Kristine's 2017 Diary

[manilamommy]

Great job, Kristine! Less than 13 kg to go!! Fantastic!
I used to have issues with those snack intervals/ meal times etc. And you know what, I found it easier to bunch my crispbread with my meals. (No snacks). And that made it simpler.
Good to hear you are enjoying work, "new" clothes, bright outfits and cooler weather!
Cheers, MM.

[Kohinoor]

Hi Kristine,

Wow, look at you GO !!!

The daily chip, chip, seems like nothing much to us, but 12.2 kilo weighs as much as a two year old child that I am no longer carrying around – when someone hasn’t seen me for a few weeks, the change will be noticeable!

You got that in one !! Try picking up even a 10Kg bag of spuds or something - that is a serious amount of excess baggage that you have set down !! Woohoo.

Pretty much two dress sizes, isn't it? Mike will not know you !!

Rock on, Kristine, you star !

Koh

[Kristine..]

Dear Diary

Saturday 8th April
Day 68: Late Week Ten
Start: 87.70. Today: 75.1 Kilo. Loss to Date: 12.6 kilo
Less than 12.6 kilos to Goal!

HALF WAY TODAY!

Well, folks, 12.6 kilo down, 12.6 kilo to go!

How sweet it is!

I met Mike at the train station on Thursday wearing a pair of Miller’s jeans which last saw light of day when we did the 2013 trip to England. I have a pix of me wearing these jeans at the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial Park, Auckland, 8th March, 2013.

It felt strange at first to be wearing something that actually fit me and which made me look slim, but these jeans really are The Best, always felt remarkably comfortable and quite soon I felt pretty nifty indeed!

Considering that I am now developing Telephonist’s Bottom, the jeans are able to conceal the somewhat squared off shape of my derrière quite well!

I shall celebrate the half way mark by enjoying a pizza for lunch!

Note to Self: Why do we always celebrate with food? I was going to have pizza today (Saturday) anyway, why now make a simple recipe of mozzarella, veg & Salada into a festive meal???

Because it tastes so darned good, and good food does not have to be a health hazard, is why!

And I shan’t even miss not having a glass of to go with it. Water will do just fine, thanks, Waiter!

***
Thanks Koh for looking in, I appreciate your endless enthusiasm!

Thanks MM, I agree about the crispbread but the 2017 Program has visited so many crispbread upon me (150% of 2006 Program), and with the No More Than 2 Crispbread, At Least 2&Half Hours Apart rule, I have to work my way through the daily quota by having some crispbread at every meal and snack. I usually have Ryvita as the ‘meusli’ part of Meal 1: Yoghurt & Fruit, then Vita Weat with the apple snack, then Salada with Meal 2, then more Vita Weat as the next snack and finally, Salada or a Rice Cake with Meal 3. I finish eating with the fruit as part of Meal 3, then there is about twelve hours until breakfast and I am sure this long fast is helping with the weight loss and quality of sleep.

I am yet to experience the joys of Night Shift, but so far I am managing to eat with the same pattern regardless of the time of work shift. I think it all turns on preparing the meal in advance so that when it’s time to eat, the meal is ready. I picked up an extra shift yesterday with no trouble at all, because I had cooked the chicken (salad) the night before, so all I had to do was pack and go.

I am not the most organised person in the world so having this extra bit of structure imposed on me is undoubtedly helping me to get my act together across the board.

Well, here’s to releasing the next two year old Inner Child, this next 12.6 kilo will be a walk in the park!

Lotsa love
Kristine

[starry]

Congrats for being on the halfway mark Kristine!! I love reading your dairy. You are an inspiration

Starry

[Kristine..]

Dear Diary

Monday 17th April
Day 77: Start of Week 11
Start: 87.70. Today: 73.1 Kilo. Loss to Date: 14.6 kilo
Less than 10.6 kilos to Goal!

AMAZING!

Well, folks, Today is the start of Week 11 and isn’t this Program just amazing?!?

My new job involves sitting. And making phone calls. But mainly, just sitting.

By the end of each day my legs feel as if I have forgotten them! But more importantly, over the past 11 weeks I have lost 14.6 kilos of fat, with no deliberate exercise and all the while working in a sedentary job!

Of course, I try and go for a walk when I get home. This is not always possible but I do aim for at least five days and it is not a brisk walk, it is a happy amble, breathing fresh air, looking at the sky, the clouds, the birds n the bees, a gentle stroll for about 1 & half klm … about a mile in the old distance!

So don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t lose weight without punishing yourself, running on treadmills, paying expensive gym fees, burning up precious family and personal time in the pursuit of losing a few ounces through sweat and pain.

I consider myself to be a healthy person and I do enjoy a walk, but I work and have a family and a house and I don’t have any interest in flinging myself about, getting all hot and sweaty …. Yet, Cohen’s continues to deliver amazing results just through the Food being my Medicine and all I have to do, is to follow the instructions and look what happens!

When I did 2006 Cohen’s I was surprised how hostile many people were when they learned not only about the weight loss, but that the Program actually dissuaded exercise.

'How can that be?' Many people asked ‘How can you be losing weight without exercise?’.

This Program challenges what we think we know about weight loss and weight management. This Program explodes myths that we take for granted as truth, yet here we are, losing weight while just minding our own business!

Sure, I will probably take up some form of daily exercise when I finish the Program – the Daily Dozen, perhaps – but only for a bit of toning and flexibility, nothing more than that.

I might take up something fun like jazz ballet, or join the local Walk & Talk group, but anything more than that I just won’t stick to. I know myself too well!

Nope, wandering about after work for a half hour or fourty minutes is about my lot. I enjoy being outside (in short bursts!) and a walk to the supermarket or to check the PO Box holds my interest. Anything more than that steals time from my other pursuits and responsibilities.

Anyway, I get sunburnt hanging out the washing. Wouldn’t want to overdo it, mind, and I certainly wouldn’t want to make myself hungry.

So with less than 11 kilo to go, I rummaged around in my orphan sock drawer, and found my Hollywood Hip Hugger!!! Ta Da!!

Yes, this wonderful little gadget https://www.priceline.com.au/hollywo...ger-black-1-ea certainly helps with the slipping jeans syndrome. I find full waist belts to be a bit bulky but the HHH clips around the back of the pants and the front is not cluttered up with belts and buckles …. Very efficient!

I figure if I can string the size 16 elastic waist pants along for a while longer I may not have to buy anything until much closer to goal.

Quite a few of the size 18 tops are now on their way to the Op Shop. I bought these during the summer but won’t get to wear them now. I needed loose cut tops because of The Bulge, now, they look like I am wearing someone else’s clothes!

Thanks, Starry, for looking in. I feel a bit of a party pooper right now, I am not as active on the Board as I would like to be. However, I do feel that I am coming to grips with the new job and once I am up to speed I will be able to participate more here.

Off to bed now …. This going to bed at a reasonable time is still new to me. The habit of a lifetime is that of late nights, but right now I am working day shift and this means early rising, something I am certainly not very good at!

Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!

Lotsa love
Kristine

[Kohinoor]

Hi Kristine,

Seems to me like you must be BUSY alright !! Hope all is going well. I am thinking back, and I think I recall "about 1 Kg a week, regular as clockwork" was your usual pattern. and, though we aren't hearing from you, your ticker has seen changes, so I reckon you are still going, right?

And if, by some strange chance you are struggling a bit, here are a couple of threads that might just give you a leg up once more.

I'm not sure you need these at all, as you typically seem like the Energiser Bunny, but I figured "Though Kristine might not need to hear(read) this, someone else reading her diary maybe can do with reading them" - so here goes:-

http://newyouforum.com/forum/showthr...900#post360900
Motivation

http://newyouforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5249
Physical gains from doing Cohens - apart from the weight loss

Hope they help.... someone,

Hugs,
Koh

[Kristine..]

Dear Diary

Tuesday 23rd May
Day 113: Early Week 17
Start: 87.70. Today: 69.20 Kilo. Loss to Date: 18.5 kilo
Less than 7 kilos to Goal!

LESS THAN SEVEN KILOS TO GO!


Hello Koh

Thanks for the post

Yes, I am struggling a bit .... but with time, not with the program!

Despite the Nephew's Wedding (two weeks ago) , and our own Birthdays last week, I have still managed to drop about 1 kilo each and every week

I have just completed 16 weeks on the program and have dropped from 87.7 kg - 69.2 kg, a total loss of 18.5 kilo over that time.

I feel very good and even though there is still a Belly Bag, it is a much smaller bag now and over the last week or so, has become surprisingly lumpy!

This is no doubt due to the uneven lipo-suction of the body as it draws on these fat reserves

I look quite different standing up than when sitting down .... that bag, you know ... but I got a lot of surprised looks on late afternoon shift this week when I entertained them all by lifting my jumper and proudly showing off the multi-coloured braces now required to hold my jeans up!

All my clothes now look as if they belong to someone else - except for the size 12 brightly coloured multi layered Roxanne 'Uluru' outfit I wore to the Wedding, and the size 12 full skirted Charlie Brown dress I wore to the Reception, which fitted perfectly.

So yes, one foot in front of the other, one kilo each week, I am at the stage when staying on Cohen's for the rest of my life would be the easy option, I am in the groove and enjoying every bite of every meal.

It's all good and I am rostered off for the next four days so Koh, you may have spoken too soon .... I have done the tax and once I get these three broking worksheets out of the way (and a bit of an amble along the beach perhaps) I will come back and actually make a literary contribution to the board!

Hope everyone is going well. As of this morning's ticker, I have less than 7 kilo to go!

Lotsa love
Kristine

[Kohinoor]

except for the size 12 brightly coloured multi layered Roxanne 'Uluru' outfit I wore to the Wedding, and the size 12 full skirted Charlie Brown dress I wore to the Reception, which fitted perfectly.

Awesome !! And I bet you had a huge smile on your face because you were wearing something that FITS and looks great - YOU would have looked great too, I'm sure.



Not long to go now until you are back in those Size 10's (and maybe even the occasional 8?). Tick, tick, tick......

You SOUND great - but then, when did you NOT? I don't recall such a time, except perhaps when you were describing "how to gain 15 Kg in no time flat by staring a franchise".... and by then, you were already safe in the arms of Doc Cohen and sounding pumped.

Rock on, wee girl !!
Hugs,
Koh

[AZ1908]

Congratulations Kristine!!!

You are doing so well. Let's hope I can channel your self-control and stick it out this time!!!

[Kristine..]

Dear Diary

Wednesday 31st May
Day 121: Mid Week 18
Start: 87.70. Today: 68.30 Kilo. Loss to Date: 19.4 kilo
Only than 5.8 kilos to Goal!

LESS THAN SIX KILOS TO GO!


G'Day All

Today I thought I would write a little poetry to explain how I feel at this point in the Program:

Ode to a Ticker

Oh, to seek that fateful Ticker
That Ticker, which most welcome yet
That once upon a morning soon
Will show me that my weight is set
Fear not that the guage doth slow
Fear not that the time doth drag
Nor seem to wearily go
Slowly, slowly, on the chart
When weighing all but me, I start
To question this long, Cohen’s, lark
But yet! Upon that fateful morn,
I do, yes I do see
When I have done my morning
That hark! That guage does groan and show
A drop in weight before I go
Tripping on to Me-al One
And know that surely and none too soon
That Ticker will show 19 kilo lost,
With less than six more, now, to go!


And suddenly, I am nearing Goal!

Thanks Koh and AZ1908 for looking in. No matter what we do in our lives, it is all a foot step at a time, a mouthful at a time ... I walk along the beach and look at all those individual grains of sand, all those single grains which together, make up what we know as 'the beach'. A collective noun, if ever I heard one!

And, our weight is also a collective noun.

We speak of 'my' weight. I own this collection of weights, they are mine.

But unlike fat cells which never degrade, which never leave us, our weight can and does leave us.

So my weight, the weight which I own, is 19.4 kilo less now than 30th January, my official Start Date.

But I am all the more for actually being less.

Losing 20 or so kilo is about the only value added loss I can think of. And let me tell you, when I look at the scales, when I look at my Ticker, suddenly, right now, I am overwhelmed at losing this much weight in such a short period of time.

19.4 kilos gone, in 121 days. Not bad, eh!

By the end of June I will be in refeed, and while the weight loss will then be finished, the shrinking will have only just begun!

But, that's the subject for another post.

In the meantime, let me practice my Ode to a Ticker .....

Once upon a cyber space
A little Ticker showed the way ....

OK, night for now, got afternoon shift tomorrow = early breakfast so that I can eat lunch before I go, so off to get my eight hours now.

Now let me see, what rhymes with Ticker???

Lotsa love
Kristine

[Kohinoor]

Now let me see, what rhymes with Ticker???

LIQUOR

Flicker

Monicker (a crook accent though.... )

Bicker !!

Knicker(s)


Hope that helps.....

Koh

[AZ1908]

WOW Kristine - you are so close now! How exciting! You must be looking forward to all the lovely clothes - that was my favourite bit!

Please make sure, when you start getting hungry that you start your reefed. My first time around, I had a weight that I wanted to get to before starting reefed and so I was soooo hungry and ended up deviating badly after 23 weeks on plan with no deviations. In the end, I lost over 3kg on reefed too and ended up in my goal range.

[Kristine..]

Dear Diary

Monday 5th June
Day 126: Week 18 Completed
Start: 87.70. Today: 67.90 Kilo. Loss to Date: 19.8 kilo
Only than 5.4 kilos to Goal!

LESS THAN SIX KILOS TO GO!


G'Day All

Well, here I am and have developed an uncomfortable case of Uveitis!

In all my working life I have had very few days off work, but I am declared Unfit to Work for four whole days while I am receiving treatment!

Uveitis is an inflammation of the Uvea, the middle layer of the eye. I can't wear contacts while using the industrial strength corticosteroid eye drops, and the Doctor said I shouldn't be doing anything than resting, so I am just visiting for a few minutes.

He asked if I had any unusual stress or changes in the past few months, and of course I said
(a) New Job, and
(b) Lost 20 kilo
He looked a bit surprised, as well he might!

So I am resting at home in my baggy clothes, it is a chance to go through the wardrobe but instead (well, you know God's sense of humour!), we had a tree branch break a few roof tiles in the storm last week, and of course it then rained in through the hole in the roof, and the ceiling became sodden and collapsed, but we only discovered this on Wednesday and by this time mould had started growing in the carpet underlay, and the carpet can't be saved so that's one room which will never match the rest of the house again, so all in all a bit of a to do!

What was that about stress?

OK, enough computer time for one day

Lotsa love
Kristine
PS Thanks Koh, thanks AZ for looking in- I thought I had replied to your posts the other day but it seems, not! I will reply when I am back on the board again soon!

[AZ1908]

Hi Kristine,

How's it going? We missed your weekly weigh-in this week. You must be so close to Re-Feed!!!

[Kristine..]

Dear Diary

Monday 19th June
Day 140: Week 20 Completed
Start: 87.70. Today: 66.90 Kilo. Loss to Date: 20.8 kilo
Only than 4.4 kilos to Goal!

LESS THAN FIVE KILOS TO GO!

20 Week Blood Test Due This Morning ... This will be the Last Blood Test!!!


G'Day All

Well, here I am after a busy two weeks, dealing with the Uveitis, working on Night Shift and trying to pretend some sort of normality overall.

To top it all off, we joined my Sister last Sunday to share her Birthday Lunch and then visited a good friend for dinner on Saturday night. I decided to just eat both meals instead of taking my own, resulting in no weight loss for last week.

Over the past 20 weeks this has been Deviation 3 and Deviation 4, Deviation 1 being the Wedding Reception and Deviation 2 the breakfast at the hotel the following morning. I wish I could say that the meals were fabulous and well worth the sacrifice of a week's progress, but really, each was delicious but then again, nothing remarkable.

I made a conscious decision in each case and knew that I would be paying with an extra week on the program

I do feel that I have shrunk quite a bit but now that I am in the lead up to Re-Feed if I want the reward of enduring stability then the next few weeks have no room for error

I am on Early Day Shift this week and Late Day Shift next week. These are easy shifts for meals management with no great concentration required. Night Shift does have it's own challenges and while I am fortunate that we have a spare bedroom at the back of the house away from the street, and it is now winter so the room is quite cold and dark, by the end of the roster I was down about 12 hours sleep for the week overall, so deviations aside it is no wonder that last week was a write off for Cohen's.

Anyway, on a lighter note I took a little carry pack of 4 miniature bottles of Brown Brothers's Moscato with me on Saturday night. Each bottle contains One Standard Drink, so 175ml and 10 units of alcohol.

Once I open a bottle of wine, I would usually drink it over the course of a visit. I figured I could open a miniature bottle but going back for a second glass would be a second bottle, not something I would usually do.

Anyway, everyone enjoyed looking at and discussed the little bottles, I got one single drink which lasted from canapes through to desert, washed down with lots of water, so I was pleased with that little ploy!

Dollar wise, BWS had most of their range of quarter bottles on a Mix n Match special, so although I chose the dinky little carry box = four of the same, it would also have been an opportunity to try something new and worked out at $3.50 per drink so not as extravagant as it sounds!

Thanks AZ for looking in. I appreciate your interest. I hope you are also travelling well on this journey of ours. I bought some winter gear at Rivers' Sale last weekend and the size Medium is more than enough. Such a change from size 18, I am delighted to be wearing something comfortable again!


Onward we go,eating this particular elephant one spoonful at a time!

Lotsa love
Kristine

[Kohinoor]

Hi Kristine,

The renewed "Normal BMI range" Kristine !! (I bin watching, and you've just struck it with this recent ticker change.

A little more to go, sure, but hey, how nice to be shopping for regular sizes once more. And wow, you will be making me one popular chappy with Mrs Koh over this:-

carry pack of 4 miniature bottles of Brown Brothers's Moscato

My girl is not one to touch alcohol usually, but, now and then, she might have a "little something". And Brown Brothers Moscato is one she enjoys. An opened bottle might stay in the fridge for a year.... so, how good to open for just "one std drink". Thanks for mentioning it.

Keep on stepping it out, K - you are a little champion all over again....

Oh, and hey, I bet you can tuck your shirt in now !! Whacko !!

Regards,
Koh

[Kristine..]

Hey Koh

Yes, I thought I was quite cunning with the Piccolo Bottles ... if you look up eg Dan Murphy or First Choice you will see there are quite a few drinks in this size bottle ... even my local BWS, which is not a big store, had a Mix n Match 4 for $14 deal, so I could have mixed eg Yellow Glen yellow and Yellow Glen pink, and Brown Brothers, and a fourth different drink just for the fun of it!



The Girls and I agree - sometimes, less is more! (Apologies for the Big Picture!)

Anyway, glad that my little party trick appealed to you. I was pleasantly surprised at myself at staying with just the one drink

Then again, I really do enjoy my Cohen's meals and feel settled and satisfied after each meal. Ordinary food tastes different, as if somehow tainted, and sits far more heavily in the stomach.

And I didn't feel the desire for more wine, I happily drank water for most of the evening finishing up with two cups of black tea, which surprisingly I only drink tea when I am out!

As I near the end of the particular stage of the journey, I marvel again at how clever this program really is.

I am really starting to see the difference now. Size 16 Business tee shirts which were stretched as tight as they could go, are hanging off me.

My only regret is not taking more photo of how I was, as I hope that I will never be that way again.

I can particularly see the difference in my thighs, whether wearing long pants or shorts - the whole shape of the legs has changed. Gone are the watermelon thighs bulging over Meccano style kneecaps. There is now a slight (very slight) gap between the thighs, they are starting to look like legs which will enjoy being in shorts at the beach!

My feet are stepping forward, not splayed out, and my hips are rotating smoothly as they should. Walking feels light and natural instead of awkward and physically difficult. And I don't hear a fabric rubbing sound when I walk!

I have had the last Blood Test and discussed ordering the Refeed Program with my Consultant. I would like to achieve not less than 65 kilos before starting on Refeed, and preferable 63 kilo. I think that is a good weight for me, I have a certain lightness of being at that weight, as even at 65 kilo I feel significantly heavier.

Between now and refeed it is Strictly Cohen's. No further deviations, keeping the coffee to one Pezzetti brew up each day, increasing the water just a little bit, and keeping exercise to a simple kilometre walk after work each day.

So off to bed I go. I am on Early Day Shift tomorrow and that is always a busy shift, not to mention the 5am alarm!

Lotsa love to all, keep up the good work, this really is a Labour of Love!

Kristine

[Kristine..]

Dear Diary

Monday 10th July
Day 161: Week 23 Completed
Start: 87.70. Today: 64.00 Kilo. Loss to Date: 23.7 kilo
Only than 1.5 kilos to Goal!

LESS THAN TWO KILOS TO GO!
WAS Size 16 - 18 (ish) NOW Size 10 (ish) - 12

Getting Ready to Order Re-Feed!!!

G'Day - and starting to feel A Little Peckish!

Not hungry yet, but just starting to feel ever so slightly unsettled.

Have lost more than 0.2 metres from my waist and I have to wear braces with every single pair of jeans / pants .... and none of the knickers are staying up with any certainty, but still I wait to go shopping until I know what the end result will be

Gotto go and buy carpet today, so will write again later, but just for now

Yippeee! Nearly there!!!!

Lotsa love
Kristine

[annagirl]

Thats awesome Kristine, you are so close to being there!! Keep up the good work.

[AZ1908]

Well done Kristine! So close you must be able to taste it!

My favourite part of refeed is the extra fruit and the new fruit. I love rockmelon with my yogurt mmmmmm!!!