Suggestions for time & energy management?

[gab]

Hi,
I have started today, through the Gold Coast but via email.
I have been reading the forum and thought it polite to introduce myself.
I am quite determined and scared shitless to do this.
My biggest fear is not having enough energy to cope with the stuff life throws at me.

I am on holidays at present and have some space but in my normal life I have to be spot on, alert and completely with it every second of the day and prepare for the next day with at least 2 hours at night. If I don't then people get hurt.
And there is offcourse the aspect of running a teenage household (sic) and trying to have a bit of a life with hobbies (ted.com, books, films + quilting very creative and outrageous coloured tessalated shapes) not to mention a husband with the aim to start an ecovillage .... soon. Lol I have never written that all down so succint: no wonder I am somewhat tired at the end of the year.

However, food is very important to me. I get shaky if I don't have any. Obviously that will settle if I can just get through the first bit. But how? I do have real withdrawal symptoms I think.
Just reading or sleeping bores me. Driving a car somewhere is not a really good idea in this state. Reading this forum has helped. How do you make the time pass, while taking it easy but not get so bored that you stare at the clock till the next cracker?
I must loose weight because I am starting to get all the starter signals for all the rich people's diseases (sugar, heart, arthritus etc) and I am getting so stiff. I carry weight well so most people don't know how fat I really am. But the point is, I know.

So, my question is really, how can I use the time and (lack of) energy in the best way for success?

Good on all of you who have done all this long ago! Maybe, maybe, I'll be there by April-May?

Cheers Gab

[baloo]

Welcome gab.

A couple of things:

Hunger pains and need to nibble subsides after day 3 in my experience. If you can tough it out the first few weeks you'll find you'll be as happy as Larry.

Energy levels increase. I think it's a combination of general healthy food intake, loss of weight and the buzz of increased seratonin levels.

Having a hectic schedule IMHO helps you stay on course. I found the regimented and planned food intake allowed to have one less thing to worry about. I probably spent an hour or so on a sunday preparing the weeks menu, weighing and bagging portions etc, so that it was very quick and easy for me to grab what I needed for the day. During the 6months it took me to lose the weight, I had to cope with the following: Buy a House, Completely Renovate the House, Deal with a first time pregnant wife, deal with my Mother in Law living with us for a month, Deal with the birth of my son, deal with 3 business trips, deal with my father in law coming to visit for a week, deal with moving house, deal with my parents visiting for a week.

Throughout it all, the programme remained my one constant that was always there and became a refuge in a way. It was consistent and planned so I knew everything would fall around it.

At the end of the day, if you are truely committed to the programme, you will get amazing results. The easiest thing to do is make excuses and deviate all the way through it until you are no longer doing it. The tougher more rewarding thing is to end up after a relatively short period of time in a new healthy fit body.

Good luck.

[lessfatty]

Originally Posted by gab

I carry weight well so most people don't know how fat I really am. But the point is, I know.

Gab, people are just being polite, you will almost certainly notice how those same people will very soon notice how much better you look after you have lost the first 5KG. You will look better and you will certainly feel better, the price paid is worth the entry into world of "slim, trim and healthy"! If you are staving you do watch the clock, but that normally passes after a few days, then slowly evolves into a sort of "mild hungry" feelings that you can ignore and get on with your life. The challenge is if you use food to "self medicate" to calm yourself in stressful circumstances.

[hexi2]

Hi Gab all I can say is..

You will feel 100% better on Cohens than you did in the past...you will have MORE energy rather than LESS

YOU WILL NEVER LOOK BACK - THIS IS THE BEST DECISION YOU HAVE MADE FOR YOURSELF

Welcome to our lovely little community!

[Pudge]

I found if I was busy i don't think about food. Energy was hard to deal with at first (not having any) It was hard to get all my normal things done but now I am fine. When you find you can't do any more go take a break maybe have a some or all of your apple.
Drink your water, chew some gum, drink a vave of your diet soda, space your fruit and crackers out, cut the fruit in halves to munch on when you just have to have something. i was a bear for 2 weeks then I was fine.
Don't deviate off your program it makes it harder to go back on and stay on. If you do weigh everyday know that you will not lose everyday and don't get discouraged.
Good luck pudge

[Sue917]

Hello Gab

I was anxious and very precious abouit the quanty of food allowed at first, but I was soon reassured that the quanties given were ample. However I found when I was getting hungry it was the due time to eat. Make sure you have everything that is allowed during the day. I also forgot to start to take chronium, which is recommended. So I suggest that you start that today if possible. It really helps with the balancing your sugar levels and hence stops the cravings. I have now been going since mid october and have lost over 13 kgs and over 50cms from my body measurements. Everyone notices my weight loss and I feel great. I was sceptical at first, given that I had tried nearly every diet going but this really works plus it is very healthy, all al la natural.

Best of luck

Sue917