Week 3, 2021

three weeks done, 7.5kgs down and back in the 80's!! my clothes are starting to feel a bit loose too :) I can actually suck in my tummy and it makes a difference hahahaha

nothing else to say but im a happy bunny! 

another week ahead and next weigh in will be on 17th May so I cap off the 30days.. My initial target is 10kgs on the first month but I dont think I will reach that by next Friday..

43rd Day: In With the Old

Wee bit of celebration!!!

Good news, I wore the biggest pair of slacks that I owned in 2005 today!!! The pants were intended to be worn as baggy/loose (wide legged and all) but I'm not complaining. IT fits! I cant wait for the other clothes to start fitting me!!!!

Other than that, I'm on plan and deviation free with the scale stuck on my gains. I sometimes want to kick that scale. Right now, I think I'm more concerned about buying another 3 mos of support from the online clinic than the weight loss itself. I shouldn't be spending USD 159!!!

A friend was visiting the country and I met her for dinner. I ate my packed meal and enjoyed the chat. It was good to see her.

Day 43: Deviation free. 

31st Day

So I had my 30day weigh in today and Im pretty happy (read results here).

Aside from the plan related improvements, I have learned to forgive my boyfriend for cooking all the mf meals he has been eating on his diet. I mean T-bone steaks, pork ribs and bangers, pork belly??? I mean, would you look at these 2 dishes?!? 👿 

I reckon his diet is closer to Keto with Intermittent Fasting. He only eats once a day after his morning shift, so his body is in full fasted mode before he goes to work and eats just about time. 

I'm getting used to just smelling his food and not really wanting to take his plate. Today he made pork belly cubed up with some veggies and mushroom. Not bad.

As for me, I have been sleeping more since the break started. It feels good to get the right amount of sleep. I'm in bed by 11pm and my body wakes up at around 5am, but I don't get up (I know I should) and try to sleep in more. I promise I will do that tomorrow.. hmmm..

I had cut out the fruits and diet cola's for 2 days now and I noticed my losses have been more than the days I have them. Is it because I cut out these 2 or was it because I am sleeping better? I do miss my oranges and mangoes. But, as I have been listening to Dr. Berg as well, every time we eat, we spike insulin, even if we have coffee or just have our fruits for snacks. Plus, as I have been reading a lot of entries in the NewYouForum, especially on exercise, I found out that our muscles need sugar when we exercise and since I eat the fruits without exercise, I have sugar floating around and not really being utilized. So maybe next time, I will have the fruit before I expect some movement (like running errands, driving to work/walking to office or when I go out for a walk), or just take it when I feel hungry/peckish.

I'm also being mindful of my water intake as well, I try to make it to 3 liters per day. I 

My Omega 3 liquid supplement has run out so I got a new one. I didn't buy the one I was using coz it's bloody expensive! I have no doubt its good, but I need to economize. So bought another one from the same brand - Complete Omega (with Omega 3,6,9) that's twice the size. Let's see the effects.. if I'm not happy about it, will switch back to the Ultimate Omega.

Still on my break and relaxing. I'm thinking of going for a massage today or tomorrow. 

Day 31: All meals, crackers and vits taken on time. Deviation free.

ROUND UP 2.0: Week 1 - 4 Results

Hola peeps!

I've got some great news. After 30 days of being on the plan, I lost 8.6 kgs! That's just 100gms less than my 1st go I had with the program 5 years ago without exercise and with deviation (see Food Pushers entry), so I'm pretty happy about it.

Cue in.......

As for the scale that tells me my life 😛, I've seen some nice improvements too, most notably Body age and Visceral Fat have both gone down.

I haven't taken my body measurements when I started, probably because I never thought I could do it again after so many failed attempts. I wanted to do that this morning but I can't find our tape measure. I'm doing that tomorrow so I have better reporting next time ;). 

Observations:

1. Hair and Skin - both definitely looking much better. My hair looks healthier and my skin is not dry. I don't think my hair is falling out than the normal daily hair loss. 
   
   
   Aside from being on the plan, I'm taking a high dosage of liquid Omega 3s (Ultimate Omega by Nordic Naturals), it's quite pricey for a 4 oz bottle. I've switched to their Complete Omega which has a lower dosage of Omega 3 but has Omega 6 and 9 in the mix. It's cheaper and twice the size. So let's see..
   
   
   I'm also avoiding direct sun exposure because I get that a lot of that from Oct-Apr at work. 
   
   
2. BMs - way more regular before I got on the plan. I'm happy about this because I have poor BMs that I take a laxative tea at least once a week to get a good clear up. Nowadays it comes like clockwork in the morning. 
   
   
3. Exercise - I did NADA! On my first try, I was still pretty active and reduced my workouts to yoga at least 3 times a week. Now, all I did was walk for about an hour thrice? I just walked, because I'm feeling like a lazy bum from doing nothing. 
   
   
4. Oranges - I love them! :D I never really ate oranges by choice. Now, I have 1 every day (except for the past 2 days)
   
   
5. Sleep - I'm still struggling with this. Before the Eid break, I couldn't sleep early. But since the holiday started, I'm sleeping more. Was it because I cut the DC? Or maybe I'm not thinking about work so much? NO STRESS LIFESTYLE.
   
   
6. Mood - definitely better. I feel good. Same as the 1st time, I didn't feel the same amount of "dread and depression" prior to my periods. I felt the lethargy and the quick temper, but nothing compared to how I felt each month prior to it. I wasn't sickly as well.
   
   
7. Energy - I can't really gauge, because I haven't done anything that's extra. Overall, I just feel better
   
   
8. Allergies - For years, I've depended on a nasal spray to clear my nose up. My nose is clogged as I type this however, I feel that my use of the spray has lessened. I look forward to getting rid of this nasal spray for good. 

I'm not as strict on meal preparations like before. I don't prepare my meals for the week in advance anymore. I'm trying to establish the habit of cooking my food per day, as I believe that's how it's supposed to be, so the food is fresh.

The plan really works as long as you follow it. It is difficult at the beginning but once you get over the initial weeks, it is pretty easy to be on. On some days I'm craving, but I think its something to do with the timings of my fruit intake or I'm just missing the thought of eating "good" junk. 

But honestly, I'm not hungry and no longer craving. And it feels so damn good to be rid of that dependency on the stuff that's not good for me.

I look forward to the days ahead :)

29th Day: [Very] Long Weekend

Eid Mubarak to all my Muslim friends and readers :) 

I've got a few days left until my 30th day weigh in. Im targeting a 10kg loss which Im behind. I'm going to cut out the diet colas and fruits until my weigh-in day and make sure I have my last meal no later than 8PM. Im not sure if those will help, but I will try 💪💀. 

I've nothing planned during the Eid break (6 days!). I started to stress out on how I will fill those days in. I've got some errands to do but I'm cash low these days so I have to penny pinch. So I thought, I will have totally relaxing days at home, 

1. Wake up as my body does.
2. Have a cup of coffee on the balcony, enjoying the warm mornings.
3. Cook my meals when I feel like it (but on time, but no pressure to cook all of them in one go).
4. Eat on time
5. Clean up when I want to
6. Go for a walk when I feel like it
7. Do yoga if I fancy
8. Sleep well - sleep when I'm sleepy, read when Im not
9. Take my cat to the groomers - no particular day, just make sure its done.
10. Collect laundry - I received laundry vouchers worth $300! so I sent all the clothes I cant be bothered to iron plus everything that needs to be dry-cleaned and permanently creased.
11. Maybe go to the beach
12. Have an at-home spa - talking about DIY facials, hair masks, bubble baths, scrubs
13. Cat-sit
14. Read/listen to my books
15. Improve my knowledge on the job
16. Read diaries in the forum
17. Shop for groceries
18. Get the car serviced

Not going to stress about it, just do them if I can or if I want to. Since I'm in a good head space right now and I feel better overall, I want to continue destressing my mind and body. God knows my work during the Equestrian Season is crazy. Who thought organizing back to back polo tournaments (we've got 15 tournaments in the upcoming season) and show jumping competitions (around 15 SJ comps, maybe more) in a span of 8 months could be so hectic?! Mentally and physically draining, 6-days a week of working long hours.

So I'm using the summer season to relax, but still plan ahead, and this Eid break to basically indulge in the luxury of doing (almost) nothing.

Day 29 - all meals, crackers and vits taken on time. Deviation free

Day 37: Im Zoning!

Today is another good day. I love saying that! :D I met with my previous colleagues from my first job here. We were a small team and after 2 years, we are all working in different companies. And with the looks of it, we are all in a good place now (work-wise). It was a lovely time. It was breakfast and they ordered nice stuff and dessert!(brownies and vanilla ice cream! My soul!) Im a breakfast person, I think its my favorite meal outside. I really eat loads of breakfast items - eggs, pancakes, sausages, bacon (heaps!!!), bread and butter.. its my favorite meal out (did i say that?) :D But anyway, I just had 2 cups of black coffee and enjoyed the chat.

 

1 lady there, i worked with her until my recent move and as we walked out the venue I told her Im back on this diet. She saw me struggle to get back on so many times before and I told her now this time it was different. And I just blurted out "It feels so so good!" She was like, "Really?" "Its not just the weightloss part but I do really feel good somehow." And then she continued to mention that my weightloss is noticeable and that I really look nice at this size, looking happy and healthy. Told her that I also dont feel hungry most of the time now. Just missing taste of the food that I used to eat, but hunger wise, none.

 

Food is our medicine right? Do people really pay for medication to achieve this good emotional state that Im experiencing now? I hope more people knew about this!

 

The change with the scale is still slow, but Im really dropping in size. I wore a 3/4 khaki pants today and it was lose on me. And Ive had this since 2004! Imagine that!? Love it

 

I think this is one of the reasons why I kept trying to get back on the bus in spite of the many failures and dissapointments. Because I have experienced the other benefits aside from weightloss. I cant put a price on the "feeling good" feeling. I feel positive and just light. Amazing what food can do to our overall well-being.

 

Afterwards went out for movies with bf and thr popcorn doesnt bother me anymore. Later, we did some major grocery shopping (the rotisserie chicken smell was drool worthy!). Was tired from walking around. Im ready for this week with my proteins, veggies and fruits.

 

Saturday, rugby night. Wanted to braai but we were both tired. So had my dinner on time.. a PAM stir-fry of everything! :D

 

Day 37: deviation free. All allowances taken
Mood = Good good..
Hunger = None

Day 19: Good news

I want a dog!!! :(

The fit of the work slacks I wore today was comfortable! Wooo-hoo!!! I wore this one 2 weeks ago and it was very snug, but today, it fit me very nicely :) Plus, these pants were from circa 2009!

Happy day.. I cant wait for more positive physical changes.. weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...

In Cohen news, the scales moved in my favor this morning, to which I am glad. I hope this continues over the next 2 days so I can report an acceptable 10 day weight loss in spite of the deviation. I'm not expecting a 3kg loss, but maybe 2?

Got hungry before my next meal today. Hmm.. I was craving for pappa roti buns. I still stuck to my diet, I really cant wait to enter the 60's, because per experience, that's my happy weight :D

I was so hungry today!!!! :'(

Day 19: All meals taken on time, vitamins too. 1 fruit under allowance. Deviation free.
Mood = good
Hunger = yes, very much! :(

Day 15 - 16: Anniversary

I wanted to headline my blog post as Cheat Day, but that is such a red flag. I am writing this not to encourage deviations but as part of my tracking by blogging.

I did deviate big time for my own reasons. Trust me I didn't want to, but my bf had planned a very nice weekend getaway for us that I have accepted the fact that I will deviate and enjoy my time.

Overall, I am not sorry about it. I was happy. Inspite of knowing that it will delay my progress, or that the deviation will probably reflect on my next blood test.

Its ok. I am here to stay. As they say, cross the bridge when you get there. I will have to suck it all up again over the next few days, but I have accepted that by now. It wont be so easy and will be frustrating (scale wise).

Day 15: The beautiful Al Maha
 
Woke up late today being that it was the weekend, my fitbit gave me a star for meeting my sleep goals for today. BF gave me a nice Pandora heart necklace where you can place in tiny pictures in it. He still didn't tell me what exactly his plans were but he just said I needed to pack for an overnight somewhere (all I thought is that we were having dinner outside).
 

I was really excited, had my breakfast and we went early to a mall to get a new frame for his prescription glasse (my gift). We shopped for veggies, reached back home, cooked my lunch and packed. On the way to the location, I realized we were going to Al Maha Luxury Resort and Spa (wowzer!). It was sooo beautiful, exclusive and nice. He told me me we were going to have a dinner picnic, so then I decided not to have my lunch and save my calories for later (deviation 1).
 
I had a few nuts and the welcome drink and an hour later, I was really hungry! And here I was talking about not being hungry at all yesterday! sheesh... I had coffee and a cracker.
 

We swam, went for a sunset spot and then to the dinner in the middle of the desert. It was so nice but a tad humid. Delicious food too, but I really couldn't eat so much. I enjoyed it and ate to my fill (deviation 2.. and Im off the bus) It was lovely. Went back, chilled, watched tv, slept. What is it with 5 star hotels? Their beds and beddings are so, so, so comfortable. I want to have the same at home!! I slept like a baby..
 
Day 15: off the bus
Mood = happy
Hunger = didn't have time to be hungry except at the beginnin 


Day 16:  The merriment continues
 
Woke up really early to enjoy a dune drive. Ah the vast desert, it was beautiful to look at. There were only 4 of us in the SUV and everything felt relaxed and unique. Went back for breakfast and had eggs benedict and pancakes (deviation ftw!), couldn't finish 2 pancakes, struggled with 1. Went back to the room and watched the Olympics. We just basically chilled, my god that bed and those beddings. I think I hugged the pillow more than my bf, and kept saying I want this pillow..... zzzz.. kept dozing off :D I had the most comfortable sleep!!

Had lunch at 2, had a pumpkin soup and steak and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream (deviation ftw again!). Right then we both decided --"NO DINNER!" :D we ate enough for days.. hehe.. Reached home, watched rugby and had my senna tea.

Day 16: still off the bus
Mood = happy and sleepy
Hunger = in the evening, like really, had 5 provitas to calm the hunger and quarter of a protein bar

Day 32: Round Two

As happy as I am to have lost so much in a span of 31 days, I did set a deadline for myself, 20kgs in 2 months, and I fell 1.3kg short.  I need to do the best I could to meet this deadline:

March - off with the first 10kg

April - off with the next 10 kgs

May- 15 -18 days on refeed --> will be in a 4 day conference in Vienna.. soooo a bit worried abt this, if I am at least at the end of refeed, I would have somehow gotten the hang of it already

May to 1st week June- 15 or X days on maintenance--> I am travelling back home for 10days for a wedding, and being home, and meeting friends will entail a lot of mom's homecooked food and eating out. I should be able to handle this [somehow] well by then

June- should be carrying on well with maintenance

How to achieve this? After scouring through the newyouforum website, I will try these during this month:

1) switch meals around

2) strictly monitor water intake, play within 2-2.5L
3) fruits will be apples and oranges alone -- will be generous during TOM by having 2 mangoes
4) avoid DCs as much as possible, maximum 1 per day if I really need it.
5) strictly do Yoga, minimum twice a week.. NO WEIGHTS training.
6) if I decide to have cheese, I will have 2x in one month, on the 1st and 2nd wk.
7) sleep 7-8hrs-- >> Oh yes, the toughest one
8) Stop weighing myself daily. Will just weigh myself every 10 days
                                                        (IF I CAN CONTROL MYSELF :D)
                                             9) DO NOT STRESS!! --> thats why Im writting this now.. to de-stress..

I did try that Lemon drink in the morning.. And OMFG!!! sour!sour! sour! I think my tummy got a shock of acidity. I had half a lemon (with skin and all), 100ml of ACV, and water all blended together. I took it before brekky, and initially I was think of having half the lemon and the rest of ACV before lunch, but I seriously dont think I can stomach it. I will have it once a day this week and see if I can increase it next week.

Meals are cooked yesterday with some balsamic vinegar in one of the meals.. Lets see.

BF: Lemon AVC drink + Egg omellete + crackers + multivitamins
S: 1 cracker and just sipped my DC from 11:30 until it finished in the afternoon
L: Chicken veggie stirfy, with oregano.. yumm
S: Apple + DC
D: tilapia fillets with balsamic vinegar + stir fried veggies

Watched Divergent with some friends today. The popcorn smell is still intoxicating. I figured if I could have endured it 3 times and did not give in, why not now? So, I didnt have one, I had my apple, my dinner, and 2 crackers with me in the cinema, and ate the apple first before reaching the cinema, and had dinner and crackers before the movie ended. Just sipped DC throughout the movie.

Day 32, DV Free.

Power of The Power Suit

Ok ladies and gentlemen, I seriously didnt think the Cohen will work this quick for me. Out of curiousity, I took out all my "power suits" from storage, that were last worn aroun 4-5 years ago, just to see if any one will fit me for our meeting today with our big bosses. And my God, not only did they fit, but they did fit comfortably!

I didnt realize I was that close to my normal/old body and what I have been doing pre-Cohen's was what was stopping me from reaching it. I mean, it has been months of trying (working out hard, eating like crap) to get down back to this size, which 5years ago, I consider to be big already.

I decided to wear my favorite beige ones today. And OMG, the phrase "Dressing for the part" really seem to have a huge difference on my self esteem, the way I walk and talk, and the way everyone seem to take a 2nd look, or give me a compliment about it. I felt like I was respected, that everyone looked at me as a professional, and not just one of the colleagues in the office. This was how I used to dress when I was in my normal size- confident and impeccably well dressed.

I cant believe how I have let myself go- in every aspect in my life. I really didnt put an effort into anything, and gradually, I had placed myself in a mediocre grade.. Like in a 5year dug-out.. and there i kept on deteriorating..

Im glad I finally made a decision to go to the gym 2 years ago, workout and accepted the fact that losing all this weight will take time. And I am more than thankful that I was able to keep up with it, lost 25kgs, without dieting!!

And now Im in the home stretch, and levelled up by doing the Cohen, which is what I needed for that extra push to reach my goal..

I am just so happy and content right now. That finally everything is moving into place. That I have taken back some of the control in my life.

There are still some uncertainty approaching in my career life, but as my outlook has now improved, I can see that everything really did happen for a reason and for the greater good. I still have to wait a few more months to see where my life would take its turn, but right now, I am good. I am blessed and I am thankful.

Day 19: Its My Birthday!!

Alright.. I had to brace myself, for non stop greetings and invitations to eat cakes and sweets..

First my sweet friends brought over some nice choco mousse cake which I didnt eat..

Second, another colleague of mine has the same birthdate and she bought doughnuts!

But I survived this day, DV free!!! I seriously cant believe it, but I conquered this day! (conquered.. big word :D)

I gave myself a treat by eating 1 full thai mango for dinner (included in allowance), which a monk convinced me to buy from the supermarket :D I couldnt believe I saw a monk in the supermarket (?) I was reaching for Australian mangoes, choosing, then he said, buy Thailand mangoes.. very goood.. And I said "yes ofcourse!" I actually didnt notice them as they were very few.. And boy, where they expensive!! :D

My colleagues bought me lovely flowers coz they knew I wont eat anything else :D

Whooo!! one more day to go.. Tomorrow is the official celebration of my birthday at a friends house, dinner and drinks.. but I will stay on plan.

In the afternoon though, I felt a 'crash'.. I dont know why but after 4, I felt sleepy and hungry.. I waited til 4:45 to eat my crispbreads bec I was so hungry.. and after eating that I still felt hungry. I usually feel ok after Ive eaten my crispbreads or fruit, but this time it wasnt the case. I was very sleepy that I wanted nothing to do but go home and sleep. Why?

I also have a dillemma with people wanting to try my food. Im not selfish but I dont think they understand how less my food is, and every single gram counts.. I dont even offer them my food, because I may end up with almost nothing. It happened twice today, for breakfast, my friend had a small bite of my egg omellete and at lunch, a colleague wanted to try the tilapia fillet. Hardly 5 grams of food taken from me.. but still...

I have to prepare my BokChoy dish for them so I rushed from work to buy the bokchoy and the tilapia fillets, and cooked our food for tomorrow.. Of course, I will still stay within my food allowance..

I may be DV free today, I seriously wanted to have my birthday treats! I wanted to treat myself. But I keep reminding myself of my deadline and on how important it is to meet. I just kept telling myself:

- its just 2 months of the CD and I will reach my goal weight
- another 15 or so days for my refeed, and
- 15 days to start playing with your maintenance..

After this 3months, I can afford to be less strict with food choices...More forgiving.. But until then.... I have to practice the art of self control..

Day 17: Happy Bunny

 I am :D

The scale has moved down again this morning.. so whew..

People keep telling me:

"You've lost so much weight!" *smile sweetly*

"You look toned now." -- "I am?" *smile*

"You lost weight?" -- "Yes" *smile proudly*

"What more you want to lose??" :D I answer 13kgs more, and they go "Whatttt???!!!!!" *snicker inside and smile*

"What diet are you doing? Give me the food plan!" --- Ummm noo zzirrreeee.. "let me tell you..."

Honestly if you look at me before Cohens, I was just chubby. I have shape, but Im not flab free, so people are more forgiving of my size and I think I look taller than I really am (posture is quite good, my teenage years were spent with my mom correcting my sloppy posture in my attempt to hide them "girls").

You can call me "proportionately fat!" :D

But the truth is, I am fat. I have fat, which I want to lose..

See, at the beginning of this journey, I have clarified that my aim was not to be skinny. Although for now that seems to be the route Im taking. So when people ask "What more do you want to lose?", I really cannot explain quickly my REDUCE, REBUILD and MAINTAIN plan.. Its kind of tiring...

5kgs really does make a difference. I dont know from where that 5kgs came from (from fat, from muscle, from water) but the effect on my appearance is totally SIGNIFICANT. Comments like that make me feel proud and want to go further.

Today was quite a busy day, I kept 2 DCs on my desk for that sweet craving (just had 1 though).. I seriously miss those cookies and the biscuits that I love to have nearly everyday. Cashew biscuits dunked in orange juice and I suckle on them first before chewing.. yumm yumm

Ate my meals as planned, but I think I had too much button mushrooms for today (4.5 pcs- 2.5 for BF and 1 per meal). I heard mushrooms have an effect on weightloss, guess will find that out tomorrow morning.

BF: egg+mushrooms,capsicum,onion
S: 1 crispbread and coffee
     sipped DC through before lunch
L: Beef stirfry + veggies - cabbage, capsicum, onion, mushroom
S: 2 crispbreads
D: Stir fried Bok Choy (in garlic,onion and ginger) topped of with garlic-ky prawns and tilapia fillets + 2 crispbreads
S: 1 cheek and the bone/middle of a mango (kept the other cheek for tomorrow's breakfast..

DV free but forgot to take my multivitamins today.. :/

I shopped for afew clothes.. my aim was just to buy a birthday dress but I ended up with a lot more.. I did buy the clothes 1 size smaller or fitting tight passable to be worn now, but would look better when i lost more weight. :)

I cant wait for the Rebuild phase of my plan.. Uff!! I can see those toned muscles coming up!!!



Im an Angel.. until you leave
this room & stop giving
me cuddles!

On a side note, my foster cat is driving me nutttttsss!! he is such a sweetheart, but whenever I leave him alone in the kitchen, he cries and cries and cries like madness!!!

Thank God for earplugs!

Good day people! :*

Day 6: Beef Day!

This girl gotta have meat! :))

I love beef! And im so glad my meat allowance is quite good. I am happy just eating this for the entire program :D, I know, I know, variety is also key to weight loss. But man! was I happy to have this for today. I had beef for lunch and chicken for dinner and brekky was egg and veggie.. I liked my dishes for today.. Happy tummy ^_^

I went for yoga again today. Im so glad that I can still keep up with some form of exercise while on CD.  After dinner, I went to the movies with a friend today at around 11:30pm, I dont think I should be out yet. Im not strong enough. As we were heading towards the cinemas, I just longed so much for the smell o food coming from those restaurants, and those ar my favorite restos. Inside the cnema, the smell of popcorn  and nachos intoxicated me. I had to muster all the self control I have and just sipped my diet cola... :((((

I got to sleep around 3am.. hmmm Im not gonna get the 8hr sleep.

Other than that, nothing much to report today. Im still deviation free. \m/

Tomorrow is the weekend.. Lets see how I will do...