Happy & maintaining

[prettymama33]

Hi everyone,

I have been in maintenance since Dec 7 last year, to be honest, I started refeed on my upper limit(126lbs) as advised so I can be faithful to the rules and finish just before a 1 month grand vacation. I lost more pounds during the refeed, did not hit my lower limit (120 lbs), but comfortable between 123- 124 lbs. Had a wonderful vacation, did not deprive myself of the many foods that was being offered, got through the holidays (xmas & new year), not to mention a handful of parties & celebrations & reunions. Happy to say too that even if I ate burgers, pizza, steak, desserts & the likes, I was able to maintain the end of refeed weight.

You might ask how I am able to maintain my weight.... well, I weigh myself everyday & everynight.... and whenever I put on weight, I do carb reset. Totally works!!! I am still up til now experimenting on what I can have or what makes me put on weight, and in the process enjoying every food that I eat.

I am now on my 3rd month of maintenance and have actually reduced my weight further and am now sitting on my lower limit (120-121 lbs), and trying to go further down to say 115-118 lbs. Am I being too obsessed with being thin?I don't think so, but I still see some fats that can be rid off, so am pushing myself to bring down weight further. My plans on doing it?..... it's really simple, eat my Cohen original diet plan for 2-3 days a week.... might take some time before I get to my new target by I will get there, lost 3 lbs in a week.

However, I noticed too that I was sickness free during the 3 & 1/2 months that I was on rigid Cohen. Since I got back from my vacation in mid January, I have had colds 3 times already & headaches every so often. Can this be because I am introducing a lot of non Cohen friendly foods? Or was it just coincidence because of the extreme change of weather lately.

[Winkiedo]

Hello prettymama. Thanks for sharing tips about maintaining. Although I am a long way off target, I love reading about maintenance and picture myself as being there already.

Re weighing yourself morning and evening, how do you gauge if you gained? Of course your weight will incease in the evening. You also didn't mention about adding exercise during maintenance. Are you on any exercise program? Thanks!

[louise41]

It sounds like you have this maintenance sussed!

Congratuations not only are you maintaining but you have lost some more.
I think your daily weighing is a great idea, I dont think its obsessive as at least you catch any increases quickly!

[lil_doll]

Hey pretty mama,

Nice post

I am a 2nd timer on Cohens, and just before reading your post, I was thinking to myself 'if I had only reset when I was supposed to I wouldn't be in this mess'... now, since seeing your post, I am excited about maintenance again and seeing how it works for me!

Thanks again!

[prettymama33]

Have not incorporated any exercise up til now, though I have bought a bike that I plan on using at least every weekend, that will be another story altogether, as by then I am anticipating further reduction of weight if food intake is not increased.

Really just obsessing with the weighing scale, I have this notion that my weight at night should never exceed that of my highest limit. Also if I see that I spike up at night, it simply means I now prepare food for my carb reset.

I believe that Cohen diet is really a change in lifestyle, but then there are days when you just can not resist the calling of certain food, dessert and/or the likes and I know too that we dont have to deprive ourselves too of treats such as this every now and then. The main key here is we know what to do when we start gaining : CARB RESET, and going back to the plan to get us back on track. Don't wait til the weight you add up piles up and we are back where we started from.

[bevmilne]

Awesome post prettymama! Is great to read of your success as maintenance is the part of this journey that I am most scared about.

[AudreeS]

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