Minus Day 5 – 7th April 2009

Today is the day I joined!!! I will start the program after Easter when it will get my full commitment.

The main reason for this diet is almost as a lifestyle detox and to get my body used to healthy eating and eating better proportion sizes of food.

To save on the initial blood test and get it through the Australian Medicare system, I went to my GP and asked him to do a cholesterol test and include the electrolytes and liver function tests (E/LFT’s) that the diet requires. So first blood test was free.

I know that this might sound crazy, but I was disappointed that my goal weight is quite high, between 89 – 84 kgs (196 pounds – 185 pounds). I think it should be lower by at least another 4kgs (9 pounds). I asked the consultant about this and she said that I should just let my body decide and see what happens. I might look back at this post and laugh (Hopefully).

My weaknesses are:
- Coke
- Nando’s Chicken Burgers and Chips with Perinaise Mayo

What I will miss is:
- I just bought an expresso machine (nespresso) and have absolutely loved my lattes the past few weeks.... It is going to be terrible sight to see this machine being unloved.
- The Father-in-laws BBQ. He cooks the best BBQ in the world and it is usually a couple of times a month we go around and gorge ourselves silly.

The biggest challenge:
- I am an owner of a building company so I often am out of the office and on site at irregular times. Managing meals I think will be the hardest thing.
- Having a wife who seems to manage to eat everything without a care.

So I know this sounds terrible but I have not got my plan yet and Easter weekend starts tomorrow so I reckon that between all the chocolate eggs, hot cross buns, BBQ.s etc. my starting weight might be higher than planned.

I will start reading the forum extensively over the next few days to get some tips off you guys. It seems like everybody really has some wonderful advice to give.

Welcome David!

All the best for the journey a head! The first week is the most difficult as your body goes through Detox and it feels like hell!!!
Just rest up and drink plenty of water the pain will soon be over. I also LOVED my coffee and giving it up inicially was hard but after a while you just forget about it. You can drink black coffee but it gives me stomach probelms so I dont bother.

The more you gorge yourself before you get the plan the worse it will be through detox milk and caffine will be the worst- it was for me!

After the week is over you will start to feel wonderful and happy as this is what happens when your body is content with what your eating. You will suprisingly not be hungry after a week or two- I couln't believe it :-O

Take care and jump on the cohen's wagon

:-)nicole

Hi Nickychick,

Thanks for the words of encouragement.

I am excited about this program.

Maybe it is a male thing, but I have sworn my wife to secrecy about doing Cohen's. This may change when I get closer to the goal weight, I am not sure. What I am trying to say though is that this is a really great place to be with like-minded people who are on the same journey as you are.

- I noticed that you are off to England for a while. Good luck with that. I have done the 2 year stint there as well and loved it. People write off the English for their quality of food, but I was impressed. Once you start earning the £'s you will be surprised how cheap everything is too (Just don't convert it back to $Aus).

Hi David & welcome to the forum. I can understand the Easter thing but it may help to al least cut down your caffeine before you start. From what I have heard men seem to lose weight much faster than women on Cohen's so 15kg shouldn't take very long. It is a great plan to change your mindset away from just putting food into your mouth without thinking & towards healthy, balanced eating. The biggest keys to it being successful, I think, are being prepared, keeping up the water intake (2-3 litres a day) & getting sufficient sleep and, of course, sticking to the program 100%. Enjoy your Easter, cheers, cate

Hi David

you might also enjoy the new you forum as well it's also a cohen's forum there are a few men on that one. I always go in between the 2 of them as i really enjoy reading Kate's diary & rjm not that she has been around for a few weeks now

Welcome. I must say i have around the same weight to lose and being easter wkend its damm hard. I won an easter basket at the local bank here (i got a car loan and auto entry and didnt know) hahaha. So iv decided that im trying my best and if i deviate- ok. Monday is another start for me. Iv struggled but its my 2nd major go- i lost 30kg the 1st time- 4mths it took. SO trust me, 15kg will be quick for u- and being a bloke, will happen rapidly if all the reseasrch is correct. Iv got the same weight to lose, but very sluggish to start for too many reasons to say. I think if ur diligent and stay in line with it 95% time u should be ok. If u can be 100% that wld be ideal but i dont think any1 is. But also if u can get family and work collegues to NOT FLAUNT the bad stuff in front of u and support u, it will help heaps. ANd go shopping after u eat as u wont want to eat the NAUGHTY things........... hahaha. Well, keep up the diary and soon ur coffee and all that will be a thing of the past and after ur refeed u may be able to bring them back slowly and use it as a treat a cpl times a wk. BUT dont get urself all stressed over it. Gd luck and make the most of this plan- it works- do it right and u will be pleased with the final results!! My weight gain was that i never did refeed and moved interstate where its HUMIDITY is like 90+% in the wet season so retain loads of fluid. But, im sure u will do awsome and if u can truely look at y u are doing it, u can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After my recent fall from grace, i found that it wasn't so much the food i craved or missed, but the connection, its more emotional... one technique i used to help me get through events was it not the last, there will be another.. before you can blink the days over you have succeeded in being 100% Cohens for yet another day... That BBQ will be there when you reach your GW..

May the water be with you....

bah ha ha ha

Well guess what?

- it is 8:00am of 'Day One'. I just had my first breakfast and what a feast it was!!! 1 scrambled egg and 85g of steamed cauliflower with 2 x glasses of water. Geez

I MISSED MY CAFFE LATTE THIS MORNING. I tried a straight decaf espresso with sweetener and almost died of disgust.

I went to the farmers market on Sunday and bought the freshest and tastiest looking fruits and vegies I could. I have yet to go to the supermarket to get the essentials but I have enough to get me through today.

It would be a great to have an area that people could place a 'before' and 'after' photo, as being a typical male I find that it is the visual rather than the verbal that encourges me the most. I love seeing the success photos.

Thanks to Fifty2drop for your 'Just do it advice' and I will do the water as much as I can.

DeDe23 I hope your easter was not too much of a deviation. Especially winning an easter basket, lucky you and unlucky you at the same time!

reb I will definatly check out the other forum as well. Thanks for the tip.

Finally Cate I love all the encouragement and advice you give to everyone. You are a real superstar.

Heres to rapid weight loss....

I might go take a 'before' photo now!!!

Thanks

David

Hi David, we do have a section for befores & afters. Most of us didn't get the courage to post any until we felt the before was well & truly behind us. Or, in my case, was no longer behind us! The link is
http://weight-loss.fitness.com/cohen...re-afters.html
Mine are on page 8.
I still hardly have any photos of myself. It's hard to get over a life-long aversion to cameras.
I'm a coffee lover but luckily I mostly drank straight black coffee, without sweetener with an occasional cappuccino when out, so my main thing was to reduce the numbers. Since finishing Cohen's I have tried a cappuccino every now & then but don't enjoy it so won't bother again. The artificial sweeteners are horrible & really bad for you. I used to add some to my yoghurt but don't do that any more either & I love the fact that I have gotten used to sour.
Buy as good a quality food as you can afford especially whilst on Cohen's. You are eating so little really so it should be good. Don't skimp if you can help it. Eat as slowly as you can & savour every morsel. You'll find yourself doing some funny things like only using the light bits of a cabbage for eg.
I have found that yoghurt & fruit for breakfast is the most filling & the quickest & easiest. I had egg first up as I thought it would be more substantial but tried the yoghurt option & have never looked back. 2 &1/4 yrs on & guess what I had for breakfast. Yoghurt(Natural & unsweetened) & stewed apple (no sugar or artificial sweetener) If I'm hungry before lunch, which I doubt I will be I will have 2 crackers.
I hope you don't suffer any headaches in the next few days. Try not to do too much & drink lots of water. I still drink between 2-3 litres a day & love it!
All the best. Good for you, having the courage to post your before photo already. Cheers, Cate.

Welcome David - hang in there during that first week - I found around Day 5 is the toughest, but eventually the body adjusts to the lower level of food and drastically changed diet, and about 2 to 3 weeks in I always start feeling much better.

Once a bit of weight drops off, feelings of vitality increase rapidly - it's more comfortable to walk and do things, and I found I didn't get as tired from dragging around all the extra kilos.

I guess the added incentive for you will be that men tend to lose the weight quicker than women for some reason!

I don't have any pictures of myself at this stage - will have to drag the camera out. I'm always taking pictures of school events etc, but never seem to have a reason to take a picture of myself!

David,


heaps of photos on the new you site as well but you have to join up 1st to be able to view them
http://newyouforum.com/forum/
before and afters are under the personal diary's but they won't come up for you unless you join

Hey reb, They got you on some sort of commission? Cate

Oh my god.... I have the worst headache tonight... dieting can't be good for you with this sort of side affect. Please tell me this goes away!!!!

Plus the amount of water I have had today... hmmm all I can say is I could undress and stand in the park and I would be confused as a water feature with the continuous outpouring of water....

Not looking forward to Day-2

Don't worry David- It's mainly the caffeine withdrawals! The problem is with the caffeine, rather than Cohen's. Skip the de-caf & have a normal (caffeinated) coffee in the morning, just without the milk & sugar. It'll soon pass. Get lots of sleep if you can. You gave me a funny picture re the water feature! Hope you feel better tomorrow. It gets easier & better each day, cheers, cate

Hi David!

Shame man I see myself in your shoes! I also died of head aches for like 3 days and they were relentless! My consultant gave me some advise and said that its better to start the program like on a thursday or wednesday for incase you get the head aches and then you dont have to be at work!

Well, I See that today is your first day-- and its monday-- tough man tough!
But my promise- they do go away and sleep is the best remedy! I took allot of painkillers also but they helped minimal! (Cate realy does have the best advise ever)

Im not 3 weeks in (day 25) and i have not had a head achce since the first
few days.

Im happy to see that there are some men out there doing this and i applaude you! Its great! I hoping my bf will also get the idea and go on it!

The only thing that you should know and stick to is this! IT GETS BETTER, IT GOES AWAY AND ITS 100% WOTHR IT! that 15kg is going to melt away!

one question- are you from south africa?-- Is see Nando's and steers there on you list?

Have a great day-- and hang in there!
Greets
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