Snugglebear's Diary

[Snugglebear]

Greetings all (and thanks for reading)

I started Cohen's last Thursday. The belting headaches have gone, finally. I must have been very toxic. I must admit to not having any cravings or feeling hungry. I have a feeling that my body knows that I am trying to help it.

I have never eaten so much meat in my life. The hubby tells me that I have been actively avoiding protein for the whole time he has known me (19 years). When I think about it he is absolutely right!! I am not a real carnivour but I am finding it do-able. I even cooked a turkey last night.

I am going overseas in 5 weeks and it will be almost impossible to keep true to the Doctors wishes, but I will try my hardest. So guess what.............I will get to do the detox a second time..........yippeeee (not).

For the first time ever I am having my entire family to my house for Christmas and quite frankly I would like them to fall down in shock when they see me, I want to swim in front of family members and not worry about the dimplybum and the wobbly bits. How shallow am I??

I do have one little problem though. I am fine with my food but I am finding it hard cooking for the rest of the family. Roast potatos last night made to want to punch someone (or something) but I resisted. To this point I have not deviated, I have drunk all my water and I have not weighed myself. If I had done this and got not results I hate to think what I will do, deviate probably. So any ideas anyone?? for a girl too scared to actually get on the scales???

I look forward to hearing from you all and I will keep you posted.

Cheers

J

[Mette]

Hello Snugglebear, you're not shallow by any stretch of the imagination! It is natural to want to look good so you can feel confident and relaxed and enjoy being around others. I find weighing myself once a week helps, and the good results actually make me look forward to stepping on to the scales.

I don't actually have to cook for others (thank goodness) but my partners mother is a full fledged German woman who very rarely makes a meal without roast potatoes and lashings of gravy (and she is a fantastic cook!) For the first couple of days I found it helpful to not sit at the table with my partner's family to eat, because it felt like I was torturing myself. Over the two weeks that I've been on the program, it's become easier every day, and I am now at the point where I don't feel deprived and can eat with everyone else.

It does help so much to have a supportive partner too. Maybe your hubby could give you a hand in the kitchen? My partner helps me with cooking my meals and it's actually a good bonding experience, silly as that may sound.

I'm sorry, I'm yapping along in your dairy! I really just wanted to say welcome to the forum, there is a lot of support, help and advice to be got here. It really is a godsend! Good luck on your journey!

[SOON TO BE]

welcome, well done for not punching anyone over the roast spuds !! and good on you for not stepping on the scales. you will find lots of support here and I am sure will be looking great by christmas
Happy days
tara x

[thenewvee]

Hi Snugglebear

Welcome to the program and to the forum!

The key to having to cook for everyone else and yourself (separately) is about being organised. If you find roast potatoes really difficult, get everyone eating similar to you and only do them once in a while as a special treat for them and for when you are feeling more confident and a lot stronger.
By planning ahead with meals and being organised, especially with your own meals, it makes it easier not to fall into the deviation trap of grabbing something quick and easy. I know that if I really felt I was missing out on something nice while the others were having it, I had something I really liked, like a glass of sprite zero with some rooibos tea and nectarines pieces (when they were in season) or apple peices in it. Basically you need to work out some strategies that you can put in place if you find yourself in a difficult situation, and you have to decide which you want more, the food not on your plan, or the slim body!

When you have your head in the right place and have back up strategies, you can only succeed! Most of all, be kind to yourself and treat yourself like you would your best friend, cause afterall, you're only human, and humans do make mistakes, and if you do, then forgive yourself instead of beating yourself up about it! That way you can move on and get on with dropping those kgs!!

You will do great on the program!! Glad you are past the headache stage, from here on in it is a lot easier and you feel heaps better, especially as your clothes seem to be expanding!!!

Vee

[AlmostHappy]

Hi S Bear

I enjoyed chatting to you in the welcom part of the forum, so I just wanted to pop in by your diary and wish you the best of luck!

You crack me up about the snail races!

Look forward to following your race!

take care

H

[SuzieQ]

Hi Snugglebear (love the name),

The first week was very hard for me cooking for the family and watching hubby eat his chocolate etc, it made me so damn mad! I told him once to not flaunt eating chocolate infront of me as it wasn't fair. But like Mette said it does get easier as the days/weeks pass believe it or not. I actually bought my hubby chocolate on Sunday when I went to the shops without him asking for it, boy was he surprised.

I just sort of switch off now when he is eating something I can't, I used to sit and watch him eat and be really resentful but now I don't even notice what he's eating.

The scales are a bit scarey but if you weigh once a week I'm sure you will get nice losses. If you do it daily it could go up and down a bit.

Good luck!

Suzie.

[Annabelle Joy]

Welcome, Snugglebear. I agree with Mette re getting your husband to help in the kitchen if that is a possibility. Have him serve up the roast potatoes and other food that isn't on your diet.

In the extremely unlikely event that you get on the scales and have not lost anything the thing to do immediately is call your consultant for advice.

AJ

[Snugglebear]

Greetings

You gals are just great!!

My husband has offered to cook when I am finding things tricky, he is a very good boy. I am a touch picky with food anyway so I have decided that I will cook the boys things that I just don't like.....zero temptation and they are still getting fed. I have always cooked them things that I don't eat so nothing will have changed.

I am considering just not getting on the scales until the next blood test. I know that I am being a chicken AJ but I have been on this diet roundabout before, you be extra good and eat healthy and gained weight. I gained weight on Weight Watchers every week I was on it!!! And I was a gym bunny.

Part of my problem is that I have a very bad back. The extra weight isn't helping it and the existing pain stops the exercise that I used to love. The Cohens way I am hoping to lose the weight before the exercise begins again. I guess that is why I am really praying that Cohens works, and also why the thought of it not working terrifies me.

My boys are great. My son has agreed on no desserts except fruit. We went shopping today after we had cleaned out our cupboards. No one asked for cakes or biscuits, ice-cream or chocolate. Our trolley was full of fresh veg and fruit. Of course there was veg that is not on the list but my boys can't survive without broccoli.

Suzie - I had that chocolate thing worked out ages ago. I buy my hubbie dark chocolate that I hate, zero temptation. My son ( also loves dark chocolate.

Almost Happy - Love your style girl, and I loved our chat.

Vee - I am original fat machine, if its a carb I want it. I must admit that since day one on Cohens I haven't craved them at all. It was just the one that went past me, uneated, because my son was full, it was a crying shame to see it go, unloved and uneaten. My dog loved it!!!

Soon to be - My fingers are crossed for Christmas, most of the relatives haven't even seen my house yet. I will be drawing maps for them and guiding them in by mobile phone.

Mette - Thanks for your support. I am enjoying this forum alot and I am looking forward to hearing other peoples stories (yours included) but please NEVER EVER say potatoes and gravy to me ever again.

AJ - I love the fact that I could ring the girls and tell them if I haven't lost any weight, but I would be waiting for them to tell me that I am not doing something right (I have read the programme so many times it is not funny) . All my clothes are still feeling this same at the moment, I might wait until they start feeling loose. Strangely though I feel different inside, lighter perhaps, weird!!

I enjoyed catching up

Love you all

J

[Stoddy]

Hi Snugglebear . that is such a cute name !

I am going overseas in a couple of weeks and I have a meeting with my consultant for an hour and a half before I go cause she wants to run me over the do's .. and don'ts .. actually ... don't think there will be 'do's' .. but there will be some .. if you are going to .. then do this !! She pretty much wants to tell me what to definitely stay away from !!!

Might help to do something similar .. just to get a heads up !!

All the best on the program.. it is the BEST program in the world !! hehe

[Annabelle Joy]

Snugglebear, the right interval for weighing is whatever you are happy with, and that won't depress you if the results aren't as good as you like.

Keeping the whole family eating along Cohen lines will make everyone in the family healthier. My husband has lost about five kilos since I've been on Cohen's, and his tummy no longer bulges out over his belt. He loves Cohen food.

Cohen's really does work. The only proviso is that you must stay 100% for the best losses.

AJ

[Lilamay]

Hi Snuglebear,
Welcome to the diary. The best support you could have. Everyone here knows what you're going through and you get 100% support. I have never met a potato I didn't like and I haven't even been tempted to have one since I started. Must admit that I have had a couple of squares of chocolate. That is heaps less than I have skoffed at other times. The other thing I did crave was vegemite once or twice. That seems to be over now. I've been following Cohens for 3 weeks. After reading others diaries I am now determined to be 100% onprogram. I'm going O/S for 5 weeks in Oct/Nov and am dreading what I am going to be able to eat. I figure - enjoy the holiday without feeling guilty by making the best choices I can in the circumstances in which I will find myself. Avoid carbs and sugar as much as possible and limit alcohol and get organised to return to the program the minute I get on the plane to home.
Happy losing!

[Mette]

*giggles* I'm sorry Snugglebear, I promise I will never ever mention the unmentionables again

And don't you worry, the program will give you such a positive surprise if you stick with it. I couldn't help myself, so I weighed myself after a week. On other diets I'd be lucky to lose 300 grams in a week, so I almost cried with relief when I lost 3 kilos in the first week. Doesn't matter how often you weigh yourself. Your clothes won't start to feel looser till after about 2-3 weeks - at least that's how it's been for me. But then... mine were starting to feel very tight!

[Snugglebear]

For the avid reader, here is an update.

3.5kg down

Here is the bad part. My old scales only weighed in 500gr increments. So I decided to buy some new whizbang fancypants scales. I don't like them at all. Dammit, they are obviously more accurate than the old ones and they showed me gaining weight again. I have decided to studiously ignore them until I get back from KL and then they will be the ones I use.

At the moment it is about loss not weight.

Well, I still have not deviated at all but after work on Friday (a big day) I was feeling abit cranky and hungry, not a good combo. The hubby tried to help but I am not sure that he believed that doing too much can make you hungry. The important thing is that he believes me now!!

For those of you who are interested I am sick of turkey. I cooked one and have been eating it for what seems like months. I have only been on Cohens for 11 days.

I haven't figured out how to change my ticker yet so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Catchya

J

[LessisMore]

Well done with the 3.5kg loss

For what it's worth, my whizbang fancy pants scales that I bought when my old faithfuls died are much less reliable - that is, they seem to fluctuate much more. I keep weighing myself till I get the same reading twice, or until they stop telling me I've lost 3kg in 1 day (if only, but I know it's not true) - and that's on the same level surface, and with my feet in the same place. I know AJ has an even more elaborate routine to try and get an accurate weight from hers.

Can you freeze your turkey? So that you can mix up your proteins a bit - gets a bit tedious otherwise. Ziplock bags and my freezer are my best friends - apart from the water tap of course.

LiM

[AlmostHappy]

Hi Snugglebears

Good on you for loosing 3.5kgs! Fabulous.
The scales can be tricky and do your head in, be strong!

Take care
H

[thenewvee]

Congrats Snugglebear!!

3.5kgs is a great loss! You are well on your way!

As you settle into the swing of things, so too will the weighing settle in, and while it may see as if you've gained, the losses will continue, especially as you are doing so well and staying deviation free!

Vee

[Annabelle Joy]

Good loss, Snugglebear. Very motivating isn't it?

I bought wizz bang new scales also, then discovered they are less reliable than the ones I was trying to replace.

To change your ticker, click on it and it will take you to the site. Log on, change your weight and click Next. That's all you need to do.

AJ

[Snugglebear]

Thanks AJ, I think I have my ticker fixed now (thanks to you).

Thank you everyone for your support. I was pretty chuffed and I am ignoring the new scales until after the holiday.

The turkey is gone!!

I also tried some balsamic in my chicken mince last night. Threw in some cabbage and ate it all wrapped in lettuce leaves. YUMMMMM. I don't like the smell of the balsamic vinegar but it adds some much yearned for flavour.

I have found a yoghurt that is nice Yoplait Natural - mild and creamy - 98% ff. So all is happy for breakfast.

Life is good in the Cohen world.

Catchya

J

[ropemaha]

hi snuggle,

how funny, you and i have a lot in common. i didnt eat much meat before cohens either, and when i read what you wrote about 'avoiding' protein i think that would probably fit me as well.

i also had 35kgs to lose.

i also have boys, and i also have a hubby who took a while to get his head around the no exercise part.

i also went through a whole dillema about ' to weigh or not to weigh'. i started off dead against it, read up on the whole psychological advantages of not weighing, and to cut a very long and somewhat tedious story short, i ended up weighing daily and still do most days without too much emotional turmoil. its funny what you learn on this program.

i also had to go on holiday a few weeks into it. it was a 5 week summer break and it was difficult. i kept to the food as best i could and then when i got home, as soon as i walked in the door, i cooked a proper meal. i even managed to lose a couple of kgs over that time, which had never happened to me on a holiday at any time in my life. i was thrilled.

i also started off with scales that were underweighing me...by four kilos....i was a bit peeved about that as well, but i was over it pretty quick once the weight started dissolving....

i also started off 'praying' it would be the answer....it was.

i went from 102kgs to 68kgs in five months. it would have been quicker if i hadnt deviate once or twice....

just have faith and 'do the time' it takes and you will also be thrilled at the results.

penny

[Snugglebear]

Hey Ropemaha,

It was so nice to hear that I am not the only one with these foibles. I have faith in the programme but to hear that you did it just makes my day.

I have spent the morning searching for recipes and getting organised so I can add a little variety to my food.

My Dad keeps asking me how its going. I had to tell him yesterday that things were just the same as last Thursday. I think he thinks I am jumping on the scales every 5 minutes. If only he knew......

I must also add good people that I am farting way less than I was before. OK some of you probably didn't need to know that but I felt the need to share.

Catchya

J