Hello eveyone!

[Bailey]

I started the diet last August and finished refeed at the beginning of December. I lost a total of 52 lbs and suprisingly am maintaining without a problem. I am wearing a size 4 pants which is totally amazing. The funny thing is now it's hard to find pants small enough. Never dreamed I'd ever have that problem.
On another encouraging note, my husband and I just came back from vacation and I weighed less when we came back than when we left. I somehow managed to get below Dr. Cohen's lowest weight for myself. I was so scared to be away from my kitchen and my scale but I was so shocked when I came home and weighed.
Everyone hang in there, it is so worth it!

[Shasha]

{hi} there Bailey

Warm Welcome :bighug:

{congrats} on loosing 52 lbs between August and November!!!

I'm thrilled to hear that you are doing so very well since completing your Refeeding Program!!!

The less excess fat you have, the easier it is for you to maintain your goal weight after Refeeding. This is why we always encourage clients to reach their ideal goal weight as recommended by Dr Cohen and not to stop above this weight.

I do believe this is why you have been so successful, that together with continued healthy eating!


WELL DONE!!! {cheerleader}

[cyberella]

coool story, your story, bailey!!!! :party6:
thanx 4 sharing your encouraging success with us!!! :love7:

[Bailey]

Thank you both!

[Shasha]

{hi} Bailey

We are really glad that you have come and shared your success with us... When people are on diet, they can sometimes wonder to themselves: Is this really going to work for ME?? So your story is really motivational {goodjob} for sharing this success with everyone!

I just know there are people reading the Forum who would like to take a :hiding: peep into how you are eating now that you are no longer on diet.

Perhaps you can tell us a bit about how you eat now and about how your life has changed since you have lost the 52 pounds? We would all love to know more...

We have a special section for photo's if you would like to post your Before and After pictures there, that would really be wonderful to see and it will be such great encouragement to everyone who is still en-route...

Hope to hear from you soon... :bighug:

[Bailey]

Sasha,

I would be happy to share my diet now.

Breakfast:

I still like my egg and veggies, I make an omelet with 1 egg, egg whites (I buy the egg whites in the carton) I feel like I can get a bigger omelet without more fat. I also add half a slice of 2% cheese and I sometimes add 1/2 of a turkey sausage torn in pieces just for flavor. I spray the pan with Pam, saute onions, bell peppers and tomatoes and the sausage. Pour in the egg, cook and add cheese & fold over. Eat with crackers and piece of fruit.

I also still eat my yogurt and fruit. I especially like it with the cooked apple. For any of you who haven't tried the apple, you really should. This was my dessert for most of the diet. Cut the apple in chunks in a casserole dish, add a little diet sprite or diet7Up, sprinkle with Splenda and cinammon, cook in microwave 3-4 minutes depending on your microwave. Let it cool first if you're going to pour it over your yogurt.

I sometimes eat a low carb tortilla or low carb bagel with my egg. I put about a teaspoon of low fat cream cheese on the bagel.

Note: I don't seem to have a problem with fruit so I still eat 3 a day. Dr. Cohen recommends 1 for some people after the diet.

Lunch and Dinner: I still eat pretty much Cohen meals without weighing. I make homemade soup (the one I lived on for alot of the diet because I love it), I ate alot of salads on vacation with grilled chicken or shrimp & crab. I also still love my spaghetti squash with veggies and meat. I like to grill a piece of chicken, add the new Pace "green" salsa (about a Tablespoon) and then 1/2 piece 2% swiss cheese and let it melt on top, eat with veggies. For Dinner I add a little brown rice or whole grain high fiber pasta to some meals. I like to make Pita pizza's using low carb, whole wheat pita's. Spray the pita with Pam on both sides, put in a 350 degree oven and let it toast for about 10-15 minutes. In the meantime I saute roma tomatoes, onions, bellpeppers, garlic and mushrooms. Add oregano & basil. Take pita out top with tomato mixture, turkey pepperoni and 1/4 cup lowfat mozzarella. Bake until cheese melts. Sprinkle with fat free parmesan. You can also use lean ground turkey or ground meat. I would cook that in with the tomato mixture first. Eat with salad. I also allow myself a piece of dark chocolate after Dinner. I also make desserts using "yogurt cheese". You can make cheesecake and other desserts completely fat free.

Snacks-I usually eat a few crackers or rice cake with lean meat or cheese. Or my yogurt cheese dessert. I snack on fat free popcorn also. I have a microwave popcorn popper so I cook the popcorn, take out of the microwave and while it's still hot stir in a teaspoon of Smuckers sugar free, fat free caramel topping. Tastes just like caramel corn with no fat or sugar.

I like to cook so I have alot of ideas. Dr. Cohen may or may not approve of some of my ideas. Anyway, this is what works for me.

[Shasha]

{hi} there Bailey

:bighug:

Thank you so very, very much for sharing this with me and everyone reading this!
I really appreciate your time & here are some flowers to thank you!
:love7:

It is so important that people do see what a good example of healthy eating POST DIET looks like and to know that you are eating healthy, enjoying life and keeping your weight down!

I also love the cooked apple and yogurt... I guess that is something that will always stay with me :flirt:

If you don't mind me asking (again for the sake of those reading this): Do you ever find that you do gain weight and if so, when or how does this happen? and what do you do if this does happen?

[Bailey]

Thanks Sasha. If I go up a little I basically do what Dr. Cohen suggests. I do one or two low carb days which is like the diet without weighing portions. I have found that if you gain fast (like 2 lbs overnight) it comes off fast but you have to get it under control right away. I also know that I can't have certain things in the house anymore. When I was on the diet I wouldn't deviate for anything. I could have anything around and it didn't bother me. Now I'm kinda scared to do that. I guess it's a mind thing, I'm thinking I'm off the diet now so a small piece or bite won't hurt. I know from the past when I lost weight only to gain it back that it does hurt. Those cravings are not far away and they can start at any time. I'm really careful with the sugar and carbs which is a trigger for most if not all of us.

[Shasha]

{hi} there Bailey


:love7: More flowers!! to say a BIG THANK YOU!!

Your open and honest replies will encourage many of our DIET BUDDIES and it will give them insight as to what to expect when they have reached the end of their weight loss journey...

The maintenance journey is one that needs to be walked daily...

When you said: ''I have found that if you gain fast (like 2 lbs overnight) it comes off fast but you have to get it under control right away.'' I was so glad that you shared this! Firstly because I'm very happy to see that you PULL IN THE REIGNS FAST and before those 2 pounds can be comfortable and fetch friends... and secondly because all our DIET BUDDIES, can see how well the simple 48 hour no starch rule really works, but like you said, you must apply the 48 hour rule right away before the fat ‘sticks’ again.

(For those who don't know what this means: 48 hour no starch is not difficult, if you overdo it a bit on the weekend, Monday and Tuesday is low carbs / starch and this allows your hormones to come back into a balance again.)

It is very wise to not keep treats in the house for in case guests arrive... Dr Cohen says they will never get to taste them. Best recommendation: if you feel like something, go and buy it, but choose the best you can. Take chocolate for example – I don't settle for cheap chocolate, when I want chocolate I buy something really exquisite so I know that I am having a special treat...

Speaking of chocolates and cravings and knowing yourself: I read an article which says the following: ''sugar sets up a craving and has been found to be addictive in that it stimulates the same 'pleasure pathways' craving and in the brain that hard drugs like heroin and cocaine do, so your body wants more and more. The only way to break free of the sugar-trap is to stop eating food containing refined sugar. It's rather like giving up smoking. You don't need cigarettes and you don't need sugar. There's plenty of other food you can eat."

Part of the challenge is to know, understand and apply the Rules Dr Cohen gives, the other part of the challenge is to know yourself... Learning how your body reacts to which foods is a very important discovery learned during and after Refeeding.

If chocolate sets up a craving for someone which tends to become out of control, then that person should avoid it much the same way that an alcoholic avoids alcohol…

Another key is how you approach life and how you think, we should never think, ''I can't each chocolate because I am on a diet." Rather, ''I choose not to eat chocolate because I know it makes me fat and then I get miserable, so it's not worth it."

You do say: ''I also allow myself a piece of dark chocolate after Dinner.'' and that is 100% fine because Dr Cohen says that dark chocolate is a safer option that the sweeter milk chocolate. This means that because it does not contain as much sugar, your blood sugar and insulin levels will not spike.

You go on to say: “Those cravings are not far away and they can start at any time. I'm really careful with the sugar and carbs which is a trigger for most if not all of us.”

You are 100% right there!!! GOOD JOB on knowing yourself so very well and on remembering to be careful of sugar and carbs – they can result in very powerful cravings for just about anyone!

Knowing yourself has giving you a whole lot of wisdom… and the fact that you are successful is because you have and you continue to apply this wisdom on a daily base! Well done!!!

A tip: if you ever, (or someone reading this) do find that even the dark chocolate does set up cravings rather limit it for a little – there is no point in letting food control you. Alternatively, you could try a good quality suitable for diabetic’s chocolate instead. (but you still need to limit it because of the fat content in chocolate.) I do believe that the lack of refined sugar will help keep blood sugar more stable. Most important is that rule to only have sweets or deserts after your starch meal…

I’d like to ask a few more questions :praying: if I may… (I feel like I’m having an exclusive online interview with you, a real SUPER STAR DIET GRADUATE!!! :flirt:)

How has your life changed since loosing 52 pounds?
How do you feel now?
Has your marriage relationship changed?
What do people say who have not seen you for 6 months say?
What did you do with your old clothes?

[Bailey]

Great information Sasha. What I didn't say about the dark chocolate is I do buy the Dove sugar free. They come individually wrapped in a bag. I just eat one and let it slowly melt in my mouth. I am really scared of sugar.

Let me say too that I probably won't consider myself successful until maybe a year has passed and I still have kept the weight off. I have been through this so many times but in the past I just seemed to think it would magically stay off and of course we all know it doesn't. This time I've tried to read alot and heal past junk that makes me emotionally eat. Being an "addict" I know this is something I will have to work on every day of the rest of my life but it is so worth it.

My friends and husband have been so complimentary and supportive. It really makes me feel good. Funny, on our recent vacation we went to see family. My sister and my husband's two sisters are all bigger than they've ever been. They have all kinds of health problems related to the weight. My sister said I was too thin and my husband's sisters said they were really worried about me. I thought how strange it is the way we look at people in this country. It would be more "normal" for me to be big and on all kinds of medications than to be slim and healthy. I just wanted to say you need to worry about yourselves, I'm doing great. I am off my blood pressure medication and I know my cholesterol has gone down even though I haven't had it checked lately. I weigh 130 and I'm 5'4. That is a healthy weight and my BMI is finally in a normal range. Your body does seem to get smaller on this diet. I never dreamed I would wear a 4 so I probably look like I weigh less than I do.

As for my old clothes, I gave them to ARC, they come and pick them up. I gave away bags and bags because I'll NEVER wear them again. It has been so much fun shopping again. I caught all the after Christmas sales. I haven't done that in years. It's no fun buying clothes when you're big. I try never to forget how I felt about myself when I was at my heaviest. How I wanted to hide from the world and the ugly "big" clothes I wore to try to hide my rolls. Those days are gone.

[Shasha]

{hi} there Bailey

Okay, so you are going to have flowers EVERY WHERE: :love7:

Thank you so very much for sharing all this with us...

I agree, you are doing GREAT!!!

Mama was just sharing how the diet is helping her to save money... well, so is being off your blood pressure medication!!!

(Cholesterol levels normally do come down on the diet! An added bonus!)

I'm thrilled to hear that you are living BEYOND your dreams and in YOUR SIZE 4 - You must be looking WONDERFUL!!! Of course, now I must ask is it possible to see a photo? :praying: maybe Before and After???? ??? ?? ? perhaps I’m pushing it, but I would love to see what you look like!

If you could, that would be AWESOME... If not, I'm already so glad with everything you have shared :bighug: especially the bit about using sugar free dark chocolate: YOU GET 10 OUT OF 10 FOR THAT!!! A very smart moove! Have just one little piece for the taste and enjoy it to the full!

Yes, Maintenance is going to be an ongoing thing... much like brushing your teath and combing your hair and taking a bath or shower... you do all of these for your health and, for the same reason you are making wise food choices: YAAAAAY! At first it may seem like it's DIFFICULT but WORTH it... as you go along, it will change from being what you are doing to become WHO YOU ARE :-)

I'm glad to hear that ARC come to fetch your old clothes. You have done two very good things: 1) blessed people who need to be helped and 2) you have CLOSED THE DOOR to your past...

I think that's why you got the little added bonus of revamping your wardrobe with Christmas sales! And I'm glad that you don't have to anymore!!! What a boost of confidence loosing weight is!

About the family... well, that's just typical what sometimes happens ~ so don't even pay any attention! Being fat, overweight and unhealthy is not ''normal''... but, at least you know you have them challenged!

The NEW YOU in action speaks louder than words!! (A lot of time you will find that people feel bad that they have not done something about how they look... or that they have tried to do something and failed. Sometimes they can even scared of not having the courage and comitment to see it through.)

BUT YOU'VE SHOWN THEM THAT IT CAN BE DONE! Hopefully they will reach the place within themselves where they are willing to take action and follow in your good example steps...

A lot of ladies find that their hubbies fall in love with them all over again... and that they become much more protective... some to the point of buying baseball bats... ha ha ha... can you relate to this?

I'm sure you find moving about and doing things easier?
Have you gotten any new hobbies or done anything that you wanted to do but could not do before?

[Bailey]

I really haven't started any new hobbies unless you call buying new clothes a hobby LOL I can do things without getting so out of breath like going up the stairs in my house. I don't get tired so easy either.

[cyberella]

:flower: bailey, :love7:
i'm inspired and delighted!!!! u r soo very right!!!
thank u 4 all your effort 2 share this with us! :applause:
iz comforing 2 know that it can work this time!!! {praying}

[Wilma]

Bailey :applause:

Thank you for sharing your experience with everybody. It is amazing how you took control over your body.

I think that generally speaking, overweight people have more health problems than the people who are height and weight proportional.

I did not only lose my excess weight but learned how to look at food differently. I know that kids who grow up in homes with junk food have a bigger chance growing up to be overweight adults. I look at a family with an overweight father and mother, who herd a bunch of overweight kids into the local junk food restaurant, and know that I was exactly in the same position several years ago.

My foot will not step into any junk food restaurant again. I go out a lot but I select carefully the restaurants we visit and the food we eat, just as you described.

Bailey, you are a shining example :)
{king}

[Bailey]

Thanks Wilma!

[GailStout]

Bailey, I just read your story -- VERY WELL DONE! I'm thrilled for you!:jumping2:

I know it's probably unreal to the folks currently on the diet, but I too NEVER thought I'd have the same problem at size 4 or 6 that I did at size 20 or 22 -- finding pants that fit! It's just as hard to find 4s and 6s as it is to find 22Ws! :thinking:

I do have a question, though, unless I missed it in your posts: what was the recipe for your favorite soup on the diet? I've not yet found one that's my "go to" soup, and I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE any help on this.

I also completely understand about the "you're too thin" comments from people. I had one person who was completely supportive at the beginning of the diet, through the middle of it, was there when I figured out I'd have to do a SECOND 12 week stint to finish, etc. etc. -- but then, when I was getting close to my goal weight, all of a sudden she was saying things like "are you well?" "You look sick" "I think you're thin enough -- you can stop now and it'll be fine" "It's YOUR body, why do you have to do what they tell you" .... and it made me feel gross and uncertain and not completely in control of myself. I found myself thinking, well, I guess I could gain a few pounds (at that point I was at the top of my goal range and still had 6 pounds to go).:sadeyes:

THEN I realized that this person was completely unhappy that I'd become smaller than she; I'd always been "the fat one" and SHE'D always been "the thin one" -- but I was now quite definitely smaller (and continue to be so today). I had to realize that it was HER problem, not mine, and I WOULD succeed with or without her.

As her comments continued every time I saw her, I actually had to get in her face about it, and finally said something like "however you meant what you said, what I HEARD was that you want me to stay fat, and I don't appreciate being made wrong for WINNING"....and she's never said another word about my weight to me. (I'm sure, however, that she talks about me to everyone else about how thin and sick I look (even though I don't), because I continue to hear little threads of this type of thing).

For most of us, for once in our lives, our successful 1st Personal Diet journey can be all about "ME". NOT what other people think, and not what other people need and want. It can be about what YOU AND I need and want for the rest of our lives, and you, Bailey, have made it obvious that it will work for the rest of your life.

Ain't it fun being healthy and buying clothes? My daughter gave me a subscription to a fashion magazine, and while I hardly ever see anything I'd be able to afford, let alone WEAR, it's fun to know I could (if my income was about 100x what it is :-).

Thanks Bailey, for your story!

[Shasha]

{hi} there Bailey

You're going to laugh...

But, when I was on the program, someone came in somewhere during the night, while I was sleeping and they redid our bathtub... suddenly it was much bigger! {rofl}

I also found that someone had changed the saddle on my bike because somehow my bottom did not feel it as much as before!

To me, everything from gardening to climbing stairs, to shopping became easier! :party1:

I'm so glad that you enjoy shopping for new clothes! You deserve to look fabulous in your new clothes!!! :clapping3: WELL DONE!!! And thank you for sharing everything with us!!!

[GailStout]

WOW -- those people came to my house as well: the bathtub is too big, my desk chair is too big, (and this is a perk, actually): suddenly the SNOW SHOVEL became too hard for me to move!!! There are some funny parts to losing this much mass from our bodies: like waking up in the middle of the night because when you lie with your legs together your knee bones are sharp when they rub together, or having to wear long sleeves in the summer (especially in air conditioning) because your former body had built in insulation.

One thing which changed for me: I will NEVER EVER "look down my nose" at a thin person (like a celebrity) who says publicly something like "Oh, I'm three pounds overweight, I have to diet" -- because when you ARE your correct body weight, adding ANY pounds is incredibly obvious on your hips, thighs, and belly! They really DO need to diet :thinking:

I'd bet that they wouldn't understand a Cohen "Graduate's" slightly impish grin !:jumping2:

Thanks for sharing!

[Bailey]

Gail & Sasha, I had to laugh reading some of that, it's so true. Everything changes especially what you said Gail about the knees rubbing together when you sleep. I've had that happen too.

Gail I can relate to what you said about the "person" saying you were too thin. I had what I thought was a friend until I got to my goal. When I lost the first 17 pounds she commented that I looked like I lost weight and then she said "you're not losing too fast are you?" It was never really anything positive. She was always the thin one too. She didn't say anything else as I kept losing. One day I ran into her and her husband when I was about 3 pounds from goal and he was like "wow you look great how much did you lose?" as his wife just stood there. I was shopping that day and commented about having trouble finding clothes small enough, She said "just deal with it" and walked away. She seems to avoid me now. I guess you find out who your true friends are.

You're right too about this being about "me" this time. I've lost in the past and gained it back because I don't think I lost it for the right reasons. I turned 50 last month and I wanted to lose the weight as a 50th birthday present to myself and I was so happy that I accomplished my goal. I didn't want to be fat & fifty LOL and I wasn't!!! It's also about health at this point in my life. I want to spend the next part of my life as fit and healthy as I can.

[Bailey]

Also Gail, Congratulations to you on your success!

The soup recipe is in the recipe section under soups. It's the Curry Chicken Chow mein soup. I think I got it from the Aussie site. I made it with cut up chicken, ground turkey or sometimes shrimp. I usually made it with chicken or turkey because I got more veggies. I also made it a little different. For example for lunch if I ate chicken or turkey I could have 120g veggies so here is what I did
I used 50g tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, mushrooms & garlic

Saute above with meat in a sauce pan sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle with Coriander and Cumin (I used alot of cumin because I love it). Add 70g chopped cabbage, chunks of zucchini & yellow squash. Cover with about 1 1/2-2 cups water. Sprinkle with Turmeric, tiny bit of crushed red pepper, salt & pepper. Let it cook until veggies are tender.

I love this soup. I will always eat it diet or not. I didn't like it with the Sprite though. You can adjust the amounts especially if you're on maintenance now.

[GailStout]

MMMM Sounds Yummy!!! I'll try it! :-) Thanks!

[GailStout]

And, by the way, we're WINNING at being THIN !

Fat and Fifty? Not US!!!

GO BAILEY GO!

[Shasha]

{hi} there Bailey & Gail

Yes, what a laugh indeed!
Somehow my dog got a long stronger to the point where he is pulling me right off my feet when we go for walks... Ha ha ha{cheerleader}

I'm not going to name any, but WE have had celebraties doing Dr Cohen's Program and they also do do very well :)


Thanks for sharing the soup recipe! It is so nice to share ideas with other DIET BUDDIES...{boing}

[Sharon]

Hi Bailey,{hi}
Came on line to see that you had done the same so thought I would pop over to your thread.
You are amazing, a real inspiration. I look at the weight they suggest I should loose and it looks like mount Everest some days as I have never been that small that I can remember but after reading your thread it gives me strength and hope that I can get to the top.
Thanks for the great read and {congrats}

[MIMI]

Bailey, thankyou so much for sharring you remarkable story. You are so right about it's not worth not eating healthy.Can't wait until i get to where your at and i've already informed my husband that my eating habits would probably be close to the same. I hope i have the same dedication as you do. Again i really do appreciate you sharing your story. MIMI

[PosterGal]

Thanks Bailey - that was great - very motivational!!:innocent3: