While in Rome, I became painfully aware of just how much I've slacked off from the walking and jogging routine I had established. Last Thanksgiving I injured my shoulder and after two months of physical therapy, I never resumed the exercise routine I had maintained for over a year. That lack of exercise ended this week. I'm back in the gym and I have renewed my focus to keep active. My European friends have active lifestyles and they were a great role model for me.
Theresa walking in France (I couldn't find one of me walking in Italy)
I walked, and walked, and walked, all over Rome during the week visiting my friend Mary. I've known Mary since I was six years old and we've stayed in touch all these years. I visit her in Long Beach almost every year and we've done a lot of traveling over the years. I was disappointed to hear her tell me she thought I was in better shape in Dec. 2011 when we traveled to Washington, DC., but she was right. The week before we caught a train from RI to DC, I had run a 5k. This past December, I turned down the 5k race for medical reasons. But I've been done with PT since Feb., so I've no more excuses.
This was the first part of the steps up to Mary's apartment
My legs ached every night when I was in Rome and at the end of each day, we climbed some 50 plus steps to her apartment. Then I got up again and did it all again the next day. My pain motivated me to return home and resume my workouts and to make my life more active than ever before.
ancient ruins of Ostia Antica
We walked fast and for hours, as we saw the highlights of Rome: Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navarone, Villa Borghese, Napoleon Museum, St. Peter's Square, Vatican City, and after walking for hours through the ancient ruins of Ostia Antica, we did some beach combing along the shores of the Mediterranean.
This castle is outside the Ostia Antica ancient ruins
Mary and I took a 2-hour fast train to Assisi, which is a preserved Renaissance town on a hill in the middle of the country. At Assisi, we took a side trip: a 3 mile walk in the woods, which was so relaxing - the cool breeze, the dappled sunlight, the birdsong, the bells in the distance, and a new vista around every corner.
Mary and Theresa at Assisi
While trekking through the woods (shown below), we passed by a small group of "mature" hikers from Holland who were hiking from Rome to Florence. They were 50-70 years old and not a one of them looked a bit out of breath, even though they were walking up a steep hill as we passed them. They were inspirational!
This part of the 3-mile walk we dubbed "drunken woods." 
Mary and I had some great laughs during our visit. For some reason my limited Spanish vocabulary started surfacing and I made up my own international language: "Parlez-vous English? Buena!" Mary tells me that because I was so sincere and good-natured in my efforts to communicate that people took to me kindly. Throughout all our treks in Italy, Mary would turn and smile at me and say, "So who would have imagined when we were teenagers back in Rhode Island that we'd ever be seeing Rome together? Just goes to show, you never know where life will lead you."

At the bottom of the hill, we were rewarded by a beautiful scene (see below), looking back up to where we started. This of course meant we would be walking up hill all the way back. We knew this before we started the hike and it was worth every step, knowing we would reach the town and walk for a few more hours before catching the train back to Rome.
Look how beautiful - oh - and how much further we have to walk!
We don't know where life if going to take us, but I do know I want be as active and healthy as my European friends. Now that I'm home, I'm looking online at Meetup for a people in my area (including RI and CT) who have an established walking group. I may even start my own meetup group! I'll let you know how this works out for me.  Meanwhile, it feels good to be back in the gym!

BTW, if you click on one of the photos, you'll see the images larger and you'll have the option to view each of the photos that size at the bottom of the page.

TJ left this message on a post on Before Your First Session (May 8, 2012). I'm reposting her comment here so more of you can see this and provide feedback.
Anxiously waiting for my first appointment. I'm a bit "head-strong" and am hoping she can "get through to me"!!! I'm desperate for this life-change. 
Diabetes and heart disease are just a few miles down the road I'm on now. I need to drop 50 pounds. 
Your posts are encouraging, as nothing else I've tried has ever worked.
Tj, I'm excited for you that you are on the list to see Julie and that you're willing to do this program. As you know from my posts and others contributing to this blog, this program is nothing like anything you've ever done before. It's good that you see this as a life-change, because your life is about to change.
Best to you in your journey ahead.

You're welcome to post comments here to keep us updated on your progress. You too can be a success story who motivates others!
My European vacation offered me the opportunity to confirm that I own this program. I had opportunities with each meal to decide how I want to live my life. I chose to live life in balance and to follow the program as Julie taught me.
Tea with my friends; I declined the chocolates.
In the photo above, the sisters (Andrea took the photo) and I enjoyed the one day it was warm enough to sit out front of Andrea's house (in France). We enjoyed a pot of hot tea; I declined on the chocolates. I was amazed how they eat chocolate every day and still keep in good shape. I also realized it's not my fate to indulge this way; daily sweets led to my obesity. As they enjoyed these afternoon treats, I pushed away thoughts of indulging; "tap it away" Julie would say.

I arrived in Amsterdam on a Sunday morning and 24 hours later Helena and I were on a flight to the south of France. After a week at her sister's, we returned to Helena's home where I enjoyed three full days in Delft before I headed to Rome. We spent one day partying with all of Delft, as Queen Beatrice abdicated the throne.
While in Delft, I continued to enjoy life like a local, as we did in France. We went out for coffee in Delft a few times and the day before I left Holland, we went to my favorite place Café Vlietzicht.
Café Vlietzicht
Café Vlietzicht has a variety of places to sit, including an anchored boat, which is where I love to sit. It was so cold that we needed our to keep our jackets on as we listened to the call of birds across the water, watched ducks and sailboats sail by, and enjoyed our coffee.
Scene sitting at Café Vlietzicht
By this time  in my vacation, I was used to giving the cookies they placed on the plate next to the coffee to Helena, as I had done this the whole time while we were visiting her sister in France. This was the "cultural experience" her brother-in-law felt sad that I was "missing" out on - going to wonderful café's and not have the special treats. I didn't feel sad at all, as I've had enough sweets to last me a lifetime.

I have a couple more posts about my vacation that I'll finish and then move on, but I wanted to share photos and talk about my food choices and lessons learned along the way. I hope to help you to think about how you'll handle your vacations.

Two years ago, after a couple months of following Julie, I was going to southern California for vacation and I was nervous about how I would handle my vacation and stay one program, so I went for a refresh. I didn't go for a refresh because I was off program and needed help, but because I wanted reinforcement to stay on program during my vacation. It was wonderful to take this European trip confident that I would stay on program and returning more confident than ever that I own this program. I made choices I feel good about, as I applied what I learned from Julie.

It's been two weeks since I've been home and I feel great, but I've slacked off on my walking. After all that walking, walking, walking that I did in Rome, I've gone in the opposite direction. I can blame this on the fact that I bought a Smart TV a few days after I returned, but there's no good reason for me not to walk daily. I'll write more about walking in Rome in my next post and about how I got back into walking  again. Mind you-this is an affirmation, as I type this has not happened yet!

Meanwhile, here are some more photos I took while celebrating Queens Day in Delft. We watched the actual ceremonies on TV at Helena's, and went into Delft to join in the festivities and then again for dinner. It was wonderful to partake in a part of history that I would have missed entirely had  been at home.
What's a party without music?
The children joined in the celebration too!
Helena enjoyed the celebration too.
The town of Delft was full of treasures for sale too.
Yes, it was this cold. Yes, I still need to lose weight!
And what's a celebration without a clown?

 
If this is a dream, I do not want to wake up!!!

Let me continue sleeping, this is such a wonderful dream!!!!

I wasn't going to post about this, but decided I have posted about all the other times, so WHY NOT!!!

I want you all to look at my skirt!!

YUP, just look at it!!!

What size do you think that skirt is?

Come on now, what size?

I'll give you a hint:


DID YOU HAPPEN TO CATCH THAT HINT!!!!!!!!

Let me give you another hint:



May I show you another picture please!!!



I really have nothing more to say as I keep tearing up... an absolute miracle, that about sums it up!!

Julie if you happen to read this post, from my heart, the words Thank You just don't say enough...
Linda shared this recipe and I went right home from work today and made it. It's not French cuisine, but i really enjoyed it. It's simple ingredients and easy to make. Be careful that your balance of meat and veggie is good when you make this.
Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 - 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2-3/4 cabbage, chopped
  • 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
Preparation
  1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. 
  2. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, stirring, until ground beef is no longer pink and onion is tender. 
  3. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
  4. Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper, and salt. 
  5. Bring to a boil. 
  6. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.
While on vacation with my Dutch friend Helena, I spent a few days in Holland and then we went to her sister's farm in France for a week. I had a cottage all to myself and I went to a  car show where you park along the side of the road and watch 200 plus antique cars speed by! We went to the car show in her brother-in-law's 1948 Bentley. Life was good in France.
I stayed in the cottage on the left
The food in France was good too. My friends were accommodating and provided the right foods for me. We went out to eat a few times, but most meals we made together and enjoyed at their beautiful dinner table. When it was warm enough, we ate outside.
We picked these wild flowers on the farm.
Helena and I wanted to treat her sister and brother-in-law to a special dinner to thank them for sharing their home and hospitality. They talked about wanting to go to a special place where the main course is duck, but I don't like duck.
 This is how good 66 and 76 years old looks
One day the sisters and I had lunch out and I took the opportunity to taste Helena's duck. A mere two years ago I didn't like meat, but this program changed all that. I figured it was time for me to give duck a try. I took a bite and I discovered it was delicious!
Abba restaurant where I had lunch with the sisters

In fact it was at this same meal that I had my first taste of celeriac - from Andrea's plate. She had been worried about what I would have with her beef stew, instead of rice, and after she discovered I liked celeriac she bought some at the fresh market to serve with her stew.
Andrea's beef stew with celeriac, roasted eggplant, and tomatoes

Having confidence in my taste for duck, a few nights later we went to their favorite place for duck. It was an incredible dinner, duck and all.
The main duck course was served on a  platter with roasted veggies. Potatoes are for maintenance.
Top: Andrea and Jen (pronounced "young")
Bottom: Helena and the Chef

 This is where we had our duck dinner
Now that I'm home from my vacation, I'm at a loss for what to eat, as my usual foods taste bland. Before I left I was focusing on switching up my meals to avoid repeating the same meals again and again. It seems my taste buds have changed and the time has come to put these words into action by finding some new recipes.
Coffee served after our duck dinner
Even my home brewed coffee doesn't taste the same to me. I had some wonderful cappuccinos while in Europe. I didn't like cappuccino until this trip, but I am hooked now. I'm not sure if I need to buy a cappuccino machine or just give it a few more weeks for my taste buds to adjust.
Coffee at the fresh market
At our last dinner, Jen commented that it's sad I couldn't have the real cultural experience in France, because I didn't have pastry with my cappuccino a few days earlier, or the first strawberries of the season with them that night. I didn't say anything, because I didn't know where to begin. I understood his meaning, but he didn't understand my way of eating and it seemed futile to try to explain.
Jen may not understand a sugar-less diet, but he sure knows how to drive a Bentley!

I've have had a lifetime of (over) eating sweet things. I know what they taste like. I know what I'm missing. I know this way of eating is how I'm going to reach my goal size and then learn how to maintain my goal size. Someone who has never had a weight problem can't relate to they way I eat or how I became so obese. People who do have weight problems don't always get this either. 

Here's a 15 second video from the car show. Click in the bottom right corner to view it full screen size.
And what's a vacation without a little shopping...Helena and I bought this same blouse and Andrea took a nice photo of the three of us having a good laugh...

I'm back from my three week vacation of visiting friends in Holland, France, and Italy. I walked so much every day that my legs ached every night, but then I got up and did it all over again the next day!
On the shores of the Mediterranean, Ostia Antica, Italy.
Thank you Linda and everyone who contributed to this blog during my absence. Linda's great sense of humor and her "tell it like it is" style of writing was entertaining and right on point!

I promise to post stories about my discoveries and my journey soon.

Meanwhile, I just read Things to Do When You Find Yourself on a Plateau, which is a perfect piece to share with all of you as it uses "being a tourist" as a metaphor to stay on program. It's an inspirational read.
I talked a few days ago about fad diets, today I am hitting the crazy exercises that were and are out there.

Again, I admit to falling for many of these. The concepts were great, the promises were wonderful, but, again, if it is to good to be true…

Wrap your self up in saran wrap, exercise and you were supposed to loose inches fast! We went through a lot of Saran wrap, and it didn’t work.

I never bought a Mark Eden’s bust developer. BUT my steno teacher did. She was teaching us about check book registers and passed her’s around. Need I say more! LOL! The poor lady didn’t live that one down!! Anyway, lots of good advertising there. Showed lots of women with beautiful busts. But never showed the product or even explain how to use it.

How many had that small wheel with the 2 handles.? You would put your feet under the couch and hold the handles and roll out from the couch and roll back to the couch. VERY HARD!!! Many times, fell flat on my stomach as I couldn’t control the wheel to stop. Quite hilarious!! Even funnier was my sisters and mom and I would use that green face mask stuff and then exercise with that on. As the mask dried it would harden and we couldn’t talk to good! We were sights to behold!! My dad would just walk by and shake his head.

Another exercise I remember growing up, one my mother taught us. We had a long hardwood floor hallway. And we would sit on our butts and butt walk down it. Your legs would be on the floor and you would use your butt and legs to propel you to walk. At different times during the day myself or one of my sisters would be butt walking down the hall. I do remember my mom doing it at times, but mostly us girls. I often wonder now if this was supposed to be a legitimate exercise or was mom just getting the hard wood floor cleaned and polished!!!

Hopefully my sisters and my mom don't read this post!!

People had machines or went to places like a gym that had machines with a belt. You would put the belt on around your waist, turn on the machine and it would jiggle you like crazy. Not a pretty sight if someone had a lot of jiggly fat on them. Was supposed to shake your weight off.

sauna suits You could buy a suit that would make you sweat. Or we had an inflatable belt thing. We would put the belt on, blow it up and exercise. Was supposed to melt the fat off. Another hysterical moment in our house when we were growing up!

All the ads for 6 pack abs in just 8 minutes of exercise - YEAH RIGHT!!

Exercise in a bottle, don’t I wish!! Take a pill, will make your body re-act like you just exercised, the fat will melt off! Without sweating!!

toning shoes, came in a few different styles. I remember as a teenager the Doctor Scholls sandals. Tuning up your legs as you walk around with these special sandals. They were quite the rage. He made a lot of money!! He has nice stuff, but those shoes were something…

I have to say, in my adult life I bought a Suzanne Somers thigh master. I am embarrassed, but I did! I wanted thighs that looked like hers!! I can dream can’t I! The concept was good, but, well, lets just say that I still don’t have Suzanne Somers thighs!

The electronic Ab exerciser would send an electrical current into your abs which would make them contract and release. That was supposed to make them burn body fat. OUCH!!!!

Phiten Carmelo wouldn’t lie— would he? These celebrity-backed titanium bracelets are supposed to reduce pain and fatigue, improve strength, and aid “bioelectrical flow” Don’t even know what bioelectric is? Am I supposed to have it?

Dumbellutensils look ‘em up on google. Yup, dumb bell utensils. You get a work out while eating. Forks, spoons and knives that are dumb bells. The only dumb bells I can figure out are the ones that bought them. ( sorry if you did! I fell for many promises too!)

Then there is the face trainer. Technology Face Training, and endurance based high repetition form of resistance training for all 44 bilaterally symmetrical muscles of the face and neck. The face trainer fits firmly against the skint o provide resistance and help to build muscle and tone. Ooookkkkkkk….hmm

There are so many to good to be true exercises out there, always have been and always will be. Just like all the fad diet plans.

I am thankful Julie isn’t a fad diet or a scam!! She is an answer to many desperate prayers!!

Do you have any funny exercise stuff you want to tell us about?
A while back Theresa posted a question about what those 3 words mean to us. After looking at Lynn’s tattoo I decided to bring it up again.

picture by Lynn!


Those 3 words, Example, sacrifice and compromise are such a big part of the program and we can never hear about them enough.


They are very hard to explain, I know in my heart what they mean, but to put the words on paper, well, that is a bit harder.


One of my friends asked the question again, and here are some of the answers she got:


I think sacrifice and compromise are easier for me. Sacrifice means I have to be willing to give up things in order to reach my goal. It could mean choosing to go exercise instead of eating out with a friend. It could mean going on vacation in the Dominican Republic and not having fresh drinks out of a coconut.


Compromise is a little harder for me. Like, I'll compromise and have the chicken but not the cheese. It's allowing myself to negotiate and work through my decisions in order to be healthy and go in the right direction.


I definitely had the hardest time with example. I *think* that it means that I do things to create the example and set new patterns for my body. The animal doesn't know, it just does. So, if I consciously set the example then the animal says, ok, and that's what we do.


Sacrifice means I will give up anything and do anything to reach my goal. YET it sure doesn't feel like a sacrifice to me!!


Example for me means hopefully others can see what I am doing, yet I am setting more of an example to myself. Every time I tap away a temptation, I am reinforcing in my mind that I really do not want it and am setting the blueprint for future behavior.


Some one looked up the definition of Compromise in the dictionary and this is what she came up with:


Compromise as a verb(synonym):

means come to terms

and I sure have come to terms that this way of eating is for the rest of my life.

as a Noun:

An agreement or a settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions.

I will order a hamburger, but hold the cheese and naturally the bun. Or please hold the mashed potato and gravy and I will have cottage cheese or extra corn. That type of thing.


as a Verb

Settle a dispute by mutual concession.

I want that cheese, I want it bad. Ok, well maybe I will get a cheeseburger, eat half the cheese and no cheese anywhere else for the rest of the week.


Synonyms

noun.

agreement - accommodation - settlement - conciliation.

Like the exercise challenges I have been trying to do. I hate exercise, always did always will, but I KNOW I have to do something, so walking and the exercise challenges at this time are my agreement to myself.


I don’t know if any of this will help you, but it helps me to put it all into perspective a bit more!


Do you have your own definitions or examples? PLEASE post them if you do!!! We are all in this together and we are all working towards that magic number and a healthier future!!!

Hi everyone.  I went to Julie in Jan 2012 and it has changed my life SO much.  I LOVE reading everyone's stories and find them encouraging and now it's time to share mine.

Like Linda mentioned in her last post, I too have tried everything under the sun including weight loss surgery over 10 years ago.  I had heard about this program and thought about it A LOT and decided to just call and get on the list.  I was extremely overweight and always worried about fitting in seats with armrests and was happy when I went to the sessions that they had chairs without arms.  By the time I went to my 1st refresher in March I didn't have to ask for the chairs to be changed and it felt GOOD!  I've gone down 5-6 sizes on bottom and about 4 on top, depending on style.  My shopping experience is VERY different now than it used to be.

I would say the biggest challenge has been in the Dr's office, not looking at the scale but that they write it down and leave it on the counter while they take my vitals, so at the 2 appts I've seen my weight.  I don't fret about it but the next time I'll ask they don't put it somewhere I can't see it.

This program has changed me in many ways.  One is that I got my 1st tattoo in Sept, I was always VERY afraid of needles and one day called, made the appt and went.  I say 1st because I just got another one with Compromise - Sacrifice - Example...that's how much this has changed me.

I've added a before & after picture (Xmas 2011 & Xmas 2012) and one of my tattoo.  I have to find some of full view to post later.
Thanks
Lynn



Fess up--you know you did at least one of these quick fix diets! I sure did! I am embarrassed to admit to how many I did, but pleased to announce there are many I didn’t do! Some of these are quite bizarre!

Ear stapling was quite popular. Grossed me out when I would see people playing with the staples in their ears or the pins in their ears. Supposed to hit a pressure point that controls appetite. I am sorry, in my opinion all it did was put extra holes in your ears that you didn’t need!! Maybe that started the fashion trend we see now!

Eat according to your blood type. Never made sense to me!
photo from wikpedia
Remember Ayds?? The yummy candy we were supposed to eat before meals! They came in caramel, chocolate, peanut butter and probably a few other favors. They were good! Heck, if you were supposed to eat one before meals and it was supposed to work, well, I certainly figured the more the better. I gained weight on them, but they were sure good.

Then there were the people who got their jaws wired shut. Not only scary, but looked horrid! I heard of people figuring out how to pulverize pizza to fit through a straw, and goodness sakes, what if you had to throw up.

When I was a kid I remember people wrapping themselves in saran wrap while they exercised! That stuff flew off the shelves for a while!

The cabbages soup diet! If you could stand the smell of the cabbage soup in your house and you could stick with it for at least a few days, you lost weight alright. You also lost friends at that time because of all the cabbage you were eating, makes for lots of gas!

500 calories a day. When I was a kid, my mom’s doctor recommended that for me. I WAS STARVING! That is not much to eat at all and when you are a kid, that makes for a miserable existence.

The carbohydrate addicts diet. You followed their plan all day and then for 1 hour only you could eat whatever you wanted. That was the most fun hour I ever had. I ate all kinds of good stuff! Didn’t loose much, but boy oh boy, I sure loved that 1 hour a day!!

Diet based on foods from the Bible. Well I tried that, not to exciting, and, I figured out, even though wine is part of the Bible, it probably wasn’t part of the diet!

Taking supplements that would expand in your stomach! That one was different! Cost me a fortune, and no matter how many I took, and no matter how much they expanded, there was always room for a lot of food!!!

People have had a balloon inserted into their stomachs to take up room! REALLY?

There are people that are injecting themselves with pregnant women’s urine!! Again, REALLY? Why oh why would a pregnant woman donate her urine, and I can’t even think about injecting that into my body!

Even though it was illegal, Speed was a big hit for loosing weight. All it did was make your heart race, got you all antsy and you made someone else rich when you bought it!

Then there was the KE diet. That stands for Ketogenic Enteral Nutrition. The dieter got a small nasal tube inserted into their nose going all the way into their stomach through which a liquid solution drips constantly. YUK! YUK! And YUK!

Then there was the counting your chewing. You were supposed to chew each bite of food for, I think, 30 chews. Exhausting!! Made your jaws sore.

Then slim fast. If you could stand the taste of the stuff. I used to drink mine as a milk shake, with a great meal!! Totally defeating the purpose!

Then there were all the diet pills: fen-phen, alli, phentermine and all the others. A doctors prescription in my mind made them worthwhile, they must have worked if the doctor was prescribing them! Right? Wrong! Just got my heart racing, and the one that made the fats you ate go right through you, don’t remember the name, you could eat all the fat you wanted and this pill would make it pass right out, but WOW, if you weren’t near a bathroom…

The hard boiled egg diet!! You ate as many hard boiled eggs as you wanted, and Crystal light or water you could drink. Besides causing gas, well, I got sick of eggs!

The lemon and lime diet. You could only have lemons and limes and water.

The bread diet. You had to eat a whole loaf of bread a day, was supposed to stop cravings!

The pocket diet. You could only eat what you could stuff into a pita pocket. Let me tell you, I could stuff a lot into a pita. Especially ice cream with chocolate sauce!

The beer and ice cream diet. Basically the idea is that it takes calories to heat what you ingest, so eating ice cream and drinking cold beer will burn calories as you raise it to body temperature. If you were constantly busy, try a beer float and take your lunch to go. If you are an alcoholic with a sweet tooth you can be fit in no time.

I remember people wanting to do the tapeworm diet. I won’t even get into that one!
There was the Stillman diet. All protein, no veggies or anything else. A bit much!


Optifast. You went to a hospital to check in, only had their shakes and a lean cuisine for supper. I used to go to the meetings then head to McDonalds for one of their personal size pizzas when they had them!

There was the cookie diet, all the diet centers where you had to buy only their food, fruit fasts, Hollywood juice diet, Herbalife and I could go on and on. I made a lot of people rich with all the nonsense ways I tried to loose weight!

There are so many more crazy diets out there! I am SO thankful I found Julie and am eating like a normal person and loosing.

If you know of any other crazy diets, whether you did them or not, please post them!!! and be thankful we are not in that craziness anymore!




























There are days I want to shout from the roof tops about Julie and her program! I want to tell every overweight person I see about it and tell them how it works!!

But, like my friend Richard Simmons, I do not say anything to anybody unless they ask me first. And even then, I am careful what I say.

I have always felt a bond with morbidly obese people. I could feel their shame, embarrassment and know how they were feeling walking into a room or restaurant or where ever. Not looking people in the eye or not wanting to attract attention, hoping people wouldn't notice us or make a comment. Hoping we would fit into a chair, seat or down an aisle. Not going to the doctors because of the lectures we would get. Hoping no one would make a comment to our spouse or our children or our parents about our weight, then hearing the comment and the utter horror and embarrassment that they have to put up with comments about our weight.

But now I really feel for them and all of us. It makes me so sad at how we are tricked into thinking we are eating healthy, and we are not.

I feel sad that morbidly obese people are viewed as lazy, no will power, when I now know that isn’t true. It is the so called healthy food we are eating that make us out of control. Granted, there is always an exception to the rule.

How can our government allow so much junk in our foods. High fructose corn syrup is poison. All types of flour is not good for us. Sugar is deadly. Artificial sweetener is poison. And the list goes on…
and don't even get me going on all the quick weight loss, money grabbing empty promise weight loss programs out there!! That is a topic for a whole other post...

Makes me sad. I thought I was feeding my sweet innocent babies so healthy as they were growing up.

I see people in the grocery stores talking about how this is healthy because it is low cal or fat free. Makes me want to cry.
Advertisements for some foods just makes me stare in disbelief!! It is thrown at us from all sides...

I never knew how deceived we were until I went to Julie's classes. I am SO VERY THANKFUL that I was led to Julie’s office and program!

There are so many articles, doctors reports, reports from scientists and so much proof that this is the way to eat. I am amazed.

Makes me want to shout out from the roof tops.

Makes me wish there were more Julie’s around to spread the word and her gift.

Makes me certainly not trust the food industry.

Makes me want to hug all the people out there who are suffering as I did most of my life with their weight.


Last week I had fun. My dear cousin got married and a picnic turned into a reception/family reunion.


Lots of fun when many Italians get together to celebrate a happy occasion.

So my parents and brother were flying in from Texas. My parents had been there visiting my brother and one of my sisters for 2 weeks. I told them when they got to Bradley airport I would pick them up as I was so excited.

Hadn’t seen my brother for 1 year, and hadn’t seen my parents since Christmas.They all knew I was loosing weight.

I got the text saying they had landed, and they were outside waiting.

I drove up to the waiting area, I saw them and waved, and had to keep driving to find a place to park.

I got out of the car expecting them to be following me.

Where were they?

I saw them looking around waiting for someone.

I called my brother and asked him if they had seen me. He said mom thought she did, but then realized she didn’t.

I told my brother where to walk to. I saw them all approaching and I started waving.

I was so excited! BUT Not one of them waved back.

Hmmm what is up with this.

I see my mom looking all around and I hear her say, "I thought you said Linda was here. I don't see her!"

WHAT?

As they got closer I kept waving and started jumping up and down to get their attention.

I see them look, and they had quite the confused looks on their faces. My dad finally realized that it was me making all the commotion.

The shock that registered on their faces as they came over, and their repeated comment- “I didn’t recognize you” “Wow! We didn’t recognize you!”

Between you and me, my dad had something in his eyes that made them water and he kept hugging me and saying you look good!

I was so happy!

Kind of funny to have my parents not recognize me!

I heard comments all week and at the reunion! Makes a person feel pretty good!!!!

This is my dad and mom and sisters and brother, I love them dearly!!!!
Anyone who has ever worn pantyhose will know what I am talking about! Now, try being 100 pounds over weight and put pantyhose on. Sorry guys, but this post will make more sense to women!
Photo source: deviantart.com
You start at your feet, pull them tight, pull them up to your calves, then come the thighs, this is hard, you lift one leg like giving it strength, then lift the other, you twist and turn and pull the pantyhose to get them up and over the thighs. Then comes the hips and belly, at this point you become a contortionist!

You bend at the waist to gather more of the pantyhose. You pull, tug, twist, bend, groan, jump, jiggle and whatever else you have to do to get those dumb things on.

I was so out of breath getting those dumb things on. And I certainly didn’t want my dear husband to witness my pantyhose jiggle!

So I started wearing knee highs. Oh dear! To me that is such an old lady thing to do, but I could not deal with the pantyhose dance.

Instead, here's what I would do: I would buy control top pantyhose, cut the legs off and wear the pantie part with the knee highs. Not a pretty picture at all!

Last week, I realized my new church skirt needed pantyhose and not knee highs, as there was a small slit on the side that would look hideous with knee highs under them.

I bit the bullet and went to buy pantyhose.

Immediately I wondered What size do I get? I had no clue. The size charts all go by your weight and I don’t know how much I weighed! So, I did the best I could and some old habits do not die quickly, I got control top.

I got home and pulled them out of the package.

WOW--they look so small!

Oh dear, will I get them on? 

I didn’t want to do the secret dance, but I had to wear them with my skirt! So I started...
Feet OK.
Calves OK.
Thighs OK.
OK? Wow!

Hips and belly, oh my--they went on without too much dancing.
The next thing I knew, I had them up and on--and I wasn’t out of breath!

I didn’t have to dance to get my pantyhose on! This time I didn't have to be a contortionist!

Wow, oh wow--this program is really working for me in more ways than I knew!

Pantyhose, who in the world invented them?

Well at least now I know: I can wear these dumb things and they fit me right!

Another non-scale victory for me! LOL!
I'm heading off this afternoon for vacation in a few minutes. During the three weeks I'm away, a couple of my blog contributor friends will post to the blog and moderate comments. I'm taking the program with me and will stay in the river while I'm there. I'll be in Holland, France, and Italy. I will be back on May 9, 2013.
It's amazing how one can lose nearly a hundred pounds (9-10 sizes; my actual weight loss is not known) and how one little photo can leave you feeling like you haven't lost any weight at all. I had a situation last weekend that left me feeling like I hadn't lost an ounce of weight, but I have been able to put things into perspective and get over myself.
This blurry photo inspired me to buy a new camera.
Last weekend I had a great day visiting a cousin with my brothers in RI who we hadn't seen in years. We spent most of our visit talking family history. We went to Bridget Crowley's grave, our first relative from Ireland to come to America. A few years ago relatives donated money to put a headstone on her grave. It's hard to believe someone didn't do this 60 or 70 years ago, but I was happy to be part of making it happen at long last. I'd heard about Bridget over the years and I'm looking forward to learning more about her life and her family from my cousin.

While visiting we took a few photos of each other. Nobody can ever take a sharp photo with my iPhone, but I uploaded the photo anyhow because this is what I want to talk about this morning.

I was feeling great that day and then I saw this photo and my mood quickly changed. As blurry as the picture is - all I could see was my belly! Note to self: wear longer blouses with these jeans. I was so bummed about my belly hanging out like that and I felt embarrassed that I left the house in that outfit.

A few days later, I saw the obituary of my friend's husband, George Gladir and that helped pull things into perspective. Life isn't measured by the size of our belly or the size of our body. It's measure by the size of what we do with our lives.

We're all doing incredible things with our lives: changing them for the better and helping each other do the same. Today we focus on our bodies, but at some point, we get to move beyond this focus an on to bigger things in life. That's what I'm excited about, when I find the next big thing I can use all my energy to focus on instead of myself.

A friend once told me "If you don't know what you want, how can you possibly get it?" She's right. And it's time for me to figure out what I want next.

What about you? Do you have the next big thing lined up to do when your weight is no longer the focus of you life? You don't have to know what it is today, but you can start dreaming today. If you can't dream it - it won't happen, so dream big.
An act of terrorism happened in our backyard on Monday when bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. My friends and family are all safe and I hope yours are too. I talked with my key hypnosis friends and many said they ate more than usual on Monday night, but they stayed on program. One friend said her response was to turn to what she learned over the years would comfort her: food. But her story has a happy ending.
My friend's new mantra
Overwhelmed with emotion about the Boston tragedy, unable to find the face-to-face support she needed, one of my key hypnosis friends turned to her old friend---food. Tuesday morning she told me "It was a very quick minimal visit, and it ended with a tall glass of milk--a new friend. So it's behind me, but the sadness of yesterday is not. I wasn't going to tell anyone, but I believe asking for support will help me through this."

She was encouraged by words from another key friend "this is only a test." My friend embraced these words and created a new mantra for herself, which she carries with her on her iPhone:
This is a test
Off the Wheel
Reveal to heal
Plan
Hugs
Breathe
There we have it - a happy ending for my friend!

My reaction Monday night: I ate two dinners Monday night; all foods on program. I don't have non-program foods in the house; one benefit of living alone. I got caught up in the news until late in the night and again all morning. I couldn't turn it off even there was so little new information. The news was so sensationalized and hypnotic that I couldn't pull myself away. Being in a this kind of hypnotic state like this is akin to getting drunk: both leave you vulnerable to eating out of control.

If you went off program in reaction to Monday's tragedy, it's time to get back in the river right now. No amount of food dissolves pain or changes acts of terrorism. But there is something each of us can do: be successful in our lives, live happy lives, and take care of ourselves and our families - this is our best agent against terrorism.

Each day you stay in the river (on program), you teach yourself new ways to react to what life throws at you. Your automatic response will change over time, because you are training your mind to react in new ways. You will be tested along the way; it is part of the journey.

You should know that after the marathon bombing, good people did random acts of compassion. Things you should read about. Things to help soften the pain, to help us heal from that which we are at a loss of words to express. Here are a few stories you should know about:
Last week Linda wrote about following Julie's advice to get off the hamster wheel in her post "Letting My Inner Animal Out." In reading her story, I was inspired to do the same. I want to share what this experience looked like for me, so I created a few short videos in hopes to inspire you all to get off your hamster wheel too. Or, at least provide some comedy for you.
image source: Big & Small: My Cartoon Collection
In my first video, I capture what we look like when we fail to switch up our exercise routines: we look like and act like hamsters spinning round and round going nowhere. Just like our foods, which we mix up instead of eating the same foods over and over, allowing our minds to think we're on a diet, which halts our weight loss, our bodies want us to mix things up too. Do something different for exercise this week, rather than the same exercise week after week.

Get off the Hamster Wheel (5 seconds)


It's so painful to watch oursleves looking like a rat in a cage, I ended it quickly.

This is next video is me jogging. I did three takes and I crack myself up. I hope you get a good laugh too.

Jogging: Take One (1 minute 57 seconds)


Take Two (36 seconds)

Take Three (1 minute 12 seconds)


If you've been having a hard time getting off the hamster wheel, read this inspiring article
Get Off the Hamster Wheel, in which author Karen Kimsey-House writes deep and profound thoughts about how to see the difference between doing something because it comes from a a genuine desire inside us rather than the hamster wheel approach.

Here's an excerpt from Get Off the Hamster Wheel:
We need to be in action to make dreams real in the world, but action needs to be connected to a larger sense of meaning. Why are you doing what you're doing? Are you doing it because you should or is it coming from inside you from a genuine desire? The Hamster Wheel approach: If I exercise three times a week, I'm "good." Or, if I go to see my mother-in-law twice a month, I'm "good." The Co-Active approach I am advocating for you: I care deeply about my health and well-being, so I devote time to nurture my body. My relationship with my mother-in-law is important to me, therefore I'm going to invest in it. See the difference?
Now go outside and get moving in the real world!
Here a couple question about what to do if you have a stomach bug that someone asked on the FAQ page. I want to bring to this to the surface, so those of you who have had this issue can share your experiences.

Anonymous, March 30, 2013:
This week my family had the stomach bug that lasted for days. Myself included. I am now over two months with the hypnosis and have been doing great...up to this point. I tried just eating chicken broth and staying hydrated with water. I just found that I was not getting my energy back. The thought of eating protein made me nauseous. I finally broke down and started to eat some saltines and drank Pedialyte. I quickly got my energy back but sure enough that made those darn Army men come running out. 3 days off (and I would love to say I just ate saltines but I would be lying) and today I am back on and feeling better.

What is done is done and I hope I have not messed up my hypnosis too much. I live far away and do not want to have to travel (or pay!) for a refresher.

Has anyone else faced this? Is there a way to stay on the plan yet be able to get better?

I subscribe to a mail list from SparkPeople and I find many of their articles inspirational. With a mission to "Spark millions of People around the world to get healthy and reach new goals every day" - who wouldn't want to hear what they say? This morning's article provided a hundred reasons to work out today.
100 Reasons to Work Out Today; image source SparkPeople
Since we're having such great weather, I thought we could all use this bonus to help us get outside to exercise, so I copied their list below. Do any of these motivate you to get out there today?

100 Reasons to Exercise Now
  1. Because it makes you feel confident
  2. Because it helps you get stronger
  3. Because exercise helps combat depression
  4. Because you'll feel proud of yourself
  5. Because you have goals you want to reach
  6. Because you'll feel bad if you don't
  7. Because you want to move forward, not backward
  8. Because it burns more calories than not working out
  9. Because it improves your heart health
  10. Because you want a great butt
  11. Because it prevents diabetes
  12. Because you want to be a good example to your kids
  13. Because you want to feel good in your clothes
  14. Because it reduces your risk of cancer
  15. Because your body was made to move
  16. Because you want to be an athlete
  17. Because you want to look better
  18. Because it lifts your mood
  19. Because you want to stand taller
  20. Because it reduces back pain
  21. Because it feels good
  22. Because it makes you feel accomplished
  23. Because you spend most of your day on your butt
  24. Because swimsuit season is always coming
  25. Because strong is the new skinny
  26. Because dieting only works so much
  27. Because it strengthens your bones, too
  28. Because it helps you lose weight
  29. Because it allows you to eat more food
  30. Because it's the best way to spend "me" time
  31. Because it helps you de-stress
  32. Because it's cheaper than therapy
  33. Because you want a strong core
  34. Because you want to take care for yourself
  35. Because you take pride in your body
  36. Because it strengthens your legs
  37. Because it helps your clothes fit better
  38. Because you want to push yourself
  39. Because you are capable of more than you ever imagined
  40. Because moving your body feels good
  41. Because it keeps your mind sharp
  42. Because it helps you beat belly bloat
  43. Because it helps you sleep better at night
  44. Because it gives you energy
  45. Because you want to stay healthy as you age
  46. Because you want to look younger
  47. Because you want toned arms
  48. Because it improves your balance
  49. Because it burns off last night's dessert
  50. Because it boosts your immune system
  51. Because sweat is sexy
  52. Because you want to live longer
  53. Because you want to get better at your game
  54. Because you want to catch some one's eye
  55. Because exercisers earn more money
  56. Because you're more likely to eat better when you exercise
  57. Because you want to shave time off your running pace
  58. Because you want to breathe easier
  59. Because you want to see the scale drop
  60. Because exercise improves your sex life
  61. Because you are worth it
  62. Because being fit makes everything in life better
  63. Because you promised yourself that you would
  64. Because you deserve a better life
  65. Because it'll help you drink more water
  66. Because you want to do real push-ups
  67. Because it reduces your health care costs
  68. Because you'll miss fewer days of work
  69. Because you want to create a new future for yourself
  70. Because it'll help you like what you see in the mirror
  71. Because it makes clothing shopping more fun
  72. Because you want to look and feel incredible
  73. Because exercising can be fun
  74. Because it'll give your skin a glow
  75. Because it's a good way to spend time with your friends
  76. Because it'll help you prevent the middle-age spread
  77. Because it reduces your blood pressure
  78. Because you don't want to let yourself go
  79. Because you don't want to squeeze into an airplane or roller coaster seat
  80. Because it strengthens your spirit
  81. Because it's a cheap way to entertain yourself
  82. Because you'll be able to reward yourself
  83. Because you need a reason to wear those new workout clothes
  84. Because you're tired of being tired
  85. Because not working out is not going to get you very far
  86. Because it's a great way to spend time outside
  87. Because you made a commitment to yourself
  88. Because you're tired of starting over
  89. Because there will always be another wedding, vacation or reunion
  90. Because you're not a quitter
  91. Because it improves your cholesterol
  92. Because it boosts your metabolism
  93. Because it prevents age-related muscle loss
  94. Because if you can do this, you can do anything
  95. Because a fit body is a healthy body
  96. Because it beats sitting on the couch
  97. Because  everyone has at least 10 minutes to spare
  98. Because you want to be stronger than your excuses
  99. Because not working out isn't working out for you
  100. Because the only workout you ever regret is the one you skip

source: Daily Spark
To anyone who has been to one of Julie’s re-freshers lately you know what I am talking about. I am really working hard to let out my ‘inner animal’

Activity has never been one of my finer points in my life, but after hearing Julie explain and use the hamster example I realize, it is time to really start. She isn’t magic and it really is up to me to let this animal out.

So spontaneous walking I have started.

The first day I decided my inner animal was a rabbit, I walked with a friend and we walked for over 45 minutes, up and down hills and fast. OH MY!! I was sore for days. YUK!!

The second day my animal was a turtle, I walked with another friend, up and down hills for 20 minutes, much slower and that was better.

The third day, my animal was a dog, no one to walk with but my grandchildren. So with a 1 year old in a carriage and a 3 year old hanging on we walked to my daughter’s house and back to mine. Didn’t time it, as you can imagine, I had my hands full. When we got back to my house I let the kids play outside. I decided my ‘inner animal’ needed to do some yard work and thus made that animal start raking the yard.

That animal, HOWELED, GROWELED, BARKED, and BIT ME as we raked. I am lazy by nature.

But raked we did, and boy I went to bed very early that night…

Yesterday in church, I obviously couldn't exercise, but I did fidget! I felt like a sleeping dog whose legs run while they sleep, or tails wag while laying down. Wasn't a real sweat breaker, but parts of my body were constantly moving. We are in church for 4 hours with an hour and 1/2 lunch/fellowship break, so I really got in some major fidgeting!!! Basically sitting with my legs crossed (do you remember that post when I crossed them for the first time? Don't laugh at my non scale victory?)

Why don’t I like to exercise, who knows!

Do I know it needs to become a part of my life, YES!!

Will I do it to reach my goal size, I HAVE NO CHOICE!

I am writing this and trying to decide what animal will come out today, even though I feel like a slug, maybe I will be a monkey and get my 3 grandchildren and just have fun with them outside. And while out there let the dog out again and do more raking (YUK) but I know I must move.

Like Theresa’s previous post, what am I willing to do to make this goal size happen!! ANYTHING!!! I WANT IT SO BAD I CAN TASTE IT (ok, so taste it probably isn’t the best term to use but you get my gist!)

Hey, if I can learn to eat vegetables and enjoy most of them, I can learn to move this body!

What animal will you be today? Putting it in that kind of perspective for me makes it a little more fun and some day I may even post on here that I like to exercise. Won’t that be a miracle!!! LOL!!! My former weight watchers leader would pass out if she learns I eat veggies now and am trying to exercise!!!!

Have fun with your journey!!! This is a GREAT way to live and loose weight!!!!!

I'm really serious about reaching my goal size this year. I want this really bad, so I'm clearing the way all over the place in my life. What about you? How bad do you want it? What are you willing to do to reach your goal size this year?
For me, reaching my goal size (8) means moving, moving, moving. It also means eating clean, like my friend Linda and my size 6 friends who have been clean all along.

I wasn't aware that I wasn't eating clean. There were gray areas that I wasn't aware of; I was eating that are not on program. As you know, there are no gray areas; foods are either on program or they're not on program. So, I didn't know, doesn't work for me anymore! Now that I know about things I was eating that are off program, I'm done eating them. My eyes are open now. I can see! I can see at last! 

One area I've been cleaning up is my blog recipes. I've been reviewing my recipes and deleting ones that are not on program. Gone is my recipe for Popsicles, which combined half and half with Siggis yogurt. Sigh. You know something is off program when you sigh at the thought of not having it anymore. Last summer I made these a lot. I knew they were trouble, because I craved them, but I was in complete denial.

Until recently, I did not know half and half was not allowed. I was using it in my coffee and in other recipes. No wonder I was holding my weight during the fall! As of a few weeks ago, I officially too half and half off my option list. When I have coffee I froth my milk and if I drink it out, I pay the extra to have the milk frothed. I haven't had iced coffee, but when I do, it's with milk or not at all.

Back in Dec. I was informed half and half was not allowed, but I was not willing to give it up yet. If I want to reach my goal, I must give it up. My guess is I was able to get away with this for so long because of how heavy I was. Half and half is no longer an option.

Cheese is a condiment. Not only was I eating cheese with meat bite for bite, which I learned a long time ago is not appropriate, but I had recipes with way too much cheese in them. Gone from this blog are most recipes with cheese. Providing I keep the amount of cheese to a tiny bit and the veggie ratio low, my meat pizza recipe is safe. I'll buy only enough cheese to top off the pizza, so I don't have any extra cheese in the house. Recently I made meat pizza with pesto sauce instead of tomato sauce and I think this is a good idea, as it gives the pizza a lot more flavor and I don't add too many veggies with the pesto. (BTW, my pesto is just basil and oil - no nuts.)






What are you willing to sacrifice to reach your goal size? Have you too been in denial and eating foods off program?  Did you think you could get away with it and all the while wonder why you're at a plateau for so long?

Give it up! Let go of your free will and get back in the river! Join me and reach your goal size this year!
There's nothing better than feeling good in a pair of blue jeans. Well, there probably is, but just for today, feeling good comes in a pair of blue jeans. Tomorrow, I'll aim for bigger goals.
The jeans I bought in January are getting baggy in the thighs and butt - woohoo!  And I'm finally wearing the jeans I bought in Dec. Until this week, the only way I could zip the Dec. jeans all the way up was to lay on my bed and hold my breath; sitting down wasn't an option. Now, they look great and I feel fabulous wearing them.

I went to Marshalls last Saturday hoping to find something in a smaller size, but I didn't try anything on because I didn't see anything exciting on the racks. I think TJ Max has better options. I'm still a bit gun shy when it comes trying clothes on; I'm afraid they're still not going to fit. I should probably stick with Macey's and JCP until I'm in a size that I can find easier. Those two stores are more consistent with sizes. I understand TJ & Marshalls tend to run small, which is fine if you're small enough that size doesn't matter. I'm not there yet.

I know: size really does matter. My size 6 and size 8 friends, and I have a lot of friends in 6's and 8's these days, pointed this out to me recently. I thought that when you're a smaller size, you have so many more clothing options. It turns out this isn't true. Who knew? I certainly didn't!

BTW, those jeans that I felt frumpy in two weeks ago - I wore them again last week and this time I felt good in them. Frumpy is sometimes all in our head - or all in my head at least!

Victory comes when we least expect it. We feel as if we've been stuck at the same size one day and the very next day: we drop another size. Sometimes we drop weight and we just can't see it. Our rings are a little loser. Our thighs align with the rest of our body. Our blue jeans become baggy. Our tops accent in the right places instead of clinging in horrible ways. Frumpy turns to DAM!

How's your journey coming along? Anybody else out there dropping weight?
What can you do right now to to feel better right now? Watch this Louise Hay Tapping. Tap shoes are not required, because it's not about dancing. Watch the video and "tap" along at the end and see what you think about this.


Tapping is a form of self-hypnosis and can be very powerful. I first learned about tapping by another name Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). It's a great tool to reduce pain and stress. 

Note: I often use the phrase "tap, tap, tap" on this blog. When I write "tap, tap, tap" I'm referencing Julie's concept to "push away" food cravings.
Bacon Deviled Eggs - best ever deviled eggs!

Ingredients

  • 12 large eggs
  • 3 slices bacon
  • 2 TBSP melted butter (if needed)
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 heaping TBSP chopped scallions, plus more for garnish
  •  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Place eggs in a large sauce pan; add water to cover by 1".  
  2. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from heat.  
  3. Let sit for 10 minutes.  
  4. Drain.  
  5. Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water and let cool completely, about 10 minutes; peel.
  6. Halve lengthwise and remove yolks.
  7. Coarsely chop bacon.  
  8. Cook in a medium skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp. 
  9.  Transfer bacon to paper towels.  
  10. Strain drippings through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl.  
  11. Add melted butter if needed to measure 2 TBSP.
  12. Finely mash reserved yolks, bacon fat (and/or butter), mayonnaise, mustard, and chopped scallions in a medium bowl.  
  13. Season with salt and pepper.  
  14. Transfer to a large resealable freezer bag; cut 1/2" off one corner.  
  15. Pipe into the whites; garnish with scallions and bacon.
This recipe was served at the pot luck on 2/2/13.

Be sure to cut back on your fats when you eat this.
It's time to take my weight loss journey in a new direction. Time to move beyond focusing on my weight loss 24/7. Time to find a new focus. Time to bring something new into my life. Time to find my true north.
image source
I've been on this weight loss journey for over two years and I no longer need to focus all my energies on losing weight. Yes, I have to think about what I'm going to eat, but I don't dwell on it for very long. I simply buy groceries for a few meals every few days. I no longer stock up on foods. No bags of crunchy or salty stuff. No cartons of creamy stuff to store in my freezer. I buy fresh and I buy often. Food choices are programmed into my brain, so I can get in and out of the store pretty fast.

Not focusing on my weight loss also means I no longer spend time or energy on promises to start a diet tomorrow or to begin an exercise program tomorrow. This isn't to say I have my exercise routine down, because I don't. It means I know what to do to help keep my body feeling good and when I slack off, so does my mood. Just like the foods we eat, I know mixing up my exercise routine is a good plan too.

I'm feeling good about my core programming being in place, so I've been looking at enhancing my life in other ways. If you've been wondering what's up with all the new age videos I've been posting and where are all my stories about success and challenges in my weight loss journey: it's a plot for a new direction in my life...

Finding my true north sounds exciting, but will take some time. I'm looking at things in my life I no longer need, that I can sell, give away, or donate, to open up space in my life for new things. Not new materialistic things, but new opportunities. Opportunities I have yet to imagine, but given the time and space, I'll see them.

Meanwhile, as I look for my compass among my household treasures, I'm exploring the spiritual side of life. Along the way I have found inspirational videos, meditations, and books. I sometimes get so excited about the videos that I post them to this blog without thinking how they may appear to my readers. I can change this. I can provide context about how they're relevant in my life instead of just posting them without much of an explanation.

Today's story is about reflection and reading. . .

Every book I purchased in the past few years has sat unread in a pile with other forgotten books next to my home desk and my bed. My pattern has been: go into Barnes and Noble, grab a handful of books, read a few chapters in each book, feel inspired, and then put the books back on the shelves. I know if I take them home, I'm never going to read them. I've been reflecting on this and thinking about why it is that I've fallen into this pattern. I can change this too. Hey, if I can drop 6-7 sizes, I can do anything!

I'm really enjoying the book "Be the Miracle, 50 lessons for Making the Impossible Possible" by Regina Brett. It's such an uplifting book of positive stories; I'm all about giving my mind positive reinforcement these days. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for the same. My promise to myself is to read at lease one story a day, which is about 6 pages. Imagine starting each day with a positive story!

While at the bookstore, I read a good chunk of "Take Charge of Your Mind" by John Selby. I didn't buy the book, but there were incredible quotes in there that still haunt me. I just went to Amazon and for less than $6.00 with shipping, the book will be here by the end of the week.

Are any of you reading books of inspiration or listening to online videos that you find helpful on your journey?

This question was asked on the FAQ page and I'm posting it so those of you who have been there can respond. Anonymous asked what to do when you have a stomach bug. 
stomach bug (image source)
This week my family had the stomach bug that lasted for days. Myself included. I am now over two months with the hypnosis and have been doing great...up to this point. I tried just eating chicken broth and staying hydrated with water. I just found that I was not getting my energy back. The thought of eating protein made me nauseous. I finally broke down and started to eat some saltines and drank pedialite. I quickly got my energy back but sure enough that made those darn Army men come running out. 3 days off (and I would love to say I just ate saltines but I would be lying) and today I am back on and feeling better.

What is done is done and I hope I have not messed up my hypnosis too much. I live far away and do not want to have to travel (or pay!) for a refresher.

Has anyone else faced this? Is there a way to stay on the plan yet be able to get better?