Eggs & Oatmeal
December 31, 2012
Catherine wrote this question about eggs on "Maintenance" . . . I'm confused on the egg issue. Is an egg the same as meat, or do you have to have meat
An Angel Loses a Pound
December 26, 2012
While surfing the web this morning, I found Jack Sh*t Getting Fit and his hilarious blog entry
Bargains
December 23, 2012
I went back to Sarasota yesterday and this time I was persistent and by the end of the day I had a
On the Road
December 21, 2012
It is a beautiful quiet morning on the canal here in Punta Gorda, Florida. Along the horizon and far
Basic Concepts
December 13, 2012
After I went to a refresh a few weeks ago, I went to the Facebook page and proclaimed "Once and done.
Pizza Pizza
December 09, 2012
A group of us from this blog met up for meat crust pizza at Capa di Roma in East Hartford a few nights
Shepherd's Pie
December 09, 2012
This dish comes from a recipe Emilia shared with us when we were at her restaurant, Roma (in East Hartford,
Nut-free Pesto
December 09, 2012
At Roma in East Hartford Thursday night, Emilia gave us a sample of her nut free pesto, DELICIOUS! Nut-free
Success & Questions
December 06, 2012
Jodi posted this comment on a Nov. post: I finished my sessions in August and have to say this was the best decision I could have made. Amazing! I
Big Changes
December 03, 2012
Things have changed for me this week in a big and unexpected way. A few weeks ago I looked at my
Shopping
November 25, 2012
I went shopping last weekend and I was excited to discover I'm am now a size 14 top. All this time
I decided to write about a question that a Julie follower asked me on FaceBook last night, mainly because my answer turned into a book. And it got me started thinking. She asked me if we would "ever get to eat like a normal thin person" ever again, after completing maintenance. The whole question has me in a quandary, because I don't think any of us really truly knows the answer. But I think a lot of us put in time wondering. I know I sure do.
As far as eating "normal" again, I don't know. I don't know what eating like a "normal thin person" is, LOL, as I have never been 'one of them'! I know Julie wants us to eat a portion of potato every day once we hit maintenance, that the amount of time doing that varies all the while jumping "back in the river" when your clothes get tight. Then there is adding other foods in, slowly, so as to reduce the chances of the cravings that got us in trouble in the first place.
This whole maintenance thing takes, in my opinion, a lot of time. Lots and lots. This whole question got me thinking about "other diets," like Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, etc. Do any of those programs let you "eat like a normal thin person?" Can one 'let their guard down' and 'get back on track' after "just eating?"
When I did Weight Watchers a long time ago, I did hit my "goal weight," and then I was supposed to add one or two more points in each week, until I neither lost nor gained weight. Needless to say, I never made it that far. I just started eating again, and before long, the weight was back on. Does that tell me something? Like, "no," I will never get to eat like a "normal thin person?" I think so.
Believe me, maintenance hasn't been easy. One can never let their guard down. The weight can come back on so freaking fast! Scary fast! In February 2012 I made it to my goal size of a "Levis 6." So, out of the river, and up onto the bank I went, and I ate potato for 6 months. I started not watching my meat-to-veggies ratio, ate too much popcorn (the second phase of maintenance) without eating meat and used WAY too much half-n-half in my coffee (half-n-half isn't free like milk! BAD MISTAKE), and in September 2012 BOOM I was up a size!
The motto to this story: Try on your favorite pair of pants every other day. Do NOT let them sit in your closet, assuming they will fit! Check, and check frequently! When I knew I was in trouble, I went back for a refresher, and, today I can tell you I now have wiggle room in my "Levis 6." So, I started all over again with the potato. But! It is a BITE OR TWO of potato! NEVER the whole serving!
Hmmmmmm, is this how a "normal thin person" eats I wonder?
I will follow this way of eating as long as possible. I don't know if you can ever let sugar and flour touch. The thought of having the food cravings again is not high on my list. I have watched "thin" people eat; I ask them a lot more now too about what they eat, how much they eat, etc.etc. And, believe me, they don't eat a lot! Some people have very strict rules: One thin woman I work with has a granola bar for breakfast, a Lean Cuisine, fruit and yogurt for lunch, and lean meat, pasta and veggies for dinner (she says maybe a 1/4 cup of pasta), and NEVER eats after 7 pm. Yes, I have seen her eat Peanut M+M's, but she tells me she limits that to a handful ONCE or TWICE a month!
I never see her do at work what I see other, heavier people do, which is "graze" all day long on whatever is close by. She does not eat a lot of food! I suppose someday you can eat different things - Julie talks about that - a piece of fruit here, some pasta there. But, I don't think I'll ever have a piece of pie or cake again, because of the no flour/sugar touching thing. Well, some can. One person who is on FB and the blog says she follows Julie a lot, then goes off, then goes back on. But, she is also exercising like crazy. I am not! LOL! I just don't have the time! Thankfully, I am still at a point in my life where if you asked me to eat something I'm "not supposed to," I couldn't do it. And I am okay with that! The pies that I served for Thanksgiving had no impact on me. Didn't faze me in the least. And I am very grateful for that.
As I write this, Kirstie Alley is on the Dr. Oz Show, telling people how she lives now that she has lost a lot of weight. She explained she is eating about 1400 calories a day. Counting calories. Yuck. I have no interest in starting all of that calorie counting c^*p again. Some of you may be able to do that, and eat more"normally." I am not going to mess with my journey with Julie for a long long time. I am sticking to the few rules she has given us. I like wearing my size 6's. So, I am not worrying too much about what's to come...Kind of staying true to this course....
My final advice to this lovely person who asked me if we could ever eat like a normal thin person again: As you get deeper into this and start getting thinner and thinner, you will let go of the "what ifs," because you will be very happy doing what you are doing, and how you feel and look.
Knowing that I wasn't "born a thin person" is okay, and I will continue to go one day at a time. You will see as you get deeper and deeper into this that you wont think so much about "other people" and their ways. We have to find the right way that works permanently. That answer will be a totally individual one. ONE AND DONE.
 |
| Jennifer in May 2011 vs December 2013 |
This whole maintenance thing takes, in my opinion, a lot of time. Lots and lots. This whole question got me thinking about "other diets," like Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, etc. Do any of those programs let you "eat like a normal thin person?" Can one 'let their guard down' and 'get back on track' after "just eating?"
When I did Weight Watchers a long time ago, I did hit my "goal weight," and then I was supposed to add one or two more points in each week, until I neither lost nor gained weight. Needless to say, I never made it that far. I just started eating again, and before long, the weight was back on. Does that tell me something? Like, "no," I will never get to eat like a "normal thin person?" I think so.
Believe me, maintenance hasn't been easy. One can never let their guard down. The weight can come back on so freaking fast! Scary fast! In February 2012 I made it to my goal size of a "Levis 6." So, out of the river, and up onto the bank I went, and I ate potato for 6 months. I started not watching my meat-to-veggies ratio, ate too much popcorn (the second phase of maintenance) without eating meat and used WAY too much half-n-half in my coffee (half-n-half isn't free like milk! BAD MISTAKE), and in September 2012 BOOM I was up a size!
The motto to this story: Try on your favorite pair of pants every other day. Do NOT let them sit in your closet, assuming they will fit! Check, and check frequently! When I knew I was in trouble, I went back for a refresher, and, today I can tell you I now have wiggle room in my "Levis 6." So, I started all over again with the potato. But! It is a BITE OR TWO of potato! NEVER the whole serving!
Hmmmmmm, is this how a "normal thin person" eats I wonder?
I will follow this way of eating as long as possible. I don't know if you can ever let sugar and flour touch. The thought of having the food cravings again is not high on my list. I have watched "thin" people eat; I ask them a lot more now too about what they eat, how much they eat, etc.etc. And, believe me, they don't eat a lot! Some people have very strict rules: One thin woman I work with has a granola bar for breakfast, a Lean Cuisine, fruit and yogurt for lunch, and lean meat, pasta and veggies for dinner (she says maybe a 1/4 cup of pasta), and NEVER eats after 7 pm. Yes, I have seen her eat Peanut M+M's, but she tells me she limits that to a handful ONCE or TWICE a month!
I never see her do at work what I see other, heavier people do, which is "graze" all day long on whatever is close by. She does not eat a lot of food! I suppose someday you can eat different things - Julie talks about that - a piece of fruit here, some pasta there. But, I don't think I'll ever have a piece of pie or cake again, because of the no flour/sugar touching thing. Well, some can. One person who is on FB and the blog says she follows Julie a lot, then goes off, then goes back on. But, she is also exercising like crazy. I am not! LOL! I just don't have the time! Thankfully, I am still at a point in my life where if you asked me to eat something I'm "not supposed to," I couldn't do it. And I am okay with that! The pies that I served for Thanksgiving had no impact on me. Didn't faze me in the least. And I am very grateful for that.
As I write this, Kirstie Alley is on the Dr. Oz Show, telling people how she lives now that she has lost a lot of weight. She explained she is eating about 1400 calories a day. Counting calories. Yuck. I have no interest in starting all of that calorie counting c^*p again. Some of you may be able to do that, and eat more"normally." I am not going to mess with my journey with Julie for a long long time. I am sticking to the few rules she has given us. I like wearing my size 6's. So, I am not worrying too much about what's to come...Kind of staying true to this course....
My final advice to this lovely person who asked me if we could ever eat like a normal thin person again: As you get deeper into this and start getting thinner and thinner, you will let go of the "what ifs," because you will be very happy doing what you are doing, and how you feel and look.
Knowing that I wasn't "born a thin person" is okay, and I will continue to go one day at a time. You will see as you get deeper and deeper into this that you wont think so much about "other people" and their ways. We have to find the right way that works permanently. That answer will be a totally individual one. ONE AND DONE.
Manifesting Change
November 20, 2012
I wrote this post while I was in a plateau. I wrote as if I already dropped another size, to visualization
Key Progress
November 19, 2012
I had breakfast few friends of the Key Hypnosis contributors on Saturday and it was great to see everyone
Hold On For 1 More Day
November 14, 2012
Frustrated with not dropping more weight, I decided to follow my own advise: take a photo and view
First Session
November 10, 2012
I just started and had my first session - I already feel better Aliede Smith
On Hold
November 07, 2012
Being on hold is something none of us like. We don't like being on hold on the phone. We don't like
Smoking Program
November 05, 2012
Anonymous asked: I am attending my first class with Julie on Thursday. I have just finished my second and last class for smoking and it's working
Meditation and Sitting with the Pain
November 02, 2012
I have been a mediator for a long time, and one of the most basic lessons about doing sitting meditation is that by eliminating all distractions, and
Mental Boost for Me
November 02, 2012
The last size change I had was in April of this year, having gone from an 18 to a 16. Since then, NOTHING! I have been frustrated, discouraged, angry,
Feet First
November 01, 2012
This has been a rough year on my feet, but a trip to the foot doctor and all is well once again. In
The Cold Season is Upon Us
October 27, 2012
I have, like much of Vermont it seems, a cold right now, and was concerned about what I could use for the cough, since usually I use this wonderful herbal
Alas, one of my woes of weight loss
October 26, 2012
Ok, by now you all know I am weird. I blogged about crossing my legs for the first time, about my food dreams, panicking when I found out the corn I
Salvation Army
October 24, 2012
My body is going through changes again, I can feel it and I know I'm going to drop more weight soon.
1 year ago today:
October 24, 2012
One year ago today I was: Size 24VERY unhappy with myselfVERY depressed about my weightFelt like I
Contributing experiment
October 23, 2012
Just trying to see if my computer challenged mind can introduce a new topic correctly. Thanks for all of your patience. E
Life Continues
October 23, 2012
Some days I just don't have anything to blog about. I think this is a healthy sign, as I'm not focusing
Cauliflower Pizza
October 21, 2012
I've heard so much about this recipe, I had to add this to the blog. I haven't tried it yet, but those
