A question for the Maintainers

[*dreamchaser*]

Hi

With only 2 days left of refeed I am feeling a little scared I was wondering if any of you might like to share what a typical day is like for you - food wise.

Also when you added in exercise did your hunger increase? What kind of exercise and how much do you do?

I am planning to start back at the gym on Monday probably 4-5 times a week (2 or 3 Pump Classes and the other days Treadmill and free weights)

I had more questions but can't think what they were now, so feel free to add any handy little tips you may have.

Thanks
DC

[shell]

Hi DC,

Breakfast- 4 egg whites, ham, tomato, caps, onion, silverbeet, mozza cheese-some or a mixture of them.

Snack- 1-2 egg whites, celery @100g sometimes also 2 vitaweets

Lunch-pork/chicken/ham/roast lamb/chops-huge salad (lettuce,cucumber, tomato,onion,celery,carrot-mix of them) sometimes cheese-kraft/tasty/mozz @20-30g.

Snack egg white/ham-celery, sometimes 2vitaweets with either and or tomato/ham/cheese. sometimes the protein and a piece of fruit-apple/peach/nectarine

Tea usually chicken or sometimes other protein & huge plate of salad as for lunch

Within 1 hour of tea- fruit, yogurt/no fat jelly either or a mixture.

I always start off a meal or snack with the protein first.
My lunch is 99% of the time my biggest meal of the day, followed by breakfast and then tea.
I still wait the 2 hours after tea before I go to bed.
I have 1 meal (not day!) once a week with whatever I want-usually a decent feed of lamb chops
I drink at least 3-4 litres of water a day-sometimes up to 6!
NEVER have carbs on the day you are drinking alcohol or the day after!
I still keep a food diary, at first it was just to keep me accountable, if you have to write it down you will think twice about eating something!

Carbs I have just started having once a week on my hardest workout day-at lunch.

Exercise varies- I have really cut back on my walking as I have an injured foot, was going at least 4 times a week before breakfast for 25-35 minutes.
Now I am doing more on the mini trampoline and boxing bag.
Skipping I poke in every now and again.

Weights at the moment I do full body once a week -20-30 minutes legs in the morning and 30-50 minutes upper body in the arvo (carb day)

I always leave 1 day of rest after weights-helps muscles build and recover.

So after full body day will either do another full body (depends on how I feel & what day it is) otherwise I will do upper body, wait a day and then do lower body.

Hope that helps, I am sure others will have different routines, that is just what is working for me.

The main piece of advice I will give you is- do not panic and stress if you put weight on!!
It is all fixable, if you stress it will make you hold the weight more.

Also keep in mind that it can take up to 2 days for the weight to show.

It will all seem very overwhelming to start with, but it does get easier.

Shell

[*dreamchaser*]

WOW - Thanks for that Shell.

I have to ask......... Do you have chooks? Do you use the yolks for anything or just ditch them.

So Ham is okay once we are on Maintenance?

If I use those mountain Bread wraps is that classed as a Carb meal?

[louise41]

Thats a lot of egg whites Shell, is that something they recommend or your own personal choice?

[shell]

Personal choice for the egg whites- great for protein, and I get a bigger omelet without the calories!!
I tried an omelet the other week with a whole egg, much prefer the whites.

Yolks down the sink and no I don't have chickens.

Wraps are considered carbs.

Yes ham is ok on maintenance.
Shell

[thenewvee]

How do you eat the egg whites for snacks, Shell? Are they boild egg whites or poached? Or do you get creative with them? If so, how?

Thanks for sharing

Vee

[catienana]

Hi .. I am about 16 months post re feed.. and still doing pretty well.....!!!!!! insert smiley face!

I do not eat pasta, rice , bread, pumpkin, peas or potatoes. ..........and I don't miss them one bit...!!!!!

I still watch my portion sizes religiously.. that was a huge lesson I learned from the programme that being .......we just eat too much when we commit a portion size to our minds eye....I still weigh .. just got so used to it on the programme it is second nature to me now not a big deal for me.

I drink 2-3 litres of water everyday.

I walk a lot. I don't own a car so I am able to use it as a form of transport.. I try to walk for 45-60 minutes per day.

I am very happy and healthy and have kept the lions share of the 30 kgs I lost...off !!!!!

It is the first time in my 52 years that I have been slim...was overweight from the age of 10 ..this has changed my life forever ......no question

[cmc]

Hi All..

Just had a question spring to mind.
What is the total amount of weights you guys eating per meal roughtly?

Are you just sticking to the last day of your re-feed weights for meat and veg? eg xxx_g total meat and yyy_g total for veg for dinner etc. per meal or have you guys settled on an amount your happy with - say less meat and more veg for eg.?

Just wondered coz they do say to use last day of re-feed as a guide to how much you should continue to eat. just wondering if thats what you all are doing?

Cheers Carla.

[Nat]

Hi Everyone,

My maintenence is a little different but I have worked out what reacts well with my body and what doesnt.

My typical day.....

Breakfast options -
2 eggs with some veg - tomato/cucumber/celery, etc
or
Approx 125g low fat creamed cottage cheese (not weighed but it comes in 500g packs and a pack lasts me 4 days) with veg
or
Moz cheese - probably again about 120g with veg

Plus I also have 1/2 cup good organic unsweetened museli (with dried fruit) which I mix with a couple of tablespoons of fat free natural yogurt
And
A piece of fruit
If I dont have the museli - then I will include half a slice of good grain bread and a piece of fruit

Lunch options
Now that its been cold, I have been making up some really thick soups with Cohens and refeed type meat and veg. For example, the last one I made up had beef, lean bacon, cauli, zucci, celery, onion, garlic, spinach, tomato, carrot and broccoli. It was seasoned with a little curry powder, mustard powder, salt, pepper, paprika and to really make a special sauch I added about 1/2 a cup of cream for a pretty big pot. I make a whole pot at once and then freeze it in portions. If I want I can add some pasta or rice to it or just have it with a slice of good grain bread which is what I usually do. Also have a piece of fruit for dessert.

Otherwise its just ham/cold charcoal chicken and salad with a slice of good bread and a fruit.

On weekends, it could be a selection of cheeses and ham/roast beef/chicken or turkey breast with salad and either crispbreads or a slice of bread.

Dinner options
Sometimes grilled meat with steamed veg or salad, with a slice of bread and fruit for dessert or if I'm having chocolate for dessert, then I leave out the bread and enjoy the dark chocolate!

Other times its a home made meat and veg pasta sauce with a little pasta or hubby grows spaghetti squash for me which I have instead of the pasta - then again fruit for dinner with maybe a little dark chocolate - about 30 - 40g or so.

Again at other times, I'll have something similar to what I had a lunch - a seafood stew/soup or something like that.

I have found that I can't eat like that every day though as I need a break out. If I do eat like that every day, then I actually find myself losing weight and can lose up to about 3-4kgs in a week and start feeling sick.

Hubby and I still go out to dinner but I just make better choices these days. Favourite dessert is cheesecake which agrees with me.

I still drink about 2 - 2.5ltrs of water a day.

I know what my weight gain triggers are (potato, corn, pumpkin, white bread, milk chocolate, ice cream (also gives me extreme headaches!!), store bought biscuits/cakes, etc,).

I have found a brand of dark chocolate that I love - Cote d'Or 86% cocoa which is nice but intense (has 19g of carb per 100g). Also their 70% with raspberries is awesome (33g of carb per 100g).

So thats pretty much a normal day for me. If I break out over the weekend - especially if we go to see my inlaws whose whole diet is focused around carbs - then the next day or two, I'll go back to being "strict" again where I will eat as above but maybe cut back on the bread or the chocolate.

Nat

[gab1969]

Hi Nat,

I am on my 4th Day of maintenance - so far so good. Have been experimenting with what I can and can't eat. You noted that you have museli with yoghurt. Is this a snack or breakfast? How much museli do you allow yourself and is it natural or toasted? Do you count that as part of your carbs? I was a big museli fan before Cohens and miss it. Would like to allow myself it at least once a week? Has anyone increased their milk from 50ml and what effect did it have? I am concerned that we don't get enough calcium in our Cohens programs.
Also for those asking about exercise - I worked out with a PT from start to now. Initially it was 3 x 1hr sessions but found my energy was low. Developed dizzy spells and very low blood pressure so do 2 sessions a week now and trainer has modified my program to suit. My Cohens Consultant advised that exercising during program could be a factor in slower weight loss but I continued. Now eating more - more energy.

[Nat]

Hi Gab1969,

I don't actually count carbs anymore and have stopped doing it after the first week on maintenence. I know the carbs that trigger off my weight gain so I avoid them but othewise I eat other carbs - within reason of course.

If I find that I put on weight, then I have a couple of carb free days then - just go back to refeed type foods and carb amounts and it goes again.

Museli - I love almost any type of museli but prefer the toasted one with lots of fruit and nuts. I probably have about 1/3 - 1/2 cup (not entirely sure as I dont measure it) of museli every day with either natural yogurt and a piece of fruit or with low fat milk. I never measure the milk anymore and have as much as I like. I always have the museli with breakfast and always after a decent portion of protein first - like 2 eggs or cottage cheese, etc.

I have been told that I eat alot since finishing Cohens - I have 3 really decent sized meals and don't bother with snacks. I find that if I eat any less or have less carbs than I do, I actually lose weight and start feeling quite sick.

Maintenence is not hard so don't stress too much about it - just introduce different foods slowly like in refeed and see how you go. You will soon discover what triggers off your weight gain and can avoid those foods on a day to day basis. That doesnt' mean you can never have them - you can still have them but just be aware of what they do and have a lower carb day the next meal/day. Just remember that everyone is different and while I can get away with a diet relatively high in carbs (compared to some other maintainers), it may not work for you so you need to see how your body reacts.

I can't really answer the question on exercise though as I really don't have any exercise program or regime and dont' find a huge amount of time for exercise.

Hope this helps.

Nat

[Hayley23]

This is such a great thread I would love to read from more successful maintainers and hear about what they eat on a typical day.

Nat, I have to admit I am a little surprised with how much you are eating on maintenance! Pleasantly surprised! Your body obviously agrees with what you are feeding it. The one thing that shocks me is the museli and dried fruit. I too love museli but kind of gave up on the idea that I would be able to get away with it. I also noticed you too have suffered from PCOS? I kind of expected that I would still have to be pretty rigid on maintenance because of that four letter word. I hope I fall into maintenance as well as you have! I'm almost at the stage for refeed so its a little way off yet.

[gab1969]

Thanks Nat.

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I have found the information you have provided both helpful and supportive. I'll give it a try. I am so conscious of and worried about what I am eating and the amounts, that at this point in time, not enjoying life after maintenance. I had many sceptics whilst on the program and don't want to be giving them the last laugh. I will succeed!

[Nat]

Hi Gab1969 and Hayley23,

Hayley 23 - I've sent you a PM about the PCOS thing.

Thanks for your congratulations Gab1969!

I did find that once I got to maintenence, I was scared of food! Of eating in general! A lot of people were waiting for me to stack all my weight back on again (and still are) because I did it in such a quick and "unconventional" way - not the usual eat less, have carbs and exercise your butt off.

But I know I'm not going to put the weight back on again now as I know the secret and I will follow those rules as I know they work for me.

Don't be scared of food and gaining weight. You also know the secret now and if a couple of kgs do creep on, then you know what to do. And a couple of kgs is so much easier to lose than 10 or 20 or 30kgs, etc.

Just keep on top of things but enjoy life as well. If you have a big food day one day, then even it out the next day by cutting back on the carbs and going back to refeed type foods.

Hope this helps.

Nat

[nicole]

I am really enjoying this thread even though I am far away from maintenece. It is really inspiring to see other people maintaining and eating "normally". This is now how I want to live and I dont plan on bindging after I finish. I want to be happy and healthy not over-weight and indulgent

xx Thanks again Nat for the insite!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Couldn't see retyping the same thing I just typed in the other thread:

http://newyouforum.com/forum/showpos...9&postcount=27

[fornight]

just wondering....I see a lot of egg whites in the previous posts and is wondering if there is anyone who eat more than 1 full egg each day? How many eggs can one eat in a week without affecting one's cholesterol? I love my egg yolks

[hope_ful]

hey fornight
i think its different for everyone, but i can eat an egg a day, sometimes 2 when im out for breaky on weekends, and then at home i make omelettes with one yolk and 3 or 4 whites, just to bulk it up. im not sure what my cholesterol is but apparently one egg a day is beneath the daily cholesterol limit and an old dietician of mine told me if u have one egg a day its ok. as long as you're fit and dont have cholesterol issues!!
xxx

[fornight]

Thanks for the reply. I really really like eggs. Whether it is hard boiled, soft boiled, scrambles or fried. Love Them!

[FlaMie]

To add to what everyone else has said.

It all depends on what eggs you are referring to. Chicken eggs are generally OK if you take 1 a day. However, quail eggs - though small... can't have more than 3 a day and should not be taken more than twice a week. That's what I've been told.