I've been a member since 2006 and started Cohen's for the first time in March 2006 and did not finish. I am in the US so our program is completely virtual. I did not pay the $250 for my 2nd attempt at Cohen's. I figured I get myself going and if I can make 21 days, I'll get going so I can keep losing for 12 weeks and do my refeed.

I just started my 2nd round with Cohen's on 1/6/08 and have been doing pretty well........

.....however, it's day 5 and I'm ready to JUMP off the wagon. No not fall off...JUMP off. Therefore, I decided to start my own Journal here in the forum. I started a paper journal that I carry around with me where ever I go in case I need to distract myself from food....but today, that is not enough.

I'm definitely having a day or moment of weakness and know that if I hang in there for today, tomorrow will be better. But I have to make it through the night. I've completed two meals for the day and have to make it thru one more before bed. I just have to stay focused.

One meal at a time....one day at a time.....Let's hope I can stick to that.

B

So it's after 9PM in Pennsylvania, PA which means I'm done eating for the day. I am proud to announce that I made it through the day without jumping off the wagon. Dinner went well as well as my evening snack. I'm getting ready to do my classwork (I'm pursuing my undergrad degree) and then to bed.

I realized today that I can really do this. I know that I'm going to have difficult days - somedays where I'm ready to give up but I can't give in. I can do this and anything else I put my mind to.

On to day 6.....

B

Welcome Bubblinb


It can only get easier.......you've got through the hardest part. Keep up the water intake and stay focused. Goodluck and welcome to the forum.

Sam:)

Welcome Bubblinb


It can only get easier.......you've got through the hardest part. Keep up the water intake and stay focused. Goodluck and welcome to the forum.

Sam:)



Today was another difficult day...not because I was hungry but I was going through some challenging personal issues. I realized today tha I am an emotional eater. I got to a point today where I just wanted to say forget it. Rather, I wrote in the journal that I carry around and was able to get myself back on track.

This forum helps.

Dee

Today was another difficult day. I ran into some personal issues that I had to deal with that really put me in the dumps. I wrote in an earlier post that I just wanted to throw my hands up to the whole thing because it was just to much but I managed to stay focused. I wrote in the journal i carry around with me and was able to get back on track. I wrote myself out of deviating and am proud to report I had another day where I followed the plan as directed.

Tomorrow will be a real challenge as I will be taking my daughter to see a woman's college basketball game. I will try to eat before I leave and take some fruit with me so that I do not eat while I'm there.

Thanks to everyone who's stopped by to review my journey.

On to day SEVEN......

B

Well done Bubblinb! If you can get control of your thinking and realise what your triggers are you have seriously won 90% of this battle!

It sounds like you are doing really well!

I look forward to following your journey!

Blessya
Kannadew

Hi bubblinb

I can very much relate to your diary! I have always been an emotional eater but while I was on the program I amazed myself with all the ways I found and or developed for myself to deal with and manage my emotions, feelings and personal situations. I turned away from those behaviours and developed new ones. While on the program I had some of the hardest and saddess times and events in my life to date and I got through them all without turning to food and feeling all the stronger for it. I was in a midset that nothing was going to break. Unfortunately since completeing the program I have found myself on a couple of occassions turning to, or at least attempting to, turn back to food to help me through. It's only been since finishing Cohen's that I have realised that managing emotional eating is going to be a life long thing for me. It isn't just going to go away but in saying that it's not a bad thing either. At least now I am conscience of it and it's giving me the chance to further grow and develop myself and my behaviours. You too are now aware... like you before it just happened. I was sad - so I ate, I was angry - so I ate, I was happy - so I ate. Now when I'm sad I ask myself why I feel sad, what I can do to fix or mend the situation and I motivate myself to do it.

One of my biggest emotions / feeling to eat because of is bordom and on Saturday night I found myself standing in the fridge door just looking (luckily I dont have anything that's not fresh and unprocessed in there anymore) and I thought what the heck am I doing. I realised I was bored so I went and found some wool I bought last winter to knit a scarf and started tapping my needles away instead of feeding my face, even with healthy food! I haven't knitted for about 4 months now and sat there thinking I've missed this. Not only did I not feed my face (after already eating out and having dessert) but I've got a quarter of my scarf done which is rewarding in itself. In saying that, I will also guarantee that in a few weeks or months time I will be standing in the fridge again thinking the same thing because not only will I be bored but my knitting will be boring me also... I just have to come up with something else then!

I wish you luck and look forward to reading your journal!

Take care and be kind to yourself.

Lauren

I am sad to report that on Saturday (Day 7) I screwed up. For breakfast I had yogurt. However, I ate at the game because I left my food at home and was starving. I thought I was going to pass out and I believe that was because I was dehydrated. I realized how important it is to keep up with the water. I had a hotdog and some chips. They made me sick. I felt ill. I suspect that is because I have not had any fat in my diet for 6 days. For dinner I got back on track with pepper steak and onions.

On Day 8 (Sunday) I did not deviate at all. I had my normal yogurt for breakfast and for lunch I had spinach and chicken with onions and for dinner I had beef and yellow and green squash. I felt so badly on Saturday, I didn't even WANT to deviate.

No more deviations....I've pledged that to myself. It didn't taste good, it made me sick, AND i'm sure it set me back although the scale had not gone up or down.

I've started day 9 (Monday) with a cup of yogurt. I'll check in again later.

B

Hi bubblinb

I can very much relate to your diary! I have always been an emotional eater but while I was on the program I amazed myself with all the ways I found and or developed for myself to deal with and manage my emotions, feelings and personal situations. I turned away from those behaviours and developed new ones. While on the program I had some of the hardest and saddess times and events in my life to date and I got through them all without turning to food and feeling all the stronger for it. I was in a midset that nothing was going to break. Unfortunately since completeing the program I have found myself on a couple of occassions turning to, or at least attempting to, turn back to food to help me through. It's only been since finishing Cohen's that I have realised that managing emotional eating is going to be a life long thing for me. It isn't just going to go away but in saying that it's not a bad thing either. At least now I am conscience of it and it's giving me the chance to further grow and develop myself and my behaviours. You too are now aware... like you before it just happened. I was sad - so I ate, I was angry - so I ate, I was happy - so I ate. Now when I'm sad I ask myself why I feel sad, what I can do to fix or mend the situation and I motivate myself to do it.

One of my biggest emotions / feeling to eat because of is bordom and on Saturday night I found myself standing in the fridge door just looking (luckily I dont have anything that's not fresh and unprocessed in there anymore) and I thought what the heck am I doing. I realised I was bored so I went and found some wool I bought last winter to knit a scarf and started tapping my needles away instead of feeding my face, even with healthy food! I haven't knitted for about 4 months now and sat there thinking I've missed this. Not only did I not feed my face (after already eating out and having dessert) but I've got a quarter of my scarf done which is rewarding in itself. In saying that, I will also guarantee that in a few weeks or months time I will be standing in the fridge again thinking the same thing because not only will I be bored but my knitting will be boring me also... I just have to come up with something else then!

I wish you luck and look forward to reading your journal!

Take care and be kind to yourself.

Lauren


Hi Lauren -

Thank you for taking the time to share your story and words of encouragement. On Friday when I was struggling I realized that eating wouldn't make me happy and I realized I needed to deal with the issue not complicate it but eating which would ultimately make me more unhappy. It's an everyday struggle and I am hoping thru Cohen's I learn to redirect my feelings and deal with them head on. It's not easy, but like you said, at least we aware of it.

I had a minor setback over the weekend, but I am not beating myself up about it. It happened, but I immediately got back on track. It's over and I refuse to dwell on it. The good news is it had nothing to do with emotional eating.

Anyway, I really appreciate the encouragement. I know I can do this. I'm doing it for ME and I will succeed.

Have a good one!

Dee

Hi Dee

I like Lauren and yourself eat emotionally as well. But while doing this program I managed to control that for some reason.....but after finishing the old habits crept back slowly. Directing your emotions into somthing else like Lauren said is a good thing to do.

I have found that there is no easy solutions to weighloss and maintence - and if anything it is the post weighloss management that I struggle with the most. But i have realised that if the weight does come back (which by the way) mine has over the silly season that all you have to do is work yourself up that weightloss (zone) and get back on the bandwagon which is what I will be doing.

I am glad to see you are not beating yourself up about your deviation....but instead have carried on with your plan.....sometimes we are our own worst enemies and like I have stated many times before the mind is a funny instrument it doesn't take much for us to cave into our weaknessess. So keep it strong Dee and you will succeed.
Goodluck.
Sam:)

I'm screwing it up royally! I deviated again yesterday (day 9) and didn't care - at the time. It was bad. I screwed the WHOLE day up with the exception of breakfast. I'm so fustrated with myself. I had a short term goal of 21 days and couldn't even keep that commitment to myself. What am I really trying to do here? I'm not happy on the plan...it's so hard and not happy that i can't fit into most of my clothes comfortably. What is going to make me happy? I need to get happy with myself internally before I can be happy with what's on the outside I suppose. I've heard that more times than I can count but I don't know what happiness is or what it's supposed to look like anymore.

It's the beginning of day 10 and I've made an effort to start anew and am trying not to concentrate on my off day. I ate my cup of yogurt and have my lunch prepared and some fruit. Right now i'm not even concerned about any short term goal. I'm just trying to make it through the day.

I'm so fustrated right now. I hate this...but I'm doing it. I'm not giving up.

B

Hi B,

So sorry you are going through all this, I know how it feels and I know it really is tough, I re-committed to this again a week ago after having lost 28 kilos (62 pounds) I put on 7 and now I just need to finish the program once and for all and get down to where I want to be, but it's been hard..very hard.
I had lost what you need to lose in 3 months , now I know we are all different but that could mean that all you have to do is give up 3 months of your life to follow this , remember all that food you crave now will still be around in 3 months time, it ain't going anywhere.

Believe me once you follow this completely the weight just drops off and you will notice a huge difference at 10 pounds not to mention how good you will feel and comfortable.
PLEASE dont give up! Just keep going one day at a time!

Annie Lusion