Cohen's Lifestyle Finding Cohen's SO TOUGH

[desert_me]

Hello everyone

I only lasted 2 days on Cohen's before caving in, eating all the foods I shouldn't eat. This has gone on for a few days now.....

Thing is, the amount of carbs is so low, I feel like crying at my evening meal. I have been getting hungry and cranky, pigging out, and feeling like a failure....

Not to mention, the food is boring and monotonous.

How do I get back on the wagon, and survive for the next 20kgs??????

 

[losing]

desert me

The plan is tough - that's for sure. When you get through the first week it is a little easier but there are struggles along the way. You WIll stop feeling hungry and cranky but you have to give your body a chance to get to that stage,,,,,,,it comes down to how much you want it.

The only way to get back on the wagon is to eat Cohens for brekky this morning and then have your crackers and then make cohens lunch and occupy yourself until you are ready to make cohens dinner. Repeat this for as many weeks as it takes. Use this forum as a place to come when you are hungry or cranky ,as a retreat. I am also using the Biggest loser as a motiviator as I should be finished refeed when the show concludes. ANd have you seen what they have to do?????

Tell the people in your life that you are going to need their support and let them know that this will be the last time you ever diet.

Good luck - and remember this does work so if you want to lose that 20kgs (it has taken me 14 weeks to lose that much) you can lose it - but you are the only one who can........

Cheers
Sharon

 

[heavenlylamb]

Hi
Sorry to hear that the going has been so tough.
Really, what you are doing though is to continually put your body through the first 2 days of the program, which are always the toughest. If you will persist through to day 4 or 5 without deviating, then you will find that your body takes over and the hunger and crankiness goes away, and, for me at least, is replaced by a natural high. Plus you get in the swing of preparing the food and it all becomes automatic.
You are probably addicted to carbs and sugar and your body craves them, but once you allow your sugar levels to stabilise, then you'll find it settles down. I know, because I've been deviating a lot this weekend, and I can begin to feel the sugar cravings kicking in - its amazing how different that is to my life normally on Cohens, with no sugar cravings, no crankiness etc! Its the sugar that causes the crankiness, not Cohens!
In terms of the food being monotonous and boring - the reality is that you can prepare the food however you want... So it doesn't need to be boring unless you make it so. My advice is always to try to eat the types of food that you ate before. So, some people here use their crispbread to "crumb" their meat. Some people make casseroles. But I really dislike "ruining" meat with any type of additive apart from some herbs. Some people makes smoothies out of their yoghurt and fruit allowance - but I like to "eat" rather rather than drink. You can have egg scrambled, fried, in an omelette. You can have one vegetable to make up your allowance or lots. You can have tomato and mushrooms with cheese. You can use your cheese allowance to make cheesecake. Really, the list is only as limited as your imagination and taste.
The thing is, you haven't really been on the program long enough to get bored yet! It takes time for your tastebuds to adjust and to enjoy the food you are making. and if you keep adding sugar and carbs, then your tastebuds will never adjust!
I think your mind is telling you lies. You need to think about what you are thinking and when and why you are thinking it. Maybe you have some emotional issues with food and weight and you are sabotaging yourself so that you don't succeed. Maybe some counselling will help - it certainly helped me prior to beginning on this program to get rid of some of the "demons" so I could focus on the physical part of losing weight without the emotional baggage.
But, you will need some willpower to get through this early stage of the program until it becomes more "natural".
Do you want to be thin? How much do you want it? Are you prepared to give up some food in order to become thin? Are you willing to pay the price, even if that is to eat this type of food forever? Spend some time thinking about what is actually the problem.
The program definitely works, if you stick to it. Its not too boring or too difficult or too low in carbs. The question is, how much do you want it, or are you prepared to give up so early in the game?
HL

 

[ata]

Desert Me

I agree with losing and heavenlylamb. The plan is hard to start with but very worthwhile. I was one of the lucky ones and didn't go through too much trauma in the beginning. Probably because I don't eat much carbs anyway. Still it was tough getting used to the small portions. Now I don't know how in the hell I ate so much before.

I travel heaps with work (am at present in Grafton for 2 weeks). I manage to stay in places with kitchens or if it is only a couple of days trip I plan ahead and pre cook everything. It is time consuming but well worth it.

The only time I have deviated during the whole program (including no deviations over Christmas) was a couple of weeks ago when we spent a week in Fiji. I couldn't take my food with me but I tried to eat as best I could. I only gained 0.9kg (which I have lost including more) and can honestly say that I was thrilled.

Yes it will get easier.

Please try to stick to it. For your own healths sake.

Skinny hugs
Allana

 

[slimny]

Right On

Dear Heavenlylamb,

I'm not having problems with the Cohen diet...because I want it!....but reading your post to help desertme I think that was her name) was so RIGHT ON....to the point and so true. Very inspiring and insightful.. Just had to tell you... its a re-read for when one is struggling.

Like you said ...one has to get into to it..and then it does become automatic and your way of life. I have been having a great time trying new recipes and creative ways of cooking.. its been a blast.

 

[Ididit4me]

Desertme - I would have to agree with what everyone else has said. I was so looking forward to getting this diet, I was like a kid at Xmas. But then, when i got it, I was in for a shock. The first day I did not think I could stick with it and all I wanted was to be 4 weeks into the plan. I make an X in each day of the calendar after it's complete tp see that I am getting through it and now I am starting my 4th week today.

I also had to eat my meals right away and make my husband clean up the dishes for the first few days as I wanted to continue to taste things. I had to leave the kitchen immediately and go up to the bedroom. After the 4th day, I'm back to normal with cleaning, as I do not make extras for my hubby and am portion controlling him as well.

My big concern for you is - how are you able to eat all the carbs and cheat? are you eating food that is not on the list or just eating too much of what is allowed?

If you're eating what is NOT allowed, then my friend, I recommend you take all that food that is restricted, put it in a big box and give it to your neighbors or a soup kitchen. I did the same thing, and now when I do my weekly produce and meat shopping, I don't even go down the main aisles anymore!

I am in one of my "I need sweets" moods, and I can tell you, that if I had any of that food in my cabinets right now, I would be curled up in my bedroom closet with all I could get my hands on. It's harder to have the willpower when the stuff is staring at you in the face and it's so easy to grab it like we've always done. As it is, I feel like I'm cheating cause I had an orange sprinkled with cinnamon and Equal.

Get up and get busy. If you're in Australia, then it's summer right? Get a book and go outside when you are ready to cave in. Put on some music and start dancing. Do something to occupy you and eventually the portions will not seem so small. We promise!!!