Hi all,

I have been reading the forum over the past few weeks so I thought it was time I introduced myself properly!

I'm Kristy and from WA. Currently with the Booragoon cohens clinic. I'm into my 4th week of cohens so far and have lost 3.5kgs. Starting weight was 69.7 and goal is 52.

Have struggled with my weight all my life, was a lot bigger a few years ago but I did weight watchers for awhile and dropped about 10kgs. Gained a little back and was trying my luck at doing weight watchers again before I started cohens but I think I only dropped about 2kgs in 8 or so weeks which was just frustrating!!

I decided to jump on the cohens band wagon when I heard all of the benefits of the program from my friend that I car pool with to work with. She was starting to look amazing and I could see she was feeling it too. At first I must admit I really didn't think I could do it as I used to eat quite a lot of carbs but here I am proving that I can and even after 3 weeks I'm feeling so great!

I had one slip up after week 2 as I was still really struggling with my weekends - I'm young (21) and normally out and about a lot on the weekends, lunches, dinners, coffee, drinks - but since Cohens I really wanted to cut down on going out because I didn't want to put myself in situations I could not control. So the first couple of weeks I pretty much stayed at home watching foxtel, doing house work etc ... I actually couldn't wait to get back to work after the weekend which was sad! So after only 2 weeks I cracked and I deviated, it was a small skim milk gloria jeans coffee and I had myself convinced it was not going to effect my weight loss for the week. But what do you know....didn't loose for a week! So I've definately learnt my lesson and now know its definately not worth it.

Anyways, I will continue to blog my journey and hope to make some new online buddies over the coming months!

Tata
Kristy[/SIZE]

Hi all,

I have been reading the forum over the past few weeks so I thought it was time I introduced myself properly!

I'm Kristy and from WA. Currently with the Booragoon cohens clinic. I'm into my 4th week of cohens so far and have lost 3.5kgs. Starting weight was 69.7 and goal is 52.

Have struggled with my weight all my life, was a lot bigger a few years ago but I did weight watchers for awhile and dropped about 10kgs. Gained a little back and was trying my luck at doing weight watchers again before I started cohens but I think I only dropped about 2kgs in 8 or so weeks which was just frustrating!!

I decided to jump on the cohens band wagon when I heard all of the benefits of the program from my friend that I car pool with to work with. She was starting to look amazing and I could see she was feeling it too. At first I must admit I really didn't think I could do it as I used to eat quite a lot of carbs but here I am proving that I can and even after 3 weeks I'm feeling so great!

I had one slip up after week 2 as I was still really struggling with my weekends - I'm young (21) and normally out and about a lot on the weekends, lunches, dinners, coffee, drinks - but since Cohens I really wanted to cut down on going out because I didn't want to put myself in situations I could not control. So the first couple of weeks I pretty much stayed at home watching foxtel, doing house work etc ... I actually couldn't wait to get back to work after the weekend which was sad! So after only 2 weeks I cracked and I deviated, it was a small skim milk gloria jeans coffee and I had myself convinced it was not going to effect my weight loss for the week. But what do you know....didn't loose for a week! So I've definately learnt my lesson and now know its definately not worth it.

Anyways, I will continue to blog my journey and hope to make some new online buddies over the coming months!

Tata
Kristy[/QUOTE]

Hi Kristy and welcome

yes it doesn't pay to deviate, it really does make a difference in the beginning. And milk whether it be lowfat is a real weight staller.
By the way I'm a 2nd timer and anwered your question about it in your thread.
Anyway goodluck Kristy you can do this....I did the first time and I plan to this time too.

Best of luck and look forward to getting to know you.
Sam

Hi again Sam

Yes I have definately learnt my lesson... I think I was just a little sceptical about the chemical balance/hormones but now I seen it's definately all true haha, my bad!!! Will never do it again. That week I didn't loose I couldn't only see it on the scales but I could feel it also.

Ok so I normally just weigh once a week (I know we're not even supposed to but you all know how hard that is) but this morning I was curious to whether I had started loosing again after my deviation at the end of week 2... and YAY! I've lost!! And I'm JUST in the 65's too! 65.9 I have my 4 weekly weigh in at my clinic next Wednesday so I'm really hoping to have lost 5kgs in total for my first month

Also I need some advice. I know this is thinking ahead way too much but thats me... I do it with everything! Christmas is 10 weeks away (I know, it's creeping up SO fast) and in the first week of January my partner and I are going away down south for 5 days. When booking this it was sort of a down the track reward for doing cohens and planned to be at goal and finished refeed by then. Anyway, now I realise how damn close that is. My goal is 52-55 and say I loose 1kg a week I'll be 55.9 by Christmas. So I'll nearly be at goal....

I'm not saying at Christmas and my holiday I want to go absolutely nuts and eat everything in sight but I would like to be able to eat the cooked breakfast we are provided at the hotel and we will be going to wineries so have a glass of wine here and there.... what's everyone's advice? Do I just allow myself some flexibility on my holiday (I'm not worried about Christmas my family just does meat & salads anyway)...and when I get back loose a week or 2 of weight loss, or do I take food away with me and do my best to stick to cohens 100%? What would you do?

Thanks in advance and have a lovely day.
Kristy

I am struggling with the same thing at the moment MissKris.

I am going to Port Douglas next week and am toying with the idea of relaxing the diet a little. Like you said, not going crazy, but enjoying healthy, Cohens style food without the scales, cooked by someone else and maybe a drink or few.

So ultimately I have made the decision to deviate which is highly not recommended due to your bloodtest results, plenty in between all the way through to your willpower to return 100% to Cohens.

So far, my way of thinking is this: I am taking my scales and going to the supermarket on the first day to pick up yoghurt, crispbreads, fruits. I will continue to drink all my water, take my vitamins, keep the carbs in check, eat cohens style for breaky, lunch and dinner, but still enjoy fish and veggies out at a restaurant for example, and keep to the amounts allocated as much as I can visually. As for alcohol, I will enjoy some.

I figure it will actually be a really good 4 days of insight to my life after Cohens. I know this is going to put me back at least a week, probably more, but this is my first holiday break from being a full time mama in 2 years and I want to look back with no regrets yet with memories that I enjoyed myself too.

The biggest thing is being focused and strong enough to return 100% to Cohens when I get home. I believe at this stage that I do have the drive and motivation to do this. I am up to week 4 on Tuesday next week, and this Week 3 has been really good, I am not struggling at all and feeling really adventurous with my cooking using spices, plus also making healthier choices like staying away from artificial sweeteners and choosing to eat raw veggies often too (which is a whole other eating choice, believing that raw veggies have enzymes and nutrients in them that cooked veggies don't). Another thing I am doing is using the variety offered to us by not always having yoghurt for breaky so I get an egg in now and then, also varying my crispbreads by going for the rice cake or ryvita option.

I am really happy with my progress so far, after weighing 77kg before I started, and now 69.5kg, this thing works, and I cannot wait to get to my goal weight. I have never thought of myself as an unhealthy person, I just got my meal sizes and snacking out of control, and now Cohens is teaching me some really good habits that work for me in so many ways.

Your cooked breaky at your holiday accommodation could be a poached egg with tomato, spinach and mushrooms, skip the toast and you are probably looking at your After Cohens Breakfast??

Anyway, each to their own, I recommend not deciding for a while and see how you feel at the time.

Shine

Hi Shine

It seems we started at nearly the same time I'm also into week 4 as of Monday. I have lost 3.8kgs so far and am also really happy with it. You are doing fantastically to have lost 7.5kgs!!!! Well done!!!!!!

I also am not struggling with it, the first 2 weeks took a little getting used too and some friends of mine that are also on cohens and start about 4 weeks before me kept saying don't worry soon it will come naturally and you won't have any cravings etc and what do you know, they sure were right! I am so looking forward to being at my goal weight, its going to be amazing. I am just hoping I loose lots around my chest area!!! I am a 12E and if I get to 52kgs and am still this size, I am going to look like I am going to topple over!!!!! Anyone else have that problem???????

I think your plan of sticking to cohens when ever you possibly can when you go on holidays is a really good idea and yes it will give us some insight into life after cohens. I used to eat a lot of bread because I didn't take the time to think about other options so breakfast was always toast and most of the time lunch was a sandwich or sometimes 2! so sometimes I was eating up to 6 peices per day...eek! So life after cohens I don't think bread will be coming back into my diet much at all, I now see it doesn't really take a whole lot of time to make a yummy egg/mushrooms/tomato for breaky and salads for lunch.

I too will take my scales down South when I go away and take my fruit & crackers we also have a self contained room and there's not a lot around where we're going so I could even cook my own meals.

Anyway enough about my rambling.....OH except one more thing. I am going to a BBQ on Saturday and this morning was looking in my wardrobe for what the hell I am going to wear because its going to be 34 in Perth, yipeee!! and I dragged out a dress that I brought nearly one year ago and have never worn because silly me didnt try it on and for some reason thought a size 10 would fit me???? anyways, NOW IT FITS ME. I was so stoked

Have a lovely day all!
Kristy

Hi Kristy

well done on fitting into a size 10...that's all the motivation you need sometimes to keep going with it.

Shine has given you some good advice for when your away and with regards to alcohol because they are fill of empty calories well you need to take it easy. There are lowcarb options out there so maybe look into them or try doing 1/2 mineral water with your wines or if your a beer drinker mix it with diet lemonade....and as for cocktails well I would stay clear of them all together.

Have a great day - Sam

Thanks Sam

I'm not a very big drinker anyway so I may get there and not even decide it's worth it. But definately would stay away from the cocktails...those things are so good but so evil!!!!

Anyway I'm off to lunch now - feta salad, yummo!

Tata
Kristy

Hi all...

Ahhh the struggle of morning tea's. My work normally has them once a month but since I have started cohens we have had 4! Sausage rolls & pies, cakes...... luckily I'm the one who has to organise it so I have started ordering fruit platters and having some honey dew melon anyone else have to resist morning tea's frequently?

Hope you all have a lovely weekend - especially anyone in Perth in what is going to be a BEAUTIFUL weekend in the 30's

Kristy
x

Well done Kristy on introducing a healthy option to the morning teas. Have a lovely week-end yourself. Good-bye Winter! Spring & Summer- aahhhh! xo Cate.

Hey Kristy

I am a London living Perth girl Am still signed up with the Booragoon clinic and managing to get close to my goal now- even though I am doing Cohen's via the clinic's email. I started in Perth but since I moved to London with my husband kept going with the journey. I am 24 years old- so not much older than you and I just want to encourage you to continue your journey on Cohen's! It really, really is the best program and it's a way of life not just an eating plan while you need to loose some weight. I would recommend that when you go down south (which I REALLY miss- especially Denmark, Augusta and Albany) to stay on plan 100% if you can. It may seem harmless but once you go off plan many people find it really hard to get back on as once you taste outside food with other flavours your mind remebers it and then associates ''cohen's food'' as bland so you start to crave other things again- even if they are 100% healthy options. I can tell you that when I first did Cohen's I didn't plan on deviating but I ended up in hospital and they MADE me eat their food after I wouldn't eat for 2 days. So that started my issue but years later I am back on a new plan and 100%. I am not saying that this will or could happen to you (not being able to get back on plan) but I would very strongly suggest to not go off as it is really hard mentally to get back on.

Hope your really succesful with your journey and enjoy your gorgeous weekend in Perth- ahhhh warmer weather, it is really cold in London right now and we are starting to enter Winter.

xx nic

Heya Nicky.

Thanks for your post

I have read some of your blog and your journey sounds challenging with your move but you seem to have a good hold on it! Well done it just shows we can do anything with a bit of willpower hey!!! you're very very close to goal and have lost a lot of weight... you must be getting excited to get there and also feeling amazing!!!! have you got any pictures?

I have been thinking of our time away at the end of the year and have decided that it's not worth deviating seeing as though I will be right at the end and I do not want to stuff up my refeed. I haven't been to Denmark but have been told there is not a huge amount to do there and the whole reason we're going anyway is to just chill out and relax.... so I'm going to take my fruit and crispbreads and buy fresh fruit and veges and meat when I am there and stick to cohens it really shouldnt be difficult and I know I'll feel a lot better when I stick to it. Even though I should be at goal by then, I would not have completed refeed and I do not want to go off it and then be tempted not to go back on and get my refeed, all this hard work is going to pay off and I am going to do it right!!! Thanks for the advice Nicky

Oh the weather in Perth was scortching on Saturday, it reached 37!!!! I think I would have rathered be in London....actually, I would have MUCH rathered being in London... ahhh I need a holiday!

Anyways - exactly 4 weeks today and exactly 5kgs down! yippeee!!!!! so stoked!

Take care
Kristy
xx

Best news I've heard lately Kristy. Good for you!
OMG. OUCH!
Fantastic Kristy! Well done! Go Team Cohen's! Cheers, cate

Hello Kristy

Congratulations on being 5kilos lighter in a month....that is awesome!!!!

I can't wait until I can post my first 5 kilo loss.
I have to admit I am wishing my weeks away now because I can't wait to hope on those scales come Sunday and see those loses.

All the best now - Sam

Hi Cate & Sam!

Thanks so much!!!! I am feeling really great and definately gaining more confidence each week!! Even though I seem to be having a couple of off days yest & today I cannot seem to shake this bad headache and everytime I get up I get dizzy! hmmm, weird!

I'll be looking out for your post of your 5kg loss Sam! I'm sure it's just around the corner!!!!!! Hehe I know what you mean about wishing the weeks away! Each week there is less of us, why wouldn't we wish the weeks away!

Have a great day!
Kristy

Hey Kristy

Take care with those headaches and dizzy spells....have you checked it out with your consultant?
maybe it could be something your eating or not eating...

Take care now - Sam