It has been incredible how the weight is just kind of slipping of. I don't weigh. I am now wearing my size eight jeans which indicates I have lost somewhere in the vicinity of 25 lbs going by how much I weighed when I first bought them two years ago. And it's still coming off, inch by inch. Two weeks ago they couldn't be buttoned, Then a week ago they fit..now they legs are a little loose in places.

There is no secret. I have, except for one day(Mother's Day) kept my sugar intake to below 15g and I eat 5/6 servings of carbohydrates a day maximum. I am eating really high quality meals and lots of salad/soup/spinach. I am never hungry. In fact I rarely even think about food at all.

I now know how it works. I read a label, any more than 1g in a serving I don't buy it. I cook meals with no sugar, I drink water, tea and coffee in the morning. I use cream in my coffee instead of milk, I use full fat cheese and eat a lot of it. I simply don't feel as hungry.

I've also noticed a few other things. My menstrual cycle, which at my age was erratic and I blamed it on peri-menopause, has regulated. My mood has regulated and my pms symptoms have all but vanished.

But the greatest difference is not in my eating. It's in my attitude about eating. I feel like a normal eater. I don't obsess about food, I don't crave for sugar. There are chocolate chip cookies in the house. I won't have one and I really don't care or feel deprived.

It's time to ramp up the exercise now. The weather seems to be warming up nicely. So walking/running is on the agenda. Soon it will be dragon boat time too!

I hope to be down another size in a month. I will keep you posted.

Meanwhile, here is a tidbit.

Decide. That is the first step. That is the only step.





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My apologies for ignoring you! It's been crazy busy but all is well...I am down another few pounds, fitting a size ten and my life is happy!

I am on the radio tonight at 6pm EST discussing living a life that is in tune with the Chi. Take a moment and listen in or join blog talk radio and check out the chat! You can call in to the show as well at





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I have this on audio book. I know it's not for everyone but I think whatever speaks to you and works for you is what you should do. This lady's story is pretty inspirational. Take a look at her video! She's lost 180lbs!

CLICK HERE



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This question was asked of me a few days ago. It took me a moment to answer because, it's so far off my radar. How normal it's become to eat this way. I just don't eat sugar of any kind except for a bit of hot chocolate and the occasional glass of red wine. I noticed today that my belt..which I was so excited to buckle in the fifth and final position..is actually about two inches past that point.

Things have been so incredibly positive in my life lately and the lesson I've learned is that, you don't lose weight to be happy but that the opposite is true. I'm writing, I've published my first book and the second is due out in August. I'm working on a second novel, I've outlined a third. I have become involved as a leader on a huge women's personal growth website that is being launched in the next few weeks and the television reporter thing is going well.

Oh and I'm producing and co-hosting a radio show for artists that will be launched.

I've got a healthy and happy family and my inlaws are visiting. Now I know what you are thinking but that's a good thing. My father in law painted the entire main floor of the house that I would have had to finish and mother in law is taking over the spring cleaning..which means I have time to do all these wonderful things that are being sent to me.

Oh and I scored financing for a refrigerator for my kids' school's nutrition program!

I've had to give up a few things to make time for it all but letting go is a part of life. When things are done, they are.

Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure I've lost more weight. I don't step on scales so I don't know. I feel great and my size ten jeans fit...one more size down and I will fit all my current clothes and that should be around 35 lbs(guessing).

Happy days everybody!

Remember this affirmation: Happiness brings success, not the other way around!



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Today I celebrate a very happy milestone. I've lost twenty pounds after keeping my sugar level below 15g a day for two and a half months. My jeans are very loose, which sort of weirds me out because I was quite comfortable in the size I was in those jeans and now I'm seeing the possibility that I may end up even smaller than that.

I haven't been exercising much, this is entirely diet related. I have not journaled, I have not dieted, I have not written things down, I've simply eaten sugar free for the most part and counted the grams when I ate anything containing sugar, being very careful to keep it under 15g. I also watch my carbohydrate intake but not terribly strictly...I don't count carbohydrates, I'm just aware.

I feel GREAT. There is no obsession with anything. I don't crave anything. I eat dark 86% organic chocolate almost every day and I enjoy a glass of red wine occasionally. I had a Guinness last night and was still below the daily recommended intake.

So I am carrying on..I can't imagine NOT eating this way forever. It feels so good and it's so easy. I haven't given up sugar, I'm just putting it in its place and keeping it to a minimum.

I'm having a nice big spinach salad and a pizza for dinner...poor deprived me!

Sorry I've been absent, I finished my novel which is at the publishers. It was a crazy busy time for me but it's all done. The release date is August 1, 2010.

Here is the FACEBOOK page about it.



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All of my well laid out plans fell apart this morning. I went to the gym and after my workout was starving. I discovered however that I'm out of eggs. My daughter had some cheddar popcorn and that became my breakfast.

So what? I was starving and I ate. I will make a trip to the farm later and pick up some eggs and have my omelet for dinner.

Things are generally going well. Life has been so incredibly crazy and happily busy and now a lull has appeared and I'm going to make the most of it. I knew it would come and it's my opportunity to take care of myself by heading to the gym, preparing healthier food(though I have been managing to eat well in spite of the crazy business) but what I haven't been doing is writing though I did finish my creative writing course. I received great feedback from the mentor about my writing, many positive things and for that I'm grateful. Perhaps there is a smidgen of talent to accompany the joy writing brings me.

I have kept my sugar intake below 15g per day for over 7 weeks now. It's easier than ever but I am noticing the same cravings for bread-like carbohydrates during the premenstrual portion of my cycle though they are less intense and overwhelming. I've decided to honour them with a plain/sugar free bread and tea biscuit occasionally. I am a firm believer that your body speaks to you and you need to listen. If it's screaming there is something wrong..but a gentle whisper is a need wishing to be fulfilled. I'm listening.

For anyone interested in hearing my radio interview there is a player on the sidebar of this blog. It's about fulfilling your dreams and purpose and I would love some feedback as to how you felt I did as a guest.

I would also love some feedback as to how everyone is doing with regard to their food issues.

Take care


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Goodness I've neglected you all for so long! Just an update...at 6 weeks I'm down 13.6 lbs! I have not been exercising enough..the difference is only that I've cut my sugar down to 15g or less a day.

I feel GREAT! I feel like I could do this forever.

Today I had a 3egg omelette for breakfast with sliced mushrooms, onion, and then some romano cheese and I didn't get hungry again until 3pm. For dinner I had a potato-lentil soup and I had a piece of dark chocolate and 8 crackers and old cheddar cheese for lunch. I KNOW I ate something else but can't remember what it was.

I just don't get hungry like I used to. And I don't feel deprived. I had my book launch party which included a huge cake and someone brought me a piece. I sampled it and it wasn't all that appetizing though I did sample some frosting later on!

I didn't have any health problems prior to this but I feel so level, so balanced that it has to be something affecting my hormones, keeping me from rising and falling.

Usually it was around the 6 week mark I'd start to slip on any diet I attempted. Today i was shocked to find it was the 6th week and I'd lost 2.6 lbs this week. So on I go, hopefully to carry on this way forever until I'm at a weight that is healthy.

One thing I can't say is if this is working because I'm ready for it or if it is physiological but it's certainly going well.

Breeze




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Today was assessment day at the gym! In a little under 4 weeks I'm down just over ten pounds and have lost eleven inches including two off my waist!

So sugar-free is the way to go!

The best thing is how simple it's been. It's simple not because I cut my sugar intake down to less than 15g per day but because once you do that the cravings go away so it's no longer a battle.

There is no calorie counting, no special meals, nothing except an awareness of where the sugar is(it is often very hidden) and some planning for your meals.

And there was no exercise as I've injured my foot.

I've been watching videos and reading reports from the experts and it turns out that sugar is toxic in large amounts. Not just the "good" sugar but all sugar including that in fruit. Your body doesn't know the difference. So you can have sugar but you must moderate the intake.

I feel fantastic, I definitely see a difference in how I look and I feel like I could live this way forever! I'm not saying I'll never eat cake but I know I won't eat it today.

So I'm in for another 4 weeks. Let's see how it all goes!

Breeze



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Today I weighed. Yes, for the first time in years I've been getting weighed. I asked the lady at the gym to record my weight loss, not my actual weight for me as I follow the belly fat cure. It will be two weeks tomorrow since I reduced my sugar intake to less than 15g per day. As of this morning I was down 6.4 lbs in 12 days. I'm very surprised. I feel like I'm eating huge helpings of very satisfying and healthy meals.

It took a little while to get the idea that I can have whole-fat foods, high fat and tasty cheese along with delicious vegetables and fruits. My dinner was so delicious the other day I took a picture!

I'm also treating myself to a little chocolate and red wine every day. I am not deprived. The first week I worked out every day, this week not at all because I've been so busy. I will walk on a treadmill at the gym tomorrow.

I like not writing things down, not counting calories, not weighing or measuring anything and eating real food, not prepackaged stuff. I also found some stevia sweetened drinks for a treat occasionally.

It's been remarkably easy and the cravings for sugary treats seem to have disappeared at least for now. I guess the test is the staying power. Will I be able to do this long term. The interesting thing is that I have no desire to end this way of eating. There is no hunger, craving or other reason to do so. I wonder how long it will go before I hit a plateau, that will be the true test of this "cure."

Anyway..I'll keep you all posted after my weekly weigh-ins!




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I had a great day, and an odd day. I started with my 3 egg omelet with the handful of veggies as usual. It was more brunch than breakfast today because I slept late.

Then I snacked on whole wheat crackers/cheese and a handful of cashews.

I've not been hungry. I am not craving sugar. I've been very careful and my sugar intake for the day is about 2g and that's entirely from vegetables. This is good.

What's odd is how I'm not craving snacks. No hunger pangs between meals whatsoever. Nothing. Do carbohydrates make you hungry? No, that's not quite the right question. Does sugar make you hungry? Does it make you crave more food? That's the premise of the plan, that sugars spike your insulin and it's the insulin that causes the cravings and hunger. Cut out the sugar, problem solved. It's interesting for sure.

Here's another interesting thing. I am a day or two away from my period. This is the time when I generally go all carbaholic but so far, nothing. It's not here yet and who knows if this is a diet related thing but so far I'm pretty well balanced considering.

So here is what my day looks like foodwise.

Breakfast: 3 egg omelette with bit of milk, handful of veggies, generous sprinkle of romano cheese, coffee and then green tea.

Snack/lunch: 8 WW crackers with mozzarella cheese and handful of cashews

Dinner: Black bean veggie burger(no bun)with guacamole, cheese, salsa and sour cream, salad with Italian dressing and steamed broccoli

Snacks: nuts/cheese/popcorn(not all of them, just whatever strikes my fancy.

It does not look like a lot of food. I'm not sure of the calorie count but with guacamole/olive oil etc. I'm sure it's not particularly low.

I'm curious to know if I can sustain this...that's the most important thing.

I've gone to the gym as well(every day this week for minimum 30mins) and I've chopped all my veggies for the next couple of days.

Here is the Black Bean Burger recipe and I highly recommend it. I keep some frozen at all times. It's fantastic! I substitute the bread crumbs with ww cracker crumbs(less sugar) and I chopped the veggies today(food processor broke) and I found they were not as moist so I needed fewer crumbs. They'd be easy to make gluten-free.

Is anyone else giving the Belly Fat Cure a go? I'd love to hear from you! Oh and check out this blog.



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I have been interested in the theory behind The Belly Fat Cure. I've come to the conclusion that I agree with Jorge Cruise. I don't like it but the fact is. We eat too much sugar. And I'm not just talking about refined sugar, but sugar in general. We simply eat too much. End of story.

The idea behind this program is to limit your sugar intake(all sugars, not just refined) to below 15g per day and your healthy carbohydrates(breads/grains/potatoes) to 6 servings. I was just talking to a friend whose sugars were high this morning. She had a very sensible breakfast, most would think, including her doctor. Oatmeal with splenda and milk, an orange, cup of tea. Sounds reasonable right? Very sensible.

However, the orange itself has 9 g of sugar and if there was milk in the oatmeal, even more sugar. And they are learning that sweeteners cause a spike in insulin even without the calories so right there, we have more than half the recommended daily consumption of sugar.

I had a different breakfast. I ate 3 eggs with a tiny bit of milk, salt and pepper. I fried it in some extra virgin olive oil with a large handful of veggies(broccoli, mushrooms, green onion, peppers, etc.all dry, all prepared before hand) and I sprinkled it generously with grated Romano cheese. This was very filling, less than 1g of sugar(from the milk) and super healthy and easy.

Lunch for me will be a salad with lettuce(already torn), another handful of the same veggies, some more shredded cheese(maybe a different kind)a oily dressing(no sugar) and I'll drink two cups of green tea.

Dinner will be a vegetarian Shepherd's pie made with veggies(carrots, onions, cabbage, lentils, etc.) covered with mashed potatoes and baked. I'll have this served on top of the same salad. Still 0 sugar, carbohydrate in the potatoes and lentils.

Snacks will be cheese and whole wheat crackers/microwave popcorn/handful of nuts..still no sugar.

At some point I'll have a small glass of red wine and some dark 85% chocolate. (2g sugar)

I've eaten this way for 5 days now. Those who know me know I don't weigh myself so I can't report weight loss. I can report looser pants, zero sugar cravings and increased energy.

This is MY plan. I am vegetarian..make your own shepherds pie recipe..as long as it's low in sugars. Meat has no sugar.

So I think I'm on the same page with this guy. I'm still debating whether it's a diet or not. It has some of the qualities that identify it as a diet but he calls the meal plans a guide. He says they can be personalize and he doesn't do the no-carb preaching that drives me insane. Good carbs in moderation are necessary for health and he agrees.


I agree with Jorge Cruise on one thing. I believe sugar is the problem. I believe that we crave the food we crave because we are fat, that we are not fat because we craved them. The more fat you have on your body the more difficult it is to give up the food we crave because our fat cells crave it.

He doesn't call this a diet. He calls it a cure. I won't disagree with his right to do so. He recommends not using the traditional sugar substitutes as they spike insulin levels just as sugar does thus leading to the cravings yet again. He recommends xyletol and stevia instead. I'm not sure where I stand on this. I wary about anything new so I'll investigate that further.

So here I am, kinda following the program, yet not really. I'm test the theory however I won't be doing anything beyond limiting sugar intake and carbohydrate intake. I will not follow the three meals a day, 2 snacks etc. but rather following my body's instinct as to what I will eat and when I will eat it.

I also won't be purchasing a lot of the products he recommends beyond what I already use.

I am now on day 4 and the cravings have stopped because the first three days are very difficult on a sugar purge. The reason I'm following it my way is because my goal is health rather than weight loss so I am unconcerned about the results at the scale.

I am concerned about how I feel so my diet has returned to one rich in natural whole foods, sugar lower than 15g per day and whole rich carbohydrates.

Anyone who decides to follow along is welcome to. I'm hoping to update daily, post my recipes etc.


If you need more structure the book does lay out some pretty set guidelines and I won't recommend against its purchase simply because it has enough redeeming qualities to make up for the "meal plans." I believe the science is strong and I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. This is the closest I've come to recommending a "weight loss program" in a while.

But, remember, nothing works unless you've worked on your mind. You can change the way you eat but if your stubborn mind brings you back to the cakes and cookies because your eating is disordered then you will revolt against the change required for your health.

Keep the hypnosis, EFT and whatever support you need for your mind. And when you are ready check out the belly fat cure. See if it works for you. And please, check out the link below.

And keep exercising. Weight loss can be achieved without it but optimal health cannot.

Here is a video that might motivate you to give this a try.

Video


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I spend a lot of time reviewing programs online about weight loss and most of them I ignore.

This program, The Belly Fat Cure, has intrigued me. I believe in the actual premise of it though as usual it does nothing to help those of us who have disordered eating however the more I see the more I agree that what he's promoting is a healthy way of eating that probably would help us get rid of the belly fat.

I've also been looking into the "belly fat" idea because I didn't believe that you could lose weight in "spots" like the belly. But when I researched what I discovered is that the belly fat that they talk about is not the inch(or 5) that you can pinch but fat behind the rib cage and muscles of the abdomen surrounding the organs. This is the fat that is not good for health and this is the fat that makes your belly potrude even if you don't have an inch to pinch and is dangerous to health.

I am on a mission now to remove the sugar from my diet that always creeps in at Christmas and remove the few pounds I gained and the first thing I do is remove sugar from my diet.

I won't be purchasing the book but I may borrow it from the library and review it here at some point. It has some interesting science inside that I would like to explore further as well.

I do think that removing sugar from the diet is ideal for health, particularly the refined stuff but he goes further and limits all sugar to 15g per day.

If anyone has read his book I would like your feedback on it.

Meanwhile here is a video from Cruise's webite for you to view.

Belly Fat Cure Website and Video





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