Thanks so much for a great forum, I can see how this would be so supportive and look forward to your support myself.

I am in the 'research' stages of the Cohen programme and am ready to join but was wondering if anyone had advice on exercising whilst on the programme (both initial and re-feed). There doesn't seem to be much written about this.

I don't exercise excessively but still walk dog, have a hit at tennis and do some water aerobics.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

There is no exercise requirements in the diet, actually Dr Cohen recommends that if you dont exercise now dont start. However I 100% believe you can continue with your current level of sports and activities, ie you wont need to stop your execise/sports nor will you need to do more.

Certainly keeping active has postive benefits for your health.

Thanks so much for that, good advice.

Congrats on your achievements - inspiration plus!! I have been reading forum for the past week (already decided to do Cohen's but was doing additional research when I came across site) and am so grateful to find advice from specifically Cohen users...

Looking forward to hearing others experiences/advice/progress.

Monz

Hi Monz

Welcome to programme. It is the best weightloss I have ever done I have been through a few. I was actually attracted to this programme because of the no exercise - I found I was so busy with my kids running around with them and then trying to fit in exercise I was so exhausted by the evening I would just eat rubbish. Cohen's does say if you do exercise already you can continue as long as it is not too excessive you will see when you start, the portion size's are small but you quickly get used to it.
best of luck losing (your weight that is)
Sam

I agree with what lessfatty and nans68 have both posted. I for one do exercise but was doing so before I started Cohen's. I do cardio about 5 times a wk (walking) and do weight training 3 times a week. I feel better exercising while I do Cohen's but I make sure I don't overdo it.

Irene

Hello

Before cohens i used to walk 9 k's every morning, but sue told me not to do excercise as i would get hungry and would effect the balance of everything, so i stopped doing the walks, when get bouts of full on energy i clean the entire house and dance around like a crazy person. I think it does depend on the individual, but one think I do avoid is excersicing during that time of the month, it makes me very faint, but if I do do alot and it is that time of the month as soon as I have finished what I am doing I have a piece of my fruit allowance and find it helps.

good luck and remember to ask advice from your consultant and dr cohen may comment on excercise when he does your blood test results.
di

How long had you been walking as a daily activity? A consultant told you to "stop exercising"; rather than saying "keep going but if you feel hungry lets discuss", if walking 9KM was a normal part of your life then continue IMHO or in worse case (hungry) then reduce it a little. I would say that many people jobs involve walking the equivalent of a least 9KM per day; whereas desk bound potatos like me need to be active outside of work. Cats and other preditors are designed (evolved) for high short term effort, relatively big tummies and slow digestion with centered around lots of sleeping. Humans are not cats nor preditors in design, humans are designed (evolved) around long days of moderate sustained activity (labor), walking 9KM seems to me reasonable.

I had been walking 9 k's in 1 hour for the past 3 months before i had started the programme, I did try a shorter walk after i had been on the programme for a month and I felt faint and very flat, so I take it easy now. Not that I should have to explain myself to you.
Everyone is not the same and dr cohen realises that so why cant you.

Hi LessFatty,

Just thought I'd put in my 2cents worth. I used to walk with Di78 Pre-Cohen's (for her). We had been walking 9km a day (taking 1.5hrs to walk it) for over 6 mths when she started Cohens. I really enjoyed our walks, so was quite disappointed with Di78 informed me about Cohen's and how she was advised she should cut out the walks. I actually convinced her to keep walking with me.

This was a big mistake for her - it resulted in her becoming quite ill - to the point where she had to seek medical advice. Our walks were in addition to the daily chores involved in runny a household and looking after a newborn. At the time it was kind of our 'time out' from our jobs!

I was a sceptic about the whole "exercising is not recommended while on Cohen's" advice until I saw first hand how it impacted Di78.

Fortunately for Di78 she has found other activities she can do to replace the walks we did, such as belly dancing - which while giving a good workout/toning etc has less impact on her blood sugar levels than walking did.

For those starting Cohen's, my advice is to follow the advice of your consultant. If you don't like their advice, by all means have a go at doing what you want to do. It might work out for you, but if it causes you to feel unwell or overly hungry, give it a miss until you're more established on your diet.

Cheers!

Thanks so much everyone for your advice. I will definitely have a chat to my consultant when I hand in my blood test and get my program.

Your advice has given me some good questions to ask and I realise how important it is to take note how your body reacts to individual changes. I really can't wait to start now!

Look forward to chatting more in the coming months...

Monz

I agree with the 'no exercise' also.
before i started cohens i was going to 'Curves' gym about 5 times a week for about 4 months prior(curves is a 30 minute resistance training circuit for all that didnt know )
even though my consultant advised me not to i felt confident that i knew what i was doing and continued my program.big mistake!
I would feel very light headed and so so flat during my workouts that i decided to cut them down to 2-3 times a week but even then i would feel sick!
so ive cut out exercise completely until ive finished re-feed and have introduced more food into my system that can cope with it.
i figure the fact we are only feeding our bodies the minimal amount needed to burn each day-exercising is causing our bodies to burn this fuel and therefore we are left with nothing but feeling yukky and deviating as a result or even worse!
as im walking around at work also i figure this is enough 'exercise' for me to be active during cohens.

But alas everyone is different!Speak to your consultant first and maybe continue your program in the 1st week to see how you go-if it has no impact then by all means continue-but if you start noticing flatness etc then definately re-think the situation!

hope this helped!

Happy losing everyone xx

Hello fatcat, or is it notsofatcat anymore hehe

Well said..... I totally agree, it's hard when people tell us you need to excersise when you know that your consultant has said no, i think this is for such a short time, when we are leaner and healthy we can think of excersice then, some days i have hardly any energy to do anything.

but anyway cya all later

i hope you don't mind me calling you notsofatcatanymore, it's just you pics look amazing..
di

Hi all

I agree. We are only feeding our bodies what they need to survive. I was never one for big exercise as I work and travel away a lot with work and never found the time to fit in regular exercise. I certainly don't feel any worse for not exercising and I don't think my body is missing it. I also clean the house etc when I get splurges of energy. I just love the fact that all is disappearing without the need to thrash yourself around a gym.

Keep up the good work.

Allana

Amen to that ATA

I was never an exercise junky and even when I did ( I also did the 30 minutes ) like fatcat and that weight still didn't come off like it is on Cohen's.

I think to get the fast weight loss we are acheiving on this programme we need to stick to the rules and the rules clearly state no excessive exercise.
I know for myself I get enough exercise with my two boys.

Yesterday I took my car in for repairs and decided I would walk home and burn some of my chinese deviation from the.weekend - well it took me an hour and i was so sick for the rest of the day headaches and stomach crumps. This programme is individualised so if you can do the exercise and not get sick(like me) then do it but remember we are all still going to lose weight one way or another on this programme.
ATB
Sam

Cats and other preditors are designed (evolved) for high short term effort, relatively big tummies and slow digestion with centered around lots of sleeping. Humans are not cats nor preditors in design, humans are designed (evolved) around long days of moderate sustained activity (labor), walking 9KM seems to me reasonable.[/QUOTE]

LF - The problem here is that we are not dealing with the human form as evolution had intended it - we are overweight and many of us obese. My husband is a fitness trainer and was naturally skeptical when I told him no exercise - until he read and understood the science behind the plan and also the fact that it is for a short period of time - I go to the same consultant as Di78 and she encouraged me to think of the activities that I plan to do when I am not carrying my excess weight - and I dare say that they will be a pleasure when I don't have the equivilant of my 7 year old hanging on my body.

Please don't discourage people from listening to their consultants advice - they are the experts.



My advice to anyone starting is simple - You have paid lots of money for the research and expertise of the cohens plan - if it is not on plan - don't do it. I have followed 100% and have seen the best results of any diet I have attempted. There is plenty of time for exercise when you have finished and lots of cute outfits we will be able to wear while doing it......
Don't read too much into the plan - just follow it.