Hey everyone

I have a question... Is there anyone here who has gone off the plan for a substantial amount of time (say, 3 weeks) and got back on again successfully?

I have been absolute anti-cohens the last few weeks and so upset with myself as I have probably put weight on. I have an appointmet with the clinic on Thursday to try and get me back on track but I am finding it almost impossible to start again. I keep thinking about all the weight I still have to lose and all the hard work I have already put in but nothing is bringing back the full throttle determination I once had can anyone tell me anything that would help, or if they have been through something simular?

Please help!

Just a ticker update for today. No major news, no deviations

Mermaid sister: don't despair... get back on asap. How's a break for about 9 months for you? I fell off so hard I managed to put back on 20kg of the 34kg I lost when I originally started the program.

Please don't give up. I kick myself so many times thinking I have to lose those additional 20 I put on to be back where I was.

So - in a nutshell, I started again 5 weeks ago. I've lost 10kg (with a few deviations in between). I am doing it hard (minus Xmas day)!

Stay positive! You really don't want to go back to triple digits do you. Think how good you were feeling about yourself when you were on track.

I've switched the desire button off in my brain, so saying no to to so many deviations is getting easier. It does get easier.

Goodluck. Keep with it. I'm pretty much a living breathing example of your question!

On another note. YAY GOAL DONE - 10KG GONE!!



Goal: Day 1 Monday (started 2nd time around 6 Nov 06)
Goal: No deviations for 1 week (done)
Goal: Weigh myself December 6! (done!) 8kg lost!
Goal: Drop 10kg stat. YAY DONE!!! (Dec 12)

Goal: Be under 100kg by Christmas! (Not unless I lose a leg!)
Goal: No deviations until Xmas Day!

Hi, everyone Iam new and appear to have picked up on two forums, not sure which one to post on. I have enjoyed reading all the helpful advice though. Just finished first week so far so good.

LIVING IT - what an amazing achievement. Well done. You have been on Cohens 2 weeks or so less than me and lost more than I have thus far. You must be so proud of yourself. It truly is an incredible program. Keep up the great work girlfriend!!!!!!!!

MERMAID SISTER - You hang in there girl. You should be so proud of yourself for getting this far. You will get back on that bike before you know it and be on your way to that amazing goal we're all looking at for ourselves. You know how well Cohens works, and how revvvvvved up you were when you started this journey. Try and focus on that and remember the drive you felt and the determination. It will come to you soon and you will be wondering what all the fuss was about. You go girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope everyone else is doing well and feeling lighter.

Cheers

Well, i may have spoken too soon when i put on my last post.

The last 36 hours have been an absolute nightmare!
I have HUGE cravings for everything else except Cohens.... and i am restless and sleepless! It's too bizzare! Not sure what is going on inside me.... but my mood swings have been really bad too!

I am trying to keep ontop of it, and when i had my luch today i though iwas going to chuck because i have been eating the same thing for 9 weeks... getting a little over it actually. The thought of having to do this for another 12 weeks is so overwhelming at the moment....

And i wanted to deviate...
actually i had and not even known. I have been eating green beans not knowing it was not allowed as a vege! i had sworn i saw it on the list, but that must have been in my dreams!

Wildsky - Sydney is the clinic.... where are you?

By the way, is there anyone else in SYDNEY? Where abouts are you all, if you are in Sydney? May be nice for us to have a coffee too.....

Anyway... i am going to try and get some sleep.

Mermaid Sister.... the food can be hard to get back to.... but if you put your mind to it.... you can do it... stay positive! You can do it!

Thanks all
Living it!

Hi Mermaid Sister

I have been thinking about you the past few days - your absence from the forum has been noticed!

Well, my dear, no-one can motivate you if you cannot motivate yourself.

From your posts of a few weeks ago, I wondered if you were really ready to do this.

If you're not, then don't. It is as simple as that.

It seems to me that you have a few issues (who doesn't!) and those issues mean you can't see the forest for the trees.

OK, you weigh in at about 85 kilos. You must be about 5'3" (163cms) to have a goal weight of 57 kilos.

Obese, yes, but you have dropped from the higher level of obese to a manageable level of obesity.

So, where to from here? The 16 or 18 kilos already gone are a good start.

Why not discuss postponing the treatment with your consultant? When you realise that even if you lose the weight and achieve your goal that the issues are still going to be there, perhaps then you will be ready to be a slim person with issues rather than an obese person with issues.

Where ever you go, there you are!

We can't run away from ourselves, can't hide ourselves in fat. All we do is make ourselves grotesque. Sad, but true.

Even fat people don't like the look of fat people, otherwise why would there be this desperate fascination with 'losing weight' going on all the time?

Either accept yourself as a fat person or create yourself as a slim person.

No one but you can make that decision.

So let us assume that you have made the decision to be slim. Let us now imagine you as 57 kilos, wearing size 10, not getting 'those' looks, not feeling hot and sweaty on even a cool day, choosing to wear clothes which flatter you, full of energy, vip and vim.

With one less 'issue' to deal with, one major 'issue' crossed off the list, will you be in a better position to deal with the other issues? Will the other issues lose a little significance if you are physically in better shape?

From my personal experience, I would have to say 'yes'.

When I was obese, I was very aware of the 'flick' of the eyes when people met me, when working with people, sharing a meal or just being out and about.

I waddled, couldn't bend over, buttons were strained, legs rubbed together.

Obese is not a good look.

Now that I am slim, it is Me, I, who presents to the world, not a fat, middle aged woman compensating for my ungainly shape.

For me, doing this program changed my life. Other issues actually shrank along with me. I feel real pride at what I have achieved. People I meet now do not know, cannot imagine, how I looked on 4th February when I started the program.

For me, I made a decision not to emote about it, just to do it. It was an achievable goal and has produced an amazing physical and emotional result.

I can look in the mirror in the morning and see someone to be proud of. I kinda like the person I see there - after all, she's all I've got - without her, life would not exist.


If I was to make a suggestion, it would be to step back from this. Take a break, don't think about it. Put the weight back on, it doesn't matter. If you don't come to terms with your own right to want to change, then you can't change.

But before you ditch the whole thing understand this:

This is your life. Every day is a unique and precious day. Every day is an irreplaceable day. From the time we are born, it is a finite and dwindling lifetime.

We can either say 'to hell with it' and live a damaged life, or we can say 'to hell with it' and live a victorious life.

Today is Wednesday, 13th December, 2006. You have 28 kilos to go. By Thursday, 28th June, 2007 you can be victorious, done refeed, finished with obesity for the rest of your life.

Or, you can stay the way you are, stay in the same place, and be no further advanced.

So, Mermaid Sister, what is it to be?

At the end of the Financial Year, will you be finished with obesity, finished with the yo-yoing, standing slim, proud and tall, or still wallowing about in your fat misery?

Never mind about being revved up.

It is no-one's job but yours to make the decision.

As Yoda said: 'Do or do not, there is no try'.

28th June, 2007.

Where will you be?

Lotsa love

Chelsea

Hey guys
well thanks guys so much for your support, I forgot how this forum is a real 'rock' for our struggles. Chelsea ur post was so true, and positive. I have come far and I feel so much better than I did, I look in shop windows as I walk past and think to myself that I no longer look obese but I do still look overweight, I can imagibe looking and seeing a thin person. Nothing beats the feeling of being normal, I've been there once and although I still had issues I was happier, I could carry myself through it literally! this program has already changed my life I know it works and I should allow myself to thrive in it I can remember so clearly how good it felt to be 100% on the program, sure there was no drinking at the pub or the cricket with my mates and the food is not completely exciting but I was changing my life and taking charge and that is such a satisfying feeling. I can do this!

Living it- I feel your pain, the last couple weeks I was on cohens I had to cut out so many meal options because the idea of certain meals I have had again and again made my want to hurl! I guess we need to think of the food as a survival source not as food for enjoyment, think about it, 12 weeks is only 3months and that is only a quarter of a year, one of many years you will live as a happy sexy person. Funnily enough, peas as well as broccoli are full of complex sugars which is why they aren'y allowed, which would explain the cravings

lol funny I am so good at dishing out advice but cannot practice what I preach. Well here goes...Cohens round two as of today... I will report later on

P.S Dreamer, your post was just the answer I was looking for, well done on your 5 weeks! you should be so proud of urself! and you are half way to damage control that is awsome!

Hey Reload,

Yes, Batang fish is allowed. Sorrie I took so long. Had to go ask my mum. My mum does the shopping (and I do the paying... hahaha).

Dory Fillet is allowed as well as sutchi fillet. Tioman fish also can.

I tend not to go for dory fillet and sutchi fillet as these are sort of preserved and they are not as fresh as those you get from the market.

Dear Mermaid Sister,

I used to weigh 126 kg and now I weigh 69 kg. I have been on the program for 1 year and almost 3 weeks.

Considering some deviations and all, I have been eating the same Cohen food for the past 386 days. I think I'm one of the longest on the program. And to be really honest, I'm super jealous of people who took much shorter to lose the 60 plus kg I have to lose.

I can understand how you feel especially when a few weeks ago, I was so sick of Cohen food, so frustrated that I cannot eat freely outside and worse still, stick to Cohen and not lose weight. So I started to deviate slightly more by eating more and more of the forbidden foods. And I lost total control of myself. I felt so horrible and was considering of throwing in the towel even though I have only 7 more kg to go. But through the many people at this forum and through my consultant at Cohen, I discovered that I really want to lose the remaining kgs and slowly, I psyched myself up to do a lot of sacrifice by choosing not to give into temptations.

You have already lost 16 kg. And I'm so sure that if you actually take a quiet corner and think to yourself, you would "kill" yourself if you even gained back those 16 kg right?

Now think again, you have 28 more kg to go... If you choose to devote yourself to Cohen, the kgs will start coming off in a week or two weeks' time?

And what will happen to you when you lose those 28 kg slowly?

Let me share with you my experience of losing 57 kg so far...

My waistline dropped from 46 inches to 30 inches.
My dress size dropped from UK 26 to UK 12/13.
I used to buy UK26 clothes @ Sing$70 a piece. But now, I can buy a blouse at a minimum of S$10.
I'm more confident of myself now.
I definitely look better.
I feel proud of myself.
More guys are talking to me now.
People are looking at me now.
I can walk in heels for a longer period of time.
I can walk longer and climb stairs without panting.
I look so damn good compared to the time when I weighed 126 kg.

These differences are VERY noticeable especially when I shrank SOOOOO much.

I even had a culture shock when I tried hipster jeans! I never knew jeans would cling onto your skin. My jeans used to be baggy. And jeans at hips?! I used to wear them at the waist!

Don't throw in the towel, Mermaid Sister! Speak to your consultant and seek support. If you have any close friend who totally understands what you are going through, seek support from him/her.

I would suggest you take a moment out by yourself. Have a good cup of tea and do people watching. Ask yourself if you desire the benefits you could potentially gain. If you do, ask yourself how much you are willing to sacrifice and to work hard for the remaining kgs.

I have been working hard for the past few weeks eversince I experienced the last pitfall. I even cried infront of my consultant, telling her all the struggles and sacrifices I had been through... And I took time out for myself to really just get myself emotionally prepared all over again...

I hope you will keep going on! Following Cohen is not easy. But if you keep to it for 1 day, you will feel victorious. If you start losing weight, you will feel so so darn proud of yourself.

As for me... I got 4 more kgs to go and I'm going to work very hard for it. I have 3 Christmas functions this week and a trip abroad next week. So I'm going to strategise and see what I can do...

If you need a listening ear, pls feel free to message me privately. =)

A SUPER BIG *HUG* FOR YOU!

Dear New Life,

That was a great & inspirational.

I just started dieting on Nov. 13th and have over a 100 lbs to go....I am sure I will be sick of "Cohen" food by then or feel sorry for myself that I am sacrificing..so, I am trying to collect "words of wisdom" for when that time comes.

Let me ask you..since you have lost so much weight...how is your body shape & tone... - how is the skin..especially around the stomach, etc.

I just keep dreaming of wearing regular clothes again.

Thanks for the "words"

Newlife,

you are 100% right! your post has successfully got me through lunch, I am over half way the first day and already feeling victorious. Mind you the challenge comes at night when I will be at work and will want to order in. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! and I have to answer to you guys so be sure I will post again later on reporting day 1 done and dusted. Newlife you are so inspirational! sure losing 60kgs has taken you a year and yes I understand how much that must have sucked, but I think compared to others who have taken less time to lose that weight, your victory will be all the more sweeter because you fought harder for it and it has made you all the more stronger. As well as that you have had so much more time to adjust to healthy eating habits, habits that would actually take work to break! so in the long run, I think you have done a wonderful thing sticking to it and you are so much better off for it. You are half the woman you used to be but twice the spirit!

I too have xmas functions so I know its a bad time of year but I am sticking to Lessfattys suggestion to order the salad and meat and avoid the starchy foods, as for alcohol, well its a toughie!

Slimny good luck with your journey stay positive and that weight will come off before you know it

I will post again later and let you all know how I finished up today

kisses xx Bek

Body shape is fine but for the body toning... I guess it needs a bit of work. I have loose skin at my stomach area, thighs and arms. But according to the consultant, this will take time for the human growth hormones to adjust the loose skin back.. so that will take me another 6 months to see my loose skin disappear.

I got stretch marks around my body. Not so surprising since my skin had been stretched so long and wide.. heh heh...

You will wear regular clothes definitely! But you will not be the perfect model kind. I'm wearing regular clothes now and I look just as good as anyone else but when I sit down, my love handles will show (that's partly of loose skin). I don't wear too short sleeves as the loose skin around my arms will show. But in anyway, you will wear regular clothes and look good in them.

I'm thinking of going for body toning classes when 2007 starts. That's one of my resolutions. =)

Keep going, girl!

Keep it up, yah!

I tell you when you made it through your first day, you will feel victorious! Aim to make it a 2nd day of no deviations, and the 3rd and 4th...

Stagger your crackers to after lunch. In this way, you find that you will have more snacks to munch compared to eating crackers in the morning.

Try not to drink tea that has caffine... makes you hungry.

Try to create strategies so that you won't feel hungry cos if you feel hungry, the tendency to cheat is greater. Try not to eat much much later than the 5 hours in between meals. I realized that when I eat 7 to 8 hours after my last meal, I will be so hungry that I can devour a cow. Eating my dinner though the right measurements, will not make me full...so keep to the 5 hours in between meals as closely as you can.

Sleep well. If you don't sleep well, you will feel lethargic and you will probably want to take foods to give you that energy boost.

Lastly, keep us in mind through the day and the following days. Be a strong woman and if you keep to 3 days of no deviation, pamper yourself and then set another goal of no deviations like maybe 1 week with a good treat for yourself.

You can do it!

hello everyone!
just thought id post a little comment letting u know how im doing..

well its two days till my 4 week weigh in and im nervous as all hell!for some reason when i look in the mirror i still see the same fatty staring back at me four weeks earlier when i started!
even though i see the results through my weekly measuring i just cannot see change! its really been getting me down lately.
ALSO..i did the most STUPIDEST things last week..
Last monday i went to the city with some friends and we stopped by a diner for drinks...the selection was wide but i could not see sprite zero ANYWHERE in site (my fav treat)..trying to remember everything in the book i picked up a pepsi max and headed to the table....TO MY HORROR when i read the cohens 'bible' later that night my stomach dropped to the floor as i could not see Pepsi max ANYWHERE..i nearly cried..I HAD DEVIATED witout knowing..the WORST!!!
i immediately upped my water intake the next day in hopes to flush out the pepsi max toxins and went about the week very strictly and read the cohens bible twice to make sure i remembered EVERYTHING i could and couldnt have!.....
on FRIDAY i went to the movies with a friend..being the confident one i proceeded to take my water bottle with me to sip throughout the day but before we went into the movies my friend wanted popcorn and coke...i thought 'omgsh if i sit next to his coke and popcorn through the whole movie with my water im probably going to suffocate myself!' so i popped into the deli next to to grab a can of my cohens allowed drink...
i saw the pepsi max and shuddered...then smiled as i reached for the Pepsi LIGHT knowing id never make THAT mistake again...
WRONG AGAIN..........i read the bible again that night...SURE Pepsi LIGHT was allowed...but it MUST be caffeine free!!!!
what had i done!i had sabotaged myself ONCE again without knowing...
this really goes to show just how important reading that book over and over again means..

does anyone know just how much of a difference it will make to my weigh in?
i am absolutely petrified!! has this happened to anyone else??
how did it affect your weight??


sorry for blabbing on everyone! have a great day!!!

xx