Donzie's Diary

Donzie · #1 12-11-2015, 15:06

Finally, picked up my program today and jumped on the scale while I was there - Starting weight 102.6kg - not impressed to have broken through to triple digits, but hey, that's why I'm here, to not be in the triple digits, right.

I've decided to officially start my plan on the 23rd (12 days from now). I've had a weekend trip planned for months and while I don't plan to go crazy I want to enjoy it, along with a glass of wine. Also, it gives me more time to really grasp this diet (lifestyle) and ease into it a bit. It's pretty extreme, comparatively, and I've never come close to staying on any diet 6 months before.

Unofficially I have been eating Cohens(ish) for around 5 days now i.e.(breakfast: 1 egg, 90g mushrooms, Lunch: 110g chicken 110g veg, Dinner same as Lunch, 6 crisp breads, and two fruit. and 3L of water) and let me tell you, that first day was not good. I even checked the back of the enrolment form to see if I could get out of it via the 'cooling off' clause. Too late, I'd done the blood test...Damn it!

Then I found this forum.

Reading about others journey to hell and back (aka, first week on the EP) made me convinced I could at least give it a go. Geez...I once spent 16 weeks eating nothing but vegan raw food - surely, I can do this!

So, so far, it hasn't been too bad. Mild headaches the first day, but I'm definitely sleeping better and while (lets be honest) it's bugger all food, I have experienced something I don't think I have ever experienced before in my life - Eating until you no longer feel hungry, then stopping. Yep, it's true, I did not know what that felt like. Sure, I have read about it before, but actually done it myself, never, not once. I can only liken it to a feeling of being in 'Neutral' after eating, I'm neither hungry nor full. I've kind of found it rather fascinating, how can I eat this teeny, tiny, little barbie doll's size meal and be done. Who'd have thought?

Anyway, I don't want to get too ahead of myself here, 5 days, does not a 'lifestyle change' make! I'm not 35kg overweight (goal is somewhere between 63 -66kg apparently ...yeah right.) because I like to eat largish meals. I got this way, due to snacking on sweet sugary things, particularly after dinner on the couch while watching Masterchef (Also insert, My kitchen Rules, Great Aussie Bake off, Jamie Oliver, Nigella, etc etc) I love food and watching TV about people who love food. Perhaps the answer is to get rid of the TV?

Did, I mention I'm a 80% Stay-At-Home-Mum (two boys aged 2 and 6 years) 20% freelance Designer/Artist. So really I have no excuse. I control the cooking, the shopping, the menus. I can't blame deviating on 'manic work schedules' and 'forced to eating out all the time' (although I might try to occasionally.) Nope, I have it lucky from that respect.

But it has recently occurred to me that my littlest one, the two year old, is about 12-13kgs and I'm carrying around two of him as extra body weight EVERYDAY! It's bloody heavy carrying him around for 5 mins. And I have two of him strapped permanently to my frame. No wonder I am exhausted by 6pm. No wonder my feet ache so badly at night that I can hardly walk. Sorry, but these two toddlers need to get off Mummy. Mummy is done carrying you.

So, that leaves me here today, excited, scared, hopeful, sceptical, but mostly ready to start a journey somewhere new. I wanna get off the fat train.

Thanks for being a part of it.

allie_82 · #2 12-11-2015, 16:29

Good on you Donzie!! Sounds like you are in the right head space to start this AMAAAAZING journey!!

Having lost 60 kilos (I have gained 6 on maintenance but am working on ditching it again) I can personally vouch that this program WILL work as long as you follow the 'golden rules'!

I too thought my goal weight of 60-63kgs was NEVER going to happen and I didn't get all the way there but got to with 2-3kgs of it... starting my journey at 125 kilos I had never in my life dreamed that I would get on the scales and see a 7 at the start of my weight let alone a 6... but I made it... so have faith in yourself and and faith in DR Cohen's Program and I am sure you will be blown away by your results!!

I cannot wait to follow you on your journey to slim!!

Allie

Tannalee · #3 12-11-2015, 17:47

hey Donzie!!

Giving yourself some time before you start is a good idea. Read and re-read and go shopping! Enjoy your last weekend off and have a glass of wine for me hahahahahaha I joined friends last night. They were drinking away merrily and I was supping a diet coke. Kept having to touch my tummy to remind myself why I was doing this!!

I dont know how you did 16 weeks on a raw food vegan diet......I think that is hell compared to Cohens hahahaha you are going to do so well!!

Cant wait to get to know you!

Donzie · #4 13-11-2015, 17:29

Urgh.......so hungry today. This is day 6 and it's a struggle I must confess.

I spent the day cooking for my family, hubby is having a meal made in the slow cooker so the house smells of all the food I won't be eating tonight.

It's not all bad. I went to the supermarket this morning and bought this small little bottle of gourmet balsamic vinegar it was on special reduced from $9.95 to $7.00 next to other bottles double the size and half the price - it better be good that's all I can say.

I headed down to the butcher and bought two grass fed, aged, eye fillets - small little medallions of meat really and headed home ready to make lunch.

OMG! The meat was sublime, truly to die for and the vinegar - best $7 I've spent on condiments EVER. No one was home to see me so I licked the bowl shamelessly.

I'm finding breakfast very easy. In fact I don't normally eat breakfast so an egg and a couple of mushrooms is more than enough. I'm also a black coffee fiend - so breakfast is a breeze. By lunch I'm starting to feel a bit hungry so lunch is always a treat, but by 5.00pm I'm ready to eat my children.

My very tight size 18 jeans were not quite so tight today they actually stayed where they are suppose too instead of sliding down under my tummy. So I guess that is something.

Wishing everyone a nice weekend.

Tannalee · #5 13-11-2015, 18:02

Its hard to cook 2 meals every night but you are already feeling better in your jeans whoop whoop

Your first week is nearly done!! We are just 2 days apart in our days. Today is day 8 for me!!

Have a great weekend! Be strong x

rettstar · #6 14-11-2015, 00:00

Really good work Donzie.

Hubby helps me with the cooking so he eats the same vegies as me and we cook at the same time. It helps he cooks stuff I hate, like Pork.

You're doing great so keep it up!

Fuzzy · #7 14-11-2015, 18:06

Good steak is mouth watering.

Before you realise it the weight will be falling off.

Donzie · #8 15-11-2015, 09:17

Well that's my first week done. Jumped on the scales and very happy. 7 days ago I was 104 kg but this morning I was 99.8 kg, so that's a 4.2kg loss. I'll take that, thank you very much.

Yesterday was a good day diet wise. I popped down to see my Mum in hospital (Mum fell on Tuesday night and broke her hip) it's been a very stressful week worrying about her, but while still in excruciating pain, surgery (which went well) is behind her and she is in good spirits.

When we returned from the hospital I had lunch (tuna salad) then we dropped kids off at hubby's mums house and attended an auction on an apartment we hoped to buy. As you can imagine adrenaline was running high and food and cravings were the last thing on my mind. We were unsuccessful at auction to someone with far deeper pockets than us *sigh* - back to the drawing board, again.

It took me a few hours to recover from all the excitement and disappointment, but the day flew and it was time to eat dinner before I knew it. Due to lunch being so nice I had tuna salad again with an apple added from fruit allowance. Was nice but think I was a little too heavy handed with the balsamic dressing. Forgot about the crisp breads today.

Was up several times during the night to pee. I wonder if this will be a common theme throughout my 6 months.

Clothes are definitely feeling looser and looking in the mirror my body does look like someone has let some air out. Have spent my free time reading diaries' of previously successful Cohenites and hope I too can get to week 13, 18 or 24 like them.

My head even at this early stage is more focussed on 'maintenance' as I know this will be my most difficult of all challenges. I'm trying to think of the EP as just a short but necessary step towards maintenance and not give it the starring role in this journey IYKWIM.

I've also been thinking about a few weight goals that have personal significance to me:

92 kg - was my once highest high which prompted a 4 month calorie reduction diet in 2010 - I ended up losing 11kg but put it all back on and an additional 12kgs (23kgs in total).

85kg - was my weight before I got pregnant with my first in 2009.

96kg - was my weight before I got pregnant with my second in 2013.

81kg - is the lightest I've been since having children (it was a brief stint at this weight).

72kg - was my weight for most of my of my twenties. I was a comfortable size 12 and with regular jogging found this weight easy to maintain. Although in retrospect my eating patterns weren't great - abstaining / binging cycle.

62kg - all time lowest low as an adult due to very restrictive raw food diet. People around me were very concerned and thought I had an eating disorder. I couldn't sustain this type of diet long term and when the wheels fell off the lost weight returned very quickly.

65kg - is the goal weight Cohen's have set me. Not sure yet how I feel about this. Will I be comfortable at this weight? Or will I seek a higher weight unconsciously? This weight feels like a fairytale right now.

Well I guess that is enough ramblings for now.

Fuzzy · #9 15-11-2015, 23:58

Awesome first week D

Well done!

Lol, That's lots of thoughtful ramblings there.

Tannalee · #10 16-11-2015, 19:09

WOOOHOOOOO 4kgs thats awesome! Well done!!

Donzie · #11 17-11-2015, 12:03

Day 10 today, and feeling PISSED OFF!

Not with anything/anyone specific just ALL things and EVERYONE generally.

Lets see, it would appear the scales are desperate to get back to triple digits when I jumped on this morning. Sure if I breathe in and lean backwards they drop to 99.9kg momentarily but otherwise 100.2kg is their preferred number. How can this be? I know plateaus occur from time to time, but 10 days in - give me a break.

Also, this weekend I'm suppose to go away with some girlfriends, and now it's here I don't want to go.
I'm just getting into the rhythm of this eating plan and want to stay put where I know I will have the best chance of not deviating. I know I originally made allowances for this weekend away, officially deciding to start when I return, but now I'm unofficially 10 days into it I don't want to chuck it in. What to do, what to do?

Mum has been moved to a rehab hospital and is struggling and tearful. She was enjoying the company of her room mate at the original hospital and is now in a room alone. Poor dear, I hate seeing her like this.

My 6yo told me this morning that I am a “Mean Mum”. Which makes me think a couple of days away from the family might be a good thing - ha ha.

I could go away and stay on plan? What would be the worst thing that could happen? I’d be labelled a “party pooper” perhaps. I can live with that.

Donzie · #12 17-11-2015, 12:50

Just thinking about reasons why the scales aren't moving.

Am drinking 3L plus each day - tick.
Am staying true to Plan - my steak last night did weigh 122grams rather than 120grams - surely not a biggie?

Vitamins - am using my old 'Blackmores Pregnancy Gold- vanilla flavour' which were in the cupboard, and on closer inspection are 6 months out of date. Still seems an unlikely culprit - but possibly not.

Also taking a couple of Vitamin D capsules.

Not drinking soft drinks yet, but have been drinking 3 black coffees per day - all allowed right.

Haven't started measuring yet, think I need to get onto it. Perhaps the scales aren't really the best indicator of what's really happening.

Am determined to keep going. Generally I am feeling good and not starving anymore. I haven't had the urge to snack after dinner - which is a minor miracle really. All in all so far one of the better diets I've been on energy wise.
I love that it takes 8 mins to prepare and cook my meals and the strict guidelines are more helpful than a hindrance for someone like me.

Just a thought, I've been using a lot of those pre washed salad bags you get from the supermarket mostly for convenience, I have heard of people being sensitive to the solution the leaves are washed in? Could this be a possible culprit. God, I hope not I love those bags.

Anyway, am not giving in yet!

allie_82 · #13 17-11-2015, 15:31

Hi Donzie,

The scales can be our enemy if we weigh ourselves too often... our bodies have all sorts of hormonal changes everyday which can effect our weight... try and only weigh once a month at least for the first few months... it is hard to refrain from stepping on the scales but it will be worth it!!

Also get onto your cms... be sure to measure in the same place every week, I used beauty marks on my thigh and arm and a scar on my tummy as a guide for where the tape measure should go each time. For me the cms were a bigger deal than weight... when my clothes started getting looser and I had to buy smaller sizes was when I could really see that I was truly changing

It might be an idea to get some different vitamins, I use the Blackmores sustained release multi + antioxidents which my clinic recommended... some vitamins contain sugars which may have an impact...? Maybe the vanilla flavour might not be the best for this program...?

Try not to be too disheartened by the slight increase on the scales... it is only 400 grams... maybe you need to go to the toilet... haha? Also one thing I found with scales is you should always have them in the same place when you weigh, if the floor is not level or something it can have an effect on what the scales show... just keep sticking to your EP and you will do amazingly!!

I look forward to hearing your next update

allie

allie_82 · #14 17-11-2015, 15:36

If I could make one other suggestion about your weekend away... try and stick to your plan! For me personally when I went off plan 'just for one day' I found it very difficult to get back on track... if you do decide to start again when you get back try and stay as close to plan as you can when you are away... in the end the decision is yours

I hope you have a great time away - sometimes a break from the everyday is all we need to refresh the mind & body

Allie

Tannalee · #15 17-11-2015, 18:22

WOW Allie....firstly let me just say your weight loss is AMAZING!!!

Donzie kick those scales away. Before you know it they will be dictating to you how you are going to feel during the day. My consultant told me to hide mine away until the 1st month is up. I am going to listen to her now and stay away! Also measure yourself. I am going to do measurements again tomorrow and see the differance from 2 weeks ago!

Its quite amazing to have the hunger stop. I never thought it would happen! I also felt very anti social but am forcing myself to go out. I miss my friends! GO but prepare all your food!

From what I can tell there is no limit on coffee! Thankfully!

Have a great day!

Winterboots · #16 18-11-2015, 06:47

Check the B6 in your vitamins. I remember that was the most important one to be aware of the quantity. I cant remember off hand what it is but it needs to be low.
WB

rettstar · #17 19-11-2015, 20:31

Donzie! everyone is giving you awesome advice - try and stick to your plan. You will have a hell if a time with sugar headaches :/

Enjoy your weekend!!

Donzie · #18 20-11-2015, 14:57

I'm doing it!

I'm going away and STICKING TO PLAN. I have my meals worked out, vitamins and griddle pan packed, a cute little egg cup for my morning boiled egg and even my preferred salt and pepper. I'm doing it!

Thanks everyone for your advise I appreciate it immensely. Sunday will be the start of my third week, and no one and I mean no one is stopping me.

I've come down with an awful head cold so I'm planning on resting and lazing about this weekend, something which is hard to achieve with a 2 and a 6 yo at home. I'm talking coffee and a plunger and some magazines to complete my relax fest.

Actually, since beginning this diet I'm finding I'm ready for bed a lot earlier than usual, and sleeping better too. I think the girls are planning on going out for dinner tomorrow night, so I'm not sure if I will eat before hand and just take a piece of fruit with me or bring my meal and ask the restaurant to heat it up for me. Will see on the day.

Today, I made for lunch the feta and cauliflower soup - O - M - G. Hard to believe it is Cohen friendly, it was too delicious and filling.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a lovely weekend and look forward to hearing how you all went.

P.S. I jumped on the scales this morning 98.4kg (I.5kg loss) Woooo Hoooo!

P.P.S. I admire people who can go a month without weighing, but I'm just not one of them.

Tannalee · #19 20-11-2015, 17:40

YOU CAN DO IT!!! Your preparation is awesome. Imagine how amazing you are going to feel on Monday when you have pulled off your first weekend away on plan!! I wait with bated breath to see your loss on Monday. Have an AMAZING time!!

I am also in bed really early these days and I am going to try the feta and cauliflower soup this weekend!

Have FUN!!

Fuzzy · #20 22-11-2015, 00:14

Have fun! Keep strong.