Cate's Diary

Hello Cate!

Hi Cate,
I've just had a bit of a catchup on your thread. Sounds like life has been treating you well, aside from your grumpy mood the other day. We all have them from time to time :)

When will your son return from his trip? It seems as though he's been away for ages! What a great adventure he's having... I'm sure he's really growing from this experience. I really do think travel is a great way to get perspective on life. When I lived in London, I seemed to suddenly reach a point where I realized I had travelled enough. That all I love and care about is back in Oz. My parents and I met up in the Czech Republic around that time, and I recall sitting in a cafe with my mum and I couldn't stop crying! Every time I would stop, I'd just start again. My mum really wasn't sure what to do! Looking back it was actually quite funny. My mum was purposely trying to steer the conversation away from 'heavy stuff' and I would breathe and try and engage in conversations about the weather or last night's show and then 'waaaaah' i'd start again. I thank God often for that realization... that home is where I'm ready to be once again. I wasn't sure if I'd ever want to go back but now i really really do! Yay.

You mentioned in a response to me on my thread that you shop in consignment stores... which is such a good idea. I should do that! Ive done so in the past. But I have to also admit, I don't get the same rush from buying second handers.... there's something about getting brand new, shiny clothes that makes me so happy! Haha!!!

Anyway, I'm overtaking your diary. Just wanted to say hello and good for you for catching your weight gain and getting it back under control again.
That's what it's all about. That's the hard part!

28 x
 
Hi 28, While you were typing in my diary I was looking at your web-site!! It is looking really good & I just book-marked it. I'll go back to it regularly now. Re the clothes shopping- because I don't have an income of my own the only rush I get from buying new clothes is a guilt rush so I can enjoy op-shopping because it does not have any guilt attached. Don't get me wrong. If I had plenty of money I would be out there shopping with the best of them. I would never spend lots of money on one item though as I have never had a big income & sometimes I think the price of fashion is obscene. When you know that you will only be in something for such a short while I think op shopping is a smart idea.
I'm so glad you visited my diary as I was about to send you a message through your site but popped back for a quick look to see if anyone is about. I'll go back now & do it. Re being homesick for Australia I feel our son has reached that stage now, hence the 1am phone call. He has been away now for 4&1/2mths & still has over 3 to go. I think he has also realised how much he cares for his GF (& his brother, us, his friends, nephews & niece.) He has bought gifts for us, including a necklace for his brother(our OS) that incorporates the names of his children (OS's) but is wearing it himself so that he feels they are with him. How sweet is that. I think we will see more of him when he returns.
I have been thinking of starting my own web-site but there are so many out there. I have a Facebook group that I started & that is fun but it is where I live & therefore is limited. I will check out your info on starting one. I had a go one day on Google but I didn't much like it so abandoned it. Cheers for now, Cate
Today-
I seem to be just mucking about, doing little that's constructive at the moment. I tried to remember an expression my sister used to use in the US- "Futzing about" I think it was. I'm just futzing about, doing very little. Some days that's good & I feel that I am enjoying life & then there are the days when I wonder if I am wasting my life & wondering if I could be doing something more constructive. Mmmm. Perhaps a good start would be to get off the computer & actually get moving. Most days feel the same though. When I am home too often I get a bit too introspective & that is not good for me as self-doubt creeps back in.
Anyhow I'll head for now & go do the things I put on my list for today.
Catch you later folks, Cate
 
Best remedy for me is to get walking so I did. I went for a 45 minute walk & ended up getting rained on (without a raincoat) but enjoyed it thoroughly. When I got home I did 2 sets of weights & then got stuck into my list. I achieved a lot of positive things today & feel that I have things back into perspective a little . Exercise in the fresh air does wonders for my motivation & mood. I must never forget that!
I have also eaten very healthily & in moderation today. Fruit salad & yoghurt for breakfast, Tuna salad & an apple for lunch & a small amount of steak with vegies for dinner, followed by yoghurt & fruit salad & I'm about to share a pot of herbal with my LH.
I have some emails to send so will head for now, cheers, Cate
 
Today-
I feel great! Yoghurt/fruit salad for breakfast, tuna salad followed by yoghurt/banana for lunch. I've gardened-planted out some Bok Choy seedlings and done some weeding.
I brought in a Ute load of wood (running up the steps each handful)and I'm about to hop on my exercise bike as I have lots of nervous energy. I'm excited because the Saints are about to play Collingwood, the team we love to hate. Go Saints!!!!
My mood is excellent & I feel the mostly Cohen's food, combined with my exercise & some sunshine all combine to make me feel great.
Cheers for now, Cate
 
Wee Hoo!!!
Oh when the Saints go marching in,
Oh when the Saints go marching in, Oh how I want to be at St Kilda,
When the Saints go marching in....
I hopped on my bike for the second time as I was so excited, yelling at the TV, trying to calm down doing Tai Chi & ended up doing the fastest 9kms ever for me I think.
Yee Hah!!
 
Hi Cate,
You sound like your having a great day!!
Hope the saints win for you!!!

We have a football team here in the uk called Southampton and there nick name is the saints!! I have some family in Southampton so i am used to people chanting for the saints to win!! lol

Enjoy your day cate!
Jim
 
Thanks Jim, I did have a great day & the Saints won. All in all a very positive day!! I'm sitting in my recliner now drinking herbal tea & my LH is watching the cricket. Watching football & barracking for your team is a great outlet. I have had a very energetic & productive day. I think I only sat for about 10 minutes during the whole match. I rode my bike, (8.6km) ironed & then rode the bike again towards the end(9km fast!) while I watched. I must admit to jumping & yelling & occasionally swearing during the match. I get a little carried away. I actually enjoyed it more because I was on my own. I don't think my dogs did though. LOL!
Tomorrow we are going in to attack my MIL's pantry. She has a mouse in her pantry & it's an absolute mess. She has Macular degeneration & still lives at home on her own. it was my idea to go in & help her. We'll do most of it while she is visiting the elderly citizen's home & then she can tell us where she wants to put everything when she gets back. She is a force to be reckoned with. She visits every week day & "helps the old people." She's 85 years old!
She rang today & asked if she could shout us lunch afterward to which I agreed. I think she expected me to say no & seemed very pleased when I accepted. She suggested a place that we have eaten at before which is mainly deep-fried food & I said that my LH does not like it (he doesn't) & if it's ok with her we'd just go to the deli which has very healthy choices. She seemed ok with that.
Bye for now folks, Cate
 
Besides eating right, the best way to keep weight off is to keep busy, and you certainly seem to be doing that. Congrats on Saints win. Yes, we love to hate Collingwood too. DH is a Hawks supporter, but was happy with Crows win on the weekend.
Well done on getting to eat lunch at a healthy place. Whenever we have to eat out, I go into panic mode. That will be a good thing about doing refeed. While I can still make healthy choices, it doesn't have to be as strict as the actual plan itself. So it gives a few more options.
 
L-Jay- I ended up having pasta. LOL! It was delicious though. the couple who own the deli used to work for us as cooks & the pasta dish was one of my old favourites- tuna & mushroom. That makes 4 days in a row that I have had tuna for lunch ( 3 tuna salads & then the pasta dish.) I refused dessert though & they all looked yummy.
It took us over 3 hours to clean her pantry. It was not a pretty sight. A lot of stuff had to be thrown out & then we did some shopping for her to replace it. A job well done!
I haven't done my weights yet today & might have to try to rev myself up to do them. Being lazy is winning atm.
I read back over my yesterday's posts & I sounded drunk! I was excited about our win. If we win our next two matches we will have won only our second grand final ever. Ahh ...to dream. If we make it I have to work out how to get tickets. Our interstate membership doesn't give us access to GF tickets. I would hate to miss it.
I haven't weighed for a few days & had better do so tomorrow.
Not much to say today(for me!) so will head. Bye, Cate.
 
Pasta is sooooo yummy........and deadly darn it!! Snaps for refusing dessert. When you can make decisions like that rather than justifying (like I probably would have) "oh well, I had pasta, can dessert really do that much more damage" You know you've learned from the past.
 
Yesterday-
I felt lazy & tired after the "Spring-cleaning" at my MIL's but made myself hop on the bike & rode 5kms.
Weight-
Keeps creeping up gradually which is annoying so...
Next Monday
I am going back on Cohen's 100%.
"Do or do not there is no try" Yoda.
Exercise-
Is no longer an option. It's compulsory for me now.
Today I rode 5km on the bike to warm up & then did 3 sets of weights. A PB!! I had dropped lunges very early on as I found them way too hard on my knees but decided to have another go today but without hand weights. I did 35 lunges all up!! That's each leg. Wee Hoo!! I just added up all the reps & I did 435!! My legs are screaming after doing the lunges & squats. I should be starting to see more muscle soon if I can keep this up.
Timing-
I think doing my weights in the morning helped me do more. I have never been a morning person but I will try to stick with before lunch as exercise time & see how I go.
Mood-
Even though my weight gain is annoying, to say the least, I feel very positive. I do know how to get rid of it and I will. I will continue with my exercise though but may have to eat a little more Cohen's food than my original plan. Well, I know I will have to eat more. It's the wine & trying grains of all descriptions that has put the weight on. Even mountain bread is not for me. Maybe also eating bananas. 2 lamb chops last night wouldn't help either.
It's official now!
Whatever anyone says bread of any description is not for me. Full stop! Talk about a slow learner!! Crackers it is!
I might go hop on my bike again. Whenever I do weights I want to do more. No....I'll put on my rain coat & go get the mail.
Cheers, Cate.
 
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Hi Cate you sound like you've got your head in the right space....

Like you said you know the formula to shift any unwanted weight now so need to stress.

Yous sound like you've been having some fun days....good to hear.

Enjoy your night now - Sam:)
 
Hi Cate - haven't visited lately as I haven't had much to say. Just too tired, annoyed at myself, and stressed.

You sound like you are going OK all up - at least you have exercise program under control, and most other things. What's a few kilos to drop after everything else you've achieved!

Well done to Saints on their great victory on the weekend. You are allowed to let go and enjoy the moment! Geelong managed to scrape over the line again - feels good, even though I expect they'll get bundled out next time around. A good game is a good game, no matter what happens next time. But Cats have lost that consistency this late part of the year.

Back to work - have decided to work tonight on play stuff, so better get on with. Counting down the days to final production, which is going to occupy most of my time in the next 10 days.
 
I hear you on the carbs. I feel them sticking to my hips and stomach. Even when I went off Cohens, I didn't go for bread, I discovered I don't really like it that much, I'd much prefer to eat the peanut butter and nutella out of the jar. :smash: I know, I know......
No, seriously, carbs kill me. I feel sluggish and disgusting when I eat them. It looks like you are so on the right track.
 
ha - L-Jay you make me laugh - nutella from a jar... that's what my best friend came around to my house with after my first ever break-up. hmm...

Hi Cate! It's fun reading your diary again. You are still such an inspiration! :grouphug: And, like everyone keeps saying, it seems you are really in a great head-space. AWESOME congrats on the squats and lunges! They are the killer of all killers... that's so great! Can you walk ok today? haha.

Loving that Yoda quote. xxx
 
Sam-
I do have my head in a better place but I sure have to work on it. I think that's one of my most valuable lessons of the last couple of years really! Next Monday I am def. back on Cohen's 100% with everyone. No ifs or buts! Or is that butts! LOL. I'm sure mine has spread a bit. Cheers, Cate
Niyah-
Thanks for your visit even though you're crabby with yourself. I know how hard that can be. Don't be so hard on yourself. I loved the match on Sunday, especially the barracking & the excitement. I still think it might be a Cats/Saints GF! The Cats are such a good side. Hope you're feeling brighter soon, xo Cate
L-Jay-
Carbs make me feel dreadful. Good luck to those who can eat them & have no trouble. I'm just not one of them. I missed a post by you yesterday I'm sorry. We must have been typing at the same time. Cheers, Cate.
Joh-
The squats I have loved all along & am getting better at them. The lunges I had given up as a bad joke first week. I had another go yesterday but without hand-weights & did really well with them so included them in my sets. I have only been doing 2 sets of everything except lunges & did 3 of everything incl. the lunges. I'm a bit like that. Moderation -what's that? I had screaming muscles last night though! Today I am really tired & was wondering why!! I asked for some more weights & they arrived in the mail yesterday. The E.P blows them up so I can read them without my glasses. Te he. Joh, having you back has made me feel good. I had missed you! xo Cate
I'm pooped! I allow myself a day a week off exercise if I don't want to do any just to take pressure off, but just typing that is making me think I might just get on the bike. I might just plop on my chair for half an hour first.
I just got home from a trip to town. I was sick of my own company & had to get out for a while but then decided my mood shouldn't be shared with others so am back home again. I picked up some books from the library that I had ordered. Maya Angelou's "Letter to my daughter," Mark Stephen's "Think Slim," (read it already but is worth reading again)& another Donna Leon book. I banked my YS's tax cheque (I did his return for him-honestly) and bought a long skirt. Apparently my mother's 85th is on Melbourne Cup day & my SIL is telling everyone to "frock up." My idea of frocking up & hers are somewhat different I think. I'm going to look more like a gypsy. Wearing a dress or a skirt is so not me.
OK- I'm giving myself permission to go sit in my chair for a while.
Bye for now, Cate.
 
Red Alert- don't read if you are seeking a good example!!
Since I finished Cohen's over 2 years ago I have never skipped a meal. Yesterday I was feeling miserable & crabby that my weight has been creeping up & I did the worst possible thing in that situation. I went into the health food shop & tried finding something healthy I could eat as I was hungry & it was lunch-time. I thought I was buying something little to tide me over until I got home. Instead I bought 2 different sorts of salty chippy type things & ate the lot (& it was a lot!) on the drive home & then felt so bad about it I didn't eat anything else, like some salad or fruit. Last night I ate healthily but really felt revolting physically & felt that I had really let myself down. I had. I also drank 3 glasses of wine. I did the stupid thing of saying to myself "I've blown it! I may as well drink too much wine too!" Dumb, dumb, dumb. Yesterday was a real setback.

Today- is another day!
I made myself get on the scales & I weigh an extra .5kg. I felt that if I had mentioned it yesterday when I was feeling so bad about it I would not be able to put it into perspective. Today I'm still really disappointed with myself but am feeling positive. I feel unbelievably fat though & am really bloated & uncomfortable.
I tried on my track-pants that I thought I'd wear in a 8km fun run that I am going to walk next month & they are tight & looked bad!
I had been putting the weight gain down to building muscle but I think I have been kidding myself. I have been eating too much because I have been exercising a lot & you get hungrier & I think I was kidding myself that I would be able to & get away with it. Wrong!!

Food & exercise today today-
Yoghurt & apple for breakfast. 1 black coffee
30 minutes vacuuming,
6km bike in <12 mins, followed by 2 sets of 10 reps each of my 13 exercises, including squats & lunges. Total 260 reps. More sensible!
Lunch of tuna & salad but incl. one small avocado (only 2 left out of a lot) These may have been adding to my weight.
Next Monday is re-start day for me.
(or is that re-re-start? You have to laugh!!)
I think I'll go have some fruit. I might make a fruit salad I think that I will eat between now & Monday then go back to only Cohen's fruit next Monday. I know that Cohen's food is best for me so I am trusting my own instincts from now on.

The foods that may have been caused my weight gain-
Are all foods recommended by the Nutritionist and are-
Bananas, LSA, Muesli (natural,) bread & avocadoes.
I have also gone back to the habit of drinking wine most night's again. That has to stop. For ages I was sharing a bottle of wine 2-3 nights a week. That seemed to be ok. Most nights is not ok!
I also bought a store-made fruit cake from my local vegie store a couple of weeks ago & we polished that off. It has been a bit of this & a bit of that all adding up to too much!!
None of it, in itself, seemed bad but added up no wonder I have put on weight!!

Not maintenance guidelines!!
I hope I haven't put anyone off maintenance. Follow the guidelines & you won't put anything back on. Ignore them at your peril!
I'm focussed again.
I'm feeling good. I have learned yet another valuable lesson.
What you eat today you are tomorrow.
Don't fool yourself. Everything that you put into your mouth matters!
I'm now going for a walk to get our mail. I'll grab an apple to eat along the way.
I have drunk 3 750 ml water bottles. I'm back on track.
It is a glorious day here in Tasmania today. I have seen one of the wedge-tailed eagles. The sun is shining and I am lucky.
A good friend-
Is not so lucky. My LH rang from work to tell me that one of our very good friends is back in hospital . He has cancer & he just can't seem to beat it. He is one of the nicest men you would ever meet. Always up-beat, always nice. His wife is the same. We may visit tomorrow night depending on what his wife thinks.

Tomorrow-
In the morning we have ap'ts at the blood bank 40km one way, then doing some shopping & are going to visit one of my friends a bit further on & she is providing a salad for lunch. Hopefully we'll be able to go for a walk along the beach. Then probably we'll go visit our friend 60km in the other direction in the evening. I doubt if I'll be able to post in here so if I don't you'll know why. I won't be hiding!
Cheers for now, Cate.
 
You did the best thing you could this morning - getting on those scales. As you know that .5kg will be fluid, so it'll be gone tomorrow. I must have gotten mixed up, I thought you were restarting next Monday anyway. (not that it really matters). Lets face it, those things are going to happen, but as it's said so many times on this forum, it's our attititude that counts. We can get angry with ourselves, feel sorry, (I prefer sorry, much more positive than the slave of guilt) dust ourselves off and get on with it. We aren't going to be perfect every single day, once we have done refeed. It's what we do the majority of the time that is going to determine our weight. Really, anyone who wants to stay slim, has guidelines they have to live by, Cohenites or not. That's what I remember when I feel deprived. We are just extrememely lucky to know the keys. What helps, and what doesn't.
On that topic, I agree totally with the list of foods you have which may have contributed to weight gain. Those are exactly the same things which if eaten regularly affect me.
It looks like your back on track, just a bit of tweaking for next week, and you'll be right.
 
Cate - I hope your friend is ok. That's awful news.

You are silly to think you are not a good example! For starters, you haven't skipped a meal in THAT long??? That is fantastic :) And it's good for everyone to know that slip ups happen... even to the best of us! And yes, that's you, one of the best :Angel_anim:

You know you've got stacks of support here for you when you need it. It's great that your friend is making you salad for lunch too! My crazy friends would get beer, pizza and chips. GRRR.

It makes me sad that LSA is on your bad list. Not sure why... but perhaps it's been the pinacle of goodness to me! Like broccoli...

Keep it up, cate, and congrats for having the guts to spill them! hehe. x
 
Have a good weekend, Cate. I know you've got both the determination and the long term success tools to get out of the hole again. Keeping up the exercise is great because even if you weigh a tad more, at least you are healthy and strengthening those muscles etc. The best thing is you believe in yourself, so it's a matter of time and you will get there.

I'll be insane for another week or so. Once I get back to normal territory, I'll come on and have another catch up. Just taking a minute inbetween jobs that are screaming at me at the moment. I'll be reading what you write and knowing you can put the demons to bed once more.
 
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