On May 28, 2012 Anonymous posted this question about how to get back on program:Help! I went off program this weekend! Do I need to go back in or can I try to fix it on my own?

Are you on or off program, because there isn't a third option here.

Jennifer responded to this post:

Hi Anonymous-The question that you posed is a tough one. From what Julie told us in refresher classes was if you go off program, you really need to go back and see her. Especially if you ate sugar. You need to also figure out why you did it, and if you did it willingly. If you ate flour and sugar, then I would get a refresher asap. She wants you to use the tricks she has taught us (I don't wanna want it, self-hypnosis etc.) so that you don't willingly go off her program. Good luck!!!!

What I remember most about this is that you want to do three days of meat, meat, meat, to get the sugars out of your system and break the desire for sugar. Jennifer is correct about telling yourself "I don't want to want it" to help you break the cycle of eating sugar. This is something we need to teach ourselves, so we don't have to always go back for a refresh. Eventually we will stop seeing Julie, so I would try this method and see if you can get back on program, but you may want to schedule a refresh and if you are able to get back on-program before the refresh, you can always call and move the refresh to a later date.

Also--call the office and ask them for advise.

What experience in getting back on program do others have that they're willing to share?

May 30, 2012

Inspiration is a wonderful gift that comes to us in many forms. I am inspired by Linda's recent post still can't believe it, in which she writes about her lifelong struggle with her weight and her recent triumph.  I'm inspired by my friend who wore a beautiful polka-dotted dress a few weeks ago, which I hope is too big for her soon enough that I can wear it before summer end.

Shoes by Ariat. Photo by Theresa.

Feeling inspired about my own weight loss, I wanted  new sandals to wear this summer that will match my new (upcoming) wardrobe. Last weekend I found two new pair that have incredible support and I love how they look. They are nothing like the styles I've bought before. (BTW, when I added the link above to Ariat I found these sandals marked down from$125 to $93 - I bought them for $60!)

Last night I went to the movies after work to get out of the heat and after leaving the theater I read Linda's  post. I was so inspired that I went into JCPenney's to try on clothes. I tried on two tops in a size I'd never seen before (PXL). I was happy that I could slip them on and off without feeling like I was going to split them open in the process. I didn't buy them because I didn't like how they looked on me.

In fact, I didn't like most of the clothing options at JCPenney's. As my body changes, so does my clothing style. I'm not sure what my new style is, but I'm really looking forward to reaching the sizes Linda just bought and discovering my new wardrobe style!

Like Lynn, who commented on Linda's post that she goes shopping in her closet; I too shop in my own closet. These days I'm finding less and less clothes to wear in my closet, which means I'm dropping weight once again. Yeah! When I look in my mirror, I see that my clothes are either too small or too big. I move the later into the eBay closet (which is really full now) and put the small ones back in the closet.

Inspiration feels good and it's contagious. What inspires you? Share a story with us about your recent experience with inspiration.

May 30, 2012

I was 6 pounds when I was born, and by the time I left the hospital I was 5 lbs something ounces. I was a normal sized baby.

I was also the first girl born in my father’s family in 50 years, and in Italian that meant major celebration! I think they were stuffing polenta into my mouth before I even left the hospital.
I didn’t stay normal sized for long. By the time I was in school I had to shop in the ‘Chubbette’ department in Sears. In 2nd grade I made my first communion. I couldn’t wait to get a ‘stick out princess bride’ white dress for that day! I longed for that dress. Then we went shopping for the dress and guess what, the Chubbette department didn’t sell those types of dresses. My dress was so UGLY, but for my size I was lucky I got something. My disappointment was so intense…
I could never just buy an outfit from the store without trying it on. When I was an infant, my mom could go to the store and just buy off the racks for me, 6 months, 12 months and so on. When that changed I have no idea, but from the time I was in school, I had to try on everything before I could buy it to make sure it fit. Thus set the way for my life.

Then yesterday happened...

I went with my oldest daughter to Savers, they were having a 50% off sale. Savers is a great store, kind of like Salvation army, but even better!! The store was packed worse than a store on Black Friday. But we went with our game plan in mind. It never occurred to me that the line for the fitting room would be longer than the cashier lines!!!

I grabbed shirts size large, with the intention of trying them on. My daughter was grabbing skirts for me to try on. Now skirts in my lifestyle are hard to come by. We belong to a church where we dress very modestly and long modest skirts are a main staple in my closet and are VERY hard to find. Yesterday we grabbed 2 in sizes 15/16 and 1 woman’s large - 13/14. The 13/14 looked big and I figured it was a misprint but I figured I’ll try it on… Headed to the changing room and realized I didn’t have hours to wait in line. What do I do? Panic set in. I can’t buy anything without trying them on, I just can’t. They won’t fit!

I had a friend once who never tried anything on. She would get it home, try it on and then either bring them back or stick them up in the attic for someday when they fit. No way was I going to do that.

I was literally panicked. I looked very carefully at the bundle of clothes in my arms. Finally my daughter said, without having any clue of my fear, “mom, just buy them, you can always bring them back”. UGH!

So against my better judgment I bought them.

I didn’t look at them yesterday because I knew there was no way they were going to fit. I didn’t try them on at the store!

Today I pulled out the bag. I argued with myself. No way did I want to try them on and find out they didn’t fit, I would be depressed and discouraged. So again, I looked carefully at my purchases.

While I fought in my mind what to do, I decided, oh well, lets get this over with.
Now, you must remember I am 54 years old, overweight ALL my life except my infant years. Made fun of in school teased, ridiculed. NEVER bought anything from a store with out trying them on from a young child and up. Shopped the Chubbette department and all those specialty stores… Even my wedding dress wasn't what I had dreamed of...

They fit! OH MY GOODNESS, they fit! Everything I bought fit! I actually bought clothes right off a rack and they fit!! I have put on each thing at least 3 times since I got that bag out this morning to make sure I am seeing this right.

Now, some of you may laugh and say this woman is off the wall! LOL!!!
I may be off the wall but I bought them right off the rack without the middle step!!!!!!
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the way, WHAT ARE THOSE STRANGE NUMBERS IN MY CLOSET????????????????????

By the way, I didn't pay those prices for my clothes, they were half price off the ticket prices!!!!!! Whose closet am I looking in?? sizes in the teens?? MY CLOSET????? YES!!!!!!!

May 29, 2012

This Memorial Day weekend, I paused to think about my parents and others in my family who have passed on, including David, my oldest brother, who died from skin cancer almost a decade ago. Unlike my brothers, I did not follow the family tradition of visiting the family graves this year.

As a child, my parents took my brothers and I to the graves of our relatives, where we spent time visiting relatives who were gone long before we were born, and where we met other relatives who were there to do the same, then we went to my grandparents house for a family gathering and cookout.

In my grandparents backyard, my brothers and I played with cousins we hadn't seen all year and we watched grandpa shuckle and eat raw clams. Unlike my cousins and my brothers, I did not indulge in raw clams. I preferred the steamed ones that were dropped into a giant pot of boiling water, which sat on top of an open fire pit, until Grandpa deemed them perfect for eating.

This Memorial Day weekend, I joined my brothers and their families in Rhode Island. There were kids in their early 30's and grandchildren from one year old to "oh my goodness, you're going to high school this year?" The later is the eldest of my brother David's grandchildren.

We didn't have clams this year. Instead of Grandpa's open fire pit, we cooked on a gas grill. Our menu was a variation of  Grandpa's: hot dogs and hamburgers, baked beans, a variety of salads, chips, and cupcakes that looked like mini hamburgers. The later did not tempt me in the least, especially since the heat caused them to melt. Besides, I was never a cupcake-kinda-girl.

Baked beans were my challenge this weekend. Specifically: avoiding tasting them as they cooked. I kept asking others to taste them; I relied on them to tell me if there was enough flavor. But there was a moment when I was alone in the kitchen and I tasted the beans a couple times. I realized what I needed to do was get out of the kitchen and I did just that; I did not go back for more. Truth be told, they were rather tasteless, especially when I think back to how incredible grandma's baked beans were; she slow cooked them and no amount of doctoring up canned beans come close to the flavor of grandma's.

In the big picture of life, tasting those baked beans won't take me off-program. It's not the end of the world, but they are not on program and I was disappointed in myself. I have a whole new appreciation for my friends who are on this program and on a daily basis cook non-program foods for their family. I get how difficult that must be, especially compared to my solo meal preparation.

Back home today, my plan is to go shopping for organic meat and veggies. This week, I'm going to  mix up my meals a bit more and try new recipes, including some old favorites that I haven't had in a while, like meat crust pizza. Lately, I've been eating the same foods, which goes against what the program teaches us: variety is essential.

Another plan is to get back into the gym tomorrow. I've been out of the gym for two weeks now. My Achilles heel still on the mend, so I'm going on the bike and the rowing machine instead of the treadmill. BTW, here's the stretching exercises my doctor suggested for Achilles Tendonitis. Another valuable lesson I've just learned: the importance of stretching!

How was your Memorial weekend? What kinds of challenges did you encounter at family or social gatherings? Tell us about your success stories too!

May 28, 2012

As most of you know, I went to Texas last week to visit one of my sisters, my brother and a niece. I haven’t seen my sister and niece in along time so it was quite nice to spend time with them! I have a great husband to encourage me to do that!!!

They did notice my loss so I was excited about that!!

At the airport I got a steak, mushroom and cheese grinderless grinder! Delicious! All through the week, when I would order something without the breading/chips/bread or whatever and got a funny look or comment, I would just tell them I am allergic , then I would tell them I just blow up like a balloon!!! Good for laughs and of course as soon as you tell someone allergies, it all comes together for them

At Walmart by the check out I found beef jerky with dipping sauces. Beef jerky comes with bar-b-que sauce, beef sticks come with cheese sauce and chicken jerky comes with ranch and hot wing sauces. All are good. I had the beef and bar-b-que one on the plane! Highly recommend them!!! Great to keep in the car or in your pocketbook.

I also found in Texas at a Mexican grocery store, Salt and vinegar pork rinds!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I bought 'em all!!!

While in Texas we ate out 1 meal a day and I had a ball!!! We ate at a fried chicken place, I pulled off every bit of skin and coating and I must say it was soooooo good!!! We ate a lot at Mexican restaurants and those were easy. I got fajita-less fajitas!!! Really good!! I have not found one restaurant yet that I can not eat at!!

We did a lot of shopping and hit many estate sales. I needed to borrow a huge suitcase from my brother to bring home everything I bought.

I felt good. The heat didn’t bother me like it did last year. I could walk and breathe. BIG accomplishment from last summer.

And of course I did a lot of visiting with my family!!

A GREAT food alert: Aldis!!! If you have an Aldis nearby and you like mussels, you HAVE to get these!!! They are 1 pound frozen precooked in the chest freezer. They are either tomato and garlic or garlic and butter. OH MY!!! I got my niece hooked on them!!! When I got home I went and stocked up on more of them!! One box is a great meal and quite filling!!! The tomato garlic ones my husband puts over spaghetti, which naturally I don’t eat and DON’T miss!!! I HIGHLY recommend these. All of a sudden Aldi’s is going to be going through these things like crazy, they won’t know what is going on!!! LOL!!

Food wise, my trip was EXTREMELY successful and the best part, I didn’t have to think about food, worry about food and agonize over food!! I LOVE this plan and the freedom!!!!

May 26, 2012

Something has caught my eye, and I wanted your opinions-Has anyone heard about Seaweed Noodles? Supposedly they are considered a vegetable, take on the flavor of what you add to them, and I am very intrigued. I mainly want to know if anyone goes to a refresher, could they ask Julie about them? Can these be used in place of real noodles? I mean, are they "legal"? Almost sounds too good to be true, so, I thought I would ask around! Not sure where we would get them around here; Linda clued me in to ordering numerous different things on Amazon, and, sure enough, you can buy them from there! So, let me know if anyone has used these, what they are like, etc. etc. I am very curious!!!!!!!!!!!

May 25, 2012

This morning, I asked my friend for a reality check about my weight loss journey. It feels as if things have slowed down for me, as though I haven't lost any weight in months. My friend assured me this is not the case; my body has completely transformed and I am not the same person I was a year ago. I'm sitting here in my size 20W Talbot Capri's, the fitted style, with a front zipper accompanied by a button and two hooks, with slender side pockets and a lined waistline, and I realize she's absolutely right.  

It's been fifteen years since I last wore a dress!
May 20, 2012 (me in the middle)

It's part of my journey to sometimes get caught up in these kinds of thoughts. It's great to have a good friend who can help me step away from such thoughts and to realize just how far I've come. Success on this program can be measured in many ways, none of which include a number on a scale. 

I Think Differently
I don't obsess about dieting and I skip right past ads for weight loss programs. I know my way around a menu and I'm confident I can find healthy food choices anywhere I go. I know what to eat and I eat well. I still have difficulty with cheese, eating too much, and my meat to veggie portions are still needing more of my attention, but I have not had sugar or carbs since I started this program and that says a lot. The other stuff can only get better and for me as I continue to refine what I'm eating.

I interact Differently
I interact with my doctor differently too. When I was  at my doctor's office today, a nurse called my name and led me to a scale. As I stepped onto the scale, I told her I didn't want to know my weight. She then asked if I wanted to know if I had lost any weight. "No thanks," I told her, "I know I've lost weight and I don't need to know how much I've lost."  This is my standard protocol at the doctors office, I let them know what I need and they are happy to accommodate. It's the same at restaurants!

I Dress Differently

Last weekend I wore a dress, which I haven't done in fifteen years and it felt great! I look at myself in the photo (above) and realize I look "normal" - not obese. I can in see in this photo just how far I've come down in body size. My mind knows I dropped from a 30/32 to a 20, but I was still seeing and feeling larger than I really am. I had forgotten, until my friend reminded me this morning, I no longer need to wear pants with an elastic waistline. It's fitted pants for me from now on -- and dresses are now a new option.

I feel Different

This journey has been so solid, that I often forget I'm on a weight loss program. I feels so natural that I don have to give it much attention. I just need to remember to look up once in a while and see myself  in my transformed shape. Sometimes I get so caught up in wanting to be a smaller size and how much further I want to go, that I forget how far I've come. Just a few days ago, I moved a half dozen tops and pants from my middle closet, which contains clothes that I'm currently wearing, into my eBay closet, which is where I put the clothes that are too big. How quickly I forget, that those clothes fit perfect in December and now they are several sizes too big.

How About You?

What's different in your life since starting the program? Is your energy level different? Is your wardrobe different? How about your self image? Can you really see your progress in the mirror or are you too only seeing how much more you have to lose? How do you stay real with yourself? Tell us about your changes since starting this program.

May 25, 2012

I am posting this for anonymous who posted this question today on another post. I thought it was worth a separate post. I hope you get the answers you want. Please keep us posted and let us know how you make out.

Anonymous wrote:
Hi there- not really sure how to post this so hope it gets moved where I can get more input. I started the program on Valentine's day and in less than 3 months, I've had great results. I don't know what I've lost, but do know that my BMI is now down in the low "normal" range and I've dropped a solid 3 sizes.

My question is health related. I had to go to doctor today with palpitations, headache and jitters and, when she discovered what my diet was, indicated that it did not sound healthy to her and she ordered lots of blood work and urinalysis to rule out ketosis. An EKG was normal, as was my blood pressure and pulse. I've also had a real problem with nigh time foot and leg cramps so have been taking potassium (when I remember to). Can anyone advise if they've had similar issues?

May 16, 2012