No you can't

Hello all,

I've been on the diet almost two weeks, haven't weighed myself, but everyone around me is commenting that i've lost weight, and i've notice a belt size is already down.. I must say i'm not finding the diet hard at all, except for weekends. I'm a really socialable person, and like a beer or two on the weekends and this is killiing me... This is the most anti social diet i've ever been on, but it does work better than any other diet i've tried! Is anyone else finding the same? I really don't want to deviate from the diet, as it says one stuff up can set you back a week! Any tips.

Once my four weeks is up, i'm switching to skinless chicken thighs, i read last night that skinless breasts have 3.3 gram of fat per 100grams, and thighs have 7 (which is similar to steak).. I the chicken on cohens so dry!

Hi Joey Tee
Great to hear you're going so well. It is the best diet ever, isn't it!! I just love it but also find it totally antsocial. The only compensation is that it is so short term. You'll be at your goal weight in no time at all. On the chicken thighs, your not supposed to have those until you do refeed. I'm not sure if you are aware of that, but I would hate you to muck up the program without realiseing it.
Inn, you can have certain sweeteners but definately not any sugar. I know you can have hermasetas (??) and I'm sure there is one or two other sweeteners you can have but I'm not sure of the other ones.
Take care everyone

Beck

Thanks, I'm not going on the chicken thighs now, but i can't wait, as the chicken breasts dryly cooked taste like cardboard! Can you explain to me the fundamentals of cohens long term?

Short term: diet
refeed: diet, but larger quantities
Long term: ??? is it low carb? my diet doesn't mention anything.

Thanks guys...

When you get given the refeed, you also get given "Life after" guidelines. These are very basic and include things like only eat carbs once a day and never for breakfast, don't have chocolate more than twice a week, if you were a severe obese person (which I was) have no more than one piece of fruit a day and if you are going to eat dessert ensure it is within an hour of eating your protein meal. They are very easy guidelines to maintain and if followed properly (which I didn't do last time) they really do help you to maintain your weight loss.
Hope this helps a bit

Take care
Beck

Thanks for the message... I have lost 8 kgs in 2 weeks, from 96 to 88 and i'm stoked about it.. I have found it real tough being on this diet though.. I'm on it for 1 more week, then i'm going to start the refeed, then just eat sensibly and exercise.... keep it up everyone who's on cohen's. It's tough, but it does work incredibly well!

Hey Guys,

Its been a long looong time.. i suppose alot of you arent even on this anymore.. well i originally lost 25kg's all up.. and ive put abit back on & feeling horrible about myself.. so heres to another journey!

Hope to hear from some of you old cohens girls

~Bam~ Xx

Hi Bam, welcome back. It's so good to be getting lots of old/new people back in here to chat to. I'm also back for my 2nd attempt at this after regaining all my weight loss, and it's working just just as well the 2nd time round as it did the first time. I'm down 13.5kgs in 6 weeks. Good luck and I look forward to "seeing" you in here.
Joey Tee excellent weight loss, you're doing great.
Take care everyone.
Beck

Hello everyone,


I'd like to offer some advice. Cohen's works fantastically, but does strip your body of muscle as well as fat. This is ok, but if you put weight back on (yo-yo dieting) you put on fat not muscle, when you loose it, then you loose fat AND muscle etc, each time making the process harder and harder and slower and slower. It's really important (in my opinion) once you go to the refeed program, to do light exercise to regain some muscle. You don;t have to go to the gym or do weights, just a couple of push up's/sit up's every night, as well as an easy bike ride/walk up a hill or step up and down stairs.

Having muscle alone burns fat!

Hope everyone maintains their motivation. I struggle on the weekends, but now find it easy as during the week.

Stock-
I just thought to share what I used to do whilst on Cohen's & will always do. Save your vegie skins, like onion skins, celery leaves, garlic skins & keep them in a bag in the freezer. When you have quite a few, toss them in a large pot, cover with water, add some whole peppercorns, bay leaves, mustard seeds, plus any other whole seeds like celery seeds or fenugreek seeds that are allowed on the program, some rock salt(not too much) & boil for quite some time until reduced. Strain.
Keep the liquid & use as stock for your soups, casseroles etc. I used to add some to my stir-fries to hurry it along & always had some in my fridge. The excess I would freeze into smallish containers.
Cheers, Cate.
It's a great way of adding flavour to your dishes but without risking mixing your proteins. It has no MSG of course. The vegie scraps go in my compost.

Hello everyone,

I am trying really hard not to get too excited, but I do believe that after almost 8 weeks I have worked out how to post my ticker...... Not very computer savvy but very persistant....so here goes.. (I will come back and edit this if it doesn't work so that I don't look like a complete idiot).

Hi All,

I have only dropped an extra 0.5kg this week....14.5kg in 8 weeks, which is good, I know, I am just finding it so difficult at the moment. Today I have decided to incorporate some walking into the plan, I am hungry anyway, so the exercise might lift my mood somewhat.

OK, take care, I hope others are finding this easier than myself.

Trudy

Okay....Here I am back again - and this time I have promised myself I am going to do this!!!

I have done Cohens before (in 2006) - Cate I think you were around on here then! And lost 15 kgs in 9 weeks - have gradually put it all back on (and some) simply by eating crappy food ALL the time!!

Am getting married on the 10th of January next year, and I am so determined not to be this weight!! Plus - I ordered my wedding dress yesterday in a size 10 - that really doesn't give me any other option but to get motivated!!

Hoping that you can all help me to achieve success again - this forum was such a great support last time

Tasha

Hi Tasha,

Welcome back! A size 10 wedding dress is definately a great incentive, very couragous move.

The forum is pretty quiet. I love reading Cates diary everyday, she diligently fills in her diary daily. I do not have a diary as I haven't got so much to contribute.

All the best for your journey, I hope your size 10 wedding dress doesn't end up to loose and needing to be taken in!!!

Take Care,
Trudy

Hi Tasha & welcome. I came into the forum in 2007 after about 9 weeks on Cohen's. It was great support & it used to help me wait that 5 hours between meals. You are obviously determined & positive by ordering that size 10 wedding dress. Good for you. I'm sure you'll do it. I think it takes a long time to start thinking as a slim person & to eat that way. After a life-time of over-eating & incorrect choices we all have to re-learn healthy eating habits, learn to adjust our thinking, our self-esteem, our reasons for being over-weight in the first place. We don't expect to be able to learn to do other things in one go(eg driving a car) so should not be too hard on ourselves when we have set-backs. We should not expect to lose weight & then miraculously stay slim without changing our life-styles. I'm constantly learning & always will be. Sorry to go on a bit. I guess what I was trying to say is it's an ever evolving thing. We will all have times when we over-eat for various reasons but I think we must watch what we eat forever if we want to remain slim. It doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy what we eat. On the contrary I think it's best to really enjoy our food, eat nutritious food & nurture our bodies. Cheers, Cate.
Hi Trudy, My diary entries are about the only daily ritual I have. I'm not a ' shop on Monday, change the sheets on Tuesday' sort of a person. It's funny that I feel compelled to type in my diary. It's not something I would have done before. It's very good for me I've found. Mostly it gets things into perspective. Cheers, Cate