Stopping Cohens and gaining weight

[Indya]

Hi all,

I know someone who has been on Cohens for a while and lost quite a lot of weight. I was speaking to her today and she said she is fed up with the program and wants to switch to WW. I told her how many times I've tried WW before and how slow it was to get any weight off and how much exercise you have to do along with it. She really wants to do this so I said I would ask the question on here:-

If anyone knows, if she was to do this, how much weight would she put on again before having to start to take it off again? I have told her I think it's a really bad decision but she would like some more information if anyone is willing to shed any light? Anyone with any experience of this? I know I would be too scared of putting it back on!

Thanks everyone,
Indy xx

[jlou]

Indya sorry, must be the cold getting to my brain but I don't really understand the question...

[Indya]

Sorry jlou, mustn't have been clear enough. Basically my friend is a cohenite and wants to switch to ww but I told her that she will probably put quite a bit of weight on when she starts eating "normal" food again. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or knows anyone who has done this and how much weight she could expect to put on? She would then have to start trying to take that weight off again - what a pain! I am trying to stop her but she is her own woman and that's her journey. I just told her I would ask around for her anyway.

Cheers,
Indy xx

[jlou]

Oh ok

I think it would vary with each person but basically she will end up on a yo yo diet. The whole key to Cohens is the refeed. You have to do that as the first step to keeping the weight off...

People will choose their own path - maybe she just doesn't want it bad enough to put up with the really quite small sacrifices you have to make on cohens...

[Paula83]

Hey guys,
I did Cohen's last year.. then went off it before getting to refeed.. I put on 11 kilos in about 9 months!
Now, I'm back started on Cohens again with a new program! I know how much a pain in the butt Cohens can be, and how the food on the program sometimes makes you angry, but it is the only program that has ever worked for me!! ... hence coming back!!
There is no doubt that your friend will put on weight, even on the ww program.

My advice to her would be to just Stick it out... get to refeed and maintainance and be done with it... or else she could end up like me... re-starting the program again!

[Kohinoor]

Hi Indya,

I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or knows anyone who has done this and how much weight she could expect to put on? She would then have to start trying to take that weight off again

Have a look at Pandora's Diary. She did the Cohens / WW switcheroo more than once. In the end, it was all about working on her mindset, as her final posts seem to be showing. In Pandora's case, she enjoyed the "face to face" meetings that WW do - but, if I recall correctly, the foods didn't seem to help her journey too much.

Jlou said it for me.... It IS her path - so wish her luck, be her friend, and lead by example. The "helpful Books" thread might hold some clues for her, too.... if you wanted to suggest any....

Koh

[laukii]

You've made me think of something actually Paul83... I had a friend who did Cohens (very successful) and he said that the only thing he would suggest to me would be to have some support network available after I've finished as no further support is offered by Cohens which is understandable. So I was thinking once I've finished the program I'll join ww (still using my cohens rules of coarse) so that I am accountable once a month or else I know I'll go off the rails. Just thought it may be useful to others. That's one thing I'd really benefit from is regular cohens meetings with other members going through the program at the same time as me.. wish we had it!

[mcpsych]

When you "finish" you can get all the support you want and need for as long as you want right here

[jlou]

Laukii I agree with mcpsych - stick around here and we will take care of you!
Also there are a few others in Perth on the program so why not organize a get together? We do it in brisbane (having another one today) and we do clothes swaps too!

[yaja]

Hi Laukii.

You mentioned about there being no Cohen's support after we complete the program. Of course there is. There's this forum. That's what's been helping me.

I joined up in '07, didn't finish the program and, a month ago re-started on the same program. I realise it's not ideal due to changes in body, blood and of course the meal plan would be altered but I can't afford to get on the program yet. As I get a few kgs closer to re-feed I'll get a more accurate program going.

In the meantime, things are going quite well (apart from my bowel movement issues (see my diary if interested) and I'm getting heaps out of reading everyone's experiences and of course the recipes which make life a whole lot easier.

Anyway, good luck Laukii.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Two years later, I'm still drawing support from the forum. Works great for me.

[Never Give Up]

Hi,

[Never Give Up]

woops, try again! hi I agree with yaja - I've done the program twice, and am now back on it again - using the latest program I have - not ideal but can't afford a new one yet, and hey, you have to start somewhere. I thought of going to WW once a month to keep me on track, but I think listening to their meetings wouldn't help - and now I've found this forum, I'm getting my motivational shot in the arm when I need it.
"I'm getting heaps out of reading everyone's experiences and of course the recipes which make life a whole lot easier." ditto for me!

[Soon2BSlim]

I think the biggest difference about support here compared to support at ww is that this forum has support 24/7 but at ww you only get to meet people for support once a week. I know that for many of us it's the 24/7 support, especially over weekends that makes the difference in our lives and whether we can reach our goal or not. I attempted ww years ago and apart from the fact that it took me a whole year to lose 10kg, I didn't find the meetings very supportive at all.

This place is the best for support, no doubt about it, and it's easy enough to arrange a meeting in your town if you need to see people face to face, or even a one on one at your home, making a forum friend a friend in real life!

As for stopping Cohens and trying ww ....... I would be questioning if my head was in the right place to lose weight. If we look for the easy way out, or an easier way to lose weight we're already finding excuses to not go the distance and have to question how badly we want to lose weight.

If we just stick to Cohen's we will get there quicker and easier than any other method.

[mcpsych]

there is an easy way to lose weight- calories in less than calories out- that is not the problem
we all know there is only one question to answer- "wheres your head at"
get that straight and away you go

[ConnieK..]

calories in less than calories out

It's not that simple - if it was weight watchers and the 800cal/day stuff would have worked for me - I also needed to watch the TYPES of foods I ate - weight watchers had waaay to many carbs for me .... Cohen's showed me that my body needs

(Calories from fresh fruit and veg/ non processed foods + (total calories in (carbs) < insulin resistance coping ability)) < calories out = weight loss

For some people in particular women with PCOS, men with syndrome X or people who have been long term overweight to the point where the body is having trouble recognising insulin the types of foods are sometimes more important than the calorie in/out balance.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence and I am sure that the lovely 1 point ww desserts and sweets seem like an "easier" way to lose than being as restricted as cohens - but if the body involved is insulin resistant ww will not work - regardless of how well you stick to it.

And I also agree wholeheartedly with what Mark said - if you are looking for the easy out - then you just don't want it badly enough and unless you get your head right whatever you do will fail! <--- spoken from experience.

Just my experience for info!

Connie

[Kohinoor]

Hi Indya,

I want to introduce you to Tantravaya !! She made a VERY interesting post some months back, (I'll put the link at the end of this post). And, just a few days ago, here she is again, and made some comments that could make A LOT OF SENSE to a lot of people. She certainly did to ME !!!

http://newyouforum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=286619#post286619

I well recall ConnieK's early days too, where her path was not as easy as others - I suspect there is SO much more that needs to be known yet !! Certainly, with Connie, Cohens helped her to reach goal, where other paths hadn't worked (her Diary is a helluva read!!).

Does it end there? I'd suspect Connie and others would have a thought or two re that (each travels their own journey, and, it seems, "no one size fits all").

Maybe Tantravaya found a BIG clue with THIS post :-
http://newyouforum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=257075#post257075
DO click the link at the end of her post - that's where a few lights might turn on.

The longer I've been on here, the more I realise that each journey IS individual - BIGTIME !!! Fortunately, the great input from the stalwarts on here leave a bunch of clues - and one or two of those clues could be just what YOU need !!

Koh

[mcpsych]

It is called the law of conservation of energy actually
the problem with things like ww is
one / innacuratevmeasurement of calories
two/ allowing unlimited use of certain foods as if they contained no calories
and 3/ a lack of understanding of the body into which the caories are being fed
by a/ not understanding the metabolic process
and b/ not having any idea about the individuals caloric output

this points to the strength of cohens, thee is understanding of metabolic processes and there is a focus on the individual process

which returns me to my point
none of this will make the slightest difference if the individual doesn't do the hard yards
that is where faiure us built into most other programs
they allow deviation because they know how hard it is to be deviation free and thus there us no training of thoughts and no preparation for the day you are on your own
another strength of this programme- d free, refeed and maintenance
cheers
mark

[winghama]

mark, it that your longest post ever?

[ConnieK..]

All I know is I had a resting metabolic rate test done and my RMR was 1730 ... so they put me on 800 cals /day ... in 5 years I lost 17kg .... despite having an average deficit of over 1000 cals/day based on RMR and diet intake. I was also going to the gym for 8 hours/week at that time.

so I guess for me it was a law of diminishing returns until I found cohens

Connie