Phillida's diary

[phillida]

Hi Mette, and thanks for the posts Torzza and Rach77.
In answer to your question Mette: "Jack Spratt could eat no fat his wife could eat no lean. And so between the two of them they licked the platter clean."
It is a children's nursery rhyme that is usually accompanied by an illustration of a rotund Mrs Spratt and her rather skinny hubby!
I had an interesting weekend. I have been knitting myself this beautiful cardie. I am a reasonably experienced knitter and it was quite a complex pattern. When I bought it, although it wasn't in my size (few knitting patterns are produced for "larger" people), the lady in the shop assured me it was a generous fit and I would not have a problem. I could tell as I was knitting it she was correct, but I figured I would get a bit of wear this winter. Hmm. The sleeves are made for a giant. The pattern has made the classic mistake of extending all the measurements, assuming people who are large in circumference have arms to the ground! The whole garment is too big for me even now. Botherations and what a waste of time and effort. I am not sure I am patient enough to unpick and unravel the lot and start again. I have to say I am pretty peeved. It wasn't until it was all sewn up you could see how enormous the thing was! C'est la vie!
On Saturday I had a bit of a downer: grouched and grumbled at my daughters, snapped, bit their heads off. Fortunately they took it in their stride. Teenage girls have a habit of borrowing all your gear - hairdryers, tweezers, mascara and so on, and not putting them back. Herumph!!!
The rash is still there but isn't as itchy as it was and does look as though it is improving. I have kept to the diet minus the yoghurt, although as it was making no difference I had it again this morning.
By Sunday I felt a lot better. My husband is being a total darling. So supportive and lovely.
And this morning I feel great again. In control and losing weight. All good stuff. I have lost a total of 7.8kg in three weeks. Not a bad effort.

[Skinnyminnie]

Hi Phillida, Congratulations on your weight loss, and you can knit as well.
Very Multi talented. My effort at knitting looks like a colinder. Just read your post about the rash around your middle, there is a rash just like you describe called Shingles - a hangover from childhood Chicken Pox. There is a very quick cure if diagnosed early by your Doctor. Hope the rash has gone by now though. It's great you have your family supporting you with this weight loss journey, it makes such a difference, Congratulations again, Cheers

[Rach77]

Not a bad effort. Are you kidding 7.8 kgs in 3 weeks is fantastic!!!! Keep up the great work.

Rach

[Mette]

God bless teenage girls The attention span of teenager doesn't always allow for things to be returned to their rightful place.
That's kind of a sad nursery rhyme... It's the kind of joke I could have made about Keith and myself too once upon a time.
But you can't make it much longer! Going great guns! Keep up the good work!

[phillida]

After I came back from walking the dog this morning I was thinking to myself just how good I am feeling already. I feel vital, healthy, my skin is looking great, my demeanour has improved - and this is just the beginning. I even noticed my balance is improving when I got dressed this morning. Extrapolating all this means that I can only feel fantastic as I lose more and more.
I think my attitude has improved as well. I have been working for some time on a series of needlepoint/tapestry designs. I think the time is now right to see if I can finally get a book going. It is going to take a lot of after hours work (as I have a day job) but it is something I really want to do - NOW. I think a month ago I would have put it into my too hard basket. But darn it - I have done most of the ground work ...
I was also thinking this morning about the Cohen's diet generally. I don't know about other folks on here but I have run the gamut of other diets. Inevitably you find yourself sitting in front of a consultant once a week. "How are WE today" she (always a she) will ask in some insipid wheedling voice. Grrr - that annoys me sooo much. "WE are fine" I always reply. "How about you?"
Anyway at least here we can get along as we wish and don't have to pay weekly visits. That is something I really, really like. Much easier to fit into a busy schedule. I am becoming a bit of a Cohen's evangelist I think!

[missparker]

Sounds like you're journey is coming along well... 7.8kg in 3 weeks is amazing! I have just hit my 7kg mark in 4 weeks (and a day ) and have to pinch myself every now and again at not only how much I've lost but how easy it has been to do this.... if only I knew about Cohen's years ago!

Anyway good luck with your journey... I look forward to following it!

[phillida]

Ok - so it has been a while since I last updated. I have been in and out of the forum and haven't really had too much to say. Life is cruising along, the diet is good, never felt better and the weight is gradually melting off. All good stuff. I am thinking of planning a trip to Melbourne in a couple of months and I have to confess I am rather hesitant because of my diet. I so want to do this (diet thing) with as little in the way of obstacles as possible and the logisitics of travelling seem a bit daunting. it is one thing to manage an evening at a restaurant but it is quite something else to stay in a different city and the family are eating out all the time. I think I need to give this one some thought.
Anyway 5 1/2 weeks in and 11kg down. Woo hoo. I think I should be able to get through quite a bit of the winter with the various sizes of clothing in my wardrobe but come spring - well that will be a different story.
Until next time.

[Rach77]

Well done Phillida. You are flying along. Maybe if you stay in a self contained unit when holidaying you can at least make your own brekkie and lunch and go out for tea. That's what I'm going to do when I go away and take my cooler bag so I can take lunch out and about with me.

Keep up the good work

Rach

[Mette]

Going great guns, Phillida!! You sound so happy and positive, it's great to see!
Going away wouldn't be easy, but as Rachel says, it can be done, especially if you stay in a selfcontained unit. Have a gander at Louise41's diary (it's in the completed section). She travels constantly with her work, and she has made travelling with Cohens into an art!
Stay strong and keep smiling!

[phillida]

This was an interesting weekend. Last night I had a dinner part for nine guests and cooked a paella, with two deserts: a banoffee pie and a lemon yoghurt cake with boozy prunes. I did all the cooking without tasting a thing and had my prawns and salad while everyone chowed down. I was very proud of myself. Apparently it was really nice!
This morning I had a brunch for seven to cater for. So I had my breakfast nice and early and did the bacon, hasbrowns, scrambled eggs, sausage, tomatos and mushrooms for every one.
So a sucessful weekend catering for the masses and deviation free. Woo hoo!
Tomorrow it will be seven weeks since beginning and as of this morning I had lost 13.1kg

[rowemob]

Hi Phillida,
Well done on all the cooking and not tasting, that shows how strong you are. You are going really well, keep it up.
Cheers
Michelle

[Mette]

How good are you going! Imagine doing all that cooking, and no tasting! And just look at those losses! Brilliant!
Stay strong and keep smiling!

[Gorgeous one]

Hi Phillida,

You did so well avoiding eating with your gatherings this weekend. It would of been very tempting to "just have a taste" which we all know leads to more. sounds like your guests had a wonderful time on all your effort.

Keep up the great work.

Michele

[FlaMie]

Hello Phillida,

What a wonderful determination to stay away from those food that brings you down. Sheer determination I would say and a clearly good job done. Keep up the good losses =)

[phillida]

Thanks for all the lovely kind comments. I must admit I did feel a bit smug as I peeled my orange for dessert and everyone else tucked into theirs followed by a rather nice blue and a King Island triple cream brie, coffee, port and liqueurs! Hahahah. Nothing worse than a convert is there? But I had a fantastic evening with friends.
One of the guests in particular had been making a big fuss about me not eating. He kept on saying he couldn't possibly eat while I wasn't joining in. He said this to my husband not me. But as I pointed out, this was really his problem not mine. I didn't mind cooking and having what I had so why should he? And on the night he was fine. Although he did start to give me a lecture on exercise (I walk my dog about five times a week but that is all at the moment). I just smiled politely.
I would certainly be quite happy to entertain again. And now I am planning the logistics of a trip to Melbourne and keeping deviation free. I think I can do this with a bit of forethought and planning.

[phillida]

I was just thinking today - nothing feels nicer than being able to walk tall, to stride out feeling confident, to not waddle along, for your clothes to feel a little looser, for it not to be such an effort. In other words to feel fantastic.
It is a great feeling.

[Kohinoor]

Woohoo, Phillida,

nothing feels nicer than being able to walk tall, to stride out feeling confident, to not waddle along, for your clothes to feel a little looser, for it not to be such an effort. In other words to feel fantastic

Lap it up, girl.....

LAP IT UP !!!!

(I can see the smile on your face from here !!)
And just imagine how much better it gets as you go on....

Koh

[Mette]

SO awesome! The lady is in the zone! No stopping you now, Phillida!

[phillida]

It has been another good week. I have noticed one thing though and that is that after my meal I feel completely full to the point where if I have my fruit to eat I have to make myself have it. I could quite easily do without my crackers, for example. And the other thing is that I am forgetting about food. That may sound a bit odd but what I mean is, I am not looking for the next thing to eat. Meal times can come and it is a case of "Oh I had better eat". If I didn't - well I guess I would be hungry eventually.
In the first few weeks I was ready for mealtimes when they came around - although I was certainly not starving. Now they are not important.
So I think I have experienced a bit of a pardigm shift - where I have moved from one set of thought processes to another.
It is good not to be ruled by food. I rather like it. And I still get a kick out of doing great meals for my family.

[Kohinoor]

Hi Phillida,

I reckon Mette said it - enjoy the zone.

Sounds like there is something else "shaping" you up too - ready for the latter stage of "Maintenance". Learning it early is always good

You are rocking,

Koh