Maintenance Phase

[AfterLifer]

Is there any way you might start an area that is just for those of us on maintenance? A few of my friends and I are really struggling in finding our way after re-feed. It's proving not to be nearly as simple as "just do it." We are experimenting with trying to live in the "real world" again, and we could really use some additional support. Can you help?

[Wilma]

Hi AfterLifer and welcome to the forum,

I am not sure that if this is "After Life" or "Back to Life" or just "The life after .. " ... {rofl}

Basically, we are all here either on the program or after it, dear sister (or perhaps brother) in the Order of Cohen
{grouphug1}

Not sure if we need a seperate area as it is all just about that ... we are the walking proof that there is life after ..:eek:

Please share and let us know what are the issues you are having. I promise you that we will try to help.

[AfterLifer]

I guess the biggest issue is that, when we started this diet, we all saw that the main site said we would never have to diet again, yet it seems that we do have to permanently stick with the portions/foods from the last days of refeed as the way we are to eat the rest of our lives. This is tough.

There are times when I am out with friends or having family dinners, and the only food available is pizza or something else that is not "Cohen-friendly." I'm ok with smaller portions (like one slice of pizza and a small salad) but still find the weight creaping up.

It seems impossible -- and unrealistic -- to deal with eating under the strict guidelines of re-feed for the rest of my life. If I deprive myself of something, I crave it even more. Is this really my only option? I worked so hard to get here. This makes me ill just thinking about it.

There has to be some happy medium between the rigid guidelines of the diet/re-feed and the way we were eating before. I'm not seeing it in the literature, which is why I am writing. I am hoping you can provide "real world" information from your experience after the diet.

Friends who finished awhile ago keep yo-yo'ing back and forth from regular eating/gaining weight to strict Cohen and back and forth. Yo-yo dieting is what got many of us in trouble in the first place and is a proven way to kill metabolism. This can't be healthy, and frankly scares me.

How do you eat? Do you stick only to the portions and foods that are on the re-feed list and no others? Really? I would really appreciate your heart-felt help, please! :praying:

[Shasha]

{hi} there AfterLifer

Sorry to hear that you are struggling... let's see what we can do to help.

Firstly, I want to compare your afterlife to a process such as learning to drive a new car for example - in the beginning this may be a challenge, but, once you get use to it, it becomes second nature. While some people learn to drive they could have some accidents along the way, but hopefully this will not be major and besides, you do not need to stay there...

If you have followed your eating plan 100%, done your Refeeding 100% and if you continue to follow Dr Cohen's advice, you should not need to diet again.

How does your life fit in? Well, try to eat healthy food most of the time. Remember that starch triggers insulin, your fat storing hormone. For this reason you need to limit starch to once a day only. This simply means for example that you can have a similar to diet breakfast, similar to diet lunch and a dinner that contains starch.

So for breakfast you don't need to weigh your food, but you can have egg and veggies and a yogurt with this or even a slice of cheese. What you should not have with breakfast on a daily base is starch. Lunch could be any protein with veggies... Having this as opposed to having bread or starch etc means that your body will get the much needed proteins and nutrients contained in good whole food.

When dinner comes you can have your starch. During the Refeeding you trained your body to cope with 3 slices of bread, some starch like rice or potatoes, 2 extra new fruits over and above your diet fruit. That is quiet a bit of food. Now, after Refeeding you should only have starch once a day - so, you can leave the bread and have some little jacket potatoes with some veggies such as peas and carrots mixed, your salad type veggies etc.

You should try to avoid meals that have lots of starch veggies in one day ie: don't have potato, rice, peas, corn, and beans all in the same meal. You should rather choose to make 1 or 2 starches and complement these with other veggies like carrots, broccoli etc.

About eating out: Dr Cohen advises that a burger or ribs is fine... if you find that you've had too much starch and the next morning you are up on the scale it means that you triggered Insulin, the fat storing hormone. Now what you need to do is for the next 48 hours simply avoid the foods that trigger insulin - this will help your hormones to stabilise and the gained weight should drop.

The big key is to learn which foods have which reaction on your body - this you can only do by standing on the scale the next morning. If you are up... you had too much of whatever you ate and need to slow down a bit and do the 48 hour no starch. This does not mean dieting or weighing foods, just balancing of hormones.

About pitza... remember again balance. Rather order salad, a protein starter and a pitza to share with someone else... this way you have a more balanced meal.

Again, try to eat healthy balanced meals most of the time - this is what is meant by a healthy lifestyle. If you were overweight, it's not something that will come naturally, but something that you will need to work at.

Going on and off your diet is not advisable... it is like binging and then trying to do damage control. If you ate a smaller portion or healthier option this would not be necessary.

I'm not saying deprive yourself, :noway: but, sometimes we need to change our mind with regards to portion sizes, food choices etc. A small helping of desert is fine... many times however restaurant portions are not based on individual needs, but can feed a family of 4. Just because they put that much food in front of you does not mean you have to eat it. Yes, I know that there are starving children all over the globe, but I do not see how your eating food you do not need is going to change any of that.

Also, note: you need to eat good healthy FOOD... desert is a treat - but other than satisfy your taste buds, it really does not do anything for you. Your body does not need desert, it needs nutrients. Learn to meet the needs of your body rather than just eating what you feel like eating.

BIG TIP: Keep up the water intake and the multi-vitamin. This should help you to maintain your progress.

I'm thinking you just need to learn the boundaries of what your body does and does not need. It's not always about what you feel like having... More about what is right and what you actually need.

I'm not saying you are a chocoholic (don’t jump to conclusions), but, if I just go by my feelings alone for example, I could easily eat chocolate 3 meals a day - everyday... but that does not mean that I let myself. I've looked at what they contain and made a smart choice that they are not really good for me and that I should limit how often I eat them. If I eat them all the time I will blow up like a balloon and end up being undernourished and overweight, if I have a little every now and then, that works just fine...

Let's take another example from life: Do you ever get people who really irritate you? Sometimes there are people I could just squash like a bug and blow off the face of the earth... I don't even believe they should have the right to exist. I'm talking about bad people - real crime committers like child molesters, rapists etc (don't worry, nobody like that in the Forum) (I HOPE!!!) ha ha ha ... but I cannot just let myself do that, I cannot make the decision to act on my feeling and BEAM THEM UP TO SCOTTY... no matter how the person get's under my skin.

That is self-control...

I have to apply the same control to eating on a daily base ie: :noway: to chocolates every day...

Now if you apply the same control to eating too... that could really help! Don't deprive yourself, but have just enough to enjoy.

By the way, regarding chocolate - do you know that you get the same enjoyment from a mini bar that you would from a 100g slab... In both cases the first bite is glorious... then the next bite is oh yes... the third bite is Mmmmm but by the 4th bite, guess what? You no longer actually taste the chocolate - then it just becomes a process of elimination... and for quiet a few people this can mean finish it - all 100 grams of it!

Like there is no tomorrow... so, if you do find you are having a problem with this... advise would be to make a change and to only buy smaller portions as a treat once in a while (no more than twice a week or it's not a treat!) and not to keep them in the house in case guests arrive because they will never get to taste them...

Hope this helps :bighug: just keep practising to drive your new healthy body, YOU CAN DO IT! Remember you will not weight the same everyday, but your scale will show you if you've done okay or if you need to slow down... learn to listen... when you go up, it's a red light and it means STOP! Ie: you're eating too much or too much of the wrong food.

Please read through the tips at the back of your Refeeding Guide again... and also watch what you are snacking on - some foods actually trigger hunger.

Afterthought: you may find it useful to keep a food diary - just so you can note which foods have which effects on you.

[Secretary]

Hi AfterLifer

You can also help yourself by ordering a thin-crust pizza instead of hand tossed THICK PIZZA. Same goes with other choices: Caesar salad without a THICK LAYER OF CHEESE on top. Fat free popcorn instead of buttery popcorn. These are just examples but this is all about making the correct choices. You are not on a diet anymore since you do not need to weigh your food but you learned what foods are better for you and we suggest that you utilize this knowledge. Enjoy food, and stay slim.

I allow myself a glass of good wine, a slice of nice New York style cheese cake and I munch my fat free popcorn.

All these are a small price to pay for the way I look and feel. I am on no diet anymore. I select my food wisely and enjoy it.

[Unregistered]

Ladies...Thank you both. Your comments are very helpful. Shasha, you raised a lot of points that I've actually been working through myself. I don't seem to be having a huge problem with portions. It just seems that certain foods are making me gain. I gained FOUR pounds overnight yesterday (which is what precipitated my email to you). Thankfully, I'm down .5 today, but this is still 4 over my goal weight. Sigh.

I know I need to do carb free days to get back on track, but I've been in situations the last couple days where I haven't been able to order for myself and so I ended up having carbs. My plan is to go my carb free days over the weekend. Will it hurt that I've delayed them?

I guess my biggest worry is...can I permanently throw my newly regulated hormones out of whack permanently within just a couple days? Or is this something that just depends on what I eat that day, and getting back on track within a few days will spring them back?

The reason I ask this is that this diet did not only help me lose weight. It straightened out other health problems and eliminated the vicious hot flashes and night sweats I used to have. The last 3 nights, my night sweats have come back with a vengeance, and I'm noticing that I'm starting to have hot flashes again. I would do ANYTHING to keep them from coming back the way they were before (about every 20 minutes all day long!).

By the way, I am keeping a food diary and weighing myself everyday. The food diary has kept me "honest" since it's online and visible to others, but it hasn't totally kept me from making some bad food choices. But, like I said, I'm not really having binge sessions (at least not the way I would define them anyway!), just a couple/few bad choices each day.

[GailStout]

I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE THAT!!!!!!!!!!! Some things I'd like to discuss are probably not going to be helpful to those still on the diet, and I feel kinda funny putting them out there when there are people still going through the diet process!

I'd LOVE a place to be able to feel like I can speak freely without giving any bad or wrong advice to those still on the diet; it's completely true that the LIFE AFTER THE DIET rules are indeed very different than actively DOING the diet, and it could be confusing for those still at the beginning of the journey.

For example, I remember being completely shocked that I wasn't going to be done in 12 weeks....it had not ever entered my mind that it could take longer to lose 112 pounds (I don't actually know what I was thinking, but it certainly wasn't "you'll be on this for 27 weeks"!)

Now that I'm done, I too have made "bad choice" days, and gained five pounds for no apparent reason...I'm also beginning the hot flash stage of life, though I think it will be much better without 112 pounds hanging on to the body.

Any hope that we can have our own area on the site?

[AfterLifer]

Gail...I know what you mean. I thought I'd lose the 60 in 12 weeks, too, and was so disappointed. So each phase of this is a learning experience. I am hopeful that the "newbies" will just not read this area. (Yeah, right!)

Maybe the administrator could at least put a "disclaimer" on this thread to warn them away. ;)

[cyberella]

hi, ladies!!!
iz so inspiring 2 read what u "after-dieters" have 2 put up with and i beg u 2 share this with us!!!
dearest gailstout- can i b honest?
i am so keen on finding out what my life after the diet is gonna b like and i need the time 2 set my mind 2 it! (if i make my 50pounds in the 12 weex, i have another 8 weex time).

seriously, when my neighbour was in the program and lost more than half of her weight (whaz left of her is less than what she "left behind"), she told me that she was gonna eat whatever she wanted after the 1st pd....:thinking:

now, that i read a couple of posts referring 2 the life after, i was so frustrated but at least i know where i stand and if i'll only find that out after the program, i'll b shocked and will need even longer 2 b able 2 maintain my weight as i will have 2 get used 2 it.
better knowing now already what comes later, as iz only honest and we have 2 do this diet anyway, as we all decided 2 make a change in our lives, stop neglecting us and our health and taking care of ourselves!!!

so, please go on and write what there is 2 consider and know!!
{praying}

[MrsPeel]

As a semi-newbie (8 weeks on Tuesday), I want to weigh in on this "after-diet" debate! It's extremely helpful to read ahead to info about re-feeding and life after 1PD - why should it be a surprise after our hard work for 12 or 24 weeks? I agree with cyberella, my diet pal - it's good to begin setting your sights on the next phase of discipline. As I have worked with a nutritionist for the five or so years before I found 1PD, I knew already that to maintain a healthy weight following a big loss would entail a new way of thinking about food. It never occurred to me that I could just eat anything I want after I reach target weight! :noway: I also knew it would take me two 12-week sessions to lose the 100 pounds I so slo-o-wly put on over the last decade. So I am not afraid of the discussions that may be posted from you successful "after-lifers"! Bring it on! :reading:

[AfterLifer]

Mrs. Peel...Don't be surprised if it takes you more that two 12 week sessions to lose 100 lbs. I lost a little over 60 in about 20 weeks, and that seems to be the norm with most of my friends. If you are determined to do that, you MUST NOT deviate or cheat AT ALL, and even then you need to factor in the times when your body will need a break and hit a plateau. So be careful not to get your expectations too high, and just keep your eye on the prize.

By the way, after absorbing Shasha's excellent response to my questions, I have come up with this personal mantra that I have printed out and posted all over my home, office and car:



I eat to meet the nutritional needs of my body. I honor myself and my body by exercising daily and eating healthy foods in reasonable proportions. I avoid foods that are not good for my body and health without feeling deprived.

[MrsPeel]

Thanks for the advice, afterlifer! It's much appreciated. I actually don't deal much in expectations, so any loss I achieve is welcome and thrilling. :clapping3: I find the diet very easy, and haven't ever deviated (through Christmas, New Year's, awards dinners & out of town trips!), so if it takes a third session, it's not a big problem.
I have a few advantages coming into 1PD - as I mentioned, I have worked with a nutritionist for many years and had already modified my eating considerably. Also, I experienced my weight gain in my forties - prior to that, I was always very slender, if not downright skinny. I've never been a big eater or much of a foodie - my weight problems stem from a very high-stress career & a hormone imbalance as I hit perimenopause. :shocked:
Thanks also for the great mantra - it's exactly right!!

[cyberella]

just wanted 2 say: {hi}, mrs. peel!! :flower: iz so nice 2 read from and about u!
i think u r a very special and inspiring person!!
:hug:

[cyberella]

hi :hii:, afterlifer!!
iz so nice 2 share this wonderful mantra with us!!
thank u very much!!:love7:
i'm sure it can help when the going gez tuff...
(-i seem 2 b stuck with the same weight 4 almost 2 weex now!- :rolling:)
i'll print this mantra 4 myself as well!

[Megsy]

Hi all,

I just want to add that I agree also that it's beneficial to read what lies ahead - preperation is the key whether it be mental or physical. I had an inkling that it was more than just 12 or more weeks of this diet - then eat as you did.

I'm actually reminded of my mum after she went through chemo after having a double masectomy when somone in her support group was wanting to just be normal again. My mum just simply stated that you can't.... you have to create a new "normal".
When anyone goes through a major change, whether it be through the effects of cancer or deciding to start the 1PD program and change your health and life - I believe you can't go back to the way you ate, otherwise you'll end up back where you started. So accept and embrace your new eating style and apply a new 'normal' to your eating life. Maybe see it as a celebration or a tribute to what helped you get to where you are?
:thinking:
I'm just thinking out loud (well through the forum anyway), I guess I don't like the thought of yoyo-ing for the rest of my life either. So the reality is I can't eat how I did!

Having said that - this forum will go on for ever!! Yaaay!! :applause:

[Shasha]

{hi} Everyone

Firstly a big hug to you all... :bighug:

I agree with Mrs Peel & Cyberella... in my mind there is no need to keep your questions a ''secret'' from the current dieters... In my opinion, this can only lead to some funny forms of thinking... by funny thinking I mean thoughts like: when you are finished with the program, you can eat whatever you like, whenever you like and never be fat again... come now, who are we kidding?!?

There are simple principles at work in life and these will never change... laws, like law of gravity... and the law of sowing and reaping... If you plant cabbages, you would never expect to reap a crop of carrots? :noway:

Well, the same goes with eating: eating low fat healthy foods = staying slim and well. Eating too much starch, sweets and fat = to weight gain.

When you are overweight, Dr Cohen says that you have Obesity Syndrome - this is treatable, but it is not curable.

What does this mean: You can follow your eating plan 100%, reach your goal, do your Refeeding Program and then you can honestly go one of two ways (hopefully you will choose the first option):

1) Daily practise a new healthy eating Lifestyle by exercising the Rules Dr Cohen gives to stay slim; OR
2) Return to your former eating patterns and begin to gain weight again.

PLEASE do not misunderstand what I an saying: I am NOT DOOMING ANYBODY TO BEING FAT! What I am saying is that: If you eat like you did before going on diet, you will end up looking like you did before going on diet.

If you want a different result, you need to sow a different action ie: develop a new healthier Lifestyle.

I think a better understanding of the hormones will help with this:

The 1st Personal Diet Program works with 3 hormones: 1) Human Growth Hormone (your fat burning hormone), 2) Insulin (your fat storing hormone) 3) Serotonin (your happy hormone which helps to control the craving for food, especially the craving for starch.

When you follow your eating plan 100%, you decrease your Insulin production and increase your Human Growth hormone production - the result will be fat loss.

During the Refeeding, much more foods and different types of foods are gradually introduced in a controlled manner and all the while your hormones are kept in a balance ie: not too much insulin.

Following the maintenance Guidelines you need to KEEP THESE HORMONES in a balance.

Starch and sweets trigger insulin (the fat storing hormone) - the moment you eat too much starch you will wake up the fat ******* inside of you, which will begin to store the food too fast, and the result is that blood sugar will drop too low too fast and you will become hungry... this hunger then leads to eating more foods (often quick and easy ones) and if a wise decision is not made and one could reach for starch all too easily ie: cookies and then the result will be that you will end up repeating the blood sugar high's and lows and all the while to food is being stored as fat... THIS PATTERN MUST BE BROKEN and THE SOONER THE BETTER.

That is the reason for the 48 hour no starch. 48 hour no starch is there to drop the insulin levels back down to normal right away. This must be done the day after excess or as soon as possible and it is not wise to leave it to a few days later.

Remember, we are trying to keep the insulin levels stable, not do damage control on a permanent basis. If you do not do you’re your insulin levels stable, you could end up feeling like you are facing a run away horse.... which is all out of control because when your body produces too much insulin, your blood sugar drops too low too fast and you could end up getting cravings and eating too much. Refined sugar, especially, is known to set up a craving in that when some people eat it they want more and more and more...

The key is about how what you eat affects your body. Proteins and veggies will not trigger too much insulin... they are safe natural foods. Anything made with processed white flour, ie: bread, cookies, cakes, pastries, muffins, pizza bases, as well as starches such as rice, potatoes, bread, together with refined sugar ie: sweets, chocolates etc. will send blood sugar soaring and will trigger too much insulin (the fat storing hormone).

This is why Dr Cohen says to have starch only once a day - it can be a mixture of starch, but you should only trigger insulin once a day and this does not mean once a day as in all day long. (ha ha)

Keeping insulin levels low is key to remaining thin. This is why you should never have starch for breakfast again.

If you eat wrong, do the 48 hour no starch immediately starting on the very next day, because this will balance your hormones again. If you do not do this, you will start up the fat ******* and begin to gain weight again. We don't want you to do this for a whole week before doing the 48 hour no starch... your hormones will go from bad to worse and that is not the idea.

Please remember that you can do 48 hour no starch anywhere - even in a restaurant it simply means that you do not have starch, not that you need to weigh food again. So, you could order any meat without crumbs and have veggies (not those on the starch list) to go with this.

Also, remember the rules such as desert or sweets within 1 hour of your starch meal. This will minimise the impact the sugar has on your body. However, how often you have these serious insulin triggering foods does need to be limited as well.

Bottom line: after the eating plan you MUST KEEP these hormones balanced. If you unbalance them, you need to balance them again as soon as possible.

We are here and glad to help answer questions... please do not feel shy... we want you to be successful and to REMAIN SUCCESSFUL!

As you go along and learn, others learn from the questions you may be asking... clearly in this thread we are talking to DIET GRADUATES about what happens AFTER REFEEDING... but as you can see, the Diet Buddies also want to know what to expect... and I believe this will be beneficial to them.

It's really no mystery, all you need to do is keep your hormones balanced. I really hope that this post (posts) helps answer some questions and helps to bury some funny ideas for good...

I think it would be JUST GREAT if everyone can get to the point of Secretary who said: ''I allow myself a glass of good wine, a slice of nice New York style cheese cake and I munch my fat free popcorn.

All these are a small price to pay for the way I look and feel. I am on no diet anymore. I select my food wisely and enjoy it.'' :applause:

[GailStout]

:shocked:Remember, you asked for it!

This is my CURRENT struggle (all success points are still valid for me)...HOWEVER:

When you read the Re-Feeding Guide, it does NOT say what YOU'VE said above. What it says is this:

"When Is Re-feeding Complete?

Re-feeding ends when you have reached the last day of the program, or if you had to go back and repeat the same 2 days more than once.
(Example: You gained 3 lbs by Day 16 and went back to Day 14. When you reach Day 16, again, you notice that you again gained 3 lbs -- meaning that this is the maximum your body can tolerate without going up in weight. Therefore, your Re-feeding ends here. Just note the quantities you have consumed, AS THESE WILL BE YOUR LIMIT."

I added the ALL CAPS for "AS THESE WILL BE YOUR LIMIT"....what that says to me is that I have to weigh and measure my food forever and ever amen, and it doesn't allow me the freedom to be without my scale.

If the Re-Feeding Guide actually said what YOU said above, Sasha, it would probably give a lot of us a much better understanding of how to actually LIVE with this.:flying:

I have to say that though I have kept the weight off, I've never been scale-free (food and body scale)...and that every time I had ANY carbs (no matter when) I gained weight. Every single time. So, I'm eating re-feed portions of proteins and veggies and hardly any carbs at all, because EVERY SINGLE TIME I ate even a potato or a piece of bread, I'd gain at least two pounds.

That, to me, equals "binge", so every SINGLE time I ate carb I had to do the 48-hour no carb thing...so 5 out of 7 days of the week were no-carb days.:cow:

So, what am I doing wrong? Why does my weight go up with the "re-feed" portions of carbs?

And WHY DOESN'T THE RE-FEED GUIDE SAY WHAT YOU SAID IN THE ABOVE POST!?! IT SHOULD BE CHANGED!!! :-) REALLY!;)

[Shasha]

{hi} there GailStout

:bighug:
I'm really glad we have the FORUM!

Question: where did you stop Refeeding? What exactly happened?

The reason I'm asking is because during the Refeeding Program you are meant to train your body to cope with + 3 slices of bread + 2 biscuits + 50 g starch veggies... ontop of the extra 200 g of new veggies, 200 g of new meat, 2 bad fruits that all gets added onto your diet eating plan.

I don't understand why after you have trained your body to cope with more food, you now gain weight when you eat a potato... what happened during your Refeeding?

Thanks for your honesty... only through talking real can we find a solution together :bighug:

The idea is that you stop weighing your food, but that you continue to weigh & monitor your body to see how it reacts to foods that you are eating.

Question: were you following your eating plan 100% for at least 2 weeks prior to commencing your Refeeding Program??

[GailStout]

I ONLY did the program at 100% -- never varied once. Ever. For nearly 28 weeks.

I did the re-feed EXACTLY as written (New Rules and OLD rules), with the single exception of having my 1 oz of skim milk one day early (in my eye doctor's office).

On MY day 11 (Day 18 of the re-feed) I'd gained two pounds exactly, to 146.4 pounds and retreated to two days earlier.

On MY day 13 (Day 18 of the re-feed) I'd lost 2.2 pounds from my Day 11 and was at 144.6 pounds.

On MY day 15 (Day 24 of the re-feed) I was at 145.1 pounds

On My day 16 (Day 27 of the re-feed) I was at 144.4

On My day 17 (day 30 of the diet) I was at 145.1

So, per the guide "When is Re-Feeding Complete":
"Re-feeding ends when you have reached the last day of the program, of if you had to go back and repeat the same two days more than once".

I didn't have to repeat the same two days more than once, so ended when I "reached the last day of the program".

MY problem? The rules after the diet did not agree with what I'd been trained to eat on the re-feed (as you said above "you are meant to train your body to cope with + 3 slices of bread + 2 biscuits + 50 g starch veggies... ontop of the extra 200 g of new veggies, 200 g of new meat, 2 bad fruits that all gets added onto your diet eating plan."

What the rules AFTER the diet say for a SEVERELY OBESE PERSON is: "stay away from fruit" -- so I had to go from 5 fruits a day to NONE (with no possible sweet replacement -- hence my FIRST post on the forum "Help I Need a Snack Option")

AND the rules say:
"limit carbohydrates" as in "if your weight starts to go up OR IF YOU WERE A SEVERELY OBESE PERSON, you must be very careful. You might need to experiment to assess your ability to cope with carbs/starches without gaining weight".

-- So, EVERY time I ate ANY carbs, I gained weight. Period.

Because of the dairy allergy and the no carbs, I have no snack options, and can't eat carbs without gaining weight.

So, back to square one.

Your turn!

[Secretary]

Dear Gail

Thank you for your help on the forum and for sharing your experience. From what you wrote it seems that you went through your RF as you should and indeed ended with wonderful results. (The pictures talk for themselves).
:applause:
The question now is what next? As we all went through the same route and experienced it personally, allow me to point out that I never looked again at my kitchen scales again. I do check my weight weekly with my bathroom scales and if I see the numbers crawl up, I cut carbs completely for a day or two. My friends who took the diet also agreed that while you need to be on the watch and avoid the bad foods, life after the diet is good.
:rolling2:
One thing you may want to try is to start physical activity like going to the gym. By increasing the amount of energy output, you may find that you can increase also the energy input by adding carb to your food without gaining weight. If you enjoy the gym and start to do more strenuous sport activities, you may gain weight in the way of adding muscles but that weight will not be fat and you'll remain slim as before.
:weights2:
Again, your contribution here is great and please keep on posting
:love4:

[Shasha]

{hi} Gailstout

May I ask you: in the beginning when you received your Personal Diet, Dr Cohen recommended a specific goal weight to you. What was that goal weight?

You said:

MY problem? The rules after the diet did not agree with what I'd been trained to eat on the re-feed (as you said above "you are meant to train your body to cope with + 3 slices of bread + 2 biscuits + 50 g starch veggies... on top of the extra 200 g of new veggies, 200 g of new meat, 2 bad fruits that all gets added onto your diet eating plan."

The rule regarding starch for Life After the Diet simply states that, following the Refeeding Program you should only have starch once a day. And that it can be a mixture of starch.

What this means is that you can leave the 3 slices of bread and have more than 50 g of starch veggies ie: potato and pumpkin in the same meal. Or, you can have a bread roll + a smaller amount of other starch foods.

Basically after Refeeding you need to combine your full starch allowance into one meal, but you don't have to eat specifically 3 slices of bread and 50 gram of starch veggies. You can have more starch veggies and leave the bread. How much will be able to handle depend on what the reading on the scale is.

During Refeed you did train your body to cope with more starch - as such you should be able to continue eating that amount of food & starch without gaining weight.

The Refeeding Guide says the following about Fruits: Have maximum of one fruit a day. Fruit has a high sugar content and, therefore, when you are done with Re-feeding, limit yourself to one fruit a day or a portion of a fruit salad—preferably after a carbs/starches meal. Do not eat fruit before breakfast! Having fruit on an empty stomach will send sensitive insulin levels high—starting a “fat *******.”

A lot of people do find that they are fine eating a fruit from the diet list at 11 am as these are lower in sugar content and that this fruit does not trigger hunger. Please do not do this with the Good and Bad fruits that are introduced during Refeeding.

Please let me know about your goal weight... :bighug:

[cyberella]

wooow-
just a wondering question from an incompetent dieter:
during diet we r allowed 3 fruiz and after, when we maintain out weight (which should b easier than loosing some) we can only have one per day?:thinking: uaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!:aint::disagree:
i hope i got this wrong!!!!

[GailStout]

Sasha & Secretary I got what you said, but you didn't duplicate what I said...

Since re-feeding ended. There has NEVER BEEN A DAY where eating ANY CARBS AT ALL did not INCREASE MY WEIGHT. EVER.

There has never been a day since where I have NOT been "on the diet" because ANY VARIATION FROM THE DIET INCREASED MY WEIGHT BY MORE THAN TWO POUNDS. EVERY SINGLE TIME.

So, did I do the refeeding incorrectly? Did I stop at the wrong time?

Did I not do it long enough? Did I mis-read something?

HELP! PLEASE!

How do I get to the point where I'm NOT ON THE DIET?

I have, by the way, been doing 125 minute aqua aerobics classes every other day for the past ten years.

[GailStout]

Sasha, my goal weight range was 144-150 lbs.

[GailStout]

Cyberella, that's what I've been asking for six months -- and it seems to be contrary data: the refeed is supposed to put us at a place where we CAN eat these fruits. Fruits which, by the way, were the reason I succeeded on the diet -- I'd been disallowed fruits for nearly 10 years due to my thyroid disorder, and my doctor allowed me to do the 1PD as written...every fruit is (and continues to be) an EVENT!! Right along with my crackers!

However, the "Life after the diet rules" do not agree and say "limit fruit to once per day" -- I've not been able to get ANYONE to clarify this -- why are we set up for five fruits a day by the end of the re-feed and then NOT allowed to continue with that?

Anyone? Are you out there? Please help!

This is why I asked my very first "help I need a snack option" question.

[Secretary]

Hi Gail,

I hear you loud and clear. You completed the re-feed and found out that eating carbs causes you to gain weight. Therefore, you feel that you are still on a diet.

The re-feeding guide, quotes Dr. Cohen saying that: "How many carbs/starches you may eat depends on your body. If your weight starts to go up or if you were a severely obese person, you must be very careful. You might need to experiment to assess your ability to cope with carbs/starches without gaining weight. Increase your carbs/starches daily until you feel a reaction (hungry one hour after the meal/tired/bloated/retain water/gained weight the next day)."

Regarding fruit: "Fruit and Obesity. If you were a severely obese person, stay away from fruit, especially the Bad Fruits we added during Re-feeding."

You asked why you were allowed to eat so much fruit on the RF and then asked to limit yourself to one fruit a day. The answer for that is that the RF is a short-term eating plan that is aimed at training your body to get back to "normal" food. However, when the RF is complete, so is your diet.

We are all different from each other and therefore we react differently to carbs and fruit after the diet. I can manage carbs better than my best friend who needs to be more careful. You may find our that carbs makes you gain weight at this stage, but perhaps by increasing the level of physical activities, you will be able to eat more carbs in future without gaining weight.

I recommend that you follow Dr. Cohen's advise and eat only one fruit a day.

Your success in losing weight is amazing and I think that you need to experiment carefully with various foods and, with or without, added physical activities until you learn what you can or cannot eat in the life after the diet.

This will take days or weeks but evantually, you find the foods and quantities that work for you the best.
{goodjob}

[GailStout]

So, now we've established that my life will be eternally on the diet foods.

Okay.

I can't eat fish, I can't eat dairy, I can't eat carbs, and I can have one apple a day (maybe)...what a wonderful way to live for 60 years!

which brings me back to my original question (which no one has yet addressed):

I NEED A SNACK OPTION THAT IS NOT CARB OR DAIRY.

Your turn.

[Wilma]

Gail ~ I do not live on "diet foods" but I do care about what I eat. You wrote "now we've established that my life will be eternally on the diet foods". I am proud of eating correctly rather than abuse my body with fat burgers and beer as I used to have when I was young and careless. This is not about "diet foods" this is about making the right choices in order to stay at the weight that suits my height and in order to remain healthy.

You wrote: "I can't eat fish, I can't eat dairy, I can't eat carbs, and I can have one apple a day (maybe)...what a wonderful way to live for 60 years!". I understand that you have limits about the foods you can eat and as a result your choices are very limited. Please see the recipe section for some nice recipes. For snacks, try Shasha's "diet cookie" or perhaps some deli sliced cold turkey. Since you are no longer on the diet, you may snack a turkey .... :chicken: or chicken breast ...

Last, you look fantastic in those pics, I am sure you are enjoying some new clothes :jumping2:

[GailStout]

Well, I can't say it isn't healthy -- but it also isn't INTERESTING. I can eat beef, chicken, and turkey, a few vegetables (mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, and sometimes yellow squash) and egg. And nothing else. At all.

Do you get that? It's not a matter of not trying all of the recipes -- I HAVE. EVERY ONE (that isn't fish or dairy). I've gained weight EVERY SINGLE TIME I've eaten anything else than my basic diet foods, and even some of those "allowed foods" make me gain weight (sometimes as much as five pounds in a day).

I can't eat anything other than a smidge of vinegar (every condiment added to my diet has made me gain weight).

It's not a matter of NOT TRYING THIS: I've been off the re-feed for SIX MONTHS. I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING.

My biggest problem is that my consultant won't answer my questions, nor will the people on the forum who are administrators.


So please answer THESE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS WITHOUT USING A QUOTATION FROM THE DIET GUIDE. I'VE READ IT, I UNDERSTOOD IT, AND I DID EVERYTHING BY THE BOOK.

MY RESULTS ARE GREAT. THE THOUGHT OF LIVING LIKE THIS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE (THIN AND MISERABLE) IS DEFINITELY NOT GREAT.

I'LL ASK AGAIN, PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

1) DID I DO THE RE-FEEDING WRONG?
2) SHOULD I GO BACK ON THE DIET AND DO THE RE-FEED AGAIN AFTER BEING ON THE DIET FOR A MONTH OR SO?
3) ARE MY HORMONES NOT COMPLETELY HANDLED BECAUSE I DID RE-FEEDING INCORRECTLY? (i.e. IS THAT WHY I'M NOT ABLE TO EAT EVEN THE ALLOWED FOODS AFTER RE-FEEDING WITHOUT GAINING WEIGHT)
4) IS THERE A WAY TO HANDLE THIS, OR AM I ONLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO DIET FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE TO STAY HEALTHY AND KEEP MY SIGHT?
AND, FOR THE FIFTH TIME, I'll ask the question again:
5) If YOU ALL were me, and couldn't have CARBS, and CAN'T eat dairy (which means, ladies, NO DESSERTS EVER) and now can't eat fruit EVER...what would YOU choose to have as your "dessert" or a "sweet snack"?

[cyberella]

hi, gail--
im not a moderator or admin, but a concerned person who follows your story from your first entry in the forum--
i understand your frustration {mood} and (as i sense) your anger as well!
but i dont think the 1st pd is what caused these severe problems in your metabolism!
i've been thinking about u last nite and it came 2 mind that if u feel like having more fruiz, u could 4 a while go back on the diet, as u had 3 fruiz then and even lost weight.
obviously iz not possible 2 have a lifestyle like 1 week off one week on diet, as u seem 2 gain way 2 quickly! sorry about that!!! {sorry}
what i would do if i was u is go 2 a diet-consultant or therapy-
i was in an institute 4 that kind of probs!!
u can do a lot in terms of psyche and physical state u're in..
y would your body not want 2 cope with soo many thinx?
y do u have 2 deprive yourself of soo many thinx!
i understand your desperation, but please go and find help!
have some blood tesz run and look in2 your heart and mind 2 find out, what your body is desperately trying 2 tell u!!!
all the best from me!! {bighug}:comfort:

[GailStout]

Cyberella -- first I wanted to thank you for thinking about me! Second, well done on your own weight loss!!! Know that the middle four weeks of the diet, for me, was one month of NO weight loss. What I realized is that I was "plateauing" (is that a word) at weights at which I had been for many years...so I plateaued at the weight at which I had been the longest over my life (do you get what I mean? It's kinda hard to say).

But I need you to understand, as well, that I'm NOT unhappy.

I'm just NOT GETTING AN ANSWER FROM THE 1PD people. FOr some reason, those questions (which I've asked countless times since my re-feed was complete) are NOT answered. I've offered to pay to have a "maintenance consultant", I've asked in every way possible, but I'm NOT GETTING SPECIFIC ANSWERS to MY SPECIFIC questions.

Just generalizations and quotations which don't actually answer my questions. For six months.

The reason I'm on this forum in the first place is I received this from my own consultants (after absolutely no response for five months):

This is the email I received on January 28:

"Dear Gail
Thank you for your email and we are very happy to learn that you are doing well. Since you completed your program, we changed the operation and now our consultants work directly with the customers through our computer system and not through email. We therefore suggest that you register to our forum (free of charge of course) and post your question on the forum. The forum consultants will be happy to reply. You will also find on the forum recipes, and chats of current and ex dieters.
www.1PDForum.com
Regards,
The Consultants Team
1st Personal Diet"

This is the email I sent:
From: Gail
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 9:01 AM
To: '1st Personal Diet'
Subject: A quick post diet question
Hi -- It's been nearly six months since I finished, and have kept my weight within range.
As I told you before, the diet helped me find a hidden dairy allergy, and because of my tendency to obesity, I'm not supposed to eat much fruit. And, as we discussed, I have great difficulty without my "3 fruit 6 cracker" snack.
My problem: coming up with a snack (not fruit, not dairy) that replaces fruit and crackers? I can't think of anything that isn't CARBS. Have you any suggestions, please?"
This has been asked over and over and for some reason I'm not fitting into to some category, and they won't give me an answer.

SO, Cyberella, I'm NOT depressed. I LOVE my new body. I'd just like to actually be able to FINISH the cycle of dieting and BEGIN the cycle of living.

You keep on it! It IS worth it.

[cyberella]

dear gail-:gurney:
i dont think iz so much of "dont want" but of "dont know how" 2 help u!!
i thought of an option and always end up thinking of dairy.
when u blend eggs long enough it gez kinda frothy, then u'd add mascarbone ie 2 have a tiramisu-cream (also dairy). :cow:
i dont think the frothy egg with stevia would b enough 2 feel content (but iz like a cream if u have it in the whipping-machine 4 very long /when i bake a cake i leave the eggs -with the sugar, though- in there 2 b whipped 4 about 20 minutes or a bit longer. i'll do some more thinking and try 2 come up with something better!!:thinking:

[GailStout]

Hi -- that's EXACTLY right -- I DON'T KNOW HOW.

So how come no one will answer my question?

I NEED A SNACK TO REPLACE FRUIT AND CRACKERS WHICH WILL BE THE "SWEET" IN MY DAY.
A "dessert" or "fruit" - like snack which is NOT DAIRY, CARBS, OR MEAT -- it needs to replace FRUIT, not make me full. It needs to give me a BREAK from meat and veg.

I can only eat one egg per day, and no other dairy at all, so I can't do more than that egg which is eaten for breakfast.

But thanks for the recipe -- post it on the recipe page.

[Shasha]

{hi} there Gailstout

The time that I send on the Forum per day is limited to one hour and there are quiet a few posts from different people that need replies. However, I have taken special time to answer your e-mail and I'm going to answer your questions 1 by 1 so that you do not miss the answers to your questions...

This post has taken some time to type and think about (I’m not a doctor or an encyclopaedia, which I feel would be better suited to answer your questions) – but I have tried my best... (Your post alone has taken over an hour to answer.)

My reply was too long, over 7200 characters so I have had to divide the post into 2 sections, please read both as they go hand in hand.

:bighug: here goes:

1) DID I DO THE RE-FEEDING WRONG? I do not believe that you have done your Refeeding wrong.

2) SHOULD I GO BACK ON THE DIET AND DO THE RE-FEED AGAIN AFTER BEING ON THE DIET FOR A MONTH OR SO? I don’t think so because you have not gained any excess weight. From what you say you also do not have any more excess fat and you have reached your ideal goal weight. (Sometimes when people do not loose all the weight they should, they struggle to keep their weight down.)

3) ARE MY HORMONES NOT COMPLETELY HANDLED BECAUSE I DID RE-FEEDING INCORRECTLY? (i.e. IS THAT WHY I'M NOT ABLE TO EAT EVEN THE ALLOWED FOODS AFTER RE-FEEDING WITHOUT GAINING WEIGHT) It is really hard for me to say what has happened, but I want to ask you to please do the following: over the weekend, please go back to eating exactly as per your last day of Refeeding and let’s see what happens… Keeping Insulin down will be a daily thing… I do believe that you should have your thyroid medications seen to.

4) IS THERE A WAY TO HANDLE THIS, OR AM I ONLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO DIET FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE TO STAY HEALTHY AND KEEP MY SIGHT? No, please do what I suggested above. I do not see why you need to diet for the rest of your life!

AND, FOR THE FIFTH TIME, I'll ask the question again:
5) If YOU ALL were me, and couldn't have CARBS, and CAN'T eat dairy (which means, ladies, NO DESSERTS EVER) and now can't eat fruit EVER...what would YOU choose to have as your "dessert" or a "sweet snack"? As I said before, try an apple, if you are scared to gain weight from 1 apple, try ½ an apple and SEE WHAT YOUR BODY SAYS ON THE SCALE the next day.

We did recommend that you snack on crackers with cinnamon; I recommended that you make diet jam or even apple in diet soda to enjoy as snacks. You were also recommended to have a piece of cold meat / chicken on your crackers between meals if you are hungry.

For now, please follow the last day of your Refeeding Program. Eat only the food specified and let us see what happens.

I can understand your frustration that you are allergic to dairy – this really excludes a lot of food from your eating plan! I’m sorry about that – it is not nice! (But there is nothing we can do about that.) I am also sorry that you do not eat fish or seafood - this further excludes a lot of foods from your eating plan, and leads to frustration which I can imagine is horrible! (But there is also nothing we can do about this.)

Normally after the diet clients enjoy all kinds of seafood’s and dairy, but you are not able to do this. So you have to find alternative foods that you like – why not try soy or tofu? (yogurt, ice-cream etc). You mention eating only chicken and red meat for the rest of your life. I don’t understand why you are not eating lean lamb or pork? Or perhaps I remember wrong?

Please see next post:

[Shasha]

:bighug: Continued...

If you want a desert or something sweet and if you are so very sensitive to gaining weight, why do you not try a couple of different types of sugar free products such as is used by diabetic’s world wide ie candies, deserts, cookies etc – I emphasize the word MODERATION. (Check the fat content as well.) On one day have only 1 sweet, on the next try ½ a sugar free cookie. If nothing happens try having a bit more. If ½ a cookie was fine and 1 cookie was fine, but you gained when you had

There are lots of people who are lactose intolerant and lots of people who are diabetic. Nobody said that you could never have desert again. For one, and this is really so very simple, I recommend you try to find a sugar free jello. A nice desert (SORRY FOR THE DIET BUDDIES, PLEASE DON’T READ THIS) could be plain soy yogurt mixed with diet jello. You mix with ½ water total ie only the boiling water to dissolve the jello, then you let this stand until cold, mix this with about 500 ml of plain soy yogurt and put into the fridge to set. – It is nice if you do not mix it through, but leave some parts dark pink and other parts white like a marble effect. Try having a 75 ml portion for desert and see what happens.

You could try to find sugar free sorbet deserts. There is also tofu ice-cream (and I am told it is delicious). (Experiment with a tablespoon, not more for desert and SEE WHAT HAPPENS.)

You could try to find books on lactose intolerance and also those on sugar free meals. Visit your local health shop and see what lactose free sugar free treats they have. You should not have to deprive yourself.

I am not saying go wild, try just a little and see what happens. You will need to experiment with one thing at a time and see how your body reacts. Portion sizes is also important. Start off by taking just one tablespoon of sorbet or just a little of the sugar free jello as a desert, this should really NOT CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN.

If you gain weight by only following your last day of Refeeding and this happens on two days in a row ie: do Refeeding on Saturday and on Sunday and on Sunday and Monday morning you gain weight, well then I would like to refer you to your personal doctor because I feel that something is wrong.

You trained your body to cope with 4 fruits per day during Refeeding and you trained your body to cope with 3 slices of bread and 50 g of starch and a cookie during the Refeeding. You did these and you remained at your goal weight.

I do not understand why you should not eat any fruits? I do not understand why you should gain weight when you include even a little bit of starch. This did not happen during your Refeeding – why should it happen now?

Sorry to say, and I do not mean anything ugly by it, but to my thinking, this is not normal.

If you for some reason you have now become this very sensitive and that you cannot even eat a fruit without gaining weight and that now you cannot even eat any starch, I believe there IS a problem.

I am not a doctor, just a moderator, and my best bet would be to refer you to your personal doctor – perhaps the problem lies with your thyroid / your thyroid medication which may need adjustment. (I do know that often clients who are on thyroid medication struggle to loose weight.)

As said before, the last day of Refeeding is a good indication as to how you should eat, how much proteins, starch, veggies, etc. for the rest of your life. You ate this on Refeeding and you remained at your goal weight. I don’t understand why you should gain weight now.

(Dr Cohen says if you gain weight you need to slow down.)

Again, I’m sorry for your problems :bighug: with your own personal allergies etc. it is difficult, but I am trying to help you to find a solution and I do hope that the above tips are useful.

[GailStout]

OH MY GOD! SOMEONE ANSWERED!
(I probably just lost five pounds just from the MASS OF FRUSTRATION that's blown away).

Okay. I completely understand that my allergies (fish/dairy) have thrown everyone off here, and that I can't be normal.

But here's where we are in PRESENT time.

I got everything you said, Sasha, and THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for the time you spent.

I'd like to clarify a few details that you assumed from what I'd written, cuz it's not quite right in PRESENT time. All of your answers would have worked WELL if someone had responded to my questions last September.

HOWEVER, here's where we are RIGHT NOW:

After going through the re-feeding, and gaining weight instantly with every change in my diet, I've NOT been on the re-feeding amounts. I've eaten ONLY THE DIET FOODS IN THE DIET AMOUNTS for nearly 5 months (with the exception of one piece of apple pie at Christmas time and one Paczki at Mardi Gras). SO, does that mean that I've BEEN ON THE DIET for 5 months and still need to do re-feeding again?

I will indeed use the jello idea (does anyone know if jello makes "packable" lunchbox type containers of sugar free), but I don't understand how I can use crackers if they're carbs?

Thanks again for all of the time you've taken on this...it does help.

I just wish someone would have given me this data five months ago.

Can you help me with NOW, please?

[mama]

Hi Gail,

I've been on this diet for 4 weeks (although I signed up in November...) and I did this diet a couple of years ago, although never finished it due to some personal circumstances.
I've been reading all your posts in this forum - they are really inspiring, interesting and encouraging!!!
I understand your frustration about "having to be on diet" for the rest of your life, however, unfortunately, a lot of people have to be "on diet" all their lives! My mom lost about 100 lbs 35 years ago (with Weight Watchers). She just turned 80, unbelievably healthy, but watches every single bite she puts in her mouth and if she does not do it - she gains few pounds withinn few days (even after 35 years!!!!). Most women I know, even the ones that have never been overweight, have to watch what they eat (most of them, by the way, do it by not eating CARBS), especially after reaching the age of 40-45.
Also, people are different. I know so many people (also women, my age, with more or less the same overweight that I carry -around 40 lbs) that lost with 1PD 25-30 lbs within the first 4 weeks. Myself - if I stick 100% to the diet, no deviation at all, I still lose only 8-9 lbs the first week, and then 2.2 lbs every week. By the way, it was the same when I did this diet 14 years ago !!! Believe me - it is frustrating but I realize people are different and for me - this is tilll the fastest weight loss (and I have been to WW, etc...).
I've also read your questions to the consultants. Don't get mad at me - but I think they did answer your questions. I realize that you have some very specific constraints as to what you are allowed/not allowed to eat but these are really unique ones and I don't see how they can further assist you. Most people can eat fish, chicken, beef, turkey, etc... I don't want to be too annoying, but have you considered a "vegeterian" diet? i.e. Tofu, chick peas, grains, etc... I am just trying to help, because I have a couple of friends (including my Personal Trainer) who have switched to a vegeterian diet (or "Vegan" diet) due to health problems and they feel so much better and some of them have even lost some weight, although losing weight was not their goal.
I hope this was not too long - I am just trying to help and share some of my personal frustration with you...:flower:

[GailStout]

Hi Mama -- Yes, SASHA finally answered my questions JUST TODAY in a way that I could understand them. Every other "answer" did not address my question, but just used quotations from the diet guide which did not actually apply to my problem -- I can read, and I can understand, and I hoped to communicate that the diet guide was NOT helping me with these issues!

SO, SASHA, THANK YOU!

Mama please look at my last post to Sasha, and you'll see why I hope to be able to add the other "good" meats/veggies, but I haven't been successful. All I need to know is if I should do the re-feed again and see where I end up, as I've actually been ON THE DIET continuously for nearly a year, though I did the re-feed. When I finished the re-feed, I gained weight with EVERY change, so just went back to DIET amounts, hence I WAS ON THE DIET.

So, do I do the re-feed again?

THANKS, Mama!

[Shasha]

{hi} there Gailstout

You have been on diet for 5 months after Refeeding? Do you weigh your food?

If that is the case, I recommend that you do the whole Refeeding program again... but I have hesitation in saying this.

This senario to me is strange because in my mind, if you had been on diet for another 5 months after reaching your goal weight, girl, there should be NOTHING left of you!! From the photo's though, that is not the case.

I still think there is a problem with your thyroid medication - BUT I'M NOT A DOCTOR, please talk to your doctor. I don't think it is normal to eat so very little and NOT to loose weight in 5 months.

I don't know about lunchbox jello - but Tupperware sells little moulds that you can make sugar free jello in.

Crackers ARE carbs BUT, IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH YOU EAT!!! You should never have more than 2 at a time. More than 2 will trigger insulin, two or less will not. Having 1 or 2 crackers should be 100% fine at 11 am.

I'm glad that you say the suggestions help. Sorry, the forum was not there 5 months ago.

Hope that helps :bighug:

[Secretary]

Hi Gail,

lol ... I was working my b... off writing you a detailed reply when I noticed that the amazing Shasha sent her message first :angry:

I will not repeat this again as I think she did better than what I did.

You offered to pay extra to get support and we simply do not so this. Instead, we help you here in the hope that other members and visitors gain knowledge and benefit themselves from this information.

Gail, you look wonderful and as many slim and good looking women, you need to watch your weight. Even some of the most beautiful women of the world - including famous celebrities and actresses - need to do just that. You are not alone. The difference is that in addition to everyone's else limitation, you cannot eat dairy and fish. I suggest that you seach for non-dairy desserts. I had some very tasty tofu based desserts made by a friend who happend to be a vegan. (Tofu sweet pudding, tofu sweet pie, and more).

I also saw the posts sent by your "dieting-sisters" here and the moderators. Just got a message from Admin who wanted to ensure that you do receive a satisfactory reply to your questions. Gail, we care!
{bighug}
Please keep posting and let us know how did it work.

[Shasha]

Hi there Mama

Thank you very much for your much valued post... :bighug: from me!

Yes, it is frustrating... so many nice things out there, but

{oops}, if we INDULGE WE BULDGE!! and I'm {sorry} that life is like that...

Remember, we are all in this fight against fat together! So I really do understand your and everyone else's battle with the budge!

I guess the reason we struggle with weight issues is because we have moved away from what is natural God made good food to what is highly processed and artificial. Imagine how much sugar cane you need to eat to get the same effect on your body as you would by eating just one bar of chocolate!

I think we should just :elmer: the makers of unhealthy processed foods! They should be banned from the planet because they are making so many people sick!!!

All they care about is selling as much of their products as possible to anyone and everyone who will buy it. They are not concerned about the consumer's health...

[MrsPeel]

I seem to remember you mentioning in an earlier post that you were experiencing the first hot flashes - have you considered that perimenopause is one thing that can throw all your hard work into a cocked hat?? For me, it's the very reason I came to 1PD in the first place.

I started with my nutritionist when I was 46, and had great success with her guidance. I lost over 40 pounds fairly easily, though slowly, and was at 182 lbs. (within 20-25 of my goal). I slipped up a bit and put a little back on in the summer when I was 48, but then suddenly, that autumn, after my 49th birthday, I started into menopausal symptoms and my weight began to climb. Nothing we did with either diet, supplements or exercise made a difference, and by 50 I had rocketed up to 250 lbs. With all this extra weight, I stumbled and turned my ankle one day, and instead of a nasty sprain, I fractured the 5th metatarsal bone in my foot. You can imagine what the following weeks of sedentary life did to me.

I had the usual battery of tests on my thyroid (fine) and heart (fine) and anything else anyone could figure out how to test, and I went to the gym like a crazy girl. Every day, 251 on the scale. No more, no less. I finally saw a female doctor who said point-blank, "studies show that women your age, once they have gained this much weight, never really lose it." That made me so angry! I found out about 1PD right after this and here I am, down 32 lbs. in the first 8 weeks.

BUT - I have also nearly completed my menopause. I have no symptoms at all and have not had a period in 10 1/2 months. I don't think this is coincidental. The 1PD rebalancing of hormones is not in conflict with the perimenopausal hormone upheaval. Anyway, just a thought - I know that I never in my life experienced weight gain like I did when I first became symptomatic.

Hope this helps . . .

[mama]

You are right about the processed food. Personally, I believe it is one of the main reasons for so many people being overweight. Then you read about all the hormones that are injected/inserted into the animals that produce the meat/dairy and even the fruit and vegetables. I've read that things are especially bad here in the US!!!! So, even if you and your family stay away from all the fast food around you (like my family), you are still not safe!!!
:angry:

[mama]

Hi MrsPeel,

Thank you for your post! It makes me determined to complete this diet and reach my goal weight ASAP. I am 47 and it sounds like things are getting worse as you get closer to 50... :thinking:

[Bailey]

Gail,

You can get sugar free jello in "to go" packs. Also, I'm not sure if this would be of any help at all but I am very sensitive to carbs so I order low carb English muffins, pita's and bagels from www.westernbagel.com. I eat La Tortilla low carb tortilla's from the grocery store. Good luck!

[MrsPeel]

Hi, mama!

Glad to help - but remember, we're all different, so you may slide into perimenopause at a different age and with different symptoms than I did! I feel very lucky, as I had only about 2 months of hot flash-type activity, and a little of the night sweats, but mainly my weight gain was the prime menopausal issue. It ain't over 'til it's over, but I feel pretty certain I have finished the menstrual portion of my life. I will let you know, in April! :laughing:

[Shasha]

{hi} there to all the DIET BUDDIES!

Mrs Peel: Menopause - now you've shocked me! I thought you were 21! I WANT YOU TO TAKE A VIDEO RECORDER with you when you go back to that Doctor and show her the NEW SLIM GORGEOUS YOU!!! Can you imagine her face! {rofl} She will be eating her words before this year is over!!!

I'm not surprised that all the time in the gym led to no weight loss. This is very frustrating! For some people exercises can even lead to weight gain... say if you overdo it a bit, which is quiet easy when you are desperate to loose weight, and then you could end up feeling really tired, perhaps even shaky from low blood sugar and exertion... what is such a person going to do to make them feel better? That is right... lots of people at that point then grab the quick and easy sugar rush goodies to give them the lift they feel they need.

You may VERY WELL HAVE A VERY GOOD POINT FOR GAIL and all the readers: Lots of ladies struggle to control weight prior and during menopause... (Honestly, I think that this little burden could have rather been given to the men!)

Mama: Oh boy! I'm told even the air we breath is not good for us... but, there is nothing we can do about it... (except choose not to add to the problem by using our resources wisely)... For lack of better, we must choose our battles... we may not be able to get past all the toxins people are using to make more money faster, but we can try to choose the healthiest options at hand ie: free range eggs, organic veggies etc. When you eat healthy food, at least your body has less to fight against than if you were any old stuff.

Maybe now would be a good time to plan / start your own little vegetable patch? I like to grow a few of my own veggies lettuce, spinach, parsley, other herbs... etc. Fresh veggies and added exercise - what a bargain!

Bailey: I'm sure that Gailstout will be thrilled to hear about the sugar free jello in "to go" packs... I'm going to go and check out the site you have sent... thank you for your feedback ;-)

:bighug: to everyone & 10 out of 10 for caring & participation! {goodjob}

[Bailey]

If you check out Western Bagel, it's the Alternative pita & English muffin and the Perfect 10 bagel. The Alternative bagel's only have 17 net grams of carbs, I can buy those at Wal-Mart and my health food store. The Perfect 10 bagels have 10 net grams, guess that's where they got the name LOL. If you live in California you may have a Western Bagel store near you.

[cyberella]

hi, again gail!!
i hope my post on page 3 did not annoy u as i suggested 2 see a therapist... :innocent4:
as i promised i am back with better snack options:

as shasha suggested i was thinking this afternoon that u r so very lucky 2 live in the us, where i had most delicious soy and tofu dishes and fat & sugar free ice-cream like nowhere else in the world- esp. not in austria-
here u get more fooz closer 2 nature and less artificial ones, but also more boring... ie no fat free items, no diet fanta or sprite, no zevia, the stevia-soda (the girls told me iz like coke, just healthily sweetened asoasoasoaso...
see, u get low carb bagles- never 2 b shipped 2 europe!
and i also thought of the option of diabetic-items like sugar free candies & stuff, as shasha suggested.

btw, shasha, could i also get your friends tofu-dessert-ideas? pls pls pls pls pls pls pls :applause: (just begging, applause comes later..hihi)

so, now i didnt write back 2 repeat shasha, but i had the idea of the day, i hope and i am back 2 make u happy!!!!
if it shouldnt work, i am 1000% frustrated, so here it goes:

carrot-cake:
160 g ground carroz
160 g ground nuz (almond, hazelnut or walnut)
100 g "sugar" which u have 2 swop with stevia-powder
4 eggs
now would come 2 tablespoons of fine whitebread crumbs, but u can just use more of the nuz or add 2 tablespoons of coconut flakes, wheat brans or whatever comes 2 mind instead.

put eggs and sweetener in2 food-processor and whip (as i described in my last post) 4 about 20-30 minutes, till frothy.
carefully brainwash... ahem... fold in (same word in the dictionary..:wacky: haha) the ground nuz, carroz and 2 tablespoons of whatever (brans, cocoflakes or additional nuz)
put mixture in a silicon-baking-dish (no flour and fat required) and bake 4 about 50 minuz (medium high cake-dish) at 180 degrees (dunno in other measuremenz).

btw: iz delicious and i do it once in a while with maple-sirup and organically grown items 4 my baby- when he wanz "sweez"!

[cyberella]

hi, mrs peel, hi shasha!
i also did gain weight by going 2 the gym 6 days a week- but at that time i didnt even eat anything other than veggies and fruiz ("sun-food" they call it-only raw and "alive")!!
so, shasha- i didnt grab a candy bar, eventhough i was low on bloodsugar as i exhausted myself almost every day badly..

the problem was -and can also always b (without being "binging on sweez")- that the {scream} trainer trained me 4 gaining muscle and not loosing fat!
(few repeatings, heavy weighz instead of cardio with light weighz!!)
so, i had muscles like arnold (my fellow countryman) underneath my entire fat.. funny, isnt it?!?!?! {scream}{chucks}{bangdesk}

[cyberella]

hi, gail-
me again!
is dairy only ment as "from the cow" or does that include also sheep and goat-milk producz like feta ie?
cant u change 2 those producz? or try horse-milk if u can handle the idea!(?)

btw: "finally someone answers" wasnt all 2 nice, as i tried 2 help u in my moderate way as soon as i found your post.. i'm no moderator or admin, as i said, (i know, u wanted them 2 take a position) but i felt kind of ignored, if i'm honest.. [/

[Bailey]

Gail here is a low carb cookie recipe that you may be able to have.

Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup Splenda {regular Splenda..not the blended one}
1 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together Splenda and peanut butter. Add egg and vanilla. Roll into walnut size balls and place on a cookie sheet {either very lighted greased or on parchment paper. Dip tines of fork in Splenda & criss cross top of each cookie. Bake approx. 12 minutes.

**I remove mine from the cookie sheet and cool on wire racks. I don't know if that step is needed or not but I thought that I would add.***

[cyberella]

hi, gail-
i asked my mom 4 the panama-cake recipe, as my granny used 2 say "not a gram of flour in this cake"..
as b4 whip 6 ex :chicken:
150 g splenda, stevia or whatever sweetner u use, until frothy.
add eighter 70 g of whatever fat and sugarfree dark chocolate u find or i would add 70 g of plain organic fairtrade coacoa (but not those cocoa-powders full with sugar and emulsifiers!)
u can also use mama's wonderslim coacoa and in that case i would add a little more sweetener with the ex (u'll see whaz goin 2 work best 4 u).
150 g of ground almonz also 2 b added.(the dough by itself is great already, but after baking in a cake-mould 4 45-60' at approx. 170-180 degrees, u :hungry: eat it as it is, or cut the cake horizontally (can i also say: "level"? in 2 "plates" and put cream as follows in the middle and also all around the whole thing.
cream: 150 g butter or whatever u use 4 butter,
100 g powdered sweetener,
70 g chocolate (again i'd use eighter coacoa or fat/sugarfree,
2 ex, 80 g ground almonz.
butter/fat with sweetener till creamy, add soft, but not 2 hot choc, 2 ex and the nuz.
this is an amazing cake and u'll love it!! :cloud9:
and u'll stay slim, cause it contains nothing u cant have!!
just set your mind 2 it and expect the very best 2 happen!!!
please! {bdaycake}
ps: the amounz 4 the sweetner is the amount of sugar that is taken- i dont know of the "sweeting power" of stevia & co in those sizes, so rather take less.

[GailStout]

Hi Bailey -- THANKS for a yummy idea! Can the peanut butter be just PLAIN ground up peanuts (not pre-made bought at the store in a jar peanut butter)...also, does anyone know what the peanuts do as far as CARBS!!?

[GailStout]

Hi Cyberella -- Thanks for the yummy cake recipe!

I have a question (to you or anyone else): Is there a butter substitute out there that someone with a dairy allergy can use? Can I use canola oil in the same amount, or do I need something else to make up the "fat" part that butter contributes to the recipe?

[GailStout]

By the way, Cyberella, when I was talking about being ignored I was talking about September through February. I wasn't talking about you at all -- I was talking about the empty air that occurred between the end of my refeed and Sasha's answers to MY questions. There was no support once my re-feed ended, and no website forum either.

I very much appreciate all you said!

[GailStout]

On my dairy allergy -- For me it means NOTHING except 1 egg per day. No milk, no butter, no cheese, no nothing. I have trouble with goat's milk, and I don't think I've ever heard of commercially available horse milk here in the US (so probably it would be cost prohibitive even if I COULD find it).

For me, keeping dairy out of my system means getting my sight back, so it's not something I'll play around with very much.

[Shasha]

{hi} Everyone,

Nice to see you all chatting along - GREAT: {grouphug1}

:cop: Gail, to answer your question, as per page 26 of the Maintenance Guidelines please note that nuts are high in carb/starch content and need to be counted as part of your once daily starch meal. Never have nuts for breakfast with or without cereals. Nuts are for lunch or supper only.

(I recommend that you study pages 24, 25, 26 and page 27 very carefully, Dr Cohen's tips for life after the diet / maintenance are contained in these pages.)

Cyberella while being on the diet you may have soy yogurt, but not goatsmilk cheese - this can be had after the diet again. (You could try blending tofu with kiwi fruit - I think that can be nice?? Also you can mash it up with cinnamon and sweetener or a bit of coffee powder and sweetener - dissolve the coffee power in a bit of water first...)

Cyberella with regards to gym and building muscles... :weights2: proteins are the building blocks of muscles and I think your body must have gone through quiet a tough time building muscles on a vegetarian sun food diet... Ouch!

Regarding Oil/Fat/Butter, on page 26, Dr Cohen says it is a good idea to stay with low-fat products for general health purposes. The best oil for cooking is canola or olive oil.

Most people find that their diet contains too much fat and try to find ways to reduce this.

I cannot say if you can substitute canola for butter in this recipe or all recipe's for sure- but Cyberella did say: 70 g of whatever fat and sugar free dark chocolate u find... So I don't see why you cannot use canola for this?

I think any substitutions will depend on the recipe and you would probably only discover the answer by trying - the taste and texture might be slightly changed.

I recommend always looking for the low fat options and even then, limit your serving size.

Health shops normally do sell cookies that are dairy free etc. and you could visit your local health shop to see what selection is available. Remember MODERATION! That means you only buy one packet at a time and it should last more than a week...

Last but not least! Bailey, thanks for your Peanut Butter cookies recipe - they sound really nice... just remember that peanuts must be seen as starch...

[GailStout]

Hi Sasha! That's exactly why I asked; I knew that peanuts were a carb and that fat is a no-no after re-feed!

There are two ways I've stumbled on the "Cohen Graduate" diet: SERVING SIZES and not completing the full 48-hour no carbs after eating "badly" thing. I've found that having a packet of cookies in the house is DANGEROUS (even if they are no-sugar, low fat cookies) and I have a VERY hard time with the NO CARBS AT all thing.

How to cope with that? It's the only "BINGING" I've EVER done -- even when I ate my way to 257 pounds eating anything and everything I wanted...I just had huge portion sizes all the time.

But when you're used to eating crackers & fruit or a slice of bread or a plain cookie, and you do a "binge" -- a restaurant meal with a dessert, maybe -- how can you not feel hungry (and feel like the rules "must not apply to ME -- I weigh 145") when you remove the crackers/fruit/carbs for 48 hours? How can you make yourself just do the diet as written?

[cyberella]

GAIL! GAIL! GAIL!, she shouted very exighted, "i've found loz and loz of yummy tofu recipes on google! i just typed 'sweet tofu recipes' and was busy 4 hours writing them down!!" u'll find good ideas there!
and can also experiment with tofu and soymilk instead of dairy or mayb even instead of butter..

as 2 the fat, or better, butter substitute: in cakes i sometimes use coconut fat or palmoil- iz easy 2 melt and it bcomes hard and gives your dish extra body and substance. (never ever use hardened fat as they make people ill and fat and cause all kinz of heart-disease!!!!!!!)
depending on what u want 2 do, u can also use sunflower oil- canola i dont know as i cant seem 2 find out what this is in german-- when i visited my sister in la (she lives there) i read canola oil here and canola there and couldnt find a translation.

but in loz of cake recipes, esp. those where u only use a cup 4 measuremenz, it always requires one cup of oil-
so u can try your recipes also with oil -then i'd leave it baking a bit longer, though!

shasha, what about the nuz! i'm quite sure dr.cohen knows what he's doing, but nuz have the least carbs and the most fat and loz of protein... so i'm upset, bcause where r we heading?

almonz ie: 19g pro, 54g fat yet only 9,3g carbs!!
how is that 2 explain? is from now on everything thaz tasty regarded as carbs?!?!?!?! {taz} {mood}

gail, y cant u have more than one egg? :chicken:
adhere 2 dr.cohen?
if so, i would try more than that, as loz of thinx he suggesz and which work 4 others very well, dont seem 2 apply 2 u..
u obviously have 2 find your own balance and after-diet-way anyway as noone can really help and know what your body can handle and what not!!! (just my humble opinion :flirt:)

[cyberella]

GAIL! GAIL! GAIL!, she shouted very exighted, "i've found loz and loz of yummy tofu recipes on google! i just typed 'sweet tofu recipes' and was busy 4 hours writing them down!!" u'll find good ideas there!
and can also experiment with tofu and soymilk instead of dairy or mayb even instead of butter..

as 2 the fat, or better, butter substitute: in cakes i sometimes use coconut fat or palmoil- iz easy 2 melt and it bcomes hard and gives your dish extra body and substance. (never ever use hardened fat as they make people ill and fat and cause all kinz of heart-disease!!!!!!!)
depending on what u want 2 do, u can also use sunflower oil- canola i dont know as i cant seem 2 find out what this is in german-- when i visited my sister in la (she lives there) i read canola oil here and canola there and couldnt find a translation.

but in loz of cake recipes, esp. those where u only use a cup 4 measuremenz, it always requires one cup of oil-
so u can try your recipes also with oil -then i'd leave it baking a bit longer, though!

shasha, what about the nuz! i'm quite sure dr.cohen knows what he's doing, but nuz have the least carbs and the most fat and loz of protein... so i'm upset, bcause where r we heading?
almonz ie: 19g pro, 54g fat yet only 9,3g carbs!!
how is that 2 explain? is from now on everything thaz tasty regarded as carbs?!?!?!?! {taz} {mood}
i know it wasnt your idea, but sorry -cant get a line 2 dr.cohen 2 tell him what i think rite now! ;o)

about my gym-story: see, how determined i am and how much everything is in the mind!!!?

and about the goatmilk -yak-
i will not now, nor ever want 2 take it as this is waaay out my vegetarian range (iz so specific in taste and smell that i think i eat the whole goat).. i only wanted 2 suggest desperate substitute substances 2 gail 4 her dairy-problem!

gail, y cant u have more than one egg? :chicken:
adhere 2 dr.cohen?
if so, i would try more than that, as loz of thinx he suggests and which work 4 others very well, dont seem 2 apply in your case..
u obviously have 2 find your own after-diet path as noone can predict what your body can cope with and what not!! (just my humble opinion :flirt:)

[Bailey]

Even though fat may be a no-no after the diet I still feel like I have to add some healthy fats into my diet. I'm not saying everyone should but I've never had problems with the healthy fats just the bad carbs and sugar.

[mama]

Gail,

I use Fleischman's 'Unsalted Margarine (light buttery taste)' as a substitute for butter (when I want it to be non-dairy). It is not a fat-free product but is a non-dairy one. I use it for baking.
I also use something by Land Lakes - it's a non-dairy fat-free margararine substitute. I don't have it right now in my refrigerator but I am going later to the grocery store to get it, so I'll post you the exact name (it's in a squeezable plastic container). I use it for mashed potato or any time I need to use margarine/butter but still want to keep it fat-free and non-dairy.

Gail - another tip: Products that are marked U Pareve (the letter U is in a circle), which is the Jewish Kosher symbol for non-dairy Kosher products are non-dairy (the unsalted margarine I mentioned above is one of them). You will find quite a lot of these products in any local grocery store. Let me know if you need any help in finding some more non-dairy substitutes.

[GailStout]

MAMA!!! THANK YOU MUCHLY!!!
You've given me some non dairy options for flavor, AND cleared up a long-standing misunderstood word for me -- "U Pareve". I NEVER knew that!!! This is a GREAT tip for those of us who don't keep Kosher but DO need to be non dairy! THANK YOU!

[mama]

You are more than welcome!!!! I only know these things because I keep Kosher at home...
I still "owe" you the name of the other substitute...

[mama]

Gail - "Smart Squeeze nonfat margarine spread" is a non-dairy fat-free. It is not made by Land Lakes. It's not for frying or baking.

[Shasha]

{hi} there Everyone

So nice to see you all chatting along...

Bailey: Dr Cohen says: keep to a LOW FAT eating plan, this is not the same as a NO FAT eating plan. I agree, you do need some healthy fats in a balanced diet, but it is often a lot less than most people use.

Cyberella: I don't make Dr Cohen's rules, I only follow then, because when you do, you have remarkable RESULTS!!! {cheerleader} and, I don't know what all the fuss is about because Dr Cohen does NOT say that you cannot eat NUTS again, he says not to have them first thing in the morning, because, despite whatever the nutritional value is, they will trigger hunger and start up your ''fat *******''. You can have nuts, with or just after your starch meal. You can have starch once a day for either lunch or dinner... Often times it is not what you eat, but how you eat the foods that makes a very big difference. Dr Cohen says that you can have all foods in moderation after the Refeed Program and I have found this to be true by experience!

Gailstout: you said: "Hi Sasha! That's exactly why I asked; I knew that peanuts were a carb and that fat is a no-no after re-feed!'' ... :confused: well then why did you ask?

Cyberella :bighug: has not done the Refeed, she does not know the rules, because she has not yet completed the Refeed and you cannot expect her to give you recipe's based on rules she has never heard of before. But, I give her 10 out of 10 for trying to help... I also do not see anything wrong with this recipe... you are not going to eat the whole cake for breakfast, but a small piece as a desert or treat... and you are allowed to have desert. Cakes are normally made for celebrating birthdays etc and thankfully, for our waistlines, that does not happen everyday. The nice thing is this cake does not include dairy and she's selected that just for you.

You will need to learn to apply the rules within your personal dietary boundaries and experiement with the various ideas to find out what works for you and what does not...

[Shasha]

{hi} there Mama

You said you keep Kosher... :)

You must remember to write to your consultant to ask her what to do when there are fasts etc...


:bighug: HAPPY DIETING!

[mama]

Shasha - Yes, I am. Hopefully, I'll reach my goal weight before the next fast, which is in September... - But who knows ...:thinking:
My sister was on this diet last year for about 8 months (losing about 115 lbs!!!!) and she was given few 'tips' for the holidays.

[GailStout]

Hi all -- thanks!

Confidential to Sasha -- As a graduate, it's my responsibility to help. I asked that question because I know that others currently on the diet, like Cyberella, are reading these posts and are getting ideas which are not necessarily part of their 1PD Rules. To have a forum administrator say something (whatever the subject) puts the truth out there for all to see. If I HADN'T asked that question about peanuts, someone currently ON the diet could look at a particular post and interpret incorrectly. (pssst: that's why we need a dedicated place on this forum for COHEN GRADUATES!!! -- we STILL need support, but we don't need to make the journey more difficult for those at earlier stages!)

To Cyberella: CANOLA OIL is actually a fairly new product. It was developed in Canada in the late 1970s, according to my encyclopedia. It is a version of of a group of cultivars of the rapeseed plant (auf Deutsch = "Raps" ) The word "canola" was derived from "Canadian oil, low acid" in 1978.

To Mama: thanks for the hints on the butter substitute! I'll try it!

[Bailey]

I agree with Gail. I probably shouldn't admit this but I'm kinda doing my own thing since I'm off the diet. I don't want to give anyone the wrong ideas about maintenance. So I should probably keep some of my ideas and or recipes to myself. I know what works for me and I can eat nuts and I think they are very healthy like walnuts, almonds etc. and they don't raise my weight.

Where I get into trouble is of course the sugar & bad carbs but it's the emotional eating that gets me every time. I still find those old thoughts creeping back in sometimes and that's when I realize that maintaining this weight will be way harder than the diet itself.

[GailStout]

Bailey OMG!!!! Emotional eating!!! That's exactly where I am! I've had five funerals in the past 10 days, and I found myself just wanting my old "usual" comfort foods -- chocolate, fritos, and ice cream DESPERATELY!

So, darlin' how do we fix this? BY HAVING A PLACE FOR GRADUATES TO TALK, I'd say!!!

It would be so cool to have a forum where if you're having this type of issue you can go online and say "BAILEY -- I WANT FRITOS!! HELP" -- and have someone on the other end.

We KNOW what we're supposed to do and how we're supposed to eat -- but when we're upset, isn't it true that comfort will always come first in our heads? How to get past that?

Maintenance will indeed be harder, simply because we're given so much freedom. In my case (I put on five pounds this week in a 'good healthy way' -- by eating big portion sizes of GOOD "1PD" foods) it was SO much easier to have in my head "100 g meat 90g veg" instead of "oh, lunchtime!"

It would be fabulous to get together a "Cohen Graduate" recipe collection and a place where we can talk without scaring folks ON the diet or undermining THEIR progress because they listen to us and aren't where WE are.

:-) One Day At A Time, I guess.

[Bailey]

I agree Gail. I don't want to scare anyone that hasn't reached their goals yet.

I'm struggling right now myself to get back in the right frame of mind. I'm unemployed and even though I'm thankful my husband is working, I have too much free time and find myself "snacking" more and more. I can just feel myself losing control again and it scares me to death. I also have a problem with depression. Even though I'm not fat and fifty I'm 50 and unemployed which is depressing to me.

Sorry, I'm not helping.

[cyberella]

hi, gail!
thanx a lot 4 bringing light in2 the canola-story 4 me!
we actually use rapsoel a lot here!!!!

one more thing: i only know the panama-cake done with almonz and dont know what it would taste like with peanuz- here in europe noone thinx of peanuz once u say "nuz", but in the us, if one doesnt specify everybody assumes nuz is peanut (actually the least healthy nut of all...sorry!)

u r very concerned about the diet-buddies still on the program, which honours u, but look or better: read around: just about none of us is a young innocent idealistic girl anymore... well, idealistic we all r, but we r not in our bodies 4 only the last 5 minutz and have done a lot of struggling in our lives so far. i dont think anyone of us is naive...
so, we all know that maintaining a weight that is not the high end weight we all had until now- and some carried their bundle 4 quite a while- will also take some willpower and determination.

and b assured that we also know that the time after the diet is (hopefully) gonna b longer than the time we r on the program with iz strict and rigid plan and instructions 2 how we have 2 live. iz obvious and clear that all of us face some new circumstances we all will have 2 deal with and iz only helpfull 2 take any illusions away from us, as we dont have a clue what iz gonna b like!! exept 4 the ones "repeating the class".. well, and they sure will b interested how others manage 2 not have 2 repeat the program!!!

so, how sweet it ever is 2 b concerned about us, the ones who will give up due 2 your inpuz and struggles r the ones who wouldnt have made it after the program anyway and u saved them a lot of time and struggle.. see it that way!
but i dont think that anyone of us will fall off the bus just like this..:gurney:!!
we r better than this... :jumping2:

oh, btw: i will refrain from confusing u with my recipe-ideas as i really- just like shasha wrote- havent got a clue what the after-life is gonna b like! sorry if i brought up thinx that where inappropriate!

[cyberella]

hey, bailey!! :love7:

i'm so with u and hear u loud and clear!!
i'm also at home (on maternity-leave still) and take care of 2 boys on my own. i faced severe depressions, 2, but thanx 2 my therapies iz waaaaaaaaaaay better now.
only some problems and a big loss of money (caused by some consultant) had me back in some desperate moods..
:hiding:
thaz normally the setting 4 weight-gain, i believe, but due 2 our awareness iz not gonna happen, rite?!?!?!?
{noway}

if i didnt have 2 see after the boybee and time on my own i'd do soo many classes and learn new professions (i did 7 different classes at once that took about 2 -3 years -some of them shorter) and have loz of other professions now!
well, i dont know how things r where u live, but here iz easier 2 find back in2 the working-process if u can show that u r still willing 2 learn and stay intrigued...
and u could also make new frienz and keep your mind open / and off food, btw.. ;o)
or u could even change your job and bcome independent and open your own business-
as a yoga-teacher, masseur or whatever comes 2 mind u always wanted 2 do---?!
learning is so beneficial, i think!!!


and hey, u have a husband who takx care of u -
- not all of us can say that!!!!

all the best 4 u! :flower:

[cyberella]

what i wanted 2 say 2 u both, gail and bailey!!
all your ideas and thoughz r helpful 2 us- we learn from and with u-
u take the lead, we follow..

[MrsPeel]

Cyberella, you are so right! Most of us have been around for quite a while and can decide for ourselves whether reading the post-diet comments helps us or hurts us. As a friend of mine says, "Ignorance is bliss, but who the h*ll wants to be ignorant?" :nerd:

I have no problem anticipating the effort that will be required to maintain my target weight once it's reached. I have two diabetic stepdaughters and a diabetic cat, so dietary restrictions are no stranger to me. And the restrictions on a post-1PD person are at least voluntary - my girls don't have the choice and haven't since they were diagnosed at 18! :sick:

Here's to the free exchange of information! :applause:

[GailStout]

Okay Okay! I get it! However, know that it's REALLY REALLY EASY to NOT keep to the Life After The Diet rules after your re-feed is complete...(think of the first time you lived by yourself without a parent telling you what to do and when to do it...) -- and you look up and the "I'll just do this for a few days; it won't hurt me" somehow turns into three months and 10 pounds of weight gain.

The thing that was hardest for me after re-feed was that NOTHING IS ACTUALLY SPELLED OUT. You get a page and a half of "life after the diet" rules, but NO recipes, NO mention of how to re-insert exercise, NO examples of what condiments are now okay or not, etc. etc. AND, especially for me, NO MORE SUPPORT FROM YOUR CONSULTANT to ask and clarify all those questions.

Compared to the rigid structure one experiences while one is on the diet (for me, 27 weeks including re-feed) the change is SHOCKING.

It's really really really easy to mess this up.

And even though you guys "have been around" there are always folks that are "Hi I'm in week 1" types reading these posts as well...who HAVEN'T been around.

I guess what I'm saying is that if even ONE person falls off their diet because of something they've read here in the maintenance part of the forum, that's ONE PERSON TOO MANY...

Again, that's why I want a "graduates" area on the forum; those of you who have "been around" should be able to read whatever you want, but labeling an area as "for Cohen graduates" might make those folks just beginning their diets NOT go to that area until they're further along. Do you understand?

:-)

Okay, that's it for me!

[GailStout]

Bailey, I'm glad that you've found a place where you can talk!!! My stable datum when things aren't going well is to find ONE area where one CAN do something.

I was in much the same situation as you, and, like you, found out really quickly that free time was BAD.

Much like you, I too had a husband who was employed, which removed a lot of the financial worry but not all of it, but having too much time to do nothing + stress for me ALWAYS equals FOOD. Even though I know exactly what I will look like if I really eat those fritos and chocolates!

So, I began to volunteer in places where my skills could help. I worked in an elementary school as a "math lab helper." I worked for the high school band program as a music librarian. I edited newsletters for parent-teacher organizations. All for free, but there were perks like being busy and not having time to eat (and working with very cool students and teachers)!

I am, now that my kids are away at college, back in the same "too much time on my hands" part of life (hence the amount of time I'm spending on this forum!) With hope I'll be able to figure it out.

I wonder, too, if we could maybe start an area of the forum for 1PD'ers who need things (like jobs) in a particular area of the world -- as in "I'm a fabulous graphic artist, and would like part time work in the San Francisco area" kind of thing? Or at least a place where we can find links to that sort of thing.

I learned that when one is in a confusion, one should just grab one thing in the middle of the confusion and do THAT thing -- whether that is cleaning out your closet or deciding to volunteer in your community or updating your resume or going to a "cattle call" interview -- and once one thing is handled, you go on to the next thing.

You'll do well! (You've already proven you can do a project to its conclusion -- you've finished your 1PD and Re-Feed!!!)

[cyberella]

hi, gail- me again!
u r such an inspiring person and i dont want 2 believe u need this forum 2 find whatever u r looking 4!!
i also think that offering job and volunteer-oportunities all over the world- as thaz the range 1stpd is spread- is way out of the meaning of this program...
y cant u go 2 baileys profile and post a private message 2 her where u and she can find out how and where u want 2 communicate further?
also i think that u can google a lot of things that u r trying 2 find...
mayb iz the same with what 2 do in terms of maintaining your weight-
i dont want 2 offend u, but as far as i understand, dr. cohen helped u 2 get where u r, but now seems 2 b the time 2 leave "daddy" and stand on your own 2 feet...
in your case thaz pretty hard, i see that, but he cant help u any more, as your body is unique and has iz own parameters..

[cyberella]

hi, gail- me again!
u r such an inspiring person and i dont want 2 believe u need this forum 2 find whatever u r looking 4!!
i also think that offering job and volunteer-oportunities all over the world- as thaz the range 1stpd is spread- is way out of the meaning of this program...
y cant u go 2 baileys profile and post a private message 2 her where u and she can find out how and where u want 2 communicate further?
i also think that u can google a lot of things that u r trying 2 find...

mayb iz the same with what 2 do in terms of maintaining your weight-
i dont want 2 offend u, but as far as i understand, dr. cohen helped u 2 get where u r, but now seems 2 b the time 2 leave "daddy" and stand on your own 2 feet...
in your case thaz pretty hard, i see that, but he cant help u any more, as your body is unique and has iz own parameters..
-and there's always the possibility that your medication is causing the problems and in that respect dr. cohen is the wrong doc 2 adress your questions 2, i think!

if any of that hurz u or makx u cross with me, i'm sorry about that, but i had 2 express whaz on my mind!!
this program takx away the fat, we hid behind 4 so long- it cant take iz place or any more responsibility than that.
iz just a diet program, nothing more, nothing less and certainly no substitute 4 anything...
u have really great ideas and big goals, but not everything can b sorted out at the same place and the same time - u need 2 select, i believe!!

[Bailey]

Thanks Cyberella! I know I'll get a job I always have in the past. I was waiting until we came back from vacation to start looking which was 2 weeks ago. I know something will come along. I just don't do very well with this much free time. Instead of taking advantage of the time and doing things that need to be done, I tend to get depressed and very unmotivated.

MrsPeel, I know how you feel, you don't need protecting but I agree with Gail, maybe some people are not as strong as you and do need protecting. To be honest I would not have liked reading some of this stuff when I was just starting. I think I would have thought what's the point of doing all this work? And you also said "I have no problem anticipating the effort that will be required to maintain my target weight once it's reached. " I felt the same way, I just didn't realize just how much effort it would take to maintain 130 lbs at 50. I easily maintained in the 120's in my 20's. It's a whole different ballgame now. I also haven't gone through menopause yet and I've read alot of horror stories about the weight gain and other things.

[cyberella]

Thanks Cyberella! I know I'll get a job I always have in the past. I was waiting until we came back from vacation to start looking which was 2 weeks ago. I know something will come along. I just don't do very well with this much free time. Instead of taking advantage of the time and doing things that need to be done, I tend to get depressed and very unmotivated.

oh, bailey!!
i understand u so very well, there!! :comfort:

MrsPeel, I know how you feel, you don't need protecting but I agree with Gail, maybe some people are not as strong as you and do need protecting. To be honest I would not have liked reading some of this stuff when I was just starting. I think I would have thought what's the point of doing all this work? And you also said "I have no problem anticipating the effort that will be required to maintain my target weight once it's reached. " I felt the same way, I just didn't realize just how much effort it would take to maintain 130 lbs at 50. I easily maintained in the 120's in my 20's. It's a whole different ballgame now. I also haven't gone through menopause yet and I've read alot of horror stories about the weight gain and other things.

well, we get what we xpect!!! :hypnotic:
dont get 2 xighted about it, as i know plenty of women who had a very unspectacular and quite normal time during menopause and havent gained a gram!!!
the only thing that increased was cellulitis but there r also ways out of it!!!

[MrsPeel]

You wrote:
MrsPeel, I know how you feel, you don't need protecting but I agree with Gail, maybe some people are not as strong as you and do need protecting. To be honest I would not have liked reading some of this stuff when I was just starting. I think I would have thought what's the point of doing all this work? And you also said "I have no problem anticipating the effort that will be required to maintain my target weight once it's reached. " I felt the same way, I just didn't realize just how much effort it would take to maintain 130 lbs at 50. I easily maintained in the 120's in my 20's. It's a whole different ballgame now. I also haven't gone through menopause yet and I've read alot of horror stories about the weight gain and other things.

I take your point, but I still don't think that knowing what's ahead for those of us on the diet is a bad thing. The point of doing all this work is to regain health and balance, and learn to resist the enticement to excess that is all around those of us in developed countries. Retraining our minds & bodies to make healthy choices for the long haul is a mighty worthy goal, & knowing ahead of time that there is effort involved can only help us to set ourselves to the task.

As I wrote to GailStout earlier, I have nearly completed menopause, so I already experienced the transition from "I can eat anything I want" to "everything I eat makes me fatter" - it was no fun, I can tell you, but hardly a horror story! And now, with the help of 1PD, I am steadily regaining the healthy balance I had up until perimenopause. :jumping2:

[Shasha]

:applause: Way 2 Go Mrs Peel!

I believe you will not only do well on the program, but also on the Maintenance Program because your approach to life is very realistic! :applause:

[GailStout]

Well, just so you all know -- if, LAST February (2007) I'd read my OWN posts on this thread, I'd NEVER have continued on the diet. NO WAY.

For me, the definition of 'never diet again' was certainly not where I am now.

Realistic or not, that's the PLAIN TRUTH of it -- right or wrong, black or white. I certainly don't want to make anyone fail because of what's going on with ME.

Losing this weight was the best thing I've ever done.

That said, I will diet for the rest of my life if I want to stay that way.

[cyberella]

gail, honestly... i think u r one of the strongest people i've come across in my life and i hear u loud and clear!!! i fully understand your concern about the ones still on diet and u have 2 b honored 4 that.
but i still think u would have carried on with the program, well what was your option, as i think neighter your health nor the way u felt were all that great..
and i admire your dedication and determination-
u r a real role model!!! :flying:

so, dont put on other peoples shoes and as i said b4- the ones who fall off the bus due 2 the truth would have fallen off sooner or later.. and iz still YOUR truth- what happens 2 u will not necessarily happen 2 anyone else-
being on thyroid-medication is very special and as this gland is responsible 4 the function of the metabolism, iz very likely that your problem is not going 2 apply 2 anyone else.

btw, my neighbour who brought me 2 the 1st pd is keeping her size 34 (i think thaz about a size 4 -iz the smallest possible, b4 looking rediciously small and childlike) without any effort or strict rules.. i'm not trying 2 annoy u with that but want 2 make sure that others read that 2 and feel comfortable again- as u r concerned about that!! and 2 show that everyone has his own story 2 tell.....

dont worry 2 much and please dont avoid me 4 my mayb rude way- i'm sorry if i offended u - take it as an offer 2 b invited 2 blow in my face and not keep any possible anger down, as that can help in2 a new attitude of being slim.
(all people i know who dont keep anger and frustration 2 themselves r very slim, i've experienced)

[AfterLifer]

Hi all...I started this thread and haven't been back for awhile due to life's obligations, but I have tried to keep up as much as I can. Now that I see people starting to gang up on Gail, I had to put in my 2 cents again.

I am in contact with a good sized group of "after lifers" and ALL OF US have had struggles with the maintenance phase. It is the NORM rather than the exception -- no matter what others on here may want you to believe.

Make no mistake, this diet does a great job in helping you drop the weight, but it does NOTHING to help you deal with the underlying issues as to why you gained the weight, nor does it teach you how to deal with real life after you leave the strict regimentation of the diet and re-feed.

BE PREPARED to have struggles as you find your way. I've been off re-feed for just about a month, and I've had to find my own way in keeping the weight off. Thinking that you will just be able to do a couple Cohen days or "eat like your last day on re-feed" and the weight will come/stay off is unrealistic.

Once you start eating normally again (and I'm not saying overeating or junk eating), it is VERY HARD to go back to the austerity of the diet. Those of you who have fallen off the wagon for a few days in the middle of the diet can surely attest that it becomes easier and easier to cut corners and "cheat."

To say that Dr. Cohen no longer "owes" Gail (or other "graduates") anything is, in my humble opinion, unconscionable. We paid a lot of money and made major sacrifices to follow his instructions to the letter based on promises made -- including that we "would never have to diet again." In actuality, unless you find, form and/or stay in a diet support group -- whether here or elsewhere -- your chances of keeping this weight off over the longterm are small.

If this board does not want to support its graduates, send me an email and I'll point you to at least a couple others that are trying to. But I'm hopeful that this board -- and Dr. Cohen -- will do the right thing and continue to support those of us who put our trust in them.

[Hugentobler]

Afterlifer and Gail- Thank you for sharing your experience. I have been following this thread closely so that I can go into the maintenance part of my diet with my eyes wide open. I am so sorry for all your struggles...but I truly appreciate you sharing your story in this forum. I wish I could offer some advice, but I have none... You do have my support. My hats off to all you graduates!! Thanks.

[AfterLifer]

Thanks...I wouldn't say I'm always struggling, as I don't have the health issues that Gail has, but I have had plenty of frustration in coming to grips with the reality of the situation. Just don't think that the 1PD is a magic pill for staying slim the rest of your life.

What I'm saying is that, if you had issues around food before you went on this diet, you will have them afterwards, and being free to make your own choices instead of being in a regimented diet program will be a challenge. Be prepared to find support and/or counseling for THAT if you truly expect to keep your weight off.

[lmb]

Hello all. I am brand new to this site but have been 1pd gal for a while. I started a year ago and lost 30 pounds in 10 weeks and looked better than i had in 20 years. Then I got pregnant and had to put on hold. We had been trying for over a year so it was a blessing - Also I think that the 1pd got my body back together and helped in that regard! Anyway, my cravings and crazy preg eating put on the 30 i lost plus 32 more - AUGH 62 total. It had the baby July 31 and lost 42 pounds on my own over the next 3 months - was eating relatively healthy but unable to 1pd as i was breast feeding and think the inital 1pd from previous year helped get my body to react to food right and digest and metabolize etc. Started 1pd (my old diet plan as I didn't have the $$ to re-up) and lost another 30 in the next 3 months. So I am down 76 total from July 07 and 11 pounds from my 1pd goal. YIPEE. So I am ready for re-feed soon and was so glad to see this area!!! You all have been mosthelpful in seeing a realistic view of afterlife.

I am having a hard time of late, as i am sooooo tired of my food and I do not do all the recipies etc as it easier to just eat the same old and call it a day. Once I do re-feed I think I would be willing to experiement, but just too much right now. I also look great in clothes and everyone is amazed when they see me - so since I feel and look good now, i don;t feel the urgency that I once did - any suggestions for making through those last 10???

My best friend did this with me last year and she lost 30 in 3 months - she is 40, had just had twins and is now wearing a size 6. Anyway, she emailed me and said that she has now been OFF the 1pd for 1 year and is still at her all time lowest weight. I loved hearing that as I never knew anyone who had finished. She did the re-feed and then just eats normal now. Lots of protein and veggies etc, but no weighing and splurges when she wants to and is able to maintain. She eats salsa instead of salad dressing etc, but not adhereing to re-feed exact guidlines. So I guess the answer is that there is no "eat whatever" and stay slim in the cards. I am saddened to hear of the struggles and, like you thought I could just go back to real life after this without dieting, but at least I go back to life without blinders on. I just need to be able to fix a dinner for my family and be able to sit and eat with them - nto them having one thing and me having another. My goal is to do the refeed - eat my 1pd breakfast and lunch (without measureing) and a sensible dinner.

Sorry so lengthy - you all are so helpful in your info and so glad to FINALLY find a group of gals who have re-fed or are close and can bounce stuff off each other!!! It's a lifeline I've missed and needed and wish I knew this was here much earlier :)

[Shasha]

{hi} there IMB

A very warm welcome to you :bighug:

{congrats} on having done so very, very well!!!

Thank you for sharing:

My best friend did this with me last year and she lost 30 in 3 months - she is 40, had just had twins and is now wearing a size 6. Anyway, she emailed me and said that she has now been OFF the 1pd for 1 year and is still at her all time lowest weight. I loved hearing that as I never knew anyone who had finished. She did the re-feed and then just eats normal now. Lots of protein and veggies etc, but no weighing and splurges when she wants to and is able to maintain.

Your friend has clearly found her boundaries and established a new healthier eating habit. IF SHE COULD DO IT, WHY NOT YOU???

My best recommendation would be for you to register to the program, as I understand that you are still on your pre-pregnancy diet plan? The problem with being on your old diet is that Dr Cohen will not be able to calculate a Refeeding Program for you.

I wish you every continued success with your weight loss and I look forward to hearing more about you!!


:bighug:

[lmb]

Thanks Sasha - I agree - if she can why can't I? Well I can and I will and I am so happy to hae found this diet. I will keep on and get these last 10 off and love that! Just want them to melt off by tomorrow - HA!

I am not able to re-enroll at this time due to $$ constraints so will have to just hold tight with what I have for now. The old diet seems to be working as well this time as it did pre-pregnancy. I know that is not the plan, but it's how I am having to get through this year.

I do love seeing everyone's comments etc. It is great to have an after life section and help post diet. Keep up the good work all and I look forward to seeing your suggestions etc.

[cyberella]

hey, lmb!!
u must b so very proud of yourself 4 having gone all the way -76 lbs down

WWWWOOOOOOWWW!!

and only 10 lbs "left" b4 having reached your goal!!!
{boing}:party3:{boing}
well, mayb- as your post is already 4 days old (sorry, didnt see it sooner) - u have even only 9 more 2 go?!?!?!

i have no real suggestions on how 2 get through the last stage, as i only head 4 that myself...(have about 16 more 2 go)
but i understand that one can bcome a bit impatient-
esp if one wanz 2 know how the outcome of the "figure" is going 2 b like!!
bronwyn ie is wondering if she's going 2 like her figure,
i wonder if my boobs r going 2 come back and i'm sure u have your own issues y u wonder how 2 get through the final stage...

all the best 4 u and your final spurt :weights:
-

[lmb]

Thanks Cyberella. I actually wanted to lose 20 more for my own personal goal (which was 10 pounds lower than Dr Cohen's). But now that I get closer to the 1PD goal I am happy with it. I may try for the next 10 later, but ready to get back to real life a bit (meaning no more measuring). After reading other posts it seems it will not be exactly what I wanted but better than now.

I do not have any issues with the new figure. I am loving it. My boobs are quite a bit smaller and I like it - normal and fit in shirts without pulling :)

I am just loving being able to wear anything. Bad thing on the pocketbook though as i have NO clothes. Lots of updates to the wardrobe and I'll need to sell or get rid of my old stuff. YIPEE

[Shasha]

{hi} there Imb

{goodjob} to get rid of those too big clothes - that way you will know there is :noway: you are going back to where you came from. Shutting the door tightly behind you is always very important :clapping3:

[landy]

Hello, I'm coming up on 3 weeks of being on the diet and things are going well. I enjoy reading the posts and this is my first time posting to any internet forum!!

I wanted to respond after reading many of your posts, Gail. You must be incredibly frustrated because you didn't think you would be so restricted in your eating the rest of your life. I urge you to explore other reasons besides carbs for the quick weight gain. I remember reading that you had a chronic eye problem for years and years, and that the cause was something you (or your doctors) never considered. I too have had some chronic health problems that I had to solve on my own, without the help of doctors. I just tried different things. Some didn't work and some, thankfully, did. You have just solved the biggest health issue you had (excess weight) and your discipline and determination will help you fix what you think is wrong now. I'm not a doctor, but common sense would tell me that it is not healthy to be on the 1pd diet the rest of your life. It is just not varied, and might be contributing at this point to an imbalance.

I'd like to throw out a few thoughts to you. You ate dairy for many years while you were allergic. This may have caused more than your eye problem. You may not be digesting food the way another person might who doesn't have any food allergies. Maybe you don't process certain carbs the right way, but that it could be corrected. Because of the Cohen diet and because you don't eat yogurt, you might be low on friendly intestinal flora. I was for many years and had a chronic candida problem that didn't manifest itself as a yeast infection, but as moodiness, tiredness, and spaciness. I took a Shaklee product (can't remember the name right now) that was a capsule of good bacteria that you took with a powder that "fed" the good bacteria in your system. It worked. I also had an adrenal gland problem that I made some headway fixing with acupuncture and adrenal gland supplements. These were conditions that were difficult to medically diagnose, so I needed the help of holistic practioners. I'm not saying you have any of these conditions, I just wanted to tell you about my own successes. I sought help because I could not live with the symptoms. Not being able to eat anything not diet is to me a symptom you are saying you don't want to live with, and I don't blame you.

An extremely helpful website is WomentoWomen.com. It has an incredible amount of information about everything from nutrition to menopause and is run by nurse practioners. They also sell a superior vitamin package (with fish oil as well) that I take. There have been some women who solve heath problems just by taking their vitamins. You have to read some of the inspiring case stories!

I also agree with Cyberella about Stevia. It has been shown in studies that Stevia lowers insulin levels. What if you tried eating Stevia after a meal with carbs? At Whole Foods they sell Stevia in little packages to put into tea or coffee or mix into applesauce (it can have a slightly bitter flavor along with the sweetness).

Anyway, these are a few of my thoughts. I don't mean to sound preachy at all, I just wanted to share my own perspective. I know from reading and my own experience that women especially are a beautiful delicate balance of many different body chemicals. When one is out of whack, the balance is disrupted. It seems with women this manifests itself as weight gain! To me you have already done the hard work, maybe now all you need is to do some fine-tuning. Please don't think you have to live this way the rest of your life!

I can't recommend the women to women monthly program enough - you pay to have vitamins sent to you and you have phone support from a nurse. They could also point you in the direction of some diagnostic tests.

Thanks for speaking out, I admire you and everyone else who is trying to take control of their health. (like everyone on this diet!)

Good luck to you!

[cyberella]

hey, landy!! :love7: WOOW!! that is just such a great post, so smart and helpful and inspiring!! :clapping3:
thank u so much 4 showing up and sharing your knowledge!!!
i'll check out the women2women, 2!
and a huuuuge BRAVO!!!! on having sorted out your health issues on your own!! i know how hard it is 2 walk the line outside mainstream-medicine!!!! :gurney:

u r amazing and outstanding!! :innocent3:
an inspiration 4 all of us!!

[lmb]

Just to piggy back off of landy... there are many issues we have that a "doctor" is not aware of. I fought weight for 20 years and didn't eat much at all. I ate my way to the weight I was but I didn;t eat that way to keep on the pounds. In fact I ate VERY little and couldn't lose. I was told by all doctors that I needed to eat less or more healthy and then given a canned diet which was more food and less healthy than I was already eating. Was sent to a holistic dr who had some insights to many things. One was that (sorry if this is gross) I always had bad breath. He said that was because my body was physically starving and the by product is bad breath. Until someone was able to look past the real weight and see what else might be going on I was stuck. Gail - maybe there is something else going on. I know our bodies are not designed to not be able to eat all foods, in normal quantities. I know of the good bacteria etc as well so maybe that is an issue. I am pulling for you that this will get fixed as looking at life on diet forever is no good!

If you don't mind my asking - what was your sight issue that was fixed when you cut out fruit. I may be able to pass along to a friend who has tried all.

[landy]

Thank you to cyberella and lmb for the follow-up posts. http://www.1pdforum.com/images/smilies/1.gif

I remembered that the brand of Stevia I use is Sweet Leaf. I posted the info under the thread about sweeteners as well.

lmb, I was very interested about what you were saying about bad breath. I think I have it too, and I'm not a big coffee drinker and I don't eat garlic, etc.

That word you used, "starved," made me want to mention the reason I am on this diet right now. Again, I am not a doctor, so I may not accurately describe the condition now being called "Syndrome X." It is something 25% of all Americans suffer from and it is a hypersensitivity to carbohydrates. I think I have it, because I have been diagnosed as insulin resistant. The way I understand it, my body makes too much insulin after I eat a meal with any carbohydrates. This tells my body to store the food as fat (even on a diet!), and then my blood sugar drops, causing me to be hungry again. Now, this is the part I'm a little hazy on - the excess insulin causes the cells to not absorb energy (glucose?) and they are literally starving, causing tiredness and even more hunger. Eventually the pancreas is worn out from producing too much insulin and stops producing it, causing diabetes. Sounds nice, doesn't it?

Is this the starvation you are talking about lmb?

The way you diagnose insulin resistance is by having a fasting blood test done, then eat a high carb meal, wait two hours, and have the glucose blood test done again. My fasting insulin/glucose levels were normal, and two hours after eating a salad with regular (i.e. containing sugar) salad dressing they were very high. I think most people get only their fasting levels tested, and the problem goes undiagnosed. And since many diets allow some carbohydrates, they never fix the problem.

I'm hoping that this diet will not cause my body to produce insulin, and my body can be retrained.

Also, lmb, Gail shared that her eye problem was due to an undiagnosed dairy allergy. She stopped eating dairy on this diet because dairy meals made her hungry, and the eye problem went away. The description is in one of her posts and it is really interesting how she found out in the doctor's office.

Sorry about these super long posts, I guess I have a lot to say! Remember, some of it may not be explained in the best way - I keep reading the definitions of insulin resistance on the net and it hasn't quite sunk in yet. Maybe I'm in denial. Not so much that I'm not commited to this diet though.http://www.1pdforum.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[Shasha]

{hi} there Everyone

And of course I've just got to add in my little bit... {mischievious}

Landy, the problem you are calling "Syndrome X" Dr Cohen called Obesity Syndrome more than 20 years ago.

Yes, your body is sensitive to starch and carbohydrates and you can rest assured that foods which trigger insulin have purposely been left off the 1st Personal Diet Program all together.

The good news is that Dr Cohen's research went further than only insulin resistance; it covered 3 hormones, insulin (your fat storing hormone), human growth hormone (your fat burning hormone) and serotonin which controls the craving for food, especially starch.

It is very important that you always follow your eating plan 100% to keep your hormones balanced. After the Refeeding Progam you will need to continue to eat healthy foods as per Dr Cohen's recommendation to keep your insulin levels down.

I would like to ask you to please read a thread that I posted a while ago under support, it's called: Have you FALLEN OFF THE BUS?
It was posted on 01-11-2008 02:06 AM and is currently on the bottom of the second page of SUPPORT.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you've deviated or that you are in danger of deviating... I'm just wanting you to read up a bit about the hormones in different way.

I hope you will enjoy reading this post {cheerleader}

[GailStout]

Thanks so much for helping! You're right, it IS frustrating to still be weighing and measuring my food seven months after completing re-feeding...but I've become more used to it.

I definitely had trouble at the holidays, as my family are all amazing cooks (two are chefs in top restaurants), and having to say "no, thank you" to pretty much everything is difficult. I'm beginning to be more comfortable with how to eat every day, and as long as I'm "on the plan" for most meals I don't really get into too much trouble -- and we have a proven way to get OUT of trouble, don't we?

The hardest part for me is getting past the "I didn't gain any weight yesterday when I ate that (whatever), so why not eat it again TODAY?" thing. I will NEVER be able to binge every single day -- I have to learn to binge very selectively and not very often.

On my "sight issue" -- I didn't cut out fruit, I cut out dairy -- ALL dairy, and elminated a long (37 years!) chronic infection in my right eye called "uveitis" -- the "uvea" is the INNER lining of the colored part of the eye "iris".

You keep going! Because even if the road is a bit bumpy, my fat pants are still a size 6 :-) Luv, Gail

[landy]

I just read, "Have you fallen off the bus?" and it was entertaining! It was a nice thing to read when one hasn't fallen off the bus - I would have cringed otherwise.

Question to everyone on Maintenance - Have you heard about the "Reward Diet?" It has you eat mostly low glycemic meals, then you "sneak in" a high glycemic meal. The meal must be a mixture of high glycemic and low glycemic foods, and include protein. Your body is supposedly tricked into not producing very much insulin because the meals before do not trigger insulin production. You must eat for no longer than an hour, and the following two meals must be low glycemic. You can't really vary which meal of the day is high glycemic once you start the regime. I don't think it is specifically for weight loss, more for weight control. I also wonder if people who are insulin resistant might still have problems with this eating plan. I don't plan on trying it I've gotten to my goal weight and done enough of Dr. Cohen's maintenance plan.

There is an article on the web that references this diet under: [link removed by Admin - sorry but no links are allowed]

By the way, my four year old was enjoying the most delicious looking chocolate chip cookie today and I didn't physically crave it (mentally I sure did.) Maybe my serotonin has kicked in?

My respect to all of you who have completed this diet.

[lmb]

The reason the dr said my body was "starving" was that I was eating very little that I was physically starving it. Apparently a side effect of starvation is bad breath - lovely. Now, I would hardly call me a starving person, but think that I was trying to hard to not eat bad things and whatever I ate made me gain that my body went into starvation mode. Not until I found the 1PD was I able to eat food and not gain weight.

I have done the Rewards Diet. It is called the Carbohydrates Addict Diet and I found it prior to the no carb craze in the US. Basically it sayd eat any no carb food you want all day and pick 12 meal in which you can eat whatever you want as long as it is eaten in a 1 hour period. Thus the "rewards Meal". It is actually similar to the post 1PD eating except with this, you eat low cal and low carb - but both suggest to eat low carb all day and keep all carbs to 1 meal. I did not lose much in this but was able to EASILY maintain. Maintaining was not what I was wanting to do, but was nice to be able to eat and not gain.

[pumbza]

Hi All Great thread with lots and lots of great info I can't really comment because I am still in Refeed but I would like to Just say something if its ok with YOU all!Life was not normal thats why we got onto DR COHEN in my case I was OBESE a disease like alcholism and I will always be in danger of falling of the BUS the thing that gives me hope UNLIKE all the other diets I have gone on I have a EMERGENCY rescue PLAN A & B & C namely 48hr no carb diet and FULL Dr Cohen and refeed again YES its hard I presume when YOU fall of the BUS but that will always be a DANGER and at least there are backup plans and SUPPORTATIVE DIET BUDDIES who are JUST SO GREAT!!!I have yet to meet anyone who have had problems of weight gain who never again had to worry about life after diet on any diet so it seems to be a UNIVERSAL problem and things like emotional eating etc have to be dealt with by experts I myself so far have stepped UP my activity in the day to keep myself very very busy and I plan to step up my excercise ROUTINE as well to help with emmotional or Boredom eating!!HAVE A GREAT DAY!!:innocent3:

[PosterGal]

Pumba-lite -

Great post - and you are right, we definitely weren't normal before 1pd - that's why we all were overweight.

I really appreciate this thread and the sincere honest of everyone sharing their struggles. Definitely paves a road of understanding for me. Also, gives me hope that when I reach that re-feed and maintanence cross-road, I have somewhere to turn for help. Thanks everyone!

[pumbza]

Hi PosterGal Just another thought we are now thin people which sounds GREAT but before when I started MY metabolism was shot Kaput not working broken down NOW its working like a dream so if I were to eat a similar amount and food surely it would be burn't up quicker because the metabolism is working better than before DR COHEN!!!This does not mean that I wan't to et those portions or type of food because I am so much aware what it will do to my body so I may be just a bit more careful with doing this in the future!!!YES it will be tough it will never be easy but I had myself down to be DEAD and buried at between 50 and 55 because I was so BADLY out of shape and UNHEALTHY Now I know a BUS can still knock me over but I am MUCH MUCH more healthier and it just feels so GOOD which is priceless and it gives me HOPE For the FUTURE maybe I can play with my GRANDKIDS and teach them to be real naughty rascals BUT I would like to teach them to eat BETTER tahn I did I really messed UP my BODY and DR COHEN has given me a new LEASE on LIFE!!!Ha Ha!HAve a GREAT DAY!!:innocent3: