You take care too, xo Cate.
Merci- The hair, skin & nails formula has helped me for years in more ways than one. I have noticed a real improvement in the health of my hair since taking it. Although my hair is silver it shines. I had also read in a post somewhere in the last six months about zinc helping with hair loss but can't remember where I'm sorry. It might even have been on New You as I sometimes have a look about there. Thank you for your encouragement regarding work. I'm not so sure but it's nice of you & Suzie to be so positive about my possible capabilities, xo Cate.
Today-I rang an employment agency!!
I at last got the courage to do something about getting a job & rang a local enterprise centre. I now need to up-date my CV & take it in to them. I knew the woman who answered the phone & she will let me know if something comes in, in the meantime, if she thinks it may suit me. At least I have made a start. I felt I had to do something soon & this is a step in the right direction. I also had a good look at ebay & read a lot of the selling tips. I will have to have a go. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Weight 69kg. Although I am at goal weight still I was not comfortable when I went to bed last night as I think I ate too much sweet stuff including sweeter fruit so today I ate much plainer, mostly Cohen's original food & feel much better tonight. I also made sure I drank a lot more water. I have had a pain in my lower right area all day, like a stitch. (Right ovary?) I'll see if it hangs about & if it does book in to see the doc. I have had this pain before. I had a hysterectomy 13 years ago but still have my ovaries.
"Australian Story" is on now & it looks interesting, as usual, so will scoot, cheers, Cate.

Hi Cate,

Congratualtions on taking the step of calling about work!!! You'll be on your way in no time now I bet. I hear that you don't feel confident that you could be a good consultant but I have no doubt. Us Americans get the email version and believe me, you could massively improve on that. It's quite different from what you all get in person, IT's very impersonal and mostly they just repeat the manual,

That pain on your right side---there's the ileocecal valve which is a bit to the right of where an ovay would be. It's the valve between small and large intestine. Sometimes it gets stuck in one position and can be painful. If that's it, you can relieve it by finding the spot and sticking a couple knuckes in and rotation (like you're unscrewing something) counter clockwise. I get that pain sometimes after eating popcorn (pre-Cohen of course) or something that wwas just hard for my body to digest for some reason. If that's it, this might help.

I have found my hair problem is reversing with the additon of 2-4 fish oil capsules. But I'm still goingto add the hair, skin and nails formula. We don't have Blackmore inthe states but I'm sure I can find an equivalent. I would love to have shining hair!!

Have a good one.

Merci

Woohoo Cate!
GOODONYA for taking the first step! Now its only a matter of time!
Its SO great Cate that you still come on and keep us updated not only on your life but your daily walk with food and weight. It really does help to understand the process of After Refeed. It helps also because we are constantly reminded that someone else has done and therefore, so can we! So THANKS!

Hope that life in general continues to improve for you....YOU DESERVE IT!

Bless ya
Kath

Hello Cate,
Sorry... I haven't been around much but with the end of the summer and getting everyone ready for school, and unpacking from vacations...Yikes...I am so glad they are going back in two days!!!! I have to plan for all my fall cleaning and reorganizing but it will be much easier once everyone is back at school. My husband is still in a boot cast and will be out of work for three more weeks (he is going stir crazy...me too) he will be starting physical therapy this week.
I have been snacking a little to much and need to be very aware of old habits. Sometimes it's just easier to grab a quick treat than put together something healthy. I think with the fall routine starting with school, homework, good dinners... that should help stay focused. I am very happy to have lost the weight and I will fight old habits that can so easily slip you up.
You are doing well and I am glad to hear you are ready to get back to work. It's nice to be out and socializing while getting paycheck, any employer will be lucky to have you.
Once school starts I am hoping to be back in daily. Talk soon.

Merci Thank you re your faith in me. That's nice! Also re that valve. I think you might be spot on because I massaged the spot in bed last night & it relieved the pain. My LH has been cooking curries lately & I think my system cannot cope with too much spice any more. It doesn't matter which meat he uses either. Ouch! I bought a hair, nails & skin formula from a pharmacy in Baltimore but can't remember what brand it was! I also take calcium/magnesium. Do you have specialty health food stores that mainly stock vitamins & minerals, rather than a pharmacy nearby? Shopping in the US is so different to shopping here. My sister used to do most of her shopping from catalogues like Eddie Bauer, Lands End etc. She was a crazy shopper, but boy, did I love that woman(still do!)
That reminds me! I can't remember if I told any-one in here but about a month ago I had a very real dream about my sister. It was real in that when I woke up it felt like it had just happened. My sister was walking along my hallway, looking for me & calling out my name. She wasn't distressed at all. I called back to her "I'm here Jen" & held my hand out to her & she held it & smiled & said that she just wondered where I was. I then woke up & it felt so good. It really felt like it had just happened & I had just held her hand. It wasn't spooky or sad, just lovely. The memory of it now still makes me feel really good & loved by her. She was very special.
Kath- I sometimes wonder if anyone wants to read about my day to day life so it's nice to get such lovely feed-back. When I started in the forum there was very little info re life after Cohen's & I was always so curious about it. I decided that when I got to goal I would stay in here for many reasons. I want to stay motivated, like to feel supported & love to help others. I also love the friendships I have made & continue to make! Your 1kg a week is on a par with mine. Some people lose so much quicker & it can be frustrating, especially, as you say, you see them deviating. Who do you think will learn the most? You will get there & you will be sensational!! Go Kath!
Lori- You have your hand's full! I dearly love my husband but would have trouble coping with him being home every day, especially if he was feeling frustrated. He has to be busy. I have been "Spring cleaning" today & have exhausted myself. I pulled everything in our bedroom out into the middle of the room, thoroughly cleaned the room & re-arranged it all. Phew! It was a very heavy work-out & I was ravenous afterwards. I indulged a little today after my very healthy Cohen's salad lunch & ate some heavy, seeded apricot & nut bread with home-made raspberry jam. I realised I have not eaten one dessert since finishing Cohen's. I made sure I did some more work after I had eaten it. It was absolutely delicious but you know what?
If you have one slice or one piece of something really sweet you just want lots of it. It was a scary feeling! I drank a big glass of water & got the heck out of the kitchen & got back to some more cleaning quick smart! The feeling is still there...
I am going to go & have a shower in about 10 minutes & get into my size 13 Corfu jeans that make me feel very slim & remind myself why I am not going to get into the habit of eating toast with raspberry jam!!
The plan- Is to keep moving forward with my life, keep being positive, stay slim, earn some money.....& keep adding to this list as I go.
I rang my YS today & he's doing well. He has returned home & got stuck into getting some things done around his home that were annoying him. I will keep in touch with him more often as I think it helps him. He wants me to come visit him. It's funny but I didn't realise how similar we are until recently. It is nice that we are communicating so well.
It's a beautiful sunny day today after a -1oC start to the day. I had better go have this shower or will not get to 8-ball tonight. My LH is playing in a final. If they lose they're out of this comp. In a few more weeks he starts playing in another competition which is just a social competition. He organises that one in our local town(11km away.)
OK-I'm off! (LOL-possibly literally) to that shower as I'm starting to seize up, cheers, Cate. I think the curries are playing havoc with my arthritis, which was almost non-existent on Cohen's. Another lesson here?

Weight 70kg. This is a pattern my body has got into. If I have a late night I usually weigh 70kg next morning or if I haven't drunk enough water or maybe had just a little too many carb's. Yesterday it was all of these things! I didn't have any supper last night at 8-ball & no alcohol, no choc etc. I still think I will try to get down to 67kg as I hate seeing that 70!
Spring has sprung!
Now I can say it's official as there are cavorting swallows just outside my living-room window. They return within the same week every year & they are here in force today. Welcome back swallows! The daffodils are also out, the wattles are in full bloom, the sun is trying to peek out from the clouds & life is good.
I'm not sure what I am going to do today. I have set myself a task of achieving something positive every day. It can be a small thing like ringing an old friend or doing a long put off task or chore but I am thinking about what today's will be. Our bedroom looks a treat! I woke up with hay fever though.The head is a bit foggy.
Yesterday I also booked in to give blood again now that I am off the program. I am taking my Vietnam photo albums along as 2 of the women expressed a lot of interest in seeing them. I am always amazed that anyone remembers me. It feels good when it happens but I am always surprised. I hope it's for nice reasons, not because I'm such a chatterbox!
Todays challenge......I'll get out of here first & have a good think about it. I should visit my MIL. She has visitors(3) arriving next week & cooking is becoming a major challenge with her rapidly failing eye-sight. She has always been a wonderful cook & has very high standards. It is a major problem. She also is fiercely independent & touchy. My LH is at work but I might arrange to meet him at her place this afternoon & see what we can do to help. I think they are staying for 2 weeks & that's a lot of food. I do not feel up to the challenge of cooking for her as I'm sure it would not meet her standards. She loves to eat rich, fatty foods like pork,(ugh) eats lots of cream, butter, sweets & has always just been able to "whip things up" in a flash. It's truly amazing that she is so well really as she is also a smoker. She is very active though & is always out & about.
I try not to worry about her too much as it doesn't help her or myself but I wish she would consider moving somewhere safer where she could also get help with meals etc. Hopefully she will realise this soon. Her family are too scared of her to suggest it. She does not encourage advice from her sons & daughters but will listen to her friends. She is quite good at glossing things over though. I am worried she will burn the house down, with her in it, as I see burn marks everywhere on the carpet & she smokes in bed. She cannot see them herself.
I probably should scrap all the above but won't. I will visit her today though & gently attempt to talk to her about it. I care for her a lot. She has given us a lot of support over the years & she is a good person. I must remember not to unnecessarily worry our children when we are old. The time may come when we should move to a safer place & it's important to do so before it's too late. It may not be necessary but we talk about it & will re-assess on a regular basis.
OK. I'm not getting anything much done here, except for deciding what I will do today. By typing it here it galvinises me into action. Ring my MIL! Cheers, Cate.

Hi Cate
Thank you for your lovely words and support in the forum.
When I joined a few months ago I said that I was going to also start my own diary which I think, now getting close to the ‘home stretch, will be even more beneficial and I just need to bite the bullet and do it. Just the way I started the program to start!
I love to hear about your day and the revelations you are having along the way! I especially love it the way you describe things that leaves actual pictures in my mind of what I think place would be like – especially your house and property. I am so envious of where you live and your surroundings. My partner and I are huge (no longer in the physical sense as well) fans of the outdoors and we look forward to a trip to Tassie in the next couple of years to hike and adventure around!
I completely appreciate how writing about your day helps you in numerous ways. I have always been a diary writer, although I have also been slack in that regard of late which is one of the reasons why I haven’t done my own thread.
You have a beautiful writing manner and it’s always a great inspirational read.
I cannot thank you enough for sticking around past reefed as so many to go on their way, which I can also understand, but for all of us still getting there it really is helpful. Before you had finished I thought that when I finish I must just fall into a black hole! Ha… and to think after all that effort!
Well I’ll stop taking up your diary space and get my butt into action and start mine right now… as I always tell myself – Stop talking about it and just do it!
Take care of yourself and happy job hunting!
Lauren x