Right in a while I will go fetch my meal plan. I am so excited because I really feel that I can do this. I have about 35kg to lose. I know it will be hard but right now I am determined.

I will be posting as often as I can because this board and the new you one have really inspired me to do it. I will be looking to all of you for support so thank you in advance!

I know that there are mind issues as well that I have to deal with and I am looking into some kind of therapy to keep me going. It's funny, but a lot of my mind issues are the same as other people's. I have noticed this in some of the diaries. I really need to deal with my fear of being thin. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" I am going to have to face my fear and not let it rule my life.

Although I feel physically uncomfortable in terms of being aware of my body and the space it takes up, it's easier to deal with than the underlying emotions. So I need to deal with those things if I am going to effect permanent weight loss. I also realise that it is not going to be easy but I am at a stage of my life now where I have to do it.

A bit about me: I am 41 years old, married with five kids. I am sick and tired of being the mom who wont swim in the sea with her kids or do physical things with them because I am self-conscious or out of breath! I feel that at some point I stopped living for myself and started existing for my family. I have to reclaim me!

Ok well you will forgive me if I rant, but I know that here I have found a safe place to do it and if it gets me where I need to be then that's what I will do.

Thanks again.

Sue

Hi Sue and a big welcome to the forum. You have almost the same amount as I had to lose (36kgs for me) and believe me it's absolutely doable! You have made an excellent decision & shouldn't regret it. If you think that was a rant, by the way, then take a glance at my diary when you have umpteen hours to spare. Your diary is the place to let out your feelings, ask questions, rant & rave as much as you like. Please do. It will help you sort out your feelings. We all come from such different backgrounds but most of us have hidden behind our fat for many different reasons. Seeking therapy to deal with these issues is a wise decision. I'm glad that I took that route. It only took 3 sessions I think but helped me see things more clearly. Motivational books also help. There are many tips & sayings that will help you along the way. One I used to draw on regularly when I was tempted by something off plan was "Nothing tastes as good as slim will feel." It is so true.
I'll catch up again soon. Cheers for now, Cate.

Hi Sue. I relate entirely to being the mum who's too embarrassed to go swimming and all that - that's been me for years. I don't know what happened to the body board surfer/snorkeller - she's in there somewhere!!!

I have to face up to the fear of losing my fat as well. Even though I have never liked being fat, it does provide "safety" when you are a mum with lots of distractions and busyness, and it feels funny "losing it".

I wish you lots of success. Stick to the plan no matter what and your extra 35kg will soon be a thing of the past!

Thank you Niyah and Cate for welcoming me here.

Ok Cate time to fess up - I have read most of your diary. Although it's two years after, it was so inspiring and it did take me a long time. I got to where you finished refeed and then I started from the present backwards because my big issue is - have they kept the weight off? You in particular have been a great inspiration to me because you have done it and kept it off!

I look forward to the day when I can go into a "normal" clothing store and buy something off the rack. Not a from the plus size section or the special fat clothes shops.

So I collected my eating plan and the small amounts of stuff I can eat really threw me for a few minutes. But then I realised this is it not sure what I was expecting cos its the way out portions that got me into this predicament in the first place. Every diet,dietician etc that I have tried has triggered some reaction in me. I wonder if anyone else has experienced it? It goes like this: "She/he/it will not tell me I can only have one/50g/1 cup of whatever, I will eat the whole slab of chocolate if I want" So how is my mindset changing now? Well I have decided that I will take control and lose weight and in order to do this I have to take my medicine. But I can control how I prepare the food to make it as delicious as I possibly can.

I have to get my hormones balanced, the insulin resistance must be brought under control so that I don't get type 2 diabetes which is where I am heading. I owe it to myself to be the best me I can be.

So I am going to get organised so that food preparation becomes easier. I will pre-weigh portions etc.

Ok I will stop rambling and try to get prepared.

Thanks again for the great welcome.

Sue

Sue, you will get used to the portions!!! Drink lots of water the first day - especially early - and you will get into the swing of it. OK, the first few days you'll probably be watching the clock wondering when the next meal comes around, but by one week in, you will get the hang of it, and by 2 to 3 weeks in you will be cruising. I have found that both times, I start feeling REALLY good around 4 weeks into the diet - takes that long to really affect things enough for serotonin to be up a bit, mental challenges over etc.

I think that first day you "start" you just need to grit your teeth and do it. If we never change anything we are doing, we will always stay the size we are - or worse, keep expanding.

Once you start to reclaim your life and see a few kgs disappear, you will drop into a much better place mentally. It will only take a month to drop a dress size, and after that it just keeps happening - very exciting!

OMG!! A girl who is that persistent & resilient will blitz Cohen's!!!!!!!
I won't tell you how many hours I spent looking at diaries before I decided to do Cohen's! I'm feeling very chuffed that I have inspired you & galvanised you into action. Wow!
I think you have your head in the right place to succeed & I am really looking forward to reading all about your journey. It is very exciting!! You will find out lots of things about yourself along the way. Be as honest as you can because it's best for you. It helps to type or write your feelings down as it helps you to understand the reasons why we do the things we do & to change your way of thinking. Working on building self-esteem, I think, is the key to success in almost anything. Cheers, Cate

Hey Sue,
Welcome to the Forum... I am new here as well and not yet started Cohens! I hope to be starting soon, so it would be great for me to follow some one from the start and see how much you loose and what you find hard and easy and so on!!

I am looking forward to following your diary!!!!
Good luck!
Jim

Hi Jim it will be great to do this together.

Today I went to buy meat and chicken to start weighing out portions. I have weighed out quite a few portions and put it in the freezer. But I would also like to make some soup and freeze that.

Cate I remember reading that you used to make quite a lot of chicken soup But I can't remember exactly what you did and I don't think I will re-read your diary so if you can tell me I would be grateful. (If you remember)

I have measured tinned tuna and it works out at a whole tin. So I think tinned tuna and me are going to become good friends. Next stop will be to buy some fish to weigh out and then I am good to go.

I will be starting properly on Tues. In the meantime I am trying to boost my water intake. I am a bit slack with that. They have recommended a minimum of 2l. But I was reading that thread about water and I think I prob need about 3. So I will really have to drink till my eyeballs are floating.

Be back soon.

Sue

Hey Sue,
In regards to water i would make sure you do the recommended amount and then as much more as you are comfortable with. I know with other diets where water was a major part of the diet different people could manage different amounts and this also affected the amount of weight loss..... It would be worth seeing how much you can do comfortably after you 2l.

Good luck for Tuesday!!!!! I am very excited for you!!!
Hopefully i won’t be too far behind!!!

Jim

Also sue, you will have to sort your self out a ticker..... for signature!!!
Let us all know how your doing!!

Jim

Hi Sue, Remember! I'm not that old! LOL. Only kidding!
Depending on how much chicken I had bought I would first measure the chicken & then distribute it around all of my pots and then mixing bowls. It was always my Meal 2 portions & always the amount of chicken that gave me the most vegetables(120g veg for me). I would have an array of vegies (onions-always, celery-always, cabbage, spring onion, spinach but mostly light-weight) all shredded & in containers. I still do this. I would open 1 or 2 cans of asparagus bits, drain them & retain the liquid. Put the asparagus into a container minus it's juice.
Then sit pot no 1 with chicken in it on the scales, tare the scales & whatever combination you fancy. Take that pot of the scales & repeat, varying each one a little if you like. When you have all of the chicken portions & appropriate vegie portions weighed out then you distribute the asparagus water between each pot or bowl. Add seasoning, vary it if you wish. I used to add coriander, ginger & cummin.
Whoops I nearly forgot!! Add a little bit of garlic salt if you wish or fresh garlic as part of your vegie allowance.
Cook as many at once as you have either pots or hotplates for. You do the work in one hit but each soup will be the exact measurements for 1 meal 2. Some I would blitz before freezing but mostly I left them intact. It makes it seem like a different soup if some are blitzed & it's easier to eat out.
It would not work at all to just measure out 10 portions of chicken & 10 portions of vegies cook them all up together & then divide by 10. Shame but too bad.
I never got sick of this soup & it didn't vary a lot. I could just grab a container out of the freezer at night or if I needed a meal quickly. I also never used to worry about cooking anything off first. I just tossed it all in & boiled the bejesus out of it. Lid on.
As you can see my idea of a recipe & method are not like the books. Cheers, Cate.

Thanks Cate.

I am on a mission to get organised. Today I grated mozzarella to put into the freezer. But from what I have read a lot of people find that cheese inhibits weight loss. So I will have to see how it goes.

Countdown to Tues. The big start. In anticipation I drank 2 lit of water today so far. Well done to me! It wasn't so bad. Maybe I'll get in another 500 ml before the day is out. Then I will be up the whole night peeing. That's ok if it coincides with my baby waking up. But my luck it will be at other times or she will sleep thru - I should be so lucky!

Oh I even went out to buy a few small pots to cook in.

I don't think I've been so organised for anything before.

I am determined to do this!

Sue

Sue, I think cheese can inhibit weight-loss because it can make your body retain fluid, especially feta, which is very salty. I find cheese constipates me which can be an issue on Cohen's especially. They recommend you try to limit cheese to 3 times a week, feta max once. I still find the Mozza is good on maintenance as it's so low-fat.
Do you have a good non-stick frypan for omelettes & stir-fries? I used mine every day on Cohen's. I lashed out and bought a Scanpan but you are not meant to use aerosol sprays on them.
I'm excited for you & Jim. It will be fun to share your journey with you. I'm really looking forward to it. Coffee time now (1 a day only- even now), cheers, cate.

So 3 pots of chicken soup on the boil and one pot of beef (not sure what it is really). My DH walked into the kitchen and said "something smells good - maybe I"ll join you on your diet. Just make double!" I said sorry doesn't work that way. Right now I need to concentrate on me. I think he might just starve!

It's not so easy to clear the house of all the "other" food as I do have children who need feeding. I will just have to be strong and controlled. But as I am feeling in control right now I will have to carry on.

Those of you who have done this before, did you find it was easier if you knew exactly what you were going to have for each meal the next day? Like I have decided that tomorrow I will have egg for brekkie ( the few times that I have had yoghurt and fruit, I seem to get a headache around lunchtime), tuna salad for lunch and meat stirfry for supper.

So roll on tomorrow. I am ready!

I will let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Sue

Hey Sue,
I am really excited for you starting tomorrow! Welldone doing your prep today!
For me i think i will plan the whole week ahead and have every thing already to be cooked for when i get in from work! That way i wont be tempted to skip a meal or have some thing else that isn't part of the diet!
Also i live alone so i don't have to worry about other food being around to tempt me, which is lucky for me!

Really looking forward to reading your diary about your first day on the diet!!
Woo Hoo..... Day one here you come!!!!
Good Luck!!!!