Cohen's Lifestyle Clinic

[rg72]

I did this last year, when I was doing it I was fine but I didn't socialise and prepared my meals for the week on Sunday, I was in the zone and I think I scared my partner whenever he ate bread,pasta etc. with my crazy eyed looks.

So those that have success good on you. I do recall I was cold all the time, I was taking heaps of vitamins. As a result I ended up getting my gall bladder out and couldn't get back in the zone, it is difficult and I was desperate to loose 35 kg.

I ended putting back the 10kg I had lost and have struggled ever since.

When I went to the sessions I asked about the figures for people who get to goal and how they maintain, I recall the lady said they don't keep those type of figures. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Anyways I am now doing bodytrim and have been reading The Beck Diet solution to assist me.
I guess most diets work you just have to find the one that works for you!!!! and incorporate it as a lifestyle change.

[Hopingtobeslim]

Hi to everyone here,

I wish to GOD that I found this forum before now, and before I wasted $750 Cohens...
I did some searching about Cohen's before I signed up, but I only found this forum by googling Cohen's and ketosis in the one search.

I signed up with them about 4 weeks ago...I am close to the 3 week mark on this diet and I feel horrible... I am not experiencing half of the good things that the others on the New You forum claim to experience...I have not deviated either...

I am supposed to be feeling good with lots of energy...which I don't I am really lethargic and weak - I need copious quantities of caffeine to get through the day....

I am not supposed to be hungry...yeah right...I would chew off my right arm if I could...

I am not supposed to have cravings...I would love a beer etc etc

I drink 2-3L of water a day...and I am on the toilet every 5 minutes...no joke

I am supposed to be losing avg 10kg in the first month, then 5kg avg each month after....I will be lucky to get to 5 kg for the 1st month...I have started gaining weight and I am bloated.....

I am supposed to be thinking more clearly etc no more brain fog...I have the complete opposite...my brain does not have enough food to function...I feel like I cannot put a sentence together...

I am sooo cold all the time...

To the Cohenites who are reading this, I realise that you may have had more success than me and have lost quite a bit of weight...but at what cost????

Do you really want smaller organs and muscles, and hormone issues and gallstones...

I have read stories of hair loss, infertility, epileptic fits...all contributed to by Cohens...and yet I was stupid enough to sign up....

Well it just shows that I should have done more research before I signed up...

Like Danny has said earlier...they are laughing all the way to the bank....

Yep, I am angry...And I get no refund....

[MiniMe]

Just a bit of history to the Cohen's diet: Dr Cohen was a real doctor (actually a gynae) who practised in Johannesburg, South Africa. He noticed that a lot of the women coming to him for help in falling pregnant were overweight. To cut a long story short he developed his diet after researching HGH and various other factors. This was about 20 years ago, and a friend and I were some of the first people to try the diet (this was when you actually got to see him personally!). Both of us lost heaps, and (of course) after a while put it all back on again.

The scary thing is that about 8 years later I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism - I firmly believe that this diet had a lot to do with it! I have no proof (no 'cause' was ever established), but my friend has also had many health problems since then. It works for weight loss, but at what cost to your health?

[Sherrie]

Very low calorie diets do slow down your thyroid so its definitely possible.

[jojoamethyst]

but what if thyroid tests say your thyroid is fine? is there any way to raise your metabolic rate?

[agentmax]

hi all,

I am new to this site. Have managed to lose about 10kg with sure slim (weigh 70kg) but cant seem to get past this...grrrrr

Anyway, I am really keen to try the cohens lifestyle diet, but cannot afford to pay the $800 fee..Is there anyone out there prepared to send me the diet, even if its just a couple of days worth, so I can see what the diet is all about please.

Any help with this would be gratefully appreciated.

regards
happy australia day!
deb x

[agentmax]

hi all!

and HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!!!

I am new to this site.
Have successfully lost about 12 kg with sureslim previously, but cannot seem to move beyond 70kg...grrrrrrrr help!!!!!!!

I am very interested in the cohens lifestyle diet.
Is there anyone out there prepared to send me a copy of the diet plan?
I dont mean to sound cheap, but I am not in the financial position to afford this program, and am getting quite depressed about this weight plateau!
If there any of you are willing, here is my personal address....



I hope you are all having a great day. Enjoy and thanks

[Sherrie]

Welcome Deb, I have removed your email address as it will be picked up by email harvesters and attract a lot of spam. People can contact you through your profile if they wish to do so.

[mizzkris]

Hi everyone,

Danny - just want to say thanks for all the information!

I completed the cohens diet from September 09 - Feb 10 and lost a total of 15kgs. I struggled quite a bit through the program with the hunger, extremley low energy, constantly dizzy, felt the cold a lot, really bad loss of hair towards the end.... I guess I was almost brainwashed though that the cohens program was the best thing since sliced bread and I was almost convinced this was the only way I was ever going to loose my excess weight.

It definately helped change my outlook on food and that I should not live to eat but rather eat to live... so it wasn't all bad.

When I was 2kgs away from my the top end of my goal weight, I just couldn't take it anymore. I commenced my refeed and could not wait to see the last of cohens! I nose dived into maintenance a little and didnt follow the recommended cohens maintenance rules all the time (so that was a slip up) but I soon sorted that out and continued eating well but just could not seem to stabalise my weight whatever I did. I exercise 6 times a week with a mixture of jogging, walking, cycling, bootcamp classes, aerobics classes and since February I have gained 5kgs. Breads, pastas, rices, potatoes, nuts are something I HARDLY ever touch because as soon as I do, 500g-1kg up in a day! Its so frustrating and I almost don't feel normal! I have a ridicilous obsession with weighing myself EVERYDAY and am only just starting to break out of this habit...... cohens say that under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you let your weight get over 3-4kgs of what your finishing weight and since it has been over I've been feeling like the biggest failure ever!

It makes me feel better to know that I'm not a big failure and there are flaws to this program ... from now I am going to do my best to drop these 5kgs and perhaps a little more with more of a balanced diet and regular exercise...

Anyway thanks for the info again Danny!
Kristy

[ConnieK]

Hi,

I am a Cohen's graduate - I finished in 2008 - have been maintaining for two years + now - no problems at all. Lost 50kg from my heaviest - 26 of this on Cohens.

do I have hair loss - Nope not anymore, am I cold - yep - do I care - no - I have lots of beautiful warm clothes in size 10 and when I want to feel sexy or wear a gorgeous designer outfit I can - I just take off the extra layers instead of having them attached to me.

What problems did I have on the program ???

I lost hair - my nails were brittle - so I took hair skin and nails pills - much better.

I had sleeplessness close to goal

What problems did I have before the program??

I was facing type 2 diabetes, had been on metformin and had PCOS and most of it's side effects.

What problems did I ave after cohens??

I had a gall attack and had my gall bladder removed - since then - nothing I feel fantastic!!!! .... and if you are fair fat and over 40 odds are your gall bladder is fried anyway ... sooner or later it's gonna get you LOL

DO I regret doing Cohens??

Not for even one millisecond of one day!!! ever!!!!!

OI have no PCOS anymore, blood tests are normal ... and have been for a year and a half ... I feel confident sexy and beautiful - all the time - I can go into ANY store and buy what I want to wear - I know everything will fit !!!!

I will live to see my grandkids (if I ever have them) I haver gained confidence, self respect and my health back. My kids are no longer embarrassed by me, I don't get uncomfortable in the heat, or feel embarrassed when I run. I don't need metformin anymore .. and have no risk of diabetes, my physical health is close to perfect ...... The list is much, much longer.

Was there a price to pay for cohens with small issues like my hair and gall ... yep ... but look at what I gained ....

I was on a controlled VLCD through teh metabolism and obesity clinic for 5 years before cohens ... in those 5 years I lost 24kg ..... in total ... 6 months on Cohens I was at goal and have stayed there since.

Like I said not even a millisecond of regret!!

ConnieK

[sam68]

Hi ConnieK

I'm glad to hear that Cohens worked so well for you. And I am happy to see you have managed to keep the weight off....that as we all know is the real challenge.

I was also a Cohens graduate a few years back and I have to admit to feeling and looking really well....when I think back it was one of the happiest times of my life. But unfortnuately I could not keep the weight off after refeed....but I have reused the plan and lost some of the weight again but when life got in the way and I put it all back on plus more. And since then I have strayed from one diet to the next trying to find that perfect diet to suit me!. Story of my life actually....anyway...

For me I would not rule out not doing Cohens again...especially when I have so much to lose again...but I need to be in the right frame of mind because it is such a regimented plan. I also think that with any diet you fall off you end up gaining it back + more....you can not pigeion hole Cohens as the only diet that this happens with....I have lost well on other plans only to gain it back each time and sometimes I think that has more to do with me and my struggles mentally with food then any diet. Anyway I hope to gain clarity about all this one day and hopefully before I am a grandma too

Anyway thanks for your feed back ConnieK....and well done on losing and maintaining.

Sam

[Sherrie]

That's the thing, if a diet downgrades your thyroid enough then that alone will effect your ability to maintain and yoyo, not just physical in that your metabolism is reduced but also mentally and hormonally. The degree of calorie restriction will have an effect as well as I am sure many other factors and I think all weight loss diets will have an effect to some degree. I think if science/Doctors understood the thyroid better then perhaps there would be more successful people and hey less obesity, mentally ill and heart disease in the first place.

[Sherrie]

Connie I am glad you had a good outcome, congratulations.

[ConnieK]

Thanks Guys,

I posted purely because I think there are good and bad stories for every diet ... WW sucked for me - but my sister lost heaps on it .... I did the VLCD from Royal Prince Alfred and it failed me bigtime! They would not listen when I tried to tell them about Cohens and how it had improved my lot .... but then all must realise in their own time I guess.

I also have to say that it was definately a mind set thing - if you don't commit 100% you may as well not bother - but then that's the same all over as well

I don't have trouble maintaining because I went back to eating other foods very slowly and I know what i can and can't eat ... and I am prepared to miss out 6 days a week if it means I can indulge on day 7 and still wear my size 10's on day 8. I can eat pretty big meals with a few carbs - if I exercise I can eat more simple concept LOL

Connie

[crazychook]

I would like to know a little more about the refeed. I have just finished the Cohen program -lost 24 kgs YAY!!! But ... my goal was to have lost a further 7 kgs. I already felt that I was happy with where I was at and conscious of the fact that at 50 years of age, and my skin not having the same elasticity as it did when I was young that I had a lot of loose skin and was starting to look a little 'haggard' rather than slim and healthy. It wasn't only my perception, but many friends told me - don't lose anymore (even skinny friends!) you are looking fantastic!

Cohen's is the only diet that I know of that won't release their maintenance (refeed) program if you don't reach goal. Which I think is very disappointing. Not everyone wants to be the 'perfect' weight.