Well, i had a crappy day starting with falling asleep at 4am. I woke up at 9.30 but had zip energy and fell back to sleep till 11.30. It is a public holiday so its not a drama. Showered and darted out to go shoping at Harbour Town- only major shopping precinct open in Adelaide today. By 3pm had splitting headache and when i went to get lunch- no visa facilities so couldnt get anything to eat or drink. Had water with me so not too bad. Eventually left and made it to a subway and could get a salad 4pm. Ohh i felt so ill from skipping breaky and lunch i wouldnt do this again. I just didnt have time guess i cant afford to miss it. I do feel a lil better but have sore throat and funky head. Maybe getting a virus. If so i have to look after self. I have weigh in tomorrow. Not sure if today will actually play a big role in results but its done and cant change it. Seeing my fiance for the 1st time since Feb 12 next week kinda gave me reason to go shopping as i have lost weight since i last saw him so thats one consolation to todays dilemma i guess. Im now in medium tops rather then L or XL. And its in shops like JeansWest which i could never wear before. I have another 10kg to go (63kg) but wld be happy at 65. Once got refeed program i can then get into it whenever i feel a little less weight is required. Going lower then 65 may be to low for me.

I hope all are keeping positive and looking forward not bakward. Life can only improve. My only issue is the wobbly skin i have in upper arms and tyre around belly. Im 25 so hopefully with a little toning they will tone up and look less yuk and if not, i have plan b: tummy tuck but fiance says not until i have kids as its a waste of money as it will restretch???? Anyone with thorts on this???

IchooseLife

I am feeling much better today, only a slight headache.
Finishing up day 3, no deviations
I am having trouble with breakfast! I don't eat yogurt, so my choices are
1. egg & vegetables 2. cheese & vegetables. I am struggling with those combinations...any ideas?
The hunger has subsided so that is good too.

Love the word cuppa!

Lam

Hi lam i as having trouble with vegies for brekky to so for the first month i only had an egg and two crackers. I still lost weight but i have now started having mushrooms,onions and tomato fried and a egg scrambled or poached seperatly and i find that fine. Keep up the good work and you will start feeling fine soon the headaches will go.

Hi folks. It's been pretty quiet in here lately. I wonder where every-one is?
Lam- I felt a bit like you about yoghurt & for the 8 weeks on the program I had a 1 egg omelette every single day. I varied the vegies a little but mostly what I did was- would get my veg allowance ready the day before & put them in a small bowl. This usually was a little bit of fresh tomato, bok choy or spinach, shredded (not silver beet), fresh herbs esp parsley, & a little spring onion. I would get an egg, add a 1/2 shell of water, some cracked black pepper & cracked sea salt, whisk it up & have it ready. Then I heat the non-stick frypan, after spraying lightly with olive oil spray, stir-fry the vegies, put them back in bowl, another very light spray in pan, pour egg mixture in & when bubbles are forming in omelette, place cooked vegies on top of 1/2. Then fold the other half to cover the vegies & away you go! Delicious!!
After 8 wks of eating this some-one in the forum put me on to a tip that if you have yoghurt & fruit for breakfast it really fills you up. I find the unsweetened yoghurts are very sour but have found one I like(from the forum) so I often have a sml tub of plain,low-fat yoghurt with 1 fruit portion of fresh mango (I'm now adding some sweetener now that mangoes are not sweet) & no hunger at all for at least 5 hrs & I have lots of energy. Also that way I don't have any of my crackers until lunch time which is great. Now I almost prefer the yoghurt & wish I could have it more often & I have never been a yoghurt fan! Your tastes sure do change!! Better stop!! Cate

Cate and Ezzy,

Thanks for the ideas, this forum is such a great help. I love reading all the posts...so inspirational

Does anyone have ideas for the ricotta cheese?

I have never tried mango or asparagus but I'm going to try them this weekend.

For only being on day 4, I feel good, and I'm learning a lot from all of you.

thanks everybody

and maybe someday I'll figure out how to add the ticker
I figured out the smiles

Lam, I had never eaten asparagus before this diet, but now I'm loving it! I'm adding it to my stir fries, eating it on the side of steak, and even eating it for breakfast! For breakfast, I saute it w/ onion, mushrooms, and any other veggies I'm craving. I put it on the plate. Then I cook an egg sunny side up and put it over the veggies. Sometimes I add my crackers, sometimes not. Either way it's tasty.

As for mangoes, they're yummy, yummy and so sweet when they're in season. I can't stand them when they're not...

Hi everyone
Lovely to see all of the new members starting out and great to see the progress of the older members. Well done everyone.

I'm back after a couple of weeks OS where the food was completely different and am happy to say that my weight didn't change
I am back on track 100% and am having symptoms of the first week again I'm sure it will pass soon and the weight loss has accelerated so I may catch up on the time off......... wishful thinking here)

Hand in there everyone!!

Nonna

Lam, The address for the thread re tickers that I found really helpful you can go to at http://weight-lossforum.fitness.com/...k-tickers.html That's what I had written down in an exercise book. Let me know if this is not right or doesn't work. It took me a few tries but I got there in the end, xo Cate.
This did not post what I had typed so I will try a different way-
what's missing in the middle is newcomers/7987-how-tickers-wor (then the rest). I'm probably confusing the issue for you instead of helping-sorry. This thread was by sticky & was really helpful!

I totally suck at weight loss. I see the tickers of people who started months after me and they are shrinking bby the day, me I just can't do it.... I want to do it, I start out with all intentions then BAM BINGE!

Sorry to dump but I hate myself at times for being the pig that I am. Wish I could find a good weight loss counsellor to sort my head out, but I just don't feel comfortable talking to Twiggies who think being a size 8 is overweight!

IchooseLife,

I felt terrible when I read your post! You have been so helpful and encouraging to me. Losing weight and breaking the habits that make us that way are incredible hard. Don't beat yourself up. When you make mistakes, just let them go, the next meal do the Cohen's plan. Emotional eating, and cravings can are going to be hard, try to find something to busy yourself when you are feeling that way.
I need to hurry and get ready for a wedding, I will check on you tomorrow.
Lam

IChooseLife:
I know where you ae coming from it is so easy to have the best intentions and with in a split second turn it into a landslide of errors. I find it easy to be motivated for about 4 weeks and then have the "what if" I had that and "it wont hurt" come into play. I have just climbed out of the rut of errors and had a good week and thankfully been rewarded with at the scales.
I'm having issues with body image at the moment...I am smaller but my mental attitude hasnt caught up to my physical size. I am still wearing size 20 pants although I can neally fit into 12's OK they have a belt on them but it is just second nature to always grab the bigger.
As for counsellers I gave up when my GP told me that it wa prob a good idea to have lap band and he could find someone to do it for me How lovely. The best counselor I had I found through the local hospital not so much for weight but they were "real" people often with a desire to help ....good luck
Bee

LAM There are some great recipes on lifestyleclinic.com.au. One of my fave ricotta recipes is Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne - made with crackers instaed of pasta. In fact i am going to make a batch to freeze today. It's delicious. There are also some yummy cheescake recipes on the recipe thread of this forum.
I think the key to this eating plan is definitely variety and planning (sorry, the two keys!!)
This is definitely as much a mind game as aphysical thing. You need to surround yourself with encouragement and reward. If those around you are not encouraging you, encourage yourself. Write out some positive affirmations and read them out loud. You will feel silly at first, but you are reprogramming the tapes (UHHH CDS!?) that have been playing in your head all these years. I have cards that I keep in my car and I read them every morning. Things like; "I weigh (goal weight), I eat the right foods, I look great, I feel great and I look hot in my size 10 jeans!!" Whatever you want to be able to say about yourself and your life, start speaking it now, start visualising what it will be like. Visualise how yur life will be when you have finished Cohens. Shopping for size 8 or 10 and knowing that everything you try on will look amazing.
There is a great film out called "The Secret" It's all about this sort of stuff I'm not sure what the website is but if you do a search on Google for THe Secret you should find it
This program is so worth it. You will feel amazing and you will inspire others around you, not just with weight loss but in other areas as well. People who have told themselves they can't do something, will see you transform in body and mind and will realise they can too. The mind is a very powerful thing.
It's not what happens to you, it's how you respond!!

Love to all
Katrina

Started Cohens 24.11.06 finished 18.4.07

I'm one of these people who have been reading your posts, and chose to try and lose weight with Cohen. I just get my application approved today, am hoping for my lab slip soon. Can't wait to start!
Ichoselife...please hang in there.
LAM..I feel so connected, perhaps because I remember your post when you received your diet. You're doing great!
Thanks you guys. You never really know how much your words help others.

Ichooselife The others have put it better than I can. A lot of the things that Katrina has suggested I have also done. I have motivational sayings typed up-1 copy in my bag, 1 next to the computer, 1 at work. I have this picture of slim Cate that I can see in my head. I can picture the clothes that I will wear & how I will look. It really motivates me. I figure anything is worth a try & if anyone thinks I'm silly who cares? I don't!
You can do it. Have faith in yourself. We do. If it's taken a lifetime (some of us longer than others-lol) to get to this stage, major changes require a lot of re-thinking. Please try not to be too hard on yourself. Picture that slim, healthy Ichooselife.... She looks good doesn't she? Big hug from me, xo Cate
BeeG I am still wearing my 22's! Folded over, looking like a total dag! I think my brain is saying stay a cocoon for the moment & emerge like a butterfly(ha ha) when I get to goal. It's almost like I don't want anyone to notice just yet as then they'll start with the sabotage-"Don't you think you've lost enough?" etc.Even though I have bought a few smaller clothes I feel like waiting to wear them.
keepentabs A big welcome to you and congrat's for starting the program, joining the forum & changing your life! Any support you need you will find in here. It's great!

THANK YOU all for your kind words and encouragement. I came back in to the forum today with my tail between my legs expecting some harsh words but instead there is love and acceptance here. THANK YOU.

I'm back on the wagon. And I've now got my husband on board 100% with instructions to NOT LET ME DEVIATE, not even if I abuse him. He's languishing his new responsibility and whilst he's been supportive in the past he's been far from helpful. He now recognises how easy it is for me to be tempted and slip. So I have him on board and that gives me that extra accountability.

Weight loss is such an emotional journey for many of us, and whilst I'm strong mentally in a lot of area losing my 'comfort cardigan' is much harder than I thought it would be.

I need to take responsibility for me. It's only me that puts crap in my mouth. It's only me who sabotages my own efforts. I am in control of me no one else.

So I've started a 'frree journal'. It's one of those where you journal your progress etc but you also do 'free writing' where you just write and write with no real thought until you have nothing left to say. Usually with a thought or idea in mind example: why do I think I binge? Why do I want to lose weight? or for me Why am I afraid to lose weight? I started today and it was amazingly therapeutic.

Truly, you are all amazing people, and I sincerely apologising for 'dumping' on you yesterday. It was one of my worst days ever

But today was a new day. I CHOOSE LIFE! So back on Cohens I went. With the binge and horrors of yesterday behind me. Some new tactics in place.

This journey for me is not going to be easy. Nor does it have to be as hard as I am making it. I WILL get to the bottom of my obesity, eradicate it, and shrink to my ideal weight.

I WILL because I CHOOSE LIFE!