Shawn's After Diet Thread

[SPDeRosa]

As promised, I'm back with a new and improved thread to reflect the new and improved me! :) This is where I'll post random updates on how I'm doing after having completed the diet and re-feeding.

So I just HAVE to tell you about my first day off the plan -- Shasha, close your eyes ;)

Breakfast: 2 eggs, Veggies 95g (I weighed them - 10g more than my diet plan allowed), Low-Fat mozzarella sprinkled on top, cooked with a little olive oil rather than spray. Coffee: 1st cup a little half and half -- the rest black. Water.

Snack: Apple and 2 peanut butter cookies. Water. (BAD Idea to have the cookies because they made me want more ... so I drank a lot of water, brushed my teeth, used some Listerine to get the yummy flavor off my taste buds).

Lunch: Chicken (200g - weighed before freezing during refeed) and veggies: asaparagus, zucchini, mushrooms. Water.

Snack: Apple. Water.

Dinner: (Get ready for this ... Pumbza, sorry to force you to see this while you're sick) Large (18") Supreme Pizza Very Thin Crust: cheese onion and random meats. I ate about 3/4 of the pizza (5 slices). It was soooo delicious! I also had the remaining 3 low-fat, low-carb peanut butter cookies that I baked during refeed. Diet Pepsi. More water.

I weighed in this morning and I was up 0.5 lbs from yesterday's weigh in (and still below my "Goal Weight" of 155 -- which we know is still about 10-15 lbs below where I'd like to be once I start working out). I honestly expected to be up quite a bit and I was prepared to go no-carb for a few days to repay my indulgence, but I lucked out!

So I know eating almost a whole large pizza sounds excessive and not well-balanced, but it was thought out. My entire day consisted of "plan-approved" veggies and proteins, albeit an extra egg. I added only slightly more veggies to breakfast while I didn't weigh my veggies at lunch, I'm guessing they were close my normal amounts as they fit into the same size container. My only "carb" meal was the very thin crust pizza and even then because I didn't have any bread or crackers during the day my carbs (although an indulgence) were still somewhat limited. (Cookies were made with brown-sugar Splenda).

Moving forward I won't be so over-indulgent, but I wanted to get it out of my system and "go wild" for a meal. I was impressed I didn't go for beer and pizza! My plan for now, like Bronwyn, is to stick mainly to the plan foods for a while just without weighing. This morning I had black coffee and upon Shasha's recommendation I might just stick with black. (There's a joke in there somewhere.) I like it and there's no need for the extra fat/calories from cream. Next week I start back at the gym, and I'm looking forward to cooking again - and may even work on a recipe book!

Thanks again for all your support, and for those still on the diet, please don't get any ideas about that pizza.... that was a planned splurge for AFTER the diet, not DURING. Stay on plan! If this food-lover can do it, YOU CAN TOO!

Best,
Shawn

[Blondie4life]

:pizza: I look forward to being where you are!

[Nightshift]

I will continue to follow your post diet progress. You have been a big help to all of us and if pumbza is not jealous about the pizza I'm jealous enough for us both. :weights:

[pumbza]

Ha Ha SHAWN you got me I was green with envy with that PIZZA and I agree TOTALLY with YOUR food BREAKOUT YOU have to let YOUR hair down after 4 MONTHS that was JUST COOL!!!Here come the questions HOW did YOU make breakfast as a OMLETE or as a BRUS....Something or other that YOU make??? Please correct me if I am wrong but it seems if YOU combat carbs with lots of VEGTABLES does that not bring down the BLOOD sugar because that's how GLI recipe book combines certain foods to keep blood sugar down so in my BOOKS YOU had a balanced DIET the only way YOU can fault it may be the PORTION SIZE maybe but it did taste GOOD jee NIGHTSHIFT and BLONDIE4LIFE we will get there ONE DAY!!Ha Ha!!:innocent4:SHAWN where does one fit all this fibre we must eat for our bodies as we have been TOLD all our lives thats why we all land UP eating FIBRE etc!!Tell us how the back UP diet YOU can use to lose weight if you start putting it on the 48Hr DIET WORKS as WELL???? What does DR COHEN say about having FAT after the DIET I know its a NO NO but I feel if one restricts ones self then one wants the things more so rather be reasonable with small portions and control the taboo items and KNOW what's realistic!!!Ok enough questions have a GREAT day YOU have escaped from DR COHEN ALCATRAZ!!:innocent3:

[Rachinnj]

Shawn
Arnt you only suppose to have desserts after your one carb meal?
Im confused LOL

Rachel

[pumbza]

Hi there LITTLEST rachel SHAWN is a FREE man he can do as he pleases he has the knowledge he must just USE it carefully and keep himself in TOW thats all!!Ha Ha!:innocent4:Have a GREAT DAY!!:innocent3:

[Rachinnj]

I know Shawn is a free man but you just cant finish the plan and eat like we did before. You will for sure gain the weight back. I think Bronwyn and Lauren will both agree you need to take the new eating habits you learned and apply them to your everyday life.

Just my opinion!

Rachel

[SPDeRosa]

Pumbza, I had scrambled eggs and veggies – essentially an omellette without worrying about the “shape”

Not really sure about the glycemic index and whether vegetables counteract other carbs. I’m guessing vegetables don’t work to lower the blood sugar levels but rather help by reducing the amounts of other carbs you eat. But you’re right, eating more vegetables is better than eating lots of “empty” sugar carbs. Most vegetables have a good amount of carbs in them anyway, depending upon which source you look at. They also are a good source of fiber (carbohydrates that are not digested). For men, they say 30-35g of fiber a day is ideal but that everyone should have at least 20g. Eating enough vegetables and fruits should do that. Harvard University’s School of Public Health has a great website that talks about all of this.

The ‘backup plan’ is to go no carbs for a few days to help quickly shed any weight gained by poor food choices. That’s pretty much all it is – no bread, pasta, rice etc. just go back to the original plan foods for a few days. You can even do the original plan amounts I would imagine, although I think you’d be fine with just drinking more water and sticking to the food list. I guess I’ll eventually find out.

After the diet, Dr. Cohen recommends that we stay on low-fat products. Maybe stick to the cooking spray instead of using butter for fats. I switched to olive oil instead of butter a long time ago. I never use real butter. Even in baking I hear that applesauce can be used in place of butter in cakes and such. I might even try some canola oil for variety. I’m going to buy an olive oil mister so I can use olive oil but in smaller amounts than just pouring.

There really aren’t many “life after the diet” rules. So we’re left to make our own educated decisions and to follow some basic guidelines. This is what I like about the program – it’s not so strict with rules but rather flexible enough to let you choose what you want to do. If we make healthy choices we should be ok. If we monitor our weight and take immediate action to correct any increases, then it won’t be a long battle to get back down but rather a few days here and there to stay within range. Let’s face it everyone can take two days a week and commit to low carbs and no fat. If we go away on vacation and the weight comes up a bit, then maybe it’ll be a week on the diet to help get the weight back down.

I think we're all in agreement that we need to use the diet as an opportunity to learn about healthier eating. For most of us, it means portion control, eating more vegetables, less fats, much less sugar and fewer snacks. For me, it means eating three meals a day, watching my portions, eating more vegetables and limiting the pasta, rice and bread. I think if I do that, and try to limit sweets to within an hour of my carb meal I should be ok. I will try to have only one carb meal per day and I'll try to avoid having carbs for breakfast as much as possible.

[lfingers11]

Ummm......PIZZA!!! I was laughing so hard when I read how much you ate Shawn. I am looking forward to the day when I am able to have pizza occassionally again. It sounds like you are really enjoying your new eating lifestyle!! You totally deserve it!!
Pam

[757 flyer]

I think we are ALL jealous....I can almost smell the pizza. Good for you a well planned out 1st breakfree day. :) You know we will all do that the first day.. and like you said just monitor and take the necessary actions to counteract the damage.
Good Show Shawn
757 flyer

[SPDeRosa]

Thanks everyone -- just a quick update: In two days, I'm up 3 lbs. :) Perhaps it's delayed weight gain? For those wondering, I finished the pizza last night (3 remaining slices) but also had broccoli and carrots.

I'll also mention that after the pizza (both nights) I felt really full -- so clearly it was too much food, which explains the weight gain. I'm fine with the extra weight as I'm back to 155 lbs which is where I started Re-Feeding. Most of you would agree I'm underweight now anyway. So in my situation adding the weight is no big deal and will help me move away from looking a bit gaunt.

I decided I need to research a bit more about insulin levels to get a better understanding of why we are trying to limit surges of blood sugar and insulin. The info we're sent doesn't do a good job of truly explaining the rationale behind the "Doctor's Orders." I knew that carbs break down into sugars and that insulin helps bring sugar into cells (which the body needs, but which also causes weight gain), however I needed more info. So I found this article which made sense to me. I can't post it as a link but if you copy and past with an http:// in front you should be able to find it. I'd copy and paste the article here, but that would constitute copyright infringement and we don't want that now, do we? So highlight, copy and paste this into your web browser:


Now that the pizza and cookies are gone, I'm back to my normal eating regimen. This morning I again added an egg to my Meal 1 allowance (1 egg, 85g veggies) and I went back to using olive oil spray instead of pouring olive oil into the pan, and I had 4 Saltines (equivalent of 2 diet crackers). For lunch I'll be having grilled chicken (200g - again weighed before freezing for use during my refeed) along with some veggies. Dinner will be pork (not weighed) and veggies (not weighed). I will likely have a fruit sorbet when I get home from work, and tomorrow morning I'll weigh in and see what happens. I'm hoping that I will stay at 155.1 or maybe move down into the 154 range - not because I want the weight gone but because I want to see how my body reacts without the carbs from white flour (pizza).

Best,
Shawn

Oops, I guess I was edited even though I didn't post a URL link or even a full URL, thus negating the possibility of virus affecting this forum or the servers on which to forum sits. I would have though that would have been an acceptable means of communicating information as what was posted was NOT a full URL. Seems like an unnecessary restriction -- again things being done on the program that just don't make sense -- but if anyone wants to find the article, Google "High Insulin Levels Stop Fat Loss and Cause Weight Gain" and you'll find an article printed on May 12, 2008 on the fitnessblackbook website.

[Nightshift]

My wife has a theory that it takes two days for bad foods to show up on the scale and I think there may be some truth to it here. I have marked January 1, 2009 for my pizza breakout!!!

[Shasha]

Hi there Shawn

Must say that reading your Day 1 AD can be like watching a thriller :scarymovie: for some of our Diet Buddies… (If you Guys & Gal’s get too tempted, rather don’t read this thread… - it’s bound to be about food!)

I was thinking to myself, that breakfast is huge… Shawn probably won’t want lunch…

But then there was the runaway cookies as your mid-morning snack... Caution to eat cookies in mid-morning because the cookies will trigger CRAVINGS… which means you want more and more… apply the desert rule to cookies when and where possible. (Rachel, you are correct!)

Glad you enjoyed your :pizza:!! Having the cookies after starch / carbohydrate meal is better than eating these as a mid-morning snack attack! (Said for future reference…)

Pumbza: “DR COHEN ALCATRAZ!!” WOW! Now you’ve gone and hurt my feelings :crying:

In any case, you need proteins and veggies to lower the GI or starch… thus the reason why you don’t eat cookies on their own… and why you should eat balance meals… but Dr Cohen goes further than just low GI, he says limit starch / insulin triggers to once a day…

Starches / sweets / refined foods etc convert into blood sugar too fast and enter the blood stream rapidly – when the blood sugar rises the body creates insulin, which transports the sugar into the cells in the body – the only problem is when you eat too much / too often / your body is sensitive – it produces too much insulin too fast. When this happens, too much sugar goes into your cells too fast. They cannot use it so they store it as fat. At the same time, when blood sugar drops fast, your body cannot produce enough serotonin to tell you that you are full and satisfied and that it is time to stop eating. Too little serotonin results in cravings… and hunger… weight gain etc. When you have too much insulin your body is in what Dr Cohen calls FAT FACT*RY store mode…

The purpose of the Diet is to STOP and REVERSE this process. The purpose of the Maintenance Rules is to keep the insulin low by rules such as starch / desert / sweets limited to once a day only. Controlling how often you trigger too much insulin helps to keep your weight down BY KEEPING YOUR HORMONES BALANCED! {wave}

[SPDeRosa]

Yet again Shasha to the rescue! That explanation of sugar/carbs/insulin was great! And you're spot on -- right after I had the peanut butter cookies (even though they were made with Splenda and not sugar) I wanted more. So I know I have to avoid having treats between meals because they're just going to make things more difficult for me.

I wish there was a way to take all of Shasha's amazing explanations and group them together into one thread for a few reasons: one, she won't need to keep saying the same thing over and over in different ways and two, it'll make it easier for us to find them. Heck, she should publish an article ... or maybe include the explanations in the Customer Guide. :)

Do you think two eggs is a huge breakfast? I never was really happy eating just one; although I wasn't starving I always felt I wanted (not needed) more. Maybe I should try to go back to one egg and the same 85g of veggies in the morning along with the crackers and see how I do.

Thanks for the explanation! I'm starting to become convinced that I should keep my carbs to once a day, so now I have to work on portions. I'm trying to keep them about the same as on refeed -- 200g meat, 200g veggies.

[pumbza]

Hi Shahsa when I said Alcatraz I mean't it from the point of view of strict eating rules and NO ROOM for DEVIATION and did Not mean it to HURT YOUR feelings YOU are the KIND and HELPFUL gaurd helping us through OUR time in Alcatraz!!!!Ha Ha!!:innocent4:SHAWN is now in the FREE world where he can make the CHOICES now and NO prison I have had no deviations for 9 weeks so he must be really enjoying it!!!SHAWN is right YOU should put all YOUR notes on one thread so we can read it over and OVER to let it sink in Shasha !!!!Have a GREAT DAY and SHAWN KEEP the messages coming they are really intresting and Shasha KEEP on feeding US with the correct information!!!:innocent3:Hi SHAWN very interesting link it now looks LIKE I should eventually move my carbs TO supper and to do a work out before this and then eat carbs at supper which will suit me because eating CARBS at lunch could make someone sleepy while the rest of the day is there and the link gave me a better understanding on BLOOD INSULIN!!!

[Rachinnj]

Hi Shawn
I am not on refeed but from what I understand and Shasha correct me if I am wrong. I think you are not suppose to have any carbs for breakfast even crackers. Just how I understand it.
Rachel

[SPDeRosa]

Rachel, the guide is a little vague -- veggies have carbs in them, so I don't think the crackers are a big deal. Plus, when you go "no carb" for 48 hours for damage control (like after eating 3/4 pizza) you are allowed to have your crackers. I think they mean don't have a full-out carb breakfast (bagel, pancakes, waffles, hash browns, toast etc). However, this is just my interpretation of the refeeding guide.

[Shasha]

Hi there Shawn and Buddies

Thanks for your kind words… :flirt:

Was thinking about what you said: and … well, so far this little blabber box has posted 1,621 posts… {uhm} and you are want me to summaries them?!?! {rofl}

{sorry} but as it is I’m having a hard time getting to all my precious Diet Buddies… wish I had more than 2 hands and 10 fingers… thankfully I have all of you!

I didn’t read the link… but Pumbza mentioned something about moving starch to dinner because starch for lunch makes you feel sleepy in the afternoon… SOOOOOOO TRUE!!! Just think about what happens after Sunday lunch at your Mom’s house… and how you feel afterwards… just want to lie down for 5 minutes… (which becomes 2 hours!!) on the way to get comfortable, you think to yourself: “I’m so full, I’m definitely not eating dinner tonight…’’ when you get up however, that full feeling has gone… and you start to nibble here an nibble there and snack, snack, snack… and for dinner you finish the leftovers etc.

Why the tired feeling?? Too much insulin transporting too much sugar to the body cells too fast! They can only do so much work at a time and at such a time, they focus on storing food… so you end up feeling tired… so, in effect, you snooze while your body works very hard to store it all into the ‘grocery cupboards’ on your hips and thigh’s / tummy areas…

Remember that insulin and human growth hormone can almost been seen as opposites – picture a seesaw it the one is high, the other is low… when you eat starch, your produce insulin = fat storing. When you don’t eat starch your body produces growth hormone = fat burning.

Shawn veggies are different… and have different levels of starch in them ie: the Diet Veggies vs the Carbohydrates like potato, corn, peas, etc. You should avoid the starch veggies for breakfast and limit these to once a day. Remember on the diet you had to limit crackers to two at a time (4 saltines) but never more than 11.7 grams. Same is true after the diet. If you have 2 crackers for breakfast that will be fine (for most) but bread contains more starch and as such will trigger more insulin = blood sugar high, followed by blood sugar low = want more and more and more…

Don’t eat starch before you exercise – your body will be in fat storing mode instead of fat burning mode… besides, you need growth hormone to help you build muscles

So, limit the starch to once a day to be safe… fine to make an exception on high days, holidays, birthdays but that is not everyday!

Rachel, most people can eat two crackers with breakfast but there are people who are more sensitive than others. These people will find that 2 crackers with breakfast means hunger by 10 am. If that is the case they need to STOP eating crackers with breakfast. Everyone is different and what works for some will not necessarily work for everyone…

Shawn: About those cookies and the cravings… making cookies with Splenda may seem like a great idea… cookies are healthier… but, you are forgetting about the blood sugar kick caused by white flour…

White flour has the just about the same GI as a glucose sweet. White flour turns into blood sugar very rapidly – high blood sugar followed by the drop because too much insulin is triggered. Best is always to limit products made with white flour… white flour is a super refined product and these should always be limited. Rather eat natural whole foods…

To make the white flour, they remove the outer layer of the wheat ie the bran / husks – the fiber which lowers the GI and which helps to keep you regular and to keep you feeling full longer. They then sell this separately in health shops!! The next bit of the wheat is wheat germ – this bit is good for you, high in Vitamin E… but, they remove that too! Because it affects the shelf life of commercially baked products such as cookies etc. causing them too become rancid too quickly – remember they want months of shelf life!!! This wheat germ also gets sold has health products… Then they are left with just the inside of the wheat grain, the starch, no real value… looks grey in color! Imagine Grey Bread… naaaah! So they bleach it white and there you have it… ready to use in your kitchen…

When you eat products containing white flour – the more you eat, the more the effect… too much blood sugar too fast… store, store and store some more! If you do this all day long… you get the idea…

That white stuff is scary stuff!

1000 years ago, NOBODY was eating white flour and NOBODY was eating sugar… and, they didn’t have the epidemic we have today…

[lfingers11]

Shasha,
You were talking about how the flour has a not so good effect on you. What do you think is the best flour that you can bake with? Thank you. Just thinking of the healthier lifestyle my family will be living after I am off the plan and refeed. Thanks.
Pam

[Rachinnj]

Shasha
The recipie I gave Shawn had no flower which is why they are considered low carb cookies but isnt it true that the sweetness of splenda can cause serious cravings also? Well i know its true for me.
Rachel

[pumbza]

All I can say was thanks for the LESSON it was GREAT SHAWN was right YOU should right a BOOK you put it in LAYMAN terms so even a DEMIC like me can UNDERSTAND it THATS GREAT!!!Ha Ha!:innocent4:So if we change our white flour to more unrefined flour it will be BETTER then??Say I like PIZZA and I use whole FLOUR to make a recipe will that be better for me than GETTING HIGH on refined White Flour!!!Here is another simple question and I am a bit dense to understand if I some how eradicate white refined flour and sugar I should be relatively healthy in my eating is that correct?Where does FAT sit in the scope of things YES I know its not GOOD for YOU but I have been brought UP on animal FAT so if I limit my intake how does that effect my INSULIN and if YOU eat protien with out say vegtables how does that effect YOUR BLOOD SUGAR!!!Patience SHASHA be PATIENT!!!Have a PATIENT DAY!!!:innocent3::innocent3:

[UnspeakableJoy]

Hi Shawn! Congratulations on finally reaching Life After Refeed! Yikes, 5 pieces of pizza lol you crack me up :) Thank you for all of your informative posts! I know it will really help me when I finally reach refeed and life after refeed! Take care!

[Shasha]

{hi} there Pam

To keep it simple, I’m tempted to say: if God didn’t make it, don’t eat it… :flirt:

I know the above can sound a bit strange, but the more you move into natural foods ie: away from man made, processed foods, the healthier you will be.

Of course everything has it’s place… and yes, all things in moderation… that includes treats, but in your day to day living, you should try to find unrefined whole wheat type products, limited sugar… read the ingredients / labels on products you buy for your family. Fruit as a snack is always going to be more healthy than sweets / cookies etc – it contains living vitamins and enzymes etc. all in the right balance.

Remember when you eat carbs, you need to balance these in a meal. Try to find a book on low GI baking - this will give you some more ideas... think natural remember Shawn's smoothies: yogurt, fruit, ice... not some chemically flavored powder mix... the first is whole and natural the latter is what exactly? Who can tell? :eyebrow:

Next time you go to your local store, have a look and see how much food is recognizable in nature? And how much is not? I am of the opinion that the more processed and refined a food is, the less good that product is for you. The point is that the manufacturers won’t tell you this – because they want you to buy processed foods so that they can make MONEY… but, you need to chose wisely, chose healthy unrefined foods etc.

Remember how healthy you feel now that you are on diet? Yes sure you maybe a bit tempted from time to time, but you feel healthy and good inside, I believe this comes from eliminating especially the refined foods.

I’ve always wondered how much sugar cane it would take to fill a teaspoon of refined white sugar – does anyone know?
Imagine chomping your way through all that sugar cane to get a teaspoon’s worth of sugar… I know you may probably think I’m weird, but were it not for the sugar industry, that is what you would need to do… now think of all the sugar that goes into soda… :shocked: SCARY!! It’s simply not natural to eat as much sugar as we do and it’s unhealthy...

We need to change the way we look at food or shall I say “food”…

[Shasha]

{hi} there Rachel

YES, may people do find that artificial sweeteners cause cravings… in which case, it's not wise to eat foods that trigger cravings for you - why torture yourself?

Again… the focus on that first word: artificial… it is just not natural! {noway}

[Shasha]

{hi} there Pumbza-Lite


Where does FAT sit in the scope of things YES I know its not GOOD for YOU but I have been brought UP on animal FAT

In the words of Dr Phil: So, how is that working for you? :flirt:

Where did your past eating patterns bring you?
Dr Cohen says to stay with low fat products for the rest of your life – especially in terms of cholesterol problems that I think you had mentioned somewhere way back…

Did you know in the Bible times that the Lord didn’t want his people to eat animal fat… guess there was a reason for this… fat contains many, many stored toxins and if you eat fat along with the toxins, where do they go? Right into your body and as such, it is just not healthy, I’m talking about that rind on meat, chicken skin etc.

I know you love your biltong and meats, but try to select leaner meats – like game which naturally has less fat than beef for example. Think in terms of what those animals are being fed?

Yes, avoiding white flour and sugar is important… so is eating veggies, drinking water, eating proteins etc… - it’s all about balance and remember that old saying that goes: :thinking: you are what you eat…

[Shasha]

{cheerleader} Shawn: how are you doing???

[SPDeRosa]

Hi everyone! Thanks Shasha for checking in to see how I'm doing. Today marks one full week of being in "maintenance mode". I finished refeeding at 152.4 and this morning I weighed in at 155.7. So that's about 3 lbs since finishing refeed.

I'll be honest in that I've taken some liberties this week because I felt I was a little under weight. Yesterday I had some "extras" at work between meals ... and I didn't drink nearly enough water the past two days. I even went out for Chinese food and had way too much fried rice and a margarita Sunday night. So other than the splurge this weekend I've been sticking mostly to plan foods but just not weighing them.

My goal this week, now that school is back in session, is to start going to the gym so that I can work on getting all tight and toned. :weights2: We'll see how that goes ....

Ok, off to move my car and hopefully find some parking --- city life. {sigh}

Have a great day everyone!
Shawn

[lfingers11]

Shasha,
thank you for the great post. Unrefined whole wheat flour, we can do that here. To be honest I just really did not know what I was looking for.
Also, I will be trying to switch over to stevia with alot of my sweet baking after refeed:) I really do enjoy the taste (found one with NO aftertaste) and I think no calories and 1 carb. I purchased a couple of stevia cookbooks and the amount of stevia you use vs sugar is so much less. I will get on ebay tonight and try to order some low GI baking cookbooks. Anything is worth a try.
Regarding stevia, I am occassionally having a zevia (maybe 1 a week). I see that we are allowed certain gums while on the plan. I saw that there is gum made with stevia. Is this allowed and what should I avoid. Might be a nice treat everyone and a whie. I LOVED my pepsi and I thought that I totally would go crazy drinking the stevia. Nope! I actually don't go crazy about pop anymore.
I know that the majority of foods on the market are so bad for us. I try to buy organic whenever possible and have been going to the farm market this summer with the boys which is just so much fun. We did not make it Friday due to the flu which is a bummer. What hubby picked up from the market does not compare. Anyhow, I think the hardest thing is to not go back after refeed and do the things that are easy. Preparing my meals takes time and I need to realize I am worth the time it takes to prepare these meals instead of just opening a bag of chips.
Thanks for the post again.
Pam

[Shasha]

{hi} there Shawn

PLEEEEEEEZE up that water… your body needs water to cope, not just with losing weight, but for normal healthy body function… JUST DO IT! Even if you down 4 x 500 mls per day :party7: stay in a healthy water drinking pattern.

Try to find a goal weight that you are happy with and then aim to keep to that and not to go more than two pounds over your goal… {noway}

:cop: As you start to exercise, especially if you use resistance like weights, you will probably notice some weight gain due to muscles but please be sure not to misjudge your weight gain. It is way to easy to exercise, tell your body that you can now eat more and then end up gaining fat…

[Shasha]

{hi} there Pam

Please tell us which brand of Stevia did you find that has no after taste? I am sure that many of our Diet Buddies would like to know…

You may use sugar free gum that is mint flavored but you may not use fruit flavored gum so I would assume that the same is true of the stevia gum. (I personally have not seen it yet.)

It’s just a thing of developing healthy habits… try encouraging your family to have raw veggie sticks as healthy snack alternatives. Children also love fruit and dip ie: yogurt… just the novelty of cutting it up and setting it out all pretty…

Basic guideline would be all things in moderation, but the more natural, the better!! I believe it’s what you do most of the time that counts…

[Lauren]

Yeah, I can't stand the taste of the Stevia I have. What kind is good?!

[Rachinnj]

Lauren
I use to different kind. They both are not bad.
Sweet Leaf and NOW Stevia Extract. The Now is my favorite.

Rachel

[lfingers11]

Regarding Stevia ~ I use the NOW stevia extract in the orange box that says "no aftertaste" highlighted in purple and white on the front. I only use 1/4-1/2 occassionally. I really like it on my cantaloupe or kiwi and the less I use the better. I think we are so use to putting so much sugar on our cereal/fruit/ect. that we think we need the same amount. Remember it is 200-300 times stronger than sugar. I really dislike the taste of the powder in drinks though. Yuck!! I did get a liquid form that I will be trying soon. I will let you know on that.
Regarding Zevia ~ I do not like the cola at all. The lemon twist is pretty good. There is a small aftertaste with the lemon twist but I put it in a glass with ice and use a straw and it is sooo much better!! I also use it (1/8 can) after I have browned my chicken and let it simmer. This is so great especially if you have green peppers. I figured that out last week before I got sick.
The stevia gum I saw on the internet so I will see if there is a mint flavor. Hope this helps and I will chat with you later.
Pam

[pumbza]

Hi DIET BUDDIES and Shasha!
Hi there Shasha thanks for the answer's they are GREAT especially the one about GOD not wanting us to eat fat I missed that completely could YOU drop me a LINE and HELP me up with the verses etc please?It all makes sense I must say but YOU are talking to a PERSON who has lived on FAT most of his life all I am trying to do is SLOWLY SLOWLY ween myself of FAT and I don't want to unrealistic and DEPRIVE myself altogether so I wan't to limit it until I am off it altogether I know that is the healthy OPTION!!!I mean take for example a LOT of the DIET buddies are eating stevia to cater for soda and drinks etc I am quite happy to drink water I have no stevia or other artifical sweeteners etc because this does not bother me BUT I have a problem with FAT and Butter because that's what I grew UP with!!!The question I wanted to ask is with THE GI DIET (which I am super keen on for after DR COHEN DIET!) does that limit the affect of EATING carbo's so one can spread eating carbo's over TWO meals or does it mean one can have more carbo's at one meal a DAY because its balanced out!I think what I am trying to ask is what will the GI DIET do for us ???Thanks for YOUR help and WHERE OH WHERE IS SHAWN I came to read his Message after a absense and LOW and BEhold no juicy Message come on SHAWN YOU can't retire YET!!!Have a GREAT STEVIA FREE DAY!!!:innocent3:

[Mei Mei]

Pumbza,
Exodus is one book that talks about what to eat and not to eat. Mostly fat and blood Yuck!
Mary

[SPDeRosa]

Hi Pumbza and everyone...

Nothing too exciting going on over here. Let's see, yesterday I went shopping (again) for "dress up" clothes -- a suit or two -- but the weirdest thing happened. I couldn't find clothes SMALL enough! I finally found a Calvin Klein jacket in a 38 SLIM that looked good, but they didn't have any pants in the right size and inseam. It's amazing since I've never had problems finding suits before -- always a 42 Regular. So needless to say, I went to school today in my fancy jeans and dress shirt that I purchased on that AMAZING shopping spree!

About school: People were amazed at the weight loss. One of the other professors who I said hello to in passing came by to my office to apologize for not chatting a bit more in the hallway but that he didn't realize it was me until after I had already walked on by! One former student walked by the office door, saw me at my desk and then walked back with her mouth wide open and said "Oh my God. You FINALLY hit the gym?!" Needless to say the day was full of "You look greats" and "How did you do that?"

On the down side of things, I'm up 1.5 lbs over my goal weight of 155. I haven't been too good about following the after-diet rules, and I understand this will add the weight back on, but I'm trying to experiment a bit too see how my body reacts. What I've learned so far is that OLD HABITS DON'T DISAPPEAR - THEY QUICKLY RESURFACE! Whereas I was happy with apples and oranges for snacks during the program, now that I've lost so much weight I want to experiment with other snacks and although I try to buy the whole grain "healthy" ones, they're still not the same as just eating an apple. I also had hoped to start back at the gym this week, but now that it's Wednesday 1/2 the week is over and I haven't even gone once. I hate working out, but I think I need to start ... so tonight I'm going to go for a long brisk walk and use that as motivation to ease into the gym.

We'll see what my weigh in tomorrow morning is --- if I'm up again I might have to go no carb for a few days as I don't want to gain fat - only muscle (of course that requires going to the gym).

Best,
Shawn

[Mei Mei]

Shawn,
Glad to see that you are still your same self, calculating every move so thoughtfully!

If I may recommend a book for you to take to the gym; it is what I will be using to gain muscle mass back after not having lifted for 5 weeks! It is called Weight Taining Workouts that Work, by James Orvis. It is small and paperback so can easily work in your gym bag. It is wonderful for starting a program. He gives you specific exercises to do, how many reps, the weight limits/suggestions. He also shows pictures so that if you aren't familiar you can see what the exercise does. I have done a lot of wieght training, and I love it, and this book really helped me. In fact, I just remembered it today and decided to have it in hand when I go to the gym on Friday. (Now you hold me accountable for Friday workout!) I bought it on-line, but they may have it in book stores. When you finish that one--I recommend using it for two years--he has a second one that is even harder. You will be a lean, mean , fighting machine! Lifting weights shows results so quickly--especially the large muscle groups. Anyway, probably more info than you wanted :)

What are you studying in school? Are you teaching also? Just curious. Congrats on all the compliments. That's motivation to keep it off, isn't it?:)
Mary

[lfingers11]

Shawn,
What do you teach? I use to teach junior high choir before I stayed home with the boys. I am really starting to miss it but my boys are so much more important right now.
Pam

[SPDeRosa]

Good morning!

Bronwyn, I'm happy to report that I'm sticking with black coffee. I'm sure I could quickly get back into cream, but like you and Shasha have pointed out, why bother with the extra fat?

Mary Thanks for the book idea - I'll check it out. I used to have a trainer so I have a good idea of what I should do - I just have to do it. :) But having a good resource book would be helpful.

Pam I teach at a college here in Massachusetts. My courses vary by semester as I'm adjunct faculty now, but this semester I'm teaching "Legal Issues in Sport" and two "First Responder" (Advanced First Aid) classes -- which is a treat for me seeing as first aid classes don't really require much prep time seeing I've been teaching first aid and CPR courses for the Red Cross for the past 20 years. My general course load is in the Recreation Management / Leisure Services track -- prepping future managers in the leisure and commercial recreation industries.

So my weigh in today was ok -- I'm down 0.6 lbs so I'm back to 155.9. (Still over my refeed starting weight, but again seeing as I'm not following the rules too closely being up a bit - or almost a pound - is expected). What I am trying to do is eat mostly original plan diet foods with the occasional strawberry/banana sorbet added in. I've had some snacky foods, almonds, and chocolate at "bad" times -- basically snacks not as desserts after a carb meal. But I've been drinking water and Crystal Light Iced Tea (which I hope counts as water).

I will say it's SO EASY to be tempted back into old ways such as snacking between meals particularly on stuff that shouldn't be in the house to begin with! So I have to work on not buying stuff that I shouldn't really be eating. Peanut butter will be off the shopping list, as that quickly becomes a snack.

Ok, that's it for now - have a great day!

[Bronwyn]

Hi Shawn,

It is so easy to want to splurge when you are done with this diet. You have done an excellent job of reining yourself back in and getting back on track. As long as you can do that you'll be fine.

I'm SO HAPPY for you for all the compliments you got going back to work. I'll bet that was an amazing, uplifting experience. I love the story about the professor who walked right by you because he didn't recognize you. Amazing!!! The attention your are getting is so well deserved and you'll be getting much, much more in the days ahead. Enjoy!!

[pumbza]

I know how YOU feel with the PEOPLE at WORK I have kept below the RADAR for nearly 3 MONTHS I ventured OUT today to do some work which I HAD to DO and I spent the DAY EXPLAINING to everyone I saw how I have lost weight and ON what DIET I am on and they JUST can't BELIEVE it I eventually GOT quite TIRED of explaining the same thing over and over I am going to have to make a Little pamphlet explaining the DIET and where to sign UP and dishing it out to all INTERESTED people!I mean people who have known me for 30 YEARS or LESS just can't believe the NEW ME its QUITE incredible at the REACTION!!But there is a NEGATIVE side PEOPLE are asking HOW long before I PICKUP all the weight I have LOST so QUICKLY thats JUST WAR TALK they are really MOTIVATING me to KEEP my weight down with all the NEGATIVE TALK!!!Ha Ha!!!OOPS I better STOP this THREAD is about SHAWN's REFEED EXPERIENCE sorry I am USURPING it!!!Ha Ha!!!:innocent4:Its amazing SHAWN how the OLD habits JUST come back I thought once we felt GOOD with ourselves IT would not be easy to go back to the OLD ways but it seems with YOURS and other DIET BUDDIES experiences it is so EASY to slip back into the OLD WAYS!!!!BUT I have to ASK don't YOU feel bad PHYSICALLY when YOU stray of the HEALTHY food onto the NOT so GOOD FOOD!!!GREAT work Shawn enjoy the Admiration from YOUR colleauges and HAVE a GOOD DAY!!!:innocent3:

[Lauren]

Hey Pumbza!

I love it how people are noticing your change so much! I know what you mean about getting tired of talking about it. That happened to me last time I did the diet because everyone knew I was doing it. I don't get that as much now because I carried the weight well. The only people who have said anything about it to me this time are the few people who know I'm on the diet. It's kind of sad for me, but I don't mind it at the same time. I get a lot of "did you get your hair cut?" :) NO! hahaaha. They know something is different, so that's good. I also know about those negative people who are expecting you to put the weight right back on. That's a good indication of how "positive" that person is to be around. Only negative people will see a person's success and immediately expect them to fail anyway. How awful! Definitely use that to motivate you to keep the weight off. Let's show 'em we can do it! :)

[SPDeRosa]

Lauren, I couldn't agree more. People come to expect failure - to see us put the weight back on. I think part of that is because in many instance we've done just that in the past or perhaps they have done that as well. The difference I think on this program is (and I know I've said this a lot) it's combines the mental aspect along with behavior-changing strategies. Combined with the support of all you people out there in diet-land, we develop the support system and habits we need to change our eating behaviors.

Any interesting research project was conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that talks about how habits are formed or broken in the brain. If you don't mind reading the "news" storyline (as opposed to the research itself), Google "Work probes why habits are hard to make, break " and you'll find an article from September 1999 about Professor Graybiel's research. It's pretty interesting.

To answer your question Pumbza, I haven't really been eating junk food, but rather not following the rules strictly. So, I've had trail mix (peanuts, raisins, etc) as a snack even though the rules say to have nuts only as a dessert after your carb meal. I did buy some "healthy" munchie snacks -- whole grain crisps. Although on Labor Day I did have the ice cream sandwiches and the Fig Newtons, and a Nutrigrain bar. I did eat way too much rice one night and I felt stuffed, but I haven't yet felt sick at all. :) I've also pretty much stayed hovering at 155 lbs give or take a pound or 1.5 lbs.

For me the clear answer will be not to keep anything tempting in the house because when it's not there I don't miss it at all. If it's there, I'll go for it simply because I can. On the diet, I wouldn't want to risk jeopardizing my weight loss by deviating, but now that the weight is gone, I seem to be willing to take more risks given the fall-back plan of going back on program to rapidly bring my weight back down. I still want to make healther choices, so once I eat the "bad" foods (granola trail mix) I just won't buy it again.

In other news, I carpool with another professor who teaches in the same department and today she said to me "So, do you want to know how many people have come up to me and asked 'Is Shawn ok?' or 'I know it's none of my business, but is Shawn sick?'." Come to find out, 5 people were curious about the rapid weight loss as when they saw me in May (4 months ago) I was about 65 lbs heavier! So now I wonder whether it's just the weight loss or if I LOOK sick. I'm hoping it's just the rapid weight loss, but who knows. I'll have to add in a few new pics for you guys to see... I'll put them in the Pictures thread.

- Shawn

[pumbza]

Hi there Shawn and LAUREN how are things GOING??Lauren you nailed it on the head they don't notice YOUR weight because YOU carry it so well YOU and BRONWYN must be the HOTTEST sisters around and definitely the BEST support sisters!!!Ha Ha!Yeah SHAWN I went through the BORDER between South Africa and Botswana and we had three border PEOPLE (Botswana has a TOTAL of 1,4 Million people in the whole country the size of FRANCE!!) so the ONE looked at me and eventually she said "Are You SICK" because of the AIDS epedemic in BOTSWANA (1 in 3 people are infected very very sad indeed!!) I said "NO" I am on "DIET" and then it started EXPLAIN AND EXPLAIN something we will have to get use to (NICE THOUGH!!!)!!Ha Ha!!Shawn I will read that web site as soon as I am finished here it sounds very interesting thanks for that!!!Thanks for the INFO on the SNACKS I will keep that in MIND especially not to have those items in the HOUSE!!!HAve a GREAT DAY!!:innocent3:

[Lauren]

Hey Shawn!

I think you look GREAT! I also think people aren't used to seeing dieters actually reach their goal, so their first instinct is "Something must be wrong!" How funny! You look healthy and attractive, so don't worry about what people say or think--they'll get used to the new you in no time! :)

[pumbza]

Hi there SHAWN and LAUREN how are YOU both KEEPING I have JUST worked out after having to redo my GOAL WEIGHT that at the END of MY DR COHEN DIET when I get to refeed I would have lost ONE SHAWN bar about 23lbs OR lost a WHOLE LAUREN in WEIGHT bar 3 lbs!!!Ha Ha!:innocent4:Sorry just amusing myself imagine LAUREN TAKE YOURSELF at YOUR GOAL WEIGHT and I have to LOSE MORE than what YOU weigh can YOU believe it all of that is SHEER LARD or FAT!!!!Ok SHAWN question time Shasha has mention GI of FOOD I went and read it UP and learned some interesting things and the whole IDEA of DR COHEN after REFEED is to keep INSULIN level in check else PROBLEMS pop up and to do this they say we should eat carbs ONCE a DAY!!!But on reading I noticed that pasta has a LOW GI level that means it does not cause a SPIKE in your INSULIN LEVEL so why can't YOU eat ordinary pasta that must be JUST down YOUR street (I know YOU have been GOOD and eat whole wheat PASTA I think!!) and YOUR INSULIN LEVELS will not spike YOU just have to watch QUANTITIES!!!Have a GREAT DAY!!:innocent3:

[SPDeRosa]

Pumbza, you always make me laugh! I think it's great that you'll be losing so much weight but more importantly EXTENDING YOUR YEARS with your loved ones!

I haven't read up on a low glucose-index diet, so I'm not really sure how things add up, but I do think you're correct in that even "white" pasta has a lower GI value than bread or potatoes. From what I recall reading, the higher the GI value the "worse" the carbohydrate is for you. Whole grain pasta I think has a lower GI value than regular pasta, but it does taste a little different. I'm going to have to read up on flavor combinations so that I can enjoy the whole grain pasta.

I'd have to check to see how many carbs were in lets say a serving of pasta as compared to a baked potato or a slice of bread. Portion control will be key. It may very well be that my "portion" that I normally eat would be the equivalent of 3 or 4 servings. I guess more research is needed. For now I just start thinking of pasta as a side and not as the main dish. I'm using an appropriately sized piece of meat (about 1/4 of a dish), pasta (1/4 of a dish), and veggies (the remaining half of the plate). It seems to be working as I've now come back down to my goal weight if not a little lower. I'm also not having pasta every day, nor am I having any bread.

[pumbza]

Hi there Shawn my MATE the reason why I mentioned the GI diet is that SHASHA mentioned it and basically whole GRAINED pasta is negligable on the GI measure so if YOU eat it with a PROTEIN it reduce's GI even further!yes You are right You have Low Meduim and High GI and Protien has NO GI (but danger is FAT of course!) and helps to reduce ITEMS with higher GI so by mixing certain foods GI's can be brought down and that means YOU can control YOUR INSULIN levels and THATS what MAINTENANCE after DOCTOR COHEN TRIES to do as WELL!!!What I understand and correct me HERE stable INSULIN level leads to No CRAVING etc and I have read some articles that say a HIGH INSULIN LEVEL is a cause of MOST DISEASES BUT of course one has to eat a balanced diet of protein vegtables Fruit and Carbo's and the right PORTION size's to have a OVERALL healthy DIET!!!What I can gather from DR COHEN after refeed ie:- Maintenance DIET is they are balancing YOUR DIET and LIMITING YOUR carbo's to once a DAY!!!The portion control YOU are USING on YOUR plate is exactlty what a GI DIET uses 1/4 protein 1/4 carbo and Half Vegtables and salads (this part and the Protien brings the carbo GI down to stabilise insulin LEVEL!) They say YOU could eat LOW GI BREAD for BREAKFAST which won't effect YOUR insulin level as well and PASTA for other meals with a protien and vegtables which does not affect YOUR blood INSULIN LEVEL!!The fruits they recomend is acid fruit like oranges etc because the acid brings GI down as WELL OH YES before I forget they recommend eating CARBO at Supper as it helps with well being and a GOOD NIGHTS REST!!I now await the BOMB from ABOVE YES I am WAITING for MINI ME (OH GREAT ONE!!) SHASHA to blast me to KINGDOM COME about the above and all I have to say is I am having a ENQUIRING MIND!!!Ha Ha!!:innocent4:NICE work keeping YOUR weight down HAVE a GREAT DAY!!!:innocent3:

[lfingers11]

I ordered a GI book about 4 days off of ebay. I think I might have spent $10 total on it. I will let you know some facts after I read it but maybe it is time to run to the bookstore.
Also, I have ordered a couple of books about cooking/baking with stevia. I can't wait to try two different recepies. One is for chocolate chip cookies. Everything looks the same except you use 1/2 TEASPOON of sugar. I was totally floored and thought about how many calories I would be saving. Remember that stevia is about 300 more powerful than sugar.
Also there is an awesome chocolate cake with only 1/2 cup of flour. I can't remember what goes in it but it looks yummy and anything is worth trying once.
i will post recipes when I get a chance. I leave for work in about 20 minutes.
pam

[SPDeRosa]

Hi Pumbza and Pam -

I think I might have to read up on the GI diet. Seems that there might be some logic too it, provided we can eat enough from the food groups to have a well-balanced diet. If we do that, then like Pumbza's saying, it comes down to portion control.

Pam, the cooking with Stevia sounds really interesting. I think I read something somewhere online about the negative aspects of Stevia - something about it not being FDA approved but yet its been in use in other countries for hundreds of years. I'll have to research that as well. Thanks for the tips!

Shawn

[pumbza]

Hi All I have been doing some reading over the weekend:-
Did You know it takes about 3500 cals to burn a Half Kilo of FAT!!!
When I started I was 158kg/348lbs and I was Consuming roughly 4500 Cals to maintain that weight!
And as the other diet Buddies said we are only consuming approximately 800 cals with our daily meals I was burning half a KILO of fat a DAY no wonder!!!Ha Ha!!!Obviosly I am only requiring 2800 cals now to maintain the weight I am on NOW and I am supplying about 800 cals so I am still BURNING about 2000 cals but it does PUT it into perspective doesn't it JUST!!!Yes I know after the first week or so OUR CLEVER BIG BODY finds a way to process energy more efficiently and it goes into FAMINE mode and it slows the process down but at 800 cals to 2800 cals there's no competition!!They say YOUR BODY is like a GOOD accountant for every debit there is a credit and Visa Versa so if you put in more than YOU use end result FAT if YOU put in less than YOU use then FAT LOSS!!!

Here's an all-purpose formula to get a ballpark figure for your calorie needs:-

Women:Weight in Kilos x 2 x 11 = Tot + [20%Tot(sedentary) Or 30%Tot(Somewhat Active) Or 40%Tot(Moderately Active) Or 50%Tot(Very Active)]
Men:Weight in Kilos x 2 x 12 = Tot + [20%Tot(sedentary) Or 30%Tot(Somewhat Active) Or 40%Tot(Moderately Active) Or 50%Tot(Very Active)]

For Example :- SHAWN weighs 155lbs/2.2 = 70Kgs(approximately)
If SHAWN were a Women HIS Cals Would BE =70x2x11=1540 + 308 (20%Tot for Sedentary) = 1848 Cals a DAY to stay at that weight!
He is a Man HIS Cals WOULD BE =70x2x12=1680 + 336 (20%Tot for Sedentary) = 2016 Cals a DAY to stay at that weight!

Sorry SHAWN for USING YOU as a EXAMPLE!!!

By the BY does KNOW of a WEB driven Calorie counter thats easily accessible and USEABLE??

DOES this make sense sorry if its BORING but the way the BODY functions now days REALLY interest's me BIG TIME now days!!!:innocent4:Have a CALORIE BUSTING DAY!!!:innocent3:

[lfingers11]

Shawn,
Shasha recommended the GI book so that is why I ordered it. I am focusing on what I am doing now but I am trying to also make a lifestyle change so I need to start thinking of it now.
About stevia and what I have read. Stevia is an herb and can only be sold as a supplement right now. No one can make money off the herb and if the FDA ever approves it any maker of food can use it. Slenda, sweet and low, ect are man made sweeters and the creators get money everytime someone wants to mass produce with their sweetner. From what I have read they don't want this to happen. I talked with someone in great length at a health food store and she gave me so much info. There are studies showing that MASS amounts of stevia in lab mice can cause cancer. Now I really don't think you are going to eat and drink stevia all day!! LOL!!:party1: People in other countries use it once to twice a day and they are not having mass amounts of people with cancer. I believe that as long as you are using a small amount once to twice a day there is no issue. Also, Coke is in the works of making a cola with stevia in it. If it is approved soon by the FDA I believe they will just sell it in stores like whole foods. Well, I hope this helped.
Pam

[SPDeRosa]

Pam, thanks for the Stevia info. It's amazing how many decisions are made because of money! Supposedly all the artificial sweeteners (including) Splenda caused cancer in lab rats. But now I guess they've removed that warning as the quantities like you point out were not proportionate to the quantities we would use. Let me know what you think of the GI book - maybe I"ll order it as well.

Pumbza, use me as an example anytime ... well, unless it's for something like putting all my weight back on! I NEVER want that to happen! :) I'm not at all focusing on calorie counting - too much math for me PLUS then I'd have to figure out how many calories in veggies, meats, etc. TOO MUCH WORK! I really like the 1/4 protein 1/4 carb 1/2 veggie idea - it seems to be working as today I weighed in at 153.6 lbs AFTER eating breakfast.

Shopping Update: So I went shopping yesterday at Macy's, spent about $480 (after sales and discounts) and got two nice Calvin Klein suits, both on sale of course. (Original price I believe was $525 each, so I saved about $400). I had them altered, so they won't be ready for two weeks --- hopefully I won't need a suit before then! I fell in love with this BEAUTIFULLY fitted Hugo Boss suit which fit so well (jacket) that it wouldn't need any alterations .. but at $895 I just couldn't afford it. So now I'm going to watch the Outlet stores to see if it shows up -- we have one closeby that has a Hugo Boss outlet -- so who knows! Keep your fingers crossed - it was a beautifully tailored suit that fit so nicely. I just can't see spending $900 on a suit right now - that's a lot of money!

I also went food shopping and bought only foods on the diet shopping list - no "extras". I thought that was a success as I really had to debate getting some "snack food".... but I think I just need to STOP SNACKING and just have a fruit! I think it's a mental obstacle - and "snacking" just puts unnecessary calories and sometimes fat into our bodies. I don't really need to "snack" - I just think I would like to munch on something. So the mental challenges seem to continue as I work to keep from falling back into bad "pre-diet" habits.

Have a great day everyone! ~Shawn

[pumbza]

Ha Ha Shawn YOU missed the POINT my friend I was making the POINT about how we lose so much weight when we start and How it slows down as OUR calorie requirements go down!!I to don't want to weigh everything and YES I agree with YOUR 1/4 1/4 and 1/2 a PLATE system following the GI system its much easier altogether!!!I wan't the WEB site info to just get more INFO on calories not to weigh everything!!!Ha Ha!!!:innocent4:I bet YOU look GREAT in YOUR calvin kline suite when YOU get it and enjoy it YOU desereve IT!!!GREAT to hear YOU are keeping to YOUR weight enjoy the DAY!!!:innocent3:

[Shasha]

{hi} there Rachel and Pam

Thanks for the info on Stevia…

Pam: Please do not use flavored Stevia ie: mint. You should also not use lemon or vanilla flavored sweeteners either…

It’s great to hear about your new book – remember you are going to use this to find healthier recipe’s – BUT after the diet you still need to implement Dr Cohen’s maintenance guidelines.

So, make the healthier choc chip cookies and then have them as a treat after your starch meal. Do not eat them as a snack between. Flour still triggers lots of insulin… we've had that discussion recently... your new book may compliment (in terms of healthy food ideas) but it should NOT replace or change any of Dr Cohen’s rules...

Happy Slimming! {cheerleader}

[Shasha]

{hi} there Pumbza

Will have to look up about the fat thing and let you know but I think Mary was right…

Low GI is not the same as Dr Cohen’s program.

Low GI means having foods which enter the blood stream slower but as often as you want. Thought this may help to lower insulin, I don’t think it will help your body to produce more growth hormone – this is the fat burning hormone and, it is not friends with insulin. To limit insulin and keep growth hormone (which helps to firm, tone and is necessary to build muscles) you need to limit that starch (including pasta which you can have) right down to once a day. The more over weight you were, the more careful you are going to need to be...

I’d recommend you stick with Cohen’s rules cos they are both simple and they work – providing of course that you work them! Limit starch to once a day – this keeps your hormones balanced.

Please do NOT worry about those green eyed jealous monsters who ask you how long you will be keeping your weight down… I could just {slapfight} them! Of course you are going to show them and their negativity a thing or two! {pan} people just can believe there is a diet that actually works – most people have tried everything and failed so, when they are confronted with success they don’t quiet know how to handle it, but, thankfully we know and appreciate your hard work!!!

Now for the BOMB – many people actually try following low GI diets to lose weight and …. DO NOT. Doctor Cohen’s program works… you’ve seen it first hand… because he is not just working low GI, but also higher growth hormone which burns fat… Dr Cohen says not to have bread for breakfast… so not only is he limiting GI but also HOW OFTEN your body triggers too much insulin… I guess the question is: Is your body storing fat all day long or only once a day… and the results will then follow depending on how often you activate that fat fact*ory.

LOL - Sorry, I had the same idea as Shawn… I JUMPED off the bus with all your calculations… ended up with a headache and starving… went back to normal eating… and Dr Cohen’s tips of course… just couldn’t figure out why anyone would want to complicate matters counting calories… glad to hear that you were trying to figure about calories in terms of losing weight…

Just remember: different foods react differently in your body…. Xyz calories of proteins and veggies with contribute to weight loss but those same amount of Xyz calories if you only ate chocolate will leave you starved for vitamins, proteins etc. Chocolate will cause your body to store fat where as the good food will not… Hope this makes sense to my curious Diet Buddy…

[Shasha]

{hi} there Shawn

Too much blood sugar too often = too much insulin storing the blood sugar = weight gain… please stay away from wheat snacks between meals. Why re-invent the wheel? Dr Cohen’s plans for Life after diet work all you need to do is follow them to maintain your slim healthy figure that all your colleagues are raving about… Those SUPER compliments are just the thing you need to motivate you to stay slim and healthy! {wave} Besides of course all your new clothes goodies… how you always manage to find a bargain is simply just GREAT!

Crystal light ice tea does not count as water…. {noway}

Remember that some “healthy” snacks can be way too high in sugar and starch – such as nuts and raisins… and trail mixes... limit these especially for after / with your starch meal... or maybe a hiking trail...

Remember, most people out there don’t know about your secret weapon and how on earth you managed to lose so much weight – hence again the negativity that Lauren was mentioning earlier… people simply do not know there is a diet out there that can work wonders nor do they know how HARD you have worked to follow your eating plan properly… so they just assume something is wrong…

A little ignorance on their behalf... BUT YOU KNOW BETTER!!! {cheerleader} Would still love to see those photo's!

[Mei Mei]

Shawn,
I really enjoyed the most recent pics you posted. I'm glad to hear about your latest shopping trip also. I agree, tuck your shirts in and enjoy your new body :)
My husband is going to try this diet starting Oct. but at first didn't want to becasue none of his suits would fit. I figure we can alter them. :) But I know where you are coming from about expensive shirts!

How is everything going? Do you miss beer? Or are you subbing it for bread? I just got my guide so I have some more reading to learn what to do next for refeed. Take care, and thanks for keeping us posted.
Mary

[pumbza]

Yeah SHASHA what a GREAT POST AS USUAL we missed YOU where were YOU ok from now ON YOU will have to make HUBBY and co last on the list and LET DIET BUDDIES COME FIRST on YOUR list of PRIORITIES so we can see MORE OF YOU in so far as MESSAGES not in SIZE is concerned!!!Ha Ha!!:innocent4:Just Kidding I know we live in the real world but we can DREAM on!!!Ha Ha!Yeah SHASHA I clean forgot about the HGH altogether HOW could I do that so YOU shot a HOLE in MY BOAT off to the DRAWING BoaRD again MUST start from scratch again Ha Ha!!!SHASHA a question when one reaches refeed and we are up to OUR full calories etc and we are eating what we need to not to lose weight when we GO do gymm or walk around the GOLF COURSE for 4 HOURS we could burn up 1000 CAL how would we accomodate this HUGE calorie usage by starches or more protein and VEGTABLES??In other words (or in ENGLISH!!) if we were to start losing weight because we are becoming active which would KICK starts our motabolism how would we combat this I KNOW I KNOW it would be such a NICE scenario WOULD it NOT BE!!!Mary congratulations on REFEED and getting YOUR husband to JOIN he must be seeing what he is MISSING and he want's to be THIN and GORGEOUS like YOU ATTA GIRL WELL DONE!!!OH SHASHA by the BYE I am a COHENITE through and THROUGH the reason why I am LOOKING around I know what MY ORIGINAL eating habits where when I was a PORK CHOP and I wan't to be realistic and cover all the FOOD GROUPS and I don't wan't to as I have said before PUT myself in a POSITION where there is no flexability or things are cast IN STONE if I do start eating healthier because I feel BETTER SO BE IT I will be so HAPPY but I am trying to come UP with PLAN B and PLAN C just in case!!!So I looked at GI Maintenance as well because it has all those CARBO's and YOU so so so CORRECTLY have informed me that I slipped UP because I may get the SUGAR LEVEL constant but I clean FORGOT about or FREIND MRS HGH (Human Growth Hormone) so I will have to try work with DR COHENS maintenance and stick to his RULES and if I am MORE ACTIVE maybe I will be able to have those odd Occasional CHEATS with out BLOWING UP LIKE A BIG BALLOON but SHASHA YOU WILL BE THERE TO REDIRECT US ANYWAY!!!Lastly but not leastly I wan't to GIVE UP SUGAR TOTALLY which would be the MOST healthiest SUGAR substitute thats safe from cancer and healthy etc to USE???Have a SMASHING DAY!!!:innocent3:

[PosterGal]

Shawn - Glad to hear it's going so well - and thanks for sharing with the rest of us. Gives us encouragement and something to look forward to!!

Enjoy the new clothes!

[SPDeRosa]

Thanks again everyone. Shasha's so right - I don't NEED the nuts, the trail mix or the veggie crisp snacks. Right now what I'm trying to deal with is the mental part - not allowing myself to snack other than on fruit. If it's in the house, I'll devour it - so it just can't be in the house.

I have been trying to stick to the one carb meal but I've totally messed up the rules about nuts, etc. Fortunately I'm staying in my weight range, but I don't want to regain so I'm going to have to be more vigilant about what I eat.

Shasha -- do you know what's bad about the crystal light iced tea? What's confusing is I can make iced tea on my own and it would be fine -- but if I use crystal light, it's not ok. I guess that's just confusing -- perhaps it's the chemicals? I'm going to compare the ingredients to Sprite Zero. I guess I just don't get why it won't count. I drink more water this way than without it...although water with lemon helps, it's just not the same.

Thanks!
Shawn

[lfingers11]

Shawn,
I think Shasha just wants you to drink the water ontop of the crystal light!! I know drinking this much water is hard but when you start working out I will probably not be a problem.
I can't wait to see your pics in your suits!! I can't wait till I get to buy my tiny clothes!!
Pam

[pumbza]

Hi Shawn whats UP anything happening don't forget about US we wan't to here from YOU otherwise KEEP up the GOOD WORK!!!Ha Ha!!:innocent4:Hi PAM you are right on which ever DIET you are on they say no matter what YOU drink if its flavoured it does not count to YOUR PURE WATER count thats water from tap etc there must be a reason I must admit I have questioned like SHAWN at times because to me LIQUID is LIQUID BUT apparently BODY handles it differently maybe more work in converting to ENERGY on non water ITEMS!!!Have a GOOD DAY!!!:innocent3:

[SPDeRosa]

Hi Everyone,

Nothing new to report. I weighted in this morning at 153 lbs -- so still just under my goal weight. At work (the college) a lot of people who merely have seen me in passing in the hallway but who in 5 years have barely said hello are stopping by to comment on my weight loss. Everyone seems very interested in the diet -- so who knows, maybe I'll see one of their posts on these forums one day! :)

I'm trying very hard to stick to a normal eating routine and to not fill myself up with snacks between meals. I really find that I'm only in a "snack" mood when I'm home ... it must be something about being in my condo (flat) that makes me want to eat between meals. That's still a mental struggle, but not keeping snacks in the house has helped a lot. If I get the urge to snack, I now try to go for an apple and maybe cheese (low fat mozarella). I've unfortunately turned that into cheese and crackers a few time -- so I may get rid of the crackers. I'm still sticking to plan vegetables and some refeed vegetables but without weighing. I also am avoiding bread in exchange for slightly larger carb (pasta/rice) portions with my "carb" meal.

Mary, I still haven't made it to the gym. I really need to force myself to do it. I'm sure once I start back I'll be happy that I'm going ... it's just taking that first step that is for some reason hard. Why I don't know because it is something that I know I need to do.

Ok, I'm going to try to filter through some of the threads --- it's getting hard to stay on top of them all with so many threads. So I apologize if it seems as I'm "lurking" ... but I am watching everyone's progress ... including yours Pumbza! I can't believe you're already winding down 12 weeks! I think you've lost an amazing amount of weight and I'm so happy to hear that you're going for another round on the program! Keep up the good work -- and try some of the recipes online to help keep things different. I'm so fortunate I was able to stick to just three months - you gals (and Pumbza) who go for longer show such strength and determination! Keep up the great work, I'll be watching to see your progress! :)

~ Shawn

[Mei Mei]

Shawn,
So glad all is going well for you. That helps us all to know that we can do it. I'm also learning that the discipline won't stop, it CAN'T, after the diet if we are to continue to be successful.
As far as the gym goes, you are right, once you do it, you will love it. I can only play tennis once a week, and that is almost killing me: so much energy out and very little energy in. I am hungry again, resisting all temptations, but ready for a bit more food and energy. I do look forward to weight training again because I can really see a loss of muscle in my legs especially. Good thing is, muscle builds pretty quickly. Maybe we need a post diet exercise support group!

I agree that the courage, determination, strength, and will power of Pumbza, MiMi, Phyllis, Mrs. Peel, and on and on...is truly inspirational. You guys are awesome!!!
Keep it up.
Mary

[Lauren]

Hey Shawn!

Wow--you're being so careful post-diet, which is great! But remember that the recommended snack for After Diet is cheese & crackers, so I don't think you have to give up the crackers. Keep up the great work! Your pictures on that other thread are great! It's nice to see your smile! Congratulations again! :)

[pumbza]

Hi Shawn Mei Mei and Lauren how are YOU keeping first of ALL I would like to thank YOU all and the other DIET BUDDIES for KEEPING us on track if it weren't for YOU help I don't know how FAR we would have GONE and YOUR SUPPORT was nothing SHORT of WOW thanks again and again!!!!Yeah Shawn I sympathise with keeping up with the messages its something I have not YET mastered and I don't think I will in the NEAR future!!!Ha Ha!Great stuff Shawn of sticking to below YOUR GOAL weight that is REAL AWESOME and don't FRET about GYMM you will do it one day at the MOMENT YOU are enjoying FREEDOM so have some FUN let YOUR HAIR DOWN and when YOU are READY MENTALLY YOU will do IT!!!LIVE IS SHORT ENJOY THE RIDE!!!Just a QUESTION how much carbo are YOU allowing yourself so far at meal time in spoon fulls or cup fulls???Yeah all these people enquiring won't it be GREAT if YOU can get some of them for PAYING IT FORWARD that would be awesome!!!Yeah Shawn my TARGET now is to LOSE 60Kg/132lbs in 4 1/2 Months to 5 Months and then to complete REFEED in 6 Months which would be so GREAT if I can achieve that GOAL I must say an the FOOD variety is difficult since I dropped the crackers and Fruit but I will survive because FOOD is my MEDICINE!!!Ha Ha!!:innocent4:I am now off to look at YOUR pictures can't wait have a GREAT DAY!!:innocent3:

[SPDeRosa]

Hi Everyone! Just thought I'd quickly check in and let you know how I"m doing. My weigh-in this morning was 152.3 lbs (about the weight I ended refeed on) so in terms of weight gain/loss I'm doing ok.

Pumbza, I don't know what I'm doing for carbs in terms of how much I'm eating. I hate to be too honest as I don't think I'm the poster child for following the after diet rules, but I've had quite a bit of carbs and haven't been really good at limiting them to once per day. Yesterday I had rice with both lunch and dinner. If I had to guess I'd say 3/4 cup - most certainly more than my 50g from refeed. I also had cheese and a full sleeve of Ritz crackers for a snack (well two mid-day snacks actually) ... although I think the rules allow for cheese and A cracker.

I've been bad about drinking enough water even though I know how important it is. Instead, I have been drinking iced tea (Crystal Light) as it's more enjoyable. So I chuckled when Lauren said I'm being so careful because I'm really not, I'm just being more aware of what I eat.

What I am being careful with is eating three meals a day, not snacking on REALLY bad things (no brownies, cookies, chocolate), and I'm sticking to diet foods/fruits. I'm also limiting my portion sizes - so I'm having one plate of food instead of two, even if there are "leftovers". In the past I'd just go eat more. I now work hard to ask myself "Do I need that?" whereas before I'd think "There's more food ... I guess I could have some more." I think the "could" is what would get me in trouble. I'd eat just because I could, not because my body needed more food. So reminding myself that food is fuel and not comfort has helped a lot.

Mary, I visited the gym once. I'm almost embarrassed to mention that I still haven't made it a routine. I just need to do it so I don't let yet another week go by and have to report back here that I STILL haven't made it to the gym. :embarrassment:

Oh, and I also made my strawberry/banana sorbet last night and put 1/2 of it back into the freezer to see if it would solidify a bit ... and it did! (Surprise surprise). So if you happen to try a frozen fruit / sprite zero sorbet and it comes out a little too liquidy, just put it back in the freezer for a bit. Just don't wait too long or it will freeze solid. :)

Best,
Shawn

[SurferGirl]

Hi Shawn,

Wow you are doing really great. I understand that you may not feel you are being as careful as you could be, but you are monitoring everything very closely. This is a balancing act of learning what your body can handle and you can really only figure that out through trial and error. You are learning each and every day about what you can/can not eat isn't that the whole point. I think you are doing this just as you should be. Keep it! Your pictures are gorgeous! That little one is precious and you are looking really good, and yes we love the smiles. As for the gym, what do you like to do? Swim, run, bike, surf, rock climb, yoga? If I were you, I would forget the exercising because you feel you have to and start finding things you enjoy that also give you exercise. Anyways, it's great to hear from you and I'm glad you are doing so well and keep ing the weight off.

[Lauren]

Hey Shawn,

You are such an inspiration! I think it's great you aren't going back for seconds and you're asking yourself if you really need the food before you eat it. That's what I'm going to do too. I agree with Surfergirl about exercise. You have to really like what you're doing as far as exercise goes, or else it's not a habit you're going to keep. What about tennis or racquetball? Or even just taking a nice brisk walk or hike? You could always do a few bicep curls or crunches at home each day to build some muscle too. I'm addicted to exercise videos! I know it's nerdy, but I found some that are so fun! They're called The Firm (this is really for the girls, I guess). But they've got about 50 different videos and I have them all! I never get bored with them--I'm a collector and I'm obsessed. :) Anyway, I can't wait until I can start doing them again. But keep up the great work, Shawn! It's inspiring to see you keep the weight off despite having a little fun. :)

[Mei Mei]

Hey Shawn,
Good to hear from you! I'm glad to hear that your weight is staying put at your refeed level. Keep it up!
Mary

[Shasha]

{hi} there Pumbza-Lite

If you start to lose weight after dieting because you increase your exercises, you simply increase your food intake. Remember, when you exercise you will probably find that your appetite increases too.

I won’t say add more of this or that, but add more in balance ie: more proteins, veggies and starch… so that your meals remain balanced…


I wan't to GIVE UP SUGAR TOTALLY which would be the MOST healthiest SUGAR substitute thats safe from cancer and healthy etc to USE???

I believe stevia is one of you healthiest most natural sweeteners around and it will not trigger insulin so it won’t cause hunger.

Fructose is fruit sugar; this will also trigger insulin, but is less damaging than sugar…

Interesting thought: my friend had breast cancer last year and her oncologists told her to eliminate sugar from her diet completely. Apparently cancer feeds off sugar…

You will be able to have pork chops, but need to limit the fat. All things in moderation… Just remember, you’ve been on a low fat diet, if you suddenly eat a pork chop with the fat rind, you will probably end up not feeling very well and you could possibly get the runs… possibly and very likely…

If you blow up like a balloon, we will be there to take a pin and prick you so that you deflate down to prober size again… :flirt:

Plans, plans and more plans... you don't need to follow anything but Dr Cohen's advise: it is going to work! Take my word for it... you can do it too!!!

For now, I recommend only one plan for you: GET TO GOAL! {wave}

[Shasha]

Hi there Shawn

Pam is right {goodjob} AFTER the diet you can have crystal light ice tea again – but it does not replace your water. Water is water – it is not the same as your general fluid intake.

You also need to be careful because fruit flavoring in ice-tea can trigger hunger… so, monitor how you feel 20 minutes afterwards… if hungry or in the mood for food an hour later, be careful in the future…

You can have nuts – but as part of or just after your starch meal. In this case you could have starch for lunch… just change your mind in how you see your foods. It’s not a run away eating binge that you cannot control, it’s a snack that you decide before the time how much you will have. Tomorrow is another day… the snacks are not going to run away. Rather don’t over do it, but do it over again… meaning: a bit today, a bit tomorrow… not the whole packet in one day!

Today’s positive thought is just for you – remember this when you are in the Condo alone:


“When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.”
– Tuli Kupferberg {taz}

Maybe you need to indulge in something other than eating so that your mind is busy… Often we want to eat when we actually feel board… or if we feel stressed… try to pin point how you are feeling and then try to find a healthy solution…

Going to gym can be such a big thing… you need to dress, get in your car, go there… meanwhile, back at the ranch, you can do a couple of things right at home that will help… Lying on the floor with your legs on the bed and doing sit ups is great for your 6 pack! So is doing push up’s off the edge of your bed. Standing in the doorway and pushing your arms out against the door frames and keeping them there also works. So does squatting against the wall… Dog food makes for good resistance… but a bag or tin of just about anything will do… I know these sound silly… but, there is plenty you can do at home… getting a ball is also a great idea!

Alternatively… do you have a friend or buddy that you can do something with? Go to gym? Jog? Play squash… walk the dog or someone else’s dog… I agree with Lauren, you should just try to have fun. Remembering of course that exercises trigger endorphins which make you feel wonderful!

Cheese and crackers is fine – but, not tooooo many! Maybe have about 2 of your cracker size portions… not the whole box because you are watching your food bill… :flirt:

I agree with you, with all the new threads it’s hard to go through everything in a day… I find that a rather difficult too - after all, we all have only so much time in a day… and we feel like we want to be every where but sadly we can’t… but, do please keep trying… and of course letting us know how you do…

Clearly your starch amount is not too much – otherwise you would gain, but you do need to try to limit the rice etc down to once a day… otherwise you can end up triggering too much insulin too often, when this happens weight gain will follow.

I’m very proud of you for changing your thinking to: "Do I need that?" {goodjob} N
OW THAT'S WHAT I CALL SMART!!!

[Shasha]

{hi} there Mary

You are welcome to open up a :weights: AFTER RE-FEED EXERCISE thread… :weights2:

You are 100% right – after the diet, you need to live a disciplined life in order to remain slim and healthy… It’s a decision that you need to take on a daily base… choosing to be healthy does take a bit of effort, but it has wonderful rewards!! {wave}

[Shasha]

{hi} there Pumbza

Why did you drop the fruit and the crackers? Seems that you are making life difficult for yourself! Maybe allow yourself fruit and crackers as treats so that you don’t feel deprived… Fruit and crackers ARE optional not DON'T DO-able...

Remember your own words: Life is a journey, enjoy the ride… well the diet is also a journey and you need to enjoy it too!

Your fruit and crackers can help to give more variety and make your meals nice or you end up hating them...

How about giving yourself a special snack: take 1 portion of crackers and ½ a portion of kiwi fruit. Mash up the kiwi and spoon onto your crackers… Yummy delicious good for you diet cake treats. :P (If the kiwi is a bit sour, just add a bit of sweetener…) :P

[pumbza]

Hi there all and Shasha how are YOU all KEEPING!!!Shasha YOU had me rolling on the floor again how do YOU manage it every time!!!First of all I am not having any problems with out eating crackers and fruit it makes meals and meal times simple and I haven't SNACKED in three months and I think I may be weaned of snacking at the moment!!!Yeah shahsa I am enjoying the ride I eastimate I have another 2 months to go with one month for refeed and then I should be completed (I hope with crossed FINGERS!!!Ha Ha):innocent4:Ha Ha i loved this piece "You will be able to have pork chops, but need to limit the fat. All things in moderation" why did I laugh at this well my being like a PORK CHOP is comparing my self to a PORK CHOP fat etc and not meaning I wan't to eat a PORK CHOP yeah I know like MARY says YOU can't always understand what I say but it makes for some LAUGHTER !!! Ha Ha!!!Its nice to know when I get as FAT AS A PORK CHOP you will pop my BALLOON to bring me back to NORMAL!!!Ha Ha!!Nice work Shawn with keeping YOUR weight stable KEEP ON GOING YOU CAN DO IT!!!:innocent3:

[Shasha]

{hi} there Pumbza-L,-L,-L

You are NOT going to pork chop yourself!! You are going to see your Grandchildren remember…

And I am still dizzy with :party3: around, trying to actually comprehend your fantastic 99 pound weight loss in the last 12 weeks alone!!

Am tempted to ask you to go to the toilet, empty your bladder and take off all your clothes so that that 99 pounds can be a round 100 pounds… ha, ha, but, hey, what’s just one pound between friends?!

If I can add anything to all of this, it is going to be that you please have to focus very hard now… this is a very important time for you not to eat wrong. You are getting closer to goal and I don’t want the devil to come and suggest that you could maybe just once eat something wrong… from here on, it’s race to the finish line and Re-feed!

Please promise to post us some of those 50th Birthday Party celebrations… get someone to walk behind you with a camera and take photo’s of your friends and family too because they are NOT going to believe their eyes when they see you!! {wave}

[SPDeRosa]

Pumbza - I 100% agree with Shasha! You have amazing weight loss! But now is the time to stay just as focused as when we lose SO MUCH weight I think it is easier to justify "cheating". I know I wanted to cheat so much the closer I got to refeed.

We most certainly want photos - not only of you, but also of everyone around you who will be standing there, mouths hanging open, in pure shock!

No real update on my end. Still eating program foods. I went food shopping again and avoided any junk foods that were tempting me. Now that there are no snacks in the house, I find that I'm not wanting to snack. So everything is going well on my end!

~Shawn

[pumbza]

Hi there SHAWN and SHASHA how are YOU all ; Shasha you really had me laughing and ROLLING on the FLOOR again and again and I did what YOU said went to the toilet several times and did all things and as of YESTERDAY I am 101lbs JUST FOR YOU SHASHA (and for me and my KIDS of COURSE!!!) so as YOU can see I aim to please what is quite amazing is that I am still able to lose weight the closer I get to REFEED I am a bit surprised and happy about that!!Ha Ha!!:innocent4:SHAWN the photo's will be coming but they don't look as GOOD as YOURS but they will do!!Hows the weight going are YOU still on the same weight and are you eating carbs ONCE a DAY or are YOU just shooting from the hip and doing what YOU want to but with in reason!!Do YOU still feeel as GOOD as YOU did WHILE you where on DIET obviously with one exception YOU are a LITTLE FULLER!!!Have a SUPERB DAY!!:innocent3:

[SPDeRosa]

Hi Everyone,

I realized this morning that I've been off refeed for a month now -- hard to believe! I know I haven't been on the boards much over the past few weeks, but once "school" started up I find myself spending much more time preparing lessons, grading exams, and assignments -- I just don't have the same time as I did over the summer.

Anyway, post-refeed has been a little challenging. I'm still thinking about what I'm eating and I'm still trying to keep mostly to the diet foods. I still eat three meals a day, but the bad habits are SO TEMPTING! I notice that portions seem to slowly creep up and up, although I still limit myself to one dinner plate - no seconds! Snacking is my next big challenge -- for some reason I want to nibble on stuff, and fruit just isn't working for me. Apple or Oatmeal Raisin cookie??? Which would you choose? Honestly, now.

So the key is not giving into the temptation to buy that junk food -- sometimes I'm good when I go shopping and sometimes I'll give in and buy a "healthy" junk food (e.g. Sun Chips - when did these become "healthy"???? Talk about marketing success!) The problem with me giving in and buying junk food is that I can't just have 1 cookie and let them stay there all week -- I have to eat a few throughout the day and then of course that spikes my insulin levels and the whole point of the diet and hormonal balance is messed up. Fortunately all the junk food is now out of the condo (because I ATE it of course), so I'm going to be a little stronger when shopping from now on -- in fact, I'm only going to shop after I've eaten that way I don't get the same junk food temptations.

The diet has changed my approach to meals. I still try to plan things out and I'm eating things I never would have eaten before - like salmon. Yesterday I made a salmon casserole and tried to make it more healthy by changing the ingredients a bit: olive oil instead of butter, whole grain rottini instead of egg noodles. It actually came out pretty good! I also made eggplant parmesan again, and instead of frying the eggplant I baked it and I used only no-fat ricotta and low-fat mozzerlla. I'm hopefully that these little changes add up over time.

The good news, so to speak, is that weigh-in just now (after breakfast) is 158.5 lbs or only about 3.5 lbs above my goal weight. For me that's not bad ... I'm sure if I started drinking water again that would just disappear so today I'm going to force myself to actually drink water. Most of you know how much I hate drinking just water, but I have a few lemons that I'm allowed to squeeze now, so I'll make that today's goal.

Oh -- and no gym yet. (More food and no more exercise can't be a good thing)

That's it for now, hope everyone is doing well and that you're all healthy!

Shawn

[UnspeakableJoy]

Great job Shawn - congratulations on your one month anniversary of life after refeed! I can't believe it has gone by so quickly!

Do you already belong to a gym? As a former gym rat, I can't wait to reach my goal so I can go back to the gym! :weights2:

[Big Pun]

Shawn...you are an inspiration to me....now get your butt in a gym so you can maintain all you have accomplished. You will feel great. I can't wait till I lose my weight and can get back in the gym. I use to be a gym rat, but once I put on the weight I hated going because I just did not feel comfortable there and could no do half the stuff I use to.

Just like 1PD...once you get in the habit, you will have no probelm.

Pun

[pumbza]

Hi Shawn and other DIET BUDDIES how are things GOING SHAWN You are doing so well its really great BUT YOU know the ONLY weakness YOU have is DRINKING water I know YOU hate drinking water but make it a HABIT I bet if YOU drank YOUR water YOU would lose that 3.5lbs in NO TIME I BET!!!Ha Ha!:innocent4:Have YOU tried the DR COHEN 48Hr DIET YET or are YOU going to do it by DRINKING water and GOING to GYMM I am just like YOU want to go to GYMM in the MIND but amazing HOW things GET IN THE WAY all the TIME!!!Have a GREAT DAY!!!:innocent3:

[lfingers11]

Shawn,
I am glad your weight hasn't went up to much. Should you get those three pounds off before they gain little friends? Also, won't you be able to eat a little more if you are exercising. that is why I am going to start exercising so maybe I can have that extra piece of pizza or cookie after I am done. Just a thought. Have a great week.
Pam

[Lauren]

Hey Shawn!

You're doing great! The struggles you're having are so normal and just the fact that you're aware of those habits trying to creep in is great! It's when you completely ignore that fact and say, "I don't care if I gain a little back--I know I how to lose it fast now" is when you get in trouble...because you won't stop yourself before it's too late and you have to do the whole diet over again. I say keep up the good work and keep checking yourself. You know what to do and I know you can do it! :)

[Blondie4life]

Shawn~
May I suggest you find a work out buddy?! I know when I was going to the gym I made a point to find someone that would keep me accountable and also someone that would be going with me! This way, if I found myself wishy washy about going I knew the other person was going to be there and waiting for me no less! If you want to take it up a notch, find a cute girl to work out with... you can always hit the sauna after a good work out... I'm sure that will inspire you to want to go every night :)

[SPDeRosa]

Blondie - that cracked me up! The funny thing is a few years ago there was this really cute girl that I met while at work and it ended up that she was a trainer at my gym. So OF COURSE I signed up for training sessions -- and about $2000 later I was in better shape, but still heavy AND during one of my last workouts I found out she was moving away to Vermont with her boyfriend. And I will say that it was rather embarrassing to see all the women being able to do more than I could in terms of cardio or pushups or weights. And when compared to the men, I was so far behind it wasn't funny. Like, while they were lifting hundreds of pounds of weight, I'm struggling with just the bar! Hence, my aversion to the gym.

Pam - you're right. I can't let the few extras add up. I'm lucky that I can still afford the extra weight, but you're right it should be muscle not fat.

Joy - The funny part is I still pay about $72/mo to BELONG to the gym even though I haven't used it. What a waste!!! I think I'm just going to follow everyone's advice, including BP's and just get back into the routine because then I'll probably like it .. and who knows maybe I won't feel as bad now that I'm not as winded and more motivated than ever to get rid of the loose skin.

Good news -- it's 6:15 PM and I've had all my water for the day ... and I'll have some extra for dinner and probably before bed too!

Shawn

[Rachinnj]

Shawn
I am sure once you get into going to the gym you will love it. I know when I work out after the first few days I crave working out.. Isnt that crazy?
I always say I hate going to the gym I love how I feel when I am leaving the gym.
YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

Rachel

[PhyllisRis]

Shawn....get thee to a gym....or a track.....or a hiking trail! You never know who you might meet at a gym!! And this time she might not be moving away with a boyfriend!!
8-)
Phyllis

[SPDeRosa]

Hi Everyone ---

Thanks for the pic comments on the other threads. This board is getting far too "busy" to stay on top of! I've been brainstorming ideas to make it easier - such as by keeping posts diet-related and not "life-related" and using private messages more often for "conversations" rather than posting on threads.

Anyway, back to the point of today's message. I'm a snacker. I've figured it out: I like to nibble. I nibble on good food mostly - but it's just too much food for me! This past weekend I was really naughty and ate treats (chips n dip, a slice of pumpkin pie, one Reece's peanut butter cup, rice, etc) - oh, and three beers. Needless to say, this morning I was up 5 lbs (back up to 160) after having got back down to 155. As usual, I didn't drink water ... so today I've been drinking water and I tried to limit the carbs to a reasonable amount. I'm also noticing that I have not been eating fruit for snacks. I have apples, I have oranges --- they're just not as tempting as other foods. So I really need to figure out the snacking thing --- in fact, I don't think I snacked as much BEFORE 1PD as I do now!

Oh, and some good news for a change: I went to the store to buy a new case for my cell phone (seeing as I lost the one that came with phone) and when I explained what I was looking for, the ladies at the store told me that they didn't have that style for sale. After I smiled and said how much I "Really liked that case ..." the ladies (one of whom was the store manager) talked to each other and figured out that they could sell me one from a returned phone. To my surprise, when the young lady came out with the case, she handed it to me and, as other customers were around, said "Will that be all?" Needless to say I smiled and said "No thankyou, have a great day!" and I totally walked out of the store with a free case! I almost feel guilty as though I stole the darn thing .... but I know my mobile provider makes a ton off of me anyway. In any event, I left wondering if I would have gotten the same free gift 60 lbs ago?

If I weigh in tomorrow over 160 I'll be going NO CARB officially for a few days and I'll let you know how that works. So far I've been going "plan food" only when I've been up a bit and the weight has always come off. But if I'm up over 5 lbs then I think I'll need to go no carb. :)

Thanks,
Shawn

[Big Pun]

Way to stay on top of your weight man.....also use that weight loss to every advantage.....

BP

[lfingers11]

Shawn,
Sorry to hear you are up but it sounds like you are on top of it. Regarding water. I fill up 4 of the 16.9 oz bottles everyday. I tell myself I can not go to bed until they are all gone. They are always on the counter staring back at me saying "drink me".
Cool that you got a free camera case. I would not considering it stealing at all when they hand it to you and say have a great day. About the attention, I have noticed that more people (men) talk to me more, look at me more, ect. It is amazing how different people treat you when you are smaller.
I hope you are not up tomorrow. If you are then good luck on your non carb day(s). Take care,
Pam

[Mei Mei]

Shawn,
I'm sure yo are getting some extra attention! You are very handsome, and I think your dashing personality comes through to people even more clearly now that the weight is gone. I know that our society values more of what is on the outside than the inside, so sadly, many people miss great friends and opportnities because a person is overweight. You know what I mean. Still, I think it is great that you have maintained your weight but for a few pounds. Maybe try to remember how you longed to lose those last five at the end of the diet before refeed. That might help you to coax them back off. Have you set a never-go-above-this-weight-again goal?

I'm also glad that you have identified your problem. I know gum chewing is a bit unpleasant, but it sure helps me when I want to snack. I've only been off refeed for a week as of tomorrow, but I am starting to sense some trends. Following the carbs once a day and rules about dessert really does work. We had a national Night out party last nite in our little city, and I knew they were serving chicken fried chicken. That is not something I usually eat, ever, but I was very good all day, eating Cohen meals, close to the diet days of measuring, and I'm only p .9 this morning. I felt sick all evening, my body just can't take that greese. I'm learning that my body prefers healthy food, and when I eat junk, it tells me about it! glad all is well with you!
Mary

[SPDeRosa]

Pam - I might have to try to four bottles on the counter idea. I'm very visual, so seeing the four right there in front of me might actually motivate me to move through them all a little more quickly. I just don't like water -- that's my main problem. I don't find it particularly "thirst-quenching" although with lemon it's much much easier to deal with.

Mary - how cool that you're noticing trends too. I'm right with you on the grease issue. I had a hamburger at a restaurant for the first time this weekend (along with fries) and I felt totally sick a few hours later. I did set a tentative 175 as my "never go above this" weight, but in my mind, that's once I bulk up with muscle as opposed to fat. If I don't get all muscular, then I think 165 is my "top" weight. I really like the 155-160 range from a fat perspective ... when I bulk up a bit I think I'll be more comfortable at 165-170. You seem to be doing great post-refeed! Austin is a difficult city to be "good" in -- so many bars downtown tempt me every time I visit Austin!

My update: So when I weighed in the other morning I was 159.6 (under 160) so rather than go no carb for a few days, I just stuck to plan foods (without weighing) and I really watched my carb intake. More importantly, I drank all my water. After two days, I'm done to 157 - which means that about 3 lbs just came off by limiting carbs and drinking water -- I'm guessing it's the water. So today and tomorrow I'm going to be really careful as I head to NYC tomorrow night for the long weekend and I know I'll be a little naughty -- probably a few martini's at a jazz club and some other local flavors. :) It's so cool to be "free" from most of the diet rules and know that I can maintain my weight within a few pounds without much real effort as long as I stay really close to the after-diet rules.

[Shasha]

{hi} there Shawn

{goodjob}
Now that there are no snacks in the house, I find that I'm not wanting to snack.

This is a big key to post diet success! If you don’t have it in the house, you won’t eat it and, you probably won’t get in the car and go buy it either… So, keep the Condo Clean!

The problem is, we still think of “man-made-money-making-junk” as food. These foods are made with such a lot of sugar BECAUSE sugar is addictive – the more you eat, the more you want, the more you buy, the more they sell, the more money they make, but back at home, the more unhealthy and fat you become!!

So, work on re-programming your mind from “oh my precious treat how I’ve missed you” to: “it’s unhealthy junk, it will make me sick! I am allergic to that! I don’t feel good when I eat it!”

Shawn EVERY little bit helps!!! Every choice you make for healthy ingredients in your food counts towards keeping your goal… every bit of movement you do also helps!!

You must simply drink water!! That is as not negotiable as breathing!

How about making water with a bit of Schweppes Lemon-Lite added to that – maybe 1 can and 2 liters? I heard one lady saying this helps her to get her quota in… JUST DO IT!! I know you can…

Let me re-assure you, EVERYONE judges a book by it's cover... and you do not {noway} want to gain back those 60 pounds EVER!

Yes, have some fun, enjoy a couple of drinks, but remember moderation, it's much easier to maintain that it is to go back on diet again... ENJOY! :bighug:

[SPDeRosa]

Hi Everyone!

Shasha - thanks for reorganizing the threads and moving them around to make it easier for us to find what we're looking for! At this rate we might need to start a "Maintenance" or "Post Refeed" thread with so many people moving through refeed! :)

Well, for those watching the calendar, I'm now two months post refeed :) YIPPEEEE!!!!! I had to go back to my refeed thread to see how much I weighed when I finished refeed, and found out that I finished at about 152lbs. (Too thin in my opinion --- and I'm sure most of you would agree).

This morning I was 156 lbs -- so 4 lbs above my lowest weight, but only 1 lb above where I'm trying to maintain (155 lbs).

I'm still trying to eat mostly plan foods and I'm trying to limit my carbs, but I have to be honest - I don't follow all the rules. Guess which rule I violate the most???? You got it! I don't drink water -- try and try I just have so many problems getting all my water in. Last week I weighed in at 161 lbs (after pizza, chinese food, and other "bad" foods). So I went "low carb" and forced myself to drink water and after two days being careful and not snacking I came back down to 156. I find myself fluctuating between 155 and approaching 160.

I still want to "snack" a lot -- so I keep trying to find ways to NOT think about snacking. As Lauren said, maintenance can be hard -- for me its only hard because I feel "free" enough to eat stuff I probably shouldn't, but have to remind myself of the consequences!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to a family function on Saturday. Hopefully by now people will be used to me being "thin" again, so I won't get all the "are you sick?" questions.

Hope everyone is doing well!

~ Shawn

[lfingers11]

Shawn,
I am glad you are doing so well. It is also nice to know that you dropped those extra pounds within 2 days. Have fun at your family function and it must also be nice that you have kept off the weight. You are proving to everyone that this plan works!! Take care,
Pam

[CohenInAz]

I agree, its good to hear you can have the "bad" foods and then hop back on and then be ok!

[pumbza]

Hi all Hope everything is Well Shawn nice to hear YOUR after REFEED adventures it sounds GREAT and YOU are in control!!Ha Ha!:innocent4:I was thinking I have 3 plans after refeed and they Go as follows in order of priority:-

1) Mon to Friday DR COHEN ; Sat Sun do what I want! ; Re-weigh on Monday decide if need to go on 48hr diet otherwise repeat!
2) Two days on DR COHEN Two Days Off Re-weigh and decide if 48 Hr Diet need!
3) One Day on Dr Cohen One Day Off Re-weigh and decide if 48 Hr Diet need!

Hopefully this will keep me in touch with my goal weight!

Have a GREAT TIME ALL!!!!:innocent3:

[Shasha]

Hi there Shawn

I was very glad when Admin opened the new Re-feed section for us :applause:

{goodjob} on keeping your weight down and where you want it!!

:rolleyes: about the water! You drank your water for weeks on end while being on diet, now you “try and try I just have so many problems getting all my water in”…

Dare I say the big problem regarding water is located between your ears? I believe you should simply not let “I can’t drink 2 liters of water per day” be an option in your mind. Just drink the water – down 4 x 500 ml glasses and the job is done…

I’m wondering if you are not perhaps confusing signals that your body is trying to give you: Dr Cohen says we all need 2 liters of water every day to function properly – when you take the water away, surely your body will try to find a way to say: “help, I’m thirsty”and I believe that you may be confusing this thirst for the urge to snack – you’ve taken away the water and now find: “I still want to "snack" a lot”…

I think this can be solved with a mindset of “I need water, I am going to drink water” – and action ie: walking to your water jug, pouring a glass and just drinking it. (Get a big glass or drink 2 smaller glasses at a time.) You can add a bit of lemon juice now that you are done with your diet it doesn’t have to “count” so to say. I do believe you must find a way to "make this happen".

Always remember, the closer you follow the rules, the better – you want to keep your hormones balanced so it is very important to limit starch to once a day. If you have too much starch, your blood sugar levels start to yo yo – the result of this will also be cravings and that wanting to snack feeling so please do be careful, you don’t want to gain weight.

Have a wonderful time with your family and if you get any comments about being “sick”, simply tell them that you’ve lowered your risk of having heart disease and possibly added years to your life – perhaps they should consider doing the same :flirt:

[Shasha]

{hi} there Pumbza

Your progress on the 1st Personal Diet Program has been phenomenal!! {goodjob}

:bighug:
I've been thinking about your goals and believe you should consider the following:

1 For the rest of my life apply Dr Cohen’s Guidelines (see the back of your RF Guide)
2 All things in m.o.d.e.r.a.t.i.o.n.
3 When I over indulge: 48 hour no starch

Even in your AD (After Diet life) always remember: YOU CAN DO IT!!! {cheerleader}

[pumbza]

Hi there Shasha and SHAWN I totally agree with YOU Shasha drinking water has turned my life round especially now days I live in a country that gets very HOT and I use to always be thirsty NOW I am never thirsty and when I add to my LIQUID intake over and above reckomened water INTAKE by DR COHEN its at my leasure and I have started sticking to water I can't remember when last I had a DIET soda DRINK of any sort!!!It has taken a while to program the mind but when I eat my MEAL I drink one litre of water and its all over and done!!!!Thanks for the GOALS Shasha I will be putting them UP on the WALL and MAY even put them on MY HEAD STONE when I DIE!!!Ha Ha!!:innocent4:Have a GREAT DAY!!!!:innocent3:

[SPDeRosa]

Well good morning everyone!

I thought I'd quickly check in and update everyone on my "life after the diet" thread.

Being "free" I gave in to some of the Halloween temptations (and I don't even have kids) and I went away on business for about 4 days -- during which time I introduced two drinks and two cookies nightly (they put out milk and cookies before bed - how could I say no?!) I did try to keep my food intake in moderation but as usual I didn't drink enough water (my downfall right there). So while I don't think I gained more than a pound or two on the trip, overall I'm now up 7lbs from my refeed start weight. (Reminder: was hovering between 155 and 160 with little effort).

Now that I've tipped 160 I'm going to try going back to the original diet plan for two (or four) days to see what happens. After Thanksgiving I'm going away for almost two weeks, so I want to get back down to my refeed weight in anticipation of weight gain from eating at restaurants for two weeks. This will be the first time I've attempted to go back to the original diet weights and rules. Until now I've been able to keep within the 155-160 range simply by eating plan foods and limiting purchased sweets (I have a soft spot for oatmeal raisin cookies). I'm also finding that 5lbs on me makes a big difference --- at 155 people would say I was emaciated (i.e. sickly), but around 160 people just say I'm "thin".

I'm hopeful that going back to the plan after almost three months being "free" won't result in me being hungry all day - but we'll see! I'm actually somewhat looking forward to seeing the weight melt away again just so that I know it CAN work (as I'll want to drop some weight coming home from my trip and then likely again after Christmas). It seems to have worked for others (Bronwyn, Lauren etc), so I have my hopes up!

Hope everyone is doing well!
~ Shawn

[lfingers11]

Shawn,
Thanks for letting us know what is going on!! It is great to know that you are keeping everything in check and you are going to work hard to get it off. Have a great time during your trips and holidays and try not to go to crazy :)

Pam

[LiLNightShift]

I bet it melts away really fast. I doubt you'll have to do a full week even! I hope it fades away quickly!

xoxo

[CohenInAz]

Shawn -

Thanks for helping us see post diet life!

[PhyllisRis]

Shawn....I'm sure it'll go away fast....good that you're nipping it in the bud now while there's just a few pounds to lose....I think that might be the key to "after life"....we need to tackle those few added pounds right away and not dilly dally and let it pile up again.
Thanks so much for letting us now how you're doing...it give us inspiration and knowledge!!
So....if I can be so bold....where are you going for 2 weeks? Somewhere warm and tropical, I hope!!
Phyllis

[SPDeRosa]

I'm crossing my fingers that it'll drop down --- I drank all my water today (just about 7:00 PM now) and I've been making frequent trips to the bathroom, which I'm hoping is a good sign!

I changed my game plan for the day. I remembered that I could go "no carb" without going back on the original program. So I did weigh out breakfast and lunch (plan weights) but for dinner I didn't bother weighing. I kept the veggies to the small fry pan and my steak to about the size of my palm. I'm hoping that's "close enough" for now. I'll weigh in tomorrow and see what happens. For some reason I don't expect much (if any) loss overnight and I'm suspecting that if I stay no-carb tomorrow I should see the loss show up the day after.

Phyllis -- I'm going someplace warm but not too tropical: San Antonio. I'm speaking at a conference down there and decided to head down a little early to visit a friend. (He and his wife keep inviting me down, so now that I "have" to go for business, this makes it an easy trip over to see them -- and tax deductible!) I'm also teaching a post-conference workshop with a good friend of mine (also a Cohen supporter), so it should be a nice "working" vacation. The down side: last time I spoke at a conference in San Antonio I gained 11 lbs in one week -- all in beer from the plethora of bars on the Riverwalk! There's no way I'm letting that happen again!

I'll check back in on Thursday to let ya'll know how I did with the no carb option!

~ Shawn

[Mei Mei]

Shawn,
The beer wouldn't be my downfall on the riverwalk, the margaritas and Mexican food would.:) the weather is gorgeous down here right now!
The no carb works really well, and I think your plan of eating two Cohen meals with moderate dinner is good also. I have been doing that. I measure breakfast because I like Cohen breakfast. It is all I need, so why eat more?
I have found that if I stick close to the plan for most meals, I can stay at weight, but still have freedom. I don't know why I am going crazy with junk though. For the past two weeks--Halloween???I have had at least three little candy bars or a cookie or three. I'm not eating carbs though, bread bloats me, so I don't want it. I can live withot rice and pasta and potatoes. I've never been a sweet freak before, don't know why it is hitting me now...Curious. I keep getting on scale in the am, expecting to go up and haven't gained. I am eating mostly cohen meals, but not always measuring. I'm not gaining, actually I weigh between 116 and 118. I'm just upset with myself for giving in.
I worry that it will jump back on, not creep up.
good for you Keeping a watchful eye, and having a plan. You will get it under control, probably by tomorrow. Keep drinking your water!
Mary
I do drink a ton of water, but always have.

[SPDeRosa]

Hi Mary - Great to hear from you! Your photo/avatar is awesome - congratulations! I'm happy to hear that you're doing well post refeed. I think sugar is almost evil ... one little taste and I want more and more and more. I try to remind myself to stick with fruit because fruit can be so delicious ... but I'm always tempted.

So my update to everyone as promised: I didn't stay no carb -- yesterday was not a good day, so I ended up having too little water and a few too many carbs for dinner (ok, I ate a small "individual" flatbread diced tomato and pesto pizza and a beer, Heineken Lite). So, when I weighed in this morning after breakfast I was down to 160 -- about 2lbs in 2 days even with the pizza/beer. So today I'm going to try to go back to no carbs and see what happens. If I don't drop back down to my refeed weight I'm going to go back on the plan for a few days and see if that helps. I figure that even if I have to go back on plan for one week a month that seems like a reasonable sacrifice to help control weight, reduce the risk of type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and still fit into all the clothes I had to buy after losing 67 lbs. :)

~ Shawn

[LiLNightShift]

.... Mmmm... beer.

[Shasha]

{hi} there Shawn

Thanks for all those great updates!!!

I’m glad to see how cutting back, even a little helped you to drop 2 pounds in 2 days {goodjob}– for even quicker results, cut back on the bread and bear too and up the water!

You don’t need to go back on diet for a week every month, you simply need more water and a bit less starch or a few 48 hour no starch days...

I know I'm nagging, but I wish I could just change your mind about 1 thing… yep, the water… maybe I could download a some secret program into your mind that says:


:hypnotic: “Shawn loves water” :hypnotic: “Shawn loves water”

[Mama Lake]

Hey Shawn,
How are you doing after Thanksgiving? Have not heard from you in a while. Hope you are staying steady. Love to hear from you again. It is nice to see people on the other side of the fence doing well.
Cindy

[SPDeRosa]

Hi Cindy and everyone ....

Thanksgiving was nice -- I was careful about what I ate, although I didn't refrain from sampling things. Just after the holiday I had to fly down to San Antonio for about 10 days -- that was problematic seeing as there wasn't much to do other than eat and drink and be merry! (Which of course I did). So coming back from San Antonio I'm up about 5lbs, weighing in this morning at 165 lbs. This weight actually feels good for me, although I think I'm going to stick to plan foods a bit and see if I can get down to 160 as my clothes fit a little better at 160. (My mistake was buying them at 155 ... but seeing as nothing fit I had no choice!)

I'm now finding that the rules for post-refeeding are really good. For me, if I buy any junk food it doesn't last as long as I would hope. A good example would be the box of mandarin oranges (which I love) and the oatmeal raisin cookies (which I also love). Both were purchased the same day --- the cookies were gone 3 days later and the oranges are still unopened!

I'm also finding that my portion sizes slowly grow and grow. I don't go back for seconds, but my plate went from a salad plate on plan, to a dinner plate during refeed, to a heaping dinner plate most recently. That has to stop as well.

It's easy to slip back into bad habits, so I'm going to go through the threads as I have my morning coffee and try to get re-motivated to curb the snacking and stick more closely to the rules. The good news is that nearly four months now after completing refeed, I'm not "up" too much and I'm still within a good weight range and about 20 lbs BELOW Dr. Cohen's original goal weight for me.

Ok, I'm off to sort through the threads -- can't wait to catch up with everyone, and hopefully Pumbza will have posted an update as well!

Best,
Shawn

[Sharon]

Shawn,
You sound like your well on your way to finding your balance on the program which is so great to hear, I think it is so valuable that we are given a realistic and workable guide to live by, we just have to find the right seat for us to sit in. Sorry you haven't made friends with the water yet.
San Antonio sound a great place to visit, hope it was a holiday and not work as you sound like you have a busy time coming up at work.
Take care and have a great Christmas.

[lfingers11]

Shawn,
I am glad to hear from you!! I think occassionally how you are doing and hoping that you are easily maintaining your weight. I just hope that I can do as well as you have on maintenance.
Sounds like you had a wonderful time on your trip!! I would love to be in Texas. So much warmer than Ohio.
Let us know after the holiday are over with how your weight is!! I think you are doing great realizing what you need to do to keep in control.

Pam

[SPDeRosa]

I replied to a post earlier today, so I'll keep it brief -- I'm back on the plan for a bit. My refusal to follow the after-diet rules has packed on the weight, so I need to drop down a bit. Maybe I should redo my ticker to reflect my new goal!

~ Shawn

[CohenInAz]

I totally forgot about this thread.

Glad to see your post in the other one, and that you are hoping back on the "bus" so to speak.

Which rules are you finding the hardest to follow?

[SPDeRosa]

The "watch what you eat" rule :) I really like to eat anything I want, whenever I want.... and because I was too thin at the end of my refeed I did just that. So I'll drink more water and limit my carbs and keep my portions down as I can see myself creeping back up to my old eating habits -- which I don't want to have happen! Fortunately I don't really eat candy and "junk" food like potato chips or tortilla chips ... when I do, I go all out :) I really think it's the carbs -- too much rice or potato at lunch/dinner.

Of course, for now I'm back on the plan (after only almost 6 months being off of it) so hopefully I'll be able to monitor my weight more closely once I get back down to goal.

[sdp126]

Keep up the good work SP. You're an inspiration! Thanks for sharing your struggles and triggers.

Suzanne

[Sexymama]

Hi Shawn! Just wanted to say Happy Belated Birthday! Thanks so much for posting! I have learned so much from you and I know you'll bust off those 10lbs in no time!
Julie

[SPDeRosa]

Well today starts day 2 (again) on 1PD :)

Can I just say that I forgot how much time I spent running to the bathroom while on this program??? Now there's where the exercise is! My gosh, I definitely got rid of more water yesterday than I took in .. and yes, I actually drank MORE than my required 2L. :) (How's that for re-commitment?)

Today I also tried something different - I tried a yogurt for breakfast. One hour later I was hungry and had to have an apple. I still have 90 minutes until I can make lunch and I'm craving food. So time for some more water, a little more coffee, and to filter through the posts to buy some time until I can eat. I knew that the egg & veggies was the best breakfast choice for me, but I figured I'd try this greek yogurt thing out -- well, never again!

Fortunately I'll have a "big" lunch (135g chicken 120g veggies) which, along with my crackers, should hold me over until dinner. Heck, it worked for over three months last spring, so I'm sure it'll work now! :)

Ok, I'm off to the bathroom... again! :)

~Shawn

[alabama]

Hi Shawn! Just wanted to say that I am so glad you are back:party1: I have read a lot of your previous posts and love your story, sense of humor, etc...

It's easy to let go and get back into bad habits, but look at you...you are back and the weight will fly off. I mean, you probably still look great but it's better to go ahead and remove 10 before it turns into 15 or 20 or more!

Also, about the yogurt thing. It's definitely harder to feel full with it but coming back may be part of that too. and at least you know what does and doesn't work for you!!! I know AZ likes to eat it at night, but for me I am typically hungrier at night so it doesn't work for me. To each his own, I guess.

Anyway, glad you are back!!! BEST of LUCK

[Shasha]

{hi} there Shawn

Welcome Back!! :bighug: Sure have missed ya!!! MWAH!!

Glad to see that you are pulling in the reigns and brining things back under control again!! {goodjob} with the water!!! I’m so proud of you!!!

Sometimes I want to MAKE every Diet Buddie stay on the Forum for LIFE – because, when you don’t stay purposely focused, it’s easy to go back to former eating patterns… staying slim does take a bit or work in terms of focusing...

At least you know WHAT to do to make your clothes sit loser {wave} Again: I’m so glad you’ve come back!!! I really admire your courage and character!! BIG HUG!!!

[ralikesh]

Shawn, Thank you for sharing your after diet experiences. I have read all your previous threads and you certainly have been a great inspiration to me. This is my 6th week on the program & I often wonder how it will be for me once I am done.

This diet is the best thing I have done for myself. I am not even 1/2 way there and I feel superb. Clothes fitting better and compliments are coming my way. Can't wait to get through it.

[Shasha]

{hi} there Shawn

How is my favorite blue-eyed-hunk doing??? Managing to drink all your water??

Hope you don’t mind, but I just moved your thread into the new LIFE AFTER DIET SECTION…

Hope to hear more from you soon!!

:bighug: from me!