Maya in the land of Refeed

[Maya]

Knock knock!

It is me...Maya...Can I come in????

I can't believe it, really...kind of ...unbelievable...so real, but so unbeliveable...

After coming from Big Bear mountains, where my weight just kept climbing up...I spent amazing day with my friend from home that came yesterday - with little son and partner...and we had SO much fun!!!

We went to the Science Center in LA and just had a blast! I was soooo excited to speak my language again, to see my friend I haven't talk to for 2 years (I am telling you, I completely isolated myself for the last two years, thinking I was too fat, too ugly, unworthy to bother anyone...) We live 10 minutes apart, but had to meet in California...how bizzare!

So, we had A LOT to catch up with!

Another amazing teaser for me - we (they) had lunch in European Bread restaurant...what a control I had to keep my eyes from not getting glued glued on all the loafs of bread laughing at me from the wall!!!! I am telling you, they were moving, breathing...the smell was a KILLER!!!
But I did it.

Today I stepped on the scale and it was lower than I expected. So, I am 100% sure of something - RELAXATION AND FUN helps our bodies to drop the extra fat. Period.
So, more fun for me on the refeed!!!!

Already had my extra fish in the morning and felt good.
My refeed is 20 days long and I will be done (hopefully) a day before going back home.

Sooo sooo glad to be here...

P.S. Just had to change my avatar...had a little enough of water for a while...(when came to IMAX movie - I had no idea what we decided to watch, I was too excited to see my friend and her family...so when I put those glasses on and saw the reef and fish and sharks...I was like - hello?? I just came from there???!! ha ha...dont get me wrong - I love the ocean, but I can feel gills growing behind my ears...)

[thenewvee]

Welcome to refeed Maya!
It's so great to have you here!
Some more company!!!

It looks like you will just have to have a lot more fun in your life!
I'm glad your weight was lower than expected!

Keep on doing great things and mostly, KEEP ON HAVING FUN!

Vee

[maria1969yellow]

Maya you deserve this (well everyone does) but you are so passionate and achieving what you have with all your travelling and challenges Im sure really inspires everyone that we can do it also!

20 days long.. That will be gone in no time and then maintaince..

keep posting I love your entries (for selfish reasons as you really put it in understandable words what most of us feel I think at times.)

Congrats you super star gettiing to refeed land.. Big virtual hug and pat on back.

Enjoy enjoy enjoy.

[Kohinoor]

Hey, bright little button,

Good to see you HERE !! Yeah, girl, go have fun, FUN, FUN !!!

Find all the ways you can to kick any stress to the kerb, and be light, happy, and excited !!! Help that seratonin to keep on doing its thing....

Enjoy that extra food, WITHOUT the extra weight gain !!

And, just go slow when you step out the end into Maintenance.... Softly, softly.... Meanwhile, keep on coming back with your special "take" on the world around us - I get a lot from your posts



Koh

[hexi2]

Hey Maya

I just know....


YOUR GONNA ROCK REFEED!!!

Have heaps of fun!

[Maya]

Wow, thank You Vee, Maria, Koh, Hexi, thank You!

Koh - when you said to go into maintnence slowly, softly...I totally imagined Pink Panter tiptoing quietly...thank you sooo much for that, that is sooo cute! I will defenitely imagine my Pink Panther now, when making meals at maintnence...

I woke up today very surprised, as my weight dropped 600 g (first time such a drop during whole diet!!!!)

So, this was yesterday:


Day 1 Tuesday 54.6 kg

Breakfast- fish allowance + extra, Veg allowance + extra
Lunch-yogurt, apple, ricecake
Snack- orange, ricecake
Dinner- beef allowance + extra, Veg allowance + extra, apple, ricecake

EXTRA: old protein, old veggies


I was very tired the whole day, not much to do with refeed yet, I guess just such a day.

MORNING: drop 600 g .

Plan:
little confused about fruit, still...
I tried to check other refeed diaries but I see many people replacing one old fruit for one new fruit...and that's what I did on my last refeed...Which was obviously wrong.

I wonder if I can have yogurt+orange (whole)+100g blueberries for lunch today...? and then 2 more fruits (my original allowance was 3 fruits) later in the day?

[hexi2]

Hey Maya

In regards to your fruits it depends how many your allowed in the day eg: if your total including old fruit (3) and add new fruit (1) then the total is 4...but they have to be split into 4 helpings/eating times during the day. So you could do half serve of orange and half serve of blueberries but NOT have 2 full fruits at the same time...

There should still be a 2 1/2 hours between helpings...

Or you can get all fruit allowance mix into a fruit salad and divide into 4 helpings

So no I don't believe you can have a whole orange and a 100gms serve of blueberry

[thenewvee]

Hey Maya!

Hexi has explained it all beautifully! Couldn't put it any clearer myself.
I hope that your body enjoys the extras and that it has you feeling a lot better really quickly!

Keep on doing the necessary, especially having the REST and enjoy this journey while you can. It will be over soon enough!

You are such a wealth of information and inspiration!
Thanks for being the wonderful YOU that you are!

Vee

[Maya]

Wow, thank you Hexi and Vee... I got different answer from my consultant...
saying:

The 5 hour rule says as is. It is 5 hours between meals. The "break" in the rules is about MILK. Remember you replace milk for protein? So you may have milk in your tea and coffee and you may do so between meals.

Regarding fruit:
You simply split your fruit up and can have more than one at a time. You can have fruit with each meal and in-between. You can have a couple of fruit in a smoothie. Lets say you swop your meals around, you can have Meal 2 for breakfast, Meal 3 for lunch and Meal 1 for dinner. Select the yogurt for dinner + to that all the new proteins and veggies in one go (ie: don't space out your additional allowance in this day). Have the food and enjoy a yogurt fruit smoothie.

You can also make fruit salad and have portions of it during the day.

[Mette]

TADAAAA!

I couldn't resist!

So happy to see you in refeed! You'll have so much fun!
And then you can come walk softly with me in maintenance!
Big hugs!

[Maya]

Oh, my God, Mette, you are tooooooo funny!!!!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

soOOOOOOooo very sweet of you!!!!!!!!!!!

YOU ARE DA BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maya]

Day 2 Wednesday 54.0 kg

starting weight: 54.6 kg
today's weight: 54.0 kg
change from yesterday: -600 g
change from day 1: -600 g

Breakfast-beef allowance + extra, Veg allowance + extra,
Lunch- yogurt, orange, bluebeeries (new fruit), ricecake
Snack- apple, ricecake
Dinner- fish allowance+ extra, Veg allowance + extra, small apple, ricecake

EXTRA: old protein, old veggies, new fruit

Those 100 g blueberries were nice. I was confused about this splitting fruit - I mean, it is then really thinking and planning food every minute of the day - how else can you fit in 5 fruits with 2,5 hours difference in between? So I wrote to the consultant and got interesting answer (as why it's different in Australian clinics as for us and she answered:
We always encourage people to split fruit and crackers throughout the day. Having too many crackers will trigger too much insulin and Dr Cohen says this will cause hunger and slower weight loss.
We have checked with Dr Cohen, you may have 2 fruit at a time ? but, it is best to split the fruit during the day because doing so will mean you are spreading your snacks more evenly. By doing this, you will be less likely to deviate from your program because you still have snacks to eat if you feel hungry.
Perhaps the clinics in Australia were finding that either a specific client or that too many clients ate all their fruit in one go, ie: made one fruit salad and then ate it all say with yogurt in the morning, the clients then ended up getting hungry through the day, leading to deviations because they had not planned ahead leaving any fruit snacks for later.
Hence in some circumstances, to help a client or clients, it would be better to take a suggestion and make it a rule. People are more likely to obey hard rules than kind but wise suggestions.

Anyway, am so very happy to have bread today. My weight this morning is 400 g up from yesterday (still -200g from day 1), but I also believe more and more that my current weight is the reflect of two days back, like Shell once said it might be.
I have been getting busier now - just got a movie to translate, preparing for the exam for the nutritional course I've been studying for and trying to do some walking every day, too.

And I am already thinking about my Pink Panther now - Mette, you are just super sweet... THANK YOU!!!!!!

[maria1969yellow]

I forgot you were here. How cool you can have extras. thanks for posting.. Ooohh I cant wait to refeed and have extras..LOL

Doing well Maya Doing well!

[hexi2]

Hey Maya

How are you feeling about refeed? Are you having a better time this time around?

[thenewvee]

Hey Maya!

It seems you are going really well on your refeed. Your clinic's response to your fruit question is very interesting and makes a lot of sense. Again, it just reiterates that we need to listen to our bodies and do what suits the body best.

Hopefully you are finding the food more filling and satisfying this time around.
Good luck with all your study and work that you have to do!

Hugz

Vee

[Mette]

I love your enthusiasm! If my antics can make people smile, my work here is done! (Or should that be 'Chaos, panic and disorder - my work here is done'?)

Interesting response from the clinic. Sometimes it seems to me that we get conflicting information. Oh well. As long as it works, that's what matters!

Sounds like there is much busy-ness in your life at the moment, but it sounds fun! I miss studying. Maybe I should go back to it when I return to Australia...

Take good care of yourself, pretty lady!

[Maya]

Day 3 Thursday 54.4 kg

starting weight: 54.6 kg
today's weight: 54.4 kg
change from yesterday: +400g
change from day 1: -200 g

Breakfast-fish allowance+ extra, Veg allowance + extra, orange
Lunch- beef allowance + extra, Veg allowance + extra, 1/2 apple, 1/2 blueberries, slice of bread
Snack- orange
Dinner-yogurt, 1/2 apple, 1/2 bluebeeries, ricecake
,
EXTRA: old protein, old veggies, new fruit, 1 piece of bread

Oh, dear bread. Was so nice, I toasted it and while it was toasting I was holding my nose above the toaster to catch the amazing smell....That was always the hardest thing for me on this diet - making toasts and bagels for people on the boat for breakfasts... Not baking sweets, but oh, the bread...

I ate half of it with the meal and on the other half I steamed some blueberries as a jam...YUMMO!

So far everything ok with refeed. I have this urge to walk more.
I am not surprised with slightly gaining weight as I also haven't had any BM since the beginning, I think.

Getting really busy with this translating, though...

Thank You everybody stopping by - Maria, Vee, Mette, Hexi - yes, so far it is easier, you were ABSOLUTELY right!

It is also true that I am much more busy now - last time I was simply waiting to go back to the boat, doing nothing at home, smelling all the barbeque smells from people enjoying the summer.
So much less tempting food around me. I just got back to my country the last time starved and sooo homesick - of course just to see all the homefood was a killer. Here - I'm on my own and it is much much easier.
Being busy I think is the key.

So far, I am much happier. Thank you for all the encouragment!!!

Mette, how is in Europe? You're in Denmark???

[Mette]

Nah, sweetness, still downunder! I fly out on 16 March

I have one more week at work - have to get a bit of money so I can afford my farewell party next week and then two weeks to prepare everything before going home! And I'm lucky enough that my wonderful boy has that last week off work! Hooray! It'll be so wonderful to spend some quality time together!

Tell you what though, my dad is counting down the minutes until I get home! He's so cute. It'll be good to go home for a while, as long as I get to come back to Keith at the end of it.

How is it being home for you? You sound like you've settled in nicely, and that you're in a much better place than last time you were on refeed. So happy for you! That jam thing sound yummy! I remember having homemade blueberry jam when I was on holidays in Austria with my parents when I was a child!

The translation thing sounds really interesting! What exactly are you translating?

Goodness, I'm prattling on in your diary today! I'll stop now!
Take good care pretty lady! You're going great guns!

[hexi2]

Hey Maya

You are doing soooooo well but I am watching your BMI young lady and it is getting very low (Yep and now Hexi thinks she is the weight police lol) ...please Maya don't go into the underweight BMI range it is not healthy for your body...

I hope you are beginning to love the body you have now...

Take care sweety

[Maya]

Day 4 Friday 54.7 kg

starting weight: 54.6 kg
today's weight: 54.7 kg
change from yesterday: +300g
change from day 1: +100g

Breakfast-fish allowance+extra, Veg allowance + extra, mango
Lunch- beef allowance + extra, Veg allowance + extra, 1 apple, slice of bread
Snack- apple
Dinner-yogurt, 120 g pineapple, ricecake
,
EXTRA: old protein

Yesterday was nice, I am not hungry anymore.
I am trying to walk a little more, because it feels soooo good to move again!!!!!!
I go for an hour walk in the morning over the hills around here and then in the afternoon just around the block a little.
I have so much energy!!!!

I only have a problem with my knee - I had surgery on - torn ligaments - and is swollowing when I walk a lot. I will try to get those MBT shoes. They look funny but I haven't heard one bad word about them...

I loved the morning mango and oh, god - that yogurt with pineapple spread over ricecake when it soaks ...yummo!!!!!

I was never used to eat breakfast, so I'm trying to have bigger meals in the morning, just to see how it will go. This morning I was 54.3 (-300 from beginning).

Mette - I'm not at home. I am still in California, at my friends. That's why it is SO MUCH EASIER being on this diet, doing refeed...She's at work most of the day, so I'm home alone. I am doing translations for National geographic and HBO. Spending too much time with computer, actually... But it's good. I am flying back home on March 10th.

Yup, homemade jams are the only way to go. We make all our jams at home. Mom always makes this the best apricot jam - when you pick them when they simply jump in your hand - when they're so sweet...and then make jam???? OOoooooo! Yummooooo!!!

I realized there is some amazing taste I love when meat and bread are combined. Sooo good. I love the piece of bread I can have and so far I can't say I have ANY problems. Would be weird if my body wouldnt be used to it after whole life existing from bread.

So far everything good - am feeling good, drinking a lot of water - I do have a feeling more I drink, more I can drink? Sometimes around 3-4 liters?
I am not used to this dry Californian air, though...must say that.
I'm also doing dry skin brushing every day - have been doing it regulary since the beginning of the diet - it really helps with the celulite and lymph system. I love it.

Hexi, you are so cute... no worries, I'm still carrying enough fat...I'm ok at where I am, not really extatic to be honest, but... if this is where I can keep my weight stable, I'm ok with that. Of course I would LOVE to be at 52 at least, but... not this time. It was too risky.
The best I felt at 50, honestly... that was the best time of my life. But I decided my body will have to adjust to this weight first and then see. I will try not to focus so much on bodyweight but simply self acceptance than numbers...

Hugs to everyone and have a great weekend!