I'm on the way

janine · #1 30-06-2008, 21:44

I've had my 4 week blood test and asked for Refeed. Is that a record? I feel like a bit of a cheat, but I only had 11kg to lose!

The Cohen's programme has ticked off every health problem that I have ever had - irritable bowel, high blood pressure, low blood sugar, cravings, hunger, anxiety/depression (I have gone off the last bit of the anti-depressants). It hugely improved my mood and I was happy, happy, happy! I loved it.

However, since I asked for Refeed, I am now hungrier and thinking about food more (I've heard that is normal) but my mood has deteriorated - I'm cranky! I hate it. Life was so good.

A couple of factors might influence this - I had a mega stressful work week last week and my husband capped it off by going away for work, leaving me with 2 young children. I busted my boiler.

Thursday night I woke up with a sore throat so am slowly working my way through the throat to nose symptoms.

TOM due on Friday.

I feel irritable, verging on minor panic attacks (after feeling extemely confident on Cohens), short tempered, weak and tired.

So, does anyone think this is because I am ready for Refeed or just all of the above?

Bally · #2 30-06-2008, 22:02

All of the above - I'm in the same boat - I have about 4kg to go before I can order refeed and I'm so hungry I'm eyeing off the bugs on the windscreen. I managed to not eat any crispbreads or fruit until after lunch (mainly because I was shopping!) but I'm really struggling with the food. I'm even being tempted by things I don't normally eat pre-Cohens. I'm wearing my cranky-pants (even though I'm hiding it well, according to my colleagues) and I'm thinking about food heaps. Funny thing is, the most exciting thing I can think of doing is having an extra crispbread or piece of fruit! I've got through the last 6 months without deviating, so I don't want to start now.

Good luck!

Annabelle Joy · #3 30-06-2008, 22:11

That's a great list of improvements, Janine. Congratulations on that amazingly short diet time.

I think the mood is a combination of both the stresses you've had and probably also being ready for refeed.

Bally, if you're eying off the bugs on the windscreen, I think that qualifies as being ready for refeed now. Contact your clinic and tell them. You're ready for refeed when your body tells you it's hungry, not when you reach some arbitrary number. Yours is telling you now. You should not try to lose the other 4 kilos as you are setting yourself up for failure.

AJ

janine · #4 30-06-2008, 22:27

Bally I know what you mean about the crispbread and fruit. For me it is fruit and vegetables. From the beginning, I have hated weighing out vegetables that have been unlimited on any other diet.

It's worked so I can't complain but moving on will be good.

My mood has improved today - husband home so I left him with the children this morning and got to work early. Had a nice day getting organised after the trail of mess I left behind me last week (I was having to think of ways to place higher priorities on Priority No. 1s).

However, I did gain .8kg over the weekend which was a first. I hadn't deviated except that I had to guess the amount of my steak and salad when out on Saturday night (my one and only meal out on the diet that I hadn't provided). I thought I did well but maybe not.

kagiesen · #5 01-07-2008, 19:57

Janine and Bally

nearly there! I have said this many times on the forum: hunger is not pleasant, but whether or not you go on refeed is a matter of whether or not you are where you want to be. Loosing weight later is so much more difficult, so think about it long and hard. It never harms to order refeed and have it lying at home until you feel: I really can't stand this any longer.

There are just many levels of hunger, and if the hunger still depends on how busy you are, on distractions, ie is less when you're busy, I think you can still go some more, if you are not where you want to be yet.

Only if you are basically hungry all day even when you are distracted and busy and uplifted, then I think you're hungry enough to start refeed.

Again: all this only if you are not quite where you want to be yet.

Cheers

Katrin

janine · #6 01-07-2008, 21:41

Thanks Katrin. I was where I wanted to be when I ordered Refeed last week - 60.6kg and my goal weight is 57-60kg. I dropped to 60.1kg the next day and all looked good but by Monday I was 60.9! I haven't gained at all during the programme so it was a shock and made me think that I might have to delay my Refeed once I get it. That's a pain, because it was timing well for a school holiday trip with the family to stay with friends in Melbourne. I thought that I might have been able to be a bit more sociable.

I had dropped back to 60.6kg today so here's hoping that it keeps sinking this week.