Annabelle Joy's diary

[cherry59]

Congrats on your work so far AJ

The look of food is so important to the whole experience of food and it's eating. Maybe that's why I love reading recipe books!! Remember tho the look at food is better than the tasting if it's not on the plan!!

At the bbq stick to salads and steak/chicken, even if you guesstimate size of meat and amount of salad. Slip a couple of crackers in your bag and nibble delicately on them for nibbles, and select fruit for dessert.

Good luck. Enjoy the company of your friends more than the food.


Cherry

[Kannadew]

Great results Annabelle! Sounds like it could just be water retention on your wednesday morning weigh ins... if you can drink more on tues that might help... I also wondered about your even tasting the wine and then spitting? It could be that some of it.. is actually being swallowed or absorbed... I think I remember Meagain mentioning something similar with her mouthwash at some point.... Just a thought.

With your BBQ... better yet... take your own food! We have BBQ's here all the time and I just prepare everything at home and take it with me... and I chuck it on the barbie when they are cooking everyone's meat and then I have my own salad packed etc and my own snacks and soft drinks... no one notices anything different!!

Good luck with whatever you decide!!

Blessya
Kannadew

[Annabelle Joy]

Thanks for the advice cherry59 and Kannadew. You've convinced me; I will go. I was already planning to take my meat and salad with me. I don't want to deviate at all on this programme. We're expected to take our own meat anyway. If I find things difficult I can come home. I'm not going to offend anyone with that approach -- and even if I do, this is more important than their feelings.

Re Tuesdays, Kannadew. After spitting the wine I rinsed and spat with water as well. If any got past it was an absolutely minuscule amount. I did drink my full quota of water (4 litres) across the day but when I'm busy my processing system shuts down. I was up about six times in the night, but still retained some until the morning. Same thing happened the previous week, and used to happen when I was working and got really busy, although I didn't drink much water then.

AJ

[Annabelle Joy]

Day 1, Week 3

Same as yesterday. Down 1.2 kg for the week and a total of 4.8kg. Another 4 cm off my main measurements, a total of 11. Measurements don't seem to be changing much, several are still the same, Almost looking forward to a plateau in my weight loss and then seeing a drop in the measurements as others report. Overall, I'm very pleased with my results so far.

I spent some of yesterday choosing finger food for my father's 90th birthday from a caterer's very long list. I'll be sorry not to be able to sample the food but am determined that whenever I go anywhere I will take my food with me. I'm actually starting to believe that I really can do this, helped by the support from this forum. As so many of us know, it's hard to diet and take off a large number of kilos. After initial success we deviate then give up. Those of you who have already been so successful are providing me with inspiration and incentive. Thank you so much for sharing you experiences and your photos.

AJ

[FotoHijinx]

Hi AJ

You sound like you are in the right head space to be successful at this. I find bbqs the easiest "eating out" things to do as you can take everything of your own and you don't look any different to other people. But be careful if you take anything fancier than steak/chicken and salad as other people will want it

The softening will start soon - its kinda weird but so exciting. Enjoy!

Irene

[hexi2]

You doing brilliantly AJ - in no time this will become a way of life not a diet and thats when things get so much easier...it's like it doesn't really matter how long it takes to come of coz in a way eating like this and being on the program is very, very comforting. The bit that scares me is when I have to take 'charge' myself....or they let the reins loose so to speak/

[sundaymorningstaple]

AJ,

You are definitely going to do this with no problem. You head is in the right place. I think when you look at the measurements at this early stage you are going great. At the end of my first week, total measurements were down only 4 cm. At 10 days you are at 11 cm!

Good on ya!

[jeannie77]

AJ you are doing so well

I am planning on having a party for my birthday in a few weeks time. Told everyone we are having a BBQ so they can all eat what I'm having - and theres to be no CAKE!

Jeannie

[Wendy9]

Hi AJ, you're going fabulous - keep that intake up to flush out the toxins and you'll be successful!

[Annabelle Joy]

Day2, Week 3

Down another 400 gm this morning. I'm really pleased, and it's already got to be so easy hexi. I'm finding that I'm really enjoying the flavour of green salad with no dressing at all, just crisp greens. Previously, I thought vegetables without dressing were uninteresting and boring.

Thanks, FotoHijinx, hexi, SMS, jeannie and wendy for your support and encouragement. Doing this is so much easier with the support from this forum. I've been on so many diets that started out successfully and then I gave up before the end, and this one is so strict, that I was not sure how long I would last. As each day passes I'm becoming more confident that I can see it through to the end.

Yesterday morning I had to go to Melbourne unexpectedly to collect a computer that was supposed to have been delivered and wasn't. I stocked up on water and set off, then remembered I needed lunch also. I solved that by buying a tin of tuna and a Lebanese cucumber. Fortunately, I'm not off to the toilet every half hour as some of you are, as I was in the car for about six hours (but up five times in the night last night).

I took steak, salad, crispbread and mineral water to the barbeque. They served berries and frozen mango for dessert, so I had some mango as I'd missed my fruit and crispbreads during the day. Had no problems at all, even sitting with a bowl of potato chips in front of me. I know I can do this!

AJ

[hexi2]

Welcome to the zone AJ!

Its always a good idea to buy some of those snap lock snack size bags - just the right size for keeping crackers in... pop into your handbag for the unexpected!

[a healthy life]

Wow AJ you're into week 3 already!

I know what you mean about the plain food. I ate a Premium crispbread yesterday (I had been eating Saladas all week) and OMG, so much flavour! Im loving plain veg and meat/chicken stirfry. Previously they seemed so bland without a sauce for flavour.

I think the fact that Cohens is so strict makes is so simple! Definately very easy to shop for!

[paza]

Hi AJ

You are doing brilliantly and sound like to you are super determine to make this program work and get to your goal weight. You are come across really focused so I know I will be seeing you at goal in no time.

Good on you for passing on those nasty pototo chips and been prepared with foods.

You are flying through this girl and I know you will do this!!!

[sundaymorningstaple]

AJ,

Sounds like we are pacing each other now. I also had a nice 400g drop this a.m. You are already psyched up if you can sit with a bowl of Chips in front of you without unconsciously picking one up! Good on ya!

[Lonniecee]

AJ, you are doing so well. Experimenting with new flavours within our limited range really 'cleanses' the palate as we adjust to no artificial flavourings to food other than natural additives such as herbs or vinegars to spice things up. Even the water can be yummo or revolting depending on the brand (if bought) or filtered tap water. As Hexi said, you are definately in the zone. Well done.

Lauren

[drexyl]

You're showing great will power AJ, I need to take your example & say no to any deviations
Keep up the great work, if you can do it so can I!

[Wendy9]

Well done AJ - you're sticking to the programme and the more you do the easier it becomes - pleased to hear you say it's easy already - I find it second nature now.

[Annabelle Joy]

Day 3, Week 3

Am I really into week 3? It's gone so fast. I didn't have time to update my ticker yesterday, have done so today, even though today the 400 gm is back again. I saw two clients yesterday morning, including a lovely 81 years young lady then spent the afternoon at the winery helping with tasting as they were short staffed and expected to be busy. Managed my main meals okay, but have not had my full allowance of fruit and crispbreads the last couple of days, but I'm allowed to drop them now anyway. However, a day of being busy had its usual effect -- hardly any toilet stops despite the usual water intake. Thanks for the tip about carrying something, hexi. I'll add some crispbreads to my already full handbag (does anyone else carry two external hard drives and a screwdriver in their handbag? ).

Thanks, everyone, for your encouragement. Yes, paza, after 40 years of yoyo-ing, this time I'm determined I'm going to do it. For me, that means no deviations as I realise that's always the start of my downfall. I'll be taking some type of meat/vegetable patties (thanks, hexi and drexyl, saw your posts on FatCat's Fight) out to my next monthly dinner with friends, always held at some cheap, ethnic, non-Cohen food restaurant. Unfortunately, Lonniecee, I'm a sweet-tooth. I'm still having artificial sweetener. I add it to my morning yoghurt along with fruit, limit myself to one cup of brewed decaf coffee a day, sweetened, and one glass of diet caffeine-free coke. Maybe I'll try cutting some of that out further down the track. I think that both artificial sweeteners and caffeine don't help.

SMS, after your plateau last week, I think you may now surge ahead. Good luck.

I'm discovering that everyone has advice when they know you are dieting. I've been given another diet book, advised (by lots of people) to do a lot of walking, shown a little step machine as a good way of exercising. Next time someone tells me they're on a diet, I'm just going to wish them every success.

AJ

[sundaymorningstaple]

Don't you just love the advice given by others? Especially when they see you loosing so fast (relatively speaking) without the help of pills & gimmicks? The naysayers love to tell you you should only lose 500g/mo. When they tell me that I just tell them I want to enjoy myself rather than dieing of old age waiting to attain that weight.

You might try breaking the tiny little sweetener tabs in half and see if you can take it, weening yourself slowly away from it all together.

[Annabelle Joy]

I'm finding that telling people I'm supervised by a doctor and I must stick to the diet exactly shuts people up with regard to diet advice. I just ignore the exercise advice. I haven't lost enough for people to notice yet. I'm rather looking forward to the time when they start telling me that I've lost enough and it's time to stop (once I'm thinner than them).

AJ