Cohen's Lifestyle Leila's Diary on Cohens

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leilacr1

New member
19th Feb 2007
Well today makes it 4 weeks that I have been on this diet, and seriously upset that last week i only lost 400g.:mad: That makes a total of 4.8kg in 4 weeks! What happened to the 7kgs I was lead to believe I would lose. I'm not even close to that and I have followed this program 100%! What am i doing wrong I wonder. Why is it no matter what diet I am on I just can't lose weight like everyone else. I'm scared that I am going to become so disheartened that I'm just going to give up and go back to weight watchers because although I didn't lose heaps of weight, I would lose around about 500g a week and at least I could have a glass of wine, or slice of toast.

Had a real cry this morning due to the lack of weight loss and only a loss of 2.2cm on my measurements all over. I've not deviated even once and it just seems so unfair. I read about all this weight that everybody else has lost in the first few weeks and that is not happening for me. To make matters worse, I'm so tired as between my 4 month old son and 21 month old daughter I'm not getting much sleep (and what I do get is very broken) so feeling very grumpy and low.:cry:

I would ring my consultant, but every time I have rang she has just said that some people don't lose much weight at all and that is just the way it is, which is not what I want to hear. She doesn't even investigate to find out what I'm eating or anything like that which makes me feel I'm being fobbed off a bit.

I decided to start my own diary as I didn't want to hi-jack anyone elses with my negativity, its not fair to bring others down who are doing well. But if anybody else should read this if you have any advice for me, or any similar experiences that have come out well please let me know I would love to hear from you.

I really want this to work, and I am prepared to do the work, but not if it is all in vain. I don't want to be negative, and have tried very hard to be positive all week as it became obvious I was not losing any weight this week, but I just hit rock bottom today and I guess am looking for some encouragement (and maybe some sleep!) to make me feel better.

If anyone is reading this, I hope you have a much better day than me, and that your weight loss is going well.

OK, enough now, I'm going to brush off this disappointment and make my breakfast (cohen's of course) and just keep going. Hopefully after today my weight loss will start again.

Leila
 
Leila- I just read & re-read your post & I think I can see a couple of reasons for your 4.8kg weight-loss. One statement jumped out at me & that was "To make matters worse, I'm so tired as between my 4 month old son and 21 month old daughter I'm not getting much sleep (and what I do get is very broken) so feeling very grumpy and low."
Sleep is such an essential part of the program as it's when the Human Growth Hormone goes to work, burning off our fat. Without it you will not lose as much as you would if you got sufficient sleep. I know that I had to get 8hrs sleep every night. I also slept really deeply. You would probably be doing the same right each night, except for your babies.
The other thing is that you do not have as much to lose as a lot of us did. The more you have to lose the more you will lose in that first month. I would try not to be too disappointed in your 4.8kg loss. It was 1/3 of the total you wish to lose. Think of that- 1/3 lost already! If you stick to Cohen's & are able to get more sleep you will lose your weight & get to goal. It gets easier as you go. Sleep is one of the keys & I know how hard that is to find when your children are so young. Can you nap at all? Try emailing your consultant & letting her know how you feel. You may find that she will be more helpful via email. I think a lot of people seem to give an email more thought & attention than a phone call which might come at a time when they are in the middle of doing something else.
I hope you are feeling better soon. Try to take some time for yourself & get some more sleep if & when you can. Cohen's does work & you do not have an insurmountable number of kilos to lose so it should not take too long. Take care Cate.
 
Hi Cate

Thank you so much for your kind words and advice.

I guess the lack of sleep could be an issue- it certainly isn't doing my mood any good!!

I hadn't thought about the weight coming off in that way either. I'm so glad you read my post and took the time to answer as i feel much better, and not so alone either.

I noticed you have finished the program. Are you finding it good afterwards. Are you staying around the same weight now that you are not so strict. What was re feeding like?

Thanks once again. Your an angel:newangel:

Leila
 
Hi Leila
I too am in regional WA and my consultant is in Perth. We may even have the same consultants. I too have experienced slower than Average loss.... not as slow as you, just slower than most people who have as much as me to lose. However as I did get a chance to finally talk about it with my consultant we worked out some of the reasons for my loss (You can read my diary for all that info... dont want to highjack yours!!). I do tend to agree with Cate though on both counts.

SLEEP!!! Sleep is the major key! I keep track of everything and I know that the nights I sleep really badly I tend to have a slower loss. Endeavouring to get enough consistent sleep is an important part of the program. As well, as Cate said, the fact that you did not start with as much to lose, this means you may not see as huge results. My consultant also said she is working with a lady (who has Lupus) who only loses 200g a week every week and yet she persists and refuses to give up...because she knows that this is the only thing that is working for her and that is teaching her new habits for life etc. (and, apart from this week, for the last 4-6 weeks I have been losing from .8 to 1kg a week compared to 1.4 before... ) Some one else I know has had a couple of weeks where they have lost nothing before starting to lose again... we all have different cycles... WE ARE ALL UNIQUE... isnt it Wonderful!

Would you have lost that much weight (4.8) on other programs and even if you had, would you have learnt the skills that you have. And doesnt it average out to being 1.2kgs a week over 4 weeks? (which is more than what you would have lost on WW). We all have really slow weeks and then bigger weeks as our bodies work in cycles. Dont forget to measure as well as this will also be giving you more information about what is happening to your body. Some of the things to look at as well, are .... are you drinking enough water, are you eating cheese too many times in a week (I know I can only eat it once a week, even tho they said 3), how do you go with your spices etc.

I agree with Cate, email your consultant and if you still dont get a reply... I would call em and tell them what you need from them.

Please dont give up! I truly believe in this program and that you will find that it works for you and in the Grand scheme of things it is only for a Short time! You can do this!

Blessya
Kath
 
Hi Leila, I can't believe that your consultant has not been helpful, but I have heard that a few of them are not too helpful, makes you wonder why they would sign up to sell the product in the first place. Pester them until you get a satisfactory answer that's the least you deserve, you definately don't deserve to feel fobbed off I mean you paid good money.

Hopefully your body has gone into shock and once it has adjusted will start you on the bigger weight losses. I know that when I did the program the first time, that i lost a lot one week and very little the next, seems our bodies work on some sort of cycle. I didn't believe it until I mapped it every 3rd week wasn't very good to me.

I do know that I had lost only 6kg in the first month that in the following month I lost 10kg so hopefully you will be like me.

I wish you luck and I hope that you stick with the program, I know it works after losing 35kg in 108 days. Think of it this way, it didn't come on in one great glob, so it would be reasonable that its comfortable and your going to have to fight it to get rid of it. Every little bit adds up and makes you a winner. :)

Let us know how your next weeks go. My prayers are with you that the scale is moving favourably. :)

Faithie
 
Hi Leila

Congratulations on what you have lost so far I know it was not what you expected but it is a loss. I lost 6.4kg in my first 4 weeks and I was a little disappointed with this especially when you read other cohenites losing 10kg plus more in the same amount of time, but like you I didn't need to lose alot of weight so this is also a factor like Cate pointed out.

I must say you are very brave doing this programme with littlies. I was unable to successfully complete any weight loss programme when my children were babies-the interrupted sleep really wrecked havoc on my metabolism and mental health, which hindered any weight loss goals I had in place........and I"ve tried heaps over the years.

I don't want to discourage you, you sound very motivated and I think Cate and the others have given you sound advice. Do you think you could give us an idea of what you are eating and how many hours you are spacing them and how much water you are drinking.
Sometimes the slowness of weight loss can be attributed to eating,drinking or adding something that is not Cohen's friendly this is all it takes to make it a deviation. I had read this quiet often whilst I was on programme- the thing I discovered after completing refeed was that I was having too much mozzeralla cheese during the week I should have reduced it and maybe I would have lost my weight quicker.

I hope i have been of some help Leila. I forgot to welcome......so welcome to Cohen's and the forum.

Wishing you all the best
Sam:)
 
Hi Leila,

Welcome to the forum...

I have to say... you're doing an amazing job considering the fact that you have two little ones to look after (and especially given one of them is only 4 months old). My goodness, the only reason I think I have been able to follow Cohen's so closely and drop the weight that I have is that Cohen's has been my entire focus in the first 5 weeks... By that I mean that I have not gone out for dinner with friends, I've always got a meal made up to take with me whereever I go and I get lots of sleep etc etc. To be honest, I've become a little anti-social so that I can't be tempted to deviate. I can't begin to imagine what would happen if I threw a bubby into the mix.

So, in fact, you should be congratulated on your amazing efforts and results! As cate said above, you've actually nearly dropped a third of what you want to lose... which is very similar to what I did (want to drop 31.6 and in first 4 weeks dropped 8.6kg plus another 600gms the next day - that's about 27%)... so really you're on par with most of us...

And remember... your body will still be recovering and readjusting to having gone through the birth of your little one 4 months ago.

I know it can difficult to see all of these big losses around you and wonder where you've gone wrong... but keep at it, because you're doing so incredibly well and at the rate you're going, you'll be at goal in no time... I mean just think... 13 weeks more is no time when you consider how long it probably took you to put on the weight!

And you always have the forum and other Cohenites if you go through a rough patch or just need a positive environment!

Keep us updated on your journey...

Jackie
 
WOW!! Thanks so much everybody for your words of wisdom and advice. I'm so honoured that you each took the time to read my post, I really didn't think any one would. And what is even better is that I feel like I already know you all as I have read your diaries and entries on other threads.

Before I make an entry I just want to take back what I said about my consultant yesterday. I ended up ringing her and she was very helpful and took a lot of time to go through my program with me. I guess in my previous conversations with her she probably felt I needed a prep talk maybe and not so much advice. Anyway, it is all good now. Went through the program and she said I was doing everything right (in terms of my eating anyway), but the day I had my first blood test, was the day I had an IUD put in, so maybe that has altered my chemistry and therefore my diet is not working anymore. THat sounds reasonable. I had my 4 week blood test yesterday so she'll look at the results and let me know asap.

I don't think that my sleep situation is going to change anytime soon unfortunately. There are good nights when I am only up once to feed my son, and then terrible nights where I'm up several times with the both of them. NOt much I can do about it. If I had known about the sleep thing I think I still would have done it though, as I just want to get rid of this weight, no matter if it takes a little longer. Still knowing that this is a contributing factor makes it all a little easier to cope with.

Feel much better today about it all. I have decided to not weigh myself till next wednesday, as I become too depressed if I don't see any results. THis way , if the weightloss is not good, I'm only upset for one day, not seven!! Also in this way I can enjoy the weight I have lost, and not obsess about the weight I haven't.

Just on that, I put on my jeans that I had bought in Perth a couple of months ago when we were last down, and that fit perfectly then. Although if I ate a big meal it was a bit tight around the waist. This morning they were too big!!! They look awful they're so baggy (They're the stretch type, so loose is not the look you want). In fact I have to keep pulling them up they keep slipping down and I keep tripping over the hems! So i'll be giving these away to the salvos- yippee!

That means that I can safely say despite the lack of huge weight loss and only 17.7 cm loss in measurements, that I have gone down in dress size. Now that is exciting.

Kath: Thank you for your comments. It cetainly helps to know that others have gone through the same thing as me. You lucky thing living in Gero- I love it there! (Well apart from the seaweed, that I can't stand so I never swim at all those lovely beaches). Pretty windy too. My dad lives there, and my father in law is about to move there in the next couple of weeks, which will make it easy to see everyone. I have been reading your diary notes, and I think you are doing wonderfully well. I think it must be really hard to do this when you are young and single, as I know that I just loved sociallising and it would have killed me going out and not having a drink, so i think your will power is amazing. Yes we probably have the same consultant. I'm in Port Hedland

Faithie: Thanks for your kind words. Yes I hope I am like you and lose heaps more weight in this next 4 weeks, that would be fantastic! Fingers crossed.

Sam: I guess having little ones does make this hard, especially as I have to constantly be making food and yummy treats for my toddler. Surprisingly though I haven't craved the sweets. Its the bread I miss (THe smell of hot buttered toast just makes my mouth water!) Poor kid, she's been getting weetbix and rolled oats for the last few weeks!. I have read about the cheese thing. I had mozzeralla last night. I will try to not have any more cheese this week and see if that makes a difference.

Jackie: Thank you for your encouraging words. I do feel so much better about what I have achieved now after reading all the congratulations I have just received. I now feel good about the weight I have lost. It is true that if i had lost this much weight on another program i would be very happy, especially without exercising. I did weight watchers after the birth of my daughter and lost 8 kg is 12 weeks, which i thought was pretty good, but i had to go to the gym 4 times a week to achieve it.

Well I had better go, my son has just woken up from his morning nap. I can't believe I just spent his whole nap writing this. I don't mean to write a novel each time, but I just can't seem to help pouring my heart out.

Thanks everyone for replying to me, and look forward to talking to you all again.

best wishes

leila
 
Hi leila

Don't apologise for writting long post's, remember we are all in same boat and I find you can be more honest about yourself here then in everyday life.

I am so glad you are feeling better since we responded. It can only get better now and remember we are all here at one time or another.

Sam:)
 
Leila- I am so happy to read that you are feeling much more positive about your weight-loss & that you realise that you have our unconditional support. I'm glad your consultant has taken more time & has also provided the support we are all entitled to. Thank you for also taking the time & effort to type in my diary, providing me with encouragement & support. It's great to know that we can all help one another. It's important, I think, to feel that we are all an equal part of this wonderful human race, each of us with something to contribute. You are doing a wonderful job! xo Cate.
 
OK. Definately feel better today, and I think I have lost some weight, but won't weigh myself, even though I desperately want to. Too scared in case I haven't then it will ruin the good feeling I have today.:)

My friend rang me last night to invite me to a Hen's night, even though she knew I was on Cohens and it was a 'Pink' cocktail party. And i didn't even hesitate to say yes. So what if i can't have a drink, i'll just take along some diet coke and sprite zero, and i'll still have fun! If i can't have fun on a hen's night without drinking then i definately have a problem! And the best thing is that it is a pink party and i have to wear pink, and i don't have anything in my wardrobe. So i'll have to go out and buy something! Looking forward to that (although the choices of shops are very limited up here. Kmart, Just jeans and Cross Roads and that is it! I'm not kidding):doh:

I decided to not have my coffee in the morning before breakfast as i then don't eat breakfast till after 9 which puts out everything for the day, so i'm eating quite late. Yesterday I didn't have a coffee till the avo, and ended up at dinner time without eating all my fruit and cracker allowance. I ended up with crakers after dinner, but missed out on the fruit-just wasn't hungry and i'm not going to start eating just for the sake of eating.

Thank goodness it is friday! Hubby will be home tomorrow to help keep my daughter occupied. He's paving the patio at the moment, which means she spends all day outside with him, although it gets too hot in the avo (It is already 38 degrees up here!):drooling:

Well I hope everyone has a good day, I have to go to the clinic to get my sons 4 month jabs!:eek: Poor kid, hate doing it.

regards

leila
 
Really really want to weigh myself today to see if i have lost any weight. But I have to be strong! I said not till Wednesday and I want to stick to that. I feel so good now that I don't want to disappoint myself yet. If when i get on wednesday I have only lost a little, I'm sure i'll feel ok as it will hopefully still be less than the last time I weighed myself.

Bought some lovely size 12 Billabong pants from the surf shop. I've never looked in there before as everything is so skinny and made for young girls with flat stomachs. But they had a sale on so had a peak. I bought these jeans that are a bit too tight now, but these are my goal trousers (well half way ones). WHen I can fit into these and look good, I will be so happy! I plan to get to goal weight of 54kg, so at my height that should make me an 8-10, can't even imagine getting into one of those!

I have one of those classic pear shapes, and have always had chunky thighs my whole life, even in my 20s when i weight 50kgs so it will be interesting to see if these will go down. I think these are genetic as my home is also short with chunky thighs, and always has had even when i remember her when she was younger and she was skinny! At least I have always had a small waist, even now (well proportionately to the rest of me that is!)

leila
 
After reading some of the posts I decided to try something new this morning, and just had yoghurt instead of yoghurt and crackers, as i have been having that most mornings.

I didn't think it would satisfy me, but suprisingly I feel just as full (if not fuller!) than i usually do, and the best thing is that i have 2 crackers to look forward to during the day when i get hungry.:D

I bought some ryvita yesterday for a vbit of variety, although you can only have one to the 2 crackers i normally have, but that's ok as they are really quite large.

Feeling very skinny at the moment, although I have a long way to go. Isn't funny how you really start to feel good when you lose weight, even if you are not at goal weight. I have to be careful not to think i am so slim that i can wear mini skirts and midrif tops now!:jump:

bye for now
leila
 
EEEEK. Swallowed my chewing gum last night by accident:doh:, and am now stressing that this is going to through me off the weightloss wagon I have been on this week! It is so silly to get so worked up about it, but I am concerned after the hard work that something so insignificant as that could stop my weightloss for a week.

Does anyone know if this is going to be a problem?

Other than that things are going along well. Wearing my new size 12 crop pants. A bit tight with muffin top over the top, but this was the plan, I'll shrink into them! Currently wearing a long baggy shirt to hide the muffin top and hopefully in the next couple of weeks that will go and I can start wearing nice tight tops with it.

cheers

leila
 
WOW! Apples really do make you hungry.

Well only one more day to weigh in. Very excited as I know I have lost a little this week. Not heaps, but some.

Have a very busy day today so things should go pretty quickly. Looking forward to move my ticker more than anything!

Not much else to report really

Cheers

Leila
 
weekly weigh in

Well it is wednesday so that means weigh in time!

Was almost too scared to get on the scales. I have and i am down 1.2Kg. Most say a bit disappointed, given that i had such small weight loss last week, i thought this week maybe a good drop. Still 1.2kg is better than nothing. It just looks like I'm going to be doing this through xmas now at this rate, and i was really hoping to be finished as we are going away for a month at that time.

It was exciting moving my ticker though

Lost 5.2 cm on measurements. I wonder if you are supposed to measure both arms and thighs, as i have only be doing one.

Ok that's it. Till tomorrow

cheers
leila
 
Hi Leila,

You're doing a great job - 1.2kgs is an excellent loss. If I can do that each week, I'm absolutely rapped. I've been weighing myself each day for the last week (my DF accidently left the scales at home... so I had to peek) and i'm averaging .2 a day...

With all the stuff you have going on (kids and all) though... this is an excellent job... and just think if you drop a similar weight each week from now... you'll be done by 12 December! Remember as well that focusing on what you do want, rather than focusing on what you don't want or are afraid will happen will get you to goal far quicker!

Jackie
 
Thanks Jackie

Yep concentrating on the positives is the only way to go, as then at least you are going to enjoy the weightloss you have achieved, instead of obsessing about that which you haven't.

Not weighing myself everyday is definately the way to go for me, as then i don't feel depressed if i don't drop any weight over night.

Having said that I weighed myself this morning and had dropped 0.2 overnight. Feel good:D

Bought new scales on ebay yesterday. Its one of those that measures everything, bone mass, water mass, body fat etc, and it also calculates your daily calorie requirements! Sounds pretty snazzy. Can't wait to get them.

Off to coffee with the girls this morning- I wonder when people are going to start noticing as no one has of yet, although my clothes are definately to loose. Oh well I guess the world doesn't revolve around me!

Enough for today

regards

leila
 
Leila- Hi sweets! Thanks for your note in my diary. He quit before he started & I am so happy & so is he!! No-one noticed that I had lost weight at first either & then everyone noticed & made such a fuss it was embarrassing! I'm not used to getting so much attention & it does take getting used to. I am now learning to accept compliments graciously. Soon you'll be getting them constantly, xo Cate.
 
The girls did notice yesterday that i had lost some weight! It was the first thing they said when i got there which was great.

Spoke to my consultant yesterday about my blood works at 4 weeks. She said it came back normal dispite the IUD. So its not that. Then i told her that i've not been getting much sleep due to having 2 kids under 2, and she said that that would definately slow things down.

Had a terrible night last night as my DH played touch rugby last night and didn't get in till 12.30! so didn't sleep well till he got into bed. Then DS woke for feed 3.45 then fussed abit for an hour after, had to keep going in to reswaddle. Then DD started whining and carrying on. DH alarm went off at 5.50am and he did that horrible snooze thing twice! Then DD decided to wake up for the day at 6.30! I am really shattered as the last 3 nights have been pretty awful with DD teething.

Jumped on the scales and no weight loss-probably due to no sleep!

I just hope i don't get resentful of everyone keeping me awake.

enough for now

leila
 
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