Panda's Diary

[C-JAYE]

Oops!!!! hey I like the idea of adding up all that I would have spent on lunches every day and the extras every week! On an average of programme cost to weight to be lost, it costs me about 1 days 'old' lunch per kilo!!!!!

[jlou]

Hey Panda

You are going soooo well!

In answer to your question about your profile thing:

go to "User CP" (user control panel) at top right of any page, just below the New You Banner. Click that, then top left says Your Profile, and "Edit your details".

In there you can choose a "Custom User Title" for yourself. If you don't, you will default to the "Be nice to me - I'm new" title. As yourpost counts go up, so the default title changes.

Hope that helps

Also I am not sure if I posted this link for you before so just in case:


Have a great shrinking day
jlou

[Panda]

Thanks Jlou. I'll go check it out. I keep finding new interesting posts on the site - really great place to be and get detailed information about all sorts of things.

[Panda]

Tomorrow is the start of week 7! Is that all? Feel like I've been on Cohen's for a lot longer. It's a great eating plan and, although I stalled a bit last week after my lemonade error, I do feel it is working well. I keep trying to do the numbers in my head and average weight loss per month. No matter how I do it it ends up at 8 months at least until refeed and then maintenance. Amazing when you think that I've lost 15 kgs in 7 weeks - if I hadn't started Cohen's I'd still be feeling awful and who knows, might even have put on more weight and water.

I got a bit into eating the same foods over and over so I've been varying it a bit. I rotate the breakfasts, and I've been doing calamari and snapper stir fry and also a lot more tofu which makes it interesting. I was eating tons of bok choy which I love, but I've been doing a bit of cabbage and zucchini the last couple of days, and adding a smidgen of onion to just about everything which adds a great flavour.

The only one I'm still struggling with is the sweetener. Just discovered this week can't use Splenda. And the Paul's yoghurt tastes yukky with Hermesetas melted in hot water. I wonder if Stevia is an option because that is a herb. I must check with the clinic about that.


So many Cohenites comment on the cheese slowing them down weight wise and I think I tend to agree. I might have to give it up for the 10 kg challenge starting today. I've also given up Balsamic as it gives me a sore stomach and heartburn for some reason. I'm feeling a lot better since I discovered that little gem. Took a while to work it out - I thought I had a stomach bug.

One thing I've found that really prevents hunger and sets the day up well is if I take my vitamins at breakfast, especially the Chromium supplement. If I take that and drink a bit of water am, I'm really set up for the day. A couple of times I've been rushing to get the girls out in the morning and skipped it (and other vitamins) and notice a difference - I'm hungry by 11am.

[kenga]

Welcome to week Seven!

15kg in seven short weeks! You have done so, so, so well Panda!

I just asked the clinic about stevia - I don't think it's listed on my plan. I'll let you know what they say.

I also eat pretty much the same thing for a whole week and then move to something a bit different.

What do you have for b/fast? I don't get hungry for atleast 3-4 hours after my 7.30 yogurt b/fast.

Take care!

[mumandnana]

Hi Panda ! Look at you go ! One more kilo and you are a third of the way

[Panda]

Hi Kenga, thanks and great let me know about Stevia when you hear back from the clinic.

For brekky I have egg/mushroom/zuccini/tomato combo, or Paul's yoghurt with kiwi or apple and cinammon (and sweetener) or v. occasionally cottage cheese with tomato and 2 crackers. Occasionally I have crackers with my egg, but I'm a miser and like to keep the extras for later. Mornings are a bit looney around here till school so sometimes I'm late having brekky (about 8.30) and it stuffs up my timing for the rest of the day on meals, I miss my vitamins and so on.

But I get a bit low once I'm into work and had my coffee, about 11. So I try to eat something every 3 hours at least.

My worst time of day is around 4-6pm so I keep at least 1 cracker and a whole piece of fruit for about 4.30. Then dinner at 6.30 with no carbs after that. Breakfast is a good meal, but a bit later when I'm past the honeymoon period and need to give the weight a bit of a nudge, I'll swap dinner for breakfast I think.

[Panda]

Hi M&N - good point! I'm so focussed on half way I forgot about 1/3 of the way! Thanks for that. I can visualise you sitting in from of the PC with your calculator working out all our weights and giving us good news like this!

And what about you, you star!! You've got less than a kilo to go to get half way. woo hoooo.....

[mumandnana]

Hi Panda, I sure need that calculator eh ! You are doing so well and I love to see it. I will be cheering you on in your 6 week challenge

[kenga]

How are you Panda - haven't been here for a few days. I hope all is well.

You are in Sydney, aren't you? Do you want to meet? Nat, Bells and I have the 6th of June 10.30 pencilled in for a catch up somewhere is Newtown/Glebe. It will be great if you could join us!

[Panda]

Hi Kenga, yes I am in Sydney and would love to come along on the 6th. Although that's another few weeks - you might be so skinny by then I can't find you!

[kenga]

Ha-ha - with the speed I'm going this is highly unlikely! It will be fantastic to meet!

[Panda]

Great Kenga, will get details a bit later. It'll be five weeks into the challenge, so might have lost any s.o.h. by then!

[Panda]

I'm at week 8 tomorrow and weighed in today for the 6 week challenge.

102 kgs - that's 18 kgs down in 8 weeks. Dr Cohen, that is absolutely amazing! And the massive amount that's come off my middle is testimony to how good this plan is for my health. I can't tell you how positive I feel about that. For several years, even on a healthyish diet, I just kept adding weight round my middle.

So I've already passed the 1/3 way mark. Thanks to everyone that's shared their tips for how to get the weight moving. This forum is just awesome for that. I was a bit stuck for a couple of weeks. Here is a summary of what I've learned so far in case it's useful to anyone else, and to remind myself a bit further down the track:

- I am very suspicious of sweeteners - I fell into the trap of consuming (and wanting) my full allowance of sprite zero, chewing gum and was using Splenda powder in yoghurt. I found it was making we want more fruit and generally behaving like sugar and affecting my mood. So I dropped it all last week. I feel better, I'm not hungry anymore, and my weight has started moving (it stalled for almost 3 weeks although I did have a big loss in week 5).

- I am also suspicious of spices and onion. Again, they seem to affect insulin levels - I think I have a big insulin sensitivity as many of us on Cohens do. So I've dropped the onion, and I'm really only using salt, paprika, mustard powder and the mayo. Bit more limited but the vinegar and black pepper gave me heartburn which I never suffer from otherwise.

- So now I know what I can eat and not eat, and I've dropped almost 3 kgs this week, I'm on my way. It's great to be able to have a couple of coffees, and I've got used to drinking 3 litres of water a day.

- Miss Nat, Miss Nix, Kenga, Mumandnana and other lovely forum members have shared lots of tips to get the weight moving. This week I've been grouping my proteins and having the same for meal 2 and 3. And I've been including lots of apple and spinach, and a daily flaxseed (also advised by other members) which is keeping my digestive system in shape.

- One of the most effective things that curbs appetite for me is my chromium picolinate supplement. If I don't take that at breakfast, I'm in all sorts of trouble by lunch time and feel like I could eat the carpet! With Chromium, that doesn't happen.

- I've been getting leg cramps intermittently, so I've increased magnesium and calcium supplement to help that.

- I've been spacing out the extras, but make sure that I've finished all carbs by 5pm. I have dinner at 6.30-7pm with the family, then just drink lots of water all evening till bedtime. I think that helps me (it was a bit hard to get used to though).

And I've got a new ticker. I managed to delete the code for the old one so now we're on a lucky ladybird musical sort of a theme.

[mumandnana]

Wow Panda ! You have done it and with 2 kilos to spare.Congratulations and what a huge boost for your challenge !I am so pleased for you!!

[kenga]

Well done Panda! I'm so happy for you! Enjoy your day, long live Dr. Cohen and D-free forever!

[C-JAYE]

Hi Panda, big CONGRATULATIONS for you, you must feel absolutely amazing!!! thanks for the tips too...... they will come in handy.

[Kohinoor]

Hi Panda,

Well done, you !! That's a great bunch of thoughts you espoused there. You sure have learned a lot really quickly.

And I've got a new ticker. I managed to delete the code for the old one so now we're on a lucky ladybird musical sort of a theme.

I just gave it a wee tweak, so now you can click on it to go to the Ticker Factory (for updates). All it was missing was the last [/url] - all good now.

Rock on Panda, you're doing great,

Koh

[Panda]

Wow haven't checked in here for a couple of days and what a surprise to find all your posts and good wishes and M&N - thanks for all the little jumping men thingies or jumping beans (didn't want to mention jelly beans but now I have!)!

Thanks everyone. Thanks Koh for fixing my ticker. Hope all mums and grans have had as good a mother's day as I have. I scored Jimjams from my girls - and guess what, they have little pandas all over them!!

Have a good start to the week everyone.

x

[mumandnana]

Hi Panda, what are Jimjams? Is it pajamas? They sound cute with Pandas on them ! How lovely of your daughters!