Weight Loss Journals - petecohen.tv

I've had a few weeks away from blogging. Bad back - which comes and goes. Have also realised that I can't eat as much as I used to (a very good thing) and am trying to get the signals right to stop me finishing the food on my plate when I know I've gone over my limit. And then I suffer afterwards !

Seems like quite a few people have stepped back from blogging for a bit. I've really missed it and will try and catch up and give my two pennyworth where I can.

Life has changed here since Saturday as we're looking after our eldest's dog - a 4 month old mini Schnauzer ! Like having another baby in the house ! Just come back from a walk during which we both got soaked. And Flash really went mad at the end of the walk (which hasn't really happened since we've had him) - rushing round and round, getting the lead twisted, chewing the lead and getting caught up in it, not letting me dry him but chasing and grabbing the towel all the time. Wet and muddy dog, house and me !!!! Still, he's just gorgeous and we're going to miss him when he goes home tomorrow.

Interesting to watch Flash's food habits. He only has dried food (little pellets) at 7.00, 1.00 and 7.00 every day. And the same pellets are used as treats for training purposes. So no other food passes his lips - apart from what he picks up on his walks. You should see me trying to extracate "stuff" from his mouth in transit - don't even ask what I find in there ! But his body clock knows when it's time for food and he can't get the food down quickly enough. Would he know when he's had enough I wonder - his food is measured out carefully. It's all about what he's been trained to do and expect - and my foodiness is what I've learned along the way. Think I'll have to start retraining myself again. But, unlike Flash, what wonderful choices I've got. And I'm going back to the Nutrition Programme which I'd let run out - so I'll start experimenting again.

Well, Flash to feed, us to feed and then the rest of the day stretches in front of us.

Bank Holiday weather for us and, I thought, for most of the country - yuk. But I've just heard that our eldest and his family are enjoying sun and sand whilst youth hostelling in Pembrokeshire. And have been doing so since Saturday. Hurrah for that !

Dolly

Here I am, safe and sound, in a very different world. The flight went well and it was so wonderful to see our friends again. They used to live opposite us when we first got married (nearly 48 years ago) and we watched our children grow up until they moved to Israel some 30 years ago. We have been promising to visit them since then (!) but this is the first time we have managed to get here. Despite seeing them on their visits to England - they have two children in England and two children in Israel - we haven't been to their home for 30 years. It's wonderful - so many memories seeing furniture, pictures that we remember, eating Barbara's wonderful home-cooked food again and the years have just slipped away.

Lots of sightseeing to do - and we're also looking forward to meeting Barbara and Neil's children and grandchildren, some of whom wehave never seen.

I hope to be able to log on to the Live On Line session tonight - this feels really surreal, talking in cyberspace from so far away, but this silver surfer is loving it !

Dolly

Just to let you all know that I spoke to Pete about 30 minutes ago, and he was on the ferry within sight of the White Cliffs of Dover, after a long journey from Croatia.

Did anyone catch him on GMTV this morning at 7.45 ?

My chicken soup is awaiting his return as he's coming back to our house before returning to his home tomorrow ! It'll be so good to have him back safe and sound.

Dolly

Just to let you know that I will be opening up the room for the Tuesday night girls at about 7.40 and chatting can commence. No sound, it'll just be me operating the Open and Close the Room buttons and joining in the chat.

Any subject, open debate, tips, moans, ideas, etc. etc.

I've been having problems with my broadband again, so I'm hoping it will all go smoothly.

Pete is on his way home from Croatia now, in a minibus with 5 other delegates from the Conference, including 2 drivers. Tickets booked on the ferry. Fingers crossed !!! And toes !!!

See you later.

Dolly

Just to let you know that our 8.55 flight to Tel Aviv tomorrow was cancelled this afternoon and we have now rebooked for the same time next week.

It's been a week of lots of ups and downs and lots of TV news watching to see whether we would be leaving the country tomorrow. So having said that I would be joining the on-line course on Tuesday from Israel, it now transpires that Pete will be in transit from Croatia to France on Tuesday in a minibus, so there will be no session at all this week ! As I have said before, travelling is not my thing so having felt lots of trepidation as the week progressed and the travel date got nearer, I've got to go through the whole thing again during the coming week. We are so looking forward to staying with our friends (luckily, we haven't had to forfeit hotel charges) who used to live opposite us when we first got married, so if the second volcano doesn't erupt and the weather changes, we'll be with them next Monday, just a week later than planned.

This all goes to show how fragile our lives are, and that there are so many things over which we have no control at all. There are so many stories to tell of people's experiences and how plans that we have made can be shot to pieces in a moment. Scenes at the airports have been shocking - people having to sleep for days at airports and not knowing whether to stay or or leave the airport during the first few days of the cancellations, and especially bad for families with babies and toddlers to keep happy. And running out of money at the end of holidays, and then having to find a way of paying for accommodation, not being able to get back to work, etc. etc.

We have rescheduled our flights and are lucky enough to be comfortable and at home for the coming week, but there is no way of knowing whether things will have got back to normal by Monday week so we may then have to cancel our trip anyway.

Food has become a secondary issue this week, I've had lots of other things on my mind. My eye problems have finally subsided - it's taken about five or six weeks, three doctors' appointments, two hospital appointments, four different eye drops, one eye cream and lots of discomfort. And my back pain seems to have settled down - I was in extremis this time last week but, hopefully, I'm on the mend again.

Dark chocolate has played a part in my comfort zone this week - small pieces but too many of them to be good for me. We had more or less emptied the fridge in expectation of going away, so colourful food shopping will be on the cards for tomorrow. Have you noticed how depleted the shelves are in the supermarkets - all the fruit and vegetables that come by air are missing - great news for our English suppliers.

That's it for now. I haven't managed to read the blogs over the last few days - will be catching up tomorrow. Cases will stay half packed for the moment - it's all very surreal.

Thanks everyone for your comments after my last blog.

Dolly

It's 10.50 and although I need an early night - I don't have time to go to bed yet.

Good session tonight - lots to think about as usual. My back is very sore - I think I overdid the gym sessions this week so feel I must rest it just now but would like to get a few more gym sessions in before we go away.

We're leaving London for a holiday (and some business) in Israel on Monday. We'll be staying with very dear friends who used to live opposite us until about 20 years ago. We shall be doing some sightseeing and also some research so 16 days will, I'm sure, go very quickly. I'm hoping to be able to participate in the LiveOnLine sessions on Tuesday nights from our friends' home - I've already given them the link to the chat room to try it out - and it works. So, hopefully, I can maintain contact with the Petettes while we are away.

I'm not good in the heat - in fact, I wilt rapidly - so am not looking forward to coping with the weather conditions. As Pete said, I'm also really bad at travelling and leaving home at holiday time. But we all have our little hangups, don't we !

Off to take my resting heart rate again - and look at my homework for the week.

Sleep well,

Dolly

I haven't had a good week, both emotionally and healthwise, but reading Suefromcoast's blog this morning put me back on track again.

Trying on all the clothes that have been suitcased away this week has been a revelation - and I can see how my shape has changed for the better. It's just like having a new wardrobe - so many things that I haven't worn for years now look so different.

Looking at Pete's latest video on weight loss guru - seeing the sun and the daffodils in his garden (and his bare feet !) was a joy. A new beginning for the plants, the wild life and for us.

Have a wonderful Sunday. David and I are going to participate in taking Richard's new puppy, Flash, for his first walk in Richmond Park with the family - Valerie's parents are here from Austria for a few days, so the grandchildren will be very happy to have both sets of adoring grandparents with them, as well as their Mum and Dad. Flash had his nails and beard clipped yesterday and he's only 12 weeks old ! Puppy training classes start on Thursday.

Just had a wonderful cup of Lapacho tea from Nothing But Tea Ltd. Their teas are amazing. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Dolly

Well, my spare bedroom is full of all the clothes that were stored away, ready for a trying-on session yesterday - see my last blog. And that was the intention. BUT my eyes have been playing up again (blepharitis, conjunctivitis and now an allergic reaction) and two visits to my GP, two bottles of different eye drops, and three weeks have not sorted anything. When I saw him last week, he told me if the second bottle of drops didn't work, I should visit the eye hospital.

So yesterday saw me with a change of plan. My eyes were much worse and so I took a bus ride and a walk to the Western Ophthalmic Hospital in Marylebone Road. They have a 24 hour A & E and my timing was right as they were almost empty. The receptionist told me they had counted about 15 people an hour the day before - all day. I was seen in about 20 minutes by a charming doctor who reassured me, gave me some cream for the allergic reaction and told me that I would have to carry out a simple cleansing procedure on my eyes every day for the rest of my life if I wanted to keep the blepharitis under control. Otherwise they would progress to bouts of conjunctivitis, allergic reactions and worse - as they have done over the past few years - and would be far more difficult to deal with as things progressed.

This is something I knew, but have not been dealing with. Does it remind you of anything ? I have a condition that is always there and will always be there. I am the only one that can keep it under control by my actions, making it much easier to live with. BUT when my eyes seem fine, I always stop the cleansing procedure and continue with "normal" life.

This reminds me that I have another condition - a tendency to be overweight - that I can control and only I can control. And once I feel I'm looking and feeling better, time after time I've slipped back into the old routine of not looking after myself.

Lesson learned, I hope. The day included an hour's walk after the hospital session, a bus ride home, a cup of coffee and 4 cheese straws at our local baker (I just fancied them), and a packet of Hula Hoops when I got home. Dinner (celebrating a last minute Arsenal victory - David was at the Emirates stadium for the match) was eggs and bacon and some raspberries and a wonderful cup of one of my teas. They are so much more calming than my usual cup of coffee.

I'm off to do the eye-cleansing procedure now. Lunch at the home of frends today. Clothes sorting and trying on tomorrow - I've just counted 12 skirts that I haven't worn for the last 4 or 5 years, plus all the Tshirts and trousers. Should take me all day - the floor of the room is carpeted with clothes.

By blogging this - sorry for everyone having to plough through it - I've made a comparison and pointed something out to myself. Maybe some of you can relate to it as well.

Have a wonderful Easter day everyone - thank you for being there.

Dolly

Here's last night's dinner recipe for Mandie and anyone else who wants to try it.

Serves 4.

4 medium salmon steaks, juice of a lemon, 1 to 2 tbspns. Madras paste (from M&S, it's excellent), 1 tbspn. yogurt, 1 tsp. oil.

For the sauce - 150 ml. (1/4 pint) thick natural yogurt, 4 inch piece cucumber (I used radishes), 1/2 tsp. unsweetened mint sauce or 1 tbsp. finely chopped mint, 1/4 tsp. garam masala, salt and pepper.

Line the grill pan with foil and preheat the grill.
Wash and dry the salmon steaks. Mix the Madras paste with a tablespoon of yogurt, the oil and half the lemon juice. Spread this mixture over both sides of the fish and let it stand for about 5 minutes.
For the sauce - peel and seed the cucumber, cut into tiny dice (or use the radishes !), beat the mint into the yogurt, add the cucumber (or radishes) and sharpen the flavour with a little more lemon juice. Spoon into a small bowl and sprinkle on the garam masala (adds a nice touch but not necessary if you don't have any).
Place the marinated salmon on the grill rack and cook close to the heat for about 4 to 5 minutes each side.

Hannah mentioned that she was going to try it with chicken as she doesn't like salmon. I'm going to try it too - sounds like it would be really good. The recipe I used called for Tandoori paste - but I had Madras in stock. We usually make our Indian recipes with all fresh spices but I had used the M & S one for an M & S recipe, and found it to be very good. I served the meal with boiled new potatoes. Hope everyone enjoys it as much as we did. Quick, easy and good for you ! I'm going to have the left-overs with salad in a wrap for lunch.

I loved my porridge with walnuts and fresh blackberries for breakfast this morning. Have a good day everyone.

Dolly

Just a quick blog. Food OK today except for some dark chocolate tonight ! Must try and break that habit soon.

Had another session at the gym which was great - not exhausted like I was on Monday, so it was much more enjoyable. And I can feel the flexibility is improving. Took my special food list to Waitrose and bought a few extras that I wouldn't usually buy. I had some salmon fillets and found a Waitrose recipe that was really tasty. Marinated in yogurt, madras paste and lemon juice and then grilled, with a salad of radishes in a sauce of yogurt, mint sauce and lemon (should have been cucumber but I didn't have any), garnished with a sprinkling of garam masala. With plain boiled new potatoes. Very yummy.

Bought some steak for tomorrow night's meal - and some spring greens. Also bought lots of berries - black, blue and raspberries - for the weekend !

Going to go through Saturday and Sunday's papers now while we're watching "Have I got news for you" and "Damages" from yesterday.

See you tomorrow.

Dolly

We had a really good session tonight with lots of smiles and subversive texts along the way ! And Pete has asked us all to blog every day for the duration of the course - I wonder how many of us will manage that. Lots of information to take on board and homework to think about. It's such a fun way of stimulating and encouraging each other - thank you, Pete.

I was so, so tired today - a weekend with two of the grandchildren staying with us and lots of activities along the way had taken its toll - and I was very "iffy" about going to the gym and putting into practice the new set of exercises that I had worked on with my personal trainer last week. Despite my good intentions, life has been so frantic and I haven't managed to get to the gym for a week, so really needed to push myself today. But I found the eye of the tiger (to quote Pete's comments tonight) and got there. Extraordinary how the body behaves - once I started, the tiredness disappeared and I spent nearly an hour going over my new routine and was so pleased that I'd made the effort.

I really need to stay in the right frame of mind to be able to push myself to keep up the exercise regime and think about what, how and when I eat - but in an enjoyable way.

The nutrition programme is fascinating - I need to go over it again and make lots of notes about what I should and should not be eating. Thank you, Annie, for the recommendation of "Nothing But Tea Ltd." They do sample packs (with no postage charge) and I sent off for the three that were recommended in my plan. I don't know if it's because the tea is loose and not in bags, but I've really liked the lightness and freshness of them. I've tried the Valerian and the Lapacho and enjoyed them both. I've used a single tea tong with a small spoonful of tea inside and left it for 3 or 4 minutes in a mug of boiling water. Thoroughly recommended and worth a try.

On another subject entirely, I bought a base coat and nail varnish at the Vitality Show made by Nails Inc. and have never had anything stay on my nails (and harden them up) for so long. I had read about the product and am very pleased that I decided to indulge myself in a luxury item like that.

Sorry it was such a long blog - bed is calling.

Nite, nite from Dolly

What a day we had on Saturday ! Pete and I arrived at Costa in Earls Court for 9.00 a.m. and met Sue (with Gemma and Ann), Maureen, Cherry and several more of us Petettes. I wish we had worn name badges because I find it so difficult to remember who was who. It was rather like reading the book and then seeing the film and recognising the characters that you already know and love.

Then we set off for Earls Court in a monsoon, a much longer walk than we had anticipated, and arrived to join a queue that seemed to go on for ever - getting wetter and wetter. Really bad organisation of the crowds - people without tickets were allowed to go straight through the glass doors and seemed to be dealt with far more quickly than the ticket holders who queued and queued ! And eventually in we went. I spent the first five minutes with my head under the hand drier in the ladies to try and dry my hair !

Suefromcoast has written about her little incident - she was so brave and is an amazing lady. Some people would just have crumbled and gone home after what happened to her, but she got herself together and made it to the Palladium in the afternoon and managed to turn things around and still have a great day for herself, Gemma (her granddaughter) and her friend.

It was such a joy to meet other members of petecohen.tv - and we all seemed to be as excited as each other. The whole place was buzzing with people trying to sell, people trying to convert, people offering to "change your life" and some were showing you how to do so. There were so many different kinds of food, and things to buy from sex toys to make-up to gluten-free foods to shopping baskets and trolleys to vitamins to magazines to medical services to shoes and clothes and on and on. Then you could have massages, kinesiology, craniosacral therapy, teeth whitening (there were loads of those on offer), weight loss by hypnosis, yoga sessions, hula hooping, boxerobics, zumba, belly dancing, etc. etc. And you could hear the experts talking on how to live your life better, how to earn more money, how to lose weight, how to look more beautiful, how to cook, etc. etc. I have to say that the only person I heard talk was Pete - and, as usual, he seemed to make his audience very happy - as I spent the rest of the day looking at everything that was on offer around the exhibition. If you like people-watching as I do, you would certainly need more than a day to take it all in. The Sort Your Life Out stand seemed to be permanently busy and I know that they sold lots of products. I had to say goodbye to some of the people who were not going on to the Hoolie and I'm sure I missed some of you out.

And then at about 6.30, the stalwarts set off for the party. The journey on the tube was a real crush but we giggled all the way. And the venue was great. They had booked an area that was divided into three units where we sat and ate and drank and chatted. The food was reasonably priced, very well presented and served and we had a great time. David joined us and really enjoyed meeting all my "mates" but it was such a shame that we didn't have more time to spend getting to know people. We left at about 9.00 and I heard the party got a bit wilder once the "oldies" had left and everyone had a great time.

My head is still buzzing with pictures in my head of people that I've blogged with over the last few months and I'm still trying to put names to some of the faces, and vice-versa. Thank you everyone for all your lovely comments to me - to my face and on the blogs. You are all a special part of my life now - long may it continue.

Love,

Dolly

Tuesday's LiveOnLine session was great fun with lots of inspirational tips and ideas floating around.

Just wanted to say that I did what I said i would do and booked a session with a Personal Trainer for next Monday afternoon. I spoke to her about a month ago and asked for the possibility of some sessions but said I would make contact with her - I didn't. She phoned me a few weeks ago and asked if I was ready to start - I said no. But after last night's on line session - I saw her at the gym today and bit the bullet ! Will report back on my progress.

And I've started the Food Diary again. I'd let it stay empty for the last few days and really noticed the difference. If I don't write things down, I find it really easy to slip a few extra bits of this and that into mouth without recognition. But if I see what I've eaten and visualise it all laid out in front of me - it does make me think about what I've done.

I love being part of this community and I'm managing three steps forward and one occasional step backward now, rather than the other way round. The one step forward and three steps backward has been the story of my dieting life for more years than I care to remember. Thank you girls and thank you Pete.

Off to read some more blogs now.

Dolly

What a rubbish day I had yesterday. Tension, stress and anxiety built up - mostly based around my computer problems, dealing with incompetent service personnel, hours spent fruitlessly on the telephone and pressure of work. Migraine headache then started to build up and off I went. Comfort = food !

It just goes to show that the duck is always there, and I didn't even acknowledge it quacking. I lost all reason and ate out of sympathy for myself. Having recognised and acknowledged the problem in other people over the last few months, I thought I had cracked it. Oh no I hadn't !

As my stress levels rose throughout the day, so my self-control began to disintegrate and I comfort ate. Certainly not as much as I might have done, but it included toast and jam and CHOCOLATE. And, of course, I didn't enjoy any of it but I didn't stop.

So recognising it is one step. Not beating myself up about it is another step. For years, this pattern would have continued for days (or even weeks), but now I can turn it around, treat myself with respect and start another day full of understanding and acceptance. I am the way I am, I've changed so much thanks to what Pete and this community have taught me, and I can learn, learn, learn from this rather large hiccup.

And I also know that it takes smallish stress to do this to me - really bad stress makes me totally choke up, meaning that I can't eat anything at all. So, thank goodness, I'll be grateful for being able to deal with the "small" stress that broke my new found routine yesterday, put the whole experience (mentally) in a box so that I can look at it again in the future, and begin another day.

Today is a day of looking after our three grandchildren, in South London, fetching and carrying from two different schools. Two are at the German School so finish their schooldays earlier than their British counterparts. Making lunch, organising homework, piano practise,taking one to gymnastics, making supper. Getting them to bed, keeping things calm in the house while Valerie (their Mum) sees clients downstairs from 7.30 onwards and waiting for Richard to come home at about 9.00. So a full day, one that will be full of love, cuddles, giggles and delight. Food is already prepared and organised to take with us.

How our days vary just like our lives. Seesaws, yo-yo's and roller coasters.

Sorry to have blogged so much - but you all know how therapeutic it is and I hope that some of you can recognise a little of yourselves in what I've said. We come from so many different life-styles and backgrounds, but boy we can strike so many chords together.

Have a good day everyone.

Dolly

Yesterday was a day on the run.

Set myself up with a,breakfast of apple puree (turned pink with a splash of Grenadine syrup) and Total 2% yogurt. David and I took the tube to the Watercolour Fair at the Science Museum - 2 hours of assessing everyone's stock of paintings and prints and deciding if we needed to buy anything. Made our purchases then took a bus to our next stop - New Bond Street. Met a friend at the art gallery where he works (one of the most expensive in London !).

Lunch at a pub. Made a great choice - a plate of peas, edamame beans (steamed green soya-beans like they have at Wagamama), watercress, mint and feta cheese. Only £2.99 and a dish that I'm certainly going to repeat at home. Yummy, yummy.

Then a walk to the Commonwealth Clubnear Charing Cross Station to meet a man,who had found us on the Internet, to buy some of his mother's First World War medals and memorabilia. Spent at least an hour chatting with him and looking through old scrap books that his grandmother had put together about his mother's war work as a nurse in Paris in the First World War. He has no family to pass these on to, so was delighted that we will be sharing these treasures with like-minded people. Then rucksacks on, bags and parcels at our sides and the Northern Line and a local bus brought us home.

In my new frame of mind, I chose to prepare a meal of ham and eggs, cheese and for something sweet - tried this. Just popped an eating apple and a pear in the oven, medium heat, no water, no sugar. Just ran a knife through the skin on one side and cooked until they were done. Someone had suggested this to me, and I love it. Hot or cold. With or without yogurt. The fruit softens and seems to become sweeter. When I think how much fruit and marmalade or honey I used to put into my baked apples - this tastes so fresh and different. Maybe it depends on the sort of fruit you use - I used a conference pear and a jazz apple. Try it and see.

If I wasn't in my present frame of mind, yesterday's food would have been so, so different. On the run, it would have been toast or cereal for breakfast, crisps, sandwiches, sweets through the day and then probably a take-away at the end of the day. Interesting, isn't it ?

But I know I've got to hold on tight !

Have a great weekend - and keep up that team spirit. I'm trying to read Victoria Hislop's book "The Return" but she's not getting a look in at the moment. Too busy reading blogs and podcasts !

Dolly