This year on Valentine's Day, I was never tempted to indulge in (a box of) chocolates. It is through this program that I feel this way, because on my own, my life was like a box of chocolates.

Home made Valentine from one of my good friends.

Yes, those home-made sweets at the office called my name a few times. This program helps silence those voices. Besides, I had something better coming my way and I waited in anticipation for it to arrive at my house: a home-made Valentine card. During a recent vacation with an old friend, I talked about my new gadget that makes foamy milk for my coffee; hence the made-just-for-me Valentine.

Turning down those sweets at the office wasn't hard. There was no temptation or feelings of deprivation. This is the results of working this program with Julie. I knew if I was struggling, I was off-program; Julie takes the hard away. I wrote about this in yesterday's post.

While I contemplated over the hard time I was having, I discovered a key concept:

hard time = off-program

While it took some time to realize this, I never lost sight of the fact that there is an incredibly long list of foods I no longer have issues with because of this program.

Thanks VP and Karen, for your words of encouragement and suggestions about how to move forward. VP indicated she has had no issues with the foods I cannot have on Julie's program (I just don't have them in the house, and most of the time not have them when I eat out). This is true for me as well. Somehow I created a whole new list of problematic foods that never used to be an issue for me. Who knew I'd ever over-eat yogurt? Or crave dried green beans?

The plan I made last night aligns with Karen's suggestion, and it is exactly what I started today:  "only protein" for one of your meals for 3 days.

With February coming to an end, I want to acknowledge how sweet it is that my life is not driven by a sweet tooth.

Nothing sweet to the lips, Julie tells us, as her finger brushes across her lips to reinforce her message.

February 19, 2012

I have been going through one of those times when I feel frustrated that I'm not losing more weight. It's so easy to focus on wanting to lose weight faster. I remind myself this feeling comes and goes, and that sooner or later it will pass. "Focus on something else." I told myself." I turned my focus to the inside of my refrigerator.

The Refrigerator.

In our sessions with Julie," she reminds us we didn't gain this weight by going straight up on the scale and it won't come off by going straight down; there will be plateaus. Plateaus are a natural part of the process. Julie often asks us "what are you eating?" and from our answers, she helps us identify foods we are eating that are off program or that we're eating incorrectly. I wanted to know if what I'm eating is causing a plateau, so I pulled out my camera (iPhone) and opened my refrigerator for answers.

Inside my refrigerator, there are a handful of condiments on the top shelf. I don't overindulge in any of these items. I say that, but before I move on, I pause and ask myself: How much mayo do I add to my chicken, egg, or tuna salads? Am I eating too much fat? Too much fat can cause a plateau.

Milk, yogurt, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, tomato juice, broth, maple syrup.

Sometimes feel like I'm living in what I refer to as a "grey zone." I'm in a grey zone when I'm eating things that are on program, but the way I'm eating them is not correct. I suspect these grey zones (or grey areas) cause me to plateau.

That was the last quart of milk I bought. I have moved to the gallon size. I'm drinking hot coffee with frothed my milk at home and saving money (by not going to Dunkin Donuts) and cutting back on the fat from half and half. I recently asked about milk on this blog and Linda remembers Julie saying milk is the only 'free' food. That's good to know; especially since I've had more milk this month than all of last year. Thanks again Linda for your feedback. Half and half is allowed, but I prefer the taste of frothed whole milk.

Someone posted a comment about siggi's yogurt being on sale a few weeks ago and I immediately ran out and bought some. Wow-it's so flavorful! I remember when Julie said she loves siggi's blueberry yogurt - the room full of people nearly exploded at the mention of fruit! Julie smiled and then assured us siggi's yogurt is allowed. My favorite is ginger and peach.

Thanks to the person who responded to my question about yogurt (and cottage cheese) earlier this week:

• Yogurt must be eaten with protein and it should not be eaten more than twice a week.
• Cottage cheese must be eaten with protein.

This is what I enjoy about this blog - I hadn't eaten yogurt since last summer and siggi's was a great place to start. I was really on a roll eating yogurt alone (and loving it) a few times a day) without a protein. I'm glad to now have the facts straight on these two items.

A half empty bottle of maple syrup sits in the back of my refrigerator; it doesn't call my name. I need to give it away because it's been there over a year and I won't be eating that stuff for a long time. It's too expensive to throw out.

The top shelf also has a variety of tomato juices. Really-three bottles of tomato juice? I bought them months ago thinking I would make vodka drinks. This morning I threw out the bottle I opened in December; I only made one Bloody Mary. Tomato juice, like any other veggie we're allowed on this program, needs to be eaten with an equal amount meat. Tomato juice is not an issue for me. Neither is cat food.

Wow - I haven't even moved off the top shelf yet and I see lots of items contributing to my plateau!

Opening my cheese drawer, I see another grey area. Cheese is on program, providing we use it like a condiment. See that big package of Brie? That was the main event for my dinner one night. Yes, I ate the entire package by myself. Yes, I had veggies with the brie, but this was way too much cheese for one meal and I didn't have any protein with the cheese. "Danger, Will Robinson!"

Cheese is a definite grey area for me. Use it as a condiment!

I ate that small triangle of Parmesan cheese over a few days with pepperoni, bite-for-bite. The portions were off - cheese should be treated like a condiment--not in equal portions with meat. Before I started this program, I didn't eat much meat, so I asked about pepperoni in my first class. Yes, pepperoni is allowed, but Julie warned me to be careful because of the level of fats in pepperoni. This was one of my favorite combos during this year, but this should be more of a treat that I have from time to time instead of a lunch standard. This pepperoni-Parmesan combo is a definite way to slow down weight loss and cause a plateau.

My initial thought about the items on the door of my refrigerator was that none of them are problematic. Let's take a closer look. I use butter sparingly. Relish gets added as a condiment to my tuna salad. I use Marie's coleslaw dressing when I make my own coleslaw and I don't over dress it, but here's where I get into trouble with coleslaw: my protein-to-veggie portions are often out of balance. I need resolve this or stop eating coleslaw for a while. If our protein-to-veggie ratios are not balanced, we can plateau and over time lead to weight gain.

Left shelves: butter, relish, Marie's Coleslaw dressing, pickles.
Right shelves: salsa, coffee, water, Sky Vodka.

I always have protein with pickles and I finish the jar within a month of opening it, most of the time. Another aspect of this program is that Julie talks about what's in the foods we eat. One part of this discussion includes an analogy about potato chips, which goes something like this (it is a longer discussion than this):

When we were kids, potato chips used to go soft. Ever wonder why they no longer go soft? Preservatives. Products can be sold as "natural" and "without preservatives" if the preservatives are added to the packaging. After about 30 days of opening a jar, the preservatives they put on the lid begin to break down and leak into the food. 

There is one more grey area in my refrigerator, sitting on the bottom shelf of the door: vodka. Vodka is the only alcohol we're allowed and for a long time, I just didn't drink at all. I'm really not much of a drinker, mainly because of my Irish tendencies to sometimes break out in hives. It's no fun turning red in the face and feeling like I have hot flashes. I found I can enjoy one vodka with lemon on the rocks (sometimes with a splash of seltzer) without having an allergic reaction. A second one, not so much. I really like this drink when it's made with ginger infused vodka. This is where the grey area comes into play: Julie warned us to be careful of infused vodkas. I always assumed her warning referred to fruit infused flavors. Could my ginger infused vodka be one of the reasons I'm at a plateau?

Yes, ginger infused vodka may be contributing to my plateau. If I add up all of my grey areas, I see a lot of reasons why I have been at a plateau for so long. It also helps me understand why there are days when I feel like I've gained weight - I probably have!

I've been working on this piece since I took the photos inside my refrigerator, which was about five weeks ago. That was two weeks after my last session with Julie, which is when I started thinking about going back for another refresh. A refresh after just two weeks? I debated every few days about making the call. I thought a refresh was the answer; Julie could give me a reboot and I'd be on track again.

It just didn't seem right to go back in such a short amount of time. I also did not want to spend another three months at a plateau, or, worse, gaining weight. I decided working through this myself is key to my success; it is key to losing my weight off and key to keeping it off.

Last week, when talking with a friend about my refresh dilemma, I noticed my sentences began with "I'm having a hard time with..." and I knew right then and there that I was close to figuring out where I had gone off course. When I'm on program, I don't use phrases that begin with "I'm having a hard time with.." I had been off-program and didn't even know it.

Julie teaches us how get back on course when we've drifted by asking us "what are you eating?" Through my exploration to answer this question, I also discovered I've been getting "away with" eating foods incorrectly and a few foods not on program, because I have so much weight to lose. Julie warns us that we may get away with things off-program for a while, but it will catch up with us. It has caught up with me.

February 18, 2012

Anonymous posted this recipe and said: I wanted to share this recipe with you. I found it in the Costco cook book. I added the garlic and onions. Everyone loves it. It is legal and I eat it for breakfast too.

Spinach, Celery, and Sausage Soup

• 16 ounces any kind of sausage links
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 (14 ½ ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
• 2 cups thinly sliced celery hearts with leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups Metz fresh Cello bagged spinach leaves
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil (optional)
• 1 onion chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves chopped

1. Heat a large saucepan or soup pot over medium, heat. 
2. Remove casings from sausage; add sausage to the pan and cook, stirring to crumble, for 10 minutes, or until browned. 
3. Drain and return sausage to the pan.
4. Add broth, tomatoes, celery, and salt and pepper to taste to the pan; bring to a boil over high heat. 
5. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and stir in spinach until wilted. 
7. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil, if desired. 

Note: this recipe included pasta, but since we don't eat pasta during the weight loss phase, I removed it from the recipe along with the suggestion to serve with bread. 

-- Theresa

February 15, 2012

Linda posted this recipe and indicated: my friend Jen who is doing Julie's program, with UNBELIEVABLE success, told me about this recipe. It is good! 

Mock Chinese Fried Rice

Fake rice using grated cauliflower that makes a great side when craving rice or just something different.

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 breast, bone and skin removed chicken
• 3 1/2 cups cauliflower, grated ( I put in food processor)
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 3 small green onions
• 3 tbsp soy sauce

Directions

1. In a wok or large flat skillet, heat enough oil to cover the bottom.
2. Fry minced garlic (or garlic powder) with finely diced white part of onions for approximately 1 minute.
3. Add grated cauliflower and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add soy, ginger, diced green onion tops, and pre-cooked cubed meat. Stir to mix well and brown a bit. set aside.
5. I would scramble the eggs first and set aside. The original instructions say to push the above mixture to one side of pan, then add more oil if needed and then scramble eggs in pan until cooked but still moist. Stir eggs into "rice" mix and remove from heat. I would scramble them before as my mixture got to gooped up. I like my eggs broken up into small pieces in my 'rice'.
6. Note: instead of chicken can use any combination of shrimp, beef, ham, turkey or vegetables of your choice.
7. And of course, watch your protein to veggie ratio!!!!

February 15, 2012

This recipe suggestion was from Anonymous:

 

A simple dish for the slow cooker:

• Add Chicken pieces to the slow cooker then top with a large jar of chunky salsa. (You can do any heat you like)
• Cook on low for 3-4 hours. 

This is one of my old time favorites and I haven't made it in ages. Thanks for sharing this.

Anonymous also suggested: Salsa on scramble eggs are a delicious change.

February 15, 2012

Linda posted this Great 'taco dip' recipe in a comment. I copied it to it's own page to make it easier to find and so I can link to it from the recipe page:

1. Brown 1 pound of hamburger.
2. Drain and rinse with hot water.
3. Put back in frying pan.
4. Add 1 package of taco seasoning mix* with the amount of water the package suggests and then cook for a few more minute. (Yes, taco seasoning mix is on program)
5. Put in a 8x8 square pan.
6. Put a thin layer of sour cream* on top.
7. Then add a thin layer of salsa.
8. Then a small amount of taco cheese mix on top.
9. Bake in oven until hot.

Yummy...this is what I'm having for dinner tomorrow night! I'm going to pick up a few ingredients that I don't have at home and I'll spoon the dip on top of mixed greens, tomatoes, onions, and black olives. I'll add a photo to this page after I make it.

Thanks Linda!

03/04/12 Update
Here's a photo my variation of this recipe, which I topped with chopped olives.

Taco Dip. Photo by Theresa

01/05/14 update
*Always go by what you heard directly from Julie when in doubt about an ingredient, or call the office. Here are two comments about ingredients in this recipe:

Taco seasoning mix - Linda called Julie's office and asked about the taco seasoning mix and was told yes we can have it.

Sour cream - It is my understanding that we can use sour cream.

February 15, 2012

Sometimes I feel like I'm on a merry-go-round; I'm so bored of eating the same foods again and again. This feeling comes and goes, but when it's here, I feel like I can't get off the carousel.

Photo by Theresa

Anonymous recently posted that they have trouble coming up with what to eat. There are times that I have this problem too. I think it happens, for me, when I'm bored with my food and I'm not having enough variety. This boredom was the case for me before I was on the program, so imagine it will be something I'll encounter many times again.
I'm working on a post about what I eat, by looking at what's inside my refrigerator. I hope to have that piece up by the end of this week. Meanwhile, here's a quick list of some of the things I eat:

Protein

• meatloaf
• chicken (hot, cold, with sauce, made into chicken salad)
• hamburgers with grilled onions
• Filet Mignon Roast
• pork chops
• sausage patties and links
• ham by the slice
• ham and pickle salad (from the deli, still working on perfecting my home made version)
• spare ribs (generally I eat them out, but have Trader Joe's ribs in the freezer)
• Teriyaki (beef or chicken)

Veggies eaten with protein

• roasted butternut squash
• corn
• cauliflower
• coleslaw
• cucumber and dill with onion (from the deli)
• peas
• celery

What about the rest of you - what does your list of favorites look like? What do you do when you're bored with your foods?

BTW, do any of you remember if yogurt and cottage cheese are considered protein or if we need to eat them with protein?

Also, see my What's for Breakfast? post from Nov. 14, 2011 and the list of links to a handful of recipes.

Beans

Anonymous also asked if we are allowed beans. No beans while we're in the weight loss phase. I sometimes get three bean salad at the deli and I pick out the kidney beans before I start eating. I never would have thought I'd miss eating kidney beans! When we reach our goal weight, we can eat anything we want by keeping things balanced; i.e., maintaining our weight.

February 15, 2012

I created this blog as a way to interact with others who are following the Key Hypnosis weight loss program and the contributions have been greatly rewarding. Without the rest of you participating, this would be a lonely blog.

A few months after I started this program, I was visiting my friends in California and they asked me what diet I was on. My reply was this: "If I look different the next time you see me, ask me what I did." Trying to explain to others what I was doing felt too personal and it sounded like hocus-pocus. I couldn't find the words to explain the changes that were happening.

Truthfully, after my first session, I wasn't sure what I'd gotten myself into. Within a week I realized that, for the first time in my life, it was easy for me to follow a weight loss program. I felt incredible. I was energized. A year after later, I dropped from a size 30/32 to a size 22. Today I'm a size 14/16, which this is not my goal size, but I'm determined to reach my goal.

When you start the program, take a lot of photos. Sometimes we can't see the changes ourselves, so those photos will serve as a great reminder of how far you've come on your journey. This is especially true if you hit a plateau, and one day you may want to share your story on this blog and it would be wonderful to see your progress from the start to the end of your journey.

When I began this blog in September 2011, I wrote What's this Blog All About, but that post doesn't answer specific questions about the program. I don't work for Julie and I'm not qualified to explain the program, so if you have questions about this program, please call the office. 

The content on this blog is the opinions of the contributors and followers of this blog and are not official statements from the Key Hypnosis Program, Julie Kibe, or her staff. 

February 14, 2012