Xanadu begins her program

[xanadu]

Yesterday I began my program.

Thursday night my husband and I had a 'going away party' with pasta and chocolate and coca cola with all the sugar. It was great but i must say, it cannot have made my day 1 any easier...

First impressions, my GOD the protions are small. So for the first time in my life i sat and enjoyed every morsel knowing that was the last bit of food i was allowed for the next 5 hours. I considered checking with the clinic to confirm the measurements were correct.

Day 1 was hard, I was so tired, had a terrible headache, and i was very hungry. I drank 4ltrs of water, partly because of the heat, but mostly to pass the hunger a bit.

Day 2, today, seems to be a bit easier. I had to have a siesta (i am always looking out to have a siesta anyway) so when my son slept his afternoon nap, i curled up and slept for about an hour...when i woke up, gosh i felt good.

I think i am really beginning to feel the effects of this increased energy that everyone seems to mention. I was jumping around with my son earlier and i haven't done that before.

Cannot wait till the first week is over, can only imagine the results will be better.

I am quite surprised at how filling these tiny portions are becoming. I am also realising how I need to change my habbits a bit....it was hard to resist eating my sons left overs from lunch. didn't do it, but it sure made me realise that i have to watch myself very carefully. If i slip into auto pilot too soon, I could make some mistakes.

So i am going to contribute to this weekly thread, for the benefit of future Cohen suscribers and because i have enjoyed everyones previous posts.

Hope week 2, 3 etc become easier than this first week. If i feel the pangs to deviate, i will begin to stick post-it note mantras al over the house...beginning with Kristine's "start, continue and finish"

towards the end of day 2, i am feeling....
....not as bad as a thought i would.

that is positive enough

thanks to everyone

xo

[xanadu]

Does everyone feel really full after their meals?

I am finding that more and more these tiny portions are making me very full. In a short while i will have to force the last fruit allowance for the day because i really don't feel like eating more.

Am i doing something wrong?

I have been drinking loads of water, thanks to the sydney heat....
I have found a way to drink the 3lts of water a day...

I give myself little milestones to finish a 600ml bottle, only 5 of those bottles means 3 lts. So i will have 1 bottle with breakfast, lunch and dinner, then one bottle on the way to work in the train and the other bottle going home...5 bottles, easy peasy. I used to be a 0-0.5Lt water drinker!

I haven't weighed myself all week, i am nervous incase i have't lost anything and become disapointed.

Hope everyone is well and healthy

x

[Kristine..]

Hi Xanadu

Yes, most people adapt to the smaller sizes of the meals quite quickly.

Don't forget that the body does not produce insulin with protein as it does with carbohydrate - hence the lack of hunger and the feeling of fullness.

Well, not perhaps 'fullness', but without 'hunger' and sugar cravings there doesn't seem to be any need to eat.

I used to eat an orange as 'supper', sort of on the way to bed. A refreshing end to the day, but since completing the program the oranges lay forgotten in the bowl!

The success of the program is in the skill of the program. Because I haven't reverted to meals wholely of starch / carbohydrate foods I still do not feel hungry, although sometimes I feel bloated if there has been eg rice or pasta included with dinner.

Make sure you eat everything, particularly in the first two weeks as your body adjusts.

The liver starts to access the stored fats quite soon, but although the brain can make use of this type of energy, it still needs 'fresh' energy which is why carbohydrate in the form of the crispbread and fruit is included in the program.

So to keep your brain healthy and to maintain concentration and memory, make sure you eat everything.

I lost 3.5 kilos in the first week as the glycerol in the muscles was used up - the single largest chunk of weight gone. After that, it was steady as she goes all the way through.

Good luck, enjoy yourself - you'll soon be flying!

Cheers

Kristine

[Lonniecee]

Even tho in the past 20 weeks I've only been hungry 2-3 times and looking back I know the reason for this, I have certainly been quite satisfied by the portions prescribed me, this past week however, I have been struggling to eat my meals because I still feel 'full' and am only eating by the clock. Yesterday at work it was very quiet and working alone there was very little stimulation other than my book. On looking at the ti,me I thought I'd have some fruit but really didn't feel like it, it was only cos I was bored, it was a realization that came as a surprise to me.
Today I was watching a couple of girls eating their lunches and both were very slim, I couldn't get over the amount they both ate, it would take me a day to eat now, how things have changed.
As Kristine has said, and she is certainly an inspiration to us in her knowledge and experience on Cohen's, your stomach does shrink quickly and there is really very little hunger experienced, just watch the traps like caffeine and over exertion.
Good luck with it all and enjoy the journey.
Lauren

[xanadu]

I had a mega weightloss this week!!! though i cannot be exactly sure how much i have lost...here is the story.

I was first weighed at Cohens clinic 2 weeks ago (before the blood test etc...). So this 81 kgs was the weight i was when i was wearing jeans and after lunch.

i didn't weigh myself at the beginning of the programme because i didn't have any bathroom scales.

This week on the home scales i clock in at 75kg! i was so shocked i nearly fell off! I went in for a re-weigh a few times to be sure. very happy

Can anyone else remember their first weigh in?

Meanwhile, i have lost 4 cm off my waist. That is fabulous for me considering i have been carrying a belt of fat around my middle since my son was born.

At work, 4 people have commented about how much weight i have lost, one of those people was a client. I felt so proud. It gave me such a strength to resist the sweets from 2 product presentations and Thursday night work drinks from this last week.

My bras now fit better also, around my back, i have a reduced 'tied ham' effect which intanty makes all my clothes fit better.my jeans now require a belt as they fall to my hips (and they aren't hipsters)

oh what ecstacy.

i couldn't wait to let you all know.

good luck to all and I hope you are all well and healthy

x

[Lonniecee]

Well done. Hooray for you.

[xanadu]

Thank you for your well wishes everyone. I love to read your anecdotes also.

just thought i would write in today. So far this week is going well.
In previous diets, this is where i would start to consider leaving. Funny, this isn't the case today.

Perhaps is it because i have become so fastidious that this behavious is now part of my routine?

Maybe it is working and i am just satisfied....

without trying to analise it too much, i feel great, like the fog has lifted from my head, the pain from my knees is gone and the belt on my jeans is too big...

today i got a woof whistle. Ok, it was from a construction site as i was walking to the train station (i know their standards are very low), but the thought was enough.

I wanted to ask everyone....when did you notice your energy improve? My energy is up and down all the time and it usually happens at the end of the work day or when i am close to my next meal.

i would be interested to hear your thoughts.

take care and best wishes

x

[dreamer]

Great work! Keep it up at this pace and you'll be finished before you know it.
I get on and off days. I'm generally not a morning person, but lately I feel I can get out of bed so much easier than I used to. I don't have as much body pain as I used to.
If I have a slow day at work, I notice my hunger more before lunch. Busy days, I don't even notice.
I find my batteries do fall out before dinner - but I pick up after.
One thing I do notice - if I manage to get to bed earlier, I feel much better the day after. Sleep is a really imporant part of this program. I need to heed my own advice, but I'm lucky if I can get to bed before 12 lately!

Happy losing!

[Peter 14.7]

Very Encouraging to hear about your success Xanadu.

Especially the bit about work challenges re presentations. SInce when does rubbish cake ( not even real cake) from Michelles become a reason for celebration?

Bacon & Egg Rolls are my weekness. Quick , filling and available everywhere in the CBD.

BUT this is all to change.

Regards, Peter 14.7

[xanadu]

Hi everyone,

thanks for your posts and encouragements.

This week, only a further 1 kg down!! A scratch on my last week but still that is 1 whole kilo that i used to struggle with. I mean, doing nothing, just eating what i am told to, I lost 1 whole kilo. surely i knew deep down that the week 1 weight loss wasn't going to be forever, at that rate, my belly would have hung like a skirt.

I have shed a further 3cm off my waist, that is amazing for me. I have noticed my waist towards the back becoming slimmer and slimmer and it is so nice to put my hands there and not fear that i might lose them in the folds.

the comments keep coming in, which makes me so happy. Then i thought, wow, i must have been quite bad for there to be noticable difference in 2 weeks.

Just like dreamer has mentioned, my greatest success this week was being able to wake up at 6.20 am with my eyes clearly open. I remember it used to hurt waking before 8am. Dreamer, I completely understand that state and I am punching the air for you too. I LOVE that i can wake up easier these days.

Peter 14.7, I agree about the Michelles cake stuff. Sales reps come to our office regularly, and to catch our attention, they will bring cakes, danishes, muffins etc...one guy bought the most mouth watering cannellonis once....but i digress, the easiest way to resist was not to be there. This week, someone gave me a box full of danishes to share with my team, (in exchange for custom....but these days, i am not so easily bought!) the smell was intoxicating. So i cut them all in half and shared them around the office. I have to say, the giving was far more pleasureable than the eating would have been. AND now i am everyones best friend...well at least for the week.

Peter, are you about to begin your programme?

Thanks again to everyone, I look forward to th 3rd week and what it may hold for me and this weightloss challenge.

Take care and i hope you are all in excellent health

x

[banana split]

Well done Xan. Way to go.

I started 17th Jan so we are partners in crime, so to speak.

BS

[xanadu]

Hi everyone,

I have had a really difficult last couple of weeks. My son got the flu and so i did also. It still hasn't completely gone away but at least i can go through the day without a nap now.

I guess the problem was that I couldn't rest. I had planned to take a flexi from work for a few days, but i was told monday that i had to organise a major client presentation and that it was due on Friday. and the weekend is spent caring for my son. not a lot of rest for me.

neverthe less, i have had a great weight loss week and discovered a few really delicious soups.

70.4kg today!

I am almost down to pre-baby weight and i am fitting into my old clothes, which is a hurrah for me because i needed a bit more variety for work!!

I have lost a generous 10cm off my waist, however i cannot shift this belt of fat that i have had since i was pregnant. I should be a bit more patient, i am sure it will happen.

have to sign off as I am getting ready to go out on a date with my husband. Has been ages since we have done this, we always seem to be saving for something. It seems fitting though to take the new me out on the town. That is just making my ego soar!

hope everyone is doing well and feeling healthy

x

[xanadu]

Hello everyone, I have gone AWOL from Computer land for this week, bit of a busy week that made for little time to use the net.

Today clocked in at 69.2, boy am i glad to see the last of the 70 kilo weight range, i feel an air punch coming on.
I am now pre-baby weight and fitting all my size 12 clothes with ease. I have dresses that haven't seen the light for 3 years that are now being worn and it feels great!
Another thing is that I am up to 11.8 kg lost, which is the exact weight of my lovely 1 1/2 yr old boy!!! Oh my godness, I pick him up and think to myself, how the hell didmy knees cope with this all day??????

astounding.

Now that i have hit the 60 kilo weight range, I think i should stop weighing myself every morning...I know i shouldn't, but i cannot help it. So i am going to hide the scales and be surprised at the end of the week. Then I will leave them completely and weigh myself at the next clinic visit.

While i haven't deviated at all since i began the program, i really feel like eating some Chorizo or some lamb on the BBQ....one meal at a time

take care everyone, I am loving reading all your diaries. Keep up the GREAT work

x

(PS thanks ASY for transferring this thread!)

[asy]

Originally Posted by xanadu

Another thing is that I am up to 11.8 kg lost, which is the exact weight of my lovely 1 1/2 yr old boy!!! Oh my godness, I pick him up and think to myself, how the hell didmy knees cope with this all day??????

hehe, I remember hitting the weight of my daughter.

She's 10yo, that was at -52kg. We both stood by the scales at the clinic and laughed and laughed. It was fantastic.

Now I've passed the weight of my Son (he's 13). I can't even lift him. Even if he comes and sits on my knees for a cuddle, it all but squashes me. How in HELL did I carry him around all day every day, and how did my body cope with not only carrying him, but also my organs for supporting both of us.

What in DAYLIGHTS was I doing to myself!?

Still, I saw the light. And it wasn't a train.

asy

[xanadu]

asy, i loved your story, your daughter sounds lovely. What a moment you guys must have had by the scales there...and what a triumphant moment!

Today i clocked in at 68.0 kilos...My ticker says i am half way through, gosh that sounds great.

I resisted the urge to weigh myself every day, though mid week i had a peek....I have to say it feels better to see a whole 1.2 kg down than watch myself daily at the same weight. I was beginning to lose motivation.

Meanwhile, I would really love to eat some avacado on toast....oh if only avacado was on our list, i love it with Ryvita.

13 kilos down...wowee, i cannot believe it. I am less than pre baby weight and now heading towards the adolescent weight range....I cannot wait to see my self in the next couple of weeks.

Have a family thing tomorrow. Most of these people haven´t seen me in the last 7 weeks. I cannot wait to see reactions....hope i get a couple of reactions!

met a friend during the week who is doing a sureslim program. Interesting to see she is a little sickly, i cannot understand why since the programs are similar. She kinda looks a bit grey. Has anyone else heard of comparisons to this diet?

Anyway, must go. It was lovely escaping domestic routine to read your lovely diaries and to enjoy your succeses. congratulations to everyone.

take care

x

[xanadu]

Hi everyone,
I haven't been near the computer for a while...I decided to write now because i had a terrible day at work and really wish to eat some chocolate. So i did as ASY would do, i smelled the chocolate, got the vibe of the flavour and to avoid any mistakes, i thought i should write.

I weighed myself on Sunday and I am the evil 66.6 kg...no kidding. Still, bl*ody happy with that, because i remember when i was 70kg, i never thought i would get lighter than that!

I am so pleased that the weight keeps coming off (albeit a lot slower than at the beginning) even if i do no excercise. That is the greatest thing for me because i need to take care of my son (and my husband is at night school), there isn't a great deal of excercise i can do. As it is i only get 30mins a day with my son, so to calm my mothers guilt a bit, I prefer to spend the small amount of weekday time with him.

The interesting thing now is that now that i am slimmer, I wish to go walking more, so the weekends are now spent doing something more active. I have all but forgotten the pain walking caused when i was obese, and the depression, probably because of the effort it took to do things as basic as tying my shoelaces....

Comments about my new shape are pouring in, the office boss even noticed today and commented. I guess 14 kilos really shows.
I am so pleased at my new agility. I know i am no fitter than before, but geeze it is so much easier to do 'stuff'.

So NO to that chocolate, as Kristine says, being slim(mer) tastes much better.

Good luck to everyone, I hope you are all well.

x xo

[xanadu]

Dissapointing this week. Weighed myself on Saturday morning...65.6 and felt fab that I was seeing 65 on the scales...then on Sunday morning, back up to 66.0kg and Monday morning 66.2 kg.....

so here i sit with a -0.4kg and i feel kinda upset. Still, everyone has talked about a lull in the weight loss, but to see weight rise 0.6kg in 2 days was terribly dissapointing.

no deviations, the only difference in my routine as I can see it is that i put tumeric on my chicken.

oh well, at least i am out of the evil numbers...66.6.

so have hidden the scales and I don't want to know anymore.
...and then i ate a cheese meal knowing that it does nothng for my weight loss, but i felt i needed that treat (low fat ricotta with tomato and cucumber on ryvita...oh so yummy)

Still i should be satisfied that the weightloss is showing. I met a collegue by the photocopier today, hadn't seen her for a few weeks as we work on opposite ends of a large office (and she had been working in Dubai for the last few weeks) and she had to take a double look.

People are beginning to tell me that I should stop now considering the weight i have lost already. I am not even in my healthy weight range yet. Some people's idea of suport is a bit twisted. I tell them I will stop when i have finished.

oh well, hope to report with fabulous news next week. Hope everyone is well and happy. I love reading all your diaries even though i cannot contribute as much as i wish to. It sounds strange to say, but i feel proud of all your achievements. Congratulations to all.

x ox

[xanadu]

hooray, numbers have moved down the scale this week rather than up. very pleased about reading 65 kg on the scale.

not a great deal to report this week, but i just wanted to comment on my energy levels...i feel SO good (energy wise), I can't believe how clear my head feels, how boyant my step is, and how quickly i can clean the house in the evening when i come home from work. I don't know if it is the weight that i have lost, or if it is indeed this programme???

viva life!

I decided on the weekend that i couldn't wear my size 14 jeans anymore, the belt holding them up now makes it look like I am wearing a potato sack. I bought a size 11 pair of jeans!! i was shocked. I wore them the whole weekend and to work today. I feel like Kate Moss.

weight is still coming off slowly though, went to the clinic on Saturday and she told me that it was strange that (compared to the first 4 weeks) my 2nd month was so slow. Not to worry, i don't mind sticking to this as long as it takes.

take care and good luck to all

x

[Peter 14.7]

Originally Posted by xanadu

I decided on the weekend that i couldn't wear my size 14 jeans anymore, the belt holding them up now makes it look like I am wearing a potato sack. I bought a size 11 pair of jeans!! i was shocked. I wore them the whole weekend and to work today. I feel like Kate Moss.
x

You go girl! Try SES Outlets for bargain slim girl wear. Very very cheap outlets shops. Peter

[xanadu]

Thanks Peter! I had forgotten about those stores...I remember only looking from the outside. Must make a point of looking inside now, see if i am in a SES size bracket!!

last week was a crazy busy week, running around from various job sites and the office and home. While it wasn't exercise per se, i now understand why santa commands us not to begin a vigorous exercise programme. This week, i have had low blood pressure and was hungry all the time. Almost fainted once, terrible feeling.

Thankfully it is subsiding. Increased the salt in my diet, included the diet coke for some sugars and ate sweet fruits to help however i could.

This week sees me to 62.4 kg (-2.6kg over the last 2 weeks, good for my slow but steady programme). The boys in the office are noticing, or maybe i should say they are begining to comment. All my old clothes are starting to get loose and wow that is a good feeling.

Anxious about easter. It wont be the chocolates but the FEAST my mother prepares that will tempt me. be strong....

good luck to all over this easter break. And in the spirit of the symbology of Easter, wishing everyone a refreshed inspiration with their personal renaissance.

take care

x xo