Molly, our newest contributor, started hypnosis with Julie in March 2013. She was "about a size 20" in when she started and today she's two sizes from her goal. This is the first of her blog posts. I look forward to hearing more from you Molly.
Photo by Molly
There are certain things people that are not overweight take for granted. This picture is one of them..crossing your legs. I can't tell you how great it is. I can cross my legs...easily. I am now comfortable in my clothes, comfortable in chairs at the ball park, the airplane, the train, and just sitting at my desk. I can wear shorts without them riding up my thighs. I can shop in banana republic and stores without a plus size section. I can trade clothes with friends. I can go for a bike ride with my family. My life is profoundly different and I am HAPPY.
I know I did it to myself but you don't realize what your doing and you don't realize exactly how bad off you are/were until you look back.

Before Julie, Everyday I woke and said "today I'm going to do better," but by the time I hit the drive-through, I justified why my horrendous purchase was okay.....because I would have a salad for lunch or I thought "I won't eat lunch." Yeah that would make the doughnut, sweet coffee drink, and breakfast sandwich okay. Or a muffin can't be that bad, it has blueberries in it and its low fat. Munchkins are just little donuts, they won't hurt me, you have to eat a lot of them for them to add up.

And while I knew it was bad there was always something in my mind that would have been worse to eat. Guess what. There wasn't. I was killing myself slowly.

It's not that I didn't know. I'm a well educated adult having read my share of health books. I wanted to be thin, to look good, but in the decision moment of whether i should eat those chips i never chose properly....there was always tomorrow. I had desire but I had no willpower, no discipline.

Julie gave that to me. She gave me the mental reset I needed. I'm looking forward from here on out, no looking back. With this post I've cleaned out the closet figuratively and literally. Two more sizes to go! I'm in a really comfortable 14 with a dash of 12 depending on where I shop.
August 18, 2013
Note: it's important that you measure the amount of cabbage, onion, and tomato sauce to ensure that you have more meat than vegetables for this recipe.
Crock Pot Goulmbki, photo by Theresa
Ingredients
  • Fresh cabbage rinsed and chopped into 2 inch cubes (or use cabbage already sliced in bags generally labeled "coleslaw")
  • 3 lbs. lean ground beef (or 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef and 1 1/2 lbs. ground pork)
  • Stewed tomato or plain tomato sauce
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbs. Bell's seasoning (which is a blend of rosemary, oregano, sage, ginger, marjoram, thyme, and pepper)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1/4 cup your favorite barbecue sauce or ketchup
Prepare Cabbage
  1. Put chop cabbage into a large pot of boiling water and let simmer for about 5 minutes just to let the cabbage start to wilt. It will cook more in the crock pot.
  2. Drain the cabbage and set aside. 
Prepare Meat
  1. Mix ground beef, salt, pepper and Bell's seasoning and chopped onion. 
  2. Mix well and form large firm meat balls.
  3. In a crock pot, use half of the cooked, drained cabbage to make the bottom layer.
  4. Carefully place the large meat balls on the cabbage.
  5. Add the rest of the cabbage to cover the meat.
  6. Place the strips of bacon over the cabbage.
  7. Pour tomato products, and about 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce or ketchup to add richness.
Turn the crock pot on low and cook for 8 hours (this can also be cooked in a large pot on the stove). The longer this cooks the better. This dish is also excellent the second day. This freezes well and can be placed into one portion containers and used for single meals.
August 13, 2013
In My Mind, I'm Going to Carolina.....well, not really......but the song keeps running through my head!

I heard last night (finally!) that my husband was picked to go on a business trip to Big Sky Resort in Big Sky, Montana in September. Did he have to ask me twice if I wanted to go?!?! I had the airlines cued up before he even got home, and didn't even really care about how much my airfare would be!

I get to go see where the deer and antelope roam! And try a really fresh bison burger!

This trip has been a long time in coming. My husbands company goes to this specific business group every year. They go to a different state every year, to make it new, interesting, and convenient for everyone as people come from all over the US. They have done this for probably 25 years. About 8 years ago, hubby started going for his company, and because spouses are invited (think of it as a "working weekend" where the spouses get wined and dined while the "guys" work, then get to play after) I started to tag along. I have been to 5 different states (the last 2 years, he hasn't been chosen to go), all on the East Coast, and each time, I have enjoyed the trip, the company, and the memories.

Except for one.

My weight.


This is the ONLY picture I could find out of ALL 5 trips that I have been on, and yes, I know it is an awful picture of my girlfriends who I cannot wait to see again! This is from Newport, RI, August, 2010. (I am on the right)

I was the biggest one, the one who struggled to keep up, who didn't do a lot of the activities because I was out of shape....well, you know the story.

Since my weight loss, no one has seen me-except the president of the company who runs the group, but only for a split second last year in Las Vegas, and he didn't give me the time of day. At first I was offended....then I thought-HE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE ME!!!!! Now I Laugh Out Loud when I think about that.....

So, how odd is it to me this year that my biggest concern about our trip to Montana is: What am I bringing so that I can participate in ANY and ALL events? We might go zip lining, rock climbing, hiking, fly fishing, who the heck knows?!?!? It's always a secret......And I can't wait! I will participate in all activities! I don't want to miss a minute! I do know we get to see Yellowstone National Park, and go horseback riding. Everything else (we will be there a week) is hush hush (the president and his wife like surprising us!!!!).

Maybe this year I will have a few more pictures!!!!!

If any of you have been out there in September, and have some suggestions for what to wear-please let me know!



                                                                                                    Big Sky Resort, Big Sky, Montana


August 07, 2013
There were two comments made recently on posts that are worthy of surfacing to a post of their own. One comment was about pepperoni and kielbasa, which led me to do some research on the correlation between high fat foods and plateaus. The other comment encouraged us to embrace the changes in our bodies and to feel confident in our smaller sizes on our journey to our goal size.
Feel great, act great, and approve of yourself. Photo source.
High Fat Foods

Anonymous posted this comment:
I have been on the program since February. I didn't think we could have pepperoni or kielbasa?
In response to your question, I'll tell you my story about meats.

I didn't know this was a meat intense program when I first saw Julie. I was in a bit of a panic my first night of class, because I didn't like meat. I asked Julie if she could help me like meat. She said she can't make us like something we don't like. (Remember her talk about free will?) I asked if I could eat pepperoni and cold cuts, and she said yes and then she cautioned us about the amount of fat we eat in a single day. I asked about meatloaf and meatballs, as they were the only other forms of meat I could think of that I liked. She said we can have them because breadcrumbs are inside, but we are not allowed foods with breadcrumbs on the outside.

In the 2 1/2 years since I started this program, I have come to really love meat. I did this by eating out most of the time when I wanted a steak or ribs. I bought a grill a few weeks ago and I'm learning to get past the raw meat factor: seeing bloody meat tends to ruin my appetite. I still have a ways to go, but I do love grilled meats and I am determined get past this issue. Plus, it's expensive eating out all the time.

I'm focusing on lean meats and cutting back on the fatty meats. I did a little research and kielbasa, pepperoni, and processed meats are all high in fat. In my research, I also found support to Julie's caution (no surprise): if you're experiencing a plateau, you may want to take a look at how much of these (high fat) foods you're eating.

I'm also following Julie's advice to eat healthy meats, preferably organic and wow - what a difference in taste!

The program changes over time, so if you learned in your class that you can't have these foods, then don't have them. The bottom line is this: when in doubt, leave it out. Another option is to ask the office.

Congratulations Anonymous for being on the program for six months. I hope you're enjoying your weight loss journey and I look forward to hearing more from you.

High Self Images

Jane posted this wise wisdom:
Have you seen the video by Dove Soap? It has 4 women sit behind a curtain and a police sketch artist draw them as they describe themselves. Then, a second person comes in and describes the same woman. Each person's drawings were pretty much the same. The person who described themselves, emphasized the negative, while the other person who just met them, had a more realistic account of what that person looks like.

The video is so telling and pretty emotional. We tend to see only the negatives. Wrinkles, lines, chubby cheeks, chin, etc... Why do we do this to ourselves?

What we should do is this: Go to the store, try on our old size pants/shorts, then a size or two smaller. Each week/month going into the store will be very telling as to where you are headed. 
Be POSITIVE, embrace the changes...... Maybe now, you're in smaller shorts, but have a bit of spillage over the waste band... Hey, at least you can get INTO the smaller size.
We need to laugh at ourselves, feel confident and know that we are headed in the right direction. 
I like the way you think Jane. Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us. BTW, I did some research and found the commercial:



August 06, 2013
We can measure success with a measuring tape or see our weight loss success in photos. We can feel successful by how our clothes fit or when we hear "wow - you've lost a ton of weight." But what if our perception of our bodies doesn't allow any of this to be enough?
Reality vs Perception. Photo source.
Ellen recently wrote to me about this topic:
I started on Julie's program back in March.. and found your blog not long after.. I look forward to reading each post as I always find a little something to keep me inspired. 

I finally broke down yesterday and took myself shopping for a few pairs of shorts in a smaller size. When I first started this program I kept thinking how great it would be to walk into a store, head to the racks and pick out what ever I wanted knowing that it would fit perfectly!
I found 2 pairs of shorts after about 4 hours of searching. At one point, I wanted to cry, as I realized it was just as difficult to find smaller sizes as it was to find larger ones. 

Now I am thinking that this has as much to do with our perception of our bodies as it does the reality. 

Has anyone else experienced this? How do you get the head to match the mirror? 
Ellen asks a great questions.

Back in January, I wrote a piece about Measuring Success and I promised I would measure once a month. Six months have passed and I haven't take any more measurements. I've taken a lot of photos, but I'm too critical when I see them. "Oh no--too many wrinkles" I  think to myself. Or, "OMG - look at my belly!"

See, there's that mean voice again. Have I forgotten how far I've come? I think so.

I went shopping yesterday. I had been in the store a few days earlier and I wouldn't try anything on that had an X in front of the size. No surprise, nothing I tried on fit. Yesterday, as I entered the store I told my friend "Just so you know, I'm going to try on clothes, but I may not drop a dime." Even when I said it I thought it was a weird thing to say. I'm not sure if I was more afraid I would find a ton of clothes that fit or that nothing would fit at all.

This time I tried on many different sizes. I didn't find anything that fit right, but I only tried on items that were on sale. Had I gone for the non-summer clothes, I may have had better luck. It was an expensive store and I'm not ready to spend that kind of money on clothes just yet. I left optimistic that I will be back next year and I will have a lot more options then.

I've resolved that I will see the rest of summer through with the clothes I have. Fall and winter wardrobes will be upon us soon enough and I will look for new clothes for those seasons.

Meanwhile, I'll work on my perception - focus on embracing the reality of my size rather than my perception. Some days I feel thin and other days - not so much. But the reality is this is how people feel in all sizes.

In fact, I did a Google search and here's a few articles:
Plus this great Ted Talk (~20 minute video)



August 04, 2013
Note: I cleared this post with Theresa before setting it loose, because there are some VERY negative and unfounded things said about Julie in this story, but it definitely demonstrates why some people fail and why it's so important to keep our eyes fixed on the Big Picture. Enjoy!

My son and I were having dinner at 99 the other night.

I love going there and having the smothered sirloin tips because I can get them on their own with no starch, just veggies.

Apparently, one of the women sitting in the booth across from us (I fit in the booths there now… couldn't for a long time) heard me placing my order.

I asked the server to hold the starch.

I told her I didn't need extra veggies because I had to balance my veggies with my protein.

So the woman sitting across from us hears all this and when the server walks away she leans over and says, "You went to Key Hypnosis, didn't you?"

I told her that I had.

She smirks at me and says, "You're in for a surprise."

I said, "Well, I've experienced several in the last couple months. Being able to fit inside this booth for one."

"Sure," she said, "But wait. You're gonna stop losing in another month or so and when you do the office is going to miraculously call and offer you a 'refresher.'"

I told her that I had requested a followup call in September so that wouldn't be a surprise.

"Yeah but by the time they call you're gonna stop losing weight."

"What makes you say THAT?"

"It's a huge scam. She programs you to lose for a couple months, then you stop. Then, if you want to keep losing you have to attend a 'refresher' and pay her another $200."

I said, "Really… that's quite remarkable. A hypnotist that can manipulate my physiology and make me STOP losing weight while still keeping the diet."

"No," she said. "You'll start cheating on the diet. After a couple months you'll go back to eating like a normal person and then go running for a refresher. It's all factored in to what she does. I went back TWICE for refreshers and each time I was OK for about two months, then BOOM! Bottom line: we're fat. It's how God made us. Accept it. Don't keep paying for false dreams."

I thanked her for the information and told her I'd take her advice to heart.

A few minutes later when the server showed up with her nachos, I said "BOOM!" as she put them on the table. I just couldn't help myself.

Throughout that whole night I kept going over in my head the things that Julie said about this whole thing being an act of Free Will.

I willingly submitted to the hypnosis. I willingly follow the diet and I am subsequently willing my way to health.

Some people just want nachos more than they want to be well but they can't just admit that, can they? It has to be someone else's failure.

I see the holidays this year being very difficult. I might need a refresher to get through them.

Then again, I may not.

What I'm sure of, though, is that if I do need one it'll be because for that month or so between Thanksgiving and Yule there's going to be a LOT of interference and I may need to clear up the signal so I don't get too depressed.

But that's all about me, not the program, not Julie.

I wonder if nacho lady realizes just how much money Julie COULD be charging for what she delivers.

I wonder if she realizes that every time I tell people how much this program cost me they're SHOCKED by how LITTLE I paid?

People who have never done the program see its value and think Julie is selling herself short.

But for some, paying $8 for nachos makes more sense than spending $200 to help themselves continue on a path to wellness and that's just that.
August 03, 2013
When I was a young girt, my best friend and neighbor told me her family sometimes had "skip" for dinner. Her father was in the military and stationed in Alaska, and finances were difficult, so once in a while her mom would announce "we're having skip for dinner" - which meant they were skipping dinner entirely.
Like this bunny, I skip, hop, and jump when I feel like it.
Oh, and I eat when I'm hungry and I skip meals if I'm not. Photo by Theresa
Since I started following this program, my eating habits have completely changed. But skip for dinner? Not for me. I used to eat breakfast first thing in the morning or I would feel faint. Never, never, never could I / would I have eaten only one meal on any given day. I also never imagined I would skip dinner because it was "too hot to cook dinner."

Some time after I started this program, things changed. I no longer woke up hungry and I found I didn't need breakfast most mornings. I have days when I only eat once. Usually this happens on weekends, when I find myself deep into writing or a project and the next thing I know it's 3pm and all I've had is coffee. I may or may not have a second meal later in the day. During the heat wave we had the last couple of weeks, there were a couple of nights I went to bed hungry, because it was too hot to cook dinner. These are new behaviors for me - and I like this.

Eat when you're hungry is what we're taught - don't snack and don't eat if you're not hungry. It all seems logical enough, and quite natural at that. Before I was on this program, my natural instincts about food were way out of sync. It's nice to be in touch with my body as nature intended.

I eat to live. I no longer live to eat. Now that this is my truth, it's time to turn my focus towards enjoying my life in new ways and having new experiences. I have two new activities coming up in September: I'm taking up biking and I just signed up for a 10 week ukulele class.

Now it's your turn:

  • What's different in the way you interact with food?
  • Is it time for you to try something new in your life?
July 31, 2013
About a dozen friends of Julie gathered for a potluck and on Friday night. Our gracious hosts grilled up Fillet Mignon for the main course. Here's the story, plus: the menu, my spaghetti with meat sauce recipe, and a group photo. Spaghetti? Yes - I made spaghetti "noodles" from zucchini.
A photo posted by Theresa Chamberland (@alohatac) on
This was the first time I had used my spirooli (see photo of this gadget below), which a key friend gave me a few months after the Greenfield potluck. I have to pause here for a moment to say: how nice this is - I get to meet and become friends with others following Julie's program, who not only have given me incredible support and shared their stories with me, but also gave me clothes and this great gadget!

I encourage you to reach out to others who are following Julie's program. Strike up a conversation before or after seeing Julie. If you read a post that inspires you, on this blog or on the closed Facebook group, reach out to that person and see if you can get together for coffee, a meal, a walk, or connect on skype, or talk on the phone. The support is incredible. And you may surprise yourself - you too may be of great support to someone else. Either way, it's very rewarding.

Back to my story...

I brought the spirooli and zucchini with me so others could give this a try. We couldn't figure out how to remove the slicer that was in place (where the noodles come out) when I opened the box, so the noodles were thicker than I preferred. Later, I asked the two men who were at the gathering to take a look and we finally figured it out. It was one of those secret handshake things, push on the back piece while pulling up on the top. Next time I will be able to make the thinner noodles.
I used my spirooli to turn yellow squash into noodles. Photo by Theresa
The recipe is pretty simple - make your favorite meat sauce and serve over zucchini "noodles."

We sliced the skin off  the 8 medium sized zucchini. In looking at the photo (above) I realized we didn't have to remove the skin. Actually, the noodles look more interesting with the skin. We then put the zucchini through the spirooli to make the noodles and then put them in a bowl and into the microwave.

Since it was my first time making these, noodles I set the microwave to 2 minutes. After 6 minutes, each time we took them out of the microwave, we took turns tasting a noodle to see if they were done enough. You want them cooked, but not soggy. They softened to our liking after 10 minutes.

(07/16/14 update: I made these noodles on top of the stove in a small amount of water in a veggie steamer and they cook in less than 2 minutes. I highly recommend stove-top cooking them.)
Martha Stewart Veggie Steamer. Photo source: macys.com
We then invited the others to taste the spaghetti with meat sauce. A couple people were hesitant to try the noodles, because they don't like veggies or they don't like zucchini, but everyone had some noodles with lots of meat sauce, to keep the meat-to-veggie ratio in line.

Some loved these noodles, others really liked the sauce, but the noodles, not so much. Other recipe ideas were suggested, such as adding them to a stir-fry. If you google spirooli recipes, you will find a lot of recipes and videos.

At the end of the night, Linda said "I love these noodles. I have to get one of these things." I loaned her the spirooli. This way she can make the noodles for for her family a few times before committing to buying one. Plus, this gives us another reason to get together. Linda, we look forward to seeing you post the spirooli recipes you create for your family. A photo would be great too!

The Meat Sauce

I cooked 2 pounds of organic ground beef with long slices of onion (half of a small vidalia onion), and after the meat was cooked I added a jar and a half of tomato sauce (I used Capa di Roma's Roasted Garlic, which I bought at Big Y). I made the meat sauce the night before, so all I had to do was heat it up at the gathering. I usually use both jars of sauce for my meat sauce, but since I was serving the meat sauce over veggies, I cut back on the amount of tomato sauce - always watching for the meat-veggie ratio.

The Noodles

Adjust the number of zucchini (green and/or yellow) to suit your needs, try to make an amount that will eaten that day. I used 8 total.

Remove the skin from the zucchini (or you may leave it on.) Push the zucchini through a spirooli to make the noodles. Place the noodles in a dish and microwave until the zucchini the texture you like for your noodles. I cooked all 8 zucchini for 10 minutes.  If you're cooking less zucchini, cut back on the cooking time.

Serve the noodles and sauce separate, unless you are sure you've made the exact amount needed. The noodles become too soggy if left in the sauce. (I read this, I don't know this for sure.)

The Menu

So, you're wondering, what else did we eat? Plenty...
  • Fillet Mignon
  • Corn on the cob
  • Bacon wrapped shrimp
  • Shrimp cocktail
  • Pepperoni
  • Salad
  • Barbecue kielbasa
  • Rolled soppressata
  • Veggie sticks and cheese
  • Deviled eggs

The Group Photo
Gathering of friends of Julie 07/26/13
Clothing Exchange

In addition to meeting some for the first time, we had a clothing exchange. This was a lot of fun. In fact, I'm wearing a new blouse from this giveaway in the photo above. The grand finali was when our hostess opened her coat closet and offered a beautiful crimson red wool coat, which was a perfect fit for the recipient!

More Spirooli Recipes
Other Resources

July 30, 2013