hope ful's Diary

[hope_ful]

thanks hervey bay shrinker
good idea, ive now put my laminated sheet of weights in the kitchen, but ive put it inside the recipe book, and im slowly starting to remember the weights.
last night for dinner i made a big grilled mushroom, i had to cut a bit off so it was the right weight, with 1/2 ricotta and 1/2 mozzarella with herbs under the grill. very yummy!!! but for the last 5 days i have lost 400-500g a night, and last night only 300g. of course it could be normal fluctuations and i know i shouldnt weigh myself everyday but its so motivating at the moment!!

could it be that my weight loss slowed a little overnight due to the cheese? and is ricotta better than mozzarella in the water retention stakes???? i could definitely forgo the cheese if it means my weight loss will slow down..

this morning i thought i needed a change from my yoghurt, so i cut up mushrooms, green caps, mini asparagus and 1/4 tomato really finely, put balsamic and mixed dried herbs on it and fried it and then put in 1 scrambled egg. i thought it would be a tiny breakfast but it actually wasnt too small when its all scrambled with the veges and i had one cracker, it was delicious!!! i cant wait to have it again tomorrow.

ive been having snacks of my fruit and crackers during the day, as im quite hungry still, and then leaving nothing for after dinner. i really need to leave myself a fruit or a cracker. are we allowed to have half a fruit in the afternoon and the other half after dinner? or do we have to have the whole piece together???

also, im going to a function on fri night, and i know there will be no food for me, not only that it will be cooked in oil or something, but because i dont eat meat and this is a meat eating family!!! should i eat my protein before i go and then just have a tiny bit of salad and eye ball it?? and then keep a cracker and fruit for after dinner??? i dont know!!!!!

xxxx

[Lissy]

I don’t think that you are going to have to wait until next year to look fab in a bikini! You are doing so well and you should be proud of yourself! Loosing the weight so quickly is such a great motivator. Keep going, you will be there in no time!

[hope_ful]

thanks lissy, i know its such a good motivator! i feel really good already, jeans that i normally have a big of a muffin top are already a little loose and i dont feel like i have to suck my tummy in all the time..
in just a few days i have started to have a different attitude towards food, an "eat to live" not "live to eat" attitude. its such a change and it feels so good.. im not punishing myself because i feel like a fat failure!!! this is actually working and its incredible. its seriously a dream come true.

[Mette]

Finally catching up on some diaries, and you're going great guns, hope_ful! That change in attitude is going to help you so much through the program. Don't be discouraged when your weight loss starts to slow down, your centimetres will need time to catch up (otherwise you will look all deflated)
Keep up the great work!

[km64]

Hey hope_ful - welcome to the forum and best fat-burning wishes for you.

I have mozarella a few times a week and haven't really noticed it slows down my weight loss at all (and tastes so good - I have a salad with it plus a mini pizza which is thin tomato slices which I dry fry and mozarella on a salada and put under the grill - very nice!!) Must try the stuffed mushroom idea though - sounds pretty good.

Cheers - Kay.

[louise41]

Hopeful you are doing so well!! If you are going out and you know they wont have suitable food I reckon I would eat my dinner before i go. If you have eaten you are less likely to be hungry and indulge. I always keep one of my pieces of fruit for after dinner, I really miss it and feel deprived if I dont save it to have my fruit after dinner, I played around with the timing of my fruit and crackers until I found what worked for me and really struggle if I get out of routine.

I think Lissy is right, you are going ot be looking great in that bikini in no time.

[hope_ful]

thanks mette, kay and louise
i get so excited when i see people are actually reading my diary and seeing how im going..

louise im definitely going to eat my protein before i go out but i will save some salad for when im out for dinner, otherwise my boyfriend's family will be all nosy and annoying and oooh why aren't you eating? sometimes i take extra food on my plate and secretly give it to him when his fam arent watching, theyre big food lovers, and they think that because i dont eat meat, i should eat potatoes, rice and pasta, and creamy salad dressing and cake! NO!!!!! NEVER!!!!!! salad and protein!!

lou id be really interested to know what your timing for your fruit and crackers is? ive been having one or two for mid morning, two for lunch, one for afternoon, and if i have one left over then one for dinner. and my fruit i have one in the afternoon and one after dinner. i also get really upset when i cant have a fruit after dinner! the last few nights ive been realllly hungry almost straight after dinner and then almost straight after my fruit again!! last night i had a friend over for dinner and my fam made bbqd prawns, a rocket and fig salad, and roasted eggplant with parmesan cheese. and the night before they had steak (dont eat that anyway) with roasted white sweet potato chips. yum. felt so sad. but then happy cos im losing weight. but really cant wait to eat my mom's yummy healthy food again. these portions really are so small!!!

does anyone take laxatives and which ones? im the same weight today and i know its only because of lack of bowel movement yesterday. but the original metamucil tastes like crap.

and yum kay your "pizza" sounds good.. im def going to make one.. and yeah try the roast field mushroom its so yummy......

thanks for visiting guys!!!
im going into my clinic for the first time today, very excited!!!!!!!!!

[Mette]

It's never easy when family doesn't accept or understand what we are trying to do for ourselves. It seems that overeating has become such an ingrained part of everyday life that people think that you're sick or abnormal if you don't stuff yourself silly. Stand your ground and keep in mind why you are doing this! You dont do this because you have to but because you choose to. That's the major difference! And you're doing great! Stay strong and keep smiling!

[hope_ful]

hi guys
ive been on cohens for about a week, and for almost the same amount of time, ive been getting a low throbbing pain in my right knee.. it kind of feels like growing pains, i used to get them when i was little, but it almost feels like theres a weird pressure in my knee joint, or that i need to crack my knee??
i am also getting pain in my left hip, when i sit for too long, i really struggle to straighten up without feeling a weird pain in it, almost muscular...

im going to see my dr this morning but wondered if anyone else has had joint pain in the beginning of their program???? i often get growing pain type pains in my knees or ankles after long days at work, on my feet all day, but this is almost constant, and worse at night and when i wake up.


xxx

[hope_ful]

just went to the doctor, apparently i hurt my hip exercising and so i have a trochanteric bursitis, which in turn is making me take pressure off my right knee, so i need an ultra sound, a steroid injection into my hip, or just below actually, and physio on my hip and knee!!!
and my doc gave me steroid meds to take until my ultra sound.
can u believe.. i used to exercise everyday and i do this right before i start cohens, its good actually, now i have no guilt for not exercising!! but what a pain.....

[hope_ful]

thanks mette, yeah i get really annoyed and irritated when family cant just accept what you tell them. my family and friends are very supportive because they know i have been struggling to lose weight and keep it off for the last four yrs, and they want to know everything that im doing and how im feeling and how much weight im losing, but my bfs family just want to offer me cake and force feed me. and often in the past, because theyre all eating, i have too!!! and it leads me to feel so out of control and angry and resentful.

anyway im off to make another black decaf coffee. funny, normally i hate black coffee, instant coffee, and when i did drink normal coffee, the thought of decaf made me angry. but now im loving my instant decaf!!! we have a beautiful coffee machine in our house, and we grind the beans fresh, and we even have decaf beans but im preferring my instant haha. so weird.

also if anyone is feeling hungry out there, my clinic told me to have another vitamin after lunch and it seriously do wonders!!!

happy wet rainy weekend everyone, and my thoughts and prayers are with the bushfire victims. dont forget to donate. every cent counts!

[hope_ful]

also, the last two days i went up 100g and then down 100g, is it too early in the program to be at a plateau?

i know its probably normal fluctuations, but i want it to go down!!! now i feel like im eating TOO much food, although thats ridiculous haha

hmm should i maybe just drink more water? or, "trust" in the doctor?
xxx

[new_ruby]

Hi again,
I hope you find some nice people to communicate with on here too ( as I did)!!! What happened to you (perceived or real), has occurred before to others along the way. I hope you can simply observe and not absorb... as the most important thing you can do is look after yourself, and let the 'negative' commentary you have attracted simply wash off you. Some posts are best ignored.
cheers,
Ruby

[maria1969yellow]

Hiya, just checking in and Im starting a new challenge as the last one finished with loose 10kgs in 6 weeks...this challenge starts 23rd and finishes 6th April...Where will you be in 6 weeks time on the scale...

What do you win? LOL me just getting on your back if you dont update (no seriously its all in good fun and support...)

Check out the thread and has long as I get stats before Monday 23rd we will be under way to loose that little more

I know you only have less than that to loose but hey we can keep pushing you and we can celebrate a party on the thread!

Maria

[hope_ful]

thanks ruby! i think ive found a few nice people to chat to..
ive never been good at ignoring bitchy or unkind remarks that have come my way; im too stubborn and have a little bit of attitude (or a lot, as my boyfriend reminds me!) but yes now im only replying to the kind posts... thanks for your advice

and yes maria i would love to.. i will give u stats now woo hoooo
xxxx

[yeti]

Hi hopeful,
with each week you are on the programme your weight loss will be slowing down a bit. From my research, this is because your body wants to hang on to it's fat stores if you are under eating (which technically we are on this programme). This is the idea of the programme - limit the food, so that the body HAS to burn the fat stores for energy.
The feelings of deprivation are normal, but they are not constant. They come and go, sometimes you will feel as though there is enough food, sometimes you'll want more. It's your subconscious mind playing tricks with you a bit because it doesn't want to let go of the fat, thinking that there is a famine.

The only way you can get over feeling deprived is to not pay any attention and focus on the positive. The amount of food allowed is healthy, and the types of food are the best ones for giving us what we need without storing anything. The good news is that every time you feel hungry, you are actually burning your fat stores. Feelings of hunger are a great sign.

This is the best diet, and all you need to do is put your trust in Dr Cohen.

[hope_ful]

thanks yeti, i like the idea of the mind playing games with you because it doesnt want to lose its fat stores, ill think of that next time im feeling a little deprived..

im feeling much better this week! i think the reason why i started feeling down a little was because i was sitting down to eat dinner with my family, and it made it a lot harder because id finish eating before them and then we normally sit for a while and chat at the table. normally id be able to pick at the salad bowl and have another piece of cucumber, or take another roasted onion or turnip, you know, but on this program you seriously learn that you cannot pick at food and anything extra is totally counted by your body! so last night, and from tonight im going to sit down for dinner before my fam, we have a big marble kitchen island-thingy where we eat, so ill still be around my fam and my mom making dinner, but i can get up when they sit down to eat, save my fruit for later, and feel a lot more in control! watching them eat is hard! i dont think i could do this if i had to cook for my own family.. making my boyfriend a pizza on sunday for lunch was so hard. i dont even eat pizza, but i would have normally licked the spoon with tomato sauce after i spread it on the base, or at least had a tiny bite from his. but no, tuna salad it was!! now i think that if i make him pasta or pizza again, ill make my own cohens pizza on a mushroom or crispbread so that i dont feel left out haha

but aside from all that, im not feeling hungry which is a beautiful thing! im learning more and more how to spread my fruit and crackers out over the day.
this morning for breakfast i made the apple cakes that i found in a recipe thread. SO YUM! it kind of tasted like a dish i make during pesach, passover, its scrambled egg with crumbled and soaked matzah sprinkled with cinnamon and sweetener. well this tasted similar! i had it with 80g of cucumber before, and a hot coffee. im a little worried that it had a whole fruit in it, as i normally like to save my fruits for arvo and after dinner but oh well, today ill have to mix it up a little! i think tomorrow i might make the breakfast muffins, that way im eating my veg in the muffin and saving my fruit.

ive reached my first goal today!! i have a wedding at the end of march that id love to be at goal by. or at least 60kg. i cant wait to buy a dress for it, and to feel really good and slim and happy. i know you shouldnt necessarily equate "slimness" to "happiness" but every time ive been happy in the past few yrs, this has been weighing on my shoulders, so to think this will finally be behind me, and i can maintain, then i think my happiness wont have to settle underneath a so-called "glass ceiling".

also, ive spoken to my consultant about eating tofu and i thought you should all know (if you dont already) to watch out for an ingredient called Glucono Delta Lactone (GDL) as this additive is derived from sugar and gets digested as sugar by the body and she said she has found it to slow/stop weight loss.

hmm anyway ive found most organic brands dont have this, but ill be more careful!!!

xxx

[hope_ful]

so even though no one replied to my last post *little, tiny sigh* here goes again...

its day 20 for me. i think im doing ok except that (dont yell- i know i shouldnt) when i weighed myself the last 3 days i had no losses. i even went up 100g the one day. i havent had a proper BM in a few days so its probably that. im taking coloxyl with senna tonight, and im not going to weigh myself for a few days. i really dont want the losses to slow down! not yet anyway. its only wk3 for pete's sake. i know people say "stop complaining, you only have 5kg more to lose" but its a big deal to me, and it would be a big deal to anyone, no matter how much or how little they have to lose! a love handle is a love handle. haha

so for some reason im craving meat, even though ive been vego for over a year. well, not craving so much as "missing" it... i miss my mom's lamb... but we're not allowed lamb on the program, and when i asked my consultant if they could add a beef allowance, they said once the program is made they cant change it, so its better i think. i will let the idea mull around in my brain for a little, and think it over before i try anything on refeed. im much more excited to add salmon as my new protein rather than beef! ha it would be too weird!

the slow loss, or lack of, this wk is rather disappointing and is making me feel like this might take a lot longer than initially discussed with my consultant. what if im the exception to the cohen rule, and i stop losing weight? ive gone over and over my food diary and there's nothing im doing wrong, except for a few times having 1.2L sprite zero instead of one litre.

im worried?!?! i have another appointment next wk, and its also my 4wk blood test. how exciting! i never thought the day would come, and my consultant has it down to order refeed on that day because she thinks ill be at goal, but i dont think i will!! that would mean id have to lose like 4kg in a 8 days. not happening!!!!

im also getting little cuts at the corners of my lips and i have two mouth ulcers!! is this related to cohens at all? in the past i only get mouth ulcers when im really exhausted or stressed, but im not really either of those things at the moment so i hope its not a vitamin deficiency. im taking the neways vitamins so it shouldnt be!!!!!

ok going off to watch the reader, heard good things about it. i also just saw "hes just not that into you" if anyone's interested, its way better than the reviews! i loved it!!!!!!!
xxxxx

[Kohinoor]

Hi Hope_ful,

Trying times, eh? But well worth it in the end - so hang in there !!!

its day 20 for me. i think im doing ok except that (dont yell- i know i shouldnt) when i weighed myself the last 3 days i had no losses. i even went up 100g the one day.

The weight does "muck around" a bit - probably why the good Doc says "only weigh once a month". I feel a bit different, as I believe some people like to KNOW it's working (and who wants to waste a month if something they are doing is "not quite right") Still, for some, weighing weekly works, and for some, it's best to stay off the scales.... some even weigh daily

i havent had a proper BM in a few days so its probably that. im taking coloxyl with senna tonight, and im not going to weigh myself for a few days. i really dont want the losses to slow down! not yet anyway. its only wk3 for pete's sake.

Hope the medications do the good thing. But "it's only wk 3" - umm, yeah, that's usually when the first AWESOME losses stop, and you get into the nitty gritty - which will be what it will be.... You don't have far to go, and, hopefully, you may get to see the "1Kg a week" that is typically touted as being "expected". Many things can affect this though.. click below to get an idea....


Hope that helps - meanwhile, hang in there, as it is heading in the right direction


Koh

PS It is NOT likely that the losses will stop altogether, unless you reach a point where your body says "I really don't want to go any lower than this" (as some have found leading up to refeed)....

[Andy46]

Hope_ful - Good old Koh has merged your diary's etc as you wished - so a big thank you to Koh - and he has as he does best our Koh - given you some good practical advise.

Use your diary as it is - a tool to keep you on track and focused and for others to offer you support on the way - and you can do it - just be %100 to the plan and your self and the rewards are a great weight loss and a better new you !!!! ............ winners are grinner's remember hey.

Mate you can do it and keep your mind positive and focused. Its so very important whether you have 1 kg or 100 kg - the body and mind must be synced in the right direction to give your ever changing body the best chance to lets just say rearrange your shape and size - so good luck - stick with it and enjoy the ride !!!!!!

Go you good thing I reckon your on a winning streak !!!

Andy