Hi everyone

I decided with some slight pressure from others to start a diary up to monitor my progress and also to let you know how my London adventure and being on cohen’s goes!

A little info about me: I a 24 years old Graphic designing Tasmanian born Perth girl who has battled with her weight since she was a wee little one!

I have been on my old cohen’s program on and off for the last 4-5years and finally had it! The first time I did the program I got down to 73.5kgs (from 90kgs) and started on my re-feeding I then got rather sick and ended up in hospital for nearly a week so this stuffed me up immensely!

...SO I decided once and for all I was going to get a new program done and get the weight off forever! So far I have been on Cohen’s for 4.5 weeks and have lost 11kgs. I was weighing myself every month but now decided after the first month is up I am going to do it every week! BUT over the 4 weigh-ins in a month take it as an average (so not to get dis-hartened when I dont have a loss in a week): I think we all need to remember that out bodies loose weight in cycles so dont look at the one week take the loss over a month!

Anyways I would love to hear from you all about your journeys- it’s so exciting on cohen’s cause things happen really fast! But then there are the weeks that seem to steach on and No losses it can be very disheartening!

Well I am going to make it to my goal this time so lets all band together in support for one and other and help eachother through our independent yet linked journies!

By the way in less than 2 weeks I am leaving for London to live there with my Husband for 2-3 years so I will report on the highs and lows and the stuggles to get the same food as what we eat here (Downunder).

Stength and love to you all

xxxnicole

Excellent Nicole! Another diary!! Where in Tassie were you born? I just love living here. Married a Tasmanian but was born up on the Murray river. How exciting for you- a move to London. New life, new start. Will check your diary every day & follow your progress, cheers, Cate.

Hi all

I cant belive how fast the time is flying! I have now been on Cohens for 5 weeks and have lost 13.2kgs!!! I am stoked! In the fifth week I didn't expect to lose anymore then 1 kgs but I have lost 2.2kg's! WOW I have to admit the hard work REALLY does pays off, and my new decision to weight myself everyweek is very inspiring as you can see right before your eyes the kilos melting away! I just want to encourage you all to keep going with the program deviation free and you will see some wonderful results!

Yesterday we moved house and I am now house sitting my Dad's house for a week before we go! I am a little annoyed that the whole moving to London is going to mess my weight-loss up as I am super dooper on track right now and I work best when I keep deveation free- it propells me to stay on track 100% and I think what is the point of having a moment of satisfaction for a week's worth of weight-loss.

Oooo I cant wait to get to the 90's again- I only have 1kg to go and I will be in that vicinity! I just think as I slide through the numbers I will NEVER have to experience being this big again and once I have lost this weight it is never coming back. I have started to change my mind set and instead of being really excited at the throught of eating "nice" unhealthy food I am now inspried to stay away from it and stop drinking milk all together- that is where my big downfall was the humble Flat white. For some reason my body doesn't agree with milk and it makes me load on the weight and makes my face look puffy and bloated?!? I will have to kiss it goodbye, water has become my new friend and I cant live without it!

Hope everyone is doing well and staying on track! This place is so fantastic to air your thoughts and feelings.

Cate- I was born in Hobart and lived there for about 5 years then came to Perth. I cant believe I will be in London in just over a week- CRAZY!


All the best

xxxnicole

Nicole- WOW!! 13.2kg in 5 weeks. That's fantastic. You'll be right, even with the trip as you have already changed your mindset. Cohen's is wonderful. I love it & the forum. Cheers for now, Cate

That is wonderful!!! Your weight loss is a true inspiration! I myself weight 114.7kg and started Cohens today. My best friend and I started it together this morning. She weighs 115kgs. I used to be 85kg and since a baby and bad bad eating habits I have slowly climbed and climbed until here I am!!!

But reading your post this morning has made it more real for me and if you can loose so much in 5 weeks then I am doing it toooo!!!!!!!!!!!!! No deviations! I also want to get below 100 again and just feel like I can do this. There is nothing better than being able to stick to something and feel proud of yourself for overcoming your own will - and saying NO!

Well done and I keep it up! I will be reading and responding so wish me luck!

Hi Nicole!! What a huge move you have ahead of you, I would love to get over to Europe one day. I wont lie, I really have to battle my own willpower to stick to the Cohens. I derailed for a whole month but maintained my new weight, I am really dissapointed with myself but back on the plan 100% and cant wait to hear all about your journey!
kc

Hello again everyone :-)

Wow it’s so nice to hear from you ladies! It really inspires me when other people share their journeys. We can do it!!! I feel that making a mind-set change is what is necessary to maintain the new weight once we reach our goals.

When I lost the weight to begin with I was still thinking like a fat person- every opportunity to eat something naughty was very exciting! Now I am trying to be the opposite and be repulsed by sugary or fatty foods. The big problem that I faced is that I just kept ignoring it- what I was eating and my weight. I was to scared to jump on the scales the next day after eating something bad as I wanted to avoid disappointment and not be responsible for my actions. I have realised that I am the one making the bad decisions and the person that it is REALLY effecting is ME and ME!! I know my husband isn’t as interested in me when I am over-weight and I dont blame him I couldn’t stand the sight of myself either. I now have to make a conscious effort to look in the mirror and see what I look like not avoid and shut-down. I realise this is where my problems lie. So now I have decided to weigh myself once a week through rain, hail or shine and I know I wont want to if I have a deviation but I think it is totally necessary to “get real”.

Ahh I feel so much better now! I was always living in fear that somehow I would get found out and the guilt of eating bad foods and in hiding was killing my self esteem and conscious. One of the big reasons I started this diary is to keep myself accountable and notice the difference in my thoughts, feelings and weight over approximately a 6 month period. I hope something in my journey can ring true with you and help you to get to a better place.

On a lighter note...

Cate- Your an inspiration to me and I thank-you for all your encouragment :-)

Skyla- Congratulations on taking the first step!!! It’s truly wonderful! You definantly WONT be disappointed if you keep to the program. The kg’s will really start to melt of you :-) I really do love Cohen’s for giving me the ability to be able to loose and then in the future control my weight. I wouldn’t have had a hope in hell if I didn’t discover it as losing weight has always been really hard for me.

Wannabsexee- (I wanna be sexy too). I can totally appreciate the fact that it is really hard to be on Cohen’s especially when you have friends and family who want you to come over and eat at their house. I think the VERY hardest part of Cohen’s is starting. In the past when I was using my old program (from about 4 years ago) I went off and on the diet more than 20 odd times. This is really discouraging and I have found that in the beginning to commit to the program and not give into your body when it is craving everything BUT what you can eat is terribly hard. You really need a strong goal that will keep you on track and try to banish all food from your cupboard that isn’t Cohen’s friendly (I know that is hard especially if you live in a house with other people). What we all need is the love and support of a friend or family member that believes in us and that we can share our highs and lows with. I know that my family can be anti-cohens so I just LOVE this forum where I can express how I feel without the need to be like someone is judging me.
Your doing SO WELL Wannab your nearly half way there!!! Look to the future and visualise what you want to look like! You can do it!!!

All the best to you all. Especially through Easter which is a very challenging time.


6 days to go till I leave for Ye olde London- woo hoo

Deveation free is the way to be
xxxnicole

Okay after moving coiuntry and a few bumps in the road I am back on track and fully commited to doing cohens and completing it to the finish with NO deviations! I have found a flat in London which is STUNNING!!! and am still looking for a job But I know I will get there.

I have managed to work out the foods I can eat and FINALLY found a place that will do my blood test for me that is due this Monday- that was stressful as they dont have Clinipath over here in the UK.

My spirits are up and I am SO GLAD that I have been reading people's diaries and been trolling between New You forum, 1st personal forum and here. This is really my home though as it seems a bit smaller and more comfortable!

I would love to hear some yummy soup ideas if anyone has any as it's a little chilly here at the moment and soup is my favourite food when it's cold

Hope everyone is on-track and feeling the cohen's vita vibe!

Love and best wishes on your journies and here's to getting our confidence back!!

xxnicole

Nicole- I could scream! I typed up a huge post to you & then lost it when I had visitors. Oh dear!
I have not found the info on crackers yet but will keep looking.
Chicken soup- I used to make a few at a time, cook them separately & then freeze a couple. Sometimes I would have 3 saucepans of chicken soup cooking at once & often did 6 at a time. It was like a mini process line but then made it very handy to take with me to work. I used to have different combos of chicken breast, asparagus(canned), celery, sometimes cabbage or bok choy but only the leafy parts, onion or spring onion, garlic & dried herbs usually but sometimes fresh, always including coriander, dried ginger & cummin. Perhaps a little parsley. I would use a little of the asparagus water from the can in each of them & would add a little balsamic at the end just for extra flavour. Plus salt & pepper of course.
It was a pest cooking each of them separately but I was so focussed on not deviating & was very careful to always have the exact meal proportions. 'Chop suey' was another favourite. I would pan fry onion, garlic & mince,add some curry powder, ginger & garlic salt & shredded cabbage & add a little salt, pepper & balsamic just before I dished it up. This is also something that can be cooked & freezes well or you can keep a few in the fridge & re-heat anytime.
Chicken soup & chop suey were my standbys. Breakfast was almost always yoghurt & stewed apple. I would cook eating apples(ie sweet), add some cinnamon & a few cloves. Now I think this can be done in bulk as an apple is not x grams exactly. I used to cook up 10 apples together & then divide into 5 containers(by weight) & each would be=to 2 apples. I would freeze 4 of them. Each container of apple I would have some with my yoghurt for breakfast & then as a snack or 'dessert' later in the day, but usually after dinner. Stewed apples did not make me hungry but raw apples did.
I had better get out of your diary or I'll fill it up! Cheers for now, cate

Thanks for your post cate I will be trying those two lovely new recipies :-)
Please feel free to fill up my diary I love hearing from other people it is so inspiring and great snatching yummy recipies!! Thanks again xx

By the way by not being on the diet for 5 weeks I have only put on 1ish kgs so I am so STOKED about that as usually when I go off cohens (in my first attempt in years past). So even though I have gained some weight it is so minimal that I am dancing with job! I am concidering putting my tickers starting weight as my original starting weight of 120kgs from about 10 months ago as this is even better progress from where I have come from.

Well full steam ahead here I come the new me in 2009!!! Woo hooo I cant wait to by some new clothing and feel hot instead of trying to cover myself up the whole time. I hate feeling uncomfortable about the way I look and knowing that my huband really doesn't like my body. I seriously used to have much better confidence but since I out on weight I have felt like crap so once it all comes off I am going to feel regenerated! I owe it to myself as I am only 24 years old and deserve to LIVE my youth and feel happy with myself. Being over-weight isn't just bad for my health it is sole destroying and that is why I want to loose it for good. I know alot of people can relate to the way I feel so I dont mind posting this here. I know I will look back at these diaries and think "WOW, I was there" "I cant believe it"! I am going to woork super hard to keep the weight off for good and I know that all the good intentions in the world can mean nothing unless there is action so that's what I plan on doing

Love and best wishes to you all on your journies!!!

xxnicole

Hi Nicole- I forgot to say sometimes I would blitz a soup so that it seemed different plus it's easier to eat at work blitzed. Did you keep to Cohen's vaguely in your 5 weeks or at least kept your carbs to a minimum? 1kg only....phew! xo Cate

These yummy soup receipts reminds me of one question: My favorite chicken soup is made with carrots, potatoes, peas as well, beside celery and other `cohens approved veggies`. Can I eat this soup, when I eat only the liquid and chicken and `approved veggies` from it? (my hubby gonna eat the rest of it)

Bytheway tomorrow is my big day: going to collect my plan!!

Ianina- Don't go there. Too hard, too tempting. Your hubby will get used to Cohen's food as well but he can have toast or bread with it. Be strict with your cooking & then it will be much easier to focus. Before long even having a thought like that will be non-existent. You will find it easy after a while.It will become second nature. Cheers, Cate

Ianina - you can make a good tasting soup with Cohen's foods, so best just to find a couple of recipes that work for you. Soup is a good option in cold weather, easy to take out if you need too, and quite filling - but just leave out the stuff that's strictly not on the diet.

Nickychick - you will definitely look back at where you have come from in the near future and be amazed not only by how quickly things have changed, but how determined you are not to go back there again!

Hope all is turning out well in London. I'm jealous - London is one place I'd love to go, but always goes to the bottom of the list. We can only use school holidays, which is a bit of a drag!!! We nearly did exchange a few years back, but it's gone back to the bottom of the list again.