Earlier this year, I went to a refresher. Someone asked Julie to "tell her" to exercise. Julie's reply? Julie spoke to us about "getting off the hamster wheel." She said "I can't make you exercise. YOU are unlike any other animal on the earth. YOU don't need to wait for someone to open the door and 'let you out.' YOU can go outside and WALK any time YOU want. So, that is what you should do. You should get up off of your couch, and go WALK OUTSIDE."
Get off the hamster wheel. Video by Theresa.
So, in the spring, when it was beautiful out, I got my music, my sneakers and my water, and out the door I went. I enjoy my neighborhood. It is beautiful, has hills and for the most part is very peaceful.

Until a neighbor's dog scared the heebie-jeebies out of me.....

Over the past years, while out walking, I have been bitten twice by dogs. Not in the neighborhood I live now, but still - something like that just doesn't leave you after it happens....And boy did this last encounter push me right back inside, back to sitting on my couch. I mean, Julie said get OUTSIDE and WALK!

Even with my little can of pepper spray, I was rattled by that dog. The dog came running into the road, barking his head off. I yelled all sorts of obscenities at the dog and then the owner came out. I continue on, my adrenaline just a flowing. After this incident, I didn't want to go outside anymore. With this kind of assault, it wasn't as much fun anymore!

I have had a treadmill for years and I've used it on and off. After the dog incident, the treadmill remained dormant. I used that dog and Julie telling me to get outside to walk as my excuse to get my butt sitting back on the couch! Oh, really? Those ribbons that I use to measure myself show I've gained weight? Really? Surprised?

No. Epiphany.

I may have been able to lose my weight without exercising, but that doesn't mean I get to KEEP it off just by being in the river.....my lazy paddling around may not be enough for me to maintain!

HELLLLOOOOOOO!
My little corner in Man's Land
I came to this conclusion: I think Julie would be just fine with me using my treadmill, especially living in New England where the weather has been not so great, and while I work on getting rid of my "dog nerves" yet again......

My second conclusion? I LOVE my treadmill! Yes, I can go out and walk, but why not still do what I love? I love having the television on, my music on, my fans on....I absolutely LOVE being on it! It has all sorts of inclines and speeds - I mix it up all the time. I have even been known to run on it! And I still have the CHOICE to get on it!

I owe it to myself to where I have come on this journey, to get on my treadmill, and to allow myself to enjoy it. I owe it to myself to do what I appreciate and what I like to do. Julie would never want me to do nothing! And if walking outside is not my favorite thing, then why not DO what I like?

I hope you all find what you truly love to do-yoga, swimming, walking, whatever, and that you follow what Julie says: GET MOVING!
August 19, 2013
Crust Free Quiche
  • 16 oz of Egg Beaters
  • 2 cups shredded cheese (I change it up between Cheddar Jack and Swiss)
  • 8 oz cooked Turkey Sausage
  • 1 pint of chopped mushroom slices
  • 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach (thawed)
Combine all 5 ingredients in a large bowl then pour mixture into a 9" pie pan. bake at 350F for about 35-40 minutes. Season to taste. I like hot sauce personally.

Simple Chili
  • 16oz Ground Buffalo Meat (browned)
  • 28oz can Diced Tomato
  • 1 packet of chili seasoning
  • 15 can corn
  • About half a bag of frozen peppers and onions
Throw everything in a skillet and simmer for 15 min or so. Top with a dollop of sour cream or some shredded cheese.

Sheppard's Pie

Bottom layer - Ground meat of your choice (browned)
Middle layer - Can of peas & Can of corn
Top layer - Mashed cauliflower (instead of potatoes)

To make this, I steam a head of cauliflower until it's really soft then run it thru a food processor with a little cream and butter. I sprinkle paprika on top then bake at 350F for 30 min.

Pasta-Free Lasagna

I actually don't have this recipe in front of me, it's something my wife makes for me on occasion. She takes a simple lasagna recipe but rather than using the noodles, she substitutes thinly sliced layers of eggplant and zucchini. Delicious!

Recipes shared by: C. Bruce Froehlich
August 19, 2013
There was a recent comment asking what I meant by tapping, that she didn't remember. So, I thought I'd tell what tapping means to me by sharing a story.
Oh, and I got a new haircut too.
Up until yesterday, I would have answered this question in a different way. It was more of a metaphor to me, not something I paid attention to; it just worked independently of my thinking about it. In my mind, I always had a visual of Julie talking about cravings as one of her hands came closer and closer to her face and as she talked about tapping those thoughts away she pushed the same hand back with her other hand.

Yesterday I had lunch with my key friend Karen at Red Robin and then we went Crate & Barrel and then Target; we know how to live it up. It was a fun visit with some good laughs. After saying good-bye, I decided to go back to the mall and hang out for another hour and then go to a movie nearby. That's when it started.

Tap tap.

I tried on a short white skirt at Macy's - boom - it fit! I've been wanting to buy a cute summer skirt for a couple of months and I was elated to zip into a size 16. I decided since summer is nearly over, not to buy the skirt, but I left the store very happy.

Tap tap.

I haven't hung out at the mall since high school and I quickly remembered why: it's not as much fun shopping alone. Karen and I laughed out loud a lot. It's not a good idea to laugh out loud at the mall when you're alone, so I hung out at the Mac store and drooled over 27" Macs.

Tap tap.

The food court and bakery smells were driving me crazy! Now I remember why I don't hang out at the mall. Starbucks Misto (hot coffee with foamy milk) to the rescue.

Tap tap.

When I arrived at the theater, I learned the movie wouldn't start for another hour. My 2:50 movie was playing in Hadley - not West Springfield. Now what? The theater foods are making me hungry. I'm not hungry. I can't be hungry. I ate a monster bacon cheeseburger with an egg on top only an hour ago .

Tap tap. This will pass. Tap, tap. This will pass.

I haven't had urges like this in a long long time! I haven't eaten anything that would bring on this kind of craving, so I could not figure out what was going on. I ended up walking over to CVS and buying some beef jerky and seltzer to quiet down the beast. Once the movie previews started I was fine.

When I got home, I talked with another key friend about my cravings and what she said made a lot of sense "white skirt fits + crazy craving = drop! I bet a food dream and a drop (in weight) are heading your way!"

Now that I think about this, foods started catching my attention earlier this week; I've been chanting tap tap all week (in my head). First it was something in the coffee shop behind glass. A few days ago I looked at every item on the grocery belt ahead of me and I realized that was exactly what my shopping cart used to look like: a box from the bakery, two candy bars, and a hot food item. Tap tap. 

I feel like things are changing inside me. I never had these crazy cravings before. Hunger yes, but not cravings. Perhaps those weren't cravings but hunger. Yup, sounds like hunger to me. 

I started today having a breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausage, and ham. I couldn't eat it all, but I was like "okay hunger - bring it on!"

Tapping is no longer a metaphor for me. It's an internal chant that keeps me alert and helps me not give in to food cravings. It sounds a lot like a heart beat. In fact, it felt like my heart pounding very loudly. It felt like a healthy heart gently reminding me tap, tap it away. This is a test. 

 And I passed the test.
August 18, 2013
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