Cohen's Lifestyle 2nd timers?

Prefix for Cohen's Lifestyle
M

MissKris1

New member
Hi all,
My name is Kristy and I'm new to weight loss forum and also new to Cohens. Have been on cohens for 3 weeks now and so far have lost 3.1kg.

I just have a question for the 2nd timers on Cohens. I have noticed going through the forum that there are quite a few people on Cohens for the second time and I would like to hear from those people (if they are comfortable in talking about it) about how they 'relapsed' and what they felt, what happened for them to put the weight back on.

I know it's early days to be thinking about this kind of thing but I'm a little scared about when going on to refeeding that I am going to put it all back on. I intend to follow my refeeding program and what the clinic instructs me to do but also I know that once I am at my goal and have a little more leway with what I eat that it is going to be hard to restrain from having total blowouts.... I never want to go to back to my old habits and I am really trying my hardest to get into a mindset that this is not a diet but a lifestyle change.

People on refeeding/maintenance, did you have the urge to have total blow outs and splurge?

Thanks for listening!
Kristy
 
i

Ok I am a second timer.

How did I 'relapse'?
By not finishing re-feed. I had all the good intentions in the world, but just when I was about to start re-feed, my husband accepted an interstate job offer and we had to quickly fix up a mess of a house, put it on the market, pack and move. I fell in a huge heap because refeed requires 100% attention. i intended to start again when I got shifted, but was WAYYYYYY to busy to concentrate on the task at the other end. In the end, I put back on so much weight, I just lost motivation and thought it was all too hard again. HOPEFULLY THAT WON'T HAPPEN TO YOU!!!!! If nothing in your life is changing, then just CONCENTRATE ON REFEEDING UNTIL YOU GET THE HANG OF WHAT YOU CAN KEEP EATING - FOREVER!!!!

How did I feel about putting weight back on?
Rotten - very rotten.

Did I get urges to blow out and eat garbage?
Not immediately - but eventually if you keep making bad choices, all the original cravings ultimately return over a period of months.

So now I'm back on, but finding it really hard due to busy life style and job pressures. I would like life to be simple but it just isn't so do the best I can when I can. Whenever I get a clearer patch I concentrate on it all again. But I wish we hadn't moved until I'd finished re-feed and kept up maintenance for a good while. However, the reality is that life doesn't always turn out just like we want. We have to deal with whatever the day-to-day reality of life is.

I'm convinced, however, that total "failure" is only failure if we give up and never try again. Whatever happens, keep trying!!!!

Keep life very simple when you are on the diet, don't plan big changes if at all possible, and stick with the WHOLE PLAN through re-feed and maintenance. A "diet" doesn't cure you - it just gets rid of the immediate problem, and then you get the chance to learn to feed yourself in a healthy way and maintain, reintroduce exercise and other things and set yourself for a healthy living pattern FOR LIFE!!!
 
Thanks for your response Niyah 01, I was beginning to think that no one was going to help me out on that question at all.

I appreciate you sharing you advice and will definately take it all on board.

Well done for jumping back on the band wagon and giving it a second shot!

Cheers
Kristy
 
Hi Kristy, Thanks for your very sweet words in the motivational sayings thread. I know that they help me & I hope that they help others. Every day I spend ages trying to find something that feels just right for someone else. Some days I get frustrated & just throw something in but I try to find something appropriate.
I didn't post in this thread because I don't feel that I am a 2nd timer. I'm more a full-timer (as well as being a comparative old-timer!)
The best advice I can give about ever needing to do Cohen's again is to stick to the maintenance guidelines given to you when you complete the weight-loss program. No foods are excluded. You will find what is right for you- what puts weight on for you & what doesn't. Never ever let yourself put on more than 3kgs. It isn't hard. You will have all of the knowledge you will need to ensure that you don't.
If you (& all of us) go back to eating & doing what you did before then, sure, the weight goes back on. None of us became overweight by magic. I highly recommend reading any motivational books that you can to change the way you think about food & yourself.
I think most of us have put food into a place in our lives that it should not be. Food is just food. It is not a replacement for love, for stress relief, comfort etc. It is fuel for our bodies. Food=food.
The book The Beck Diet Solution I recommend. I wish I had read it when I first did Cohen's but I have found it very useful to re-train my brain to put food into perspective. I bought mine from an eBay seller in the UK as I couldn't find it anywhere in Aust. or from the library. I read it regularly.
Welcome to the forum Kristy & to Cohen's. You won't need to do Cohen's again. If you stick to the Cohen's maintenance guidelines you should stay slim forever.
Cheers for now, cate
 
Hiya MissKris:waving:

I'm a 2nd timer too. Well I completed Cohens and funny enough we were going through a house move too. I got my refeed plan a few weeks after moving into our new place and I followed it and lost a further 3kg. I felt and looked terrific. But it wasn't enough to stop me falling into bad habits again.

My thinking was that I had completed and reached my GW and now it was time to treat myself and relax a bit and start socialising again, which I did far too much of.

Anyway I put on 2kg and then it gradually went up over a 3 year period and the funny thing is I kept looking at other diets to lose the added weight, because the thought of going back to Cohens again just didn't apppeal to me because of the restrictive nature of it etc.

BUT LOOK WHERE I'VE LANDED BACK!....COHEN'S
MISSKRIS I HAVE TRIED ALL SORTS OF DIETS TO LOSE THIS WEIGHT AND NOTHING HAS WORKED. THIS IS THE ONLY ONE AND I AM PLANNING NOW FOR WHEN I COMPLETE REFEED SO THAT I DON'T REVERT TO THE OLD ME.
I HAVE REGAINED ALL MY WEIGHT THAT I LOST ON COHENS PLUS SOME...SO THIS IS WHY I AM SO DETERMINED TO REACH MY GW AND THIS TIME I AM NOT TOTALLY RESTRICTING MY SOCIAL OUTINGS BECAUSE I NEED TO LEARN TO BALANCE COHENS INTO MY EVERYDAY LIFE.

By the way I have been on a diet to lose weight for the last 3 years.:angelsad2:

I hope this has helped some MK, the other thing to do is stay on this forum and ask for the help you need. The other good thing about Cohens is that it doesn't take long to lose so when you weigh it up against other diets that you lose a little on then platuea for long periods, well I feel it's a cut above the rest. We just need to learn to maintain after and also if you do gain a few kilos well you now know what to do to lose again, which means you don't have to go wasting money(like I did) on other diet plans.

Goodluck MK...you will not be back the 2nd time around but if you do, make sure you nip those 2kilos in the bud before they grow any further by recommitting to your plan 100% and you will see that weight come off quickly.

All the best - Sam:)
 
Hi Cate & Sam

Thanks for your replies =D

You're so right Cate that food becomes so much bigger in our lives than it needs to be, I have been quoting 'eat to live not live to eat' to myself for the past 3 weeks to keep me going. It's amazing how you can train your brain and slowly but surely I am beginning to not love food the way I used to - in that time you consume that yummy food you feel good but then afterwards you feel like an absolute blob and over time you feel even worse when you realise how much weight you have gained. I will never go back and I will always live a healthy life now and I will teach my children not to love food so much!

Talk soon & take care
Kristy
 
Niyah 01 said:
A "diet" doesn't cure you - it just gets rid of the immediate problem, and then you get the chance to learn to feed yourself in a healthy way and maintain, reintroduce exercise and other things and set yourself for a healthy living pattern FOR LIFE!!!
Click to expand...

Niyah, I love this.
 
Hey Kristy- Don't get me wrong. I love food. I eat slowly & enjoy every taste & every mouthful. I enjoy not over-eating but I absolutely love what I eat. I savour my food & think of the good it is doing me as I'm eating it. I only eat good quality, nutritious food & no junk at all. I think about it as I eat it these days & don't shove food in my mouth without thinking as I once did. There's a very big difference. Food is to be enjoyed. I now choose only healthy food. When you have small children, who soak up everything you say like a sponge, you risk them forming eating disorders very easily. (I speak from experience here unfortunately.) Food is not bad. It should not be seen as a reward either. Like everything else it needs to be put into perspective. Food is our fuel & it should also be an enjoyable part of our day, especially if we sit down & use that time to be a family together, sharing the stories of the day. We should teach our children about good nutrition when they are very young.
I'm sounding like an old, which, at 56, I guess I am in comparison to many of you. If I could undo some things in my life it would be to go back 28 years & never put on lots of weight when I had my boys & go on so many diets & talk about being fat in front of my kids. I wish I had learned (& wanted to learn) about health, exercise & nutrition and been much more sensible about it all. I have few regrets in my life but that is a major one! It can't be changed now but if I can help anyone to not repeat my mistakes that would be good. OK. I've raved enough for one day(won't edit or will delete).
Bye for now, cate.
 
Wow Cate I think I am you....a few years back:)......

What a great post, well for me anyway because I am always on one diet or another as you know now:(....and I am always talking about it to my kids and I wish I didn't, but sometimes it just happens and because being over weight affects my whole thought process and I get very negative it is reflected in how I treat my family.
Thanks for the post Cate.....I am so hoping that this trail ends here with Cohens.

Sam:)
 
2nd timers

2nd Timers...and I thought I'd be the only one and better keep quiet.

I started Cohens July 2006 and lost 30 kilos in 14 weeks - close to my GW 80 kilos I was 86 from 116k. A week after I had paid the programme fee - the Joondalup clinic closed down (thanks then)...the nice ladies at the Perth clinic did what they could to support me and I was elated with the overall loss in 14 weeks.
Hitting my "teenage weight" at 37 years was almost unbelievable to me...I had had a mental picture that I was born to be big and always would be...not so...being a bloke, the compliments to my male ego were perhaps the most rewarding (shallow eh?) ... I felt great, on top of the World and everything was good...almost wore a cape and undies on the outside...unstoppable (thats how good it feels)

As I had no physical contact with the clinic, I was told that after the weight loss, I had deviated too much to be given a refeed plan..my own fault...but "I'm never going back there to that bad place" - right?

I ventured out alone, thinking I could do it (the bloke way) I had intended to set a max weight limit...first 90, then 95...then the magical 100...I held onto the glory for about 5 to 6 months then - Barbies, Christmas and o/s visitors (yes its their fault;-) kicked in and I soon had to put my "thin" clothes (medium shirts, 36 pants) away. within 14 months I had put back all 30 kilos...good job I had kept my 2XL shirts/42 pants!!!!

how bad does that feel....in a word depressing.

where am I now?

signed up for a new programme with the nice ladies at the Perth clinic. had blood test this morning. expect to start again next monday...started wheening off the starches...though planning some last naughties at the weekend (yes I know that sounds silly)....breakfast with the family...bacon and eggs...thats protein right?

Why?

turned 40 this month...and new baby boy arrived after 4 girls...What example to kids of a healthy lifestyle is an obese dad? Plus, I want to be the other me again.

Why Cohens?

It works. its strict and you have to be single minded...but it works...it has taken me a long time to consider the programme again - as I know what I am in for over the next 4 months...however... I will endeavour to endeavour. My focus is of course now on completing the programme completely and picking up the skills and I didn't gain the first time round.

Despite the claims, huge weight losses/gains/losses can't be healthy for us - so I want to get it right and learn the right tools for the "lifestyle" not just the weight loss part.

(is there a limit to post size? - we could be here all day)

I hope this gives some insight into my journey...to be honest I feel a bit daft spilling my guts to the computer..

The forum has come a long way in 3 years...well done to all those who are winning the Cohens way and sharing their experiences...thanks to for the organisers for the Forum...glad to see also the recipe's section...was dreading 20 weeks of stir fry's!!!

NOW...how do I change this ticker thingy....?

:biggrinjester:
 
I am a 2nd timer as well. This is my view for what it worth. 3 years ago I did Cohens but stupidly didn't complete re-feed - in fact didn't start re-feed...not a good choice and my weight slowly crept back up, then a pregnancy and I am now back on Cohens with 5mth baby plus two other rugrats. During my 1st Cohens journey I felt amazing, it gave me such a positive approach to life. I increased my exercise, ran fun runs, planted a vege patch, looked after my appearance and treated my body with respect. However, I took it all for granted and began to "reward" myself with food. Now in my mind I was been "good" I mean I was doing serious exercise and I never gorged or had one bad day after another but over a period of time I found excuses to have calorie loaded food. ie meeting mums at park I would have a latte, then it went to grand latte, then it went to grand latte with "healthy" muffin etc etc. By the time a fell pregnant I had crept my weight to 10kg up from ideal weight and now over 12mths later I am nearly 20kg over.
I believe life after Cohens entirely depends on your commitment to yourself and an unconditional contract to treat yourself with respect.
I managed my weight successfully for nearly 12months after Cohens with the 80/20 rule. Stick to fresh untouched pure food 80% of the time and relax for 20%.
I started my program again at the beginning of the this week and absolutely will complete re-feed this time because I honestly believe it to be the secret of success on this program - but thats coming from someone on it for the 2nd time so PLEASE take the advice and don't end up back here like me.
Good luck and take this time to learn all you can about nutrition, pure food and the negative effect processed, sugar laden food has on our bodies
 
Welcomer bigdaddy & mumof3. Thank you for sharing your stories. Please start a diary so that we can come "visit" you.It is very therapeutic to type in it often. Hey,it's not crazy to spill the beans in here! If it is I'm a raving lunatic! Whoops the truth's out!
I'm meant to be looking something up for my travelling son. Why wouldn't you ask your Mum to see about getting a visa to Vietnam when you're booked to arrive there in 11 days after travelling for 6 months. I had better go have a look. Cheers, cate
 
Thanks for the welcome Cate.

for what its worth..I was in Vietnam a few years ago .... I am pretty sure a Vietnamese embassy or consul will need to have your son's passport to affix a visa sticker in before his entry to the country...best he does it himself in the country he's in...that is my experience - not necessarily the whole range of possibilities... I am not sure Vietnam is a country you can just turn up to??.
check out...
 
Thanks big daddy, I had sent him a link last night plus the address of the Vietnamese embassy in Tokyo. Hopefully he'll get there & sort it. Did you like Vietnam? We're going back there within a few years & staying for a month. I loved Vietnam & especially loved Hanoi. Whenever I see anything about Vietnam on tv I audibly sigh! Cheers, Cate
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top