Six Months AC (After Cohen)

Hello, hello.  It's been so long!  I've passed the 6-month mark after Refeeding!!!  You must be wondering if I've gained back all the weight I lost and if I've started breaking all the Cohen rules.  Here's how life has been.

Exercise

Pre-Cohen I was exercising 5-6 times a week.  I would play tennis twice or thrice a week and jog or do yoga on the off days.  I was so fit (not slim) that I even won 2nd place the very first time I joined a fun run!!!  I remember that all that exercising did not help bring my weight down.  Here I am at 135 lbs.

When I enrolled in the Cohen program, I immediately asked my consultant if it was alright for me to continue exercising.  She told me that if I had already been exercising then it was fine to continue doing so but she suggested that I reduce the intensity of my routine until such time that I reach my goal weight.  So just to play safe, I decided not to exercise at all during the Eating Plan (EP) for fear that I might go hungry and start cheating.  This decision might have been correct because I started getting hungry only in the last 2 weeks of EP.

I have started exercising again.  This time I'm exercising to keep fit and not to lose weight.  My exercise routine is less strenuous.  I jog twice a week and plan to add Krav Maga  or yoga once a week.  I do wish I had my morning tennis buddies (Joel, Mike and Sharon).  Working out with friends is not work at all!  I miss you guys!!!

Eating Out

I've also rejoined the foodspotting crowd, but this time with Cohen rules.  When I go out to dinner, I still don't touch the breadbasket.  I also avoid rice or noodles unless I know I'm having dessert (which is most of the time), then I have a spoon or so of rice.  I also end up drinking water because most restaurants don't carry diet 7-Up.  Restaurants usually carry Coke Zero or Diet Coke, but I'm the un-cola type!

Weight Monitoring

I weigh myself every single day for monitoring.  My weight peaks during the weekend and then tapers back during the week.  I feel I don't want to be too harsh on myself so I tend to loosen up a bit during the weekends.  I still stay as close as possible to EP rules but I will try a bit of bagnet or a San Mig Light on weekends.

Eating at Home

Before Cohen (BC), I used to eat most meals in restaurants.  I did not care to learn how to cook so I just ate out for lunch and dinner.  After Cohen (AC), I try to eat at home as much as possible.  I noticed that whenever I eat at home, I am able to lose 3 lbs in a day or two without much effort.

When having my meals at home, I stay as close to the Eating Plan as possible.  I still cut up my proteins (chicken, beef, fish) and put them in small containers following my EP weights.  But when I cook, I'm not too strict with the spice and vegetable allowances.  I kinda eyeball these items.

So how has it been?  Quite good!  December 2011, I weighed 140 lbs.  After Refeeding, I brought it down to 106 lbs.  My ideal weight is between 105 to 112 lbs.  On the average, it's been swinging between 112 to 114 lbs.  That means I've been bad the past couple of months.  But this very morning, it has been the highest since AC (After Cohen) at 116.4 lbs.  I feel bad I'm starting to gain weight but the wonderful thing is that my XS clothes still fit!!!  So really, it's been quite good!