Oops! Let me start over! (computer problems)
Dear Cate: I am very interested in the Cohen's diet. I'll check at our many libraries and see if I can find it. I am so inspired by your journey. I am grateful to be a part of this forum. When I was a little girl, my parents used to eat at a special restaurant called "The Forum!" Just my luck! lol. I think of the food I ate there as a child and how special it was to my mother -- and she was one heck of a cook to ever fawn over a buffet style cafeteria. I became very interested in cooking at age seven and started advanced dishes for my age at that time.
I think you are blessed to have found such a beautiful sport as golf. I bet I would love to learn to play. Is it hard on the upper back muscles and neck? You must get quite a workout. It looks sooo elegant! We are living near a gorgeous golf course and it looks so peaceful and pastoral.
Just a few weeks ago the doctors took my neck brace off! I had been wearing it for five or six months, maybe longer. I feel so much better without it! People could not help but look at me and many people asked me what it was I was wearing -- oh, not to be nosy or mean or anything, just genuine curiosity. It was really something! We took pics of it because I looked like an alien that had landed from another planet and it was at times very funny!!!
I am fascinated with Australia. I hope to see it someday, but I refuse to ever eat a kangaroo. We are conditioned to see them as just the cutest critters on earth! I am not against anyone else eating them in the least. They sell kangaroo at a few markets I shop in. By any chance, have you seen the documentary "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" ??? I have watched it several times, totally captivated by the story and I plan on seeing the second part of the film, but I may have to order it to see it.
We are in a large condo style building with a computer room that serves coffee and tea, so when my hubbah is busy on our home unit, I will often go there and have a cup and read for inspiration and say hi to some of our neighbors. I have been very inspired by you and I believe you are onto something. I have to stick with it. I have been disappointed in myself and at times I think my attitude is not helping me. I have promised myself that this time around, I will NOT isolate when things become difficult. When I see myself dropping out, I know there is real trouble afoot and I am beginning to really see my patterns. I have been keeping a private journal to see how I rationalize going off to eat all by myself. I love to go to Dairy Queen and I still think it is okay to go -- but not more than once every few months. I am trying to learn what "normal" is. I see all these healthy weight people and they are going in there. I have been people watching to try and shadow them and learn what normal eating is. It just seems cruel to say, "never again" to treats. I want to learn balance and health.
I had several medical appointments this past week and I am glad things do not look so scary anymore. I am going to have an endoscopy and colonoscopy soon. I found out I have Barret's esophagus (sp?) gastritis, a tortuous colon and IBS. My doctors are real gems. I had a few really bad ones, but we searched and found some great docs who are not only impressive, but also very kind and caring to patients.
My weight is 210 at the moment. It really fluctuates, and with all the weird medication and change in what I can and can't (or shouldn't) eat, my docs do not want me getting all upset over my weight loss situation. They want to find out what is wrong before I continue dieting. They are going to be doing some very strange tests that sound just like science fiction!!! HAHA!!! I feel like a guinea pig on steroids!
I am going to brave it out and stick with it so I can be a healthy person! I like to be a funny person and I will never let that leave me, but I have to stay in a support community with others who have been where I am. I can't imagine trying to do this all alone. I need a sense of humor and I love the inspiration here!!! I am so glad I have met you Cate! You have inspired me and this whole community is lifting my spirits!
It's late and I have to do my laughter exercises. They are helping increase my endorphins and I usually do them with a group. Our group was featured on PBS not too long ago. I have noticed less pain since joining. The people are seriously FUNNY!!! he-he!
Gill