OK, OK, I went and asked Julie about exercise and now I have to 'pay the piper' as the saying goes.

Exercise is calling my name.

OK, so now what do I do?

I have actually been having fun in our pool with it. We have an in ground pool (trust me, nothing fancy) and have an incline from the deep to shallow end. I stand on that incline so my shoulders are underwater and jog. I lift my legs high and use my arms underwater to keep my balance. I get a work out. and its fun AND I don't sweat!

I do jumping jacks in that same spot. I don't lift my arms out of the water, I keep them under and use them to keep my balance. I keep my hands cupped to add more resistance.

I then get in a tube and YES I FIT IN A TUBE!!!! and I bicycle around the pool many times.

When done with that I go to the middle of the deep end and do stomach crunches. Try it. Hold feet together and keep legs straight and bring them up but not out of water and then down.

Then while in tube, start turning circles using hips and legs to propel you around in circles. Then go the other way.

It is fun and this kind of stuff can be done numerous times during the day and it truly does not feel like I am exercising.

What kinds of things do you do? I don't mean gyms, I don't want to join one. I know walking is good, but I am looking for ideas or ways to get in some exercise in, out of the ordinary, fun ways, just around the house. I have an aunt who used to wash dishes and do knee bends while doing them. Stuff like that.

July 02, 2012

I saw this recipe on Facebook and I want to remember to try this when I return from my vacation, so I'm posting it here. There are more recipes there you may want to check out.

Cook 4 pork chops in a pan with butter.

When cooked, remove from pan.

In the same pan put 1 cup heavy cream and a container of blue cheese. Simmer till it thickens and serve over pork chops.

DELICIOUS!

I made it with acorn squash.

Very tasty!

June 29, 2012

This comment was posted by Deb:

I have seen Julie Ann Kibe 2 sessions now the program has been easy. I would love to here different meals people eat. I am hoping recipes would help with the same old meat meal sausage, burger, hot dogs,steak pork. I just think there must different ways to cook them I would appreciate any suggestions.

Deb

Many of us have shared recipes on this blog, so I will point to the "recipes" link at the top of this page, where there's a list of links to recipes posted on this blog. I will update the list, as there are new recipes I haven't linked to yet. I can't promise to do this while I'm on vacation, but I will do this as soon as I can.

Meanwhile, anyone willing to share recipes, please add more when you get a chance.

June 28, 2012

Went to my refresher Tuesday and LOVED it! I love her new format on just having the ones that are still following the plan talk. Then asking questions to everyone else. A much more positive approach and encouraging, not so sabotaging to others.

I decided after reading some of the posts on here and on her guest book web page and listening in the refresher on writing this post. In other words, her program works just the way she tells us it does. WHY in the world would you go to the classes, spend all that time and money, and then monkey with her program? If we just do what she tell us to do, it will work!

Meat and vegetables, no potatoes, nothing sweet, treat condiments like condiments, if you are hungry eat. If you are not hungry - don‘t eat. Simple. Basic. Not to many rules-easy!

As my friend Richard Simmons has told me so many times over and over again, "Just do it!"

Richard Simmons and me

This photo was taken 4 years ago, the last time we were able to get together. Phone calls and emails suffice for now. And yes, I know he is a kook! He is the other man in my life! LOL! I love what he does for people-but that is a whole other blog post, now he is working with me to exercise!

Don't think about what you can't have. Just enjoy all the food you can have. All the food that I personally have deprived myself of for years on low calorie, low fat, fat free 'diets', I really enjoy eating now. And if I listen to my body, for the first time in my life, I do know when I am full.

Out of a class of 28 there were 4 or 5 of us still going strong on program. Julie explained about stress and our bodies and how, if you eat sugar willingly, no matter how little or how much, there will be consequences.

Stay away from sugar. I repeat: stay away from sugar. Why mess with something that is proven to work?

I searched for years for a simple, easy ‘diet’ where I could eat and not starve and enjoy food and still loose weight. Guess what? I found it! To good to be true? NO WAY! It is true and we are not starving, we are not deprived. Just do it and get it done. Then do maintenance right and you have won the war! She also explained if we do maintenance right, we will have long term success. If not............

I apologize if I ruffled any feathers with this post. I know we are all different. I know somethings work better for one and not the other. But I also know, from my own experiences, that our minds can justify a lot of stuff.

Please don't give in to a sugar/carb craving. Even if stress is hitting you from all angles. Have that meat ready and waiting. Be prepared. Life is full of stress. We can not get away from it. Some of us have more than others, believe me, I personally know! But don't let your mind justify it. I wish I could remember word for word her talk about stress and how it works on the body and the mind. Stress is a way of life and if we don't learn how to handle it now, by not giving into the sugar/carb, we will remain on this weight roller coaster and won't be able to get off!!

Use this when tempted: I don't wanna want it!

Tap it away - I picture Julie's hand circling around her and as it gets to close she taps it away.

Or I remember Julie's 'mommy voice' as she points to each one of us: "DON'T DO IT!"

June 28, 2012

As I boarded the plane in Hartford this evening, I exchanged greetings with the stewardess and then continued down the isle towards my seat. I paused only in my mind; this time I did not need to ask for a seat belt extension.

As I walked toward my seat, my body did not bump against the seats or passengers. I didn't feel as if everyone was staring at me, or avoiding eye contact with me, and I didn't wonder if they werer thinking "oh no, I have to sit next to an obese woman all the way to Washington, DC."

When I told the man in my isle my seat was next to his by the window, his kind eyes met mine as he stood up to let me by. As I sat in my chair, I was happy that my chair "fit" and I wasn't spilling into the seat next to me.

I settled into the narrow seat, buckled my seatbelt, and even pulled it tighter by a couple inches.

This is the kind of weight loss that can't be measured on the scale, but it's epic!

I'm writing this post at Dulles airport, waiting for my connecting flight to LAX. I'll be in southern Calif. for the next two weeks, but I expect to be writing to the blog and moderating comments from the coastline. Be patient if your comments doesn't go up right away. I'll check in as often as I can to publish your comments.

June 26, 2012

Well, I've got my mojo, and am feeling great.

In the heat of this week I went through a bin of clothes looking for something cool. I saw a pair of pajama bottoms bought a few years back, fun, bright, cool -- but I knew they'd be too big. I passed them over, feeling good. Last night I looked again for night-time clothes, and again my eyes passed over the fun, bright, cool pj bottoms, so I threw them on. Well, my night was amusing to say the least. The pants fell down twice - more than a few times I looked down and pondered "I used to fill these up", and thought "oh, pj bottoms they'll always fit". The drawstring was gone, like always, sure that when I got them I'd thought, "oh, this is a nuisance, and the stretch waist will never be too small to hold up the pants" -- so I'd pull it out. Well, walking downstairs this morning I laughed, they look like clown pants, and then, poof they dropped to my ankles! So into the giveaway bin they go! Never to return!

Then I had to look up the work Mojo - I use it, but am never sure if it's a noun, verb, and what is the definition. I know I just like the word.

According to wikipedia: Mojo is a magical charm bag used in hoodoo, which has transmuted into a slang word for self-confidence, self-esteem or sex appeal.

So Magical Charm Bag hunh? Hoodoo or voodoo -- I'll take it! Of course my use is the later definition, the transmutataion -- SELF-CONFIDENCE, SELF-ESTEEM or SEX-APPEAL. You bet!

Continue your journey and enjoy. Have a great day!

June 26, 2012

Today a few of us contributors got together for a lively conversation at Dennys in Enfield for breakfast. Except for Susan, I would never have met any of these beautiful ladies, if it were not for our Journey with Julie.

 It was a wonderful time, and we had the most perfect waitress: When she came over to the table, I stated to her "I bet not one of us at this table will order toast with their breakfast." At first, she just looked at me, trying to absorb what I just said, and then she asked if we were all on a "special diet" which we laughingly shook our heads yes to. She then proceeded to tell us she has lost 73 pounds on Weight Watchers! WooHoo! How awesome is that?

She was very attentive to us, although the orders were mixed up a little! (I find that it is very confusing to waitstaff to say NO to bread, but YES to homefries.) 2 of us (Susan and myself) are on maintainance, so we both ordered the homefries. Well, Susie got hers, I got none, and then out came Karens plate, with, of course, my homefries. We made it work! The above picture was taken by a lovely young girl who patiently took pictures with 3 of our cameras!

I know Theresa is also going to post this picture with a blog, but, I really wanted to add it here. Our visit together tied into something I read this morning, in the much published Reader's Digest, July 2012 edition and I wanted to share it. Our obesity in society makes headlines, all the time. I am so honored to be with such committed people in our small part of the world to stop obesity, get healthy, and "relearn" to eat. Theresa let me know that the author, Mark Hyman, MD who is quoted here, is worth reading, and I for one, will look into his works. All because of one sentence:

"Chronic disease is a foodborne illness. We ate our way into this mess, and we must eat our way out."

I for one, know that I started with Julie yes, for the weight loss, but more for the fact that at age 43 I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, and prediabetes. One day my 23 year-old daughter made a comment about she hoped I would be around for a long long time. That would not happen had I continued on the downward spiral I was on.

When Susan started with Julie, I signed up soon after. And within 9 months, I was off all meds, no longer worrying about type-II diabetes, have more energy, and sleep better than I ever had (If only Julie could get rid of the hot flashes for me! But, I know I can't have it all!). We all know that Julie states in her classes that we as a society created diabetes, among other things. You can find many others who agree. If foods with flour and sugar were no longer produced and marketed, our existence on earth would not be wiped out! And, as a whole, a lot of the obesity issues would be stopped in their tracks. Schools are now removing vending machines from their cafeterias, and I for one, tell young people ALL THE TIME to cut out the Sports Drinks and Sodas. They are nothing but empty calories, and our fine Dentists in the world are UNABLE to keep up with the amount of tooth decay that occurs with these products. And some of our fine young people are listening!

After meeting this morning for breakfast, I then went with Hubby to a graduation party. People who hadn't seen me in a long time didn't recognize me. Of course, the "what did you do?" question came up, and I explained about the hypnosis. (These were family/friends I was with, and felt comfortable stating this) Most were astounded-one (who is overweight) asked if I felt I "went into Ketosis". I said I probably did, but that was not what Julie was about, as we get to eat corn and squash, etc. etc. (things I'm pretty sure you don't get to eat on other low-carb diets). Then came the "you can get very very sick from Ketosis" discussion, to which I again stated did not have a lot to do with this journey, but, it probably can happen. I wanted to say to her: I ate my way into this mess, now I am eating my way out, but, the conversation changed, and I was happy to let it go. So, now I will add this statement to my repertoire, and proudly back it up as I eat a chicken leg and cheeseburger without the bun.

I went to a refresher with Julie last Thursday, as a lot of us have recently done. I for one know that Julie is there with me, guiding me, and I never feel alone. That was proven today as I was asked to help put cupcakes on a plate for someone who was leaving the graduation party. I got frosting on my fingers, and, after the desserts were covered and handed to their owner, I quietly walked into the kitchen and washed my hands. I actually felt like I had poison on my hands! That quote by Dr. Hyman was rattling around in my head. I felt like if I licked my fingers, I was going to get an illness! I for one, am sick of not feeling good. In this last year, I have never felt better. I am doing my part to "eat my way out" and I will never, ever look back.

June 23, 2012

I went to a refresh a few nights ago and I left highly energized and more clear about the path ahead of me: drop this weight once and be done with dieting. Once and Done. It feels so Zen. Hell, I feel so Zen!

Zen garden; photo by Theresa

At the refresh, Julie reminded us that every time we turn away from sugar, our brain reprograms. The challenge is for us to push back on the urge to eat sugar. The reward is the more that we do this, the more weight we lose. Reprogramming our brains is the bonus. Feeding the hunger with the right foods, reprograms our brain away from the old habit of turning to sugar when we're hungry.

I haven't been aware of an urge for sugar, but when I feed my give-me-beef-now hunger with the right foods, I am rewarded by weight loss.

Today I understand how this program works in a way that I didn't before, and this information came at a perfect time. I've been a year and a half on program and I have not touched sugar in all this time. Over the weekend I had an incredible dinner in Boston, and I indulged in two glasses of champagne and two bites of dessert. Remember, you are either on program or off; there is no middle position here. The good news I am not on a spiral down into sugar, sugar, sugar. I've also moved on. What's done is done.

In the refresh, a few nights later, I realized if I do this program straight through, don't stray, and I don't go into grey areas, I can reach my goal weight and be done with dieting. Once I reach my goal size, I can learn to maintain that size, by going up and down a few pounds within that size for the rest of my life. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel here. I am going to see this journey through. This is very exciting!

What about the rest of you? What's working for you this week? What's keeping you on your journey?

June 21, 2012