STEPS TO PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS

Hello dear Readers!

Thursday is Valentine's Day!



If you are local, I am planning a special Raw Valentine's Meal at Arnold's Way Raw Vegetarian Cafe' (www.arnoldsway.com) in Lansdale, PA on Thursday, February 14th.  My special raw meal will be available regular cafe' hours for lunch, early dinner, or to go.  The menu will be "chef's choice" so you will just have to come in on Thursday to experience my raw "Love"!  Everyone welcome!  Call the store on Thursday for more details after 10a.m. 215-361-0116.

I had a good day today.  Not a raw day.  But a good day!  

By the end of today I should have walked 5,000 steps, a VAST improvement over the last sedentary weeks.

Wearing a step-o-meter is so motivating!!!!  Highly recommended!

On this snowy morning, Cliff and I felt like hot oatmeal for breakfast, we were so chilled.  With organic raisins, cut up apple and banana, it didn't even need sweetener.  So good!


We had warming soy milk hot chocolates from Starbucks mid morning.  A yummers treat!  

Later, we enjoyed lunch at South Street Souvlaki.  

The "Vegetarian Vegetable Platter" - a sampling of many different Greek veggie dishes - pickled beets, stewed string beans, lima beans, cooked potato, Dolmades and Spanikopita - is a favorite.  We delighted in a delicious rice pudding for dessert.

Can healthy food really taste this delicious? www.SouthStreetSouvlaki.com

For a light dinner, a bowl of homemade vegan Lentil soup with tons of veggies in it hit the spot.  

I had a homemade veggie burger sans the bun....for dessert.  (Couldn't resist!)

Good news!  I've maintained the habit of avoiding processed Veggie Burgers and Veggie Meats since reading Never Be  Fat Again by Raymond Francis.



The sentiment of the book is very nice.  But I'm still very FAT!!!  I acknowledge the book did have a positive influence on me, but I was not able to adopt the diet and stick to it 100%.  However, I have made SOME positive changes, like seriously decreasing processed veggie meats, that have stuck, so I'm grateful to Raymond Francis.  

As I write, I see pictures of myself on this blog at varying weights, eating various diets.  Obviously, at the time, raw vegan worked the best.  For 3.5 years I maintained a 175 lb weight loss.  But I'm not there right now.   

On my very personal journey of obesity and binge eating and experimenting with varying food choices, I must just continually strive to just accept and love myself at whatever level of success I am at, at whatever weight I am at...  And just be...and do the very best I can for today.    

The veggie burgers I created tonight were a very nice vegan non-processed all homemade from scratch achievement.  I'll call them "Spicy Mumbai Oat Sunflower Almond, Bean and Brown Rice Veggie Burgers."  What a mouthful!

(And, mmm, they are quite a yummy mouthful!)  
I took the above aforementioned ingredients (Indian spices, oatmeal, almonds, beans, brown rice, lots of veggies), added cilantro and olive oil, and pulse chopped it all in the Food processor.  I formed into patties and baked.  Amazing!  SO GOOD!!  And they stick together firmly without egg.      



Perhaps I can get back to eating mostly raw.  And twice a day, as I was at the BLLC.

It was definitely excellent for my weight, but things unraveled with my discipline.  I became terribly dissillusioned and it's taken me some time to build up trust in myself again to move forward.

I am working my way back, feeling more balanced, motivated, and disciplined today, and I'm glad for it.

I hope in sharing my experience, my failures, my weaknesses, my victories, and in trying to pass along what worked and what didn't, something I've said or done will help another person struggling.  God knows we all need each other.  

And we need constant inspiration.  We never know just WHAT will light that fire and propel us forward.

We must just NEVER GIVE UP!

I ordered some Hypnosis DVDs from a Hypnotherapist I saw on Dr. Oz.  I was very impressed with Paul McKenna (www.PaulMckenna.com) on Dr. Oz's show.  McKenna teaches the habits of naturally thin people, and various techniques for achieving them, through suggestion.  The hypnosis DVDs and teachings are simple, but powerful.  There is a lot to learn, but as far as eating like a thin person, McKenna teaches something similar to Geneen Roth.  He says 70% of the people who follow his program succeed in changing their relationship to food.  He says, among other things:

1. Eat when you are hungry.
2. Eat what you want.
3. Savor your food.
4. When you are satisfied, stop.  

McKenna's and Geneen Roth's teachings of hunger/fullness to internally keep a check on ourselves by learning self control with food is a crucial message for success for me.  The more I check in with hunger/fullness, the better I do and the more empowered I feel, no matter what I'm eating.

I have also found that once we move away from certain foods (as I have with meat), we actually don't want them anymore.  "Eat what you want" doesn't have to be a frightening proposition.  It doesn't mean I have to go out and eat fried chicken tomorrow.

Speaking of chicken, I actually had some last week, for the first time in a LONG time.  I was at someone's home after a funeral and there was nothing vegetarian for me to eat.  I made the best choice I could, and chose the chicken.  I really paid attention.  Stunningly, I realized I actually LIKE the fake chick'n BETTER than real chicken.  I felt badly for a long time after for the little chicken I killed and I haven't had any meat since.  Because I don't want it.

Choosing what we want to eat is a funny thing.  It changes when we really pay attention and allow the things we've learned to truly change us.  

I also ordered some Richard Simmons exercise videos!

  

Sweatin' To the Oldies 5-DVD-set came with a special bonus motivational DVD.  The motivational DVD is SO good!  I cried through the ENTIRE thing.  It is SO incredibly moving, and, motivating!  In it, Richard introduces us to people who have successfully lost their excess weight and changed their eating habits.  He and they teach the "6 steps to improved self esteem and permanent weight loss."  These steps are, again, so simple, but so incredibly powerful in application.

Forgive me, but I could not recall number six!

1. Think Positive
2. Practice Patience
3. Forgive Yourself and Others
4. Have Faith
5. Let Go of the Past
6. .....

Never Give Up, perhaps?

I'll let you know once I go upstairs and check the DVD!

In trying to discover the sixth step (online without having to go upstairs), I serendipidously came across an awesome article on the same topic, permanent weight loss steps, from another source, not Richard Simmons, but from a Vermont Health Retreat, that really does a super job shining a spotlight on the mental steps and actions we must pass through BEFORE permanent change will ever synthesized.  This is an incredibly enlightening article!!!  DO READ!

http://www.fitwoman.com/support/fitbriefings/permanent-weight-loss/

So, God Bless....and Happy Valentine's Day!  Wishing you (and myself!)....lots of self love...and self acceptance...and continued success on our journeys with more in-control eating, ever healthier choices, and permanent weight loss!

xoxo michelle joy