So.. today is my "Official Cohen Start Date"

I'm starting at 198. Clothes Size 16/18 US.
B-43.5, C- 37, W- 40.5, H- 49

Today I am dragging a little but I think it is more from lack of sleep than anything else.

Today's Meal Plan:

M1 - Yogurt with chopped apples
S1 - Apple and Cracker 1L W
M2 - Chicken and Cauliflower with a Cracker
S2- Apple 1L W
M3 - Steak and Cauliflower.

Things I need to change:

Measure VERY carefully. This 'pre start week' week I was off a few grams on my measuring and after reading things over at 1stPD forum I realize it is crucial to get it right

I also need to use your suggestion and WRITE on the bags. I thought I had it under control, as I put the bags on different shelves and I did get confused a few times on what went with what.

I should be raw veggies, as I am not patient enough to defrost them. I have a little framer that sells stuff every day and will start stopping by a few times during the week to get fresh produce, plus he is usually really cheap.

I need to let more people know what I am doing, instead of just avoiding them. Everything I do is very food based, such as meeting friends for dinner, lunch meetings and dinners. I think for me to be 100% I need to let them know and not to push me.

Ok.. here I go!

You have done so much already, it great to see.. I wish you all the best today on you official start date...

i Think posting your progress is a great way to go.

and i too go out for lunch and dinner i think most of us socialise they same way around food and drinks..

Well i wish well and look forward to your next update..

may the water be with you
chelle

I just had taken a BIG swig of water right before I read that and I about gave my laptop a shower... HAHAHA...

That is very funny.

Tonight I am hungry for the first time... I think its because I started my day earlier.

Normally I am not up till 8am and getting ready for work then I make breakfast and get to work around 9'ish'

Today I was up at 6.... takes a lot longer to get to work during rush hour... plus I was around a lot of 'bad' food today. Didn't cheat once, but I did have to transport 400 mini sandwhiches in my car!

I also forgot the vitamins, so its more than likely a combination of all that.

Well I am off early because of the headache...

Tomorrow (Saturday and Sunday) will be the hardest days for me, because I am alone... at home and I am prone to snack when bored. However there is no way in hell I am cheating because I have to meet my NY deadline!

I just might post A LOT tomorrow... as I keep my laptop in my room, away from the kitchen!

Ha...

I actually forgot, I have to go to my parents today... which is dangerous, but I told them NO FOOD!!!!

We always eat whenever we do stuff.

PLUS I have a birthday party tonight.

Cheating is not an option.

So... I am having tuna... I know we can have canned in water, but they also sell bagged in water, which some in my portion size. I am eating that. Plus I already weighed out raw spinach and will have that.

Then I don't have to worry about portion sizes or cooling the food.

It will be a challenging night but I told my friend what I was doing, so it will be ok!

I just need to save my soda allotment for tonight!

So todays meals:

M1 - Yogurt and Mellon - Soda
S1 - Apple and cracker
M2 - Tuna with Cucumber - Water
S2- Apple and Cracker
M3 - Tuna with Spinach - 2 Sodas
Water

I actually screwed up my meal and took the wrong batch, so I still had my protein, but didn't have a veg.

I'm trying, right now this is like my #1 focus. So I am being a bit obsessive...

I have noticed one huge thing... if I don't drink my water it makes a huge difference.

I have to make sure I do it!

Here is what I had Day 3 -

M1 - Cottage Cheese, Cucumbers, Mellon
S1- Cracker and Apple 1L Water
M2 - Tuna and Cucumber (what I was suppose to have last night!)
S2 - Apple and Cracker 1L Water
M3 - Hamburger with Garlic and Cauliflower.

I also had a really weird reaction to the hamburger I had last night, leading me to believe, it wasn't as lean as I thought and they didn't trim the fat off the lean steaks.

In the past, I would sometimes 'wheeze' after eating. I do have athletically/chemical induced asthma, but only need a rescue inhaler 1 or 2 a year.

Anyway, I never could figure out what cause the wheeze after eating sometimes. I thought maybe it was oil or whatever else I had ate, but this made me realize, maybe its something in meat?

The weird thing is I did have a steak earlier this week and had no issues at all.

As far as walking it’s a go! My advisor said “Walking at a comfortable pace is a good choice of exercise.” So I am picking my routine back up. I am only going to go 3 miles, but if I feel ok, I will push it to 4.

Meals today:

M1 – Hard Boiled Egg, Cucumbers, Apple
S1 – Apple and Cracker
M2 – Tuna and Spinach
S2 – Apple and Cracker
M3 – Chicken and Cauliflower
S3 – Cracker

I am going for a 4 mile walk today... so that should help me feel more tired at night, which has been a problem this week. I also noticed that I more than likely need to lay off of the cheese for awhile, as I didn't lose anything while eating it both days.

I can't have it again anyway for a few days, as I first had it on Thursday.

So I started on Monday at 202 and today was 197. 5lbs lost and I wasn't totally percise on measuring before my offical start date, which was Friday. So, I will see.

I know I will hit plateus and my body usually does 1 week good 1 week plateu and then back to losing again.

I must post this belated thank you for getting my koke with the water... Ha ha ha

21 lbs down you are going great guns... remember cohens do say dont weigh every day or weekly. As it can be deceptive thier guidelines are monthly weigh ins. so just bare that in mind..But you should find that on the weeks the scales dont change your body shape, measurements and clothes do ..

My size 22 black skirt has now been made a museum piece to be brought out only for motivational purposes.. It will no longer stay on my waist or even my hips of its own accord, any other clothing i will pass on, bin or donate. I have vowed only to keep the odd fatty piece of clothing... Thought i might follow my own advice.. he he


I have a green front yard in winter and spring but a yellow one in summer and autumn we have water restrictions and thats our excuse anyway... ha ha ha

anyway the kids realy need feeding and watering now so best log off

Chelle

This ticker I set at my original weight, which includes 16lbs lost Pre-Cohen, basically in the last 2 months.

I have lost 5 so far on Cohen and I know we're not suppose to way, but I do daily on my Wii Fit. Its a motivation thing.

I know my body does huge swings so I won't be turned off by it and I know that I have a plateau coming soon and it might hit even during the first week of Cohens... I just know its because of everything I already did and I might not fully wreak the benefits of what I am doing now until next month, but hey I will take two months of great weight gain, rather than plummeting the first month and only losing a few pounds the second.

So... my "official day was 10.03" and I was 198. I was 202 when I started following on 09.29, so between then and the 3rd I lost 5 lbs.

I know that isn't a lot compared to everyone else, but I'll take 3-5 lbs a week. I won't hit my goal within 12 weeks that way, but still that is DANG close! I know my body pretty well and I know that I can go a week and gain 3 lbs and then drop 8 the next week, without Cohen, so I won't panic about the weight....

Right now its sort of like the stock market.... I'm invested fully and for the long term, so I can ride out the storm.

Ha... I like that!

Love the way you put that. Ha ha haha....

You are doing great..

Hi CohenInAZ, I think you're doing a lot better than most of the world's economies. I'm so glad we don't have a mortgage any more! You made me laugh with your comments about worrying about our son. I'm sure it won't matter how old he is or I am he will always be "my baby". I do have faith in him. I'll let him know that. I appreciate having other perspectives and opinions & advice. I love it in fact. I'll let you know where he's going when I see his itinerary. I know he's going via New Zealand & then Miami but where he's going in the US other than that I don't know. I have a nephew in California but they would have very little in common so he probably won't visit him. I'll ask him soon. "Talk" soon, cheers, Cate

I didn't eat until 9:30 today and I thought I was going to pass out! I got to work (where I had left breakfast the night before) and everyone said I looked REALLY pale.

I mean I usually don't eat until 8:45 to 9:15 anyway, so I didn't think it would be a big deal.

I had my hard boiled egg and cucumbers and felt much better, although I still feel 'out-of-wack'. Maybe it just took longer for the diet to catch up to me.

I was going to go for my walk last night, but ended up hosting movie night at my place with friends at the last minute. I will start on Wednesday, assuming I feel better.

Yuck.

Anyway todays meal plan:

M1 - Egg with Cucumbers
S1 - Apple with Cracker 1L Water
M2 - Tuna with Cucumber
S2 - Apple with Cracker
M3 - Chicken with Cauliflower 1L Water
S3 - Apple with Cracker, if hungry

Yours made me laugh too and go.. see its not just my mom!

I've always laughed/stressed at how much she worries, because I was like a 'perfect child'. Never snuck out, didn't drink till I was 21, never ditched school, had great grades... got a job when I was 16 bought a house at 21, finished college and my Master's and she still was always a little untrusting of me and it drove me nuts!

Not to say she hasn't been supportive, she is very, but she's always a bit in my ear. Shes there for me... I got married got divorced 3 years later and she was there. But she still worries about me! I know it's just being a mom... even more now.

Looking back, I was always trying to prove I was 'good' that I sort of missed out on some things a little. Luckily, when I hit 28 I still looked 22 to most and went back to school and joined the schools crew aka rowing team. I took "Tai Chi" to qualify as a student! It was the best thing ever. I felt like I made up for the college years I missed. I was always honest about my age if people asked, but most people thought I was their age which was very cool.

On the bright side, because of all of the stuff I pushed to do young, I will be mortgage free in 2 years!!!!! YAY!!!! Then... I am seriously thinking about taking a HUGE break and kicking back and enjoying life even more!

Last night I walked to the store after eating and it was nice and I think just what I was missing to feel tired. It was only 1.5 miles round trip, so today will be the 2.5 miles test.

It was also pointed out to me that I was eating WAY too much tuna and I need to watch out for the mercury levels. I basically ate 7 servings of Tuna and I should have only had 3. Go me... I didn't even think about it.

Oh well, note to self Tuna ONLY 2-3 Times a week.

Todays Menu:

M1 - Yogurt with chopped Kiwi 1L Water
S1 - Apple w/ Crackers and Tea
M2 - Chicken with Cauliflower 1L Water
S2 - Apple w/Crackers
M3 - Chicken with Spinach 1L Water

Hi CohenInAz, It sounds like you have achieved a lot in your relatively(to me-ha ha) short life. Wow to being mortgage free in 2 years. Good for you. We only did that last year & that's the 2 of us together. I'm impressed! Re the tuna- OMG there is so much information about different foods that it feels like it's a minefield out there. I am trying to avoid chemicals espec. MSG & other asthma triggers, high carbs, high fat etc & it there is just so much info out there that my head spins at times. I'm going back to basics & organic wherever possible. Good to watch your progress and learning a little about you as we go, cheers, Cate.

Ha...

I am a funny person I am the most motivated person you will ever meet and the laziest at the same time, which people didn't know was possible until they met me!

I'm busting my bum now, so I can quit working soon. I don't like working, but I do love my job right now. I just can't beleive I am on this earth for 100 years or less and I have to spend 20 of it in school and then another 30-40 of it working! That gives me what? 20 years maybe to enjoy life and do what I want? Maybe??

I donno.. that just seems like I am missing out on a lot. I know that sounds like a really selfish perspective, but hey, I'm single so I have the right to be. I would much rather be doing what I want than wasting away behind a desk.

So... I decided my senior year of school (I was 21) I would buy my house and pay it off by the time I was 32. I also set in motion a plan to be able to stop working by the time I was 35 and pursue something I really liked like photography, something that would still give me a small income, but enough to live on. I've basically worked 2 full time jobs during college and did school too so that helped me get ahead, but also part of the reason why I 'missed out'.

I'm really frugal and have done a lot of work saving, so I am by no means 'well off' but I will, if the economy turns around, at least be able to take a few years off before heading back to work.

This also gives me the ability that if I do happen to meet someone, be able to settle down and have kids and be a stay at home mom, which I think is really important.

Who knows where I will end up, but the one... scratch that... two things I am doing in the next two years (and hopefully sooner) is getting down to the 130s and paying off my house before I turn 32!

So basically... I am REALLY motivated right now, so I can be really lazy ina few years!!