Ok, I have to say this, I am Totally amazed at how this plan works. I mean totally amazed!!

I started on October 24th in a size 24 skirt, as of this weekend, I am fitting into size
18's! I am flabbergasted to be honest. That is just 15 weeks!! This doesn't even make sense. When I lost alot of weight with weigh watchers, it took me a year to go from a 24 to an 18, literally 1 year! and I suffered and was miserable the whole time. plus I was HUNGRY!!! AND it sure didn't take me 1 year to gain it all back!!!!!

I am also a bit overwhelmed. I feel like a celebrity. I have lost weight before and have gotten compliments and people noticing, but not like this. I can not explain, but I have never in my life received SO MANY comments and some from people who would never notice anything. I have not told anyone that I was starting another program as I failed at so many before. But now I have people calling me and emailing me and asking me all about it. This is overwhelming for someone who likes to blend into the woodwork and not be noticed.

To be able to say to someone that I am loosing weight "so effortlessly" is amazing! I have never followed anything so easy in my life!

If you are waiting for an appointment, dont give up!!! It will be so worth the wait!!!

Someone commented that I was literally melting before their eyes, you know something, I almost feel like I am! LOL
February 09, 2012
In the group sessions with Julie, she asks each of us "what size do you want to be?" The answer to that question helps us to visualize how we want to look when we reach our ideal size. The Key Hypnosis program isn't about numbers on the scale, it's about reaching our ideal size.
In the Garden, Thomas Wilmer Dewing, 1892-94
Photo by Theresa, at the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC
In a recent comment, Anonymous wrote that she was not able to visualize the size she wants to be. You are not alone in feeling this way. I've heard this from others and I too had a hard time with a definitive number.

In my first Key Hypnosis session, sitting in my size 32's in the chair next to Julie, she turned to me and said "Tell me how you heard about us, what size you want to be, and how much weight do you want to lose."

Since it was my first session and I was the first in the circle to speak, both questions came as a surprise to me. I took a deep breathe, and replied "I want to be a size 9/10 and I want to lose a 150 pounds".

The first part was easy to answer. I visualized my younger self in a sleeveless summer dress that I loved and it was a size 9/10. That answer came quickly. The second part was not so easy. It was painful to say in a room full of strangers. My first thought was to say "I want to lose 80 or 100 pounds", because I was embarrassed to admit how much weight I had to lose. Hello - have you looked in the mirror lately? My second thought was that if there was a place to be completely honest, this was the place. I wanted to be brutally honest because I wanted to be successful. It's still painful to say how much weight I want to lose, but not knowing how much I've lost comes in  handy when people ask how much weight I've lost. Since we don't weigh ourselves, I tell them how many sizes I've gone down.

I recently discovered 9/10 is a junior size and not a size I'll likely be wearing as an adult. What's important here is that I can visualize myself much smaller. When I realized I needed a new number, I started to say "I want to be a size 8 or 10". Today, a year later, sitting in my size 22's at my home computer, I am clear that I want to be a size 8.

Sometimes I get caught up in the numbers. There are times when I'm frustrated that by now I'm not in size 14's and by the fact that I have a long ways to go to size 8 or to lose 150 pounds. These kind of thoughts are obstacles between what I've done and what I want to achieve. Obstacles I can't afford to carry.

Then there are moments that help keep me on program. Such as the realization I had yesterday. I was in a crowd and I realized I no longer feel like a freak because of my body size; I blend in with the crowd. There are other moments too: like fitting into clothes I haven't worn in 15 years, feeling comfortable in my skin, having energy and flexibility I haven't had in decades, and being a runner once again.  It's great to have my doctor happy with my weight, this hasn't happened ever. Just to name a few.

One thing I know for sure, and Linda wrote about this in her recent  FYI post, the I last time wore size 22, I was not as curvaceous as I am today. Today I have a waist! When I'm a size 8, I may weigh more than the 142 pounds I was in my size 9/10 sleeveless summer dress. Hey, if I'm a size 8, who cares how much I weigh?

As far as visualizing what size we want to be, perhaps we can look for others who physically reflect our ideal size. I haven't done this, but when I read the comment from Anonymous, this was the first thought I had.

What do the rest of you do to help you visualize what size you want to be? What obstacles have you overcome to keep on program or what obstacles haven't you been able to overcome?


 


February 05, 2012
Just want to tell you something. I know some have struggled with not loosing how much weight they think they should have lost or wanted to loose at this point. Whether you have weighed yourself or your doctor gave you a hint, there is some dissapointment in a few of you.

My friend who is following this just by what I have told her, weighs herself each week. An interesting fact has come up. She has gone from a 20 to a 14. But she weighs more now than when she wore a 14, 10 years ago. She lost that weight on WW 10 years ago and naturally put it all back on plus some. Now to be back at a 14 and weighing more, but not starving, well, she is one happy camper!!

I remember Julie talking about this at one class where she had lost weight and had gotten to a size that just didn't match how little she weighed. Now she weighs more than that time but wears a smaller size. I don't remember all the details, maybe someone else does, but it goes to show you that eating this way, our bodies must do so much better than the low cal, low fat, hunger, diet foods, way to eat. If we weigh more eating this way, but our clothes sizes show something all together different, well, BRING ON MORE MEAT I say!!!!!!!!!!
February 04, 2012
Rienzi Breadcrumbs; I also user Progresso.

A great question was posted recently in reply to my meatloaf recipe: are breadcrumbs allowed? 

Yes, breadcrumbs are allowed in foods like meatloaf and meatballs on this program. Foods coated with breadcrumbs are not allowed.

I asked about breadcrumbs in one of my first group sessions after hearing Julie mention then during her talk.  I make meatloaf and meatballs on a regular basis, as they are easy to take to work for lunch.

When I made meatloaf a few days ago, I didn't have ketchup, so before I baked it, I put tomato sauce (Newmans sockarooni) under and on top. It was delicious - even cold.

Another question that I asked in one my first groups was if we can have coleslaw. That answer is yes too. A tall container of coleslaw can run almost $8.00 at the deli, so recently I started making coleslaw. I sometimes buy package coleslaw,  instead of chopping cabbage and carrots, and then add in Marie's coleslaw dressing. My next step is to make it completely from scratch, as it will be fresher, healthier, and cheaper. Anyone have a good recipe for coleslaw dressing?

BTW, I'll run the recipes on this blog by Julie.  I've been sick all month with a wicked cold, so I haven't done this yet. I'll add add a notation to the recipes to indicate they are "Julie approved". If you have recipes you want to share, create a new post and I'll add the approval notation and link to them from the recipes page, after Julie signs off on them.



February 03, 2012
January 30, 2012
The Curtain, George Segal 1974
Photo by Theresa
A few nights ago I heard something on the news that has stayed with me for a few days:
"It's that time of year, when New Year's resolutions begin to fade away.  Stay tuned to find out how to keep your New Year's resolution to stick to your diet."
I didn't need to stay tuned. I realized right then and there how great it is that I no longer worry about keeping a New Year's resolution to stick to my diet. I no longer worry about about giving up on a diet. I  no longer worry about what diet I'll do if this diet fails or what else I'll I try.

This program is a life-changer for me. There's nothing to give up. There's no resolution to chase after. I have changed the way I eat and how I think about food. One of reasons I didn't journal for the first seven months on this program is that I don't spend time thinking about a diet.

That's one of the great things on this program--seven whole months passed before I realized I hadn't taken a before photo or even measurements. This leaves a whole lot of time to focus on other things in life and also takes away a lot of stress.

I know I'm not the only one following this program who feels this way. In a recent blog entry, Linda wrote:
"I haven't given up. That is a big success for me! Usually I have cheated or given up on a 'diet' by now after being on it this long especially when it feels like I am not losing."
There are times, of course, that I think about the program; mostly when I feel like I'm not losing weight. Karen recently blogged about what she does when she feels like she isn't losing weight:
"I just buy something smaller or tighter clothes and that helps me get motivated to lose more weight and reach the size I want."
When I'm feeling like I'm not losing weight, I too open my closet and try on clothes. It's wonderful to find items that fit me now and didn't fit me last year, or even just a few weeks ago. Or to discover I fit into some of the hand-me-downs I had set aside because they were too small.

Speaking of clothes, I was thinking about the plan I had for my wardrobe as I dropped sizes. My plan was to avoid spending money on smaller clothes along the way, to get by with clothes that I outgrew years ago and the hand-me-downs from my friends.

This is a good plan, but my body has changed. Those clothes that haven't fit me in years may fit now, but not always in the best way. My body is shaped differently than when I was this size before. Sometimes I look in the mirror and I see me in clothes that my friends gave to me and I think "I would never buy this!" I wear them anyhow, because they fit.

I have a better plan that I'm following now. In December, I bought three pairs of pants and they look so much better than the older ones I have in this size. I bought pants that compliment my body by fitting in all the right places. While I'm still losing weight, I don't need an extensive wardrobe, so I don't rush out and buy a ton of clothes. I have to say, I can't wait until I get to go to regular stores, instead of large women's store, to buy smaller sizes and new styles. I'm not there yet, but that day will come.

Meanwhile, I gratefully accept all hand-me-downs. Especially the wonderful winter jacket Aime gave me. I never would have gone for this style jacket if I was looking to buy a new coat, but I love this hand-me-down coat. It's not always a bad thing to I realize I would not have bought an item that was a hand-me-down.

Size 30/32 tops
For sale on eBay
Also part of the plan, is to sell my larger clothes on eBay. I did this with most of my coats in November and those that didn't sell I donated.

Today, I went into my closet and pulled 20 of my size 30/32's, photographed them, and put them for sale on eBay. If they don't sell, they go into a bag for Goodwill. Time to be rid of those sizes. Amazing, the closet is still full of clothes that are too big.

Up next: size 26-28 later this week.

There was mention of a clothing swap, but I haven't heard any ideas about how we can do this. Ideas?


January 29, 2012
Chicken with Red Pepper & Goat Cheese 

Sticking with my promise to mix my menus up and try new recipes, I'm happy to report I added two new items to my repertoire this week. The first item is arugula, a veggie that's high in vitamins A and C. I haven't had arugula in ages and it is wonderful to have this back on my menu. I placed it under my main courses this week, which included chicken, chicken salad, hamburger, and steak.
Sliced chicken on arugula and topped
with red pepper and goat cheese sauce.

From Whole Foods
The second new item I tried this week was a sauce that Whole Foods markets as a dip: Fire Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Dip. My intent was to dip carrots and celery into it as a compliment to my chicken, but when I opened the container and tasted it, I decided to use it as a sauce instead. This is my new favorite dish.

If you're looking to change up your menus a bit, give this a try and let us know how you used the dip.

Has anyone tired new recipes this week that you'd like to share? 

While we're on the topic of water, I drink tons of seltzer and about six months ago I bought a SodaStream, which makes seltzer from tap water. I drink my seltzer plain on ice, but most of the time I add lemon and lime. It also is good to use when making a vodka drink.

I love that I no longer have to carry heavy bottles from the grocery store or deal with recycling bottles. I like it so much that I bought one for my office. They vary in price, but you shouldn't have to pay more than $99. Also, it's best to buy the smaller size (60-liter), as a sales rep told me it's harder to get refills for the bigger size. They sell them at Amazon, Macey's, Bed Bath and Beyond, and even Sears. The easiest place to exchange the cylinders is at Bed Bath and Beyond because you make the exchange at the customer service counter, which is right near the front door.

I was reading magazines at my doctors office yesterday and I read a brief article about diet soda that supports concepts we hear from Julie:

Dump the diet Soda
It might now have any calories, but that doesn't make diet soda a weight-loss bullet. In fact, in a nearly 10-year study of 474 people, researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio found that folks who drink two or more diet sodas a day experienced a 70% greater increase in waist circumference than soda shunners. Reason? The jury is still out, but a study from the universities of Bristol and Bangor sound that drinking the diet beverages make your taste buds less sensitive to sweets so you actually crave sugary foods.

I took a photo of the article, but failed to note the name of the magazine. I found a similar article from CBS News New study is wake-up call for diet soda drinkers that indicated similar findings; here's an excerpt:

"Artificial sweeteners could have the effect of triggering appetite but unlike regular sugars they don't deliver something that will squelch the appetite," Sharon Fowler, obesity researcher at UT Health Science Center at San Diego and a co-author on both of these studies, told the Daily Mail. She also said sweeteners could inhibit brain cells that make you feel full.

So if sugar soda is no good, and diet soda isn't either - what should we be drinking?
Dr. Hazuda told the Daily Mail, "I think prudence would dictate drinking water."

None of this comes as a surprise.

January 28, 2012
It's been a year that I've been on Julie's weight loss program and this week I've been thinking about the ways my life has changed since the last week of January 2011....

I am no longer consumed by thoughts of when I'll begin a diet or feeling like a failure because I started a diet and gave up after a few days or a few weeks - or I never started at all. I no longer think about the infamous "tomorrow" when I'll begin to eat right and exercise. Eating right and exercising are now part of my lifestyle. I'm not sure when those all consuming thoughts left me, but I'm happy they are silenced.

I am confident that I will reach my ideal size. I've never felt this way before. I don't know how long it's going to take me, but I don't need to focus on that anymore either. Last January I thought I would have lost a hundred pounds by now. I'm really okay with the fact that I haven't lost a hundred pounds. The weight has come off at a pace that feels natural. Some days I don't feel like I've lost over fifty pounds, because it has come off slowly. I only need to look into my huge closet full of clothes that are too big to realize how much smaller my body is than it used to be. This week I'm wearing a coat my friend Aime gave to wear in Alaska in June. At that time I could zip it up, but I couldn't move for fear it would rip open. It's my new favorite coat and there's room inside for a heavy sweater inside. Time to sell off my favorite red coat that I had altered in October--it's too big.

I used to think "If I lose x amount of weight per week, then by such and such a date, I will weigh XXX." In fact, last night I heard myself trying to work this equation aloud with a friend. "I'm this size now and if I keep going as I have been going, by my vacation in April I'll be a size.... Wait! This formula doesn't work any more!" In April, I'll be whatever size I am and there isn't a formula that's going to project what size I'll be by then.

At my recent refresh class, I was reminded that  plateaus are not only a part of the process, but that we should embrace them. When we're in a plateau, our body locks in our weight  so that it becomes our new high, which helps us in the end to maintain our weight. At the same time, I need to assess if I'm in a rut vs a plateau. A rut is when I'm eating the same foods with no variety. A rut is when I am sliding, eating too much cheese, an imbalance of protein to veggies, or anything else that I "allow" that is a slippery slope and if I keep it up the plateau will turn into a weight gain. Although some weight gain is also part of this process, I need to be aware if I'm doing something to cause that or if it's just part of the ebb and flow.

I've learned that the longer I'm on this program, the stronger my resolve is to stay the course. Exercise helps take the weight off faster, which is the reason I began to exercise, but I didn't start exercising until October. I love how I feel when I exercise, which makes me happy to have this be a part of my lifestyle.

Like many of you, I often struggle staying off the scale. However, I really get how knowing numbers can mess with my head, so I continue to stay away from knowing how much I weigh. In a recent blog post, I commented on my thoughts about the scale:
  • Think about the scale as old technology: outdated an obsolete. 
  • It no longer fits our needs. 
  • It does not measures our success. 
  • It does not define who we are. 
  • Using the scale sets us back. 
  • We are more than the sum on the scale.
I've learned to measure my weight loss success in new ways. I have more energy than I did a year ago. I'm five sizes smaller than I was a year ago. I can run a 5k in under 45 minutes. I bought binoculars so I can take up birding this year.  My creative juices are flowing once again.

When I put together my year of photos, I realized I hadn't taken that many photos of myself over the past year. Most of the photos I found were from previous times I had started a diet and wanted before and after photos. I didn't take a before photo in January 2011. My first photo on this program was in April when I was on vacation. All the photos I took last year were from vacations with the exception of Aug. 2011 and my Jan. 2012 photos. The one in August was when I was in a store and tried on a new outfit and wanted a second opinion, I took a photo and sent it to a friend. I bought the top, but took it back a few days later.  I took the January photo so I could have something to compare to the older photos. In taking that photo and adding it to all the others - I was then able to really see how much weight I've dropped.

It is because I am not consumed by this program/diet that I haven't taken photos along the way. Photos are a good way to measure success, so I'm committed to taking a photo at least once a month until I reach my goal size. This is a good way to measure success.

What about you? How has your life changed since you began Julie's program? How do you measure success? And what about a clothing exchange - how would this work?
January 25, 2012