Carb Addict Extraordinaire :):)

W

Wild at Heart

New member
I stumbled upon this site when I started on Cohen's back in January. I have been reading the diaries here and I feel like I already know some of you!! :):) I thought I'd participate to share my journey and to provide support in as much as I have drawn inspiration from a lot of you here.


I'm Rachel, 36 years old, 5'3" and I'm a carb addict. Also, I am Asian so every meal comes with rice, noodles, porridge, dumpling and the many myriad of carb permutations humans can think of. Add to the fact that I live in Singapore where there's always something tasty cooking at every street corner. I have been overweight all my life, have lost some weight in college only to gain most of it back a few years after.


After my Christmas holiday, I came back 9lbs heavier and something just snapped inside me. I'm sick of being FAT and I need to take control! So I decided to follow my bestfriend who has signed up for Cohen a few weeks earlier.


Start weight 21 Jan: 185lbs. Seeing that in writing still makes me queasy!

Goal weight: 120lbs (technically 115lbs but I decided I'll be ok at 120lbs)


Weeks 1-3 on Cohen - feeling happy, alert and nimble. No cravings at all. I can do this, no problem!!!

Week 4 weigh in - 168lbs, 17lbs lighter and happier.

Week 5 - Cravings started creeping in. I still remember sitting in my office being consumed by the thought of devouring a heart-attack inducing beefy, cheesy lasagna!!! I'm sure you guys know how that feels......I had to write my consultant about this! No deviations :):)

Week 6 - Craving curry puff. Went as far as buying it. I told myself if I still wanted it AFTER dinner, I'd eat it but ended up not eating it :):) proud moment.

Week 7 - I have gone down one size smaller. BIG SMILE!!!


Week 8 is closing in this week and I'd have my weigh in on Saturday....
 
AI'm also a carb addict. Why do they have to be so good?! LOL! Just wanted to say welcome to the forum and congrats on the weight you have lost already! That's awesome! :)
 
Hi Jen - thanks for the warm welcome. Carbs are so good....but thank God I'm not craving them too much. Oh, I hate exercise too which makes Cohen the right program for me.


One of the biggest challenges of Cohen is eating out :(:( Like today, I had lunch with an ex-colleague of mine and I had to literally take apart the only salad meal remotely applicable to my eating plan on the menu. I'm sure the waitress thought I was just being difficult. Oh well. I ended up eating romaine leaves, some tomatoes, chicken slices and olives. Removed the croutons, bacon, no dressing and absolutely not the cheese bread that came with it. Looked really yummy though. But I must say, I have learned to be content and satisfied with what I can have. My friend had a Peking Duck wrapped in sun-dried tomatoe crepe. YUMMMMMMMMM


Last night was really nice though. I bought my first ever dress from Mango. NEVER in my life have I fitted into a Mango size. And now, I'm a proud owner of a black pencil-cut dress in Large. Yes, large, but still. I can now fit into a Mango Large. HAPPY DAY :):)
 
AHi!! Just wanted to say welcome to the forum and congrats on the new dress! Sounds like you're well on your way to meeting your goal. Keep up all the great work!
 
CARBS!! Tell me about it lol

Right before I started losing weight my boyfriend and I found this great little restaurant that had the best hand cut fries served with ranch dipping sauce. To die for! I have literally been haunted by them through this entire journey

I feel the same way about exercise. I spent so many hours exercising and it didn't get me anywhere. I take walks at night now, that's about it
 
@Laura - thanks for the welcome. You are looking good girl, keep it up.


@Starlilies - uuhmmmmmm ranch dressing *feeling a little woozy by the mere mention of that. haha!


Official weigh in today at the clinic: 158lbs/72kg. Total weight loss by Week 8: 27lbs. Feeling so victorious at the moment while munching on my lunch. Chicken curry with spinach and a can of Pepsi Light.


What a wonderful start to the week.


Ciao Bellas xx
 
It's that time of the month and I'm feeling constantly hungry and want to eat and eat and eat. I've gone beyond my cracker allowance yesterday, it was all I could do stop myself from eating something that's NOT on my eating plan. Such a challenge but I'm glad this period comes around right after my official weigh-in at the clinic so I get to be weighed at my "best".


I've been thinking about TEMPEH for the past few days. I love tofu however, I know that it's not healthy as it's highly processed and non-fermented soy can cause cancer. Bit of a challenge though to find Tempeh here as it's very "local" and can be found in wet markets (which I never go to) and not in the big supermarket chains. Will go this weekend to find it though. The big C is in my family so I need to be extra careful. I was very happy to know that Tempeh is allowed on my eating plan as a substitute for tofu - currently researching recipes.


One of the tricks to make an eating plan sustainable is that we need to enjoy the food. And on Cohen, I find myself discovering new recipes when I have limited ingredients or have "leftovers", necessity is the mother of all inventions after all. One of which is a mix of tofu/chicken cut into cubes, cauliflower, oyster mushroom. I saute' all that in olive oil. After cooking, I add balsamic vinegar and a generous sprinkle of garlic powder. Loving the meaty flavor from the mushroom and the sweetness that comes from the cauliflower. It's my new favorite dinner :):)
 
Feeling really crappy today. Bad mood, I wanted to be sarcastic in all the work emails I'm replying to haha.


BUT, it's a Friday......


Breakfast: egg and tomato + cucumber with low-fat mayo.

Mid morning snack: 4 pcs crackers.

Lunch: stir fry chicken with cauliflower and mushroom + a pepsi light (why ever not???)


Just can't wait for this day to be over....
 
ooohhhh, had a weird dizzy spell this morning while on the way to work. I felt weak and breathless! When I got to the office I had a cracker and felt instantly better!


I wrote my consultant and and she said my sugar and blood pressure may have dipped too low and so with my electrolytes level.


I was advised to up my vitamin intake to 2 per day for a week and limit water to 2L a day and always have a cracker or fruit or diet soda in my bag....


I thought I was gonna get a free pass to a 'real meal' today. haha. Not quite so lucky!


Weight as of yesterday, 156lbs. Bringing my total loss to 29lbs by Week 9 on Cohen's. YEAH!
 
The weak and dizzy spell sounds kind of scary. Hope you're feeling better today.


I hadn't heard of Cohen's diet before but when I read a couple articles about it, it seems to have a few mixed reviews. Any idea how many calories you're eating in the run of a day?
 
The tiredness and breathlessness persisted in the afternoon so I had no choice but to drink 100plus (like Gatorade) so I could function at work (I had 2 more meetings) and not faint! I drank 500ml of 100plus which had 17g of sugar!!! and 120g of salt. I think my sugar and electrolytes fell to a really low level which caused the dizziness and tiredness. I also had a "normal" dinner last night. I had some rice + green veggies + chicken. I didn't really want to do that but I felt like I had to listen to my body. If it was being starved and I couldn't function, it's not healthy. It's common sense. The reason why this happened is because I cut out too much salt in my cooking. I salt my meat very minimally and don't put salt anymore on my veggies. I just use pepper and garlic powder...NOT GOOD.


feelinggooder - so far, I'm extremely happy with Cohen. Minimal cravings, the food is sustainable and I feel full after meals and the results are outstanding. My guess is I'm eating about 1000-1200 cals per day.


thanks Star :):)
 
I remember my last consultation in the Cohen clinic and I was talking about the challenges of eating out. My consultant told me, flat out, you cannot eat out. And then I said, but life doesn't stop just because I'm on a diet. People visit, there are parties to attend, business functions to attend, business trips, I didn't even eat my own Awfully Chocolate chocolate cake on my birthday! And she said I can eat the one next year. hahahahaa BUT I guess what she's trying to say is, we need to make it work for us, inspite of life going on around us. And for the past 9.5 weeks I have been able to make it work, until last night!


A colleague from out of town was visiting and we were supposed to have dinner and drinks at Lantern Bar at the Fullerton Hotel. And I was confident that I can Cohen it with a salad and a protein choice. But then it rained and we decided to stay indoors and ended up in Saboten, a DIVINE Japanese Katsu place. This is a place where a pig-died-and-has-gone-to-heaven kind of place. To mitigate the deed, I had chicken katsu instead, 4 pieces, some rice (proud for resisting their Japanese rice), some cabbage with Goma (Japanese sesame dressing) and Miso soup. How fast can you say breaded, deep-fried, salt, carbs and mixing of proteins. This is so NOT a Cohen meal.


But the funny thing is, I only ate like 1/3 of my meal, I couldn't take any more. I was full-full of food and full of guilt that is. Cheating is sssooo no worth it. I didn't even enjoy it towards the end. And yes, I have never been this motivated in my life before so I'm really bringing this home. NEVER AGAIN!


My morning weight the day before was 154, and now I'm 155. I hope that's only water from the carbs and salt.......and that I'd be 154 again in the next few days.....


Having said that, I still heart Katsu, but I'd have to stay away for now and make it work until I achieve my goal of 120lbs by July.
 
Still 155lbs this morning :(:( I keep thinking that it's water weight but seeing that number on the scale is demotivating. I'm really paying for the last 2 nights of eating rice. But I'm determined to get back on track.


Had plain yogurt with cinnamon for breakfast and chicken + cabbage for lunch. And now, I'm eating the most marvelous peach for dessert.


Busy day today....lots of back to back meetings...which is good so I don't have time to think of snacking!


It's my turn to fill up our pantry on Monday. Maybe I should feed my colleagues Tofu chips for fun. hahahaaaa
 
Hey Wild at Heart,

Thanks for stopping by my diary, and sorry I have been so long in replying. Good job on the progress so far! Your weight is just above my ultimate goal...I'm alot farther from my goal than you are yours...you are doing great!!!

Yes, we're almost neighbors...well, at least I'm in Asia..but northeast China is a long way from Singapore! I must say that it surprises me that you are Asian and are overweight...I swear here in China they must hide all of the overweight people because I feel like I'm the only one...ever...anywhere! It was a big deal for me when I could actually find a belt that fit off the rack here in China! Anyway, welcome to the furum...I think you'll find we all share a common bond and are on the same road...some of us have alot farther to go than others...but we're all on the road! I've never tried Cohens...I've seen some the diaries with good results on here, so you go girl! You might try to work in some brisk walks or other exercise at the gym to knock you off of your plateaus...I've found that exercise is a key part of my program..and I've needed every minute of sweat to get the pounds off me..and I've got ~45 more pounds to go...and I know that exercise has to be there along with good food choices.


Keep up the good work!:seeya:


Sarah
 
Hi Sarah - thanks for dropping by. Unfortunately, I belong to the 1% of the Asian population that is overweight. My dad's side is the typical petite Asian frame, my aunties are all small-boned and thin. My mom's side however are big and tall for some reason. My sister came out tall and thin and I came out short and fat. Talk about getting the short end of the stick. Anyway, luckily, weight is one of those things that we can do something about. And that's what I'm doing now. I have been overweight all my life so it has been really difficult with clothes - think Asian sizes. I super admire your exercise regimen.....keep it up girl! You have done some AMAZING progress already!!!!!


I'm down to 154lbs bringing my total weight loss to 31 pounds :):) Cohen Lifestyle is SO rewarding and it is the right program for me since I hate exercise. But, I know that I do have to exercise at some point....thinking of doing that next time when I'm in the 140's.........


I also got the official note from my boss today that my increase will take effect 1 April......so it's good news all around.


Thank God for all these wonderful blessings!
 
It was a long Easter weekend but it felt like a normal 2-day weekend. Monday blues in full swing, back in the office for the daily grind.


Morning weight today; 150lbs :):) So it's about 151-152 in reality. Really good as I'm having my blood test and weigh in next weekend and it will bring me to this month's goal of 10lbs.


Last weekend, my friend and I ate at Naive vegetarian restaurant recommended by my boss. I must salute the chef for coming up with such innovative dishes and I cannot believe it was all meatless. I find it to be on the salty side but I suppose that's just me, my friend thought it was OK. But if I was vegetarian and there was a restaurant that can cook up dishes this delish, why do I need to cook??? Naive would be my kitchen! A bit pricey though, 80 dollars for 2 pax.


I also spent a great part of my Sunday watching Extreme Makeover by Chris Powell. I have to give it to the man for being so patient with all the candidates. What I love about the show is that it shows what a complex issue being fat is. It's not just about overeating or gluttony or laziness. Each person has his own story and more often than not, there are so many layers to why a person is obese. And every phase, that layer is peeled away to reveal the new person in the end. It's very inspiring and I like it for the most part haha. I don't like it when they give Chris attitude.


Need to get back to work. Sending positive vibes to everyone xx
 
Hey Wild at Heart,

Happy belated Easter! It was not a long weekend here in China, but it sure has felt like a long Monday!

Congratulations on the weigh-in and weight loss!! Awesome !! You go girl! 10 pounds in a month is great...I remember those days...and trying to get back to them (that's why I'm doing my little experiment right now with counting calories...something I've avoided for 10 months and 80 pounds...but now I feel the need to know)


Take care and keep up the good work!!


Sarah
 
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