I've been musing.. "Going back on Plan" once on maintenance?

[Never Give Up]

yes, I've tried refeed quantities before - I think I'll need to think a few whole days through - what/when I eat etc, and why, what the end result will be. Have to get out of this 'panic/must diet cos it's the only thing I know works" line of thought! I guess mixing up the amounts too, as in having line 1 of meal 2 on monday and line 5 of meal 2 on tuesday plus refeed extra's etc will help as well - need variety! I also have to start doing set exercise, not just incidental. Thanks again for your help, so much easier when someone is shining some light in these muddy waters.....
have a great weekend
Lesley

[Kohinoor]

Hi NGU,

Have to get out of this 'panic/must diet cos it's the only thing I know works" line of thought!

Sweetie, I totally agree. You are NOT in bad shape now... and any "tweaking" is what I believe Maintenance is all about - viz. "Try different things to see what works for you!"

I don't believe there is any "urgency" for you to drop weight when you are as slim as you are now. So, keep smiling, and keep trying things to find "what works for you". You have time on your side now....

Jlou has made some VERY good points, and I'm sure her words will benefit you and many others.

I wanted to add a few more, based on recollections of earlier posts (sorry, can't recall just who made them) - one "biggie" is that SOME find that mixing proteins works against them. Thus, they chose EARLIER days of refeed that were "pre" the protein mixing.

I'd suggest those earlier days (perhaps up to Day 7, depending - read your program) might be good value for "losing fairly quickly, yet allowing you to continue exercise". But, if YOU are one who had "mixing protein" problems, and yet are still feeling hungry, just add a bit more to early refeed Day amounts without mixing proteins. Who says you HAVE to stick to "Day x" refeed amounts?

Feed your body what suits it (food types, and amounts)..... THAT is Maintenance !! An occasional "bad" day can be quickly put right - just don't OVER-react....

Maybe a "Day 7" menu, with extra amounts (add 40g or more) to allow you to continue exercise, not feel hungry, AND lose weight. Why not? As jlou said "If you don't eat ENOUGH, your body may hold onto the weight" (or words like that).

In short though, NGU, it is "trial and feedback" (not "trial and error" - that phrase has some thinking this is "BAD"). Let your body tell YOU what works best..... and yeah, try stuff.

Rock on,

Koh

[Wendym1221]

this is a great thread, thanks for pointing me in the right direction Koh, one that I think might be benefical for others just starting out on maintenance as well so bumping the thread up for them to read.

Makes so much sense to me.

Cheers
Wendy

[Kohinoor]

Thanks for the bump Wendy, and here's another bump as it is 6 weeks since the last one, and we are currently facing a "tsunami" of Refeeders who could do with knowing these thoughts PRIOR to stepping into Maintenance.

Knowing where they are heading before they get there can't hurt eh?

Koh

[MaggieLyn]

Not sure how I found this thread, but have found it really helpful, I was wondering if I need to go back on plan, but decided I could not go back on that small amount of food, so decided to eat my refeed but cut out all carbs, so reading all the posts on this has really helped me thank you for starting this post, there is so much helpful information here. I will print it off to put in my favourite forum posts folder!!
Thanks Maggie

[Embee]

Thanks for highlighting this Maggie... definitely a good (and necessary) read!!

[LIM]

I totally agree with JLou "... I read diaries is that I find I am most likely to be tempted to make bad food choices if I am hungry or have not eaten recently." Yes, it's NEVER a good choice, and worst is the horrible after-eating feeling. Not the mention, the non-satisfaction and guilt too.

How to make good choices? especially in SIngapore, MSG laden food at every corner, calling out to you!

[louise41]

Just found this thread and it was interesting as this is basically what I have been doing - maintaining my way back down. I basically try to mainly stick to plan and refeed foods. It does work, when my losses stop is when I am sidetracked by nuts or chocolates or bad choices due to work dinners. Mostly I can avoid it if I have the right mental attitude (which thank fully I have at present) I know that maybe I could speed things up by going back strictly on plan, but I find the quantites no longer suit me and if I am good I can do just as well maintianing my way down. I am not that far above where I would ideally like to be but am realistic to put things in perspective. I am slim, wearing small sizes and this is a lifelong program for me now. If it takes 6 weeks instead of 4 to lose 4 kgs that's fine. On the program I was in a rush, now Im very happy to be staying at a low (for me) weight and take a softly softy approach to losing those last few kgs.

I Know what to do it's just a matter of implementing it.
Mostly I still eat my yoghurt for breakfast and love it!
I still have my salads for lunch and meat and veges or salads for dinner.
When I get into strife it is often because I am hungry to to missing a meal or a snack and making bad choices in a hurry. I try to be really disciplined to stop this happening by, not skipping meals and keeping healthy snacks on hand. If I am really hungry I know if I eat extra fruit it is the best thing to satisfy my appetite and it doesnt make my weight go up. Chocolate, nuts or too much cheese - well that is another story and just leads to me wanting more and is what can trigger me to eat too much!

Great thread , well worth a read for all maintainers

[Kohinoor]

Hi Louise,

A lot of what you have mentioned was covered in detail in a thread I just "stumbled over" yesterday. So, to help you maintainers get a look at what is REALLY going on, do check here :-
http://newyouforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12914

I made Namaste's posts into a Classic, so that it can readily be found into the future. It expands on the "Getting Back on the Bus" thread - which is equally important to maintainers as it is to those on Plan.

You will smile as you read it, Louise, as I recall MANY of your very words being used in Namaste's links. i.e. in short, you sound to be right on track, and are not likely to be at risk of some of the nastier enzymes/hormones that can have the wheels fall off. So, you go girl !!!

Koh

[Tshabalalat]

I'm two weeks of the program after refeed I'm so scared I weigh myself every day, eat carbs once a day but it still feels like I'm gaining although I does not show on the scale.

People are talking about mixing proteins is that a bad thing, shouldn't our body be use to it after refeed????????

[Kohinoor]

Hi Tshaba,

People are talking about mixing proteins is that a bad thing, shouldn't our body be use to it after refeed????????

Yes, MOST people are able to mix proteins after they have completed Refeed - but not all !! Just like, most (or many) people are able to handle bread daily - but not all !!!

If you found that either of these (bread, or mixing proteins) didn't put your weight up suddenly during Refeed, you are probably OK too.

but it still feels like I'm gaining although I does not show on the scale.

Aww, you are probably still a bit "tender", but even that can be normal. It is WISE to move slowly and carefully into Maintenance. Even to treat the first month or two a bit like "an extended Refeed" but on your terms. See, Refeed isn't long enough to be able to signal ALL foods that might be a problem for you, so "baby steps" into Maintenance are advised.

You have the rest of your Life to fine-tune everything. Meanwhile, smile and be happy, as you have obviously reached your first major goal (goal weight and Refeed completed - woohoo - go you !! )

Stick around, read the Maintenance Diaries, and learn from those who have gone before, or from those who may be travelling alongside you right now !!

Koh

[auburn_colour]

Hi peps! I was done with my refeeding program 2 months ago and have been off with the cohens diet since then, from 118lbs i'm presently at 138lbs now and as ive notice lately i easily gain weight as in my body would grow bigger for about 2 inches (inch wise) when I binge eat for 5 days straight. I'm afraid if I kept on gong on and off with cohens my body might get used to it and plateau forever. Will this be possible? Im having a hard time going back to the diet (though I have been very religious with cohens for the past 6 months that I totally shed off a heap of 60lbs. HELP! what shall i do?

By the way does anyone heard that being o cohens for long can be fatal to ones health?

[Kohinoor]

Hi AC,

Aww, it really sounds like someone is messing with your head with an ill-thought-out comment :-

By the way does anyone hear that being on cohens for long can be fatal to ones health?

I'm guessing, but it sounds like that comment is right up there with "It is not healthy to lose weight so quickly!" Umm, HELLO.... Is it better to remain Obese (or worse) for YEARS while you try to get weight off?

A simple question - how can un-processed, fresh foods be bad for you? Did you FEEL bad while you were on Plan? Did your Doctor warn you against the foods you were eating on Cohens? (I very much doubt that).

Are "sirens" luring you onto the rocks, AC? Or is it part of your own mental journey? Let me ask this - when you did Refeed, did it highlight any "danger foods" for your body (e.g. sudden, overnight weight gains)?

If so, do work on eliminating or reducing those foods as much as possible from your daily life. Some find they CAN'T mix protein without going off the rails - but there seem to be very few affected that way.

Some find they can eat fats, but have trouble with carbs/sugars. And some are vice versa. Which are you, AC? Have you been trialling (carefully) various non-Cohen foods since reaching Maintenance?

If you haven't already, do read a bunch of Maintenance Diaries, and/or the Maintenance Discussion Forum. There are some absolute GEMS floating around.

Main thing is, that you now have all the tools to keep your weight problem under control - but tools don't work if left "sitting on the shelf, going rusty"

Good luck with returning to good healthy eating, AC - reread your diary (or others) and recall how GOOD most felt as their bodies got back to Normal on Cohens. Then rev up your engine, and get racing..... even if not on Plan, try earlier Refeed days so you aren't feeling HUNGRY !! Maybe ease down onto Plan via early Refeed amounts - Maintenance is about "trying stuff" to see what works best for YOU !!

We'll be here for you,
Hugs,
Koh

[auburn_colour]

Hi thanks for your thoughts on my post. Well i did experience to be very thirsty (intensely thirsty that i get choke of i dont take in water every minute - as in every minute) for several days that when i gulp in a glass of water suddenly my throat would dry up again that i wen to see a doc (not mentioning about my diet) so as not to get a bias answer...and they couldnt answer why. Then after 6 months thats when i heard about someone went badly with this diet and coincidentally was telling me that girl also went thru the thirsty stage (just like what i have experienced 4 months ago).

Have anyone experience intense thirst along the way? i didnt bother asked on this before as it was just one episode among the 6 months im on cohens.

I think what theyre telling about the bad side is how fast you loose weight that you're system is problem handling the situation abnormally (the breakdown of fats, like one example is you get gallstones?) I dont think its about the food you intake because obviously they are REALLY GOOD AND HEALTY FOOD but its the after effect.

You're right I just need to hold on back to my tools and i do hope to get more support by reading this forum again.

[Kohinoor]

Hi AC,

Have anyone experience intense thirst along the way?

I deliberately left this one for a little while to see if others would reply, as I can't recall any who had mentioned that in the past. I hope you, or your Doctor, have been able to come up with an answer.

Re the gallstones, I think of that a bit like a microscope. When first invented, and we were able to SEE tiny little organisms (that always were present) many thought the microscope was the problem !!

Similarly with Cohens (or any other weightloss plans/diets) the onset of gallstones while on plan is really highlighting WHAT WAS ALREADY THERE !!

Many (hundreds?) have completed the whole journey with no such problems, but, in my 4 years on here, I do recall a few (ten or less ?) people who have had to go through surgery because of gallstones.

So, yes, a small percentage faced that risk.... But they chose to go ahead anyway, as the benefits (to them) far outweighed the negative.

As always, having a personal Doctor observing your Cohens journey is a good "backup" to have in place anyway. And if gallstones were "already there", I have heard there are prescriptions that can minimise or alleviate the onset of problems while shedding the extra weight,

Koh

[Kohinoor]

Relevant to the original question proffered at the start of this thread, is THIS link:-

http://newyouforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9266

Some of you newer ones may not recognise all of the names, but do read the messages of members in maintenance from years past (all of whom, I presume, are continuing to maintain judging by their words, tickers, etc.)



Koh

AKA "Bump" - go back to post #1 and read on down to get all of the good oil....

[Winterboots]

Thanks Koh, funny how we seem to panic when we know we have eaten too much and think that drastic measures are needed when we only need to step back, take a deep breath and do a two day reset - thanks for "bumping" this post and reminding us to follow maintenance guidelines.

I had orginally thought on Monday that I would go back on plan for the week but decided that I wanted to continue to exercise and eat enough to feel comfortable and not feel hungry therefore I have done the "no carbs" for two days now and down 1.4kg so hopefully lessons are being learnt.
WB

[Marmaduke]

great thread thanks all... bumpety bump!

[Winterboots]

Well did my two days of reset and down 2 kgs and still losing. Back into my comfort zone which is great without having to do drastic measures.

This is the beauty of cohen's - I have never done a weight loss programme that has this sensible tact for when you gain weight. 2 kg could have been the beginning of the end! However I don't want to using this tool too often, I need to get my eating into a better pattern.
WB

[mcbell]

Originally Posted by Winterboots

Well did my two days of reset and down 2 kgs and still losing. Back into my comfort zone which is great without having to do drastic measures.

This is the beauty of cohen's - I have never done a weight loss programme that has this sensible tact for when you gain weight. 2 kg could have been the beginning of the end! However I don't want to using this tool too often, I need to get my eating into a better pattern.
WB

I agree WB - great that you have the tool, and that you can make it work, but it is not a habit I want to get into either!