MAINTENANCE - cous cous, oats, yoghurt & egg questions!!

[ej_nz]

Hi all!

Just wondering on maintenance if you have ever tried cous cous and is it classed as a pasta type carb or noodle or rice type??

Oh also....

Just wondered if anyone has had oats (as porridge) for breakfast with success?
And can you have a yoghurt meal, say for breakfast, and maybe an egg as another meal within the same day? While I am on plan my M1 options are the only options for egg or yoghurt, so I'm uncertain if when on maintenance if I'd be allowed them at different meals on the same day?

Would love to hear your experiences with these

Thanks!!

[MissNat]

HI ej_nz

I'm not much of a wheat or grain eater, so I'm not a lot of help to you on the couscous or the oatmeal question. It is a carb though, both are-- so regardless of type, in my thinking pattern I would treat them the same as I do all carbs.
**Edit: I've just taken a quick look at your diary and I see you have only just ordered your reefed. Once you have received it,you'll understand why I don't distinguish different types of carbs. In fact you might find a few more of your questions will be answered once you have your refeed and maintenance guidelines.

As an FYI though, couscous is made from semolina- which is coarsely ground durum wheat. So if the nature of question was in regards to avoiding wheat that might help you a little further?

Now, your question in regards to yogurt and eggs in the same day... I've never noticed anything in the guidelines in regards to NOT doing it-- and feel free any other maintainers to correct me if I have overlooked something!
Refeed will teach you a lot about how your body reacts to certain foods, but it is up to you in maintenance to continue the experiment. So maybe yogurt and egg in the same day is something you will have to try and check the scales to see how you fare!

[ej_nz]

Hi Miss Nat!

Thank you for your post....it will be very interesting to see what happens to my body with the return (?) of carbs to my menu!

EJ

[Winterboots]

Hi EJ

I was told that once on maintenance, nothing was forbidden however there are guidelines which helps you maintain your refeed weight as if go back to old eating habits, you will go bac to your old weight.

Maintenance guidelines don't recommend carbs for breakfast due to making you feel hungry.

I have on occasion had muslie for breakfast but then very conscience what other carbs I have for the rest of the day. This weekend I am very plan friendly other than today's breakfast - Birchers muslie (oats soaked in apple juice, mixed with my yoghurt, grated apple, nuts and seeds). Better than pancakes or French toast.
WB

[mcbell]

I second what Winterboots has said.

When I spoke to my consultant about making homemade muesli and having it with yoghurt as an evening meal. She thought that it might be ok, but only if it was the only carb I had that day (no bread or crackers that day). Of course, we are all different so I might be able to handle it might not, and also you might find things are different to you.

I also asked about eating more than one egg in a day - she recommended no more than two a day, and to count it towards my extra 120gm protein per day (like 30gm) and to balance the second egg with say 50gm of veges too - hope that makes sense. It will make more sense once you go through the management guidelines with your consultant.

I went through refeed trying almost everything, and barely fluctuated in weight at all - which means I have to find out what I am sensitive to in wondrous maintenance land.

[ej_nz]

Hi Gals!!!

Thanks so much for your posts! xoxo

WB do you find the bircher muesli you make up makes you hungry for rest of day? This is how I was planning to make...but using oats only and not an actual muesli...muesli is a forbidden food for me anyway.

I would think bircher style is way better than french toast or eggs on toast for breakfast??

McBell...wow...didn't realise how strict carbs are when on maintenance....kind of makes me wonder if Cohens is a balanced lifestyle?? *worries*

xoxox

[mcbell]

I want to try making my own bircher muesli too in the future.....

Don't stress out about carbs just yet EJ. This was just a suggestion from my consultant. She doesn't even have her biscuit allowance as she says it "sets her off", not exactly sure what that means though. She eats fairly cohen friendly and only deviates from those foods when she eats out.

The management guidelines recommend 1 carb serving per day (not counting your crackers/bread allowance), but also state that some people can handle two carb servings per day without gaining weight.

A few of the spouses of successful cohens graduates tell me that their spouses just eat fairly normally, but go back to stricter cohens eating if they need to shed some weight.

Again, we all just need to figure out what works for us as individuals. Some people can handle carbs, some people can handle extra fat.....who knows what I can handle - but cohens friendly seems to work so far Might try sushi next weekend! And I used to make "banana berry icecream" using a ripe banana, one frozen banana and 1/2 a cup of blueberries all blended up - sounds like an excellent way to eat some of my fruit again!

[Winterboots]

EJ, I just used oats, soaked them in apple juice overnight and then added yoghurt, grated apple, pumpkin and sunflower sees, toasted almonds and banana and a little maple syrup (will use honey in the future, not that it needs it). It didn't make me too hungry, I had a vita bread for morning tea, normally would have two but conscience of the carb thing.

Mcbell, re the carbs, I find that I don't tend to eat bread often or biscuits as I don't think I could stop at one so not a habit I want to get into. We don't eat potatoes very often either, probably more veggie carbs ie carrots, beans, pumpkin etc. I think just being aware of what you eat, and the ability to do a mini reset if necessary helps in the world of maintenance.

I have read some where that we all need a certain amount of carbs and fat daily, and I think if we abstain from either for too long is where the danger of bingeing (?) comes in. Hence why refeed is also important, to control the reintroduction of these as well as learning what our bodies can tolerate.
WB

[ej_nz]

WB...sounds delish!!!!

I'm not all that interested in sugary carbs, but I think that natural carbs like oats or starchy vegetables play an important role in a balanced diet....I'm gagging for a lovely piece of pumpkin! Lol!

[ej_nz]

PS is Vita Bread like the crackers or is it a new loaf of bread that I am yet to discover?? xo

PPS I had to bike down the road the other day as my car was low on gas, and I thought of you WB...it was on Saturday morning....the sun was shining and the temperature was perfect for a little peddle on the bike.

Can't wait to have more food on maintenance and start exercising like that again!! I have missed exercise!

Lol! Never thought I'd hear myself say that!

Also another thing to look forward to for maintenance is walking through Victoria Park (on Port Hills not town one LOL!) with my family...or long walks along the beach....these things are better than chocolate to me!

<3

[Winterboots]

Yes, meant vita wheats - after eating them for 9 months you would think i would know their name.

I am enjoying the biking - Sunday mornings I bike to town to buy the sunday paper, then enjoy reading it at morning tea time. Except starting to get swooped by the magpies - which I hate, I think it is the noise of their wings just over your head. Must go and buy some spikes to put on my helmet as I don't want to stop biking for the two months over nesting season. I am even enjoy biking in the wind and rain, just tell myself to toughen up as I need the mental challenge as well if I am going to climb Mt Kili.

Are the port hills open for walking, used to walk over the bridle path to Lyttelton and back for coffee when I was training for Nepal - easy access to hills are a bit hard to find.

You will find exercise that more enjoyable now that you are carting the excess around - it won't be long.
WB

[ej_nz]

Oh I loathe Magpies too!!! They are devilishly cunning in their smart black and white appearance but they are just hideous creatures...had a laugh about your helmet spikes! I feel the same way though when I see one, my cousin got swooped on when he was a little boy at the park and the bird took about an old 50c piece sized bit of skin off the top of his head (he had lovely golden blonde hair...so shiny).

Oh I'm not sure about Bridle being open....but I know Vic Park has been. I did manage to get the kids to the swing park up there and then for a small walk along the track for a little bit

Right! Off to start my day now!
xo

[Collie]

Oh is that what those spikes in bike helmets are for????? I've always wondered and just figured they'd forgotten to cut the tags off!!!!! Lol, I really am dumb!!!!!

I used to get attacked in September every year on my bike as a kid at my parents holiday home. I constantly had a head full of blood........yuck and I was terrified, still am, not a fan of birds in general from it. Only reinforced my phobia when I watched Alfred hitchcocks the birds!!!!!

My bird fears are but not limited to; magpies, butcher birds, mickeys and bloody plovers!!!!!!!

Ok, had my bit to say about birds........sorry for that hijack!!!!

[Winterboots]

Thanks guys - here I was thinking they would never make contact!!! Did a make shift gadget this morning. Took one of those plastic balloon holders, cut some ribbon and tied it on to where you put the balloon. Where maggie is swooping me at present, I stuck it into my helmet and rode that part of it sticking out of my head otherwise it is in my hand ready to wave around if one gets to close. So glad I live in the country and no one could see me.

Had the remainder of the bircher muslie this morning - with a small banana. Was still really nice but yes, it does not fill me as much as normal muslie, husks and my half grated apple. I think I will leave it just for a Sunday treat.
WB

[ej_nz]

collie...I am not a fan of magpies or snakes...yuck!

not sure what a butcher bird is but it sounds gross!

WB...thats good to know about your bircher muesli....what is your normal muesli you have that fills you better? Do you make it yourself?

Has anyone tried couscous instead of pasta at all? A little couscous goes a long way when bulked up with grated carrot, red onion, coriander, cucumber etc.
I was thinking of trialling it in place of pasta salad for the summer time.

xo

[Winterboots]

oops, meant my usual - just yoghurt, grated apple and psyllium husks. I find the psyllium bulks it up a bit without adding any carbs.

I nearly always had egg on plan - but since maintenance, would now have yoghurt 95% of the time - keeps me filler. I have also gone down to 1/2 apple where earlier I would have a whole apple for breakfast and lunch - now just the one over the two meals.

WB

[ej_nz]

Yea I have identified (before Cohens) more than 2 full sized servings of fruit a day halts any weight loss for me!

Oh psyllium...can one purchase this at the supermarket? Must look out for it in Coutdown or even New World!

[mcbell]

I got my psyllium husks from Pikos in stanmore road. Haven't actually used it while on Cohens - might have to start incorporating it into my diet.

[Collie]

Well, believe me you're lucky that you don't know what butcher birds are.......maybe they're exclusive to us in Oz......hideous animals (sorry if anyone likes them out there)........

I think they might be a native to us here, hope for your sake they never migrate!!!!!!!

[ej_nz]

Me too!!! But then NZ is pretty chilly! Hope thats enough to keep them at bay! Lol!