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This option is ongoing. You may join at any time.
Coaching for Weight Loss
This is a unique offering for people who are serious about losing weight and would like to have ongoing coaching. It is ironically also
for those of you who want to enhance your program. We do an individual assessment to sort out exactly where you are in the process. You will be guided in making your own individual plan. You can learn about journaling and adjusting your food for weight loss - what to do when. You can look at things to do to start while you are actually working the steps. This is not Boot Camp. You will be given tools and shown how to use them.
The coaching is done online in a group using Yahoo and Google. Please note that the preparation for weight loss includes mastery of the steps, so if you decide to do this process and have not yet started with the steps, we will do that first. If you are well versed in them and are ready to proceed, we have a special section to accommodate your skill level.
I do want to clarify that coaching is not the same as the classes. It is more responsive to you and where you are in the program. If you want help and are ready to be be guided, this is the process for you.The benefits you get include learning how to do skilled journaling and to interpret it to really understand how the changes
you are making affect your well being.
Another perk of coaching is that you can attend the regular classes I do at no charge,
The fee is
$20 per week and is billed in 2 week intervals. It is an unusual opportunity to work directly with me to be liberated from your past diet history. The signup is under the *special* tab on the classes page. If you want to join, please email me first so we can touch base about whether this is right for you.
There will be no classes starting this
week.
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If you simply nod and say, "yes, that is so true," but never DO, the program will never work for you. It demands your willingness to commit and act.
Hi, Boy! Can I ever relate to what you are experiencing now! You are asking all the questions I asked. I too wanted to find the magic formula and just repeat it everyday. Love the
Einstein and underwear analogy they had me laughing hysterically. You asked:
1. Would you be willing to share some of your menus with me? I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly what to eat, since I'm on a restricted sodium, potassium, and protein diet. Are you on similar restrictions?
I would be happy to share my menus with you but I don't think it would be helpful to you right now. Why? When I first came to this program nearly 2 years ago I was on a series of
restrictive diets including but not limited to very low protein for my kidneys followed by a high protein diet recommend by my Hepatologist, then a low carb diet when another MD decided that I needed to have a gastric bypass as soon as I was well enough to tolerate the surgery, then had my fluids restricted to 1200 ML/day followed by being told to drink nearly 24 glasses of fluid/day. I was told to eat 6 meals a day, do low fat, then include fat, do low carb, eat more complex carbs,eat lots of
cruciferious veggies, lots of soy then told by my Endocrinologist to limit these foods. I was confused and overwhelmed and afraid to even eat which lead to drastically restricting food followed by bingeing and on the cycle continued.
What did I do that finally broke the cycle? I did exactly what you are doing. I came to Kathleen and this Community and told my story and asked for help. I told them I thought I was "terminally unique," due to my health problems and could not do the program.
They listened and told me they would work with me and my health team to modify the program, They told me to keep it simple and start with breakfast on time within whatever dietary restrictions I had. They encouraged me to search for a supportive health care team and listened to me whine and cry during the 6 months it took me to finally get that team together. Every time I had another hurdle, got overwhelmed and wanted to just resign myself to a life of emotional and physical misery they gently
lead me back to DOING THE PROGRAM AND STAYING CONNECTED.
Over the course of two years I have baby stepped my way to Step 4. I have gone from being paralyzed in a coma to bedridden to a combo of wheelchair/walker, from grossly obese (480++ pounds) to just plain obese, from an alcoholic to someone who literally never craves alcohol (can't say that about sugar and whites yet).. ..From being in constant, debilitating muscle and joint pain 24/7 to having tolerable pain that does not require
medication or interfere with ADL's....From spending 95% if my time in bed with barely enough energy to sit up or take care of my basic physical needs to going to physical therapy 4 times a week, and gradually resuming a normal life. From a woman who lived in fear and trembling of the her medical providers and had no hope of ever being healthy to a woman who now leads a great health care team that support her recovery. From a woman who felt hopeless, helpless and darkly depressed to a woman who
has a positive outlook on life and anticipates a future filled with joy, peace and Radiance. The miracle began when I made the decision to surrender and commit to doing the food. Now at the advanced age of 54, having died twice, I look forward to a second life of unbelievable richness and creativity. I have had a lot of challenges on my path and many wobbles but my body, my molecules now have enough experience with success and feeling good that I recuperate fast and my wobbles do not become
slips. I'll share with you what has best supported and advanced my recovery so far.
1. COMMITTING to the program and making it the foundation of my recovery.
2. LISTENING to the words of the wiseones and following their advice even when I was absolutely, positively certain that I was the one person whose condition was so complex and hopeless that RR could not possibly work for me (how wrong I was on that one).
3. Keeping CONNECTED With the Community and letting them know my
challenges and struggles (that was a very difficult challenge for me).
4.CONSULTING WITH KATHLEEN (It completely changed the way I saw my recovery.)
5. With the help and support of the Community finding a HEALTH CARE TEAM ( including a nutritionist) that would support me in RR(talk about frustrating but well worth the pain and tears).
AND DOING THE PROGRAM ONE, SOMETIMES EXCRUCIATINGLY SLOW, BABY STEP AT A TIME.
You are doing a great job connecting with the Community.
I look forward to being on this path with you. Melodie
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Here is a note from Moira about our meditation CD:
Yep the meditation is a bit like rewiring our brains. There is no doubt they can be hard wired to the stress. It was like that for me too. I ordered Kathleen's Safe Place CD from the store. I am finding that so amazing in calming my thoughts. Even when I feel stress
kicking in I hear the music from the tape play in my head. I put my ipod on most days and play it while I do chores, when I walk, when I do Emails. I just find ways to fit it in. I listen to it again and again and again. Just have it on repeat. It's like having someone wrap a warm blanket around me and tell me everything's OK. Just a thought since anxiety and stress aggravates IBS. It may be something that would help you too. Moira |
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Breakfast Roll-upIngredients:- 1 6" whole wheat flatbread, pita or tortilla (or rice or corn)
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 TBS toasted onion
flakes
- 1/2 cup of meat, fish or chicken
- 1/2 cup of veggies, potatoes, grains, beans or things such as chilies to taste
- Salt and pepper
Directions: - Warm the bread
- Scramble the eggs with the onion, cheese and salt and pepper
- While eggs are cooking,
add other items of your choosing
- Roll mixture and then place in microwave on high for 2 minutes.
 | For great program-friendly recipes, check out our Cookbook in the store |
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I like that YLD has evolved so much. The desperation about weight calms down. We get functional and mobilized. Yah, it really is Your Last Diet. The chats just bring that home over and over and over. You don't have to be fat or working on step 7 to join. You can be slender and caught in restriction and you will be totally comfortable.
Your program includes: - LIFETIME membership
- Exclusive information on what contributed to your weight and what you can do about it.
- Special classes on weight loss including The Obesity Myth, Fat Terror, Exercise for Weight loss, Clothing for your size and style. These will be at no extra charge
- Ongoing, in-depth discussion about successful weight loss with searchable archives.
- Weekly private weight loss chats held at two
different times each week led by Kathleen herself. They are funny, informative and healing.
- Access to a private facebook group (secret) to share joys, progress, pictures and questions.
The most
significant part of your membership is learning WHY losing weight has been so elusive.
If you would like to join us in YLD, come
find us here.
When we originally started it, we had a LIFETIME membership. A couple of years ago we shifted to an annual membership and I just was never happy with it.
So we are going back to lifetime. Any of you who went the annual plan will be upgraded to lifetime.You simply need to contact me. |
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Radiant Living is really just about the joy of recovery.
Radiant
Living will allow you to share a dialogue with others - people who are asking the same questions and exploring answers boldly and with the humility that comes with doing the food.
These conversations will help you transform fear and give new tools for healing. We look at topics such as grief, crisis, trauma, emotional healing, revitalizing your program and stepping into your big self. So the dialogue will be about the big picture and the practical ideas for daily implementations of
the changes you are seeking. The dialogue will meet you where you are and offer ideas that you may not have heard before. Let go of old thinking that growing up has to be hard or painful. This is about joy, discovery, fun and creativity. And, of course, LOTS of laughter. There is no step requirement to participate, only honesty, willingness, and openness. Your membership will give you what you need to master this new way of being. Your membership will include: - People who understand and mentor you
- A dedicated list on Yahoo with my own personal involvement
- Access to a dedicated membership-only chat held at 2 different times each week
If you would like to join us in Radiant Living, come find us here.
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*I Have Been Trying Step 2 for Two Years*
Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.
Last week, we had a number of conversations in the community about how long the steps should take. People were sharing about not being able to move beyond journaling. As usual, there was a lot of encouragement and support. As a group, we are kind. We care about one another; we listen and hold one another up.
But, today, I am going to add another perspective. I am going to challenge you. If you want to be healed, you need to take action. Nodding at the idea but not acting will never
heal you. Addiction has you by the throat. It has its icy hands around your heart. It is stealing your life.
Support will help. But sometimes kindness helps to keep you stuck. Sometimes a greater kindness will say, *If you want what we have, do what we do.* Feeling miserable about your life and doing nothing means that things will not change.
Sugar sensitives have a hard time committing. Usually we wait until it is really, really bad to take action. This is natural. Our
unbalanced biochemistry tilts us in the direction of spinning and being stuck. Sugar makes us immobile. Sugar saps our spark and dilutes our motivation. It deflects intention. And if we just *wait* for it to get better, we will wait a lifetime.
At some point, healing requires commitment. It demands saying, *I will do what it takes to get well.* It means that our intention overrides the sugar effect. It means that we actually do the journal. Even though it is hard and
requires paying attention. We stop flapping and we start focusing. We stop saying, *You know, I have ADD, this is too hard for me* and we say, *What do I need in order for this to work.*
When you make this commitment, you come to the lists, to the forum with a different frame of reference. What is there to learn? Who can guide you? This community has the most extraordinary people in it. People who are skilled and competent with the program. People who have been where you are and are
not there now.
Ask for help. Rather than staying stuck, commit. If you do not know what to do, say so. And then LISTEN. Here is an example:
Someone comes to me and says, *Kathleen, my life is overwhelming, my sugar is out of control, I cannot find my way, I am in pain, I don't know what to do. Will you help?*
I say, *Eat breakfast.*
*Oh, I do that already. I was been doing Atkins for 5 years. I just can't get the journal down."
*Do you eat within a hour of
getting up?*
*Well, most days. Well, some days. But I am really busy. I have 4 kids and it is a rush to get everyone off to school.*
*Are you getting enough protein?*
*Well, of course. I have 2 eggs every morning.*
So I wait. I figure this is a person who is not ready. She goes on the forum and starts talking about the kids and the stress and her life and not being able to journal. She gets suggestions about the journal and for every one there is a reason why that
can't work for her.
I have been called insensitive because I do not get caught in the swirl of the kids and time and the job and the *stuff.* I have been told I do not understand how hard it is. I have been accused of being curt because I don't get into a long discussion about how hard it is.
How hard it is does not matter. Of course it is hard. If it were easy, we would have all healed many years ago. Sugar addiction is nasty. It takes commitment and courage. It takes
willingness. But you do not have to do it alone, or by white knuckling it. Ask for help and then listen. Follow instructions. Do the steps. One at a time. In order. With enough time for your body to integrate the pattern. Accept that there is a reason, a very powerful one, that they are in the order they are. Consider that someone might know something more than you do about how to heal this nasty stuff. Be outrageous and consider that the people who have gone before you really, truly do have
something to offer you.
Ask for guidance rather than hugs. And then commit. Whatever it takes. And watch the miracle unfold. Your body will change. Your spirit will change. Your life will change. Beyond anything you could ever have imagined.
But it won't happen if you stay stuck for 2 years.
If You Listen, Your
Body Will Speak.
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