Cohen's Lifestyle Minny's road to Skinniness!!!

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Minny

New member
5th March, 2007

Okay....here i go. I've never kept an account of any other 'diet' i've been on, but i'm so motivated that Cohens is the final 'diet' i'll ever be on, that i've decided to put everything down to keep me on track and to help motivate others. (and yes i know it's a lifestyle change, not a diet)

As of last Monday my starting weight was 113.3kg. This was day 1 of my program. My husband and i have been trying for 5 years to have a baby. I managed to convieve once in this time (Dec 03) which resulted in a miscarriage (Feb 04). The pain that came with losing my dream of being a mother took it's toll on my body, and i have battled ever since with my weight. Mind you, i have battled for the last 11 years, but my weight really took a beating since i lost my baby.

I managed to get my weight down to 98kg in 2005, just prior to starting assisted conception (AC). My OB/Gyne had diagnosed 'unexplained infertility' so began my AC journey with fertility drugs, operations, ultrasounds, tests, monitoring, injections etc etc. The drug i was prescribed was Clomid - used for helping with ovulation - and one of the main side effects of this drug, along with many others, for me was weight gain. After 6 long, and unsuccessful months on clomid, i decided i needed to give my body a rest, and continue naturally. For those that have had touble TTC, you will understand how i was mentally month after month of not seeing those two little lines on a home pregnancy test. At the start of this year I realised that my weight was probably THE issue that was causing us trouble in our quest to have children, and so we made the very, very hard decision to take some time for ourselves, to actually live our life not ruled by appointments, dates, ovulation, days to have sex, temping etc etc.

I came accross the Cohens program through a lovely lady I met through another web forum, and saw her incredible results after being on the program for only 1 month, and decided that i would take charge of my weight and do the program for myself. A lot of people (mainly my mother) have told me that my troubles trying to concieve (TTC) are probably because of my weight, but when i told her that we were taking a break from TTC, she gets into me about 'not leaving it too late' and 'you're getting older' etc etc. My family know that i'm on a 'diet' of some description, but do not know what, and i don't plan on telling them for a while. I can only imagine what my mother would say in regards to eating very little and not eating breads and pastas etc etc. I don't need that right now. I'm doing this for ME and i'm doing it MY way.

I now have the mindset that for me to get pregnant, i need to be at my goal weight. I don't want to lose a few kilos, get pregnant and then have all my weight come straight back on, plus more, so i made the decision that we would use contraception until at least a few months after finishing the program (hey - i want to enjoy a few months of skinniness first :p ). I'm so completely happy with my decision and it is so refreshing to have something else to focus my energies on.

So there you go. I don't expect anyone to read or reply, but if you do, thank you. And if you've made it this far without falling asleep or heading off somewhere else in the forum, then i really appreciate it.

Here's to a healthier and happier ME!!!!

Starting Date: 5th March, 2007
Starting Weight: 113.3kg
Goal Weight: 55-58kg (as per Dr Cohen) My aim is 56-57kg
 
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12th March, 2007 - Completed week 1

Okay, wow, 1 week down, many more to go. You know what. I feel great. Sure the first few days were hard - hungry, dizzy, headache etc, but hey, i've done enough diets to know that this is all part and parcel of starting, and that it won't last long. And it didn't. By day 3 i was feeling fabulous.

I'm really enjoying my food, i'm drinking at least 4.5ltrs of water a day, if not more, i'm sleeping better, and i just feel good.

I had my first 'test' on Saturday night when we went to hubby's cousins place for a card night. What normally would have involved take-aways for tea, with huge plates of nibbles throughout the night, drinks - either alcohol or soft drinks etc etc (you know how it is) actually resulted in eating dinner before went, buying some diet caffine free coke on the way, and taking an orange as my snack. And you know what??? I didn't even feel left out. I looked at what the others were eating - and yes - Maccas for dinner, a plate of cabana, salami, cheese, dips, biscuits, pickled onions, gerkhins, and a freshly baked cake with heaps of icing - and i thought to myself - 'oh that's so bad for you...yuk'.

I was happy with my orange and my DCF coke. Although i remember towards the end of the night that i was only allowed a max of 1ltr, and paniced that i'd gone over, so through out what was left in my glass, and checked the bottle, and i was fine....but yeah, big panic moment, and to tell you the truth, i felt like crap the next day, not to mention bloated, so i upped my water intake on Sunday to 5lts, and that seemed to clean me out again, but i've realised that the coke did me no good and i'm happy to stay with my water, and once my 4ltrs has all gone, and i want a change, i'll have soda water (which i love).

I was totally panicing on Monday morning as i thought i'd blown it, but hubby told me that i looked like i'd lost a few kilos, and to not be scared and jump on and that if i didn't then i would regret it (he knows me so well) so i did, and OH MY GOD....I couldn't believe it. I'd lost 4.3kg. I was blown away.

This is such a good feeling and i know that i won't be temped to deviate from the program. God, if i felt guilty and crappy having diet caffine free coke, how am i going to go with anything else. Bring on Week 2

Starting Date: 5th March, 2007
Starting Weight: 113.3kg
Weight Loss to Date: 4.3kg
Goal Weight: 55-58kg (as per Dr Cohen) My aim is 56-57kg
 
Great Going!!

Hey Minnie

I just thought I'd post and say congratulations on doing this for you. Getting pregnant at the end will just be a bonus. I know how it feels to want a baby so much and to try everything and not get there. For 5 Years in between my 2 older girls (with whom falling pregnant was easy, and I was on the pill :confused: ) My hubby and I tried, and tried. I got hold of the cohens diet and never looked back. I fell pregnant half way through my program. I then had so many problems throughout the pregnancy with not gaining enough and then gaining too much it was crap!! I had a georgeous baby girl Feb 2006. It took me a year as I was breastfeeding to get on the diet, and many mor kgs later here I am. I am in my 7th week on cohens and I have had great losses and then there have been weeks where I lost nothing on the scales but lost cms. So don't get too dishartened and remember to measure. This for me is a great incentive as I have lost over 40cms in the past 7 weeks.

I wish you the best and look forward to continuing on this cohens journey with you!!

Cheers

Jodee
 
Thanks so much Jodee. Yeah, i read enough on here in the last week to realise that as long as the cm's keep coming off that i'm still losing. At the moment i'm only going to weigh myself once a week, and i know with other programs that i've done, that if i obsess over the scales, and don't see a loss at all, then i'm more likely to think that it's not working, and give up, so i'll stick to once a week, and if i find that there are too many weeks where they don't move, then i'll settle into doing my 4 weekly weigh in's when i have to do them for the clinic.

Keep up your good work. You'll be there in no time...
 
Minny,
I am so amazed at your results so far...imagine all the wonderful rewards that are coming your way. I too know the cruel world of trying to have a baby and having mixed results..but like you I am doing it for me this time...time to be selfish!
You did so well at your first outing and believe me it gets easier, my mum tried to feed me lasagne today;) and then said oh you cant have it and proceeded to name everything in the fridge that I might be allowed to eat.
Gotta love them.
Look forward to being on the road to skinnyville together
Bee
 
Thanks Bee. You're doing so well yourself. Keep up the good work.

14th March, 2007
Well i had my first run in (and i'm sure many more to follow) with my Mum this morning. She rang to say hi, and asked me how i was going. She know's i'm losing weight, but not what program i'm doing (actually, i think she just thinks i'm doing it myself and not following a program). I told her i'm doing really well, and that i lost 4.3kg in my first week. She says, 'oh, that's great. Doing heaps and heaps of excercise???'. I told her no and she said, 'well how do you expect to lose any weight not excercising? If you don't you are going to end up with very saggy skin, and excercising is the only way you're going to tone up'.

I told her to leave it and that i'll be fine and i will not have saggy skin and to just say congratulations you're doing well, and leave it at that. I then said that 'you don't know what i'm doing so you can't make judgements'. So she replies with 'well then why don't you tell me instead of being so secretive'. I told her that 'i'm not being secretive, but i'm doing this for ME so i'm the only one that needs to know what i'm doing, and what i'm doing is working'. She then goes on to say 'well are you even going to be able to finish it and keep it up?' . OMG...why can't she just be happy for me. I told her 'yes, i will keep it up' so she says 'oh well, you know best' with the most sarcastic voice.

I seriously can't belive her. Were suposed to go up there for Easter coz hubby has his first Footy match, but i really don't want to go and mum said that they may not play coz the ground is too hard from the drought, so i'm hoping this is the case. But it's hubby's 100th game, so he really wants me to be there....I will, for him, but i just dont want the sh!t from my mother.

Okay....wow...i obviously needed to get that off my chest. Soory for the vent guys, but one thing that has come out of my phone call this morning is that i'm more determined than ever to hit my goal weight, and then i'll rub it in her face that it was about time she did something about her weight, and stay off my back.....:)
 
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Minny (Hugs)
Sorry you are going throu a rough time, remember to put yourself first and do what makes you happy not what people want you to do. Sometimes it is the people that are suppose to love us unconditionally that make it the hardest. I think you have made a great decision and one day she may have to bite her tongue as the results will amaze her
Bee
 
Thanks Bee. Muchly appreciated....the hugs too!!!! Right back at you.

Well i have my first appt with the clinic today (over the phone) so i weighed in today just to have a little sneak, and i'm down another 0.5kg. I was hoping for more, but it's only been 4 days since my last weigh in, so i'm still happy with it. I'll weigh in again on Monday for the weekly total.
 
Yay for soon to be Skinny Minny!

Hi Minny,
I'm just popping in to say hi and congratulations on making such a wonderful life changing decision to join this program! You wont regret it that's for sure and you have already done SO WELL!!!:eek:
Keep up the great work. I understand when you said you will weigh once a week otherwise you will get discouraged and quit! How many of us have done that in the past!!!!! This program keeps you soo inspired and motivated because you see the weight literally melting off you!! I have never seen it come off so quickly right in front of my eyes:eek: like this program makes it come off.
Keep your chin up, stay determined and don't let ANYONE discourage you.. use their negativity to spur you on and prove them wrong. You will find people will always judge because they 'think' they know better than you do (They think they know more because otherwise how did you get in this predicament of getting FAT and they didn't).I'm not necessarily talking about your mum, just people in general. Ignore it, it is just 'fat ignorance'.
And as far as getting pregnant goes when you get slim and gorgeous, Good Luck but I don't think you will need it! As you know this program can make you very fertile, as Dr Cohen is originally a fertility doc, so be careful in the meantime.
Anyhoo, I have rabbitted on long enough, I just wanted to say hi and tell you I enjoy readng your diary, you write really expressively.
Keep losing chicki

Mel:)
 
Thanks for reading Mel, and thanks for your input. I love it how everyone is so motivating.

And WOW to you, you've got less than a kg to go. How awsome is that. Congratultations and let us know how you go on refeed!!!
 
Minny go girl - I am only a half a week ahead of you. I was feeling down and bored with my diet & food choices, this evening, thought I would log on and get some inspiration and you have motivated me even more. I think your choice to undertake this program is fantastic and best of all you are doing it for YOU. Don't let your mum's negative feedback bother you, I believe unfortunately our mums find it hard to 100% support another "diet" and believe that this time it is for real. They don't know how to take off the mum hat and put on "best friend here to support" hat. Just let your body speak for itself when you’re cruising around displaying your curvy, thin, healthy body and skin. As long as your husband is 100% behind you, that is all that matters at this stage, when the weight is falling off, don't worry your mum will jump on the band wagon and brag to all about the wonderful weight loss you have achieved. Also I must say your motivation to lose the weight is brilliant and I admire women you can recognize the link between weight loss and fertility, and then stand up and do something about it. I have friends with similar stories and I tell you what I'm going to suggest they have a read of your diary because I think you have undertaken a life defining decision that is too be congratulated. GO MINNY GO:D
 
Thanks so much Snakesalive, it really means a lot. I'm so glad that i've given you some motivation. And i know, every little bit helps.

My hubby is 110% behind me on this one which is the best thing. He wanted to do his part and eat what i eat, but he's one of those guys though that isn't too keen on the type of veg that we have on the plan, but he's made the effort and hasn't had any take-away since i started, (that i know of anyway...lol) as he says it's not fair on me if he's eating it. Whatever meat i'm having for dinner, he'll have too, but with potato, carrott, brocolli, peas and corn, or if i make rissoles out of my allowance, i'll make him some too, and he'll have rissole sandwiches with fried egg. I know it's still not the greatest diet for him, but it's easy for me to make alongside mine and it's still better than take-aways. He has a fairly physical job, so he burns it all off anyway. The only problem it thought i was going to have is that i make him cake (which is portioned and frozed) and biscuits to pack in his lunch box, and i didn't want THAT temptation, and last week when we did the shopping he asked me to buy some fruit for him :eek: and some muesli bars to have instead of biscuits and cake. I was so proud that he's starting to look at what he's eating too. Although i did tell him that he will still be getting biscuits and cake until they run out, coz i don't want the temptation every time i open the freezer...;)

My decision to give up TTC was a difficult one, but one made at the right time. Putting all your energies into one thing, to achieve one thing, over a 5 year period is really draining, and i knew deep down is was to do with my weight, but i didn't want to actually aknowledge that this was the problem we couldn't get pregnant. Yeah i've done other diets during this time...many other diets....and i'd do okay for the first few weeks, but then i'd get to that stage where i'd be due to do a pregnancy test to 'see if it worked' and i'd be left looking at a negative test, and that in turn would start the tears, and then the binges on chocolate, cakes, whatever i could find to eat that i shouldn't be eating....

I realised this was going to be a neverending cycle. I had to get in control of my weight issues if we were ever going to get anywhere. It's tough having to think about contraception after such a long time, but it was also my decision that i was going to do it properly, and for good. I figured there was no point losing 10 or 15 kgs, only to get pg, put all the weight back on, plus probably more because i would still have been in the mindframe of 'oh, i can eat whatever i want' and then once i had the baby, would have been so overweight that i wouldn't be able to do anything with him/her. I didn't want that either.

So here i am. On a mission to get to goal weight, learn about my body and what it can handle, re-train my eating habits, and get rid of all those little triggers in my head that make me want to eat crap. And so far, it's working a treat.

Feel free to show my diary to your friends. They may not be ready, and they have to make that decision thenselves, but at least they know that it wouldn't be the end of the world to give up TTC for a few months, and that there is another option to obtaining that goal of a precious bubba in their arms.....

Good luck to you snakesalive. I'll be watching your progress too with great interest....
 
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Monday 19th March - Week 2 Completed

Okay, well 2 weeks down....lots more to go!!! I weighed in this morning, and for the week i had a weight loss of 1.1kg. NOT what i was expecting. I was hoping to see a 2 or 3kg loss for the week, so i'm a little disappointed. Although, saying that, i am feeling bloated and a bit blocked up, so i'm putting it down to that. I haven't deviated at all so i know that i must be in one of those weeks where you don't lose much.

I'm a little unsure about continuing with this weekly weighing, as i know the disappointment usually leads to me going on a binge, which i won't do on Cohens because of the strictness, but on other diets i've done that don't have the boundaries, i will deviate and generally give up. I'm motivated enough not to do that on Cohens.

According to my tape measure, i haven't lost any cm's this week either, but from what i can gather, this is because i've read the tape measure wrong in the last few weeks. I noticed this morning that the start of the cm's is actually about 1cm in from the end of the tape, and as all of my other tape measures started at the very end, i just automatically did this, so i may have lost a cm off all of my measurements but i won't count them this week, and just start again next week. Umm.....does that make sense??? Well it does to me, so i supose that's all that matters.

I've been feeling good this week. Had a few arguments with hubby this weekend (he was cranky) and i noticed that i wanted to eat! This hit me suddenly that i am an emotional eater. I had a big drink of water to compensate and the feelings soon disappeared, but it was a strange realisation.

Being angry = eating
Being bored = eating
Being tired = eating
Being stressed = eating
Being upset = eating

Well not any more!!!!!

So, that's me for this week. Still happy with my overall weight loss, and this weight i'm at now is one spot where i tend to get stuck on, so i'll move past it soon enough, and my goal is to hopefully be under 100kg by easter. Hhhmmm....at least 8kg in 3 weeks. That's 2.6kg a week.....we'll wait and see.

Starting Date: 5th March, 2007
Starting Weight: 113.3kg
Weight Loss to Date: 5.4kg
Goal Weight: 55-58kg (as per Dr Cohen) My aim is 56-57kg
 
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Hi Minny

I am really enjoying reading your posts (many similarities and lots that I can relate to).
Don't be too bummed about the 1.1kg weight loss, I went 8 days with no weight loss and then 2.5 in 4 days. (weird)
I am a serial weigher and every day I tell myself it's the last day I will be weighing myself (I never stick to it, surprised I am sticking to this diet..doh)
I noticed our goal weight is similar - good luck with it all.

TTFN
Annie Lusion
 
Thanks for reading Annie. It's nice to be able to have someone to relate to isn't it. I've read so much on here, and some things, and some people just jump out at you and you think...'oh that's me!!'

The goal weight i got from Dr Cohen was between 55kg and 58kg, so i'm aiming for 56. I've already had someone tell me that i'd be way too thin then and that when she was that size she got told that she had to put on weight coz she looked gaunt. She is a little shorter than me though, so i'm sticking with my 56kg goal. If i need to reasses when i hit 58kg, then i will, but in my mind i know what i'm aiming for.

I'll weigh again on Monday, and again for my 4 weekly weigh in the following monday, and if i don't like what i see this monday then i'll not weigh every week, and keep it monthly, but i know that your body loses in cycles, so we'll see what next week brings.

Keep up the good work. You're doing so well.
 
Minny,
Dont let it get you down...I have hidden the scales and threw the battries out they were messing with my head seriously.
I find when I do a month on cohens I have a 2 weeks of about 5-6 kilo then a lull then pick up another 2 on the flip side. You have been doing it for 2 weeks and lost 5 kilos what an achievement, I'm sure it takes the poor body a kick start to constant weight loss.
Bee
 
Hi Minny,

Love your diary. keep up the good work

We were told that we couldn't have children 13 years ago. The month i was due to start IVF my cycle was late. i phone the Dr who informed me that it was normal to be "late" because i was nervous. Ok i thought, so i waited another week with no results. In the end i decided to buy a pregnancy kit (god only knows how many i had tried in the past with negative results) and to my shock i was pregnant. wow the strange and wonderful things that happen to us as humans.

Anyway, our daughter is nearly 12yrs (the moodiness as nearly killing us) and 13 years of marriage with no contraception she is our only child. We don't mind in the least as we decided that after we had her we would not put ourselves through the emotional pain of IVF.

Wow all that just to tell you that i know what your going through. tough times, but keep up the good work with the diet.(i know that pain of being over weight too)

I am day nine and a have lost 5kg (haven't updated my ticker yet) and i love the pragram. i know i will get to my goal this time.

sharyn
 
Thanks Sharyn, and yeah, the infertility journey is definately a tough one, mind you, you've done it a lot tougher than i have. My number 1 priority at the moment is to lose the weight and start trying again, and if it still doesn't work, then we'll consider IVF. I'm just not in the right mind frame to do that just yet.

5kg in 9 days is great. Keep up the good work. My next weigh in is on Monday....i hope the scales will be kind...lol.
 
Hey Minny
You are doing great!!! I find the week before my monthlies I lose hardly any weight and some weeks I could lose 4.5 kilos so I think you are doing splendid and dont forget your body works in four week cycles thats why sometimes you may not lose any weight and other times you do. I cant wait to get to the end so we can start trying again even though we will be trying for our second child

Keep up the good work and keep going strong!!!!

:D char:D
 
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