Hello from a first timer in Texas!

[BarbieGRRRL]

Hello All! I’m a first-timer from Texas… called Barbie not because I look like her, but because I love to change hair, clothes, shoes, careers, etc just as much as Barbie! :flirt: Just kidding! I got the n-name Barbie when I walked across America (yes, all the way from New York to CA) with a partner named Ken. Got to my goal weight, had a blast, and have a TON of great stories. Problem is… a year later I managed to herniate one disk in my back and tear another. I’ve gained a lot of weight now due to the inactivity, poor eating habits, all sorts of things… but the good news is that I managed to avoid surgery and can now WALK again. :jumping2: Maybe I can’t walk across the USA again… but I can walk upright and am back to about 5 miles per day. The weight is going to drop! I just KNOW it after reading about y’all and your progress! I started yesterday after seeing someone at work drop a ton of weight over the past few months. I got my personalized diet plan and realized they were actually asking me to eat MORE meat than I normally eat. After one day of my prescription, I was FULL! And I almost drowned myself with the water intake! I realized how bad my eating habits had gotten – how carb laden and cheese covered it was. I am proud to say that someone brought home baked sugar cookies (iced) to work yesterday and I managed to walk by them and not even THINK about cheating. Okay… I did THINK… but what I thought was NO WAY! I have ONLY sweet teeth, so turning down cookies is unheard of! When I get back to my goal weight I’ll treat myself to one small one. Oh yeah… and a new high end purse!

The thing I am worried most about is sticking to my prescription and still fixing food for my husband and children. I’ve been looking at all the ingredients I am allowed to use… and am making up recipes in my head! Can’t wait to try them out! :thinking:

Question? After a few weeks of this am I going to be wanting to lick the spoon after making a PB&J sandwich? Will I be under the table waiting for scraps to drop and pretending to be the dog? Will I be imagining myself grabbing food from my co-workers’ clutches? And if I am… will you guys bring me back to my senses?????? :hungry:

Glad to be here… hope to get a lot of support and stories from y’all! I’m registered for a half-marathon in May and I can’t do it until I drop this weight! Every extra pound is pure heck on my disks!

BarbieGRRRL

[MrsPeel]

Welcome, BarbieGRRL!!

I had a similar experience to yours - I actually eat more regularly on the diet, and feel satisfied! And yes, DROWNING in water :embarrassment:

For me, now at 9 weeks, the diet only got easier. You know how they say it takes 21 days to form a habit? I feel like the habits of the 1PD are firmly ingrained in me now, and I really don't think of what I can't have. My one exception: I'm an English-tea girl, and every afternoon around 4 PM I pine a little for my PG Tips with milk & sugar. :sadeyes:

BUT - as the weight falls away, I find the motivation is strengthened, and as aches and pains fade with the lighter load, I am so happy to have found this solution!

[cyberella]

hi, barbie--
here is babi, 2! i just decided 2 have my spelling differently as everybody's kind of giggling once u say your name- so i dont pronounce the "r" ..
anyway! u seem some1 2 laugh with and i'm looking 4ward 2 our communication!

i'm austrian, btw- single mom and also cooking 4 my kiz; (if i have 2 season something and am not sure about the taste, i try and spit it out :crying: straight away- if it contained fat, i even wipe my mouth with a tissue! the benefit? besides staying on track and not getting smacked over the head by shasha, i feel sooooooooooooo endlessly proud and strong those momenz--
and terribly stupid-- bruhahar!! {rofl}

so, i hope u will have a :party6: time here!!
happy dieting 2 u(s)....

[Shasha]

{hi} there BarbieGRRRL

A very Warm Welcome to you!!! :bighug:

Wow, what a LLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNGGG road you have walked!!!

I'm so glad that you ended up here! :bighug:

Come see the recipe section for nice ideas... there are plenty!

I agree with Mrs Peel - the diet becomes easier as you get into it and, if you want to avoid having cravings, stay 100% true to your 1st Personal Diet Program.

The key to controlling cravings is in allowing your hormones to balance so that you body can produce more serotonin, which controls the craving for food, especially starch!

If you deviate, your hormones become unbalance and you could get cravings. Also remember to take your multi-vitamin each and every day...

Please feel free to share some of your recipe's that you dreaming up... there is a section for veggies, one for meat (Something Meaty), one for chicken, one for fish, two for eggs (erf's up i & ii), one for desert idea (Something YummY) - even one for ice-cream...

I look forward to hearing about some of your adventures!!! :praying: please share them with us...

[Megsy]

Haaa haaaa haaaa Barbie!{lol}
I loved your account of licking the spoon and I got a great image of you on all fours under the dining table waiting for scraps...hee hee...what a great sense of humour you have.

I get the feeling you have amazing spirit and gusto to have come through what you've been through and have great humour to boot. Very admirable! Oh.. if my expressions are a bit odd, I'm an Aussie girl living in Colorado with my hubby and 2 kids.

Just a snapshot of a couple of incidents I've come across: I often make home-made pizzas for the rest of the family and I find the preparing of them not a problem, but it's when they're hot out the oven that I start to salivate. So I get hubby to pull them out the oven and serve them up, whilst I get get my meal ready. That way I'm not tempted - or dribbling all over their dinner!

Another time I was making spaghetti bog (bolognaise) and a stray piece of spaghetti tipped out of the bowl. By pure instinct I picked it up and put it in my mouth! Arrhhh!!! - I then instantly spat it out.... it was really weird. As instinct put it in, instinct spat it out!

You may also find that your family start a very subtle yet strongly supportive role. My daughter and I now have the same drinking bottles for our water! Monkey see, monkey do! :monkey: And the meals I prepare for myself, she wants to try, which strangely enough generates a flash of possessiveness in me.. a bit like Daffy Duck "it's mine, mine!!") And my hubby is drinking less coffee and no after dinner delights of icecream or a biscuit.

I found once I committed myself to becoming healthier and of course the added bonus of becoming slimmer - the temptations are definately there and I have to admit I do miss some flavours. But the determination to have a lifestyle I haven't experienced since my teenage years, and to be able to enjoy them with my whole family without denying myself adventures due to my weight (ie a trip to Disneyland... a bathing bounty in the Bahamas etc) keep the choices simple to make. I'm a week off my first weigh in, but I know I've lost a good chunk of my "fadoobaders" (that's just my pet name for my rolls!)

So welcome and you'll find fantastic support and ideas on this forum - so much so you may start having a more intimate relationship with your computer (as I have..)
{wave}
Cheers
Megsy

[BarbieGRRRL]

Thank you all for such a warm welcome! I feel like I know some of you already from reading threads before I got my diet info. I LOVE reading your ideas and about the triumphs and difficulties you have encountered. I can't wait to see you all in the different forum threads. As I mentioned, I am experimenting with different recipes right now... and will post some as soon as I "perfect" them. I am jsut waiting to hear back from my consultant on a few things I had questions on, but maybe someone here has already HAD this question and can tell me... green peppers are on the list, but I can't eat them becasue they generate a huge gassy BLOAT and turn my stomach into a nauseous bubble. Are jalepneo, ancho, or chipotle peppers OK? Also, if I eat an orange, lemon, or grapefruit as one of my daily fruit allowance, can I use the rind to grate as a "zest" for my main meat dish?

BTW... on the water issue I have come up with a solution that is working for me. I bought 4 different .5 liter bottles and fill them up at the start of each day when I get to work. I line them up on my desk and make sure they are ALL empty before I can go home. It's been a nice game...and a great way for an ADD person like me to keep track and make sure I drink it all! :cop: Then at home, I consider all water to be BONUS water.

I also decided to stop calling this a DIET. I have decided that it is a "personal eating adjustment" or "PEA"... oh how I would LOVE to eat some PEAS right now... with mashed potatoes!) Just kidding! :)

Happy PEA-ing to all! :jumping2:

BarbieGRRRL

[Shasha]

{hi} there Megsy, Barbie and Eveyone!


{grouphug1}

Megsy: your little one is learning really good examples from her Mommy!

And, those "fadoobaders" are soon going to be something of the past!!

I think what you are doing in terms of your goals with regards to trips and outings is really GREAT! What a way to keep focused. Many people report feeling younger on the program... it's cos they are no longer burdened under all that excess heavy weight.

Barbie: I love way you have planned to drink all your water! Well done!

To answer your questions: YES!!! If you are eating orange, you may use the zest to flavour your food. Same with lemon and grapefruit... one can even use a few drops of lemon with zest to make a lovely cheese cake with your smooth cottage cheese to spoon onto your crackers.

Please do not use any red peppers while being on the program. You may use green chillies, 3 times a week to flavour your foods but you need to see how your body reacts to them. If they trigger hungry you will not be able to eat them. Tips: wait until after your first week, when you are no longer hungry to bring in the chillies so that you can see clearly if they do trigger hunger for you.


{rofl} HAPPY PEA-ing Girls!! {rofl}

[Bronwyn]

Hi there Barbie!

Welcome, welcome. I loved reading your initial post and you do seem like a fun spirit! I'm almost 5 weeks into this diet now and have followed it 100%!! It has been far easier for me than I originally thought it would be and I think the key is not to deviate from the plan. At first I found myself licking my fingers after fixing my baby boy's PB&J sandwhich or whatever else and each time I would do it I would hear an alarm go off in my head! I am now out of that habit. My husband has been very supportive and is also losing weight just 'cause we're eating at home all the time now and not ordering pizza or bringing home fast food. I want my boy (he's 2) to grow up with healthy habits so both my husband and I realized the best way to do this is for us to set the example. This is a wonderful move you've made, not just for yourself but for your whole family.

Another key is to make your food GOOD!! You can make this diet as good or as boring as you want. It sounds like you're already got the right idea wanting to try new recipes and adding zest and spices to your meals. By the way, thanks for asking the zest question - I hadn't thought of that and that'll be great to try!

Again, welcome, and I look forward to watching your progress! This diet does work - It is amazing!!

Enjoy the journey!

Bron

[mama]

That's the way to go, Bronwyn! I believe kids develop eating habits and taste based upon what they see at home. I am proud to say that my 8 year old thinks McDonalds is a place where kids get prizes... She has never eaten McDonald's, although she was born and raised in the US. Her older sisters have had McDonald's once or twice in their lives. It's a NO NO for our family and I believe it's because of our (the parents) attitude to junk food. I am overweight because I love cooking and eating TASTY food - Italian, good chocolate and desserts and good quality bread but I have never eaten junk food.

Unfortunately, my daughter's school has fund raising events at McDonalds twice a year, where the principal and the teachers cook at this NcDonalds and all proceeds go to the school. My daughter, who adores her teachers, insits on going to these events. She does not eat anything there but it's SO frustrating that schools in the US still encourage junk food!!!{bangdesk}

Shasha - I've decided to make a banner with your signature's statement (Cohen Cops bust Ronald McDonald for CRIMES against healthy eating!) and bring it to our school's fund raising event.
{cheerleader}

[Bronwyn]

That is awesome Mama!! Congratulations on raising healthy kids with no junk food. I am proud to say that my 2 year old has had no junk food and no sugar. For his 2nd birthday party we had a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake and I decided I'd let him try it as now he's old enough to notice he's not eating what the other kids/people are eating. Well.... he hated it! He opted for a big piece of cantaloupe instead. We call fruit "nature's candy" and we call Graham crackers "cookies" so those are his sugary treats. I did also let him try a french fry at the zoo one day and he hated that too. It's interesting to watch because I think that bad, unatural food is something kids aquire a taste for, not necessarily like right off the bat. And yes, it is frustrating that here in the US it is all about junk food and HUGE portions!! That is one thing I'm loving about 1PD is that I'm learning how full I can be on tiny portions and what your body really needs to ingest. My husband and I adopt this motto from time to time "Eat to live, not live to eat."

[MrsPeel]

Bronwyn and Mama, you are both so right about the American habit of junk food, huge portions and round-the-clock eating! I am proud to say my granddaughter loves raw veggies and thinks they are treats - she will eat ice cream but does not prefer it over natural sweetness. I love watching a 2-year-old reaching for broccoli florets!

Things I remember - worth thinking about: when I was a kid, people didn't walk around in the street with food and drink. You had a meal at home or in a restaurant, but didn't carry food with you everywhere. Hence,"coffee breaks" - 10 or 15 minutes to have a cup of coffee, not keep a vat on your desk!

Smaller plates: the standard size for a dinner plate used to be 9-10". I collect vintage dinnerware, and using those old plates for my 1PD meals is a real treat - plenty of food on the plate! Now most dinner plates are 12" or more.

More isn't better; more is just more. Isn't it amazing how the diet shows you how little food will actually nourish you, without stuffing you to the gills?? :pig:

[cyberella]

mama, bronwyn & mrs.peel U R SOOOO VERY RIGHT!!!!!
as i'm european and not so badly contaminated with junk food i salute u!!!!!!!
the first mc donalds opened some 20 years ago and my father invited us there as a treat after sunday-church...
wow! was he ****ed off about the junk that was served there!!! u'd crack up laughing if i could find translations 4 his describtions of the "food", "not worth 2 b called food"...

u r so very right about the junk food section and if people didnt use their brains so far, at least after "supersize me" everybody should know!!!
but the ones who dont want 2 change will reap what they sow!

but one thing is not always right:
my first son by the age of 17 has been raised in a very health-orientated invironment, yet now that he reached a certain autonomy he is eating all the things that r bad!
coke is "forbidden" (xept when theres a familyparty and there is coke served)
- he buys it secretly with his weekly allowance aso...
at present iz quite hard 2 talk sense in2 him and i'm very xhausted from all the fighting by now.
he'll come 2 his senses hopefully b4 being diabetic! :sadeyes:

but anyhow!! i'll do my best again with elias-leon.
he is raised on the best food one can buy- no refined sugar only alternatives in organically grown quality aso. (the only prob is that he's a bit of a sweet-tooth- if he eaz at all..)

but i'm sure in the long run even adolesence cant spoil a good role model-
funny enough- once u cut an apple 2 a child its not half as intersting as when u eat it in front of your kid- they take almost all of yours!!! :jumping2:

[Bronwyn]

So true Cyberella... And I know that as he gets older he will begin to make his own choices, but I figure giving him a good solid base, even if he splits away when he's a teen or in his 20's, he'll come back around to healthy eating. It is hard when junk is EVERYWHERE!!! I didn't realize your oldest is 17?!? Do you just have the two kids?

Mrs. Peel, you raise some very fine points as well! You are SO RIGHT about the dinner plates. I've been eating on smaller plates for a while (a weight watchers trick too as I was part of that program for a while). Another thing is when you eat out... I ask for a smaller plate on the side when they bring me my dinner so I can portion out my food and either take the rest home for later or let it waste. Portions at restaurants have gotten so out of hand it's ridiculous!!!

[cyberella]

ya, bronwyn,
i have 2 kiz from 2 fathers with an age-difference of 15 years...
as hard as it was raising the first -he has a slight mental problem- thaz how easy it is now raising a healthy "normal" child...
god, i'm so blessed!!- :innocent3:
i didnt know how simple it could b having a child!!!!:jumping2:and having been all by myself didnt make things easier 4 raphael and myself..
again, i raise a child on my own, but this time the father is at least interested and loves his son- also a big difference... (eventhough he doesnt make MY life easier...:thinking:)

anyway, yes, i have only 2 kids, but as my friend always says: i've got 4 kiz, and so do u-- raphael is at least as much effort and stress as my whole bunch... so, emotionally i have 5 kiz.

(when he was on camp once and stayed there 4 the whole summer holidays i lost somewhat 6 kg => (diet-"less") so i think thaz where my stress-frustration-eating comes from as well)

[BarbieGRRRL]

You are all so welcoming and WARM! Thank you for all the kind words and encouragement. I don't get to get on this forum as often as I would like, but when I do... well, I am constantly amazed at the friendly comments and support. :embarrassment:

My husband is being encouranging and has told me that I "look like I have lost weight because your face looks skinny". I always lose weight in my face and chest first. He keeps trying to get me on a scale and I keep telling him that the rules say I CAN'T. I'm a BIG rule follower and this really bugs him. I wouldn't be surprised to find myself waking up standing on a scale one night just becasue he carried me in to see if I had really lost weight! He did Atkins a few years ago and it worked great for him... but now he's gained it all back and then some. He won't do this with me because he refuses to weigh his food. Maybe after he sees my final results! :thinking:

I love reading that many of you have children as well. Mine are 7 and 10... and LOVE helping me prepare my meals. They are really intrigued by the scale. It's become a little math lesson lately. "If Mommy already has 23 grams of veggies on the scale, and is allowed 110, how many more grams of veggies can Mommy have?" The most fun they have had is comparing the same amount of grams of different veggies. "WOW Mom, you get a whole lot more diced scallions or spinach leaves than cauliflower!" They also get on me if I put even one gram more than I am allowed on the scale. They take great joy in removing the offending gram. :)

Does anyone ever feel like they have TOO MUCH to eat on this plan? I have found that for several meals now that is has become an effort to finish my meal. Yesterday I was too tired for lunch, but forced myself to get up and make a portobella pizza. They told us NOT to skip meals... and that was the quickest thing I could think of. I am also losing my taste for soda. Before I started this, I was already in the process of weaning myself off caffeinated drinks and on to caffeine free. Now I find that even that tastes strange. Guess I need to start posting in the "Support" forum and leave this intro one... see you all there!

Thansk everyone for helping me through this first week! I didn't lick a spoon once! I even managed to take my kids out for a frozen yogurt treat and NOT get myself anything. I brought a bottle of water in and drank while they spooned their yummy treat! And no, Megsy, I NEVER got down on all fours under the dinner table. I wanted to the night I made mashed potatoes... but it never happened. :)

Celebrating my first week and having my husband telling me my face looks skinny...

[Shasha]

{hi} there Everyone

It is so good to see you are all learning healthier lifestyles and encouraging each other {grouphug1}... remember, ultimately you need to change your lifestyle to a more healthier one... junk food is certainly not good for anyone... once you close that door, you should just refuse to ever open it again.

I'm thrilled to hear how you are teaching your little ones to eat healthy food. {goodjob} I had to laugh the first time I heard my nephew referring to his broccoli as his ''little tree's'' ~ I thought you would enjoy that!

Mrs Peel is so right... society is wanting to teach us that we need more and more - when in fact we don't!

I believe the main driving reason for this is so they can make more money selling us more ''food'' than we need etc.

We don't need sugar or refined fatty foods. Human beings lived without this for centuries and they did not have the same problems with diabetes and obesity that we are facing today.

Mama - of course you may use this... I don't think they (Ronald and the gang) will like it, but then again, we don't like the effect their food is having on the lives of those around us. You can use the pic's as well...


{goodjob} and way to go girls!!!

[MrsPeel]

BarbieGRRRL, I read your latest post with much interest. Here's a word of support to share with your husband:
MrPeel and I both did the Atkins diet many years ago, and yes, we had great, fast results. And, yes, we both gained it all back and then some! I had the added unpleasantness of it unbalancing my kidneys and urinary tract owing to the high amount of protein I had to eat.
Now we're both doing 1PD, and MrPeel is down over 20 lbs. after 5+ weeks, and he completely normalized his blood pressure with diet alone! He was on medication for it and now is off it - to our great relief! Both of us cook on the diet and weighing out food has become second nature. Tell your hubby not to make that the sticking point - the rewards are so great. :)

I wanted to add that I, too, had a few meals I pushed myself to finish initially, but that has faded as I head into my 10th week - keep up the good work! We're all rooting for you! :jumping2:

[BarbieGRRRL]

MrsPeel...
Thank you! I think my hubby is waiting to see if this works for me before he'll actually commit. He is an attorney with VERY hectic hours and he eats out with clients A LOT! He's 6'6" and over 270 lbs. Very much a Meat & Potato kind of man. What I am doing is "sneaking" in healthier foods for him while I am on my new Personal Eating Adjustment plan. I made a chicken curry the other night and snuck in a sauce made out of "My" ingredients instead of the one I normally make with cream. I thickened mine with pureed cauliflower. He didn't notice the difference. I served it over brown rice for him instead of white. Again, no notice. I even gave him some of "My" crackers on the side instead of making naan. I think he'll eat a little healthier at home now just because I am cooking SOMETHING every night. We haven't been out to eat since I started last week. :applause:

I think once I get to weigh myself and can SEE the amount that I am losing... and show him... then he'll join me. He has high cholesterol and I have been trying to cook better for him for a few years now... but men are just so stubborn! He is training for an open swim in Maui in 2009, so perhaps I can lose my goal and then convince him how much EASIER it will be to swim across the Maui channel if he weighs less! :rolling2: Besides, when I lose these "extra" pounds and fit into the TWO brand new bikinis I bought as incentive, he's going to HAVE to lose weight to keep up with me in Hawaii! {lol}

Staring at my new bikinis and dreaming of Maui...

BarbieGRRRL

[GailStout]

BarbieGRRL -- Good for you for buying INCENTIVE clothes... I can tell you from experience that your husband WILL lose weight while YOU are on the diet (mine lost 40 pounds, simply because I did what you're doing...making things the "1PD" way). We, like you, never went out to restaurants while I was on the diet, and he found that after awhile (and he started losing weight) that fast food and restaurant food lost its appeal! How weird was it to have my husband the junk food king enter a McDonald's and say "what IS that horrible plastic smell?" and then realize he was smelling the FOOD!?!?!

When you're eating well with fresh foods and fresh herbs, then processed foods and fast foods just begin to be what they are: PRETEND FOOD, with NO value!

I have decided, now that I'm a "1PD graduate" that IF I'm going to eat at a restaurant, it's gonna be a FABLUOUS restaurant, and IF I'm going to have a dessert, it had better be a five-star dessert!

You're absolutely correct that your husband will HAVE to lose weight to keep up with you!!!

WELL DONE, and KEEP GOING!
Gail

[Shasha]

{hi} there BarbieGRRRL

You know the way they say: Actions speak louder than words!!! So, well done to you for sneaking the healthy foods into your hubby's eating plan! :love5: That is so very well done!!! So, don't be surprised if he starts loosing weight becuase of these little changes. I do know that your GREAT EXAMPLE is what is going to convince him to loose weight!

I :love: the that fact that you have bought 2 bikini's that you are STARING at and that you are DREAMING of Maui... This shows you have vision and goals. The fact that you are on diet means that your actions are supporting your desire to achieve these goals! I'm so very proud of you! WELL DONE!!! {cheerleader}

[mama]

BarbieGRRRL - thanks for all these intereting postings.
I love your idea of involving the kids in calculating the weights. I wil start doing it with my 8 year old - she is going to love it!
I've also found that I lost interest in soda while being on this program (I've been on it for 5 weeks). I got almost addicted to Diet Coke and decided to cut back on it 2-3 years ago but I was still craving it badly. When I started with this program I decided to treat myself with one Diet Coke a day but I had to throw away the 2 or 3 sodas that I bought because I could not drink more that 1 or 2 sips...

By the way, we also stopped eating out - I even had a posting on how much money we are saving by not eating out while I am on this program...

[GailStout]

Hey Sasha, BarbieGRRL and Mama -- I have a diet soda question: Is there any difference between Diet Coke with Splenda, Diet Coke without caffeine, and plain old diet Coke as far as your progress on the diet? I have a couple of friends who are mid-1PD asking that question, and one is asking about SALT content and what choice they should make when they DO drink soda?

Personally, I couldn't drink it while I was on, so have nothing to tell them?

[BarbieGRRRL]

I think that's a Sasha question!

I haven't seen anything specified in my reading. I remember reading somewhere that Coke Zero was okay... I think it's a matter of personal taste and may not even matter to the diet? I would think the lower sodium one would be preferred? I personally am trying to quit caffeine altogeter (at least in carbonated forms!). I've been doing that for the past few months - weaning myself off the caffeine drinks to the caffein free - then finally off all of them (soon, I PROMISE!). I've never been a coffee drinker and that caffeine pick-me-up in the a.m. has to come form SOMEWHERE! :)

Sasha, oh queen of the questions and answers...? What's the rule? :cop:

BTW all... I am sitting in my desk chair at work gnashing my teeth. Someone is leaving their job and there is a going-away party and CAKE {bdaycake} in the conference room! Just knowing that all that sugar is out there beckoning me is HARD! Quick! Sit on my hands! No! Then I can't type to y'all... got it! Take off my shoes! That's it! I CAN'T walk into the conference room without shoes. Then everyone would see that I need a pedicure! Problem solved. Crisis diverted. :rolling2:

The walls are whispering SUGAR..... SUGAR..... SUGAR.... I think I'll take the LONG way out of the building!

[GailStout]

Actually, the "work party" thing was the ONLY time I ever drank diet pop -- it was my get-through-it-at-all-costs go-to item. And there was always a stick of gum in the bottom of my purse somewhere as a LAST resort (I HATE gum :-)...

(The best was the champagne glass filled with diet ginger ale which I carried around at one such event...acting sloshed and being able to remember EVERYTHING the next morning ;-)

With hope, Sasha or ANY moderator will have an answer on sodium levels and diet soda!

:-) Keep sittin' on those hands! :-)

[Shasha]

{rofl} BarbieGRRRL :applause: GREAT FAST THINKING!!!

A girl's gotto do what a girl's gotto do... {rofl} and you are doing it so very well!!!

When faced with cake, always remember the following:


A MINUTE ON THE LIPS...
... A LIFE TIME ON THE HIPS... {scream}

About for diet soda, I can only comment on what Dr Cohen says in your New Customer Guide on page 17:

You MAY have up to 1 liter / 34 Oz of diet soda drink per day from any of the following beverages:
CLUB SODA (no flavor)
DIET COKE / DIET PEPSI
DIET FANTA/ORANGE
DIET SPRITE / SPRITE ZERO

The above diet soda drinks were tested successfully on our program. Other diet brands were found not to be suitable for the program.

No other beverages are to be consumed except those specifically mentioned in your New Customer Guide.

So, the verdict is if you do not wish to have diet soda, you don't need to, you may drink only tea and coffee or if you like, plain water. If however you want to bring in the diet soda, your maximum is 1 liter per day.

On a personal note I say to myself: yes, it is artificial, and how good can it be? But, there are worse things than having a glass of diet lemonade or diet cola. Moderation is again the BIG KEY and Dr Cohen says that for those who want to use diet soda, it is okay to have up to 1 liter per day.

Suggestion: if you don't want to drink diet soda, you may make iced coffee.

Always remember: water is the most natural drink on earth - if you are thirsty, chances are you need water... save the other beverages for something to enjoy.


HAPPY SLIMMING EVERYONE!!!

[cyberella]

hey, girrrls!!!
2 diet-soda or not 2 diet-soda?
as we only get 2 buy diet and "zero"-coke around my "area", i'm decided quite quickly in what 2 take- yet....
... it makx me sick 2 my stomach.

i dont want 2 stress the aspartame-story again, as i did that in another thread already, but at one stage of desperation, as i never came close 2 that feeling of "havin 2 much food 2 finish" :drool: :confused:, i wanted 2 "fill" the emptyness btween my meals with sparkling joy...:party7:
bruhahar.. i actually got belly-cramps from my diet-coke :sick: and decided 2 stick with another cup of boring herbal-tea...

[jaynestart]

hey, girrrls!!!
2 diet-soda or not 2 diet-soda?
as we only get 2 buy diet and "zero"-coke around my "area", i'm decided quite quickly in what 2 take- yet....
... it makx me sick 2 my stomach.

i dont want 2 stress the aspartame-story again, as i did that in another thread already, but at one stage of desperation, as i never came close 2 that feeling of "havin 2 much food 2 finish" :drool: :confused:, i wanted 2 "fill" the emptyness btween my meals with sparkling joy...:party7:
bruhahar.. i actually got belly-cramps from my diet-coke :sick: and decided 2 stick with another cup of boring herbal-tea...

Welcome BarbieGrrl,

Just remember - you know exactly what that cake tastes like, so you wont really miss having a piece!!
I have a question. Everyone keeps saying they are so full, cant finish their meals etc. Today is the end of week 4 for me and I am continually STARVING!! Help! I am sticking to the plan and have lost 18.7 ibs but have been close to tears at times as I am so hungry. Any suggestions....??

[Bronwyn]

Hi Jayne,

Sorry to hear you're having a problem with hunger. Cyberella had a really hard time a couple of weeks ago and there were a lot of good responses/posts to her re: that problem. I think you can find that thread under the Support posts. What works best for me is choosing foods that have more volume as opposed to weight. In other words making a spinach salad with my veggie allowance is a LOT more filling than slicing tomatoes/cucumbers, etc. that weigh more. Do check that post by Cyberella as Shasha wrote a LOT of check points to go over to make sure you're doing everything on your part to help with the situation.

Hi Everyone else! Sorry I've been gone a week! Work was crazy this week and then spent two days in Palm Springs visiting my father in law. Good times, but busy. I've looked on you from time to time but didn't have time to post. Missed you!

Bronwyn

[cyberella]

hey, jayne-girl, :bighug:
can u feel how i hug and embrace u rite now?!!!!! {bighug}
i'm with u all the way, still hungry a lot- eventhough i'm allowed an egg-white more with my egg once a day..
but i'm vegetarian and there4 my meals r quite "light"-

i also know that constant hunger makx u wanna cry, esp. when one is feeling like starving 2 that xtent that the next meal leaves u still hungry..
(but iz our choice, we CAN eat if we choose 2! so many people in the world CAN'T-- never 4get that, please- as it helps a bit)

try 2 also get an additional egg-white (ask cohen) and use wheat-bran in your yoghurt...
i add it long b4 my meal, then they kind of soak and get some xtra volume so i can add water, my crushed rice-cake and fruit.
u can put your brans in any other food u like (just my version).

the consuls also told me not 2 overdo the tomato and onion as they have sugar and trigger insulin and make me even more hungry-

their order: eggs in the morning, fruit-allowance: mango only 120g, pawpaw only 140 and apple 180g, otherwise the sugar triggers hunger again-
iz a vicious circle {taz}- try 2 fight the hunger and it leaves u more hungry than b4-

take 2 vitamins, shasha would say- i do the same and it helps!!

and go 4 some diet-limo inbetween your meals (i'd suggest "zevia" as iz healthier than "diet-whatever" and has the same amount of cals).

mayb u should also try 2 learn playing the piano, go 2 a yoga-class (2 learn some self-control.. or a mantra: "i'm content, i'm content...") or go in2 your next clinic, hand them your eating plan so they feed u with a stomach tube every 5 hours and ask 4 an artificial coma (or at least an induced sleep)-
at least thaz what i'm gonna go 4 soon!!!!!!! :eyebrow:

[jaynestart]

hey, jayne-girl, :bighug:
can u feel how i hug and embrace u rite now?!!!!! {bighug}
i'm with u all the way, still hungry a lot- eventhough i'm allowed an egg-white more with my egg once a day..
but i'm vegetarian and there4 my meals r quite "light"-

i also know that constant hunger makx u wanna cry, esp. when one is feeling like starving 2 that xtent that the next meal leaves u still hungry..
(but iz our choice, we CAN eat if we choose 2! so many people in the world CAN'T-- never 4get that, please- as it helps a bit)

try 2 also get an additional egg-white (ask cohen) and use wheat-bran in your yoghurt...
i add it long b4 my meal, then they kind of soak and get some xtra volume so i can add water, my crushed rice-cake and fruit.
u can put your brans in any other food u like (just my version).

the consuls also told me not 2 overdo the tomato and onion as they have sugar and trigger insulin and make me even more hungry-

their order: eggs in the morning, fruit-allowance: mango only 120g, pawpaw only 140 and apple 180g, otherwise the sugar triggers hunger again-
iz a vicious circle {taz}- try 2 fight the hunger and it leaves u more hungry than b4-

take 2 vitamins, shasha would say- i do the same and it helps!!

and go 4 some diet-limo inbetween your meals (i'd suggest "zevia" as iz healthier than "diet-whatever" and has the same amount of cals).

mayb u should also try 2 learn piano, go 2 a yoga-class (2 learn some self-control.. or a mantra: "i'm content, i'm content...") or go in2 your next clinic, hand them your eating plan so they feed u with a stomach tube every 5 hours and ask 4 an artificial coma-
at least thaz what i'm gonna go 4 soon!!!!!!! :eyebrow:


Cyberella - You are too funny!! An induced coma or having my jaw wired have entered my thought pattern during the course of this new lifestyle! Thank you Bronwyn for your suggestions - I did go back and re read the posts re Cyberellas hunger. I have been reading all the posts daily but havent been in the right frame of mind to add anything because I am so hungry (and everyone else seems to be cruising). I dont eat the tomato at all as I would rather go for more volume.. The only thing Im not doing is the extra Vitamin at lunchtime, so todays the day!! Cyberella, please stop beating yourself up over the extra egg-white!! Youre a vegetarian and I can assure you no one is annoyed that you your eating plan is a little different from the rest of us!
Megsy, I am dying to try the Mango curry recipe your husband devised, just having a little trouble getting hold of a ripe mango in Northern Ontario in the midst of Winter!!LOL
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all the posts over the last weeks and find the motivation everyone provides for each other incredible! What a special group of ladies (and gent - hello Mr.Peel!)
Thank you Cyber and Bronwyn for your positivity - Onward and Upward (or downward, which is the direction I want the scales to head!!)
Jayne

[Shasha]

{hi} there Janestart

I'm so sorry to hear that you are hungry! Here is a :bighug: for comfort!

Now that your 4 weeks are up, your consultant will probably ask you to go for a 4 week blood test. Perhaps this can shed some light on why you are feeling hungry?

For now, please don't have an apple, rather choose two other fruits from your allowance. Please avoid the yogurt and cheese options as these are the least filling meals.

Please take a second multi-vitamin each day at lunchtime. Very important: please insure that your daily multi-vitamin intake does not exceed 5 mg of Vitamin B6 as per your New Customer Guide. I believe this will help.

{congrats} on having lost 18.7 pounds!!! {cheerleader} WELL DONE!!!

PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!