Tune Up - Sprint back to goal...starts Sat 21st Feb

[shell]

Hi all,
I had heard a while back (not sure from where) but apparently quite a few Cohen's graduates have trouble about 9 months after maintenance??
Not sure why.

How long have you all been on maintenance?
I am 9 months off maintenance.


It could be a hormonal thing after we come off plan.

What do you think??


Shell

[hexi2]

Yep me too - around 9months...

Maybe that is the time when finally things just build up to a point where it is just too much? Maybe we fumble around for a while and around that time our 'weight' slaps us in the face?? Maybe... Maybe not

[janine]

What a bargain Cheral! Sounds like perfect motivation.

Not yet 9 months for me (7 months) but I know that mine was due to the anxiety hiccup. Will see how I go from here.

[hexi2]

Not weighing in ladies til Tuesday but all is just dandy back at the ranch..

I am eating 3 meals per day...no snacks and drinking water and green tea in between. This is my plan on how I live my life from now on...I only eat 3 meals a day and if temptation/snacking presents itself it is no longer a choice...into maintenance...

I am working towards cutting soft drink to nil...just using up what I have left and coffees are no longer...I actually think it is making a big difference to my anxiety/confusion with hunger during the day...

I am well on my way...better, trimmer and toned body coming up in a blink of the eye...

[janine]

You're going great Hexi. Keep it up.

I had my big deviation dinner last night and enjoyed every mouthful. Went to the grill restaurant in the same 5 star hotel that I went to last week. I had a glass of champagne (Chandon kindly provided by the manager of the hotel who knew one of our friends), a glass of chardonnay, a wonderful rib eye fillet steak with steamed vegies, followed by a great cheese platter. Heaven. However, a 400g gain overnight. Back to 100% today, even though I have dinner guests tonight.

Starting Weight: 61.9kg
Current Weight: 60.3kg
Goal Weight: 57.5kg

Day 2 Gain: 0.4kg
Total Loss to date: 1.5kg
Still to go: 2.8kg

I'm thinking that I need to keep going at 100% over the weekend and hopefully start Refeed on Monday. Will see how it goes.

How's everyone else today?

[lucylou]

Lovely to see more people on the Tune Up Challenge, it's good to have company.

I've done a big explanation of my last 2 days in my maintenance diary but suffice to say I did bake, I did taste and just from that little bit of sugar the hunger came back big time. Much easier to stay 100% I think.

However I have maintained at 61.5 kg and back 100% today.

I was only planning to weigh twice a week, Thursdays and Mondays and I see Hexi that you're weighing once a week, which is what I did when I was on the plan the first time. So I think a twice a week weigh in is the go for me.

I am feeling a lot slimmer and it is wonderful to be back in Cohen's range again.

Hexi- I used to eat three meals a day with nothing in between, it can work really well unless you're like me and get obsessed with the word "snack". God I just wanted a snack!

x

LL

[janine]

I know that I am still in tune up mode, but I just went shopping (for about the 4th time in a week) with a friend that I work with (another Cohen's graduate). We were heading for Myer and got distracted by Cue. OMG, their current collection is the best that I have seen in seasons anywhere. Everything was perfectly suited to me. We tried on quite a few things and I abstained from a purchase but OMG they looked great. However, it would have been like separating a work of art from an art gallery.

My friend, however, was not so good...

[Cheral]

I am at about 7 months on maintenance.

2.5 days in to this tune up and going fine -

start 66.1
Today - 65.6
500gms lost

Very happy with that. A teensy weensy deivation this morning. I added a passionfruit to my morning yoghurt. My vines have been teaming with them, so delicious.

I have a couple of social occasions coming up, drinks with a friend from work who is leaving, should get away there with a diet coke, then to a friends house on Sunday evening for dinner. Her husband is a chef, so suspect will be a breakout..

Have a good day all.

[SuzieQ]

Okay so I'm in for the tune up challenge. Thanks for the invite Hexi .
You know I think it is fantastic that we can keep ourselves in check and motivated through the forum, it is so easy to fall back into old patterns and slink away into the back ground and put the weight on with out being accountable to anyone.

Get real, everyone we see every day KNOWS we are putting weight on, whether we tell them or not, they have eyes they CAN see. But somehow we tend to con ourselves into believing noone notices until we tell them, how freakin' dumb is that?

I ran into someone today whom I haven't seen in 10 years and he said "you are still skinny", as I was small when I last saw him. What he doesn't know is that since I last saw him I had put on 45kg's during pregnancies, got down to 65kg's, then ballooned again to 81.5kgs and now am 55kg's......I just said yeah it hasn't always been the case .

Enough rambling from me...........ON WITH THE CHALLENGE I SAY. And Hexi you seem to be doing a mighty fine job of it I might say .

Talk soon.

Suzie

[hexi2]

Oh isnt it so lovely that we are all in this together - sharing our experiences and not feeling ashamed or guilt that we are here?

Thats what the forum is about honesty and support...it is so wonderful that we can do this together.

We all deserve to feel our best and stop obsessing so much - just trust in ourselves and in the program and in no time we will be our ideal weights living out a dream that we know was ours from the start...

Enjoy ladies - those kilos are on their way out! They are no longer welcome

[hexi2]

Hello ladies

No scales for me today - took the battery out! Just trusting in the program and not obsessing over numbers...

Green tea and water - all is good...

How is everyone else travelling? Later I will go in and come up with a chart thing to document our ideal weights and so on...

Check later xxx

[Cheral]

Scales were kind to me this morning, 600gms down.

start 66.1
today 65.0
Goal: 62.00

The weekend will be my hard time, its actually the baking, I enjoy making cakes and biscuits, icecreams etc. I subscribe to both Gourmet Traveller and Delicious, and get heaps of pleasure drooling over the pictures and then baking. And a hot biscuit straight from the oven is irrisistabe.
I know already that i am not to bake, managed to keep away from the kitchen for a good part of the main diet, so should be strong eneough to do it now.

My black dress is hanging from the wardrobe, perhaps I need to bring it out and hang it on the pantry door.

My God - the way our minds work when it comes to weight..!!!

Back on Monday, so hope you all have a good weekend.

[hexi2]

Gosh - I didn't realise there were so many of us!! There is some missing data so just post it when you are ready - I will try to update once a week, as the original challenge started on Sat 21st I will update how much everyone has lost (actually tomorrow (although not me as I am weighing Tuesdays) so it will have to wait til then


Lissy
Start: 65.9
Goal: 61.5
Total to Goal: 4.4
Reward:
Update:

Lucy Lou
Start: 62.4
Goal: 59
Total to Goal: 3.4
Reward: A big pampering session at the Day Spa
Update:61.5 (Weigh in Mondays and Thursdays)

Flash
Start: 58.3
Goal: 56
Total to Goal: 2.3
Reward:
Update:

Hexi
Start: 63.9
Goal: 58
Total to Goal: 5.9
Reward: Diamond 'K' pendant
Update:

Janine *late starter
Start: 61.9
Goal: 57.5
Total to Goal: 4.4
Reward: Breakfast with a girlfriend (abstaining until then) and a massage.
Update: 59.5kg

Cheral *late starter
Start: 66.1
Goal: 62
Total to Goal: 4.1
Reward:
Update:

New Ruby *late starter
Start:
Goal:
Total to Goal:
Reward:
Update:

SuzieQ *late starter
Start: 55.4
Goal: 52
Total to Goal: 2.4
Reward:
Update:

[lucylou]

Great stuff Hexi - I've just filled in my details, hope I did it right. I won't be weighing tomorrow either, I'll do my update on Monday. When I was on the plan originally my weigh in day was Thursday so it seems my sub-conscious still wants to weigh on Thursdays so I'm going to let it. Our minds are strange beasts.

100% yesterday. The kids (my niece and nephew) are staying this weekend-always a challenge but the ice cream is already made so no more baking for me!

x

LL

[janine]

Hi Hexi

Here's my data:

Janine *late starter
Start: 61.9
Goal: 57.5
Total to Goal: 4.4
Reward: Breakfast with a girlfriend (abstaining until then) and a massage.
Update: 59.5kg

The scales were kind to me as well today Cheral - down 800g.

Starting Weight: 61.9kg
Current Weight: 59.5kg
Goal Weight: 57.5kg

Day 4 Loss: 0.8kg
Total Loss to date: 2.4kg
Still to go: 2.0kg

I'd really like to start a modified Refeed on Monday but I'm not sure that I will be close enough to goal by then. Intend to put a few good walks in over the weekend to help me on my way. I did one up a hill today and have been 100% so far.

Hexi, you have almost inspired me to weigh just once a week once I finish Refeed. I've got too little time to go on the plan to do that now but you did get me thinking!

[janine]

Well a small loss today (100g) after yesterday's big one (800g). To be expected but a bit dissappointed that this is going to take longer than I thought.

Starting Weight: 61.9kg
Current Weight: 59.4kg
Goal Weight: 57.5kg

Day 5 loss: 0.1kg
Total Loss to date: 2.5kg
Still to go: 1.9kg

I've been to yoga this morning which was great. Bit faster than usual so should almost count as cardio. Will try to get a hill walk in as well.

What I am looking forward to most:
- more quantity of protein and veg
- my first good fruit so that I can have blueberries with my morning yoghurt (until then I can't spread my fruit allowance that far)
- more crispbread

Not missing chocolate or butter (my weakness) and not craving anything except a more generous quantity. Got to love Cohens!

How's everyone else going? You are very quiet.
I see that you are making great progress Hexi. You are very inspiring.

[hexi2]

Hey Janine - you haven't read my diary then...lol but no way dipping out straight back on wagon today!

[anniem]

Hi Hexi this is Anniem how are you doing. I have not been on this site for a while but have just got the internet at home and am now able to do so.

I think it is great you are back working for your goals. I got from 67 kilos down to 54 kilos last year (and even though i think we all look better a little heavier than that weight) i am now back to 60 kilos.

I am getting married on May 9th so i start Monday 2 March on the programe to get back down cause on the day i do not want to feel bad in any way i just want to be a pretty bride and feel confident.

I have said that i will do this for the past 4 weeks and when started i lost 2.5 kilos in one week and that thing that gets me is that should keep me going but i think i feel i can start later and it will work any way.

But NO MORE PUTTING IT OFF i feel so much better when eating properly and i have just eaten so much choc, lollies and rubbish it makes me feel just so sick.

Please every one HELP ME TO DO THIS, i just want to look pretty in my dress and just have the time of my life for once instead of worrying about what i look and feel like.

A big hello to every one else if you do know and remember me but if not i look forward to meeting you all and keeping in touch.


Love Anniem

[janine]

Hi Hexi. I did read your diary but I still think you are making great progress.

I was so hungry this afternoon and now feel very lethargic after steak for dinner. Hard to put one foot in front of the other. I'll get over it but it is feeling very hard at the moment.

Hi Anniem. Best to get straight onto it and get it out of the way. You don't want to be on the plan immediately before your wedding when you will have lots of social events. You want to look and feel your best for those as well as your wedding. I'm sure that you can do it.

[hexi2]

Thanks Janine

Annie - yep join us in this but also go buy a book called 'Think Slim' cant recommend it enough...have a read of my shared tune up diary and you will get the drift.


But ladies a recommendation that I am finding is making a HUGE difference to my hunger and also from that book is

1. Eat half your protein in a meal before anything else...it reduces the insulin and will make you feel fuller quicker - it works!!

2. Eat only 3 times a day (so have your crackers and fruit at meals times) and only have 1 fruit if you can and only within 30 min of finishing dinner if you need it ie: if you are hungry

3. Drink only water and green or herbal tea (4 cups) between meals so morning tea and afternoon tea are just that TEA ONLY Try drinking green tea with your meals and also between meals

4. Cut all caffeine and soft drinks and artificial sweetners, not only has this made a huge difference to my hunger levels but also anxiety levels. Artificial sweetners have been found to cause tumours and HUNGER CRAVINGS FOR SWEET THINGS

Give this a go for one day and I will be interested if you guys thinks it works as well as I do!