Hi every one,

Welcome to my Diary! Its time for me to start recording my journey!

Well its 9th August 2009, I weight 26st (364lb) and i have just paid for my Cohen’s diet plan. A little earlier than planned...... but well over due!! I have 154lb’s to loose.
I have been doing lots of research into Cohen’s and have been looking forward to starting and giving myself the new life i have dreamed off.
The strangest thing is, now i have paid for the diet i am feeling really nervous.... I can’t believe how scary this is, knowing that i am now going to do the diet!! Fear of failure i think. I have failed so many diets in the past that i fear failing this one!! This isn’t an option!

I know i have a lot of emotional things i have to deal with,
most of which i thought i had dealt with already, but now i am not as sure! I have always said i am not an emotional eater, but i don’t believe this is the case any more! But i am sure this is some thing i can over come.

So this is the start of my journey! Wish me luck, and i look forward t sharing my ups and my downs with you!

Jim, You have made such a good decision. I understand that you are fearful. Funny thing is you are probably as scared of succeeding as you are of failing. The hardest part will be dealing with the mental issues but you seem aware of that already. I think that you are ready and I feel sure that you can do it. We'll support you along the way.
Preparation is the key & reading your plan over & over & over. Don't start until you are prepared. Get rid of anything in your home that will tempt you off plan. Throw it out or give it away. Try to start when you can have a quiet few days at home. You will probably feel a little exhausted & have headaches (detox). Make sure you get lots of sleep and get into the habit of having a water bottle nearby & drink from it often. I make sure I drink 3 x750ml water bottles every day. At the start I think the most important things to do, other than eating exactly how much you are meant to, are reading your plan often, being prepared, getting plenty of sleep & getting used to drinking over 2 litres of water a day.
I haven't had my 1 morning coffee yet so my brain hasn't quite kicked into gear. I'll be back soon when I think of anything else. The main thing is Yee Har Jim!!!! You've done it! Being fearful is quite normal. It's a big step deciding to change your life, even though it's for the better. Well done. You deserve to be slim & happy! Cheers, Cate

Jim, I remember the first time round when I paid up for Cohen's, I felt the same. Ulp!!!! Now I'm committed! What will my husband think if the money is wasted? Blah blah. Now, I'm much calmer because I KNOW it works for me, but I guess that first time round there are lots of doubts and insecurities.

It does represent that commitment to ourselves to do it properly, and that's what we need to get on track.

Good luck and happy journeying - hope the next few days go well for you. As Cate said, give yourself a "start day", and psyche yourself into it. Clean pantry, stock up so you don't have to pass shops too soon, and just hang in there for a week till you are "over the hump". It DOES PASS!!!!!

Thanks Cate - All this advice is being noted! I hope to make a start as soon as i can. Reading your story and others like you, and the people doing the diet now makes it seem much more achievable! I love hearing tips from those that have done it and are doing it. Just reading different problems that people have had, so I know what I may be up against.
Also Cate I think the point you made about fear of success. I can see this since you have mentioned it. I have never been thin, in fact I am sure I was born at 16stone!!
(I can just see all the mums here wincing at the thought!) But I don’t have any memories of being thin. I know I was when I was a child as I have seen photos. Its strange to think that I can be thin again, and in my mind it almost seems like a ridiculous idea that I could do that! Although I know I can, the thought seems stupid to even think that I can do it. It’s hard to explain but I am sure most of you can understand!!!

Thanks Niyah – It’s nice to know that others that are doing well have felt the same! For me the first few weeks aren’t the problem… Its when I get comfortable and start think of cheating! My main problem is when I cheat, I kinda start to think “Oh well I have blown it now… might as well give up it isnt going to work for me!”
The number of diets I have done, lost a lot of weight and then done this. But the difference is now I am aware of this and will do my utmost to not fall in that trap. If I do cheat, then I need to pick myself up and carry on with the diet the same as before! Also having the support of this forum will be a great help!!

Jim

Hello in your diary. We really are in this together. I start tomorrow. I got the plan and was all excited to start and I have been weighing and measuring and making chicken soup etc. Now I am feeling nervous, now that I will actually start. But together we can do it and with the fantastic support that we will get here we will succeed.

Yesterday I managed to do the 2 lit water and it wasn't so bad. I actually had 5 500ml bottles, so I am going to try do that all the time.

So good luck Jim, I will be watching you! We have to do it, there is no choice.

When will you get your plan? I hit a bit of a wobble (actually I pretty much wobble most of the time ) when I saw the portion sizes. But when you weigh them out, they are not so bad especially if you add in light stuff like lettuce, spinach, cabbage or mushrooms.

Will keep ya posted.

Sue

Hi Sue,
Its great we are starting together (or very close) and support will be great! I have to get my blood test done, i have a doctors appointment on Wednesday so i will hopefully have the test done some times this week... Then a few days for the results..... Then a week for the diet plan! Suppose i am looking at about 2 weeks until i start! I wish it was sooner! I really want to start soon!
If i go to a lab in London i imagine it will be sooner, but its hard to drive in to London after work! I will see..... Plus i hope that the doc will do it for free!!!

I have been drinking between 2 and 3 lit of water yesterday and today and haven't found it that hard to do... so i am happy about that!

I just want to start now.....
Good luck Sue.... Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life! Make it worth it!
Cant wait to see how you have got on your first day!!!

Jim

So excited for you Jim!!! The next few weeks will fly by and you will have your plan before you know it

I know you can do this just remember it is all in the mind. You need to think positively and distract yourself if you start to obsess over food or think about all the things you love and cant have. I find that as being one of the people who is on the program for a longer period of time, that it is helpful to establish the meals that you really enjoy- for me it's chicken and vegie soup. Try to avoid the yoghurt or cheese option inicially as this really isn't as filling as the chicken or beef option. I find that helps.

Go Jim we are all chearing for you. Would love to know what the online program says so when you get it it would be intersting to compare notes (it will be 99% much the same I'm sure) cause your in the UK they might say you can have rabbit or game meat so I would love to know

Take care and be good to yourself
nicole

Thanks Nicole!
All this support is amazing, and i know with this support i can do it!
Its an amazing opportunity to be able to do this, and i dont know any one else in the UK that has even heard of this diet. Only you Nicole and you joined in aus. Its not advertised any where here, and i cant believe i came across it on this site!

As soon as i have my diet i will let you all know what i have on it! I hope that rabbit and game are not on the diet... lol... Chicken and beef is just fine!! lol

Jim

Hi Jim, We are all excited for you I think! I think it would be interesting to hear if rabbit & other game meat is on the UK version as well. I asked my consultant when I first started Cohen's & she asked Dr Cohen who said no. They do a lot of research before adding anything & sometimes allowed foods change, like crackers.
Jim, It's good that you are upping your water intake. It will help you with detox when you start if you also cut down your caffeine now. I think you are mentally preparing yourself to succeed and that's half the battle.
By the way, when I did Cohen's no-one I knew had ever heard of it,including me. Since then it's gone gangbusters in Australia!
Cheers for now, Cate

Hey All,

I have been drinking over 2lts of water a day the last few days! A lot of which has been drunk later in the day. Then i have been waking up thru the night with really bad heart burn that has been keeping we awake!!
Are these connected or is it in my head!!! lol

Thanks
Jim

Hi Cate!
I am interested to see what food i am allowed to eat! Hopefully i like most of it!
I did the lighter life programme a little while ago (its 4 food packs a day - milk shake and soup) and the detox part wasn't too bad for me! I didn't find it hard at all getting over the first week! That was an easy diet as you didn't feel hungry but i only like the choc milkshake and trying to drink 4 of these a day was VERY HARD - and they was mixed with water not milk! YUCK!!

So i am not worrying about the detox or the first few weeks, its the time after that i need to be prepared for, making sure i stick to what the diet says! That is where i normally fail! BUT NOT THIS TIME!!!

Well i hope that i can show people in the UK how great this diet is and see how many more people will hear about it!!!

Jim

This time you will eat much more normal food. All you have to do is plan, plan, plan - at least for the first good while. After that it will be second nature. As they say "Those who fail to plan plan to fail". So, study up when you get the plan, take it to the shops, only go down the aisles you NEED to, and write out what you are going to eat each day for the first while. You won't go wrong if you do this.

Am looking forward to your progress!

Just popping in to say Hi my fellow UK diet buddy Everyone I have spoken to over here has never heard of Cohen's either- although they call it 1st Personal over here. You will also get access to the 1st P chat page so I am sure you will find other who are in the UK on it. In Aus we can eat Kangaroo and in South Africa they have another different meat so it will be interesting to find out if they offer anything different over here for you?

Take care Jim and I cant wait to hear all your good news when you start the plan!
:-) nicole

Thanks Nicole!!
I am looking forward to seeing whats on my diet plan!

Well i had my blood test today!!!!! I hope to pick the results up on friday but its more than likely going to be on monday! Then i can email them the results and it will be a week from then.......... I am nervous now, and hope that my results will allow me to do the diet and that i dont get turned down! I would be SOOO gutted! But i am sure i will be fine!!!

Jim

Hey Jim

As long as you dont have diabeties, heart conditions, take some obscure types of medication and a few other things (which I am sure were in the form you filled out before you went for your blood test and handed over the money) then I'm sure you will be fine Dont stress too much, but I know how you might feel just having the chance you might not be able to do the program :-( I dont think there are too many people that get rejected.

Best of luck and I guess if you can or cant then it's just ment (or not ment) to be.

nicole