Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

[KitEKat]

Hi!

I've been lurking on your board for awhile (very helpful and inspiring information - thank you! ) and finally decided to register and post a question.

I live in the U.S. and have been doing Cohen's for two weeks not (9lbs down!). In the U.S., we don't have any clinics so our only contact with Cohen's is through a general e-mail address. I am confused by one of their responses and thought someone here might understand it better from your interactions with real, live people at Cohen clinics.

I was told we couldn't use cherry or grape tomatoes. The response in the e-mail is posted below. Based on my understanding of the nutritional details, I don't undrstand how they are that different gram-for-gram (see link to tomato nutritional details). The sugar content appears about the same. Do you understand more about why we can't use them?

Thanks!

KitEKat

Tomato Nutritional Details: http://www.thecaloriecounter.com/Foo...9/12/Food.aspx

Response from Cohen:
"Indeed, your friend is correct, cherry / grape tomatoes cannot be eating.
Your New Customer Guide says:

TOMATO (max ½ per meal, max 1 per day)

The ½ per meal, max 1 per day is regardless of the size, whether medium or small, so, if you really wanted to you could have ½ a cherry tomato per meal, maximum 1 cherry tomato per day – which is why we advise clients not to eat them."

[baloo]

Hi KitEKat, welcome.

I put the tomato, and the "Prawns good, Shrimp Bad" rules of Cohen's down to the little quirks of the programme that I don't understand. To me they don't make sense but I'll follow them because this plan is all about following it to the T.

Not a helpful answer I know, but at least be comforted in the fact you're not alone in being confused about certain aspects of the programme.

[Kristine..]

HiKitEKat

As I understand it, tomatoes (and onions) have flaviods, and flavoids are appetite (insulin) stimulants.

Hence, limited amounts each meal, and an aggregate total per day.

The program is all about minimising hunger, and maximising hormone and serotonin stimulation, so that we feel good, are not hungry, and shrink and repair as efficiently as possible.

My program makes no allowance for cherry tomatoes, whether half or a slice. No cherry tomatoes at all! I got to be very good at one thick slice diced and scattered through a salad or just in with the vegetables. As taste is enhanced during the program, I found that one diced slice gave me my tomato fix without any side effects.

Cheers

Kristine

[KitEKat]

Thanks so much for you responses.

The problem for me is that I travel several days out of each week. I have been making all of my meals ahead of time and buying nothing on the road (to ensure I stay completely on plan - no deviations or cheats!). Cherry and grape tomatoes are my preference because I don't have to cut into them until right before I use them. If I cut up a regular tomato and add it that far in advance, it gets kind of "yucky" in the meal.

If the appetite trigger affects my hormone levels chemically and will affect weightloss, I totally understand. But if it just affects appetite and the rationale is that it would cause me to cheat or deviate, I'd almost rather take the risk. They are the only kind of tomatoes I have been using to-date, and I've now lost 11 lbs in just over two weeks. Given that I only have 35-40 lbs total to lose, I think that's actually pretty fast. I'm tempted to keep using them and if I start to see a plateau maybe I'll stop.......I don't know, I'm trying to be SO GOOD at staying on plan.

Decisions, decisions!
:mrgreen:

Thanks again!

KitEKat

[Pudge]

Hey KitEKat
Glad to hear of another from the US. I have been doing Cohen's a week now and have lost 7 1/2 pounds so I am thrilled with that.
The others on the plan have pretty much answered your question besides I wouldn't have known the difference any way. I just bought regular tomatoes since both hubby and I are on the plan I use nearly the whole tomato. I put it in the omlete to add taste. Sometimes I don't use the whole slice so I can add mushrooms in there too.
Pudge

[lessfatty]

Originally Posted by KitEKat

Response from Cohen:
"Indeed, your friend is correct, cherry / grape tomatoes cannot be eating.
Your New Customer Guide says:

TOMATO (max ½ per meal, max 1 per day)

The ½ per meal, max 1 per day is regardless of the size, whether medium or small, so, if you really wanted to you could have ½ a cherry tomato per meal, maximum 1 cherry tomato per day – which is why we advise clients not to eat them."

Well I cannot say how disappointingly silly and stupid is the 1/2 a cherry tomato comment is. Anyway good for a laugh! Fine example of idiots trying to come up with "reasons" for rules which they dont really understand. I think the USA needs to improve the quality of the "consultants" on the other end of the email support chain.

The reality as this idiot sees it, is that cherry tomatoes are normally higher in sugars than regular tomatos thus this is why Dr C probably removed them from the list. For me whilst on the program I decided that I would eat no more than 1/2 a regular sized tomato in one meal, but if it was a small tomato of which the size was about 1/2 a regular tomato I didnt hesitate to eat it all at once , I avoided purchase of the little cherry tomatoes, but I did purchase small tomatoes (30~50grams) regularly.

[KitEKat]

Well I cannot say how disappointingly silly and stupid is the 1/2 a cherry tomato comment is. Anyway good for a laugh! Fine example of idiots trying to come up with "reasons" for rules which they dont really understand. I think the USA needs to improve the quality of the "consultants" on the other end of the email support chain.
[/quote]

Yes, that is our general concensus, too on the US Board I post at (you're all welcome to stop by: http://s3.excoboard.com/exco/index.php?boardid=3480). It's disheartening and makes it harder to take the strict rules of the program serious when the e-mail consultants give such inconsistent answers. The real problem is we only have their e-mail -- there's not a different customer service line to which we could send feedback.

But, the weightloss is good......so we're happy about that!

Thanks again!

[baloo]

Originally Posted by KitEKat

Yes, that is our general concensus, too on the US Board I post at (you're all welcome to stop by: http://s3.excoboard.com/exco/index.php?boardid=3480).

It's difficult to come over when browsing is restricted to members only and you're not accepting new members

[Pudge]

Ya I had tried to get on as well and I am from the US. Go figure why are they not taking new members or not letting guests in at least? That's pretty lame.
Pudge

[KitEKat]

Originally Posted by Baloo

It's difficult to come over when browsing is restricted to members only and you're not accepting new members

I'm not an administrator on the board, so can't say for sure.....but I'd assume they may have temporarily restricted access while they're doing some maintenance or while the server doing it's thing. I'm sure it will be rectified soon.....honestly, it's a friendly bunch!

[Peter 14.7]

I ate some new romano tomatoe over the last few days which were roaund and probably cherry. I found I didnot lose as much as expected. I think it is the sugar thing. Roma Tom ( egg shaped) are ok and I class 1 and half a normal tomato.

Peter