• Following your guidelines I went from an obese 182lbs. to a healthy and fit 128 over the last year. It was easy, I feel satisfied with the kinds and amounts of foods I eat and I am very, very grateful to you.

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 1 week, 1 day ago

    In reply to: Margaret Foster posted an update Hi, After 14 months on the BSS plan I am deciding to redo the full 6 week advanced plan. Janine inspired me! I have returned to the advanced plan for a week or two, but not the […] View

    Hi Margaret, Funny we should connect back here after all this time! I’m glad to see you’re doing well, and my heart is with you as you undertake this adventure.

    I am still on the program in pretty much the original way–the only dairy I have is a little fresh, local goat cheese, no gluten or other grains except a little quinoa now. I like the…[Read more]

    • Hi Ann,Great to hear from you. Thanks for the encouragement. I too use quinoa without any problems. I can do without it for 6 weeks though. I am pleased to know you are doing so well. For many of us this eating style is very appealing for the long run.
      It is wonderful that you rid yourself of the unwanted weight: )
      Stay well, blessings, Margaret

  • When we go to San Diego we love eating at the small restaurant chain that Dr. Andrew Weil collaborates on, True Food Kitchen. It is a lovely, spacious place that has delicious anti-inflammatory, nutritious food […]

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 5 months, 1 week ago

    In reply to: anna zimmerman posted an update in the group Acid Reflux & Heartburn I’d like to check in with Margaret. Did you stop the acid blockers, was it last week? I haven’t been on here for a while and I’ve been sending […] View

    Hi Gigi and Regina,
    Gigi, I hope you’ve found some answers that are working for you, and Regina, it’s been so long I don’t remember the details. I worked with the nutrition coaches that are offered on this program. At the time it was about $20 per month to consult with them via email and I found it VERY helpful. I took Capryl, caprylic…[Read more]

  • anna zimmerman changed their profile picture 5 months, 1 week ago

  • anna zimmerman changed their profile picture 5 months, 1 week ago

  • anna zimmerman posted an update 7 months ago

    Okay, I’m back with a report. First, special thanks to Janine, Nicole and Margaret for the extra support.

    This morning when I got on the scale I was half a pound lighter, so it’s beginning to move back down again. I did a beach walk with my husband on Sunday, and we plan to do that every week now. It’s a bit of a long walk, and walking on…[Read more]

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 7 months ago

    In reply to: Carol Gawa posted an update in the group Diet & Nutrition I have just joined this community. I wish I could say that I’ve read the whole book but I haven’t. That is my #1 priority for reading now that mine has […] View

    Hi Margaret, great to see you still here! And thank you for sharing your experiences too.
    I am going back to paying more attention, and being here is part of that. I’ve skipped a day or two in my journal a few times in the last few weeks, so I’m recommitting to that too. And I’ll notice avocados and nuts and see if I may have increased and…[Read more]

    • Anna, you are so right about the toxin issue. I take certain meds and realize that as I shed body fat those chemicals are on the loose. For a lot of us our body probably takes a time out to process. Our bodies have a flow and wisdom all their own.
      Have fun on the beach!
      Blessings, Margaret

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 7 months ago

    In reply to: Carol Gawa posted an update in the group Diet & Nutrition I have just joined this community. I wish I could say that I’ve read the whole book but I haven’t. That is my #1 priority for reading now that mine has […] View

    That is sweet, thank you. I can’t believe I haven’t been here for so long. It’s really very helpful and I’m going to pay more attention to continuing to participate.

    Especially now, since, like Nicole, my scale hasn’t been cooperating lately either.
    Have a good evening everyone,
    Anna

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 7 months ago

    In reply to: Carol Gawa posted an update in the group Diet & Nutrition I have just joined this community. I wish I could say that I’ve read the whole book but I haven’t. That is my #1 priority for reading now that mine has […] View

    Thanks, I’ll give it a try.

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 7 months ago

    In reply to: Carol Gawa posted an update in the group Diet & Nutrition I have just joined this community. I wish I could say that I’ve read the whole book but I haven’t. That is my #1 priority for reading now that mine has […] View

    It’s soooo interesting to me, Janine, that you are so wise. Nobody needs to tell you nothin’! You’ve got it all. What a great distance you’ve come. Yay! Congratulations! It seems like a huge shift in consciousness. AZ

    • : )
      I so missed you!

      • That is sweet, thank you. I can’t believe I haven’t been here for so long. It’s really very helpful and I’m going to pay more attention to continuing to participate.

        Especially now, since, like Nicole, my scale hasn’t been cooperating lately either.
        Have a good evening everyone,
        Anna

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 7 months ago

    In reply to: Carol Gawa posted an update in the group Diet & Nutrition I have just joined this community. I wish I could say that I’ve read the whole book but I haven’t. That is my #1 priority for reading now that mine has […] View

    What are you two putting in those things?! I’ve not found a combination of ingredients that seem like any kind of indulgence to me. Recipes, please.

    • Anne -I think part of it is how long it’s been since you’ve had anything that resembles a shake. I never have drank milk and having any kind of milkshake made me ill. Though I lover egg nog sprinkled with nutmeg but gin it made me sick pretty quickly. But I have gown to like the ultra shake (recipe in book) made with vegetable protein ( vanilla…[Read more]

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 7 months ago

    In reply to: Carol Gawa posted an update in the group Diet & Nutrition I have just joined this community. I wish I could say that I’ve read the whole book but I haven’t. That is my #1 priority for reading now that mine has […] View

    You are so eloquent! Thank you for sharing yourself so generously. It is very supportive for me and I really appreciate it.

    I hate to admit that my husband has a little outdoor gym at our house with weight machines and he works out regularly. I’ve belonged to gyms before but it’s never been something that lines up for me, but because of you…[Read more]

    • Our attitudes change. I now look at my morning ultra shake with coconut milk and flax seed as a morning indulgence. Nicole

      • How right you are about the smoothie being an indulgence. I felt that way about my mango smoothies in the summer .

      • What are you two putting in those things?! I’ve not found a combination of ingredients that seem like any kind of indulgence to me. Recipes, please.

        • Anne -I think part of it is how long it’s been since you’ve had anything that resembles a shake. I never have drank milk and having any kind of milkshake made me ill. Though I lover egg nog sprinkled with nutmeg but gin it made me sick pretty quickly. But I have gown to like the ultra shake (recipe in book) made with vegetable protein ( vanilla…[Read more]

    • You are so right about “indulgences”, or in our cases, more accurately as you pointed out “poisons”. Yes, there are poisons that each of us are unwilling to give up entirely. I will defend myself by saying that despite my love of all things pumpkin, I enjoy a ripe pear with as much relish these days!
      If you consider that earlier in the…[Read more]

      • You will get there. I’m just a few pounds shy of getting I out of the overweight category into the politically correct range for my height but the scale sure isn’t cooperating. I’ve been hovering around 160-161 since Sept 30.Scale should decide to o something soon.Nicole

        • Wow. Being in ”normal” on the scale is a huge deal. I am looking forward to getting there. Those pesky scales don’t cooperate as rapidly as we would prefer!

    • I actually think of the things I used to love as drugs, which they were and are. I was a first-rate sugar addict whose hits needed to be gargantuan by the time I knew I was in trouble.
      If I had been an alcoholic, I would have been drunk all the time!
      I admit I let pumpkin bread back into my life, but I try extremely hard to control my portion…[Read more]

    • Can’t help but think I have just given a litany of ”excuses”. Still room to learn.

      • It’s soooo interesting to me, Janine, that you are so wise. Nobody needs to tell you nothin’! You’ve got it all. What a great distance you’ve come. Yay! Congratulations! It seems like a huge shift in consciousness. AZ

        • : )
          I so missed you!

          • That is sweet, thank you. I can’t believe I haven’t been here for so long. It’s really very helpful and I’m going to pay more attention to continuing to participate.

            Especially now, since, like Nicole, my scale hasn’t been cooperating lately either.
            Have a good evening everyone,
            Anna

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 7 months, 1 week ago

    In reply to: Carol Gawa posted an update in the group Diet & Nutrition I have just joined this community. I wish I could say that I’ve read the whole book but I haven’t. That is my #1 priority for reading now that mine has […] View

    Wow, Janine, so much great stuff in here I don’t know where to start. How about w/flabby areas?! I was thinking I should ask you about that, you must be reading my mind. How great that you’re enjoying all the working out. Is it tightening up the flab? I’ve read that keeping at huge amounts of dark leafy greens helps too. I don’t have any…[Read more]

    • Hi, Anna,
      It is great that we can all learn from one another’s victories, mistakes, and ongoing battles. I know pumpkin bread is a processed food containing both gluten and, yes, SUGAR, but it is something I adore and I am trying very, very, very hard to learn how to enjoy a food I love in the proper portion and without expectation or…[Read more]

      • BTW, when I say “normal” I know people will think I believe our current healthy eating is not “normal”, which is not the case. I just mean that within the parameters of our healthy lifelstyles, we each have a food from the past that we want to continue to enjoy in small quantities. Some might want a glass of wine or a tiny portion of a…[Read more]

        • You are so eloquent! Thank you for sharing yourself so generously. It is very supportive for me and I really appreciate it.

          I hate to admit that my husband has a little outdoor gym at our house with weight machines and he works out regularly. I’ve belonged to gyms before but it’s never been something that lines up for me, but because of you…[Read more]

          • Our attitudes change. I now look at my morning ultra shake with coconut milk and flax seed as a morning indulgence. Nicole

            • How right you are about the smoothie being an indulgence. I felt that way about my mango smoothies in the summer .

            • What are you two putting in those things?! I’ve not found a combination of ingredients that seem like any kind of indulgence to me. Recipes, please.

              • Anne -I think part of it is how long it’s been since you’ve had anything that resembles a shake. I never have drank milk and having any kind of milkshake made me ill. Though I lover egg nog sprinkled with nutmeg but gin it made me sick pretty quickly. But I have gown to like the ultra shake (recipe in book) made with vegetable protein ( vanilla…[Read more]

          • You are so right about “indulgences”, or in our cases, more accurately as you pointed out “poisons”. Yes, there are poisons that each of us are unwilling to give up entirely. I will defend myself by saying that despite my love of all things pumpkin, I enjoy a ripe pear with as much relish these days!
            If you consider that earlier in the…[Read more]

            • You will get there. I’m just a few pounds shy of getting I out of the overweight category into the politically correct range for my height but the scale sure isn’t cooperating. I’ve been hovering around 160-161 since Sept 30.Scale should decide to o something soon.Nicole

              • Wow. Being in ”normal” on the scale is a huge deal. I am looking forward to getting there. Those pesky scales don’t cooperate as rapidly as we would prefer!

          • I actually think of the things I used to love as drugs, which they were and are. I was a first-rate sugar addict whose hits needed to be gargantuan by the time I knew I was in trouble.
            If I had been an alcoholic, I would have been drunk all the time!
            I admit I let pumpkin bread back into my life, but I try extremely hard to control my portion…[Read more]

          • Can’t help but think I have just given a litany of ”excuses”. Still room to learn.

            • It’s soooo interesting to me, Janine, that you are so wise. Nobody needs to tell you nothin’! You’ve got it all. What a great distance you’ve come. Yay! Congratulations! It seems like a huge shift in consciousness. AZ

              • : )
                I so missed you!

                • That is sweet, thank you. I can’t believe I haven’t been here for so long. It’s really very helpful and I’m going to pay more attention to continuing to participate.

                  Especially now, since, like Nicole, my scale hasn’t been cooperating lately either.
                  Have a good evening everyone,
                  Anna

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 7 months, 1 week ago

    In reply to: Carol Gawa posted an update in the group Diet & Nutrition I have just joined this community. I wish I could say that I’ve read the whole book but I haven’t. That is my #1 priority for reading now that mine has […] View

    Wow, Nicole, congratulations! You are so inspiring, it’s getting me all enthusiastic again.
    Anna

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 7 months, 1 week ago

    In reply to: Carol Gawa posted an update in the group Diet & Nutrition I have just joined this community. I wish I could say that I’ve read the whole book but I haven’t. That is my #1 priority for reading now that mine has […] View

    Thank you so much sweet Janine,
    I hear you. I’ve been doing two yoga classes and week, up from having had to quit about this time last year because I felt so bad. And I’ve been thinking it would be a good idea, and enjoyable, to add at least another day of movement. Since we are so fortunate to live right on the ocean, I’ve been thinking a…[Read more]

    • You are so fortunate to live within walking distance of the Pacific Ocean! Why not get up super early each day and walk and watch the sun rise over the water?! That would get me going!
      To answer your questions about food, yes I have added some things, but mostly more legumes and a greater variety of fruit. In the past couple of weeks or so I…[Read more]

      • Wow, Janine, so much great stuff in here I don’t know where to start. How about w/flabby areas?! I was thinking I should ask you about that, you must be reading my mind. How great that you’re enjoying all the working out. Is it tightening up the flab? I’ve read that keeping at huge amounts of dark leafy greens helps too. I don’t have any…[Read more]

        • Hi, Anna,
          It is great that we can all learn from one another’s victories, mistakes, and ongoing battles. I know pumpkin bread is a processed food containing both gluten and, yes, SUGAR, but it is something I adore and I am trying very, very, very hard to learn how to enjoy a food I love in the proper portion and without expectation or…[Read more]

          • BTW, when I say “normal” I know people will think I believe our current healthy eating is not “normal”, which is not the case. I just mean that within the parameters of our healthy lifelstyles, we each have a food from the past that we want to continue to enjoy in small quantities. Some might want a glass of wine or a tiny portion of a…[Read more]

            • You are so eloquent! Thank you for sharing yourself so generously. It is very supportive for me and I really appreciate it.

              I hate to admit that my husband has a little outdoor gym at our house with weight machines and he works out regularly. I’ve belonged to gyms before but it’s never been something that lines up for me, but because of you…[Read more]

              • Our attitudes change. I now look at my morning ultra shake with coconut milk and flax seed as a morning indulgence. Nicole

                • How right you are about the smoothie being an indulgence. I felt that way about my mango smoothies in the summer .

                • What are you two putting in those things?! I’ve not found a combination of ingredients that seem like any kind of indulgence to me. Recipes, please.

                  • Anne -I think part of it is how long it’s been since you’ve had anything that resembles a shake. I never have drank milk and having any kind of milkshake made me ill. Though I lover egg nog sprinkled with nutmeg but gin it made me sick pretty quickly. But I have gown to like the ultra shake (recipe in book) made with vegetable protein ( vanilla…[Read more]

              • You are so right about “indulgences”, or in our cases, more accurately as you pointed out “poisons”. Yes, there are poisons that each of us are unwilling to give up entirely. I will defend myself by saying that despite my love of all things pumpkin, I enjoy a ripe pear with as much relish these days!
                If you consider that earlier in the…[Read more]

                • You will get there. I’m just a few pounds shy of getting I out of the overweight category into the politically correct range for my height but the scale sure isn’t cooperating. I’ve been hovering around 160-161 since Sept 30.Scale should decide to o something soon.Nicole

                  • Wow. Being in ”normal” on the scale is a huge deal. I am looking forward to getting there. Those pesky scales don’t cooperate as rapidly as we would prefer!

              • I actually think of the things I used to love as drugs, which they were and are. I was a first-rate sugar addict whose hits needed to be gargantuan by the time I knew I was in trouble.
                If I had been an alcoholic, I would have been drunk all the time!
                I admit I let pumpkin bread back into my life, but I try extremely hard to control my portion…[Read more]

              • Can’t help but think I have just given a litany of ”excuses”. Still room to learn.

                • It’s soooo interesting to me, Janine, that you are so wise. Nobody needs to tell you nothin’! You’ve got it all. What a great distance you’ve come. Yay! Congratulations! It seems like a huge shift in consciousness. AZ

                  • : )
                    I so missed you!

                    • That is sweet, thank you. I can’t believe I haven’t been here for so long. It’s really very helpful and I’m going to pay more attention to continuing to participate.

                      Especially now, since, like Nicole, my scale hasn’t been cooperating lately either.
                      Have a good evening everyone,
                      Anna

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 7 months, 1 week ago

    In reply to: Carol Gawa posted an update in the group Diet & Nutrition I have just joined this community. I wish I could say that I’ve read the whole book but I haven’t. That is my #1 priority for reading now that mine has […] View

    Hi Carol, Janine and all,
    It’s great to see you. I haven’t been here for a while–things have been going great and I’m about 30% of my former body weight lighter (40 lbs.), no longer obese! and feeling so good.

    I saw Carol’s post and logged in to respond and when I saw Janine’s comment, that pretty much says it all. All the best to you…[Read more]

    • Hi, Anna,
      Great to hear from you again! Congrats on the weight loss. Wow! I know you must be so proud and it sounds like you have become the healthy pied-piper of your family and friends! Great!
      As to the weight loss stalling, all I can say is that it happens and either we must up our exercise or expect a slightly slower pace for dropping…[Read more]

      • Thank you so much sweet Janine,
        I hear you. I’ve been doing two yoga classes and week, up from having had to quit about this time last year because I felt so bad. And I’ve been thinking it would be a good idea, and enjoyable, to add at least another day of movement. Since we are so fortunate to live right on the ocean, I’ve been thinking a…[Read more]

        • You are so fortunate to live within walking distance of the Pacific Ocean! Why not get up super early each day and walk and watch the sun rise over the water?! That would get me going!
          To answer your questions about food, yes I have added some things, but mostly more legumes and a greater variety of fruit. In the past couple of weeks or so I…[Read more]

          • Wow, Janine, so much great stuff in here I don’t know where to start. How about w/flabby areas?! I was thinking I should ask you about that, you must be reading my mind. How great that you’re enjoying all the working out. Is it tightening up the flab? I’ve read that keeping at huge amounts of dark leafy greens helps too. I don’t have any…[Read more]

            • Hi, Anna,
              It is great that we can all learn from one another’s victories, mistakes, and ongoing battles. I know pumpkin bread is a processed food containing both gluten and, yes, SUGAR, but it is something I adore and I am trying very, very, very hard to learn how to enjoy a food I love in the proper portion and without expectation or…[Read more]

              • BTW, when I say “normal” I know people will think I believe our current healthy eating is not “normal”, which is not the case. I just mean that within the parameters of our healthy lifelstyles, we each have a food from the past that we want to continue to enjoy in small quantities. Some might want a glass of wine or a tiny portion of a…[Read more]

                • You are so eloquent! Thank you for sharing yourself so generously. It is very supportive for me and I really appreciate it.

                  I hate to admit that my husband has a little outdoor gym at our house with weight machines and he works out regularly. I’ve belonged to gyms before but it’s never been something that lines up for me, but because of you…[Read more]

                  • Our attitudes change. I now look at my morning ultra shake with coconut milk and flax seed as a morning indulgence. Nicole

                    • How right you are about the smoothie being an indulgence. I felt that way about my mango smoothies in the summer .

                    • What are you two putting in those things?! I’ve not found a combination of ingredients that seem like any kind of indulgence to me. Recipes, please.

                      • Anne -I think part of it is how long it’s been since you’ve had anything that resembles a shake. I never have drank milk and having any kind of milkshake made me ill. Though I lover egg nog sprinkled with nutmeg but gin it made me sick pretty quickly. But I have gown to like the ultra shake (recipe in book) made with vegetable protein ( vanilla…[Read more]

                  • You are so right about “indulgences”, or in our cases, more accurately as you pointed out “poisons”. Yes, there are poisons that each of us are unwilling to give up entirely. I will defend myself by saying that despite my love of all things pumpkin, I enjoy a ripe pear with as much relish these days!
                    If you consider that earlier in the…[Read more]

                    • You will get there. I’m just a few pounds shy of getting I out of the overweight category into the politically correct range for my height but the scale sure isn’t cooperating. I’ve been hovering around 160-161 since Sept 30.Scale should decide to o something soon.Nicole

                      • Wow. Being in ”normal” on the scale is a huge deal. I am looking forward to getting there. Those pesky scales don’t cooperate as rapidly as we would prefer!

                  • I actually think of the things I used to love as drugs, which they were and are. I was a first-rate sugar addict whose hits needed to be gargantuan by the time I knew I was in trouble.
                    If I had been an alcoholic, I would have been drunk all the time!
                    I admit I let pumpkin bread back into my life, but I try extremely hard to control my portion…[Read more]

                  • Can’t help but think I have just given a litany of ”excuses”. Still room to learn.

                    • It’s soooo interesting to me, Janine, that you are so wise. Nobody needs to tell you nothin’! You’ve got it all. What a great distance you’ve come. Yay! Congratulations! It seems like a huge shift in consciousness. AZ

                      • : )
                        I so missed you!

                        • That is sweet, thank you. I can’t believe I haven’t been here for so long. It’s really very helpful and I’m going to pay more attention to continuing to participate.

                          Especially now, since, like Nicole, my scale hasn’t been cooperating lately either.
                          Have a good evening everyone,
                          Anna

    • Hi Anna, Good to hear from you!
      Janine said it all. Our bodies do things in their own time. I stalled on weight loss (partly on purpose) and am so pleased to have kept weight off for 6 months. To start loosing again, you may have to eat less, smaller meals or less ‘fun food’ avocados, nuts etc.
      Returning to how you ate the first 6 weeks can be…[Read more]

      • Hi Margaret, great to see you still here! And thank you for sharing your experiences too.
        I am going back to paying more attention, and being here is part of that. I’ve skipped a day or two in my journal a few times in the last few weeks, so I’m recommitting to that too. And I’ll notice avocados and nuts and see if I may have increased and…[Read more]

        • Anna, you are so right about the toxin issue. I take certain meds and realize that as I shed body fat those chemicals are on the loose. For a lot of us our body probably takes a time out to process. Our bodies have a flow and wisdom all their own.
          Have fun on the beach!
          Blessings, Margaret

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 9 months ago

    In reply to: anna zimmerman posted an update in the group Recipes Can’t remember who shared the blueberry muffin recipe, but thank you again! I took them to book club this week, knowing that someone else was baking something […] View

    Thanks Margaret! I’m still not eating fruit, but I guess I could begin to add a little back now. I just feel so good and I’m continuing to be a little lighter and healthier all the time, so I’d like that to continue. I’ll do some research too–I know vegans bake things like muffins. And I guess I could try some vinegar.

    A vegan friend…[Read more]

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 9 months ago

    In reply to: anna zimmerman posted an update in the group Recipes Can’t remember who shared the blueberry muffin recipe, but thank you again! I took them to book club this week, knowing that someone else was baking something […] View

    Thanks for asking, the book club is wonderful–a group of amazing women with diverse backgrounds. It’s been meeting regularly for over 25 years! This month we read The Humming Bird’s Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea. We are in northern Baja, Mexico and the acclaimed Mr. Urrea was born and raised in this area.. This book is an historic novel…[Read more]

  • anna zimmerman posted a new activity comment 9 months ago

    In reply to: anna zimmerman posted an update in the group Recipes Can’t remember who shared the blueberry muffin recipe, but thank you again! I took them to book club this week, knowing that someone else was baking something […] View

    Oh, thank you, Margaret… for reposting and for sharing it in the first place! My computer screen is going out and I’m switching to iPad and having trouble getting used to itty bitty keyboard. I guess it’s not itty bitty compared to the smart phones some people use for posting!

    I made it the other day substituting chia seeds w/water for our…[Read more]

    • Hi Anna, I was thinking about updating my photo as well. The chia seed substitution sounds interesting. I will see what vegans bake with to hold things together. Probably water and oil.
      The eggs add protein so they make a great snack.
      Blessings, Margaret

    • Hi Anna, You could substitute Mashed banana, and or applesauce, or soft tofu. It would be helpful to add a teaspoon or two of vinegar ( to help them rise) because eggs help as a levening agent.
      If something you try works please share. Margaret

      • Thanks Margaret! I’m still not eating fruit, but I guess I could begin to add a little back now. I just feel so good and I’m continuing to be a little lighter and healthier all the time, so I’d like that to continue. I’ll do some research too–I know vegans bake things like muffins. And I guess I could try some vinegar.

        A vegan friend…[Read more]

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