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Feb 14, 2022,
 
Hi {!firstname_fix}, 
   Happy Valentine's Day. I decided to reframe today from flowers and chocolate into simply sending the energy of caring and reconciliation. Everything is very still. I can feel the trees and plants sort of vibrating with anticipation as the sun warms them. It is like when I take Brody to Starbucks and he sees the liver treat bag in the window and starts to vibrate. This morning's barista was so sweet and so genuinely happy for him getting his treat that it made my day. I want to be like her.
    I am sharing a new article today. I have written it because so many of you are struggling with weight or trauma or big changes and just want to know what to DOOOOOO. I realized that it used to be that people were talking in many places with many levels of skill. So new people would be hearing the skilled people sharing about what they were working on.We were doing classes each week. Bits and pieces were being shared and learned day by day. That all kinda fell away two years ago.
    COVID brain kinda whacked us sideways. And who knows how to do anything these days, LOL. The combination of fear, disorientation, isolation and lack of stimulation stacked up to create mush. We know that a caterpillar turns into mush before it emerges looking like a butterfly. Perhaps we are in a conscious mush stage. I am just going to try to my best to give you some perspective.
    I am trying to figure out how to do classes, which to start with, where. It is a little more complex than it might seem. So if it seems a bit contradictory, you are assessing correctly. I feel the same way. Let me pause for a bit, do some talking with our mentors and see if we can work out what is best. And the article may help you understand Step One a little better.
    And thank you for your patience in waiting for the newsletter.
     
Support for Your Program
Journals
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
                                                                                   

 We have a master community email list. It is nice place to get started if you are new to the community or are coming back and are wondering what to do.  Introduce yourself and ask for help. Or just listen. We won't mind. The community is made up of a huge number of introverts which means LISTENING is held in high esteem. We will direct you to the right spot for your questions. It's fine if you know nothing, just stop in and you will be welcomed.

It is also the place to ask about things like what to do with your sugar intake in the afternoon while you are still on Step 1 and we won't open that discussion on the Step 1 list :).    Join the Step One List now.

GROUPS
The groups list is up on the web site. Just sign up for the group you would like to join. Read about the group before you ask to join. If you are starting or returning, join the Step One list. Don't join Step One and Step Two and Step Three all at the same time. If you. have any trouble joining, send me an email at kathleen@radiantrecoverycom and we will get you all set.
 
CLASSES
No new classes starting right now.
 
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK
If you prefer talking on Facebook, come over to our group there. Radiant Recovery®,.
 
WORKING WITH KATHLEEN 
People have been asking for a long time how they might be able to work with me directly.  I provide individual one on one intensive coaching called Signature Coaching.  I can help you step out of the craziness of sugar addiction, return to steadiness and clarity after slipping away, slow down and focus on your recovery, or deepen a steady rhythm of recovery. This particular option is especially helpful if you did the steps a while ago and then kinda meandered away. Or if you are facing some intense times and would. like skillful support. 
This particular level of coach involves sharing your food journal and assessing where you are in the process on a whole different level.  It is a big step and an act of commitment because generally we are told "do not tell" how it really is.
     Signature coaching offers several options. Most people do a 90 day process that includes doing an in-depth assessment of where you are in the process, designing an individual plan for you and then talking with me once a week via phone or Zoom to work on your progress. You will learn to do an efficient journal and to identify your strengths and challenges.  
    Other people chose to do a month long intensive to get a sense of whether the process is suited to their style. And some people continue to work beyond the initial 3 months in special arrangements we work out for their budget and progress. All signature coaching starts with an initial assessment meeting at no charge to you. This time allows us to collaborate on the best way to work with your food and style.
   
    And in fact, we have developed some creative personalized plans especially suited to where people are in the program and what will work best to support them.You can go here to learn more about it.  Call 505-345-3737 if you would like more information. I am ALWAYS happy to talk to. you about options. We can do a "meet and greet".

 
 
Magic Moments
"Amazon was sending me suggested books based on things I’d previously ordered.  One day they suggested  The Sugar Addicts Total Recovery Program, and I thought ‘Sugar addict – that describes me pretty well’ and ordered the book!."
 
If you remember the magic moment when you learned of what we are doing, send an email and share it.
 

 

Testimonial for the Week

For years every time I started a new diet I announced it to everyone. Maybe I thought that would help me to stay on the straight and narrow. What I did was kind of give everyone permission to remark on what I was eating.

Fast forward to when I began to follow the steps. First I read PNP and it made a lot of sense. Right away I started a journal which I kept hidden from everyone. Although the order of the steps changed, it may have been best for me to do the journal first. All those yellow marks for all the sugar I ate made a huge impression.

I followed the steps and made slow and steady progress. I never said a word to my DP or anyone that I was working the steps. When I wobbled I got right back up and started again. I didn't punish myself when I wasn't perfect. That was huge because I was always doing that if I wasn't perfect on my new diet. I stuck to what Kathleen wrote about one food choice at a time. If I made a poor choice, I just tried a little harder the next time. If I ate the wrong things on Sat. I didn't trash the plan. At the next meal I did my best to eat enough protein, browns and vegetables. I didn't fall for that old trap of "I might as well start over on Monday."

After a couple of months I started to watch my anniversaries. Funny, but now that I wrote that, my five year anniversary is the week of St. Patrick's Day. My family gets together to watch the parade on St. Patrick's Day. I cook corned beef, cabbage and potatoes. I was seven months into the program and still playing with a little sugar after my meals. When I say a little, that is one tablespoon or less of ice cream after my meal. It didn't even taste good any longer.

After dinner at my son's I ate some home made carrot cake. After all I was allowed because I hadn't done a sugar detox LOL! It gave me a terrible migraine headache for about three or four days. Since I had no sugar for those four days I figured the Universe was helping me to do the sugar detox.

One of the main reasons that I was able to stick with the steps was because I could go at my own pace. Once I started having breakfast consistently I began to feel so full of energy, happy and focused. Only than did I have the courage to go on to the next step. It was very important and helpful for me to experience the healing of my biochemistry. It sure beats going cold turkey!

Ann
Radiant Recovery Store
David Smiling
    David, my oldest son, runs our store. He makes sure your orders go out quickly and works with you to find the best things suited to where you are in your process. Here is a message from him.
 

  Don’t forget that you can have an automatic order set up for you. I am being really creative with some of our members. I put together a shipment of shake, pycnogenol, and cod liver oil, and send it out each month. On the third month, I send a journal. Just email me or call me at 505-345-3737 and let me know your heart’s desire.

Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better.

Thank you for your patience about George's® Restore. We have been told our shake will ship to us on the 22nd and I will send it out the day it arrives.

Thanks

David

Come visit our STORE. Call 505-345-3737.
Vit B complex

Do you get frustrated trying to find a complex that fits with the recommendations in PnP? Here is a perfect solution.




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Your Last Diet: A Surprise Awaiting
Your Last Diet Book Cover

    After all this time YLD continues to be a favorite place for people in the community. If you struggle with your body image, if you have chased diets for years, here is a wonderful alternative to all the things you have tried.

In the meantime here is a quote from a YLD member:

    It has been quite a while since I checked in with you folks. It was not because I wasn't following the plan or had lost interest. Life was unusually stressful from early Dec to the present and I have been putting "stress management" at the top of my agenda. I continue to be absolutely in awe of what Kathleen has discovered. I feel I have found "my home" - a place where I feel at peace with my body. I weighed myself today for the first time in 2 months - I have lost 10-12 pounds since starting on this journey with you. And, more importantly, I feel so good in my body. I've read with interest what some of you have been saying about the loss of emotional energy around weight loss. This feeling of being OK with where I am now - no, not just OK, but radiant - is incredible.

    If you are not a YLD member, come and join us. Click here if you are ready to change your life or just plain ole have fun. 
FOGGY MORNING
 

What Do I do While Waiting

by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.

 We have a lot of new people just starting out on the program. They found the book, they heard a podcast with me and got excited to find a solution for sugar addiction. They come with excitement and enthusiasm and join the Step One list. And then discover, often to their dismay, we only talk about breakfast. BREAKFAST!!!

The questions start.

  • What about the sugar?
  • My life is unmanageable! What should I do?
  • You mean I can have oreos for lunch?
  • What happens when my demons come up?
  • What do I do about all the crises in my life?
  • This is going to take too long.
  • My doctor says I HAVE TO lose weight NOW.
  • My counselor says I have to heal the trauma before I can deal with the addiction.
  • I am in an abusive relationship and I have to deal with that now!
  • What kind of sweetener can I use?
  • I am swirling in crisis, which should I do first?
  • Good grief, how can I just think about BREAKFAST when I am so miserable. I need to stop the sugar NOW!
And there is a far bit of tension because every single person who has done the program successfully says, "Focus on one step at a time. Work on Step One first."
 
So let me share a little about "why" we use this approach.  Addicts love drama because drama produces dopamine which is the "get high" drug in your brain. It makes us feel bright, smart, competent, connected and motivated. If our lives feel boring or we feel dark, we seek drama, crisis and urgency. We think about going off sugar NOW, and then have more sugar to take care of the feelings of loss of not having it anymore.
 
Out culture screams at us that we are too fat, it is unhealthy, we need to STOP now! It urges us that detox is the anger. Just say no. And the reality is that just saying now creates a biochemical crisis, adds to the drama and misery and creates a firestorm in your brain.
 
What we are trying to do is get you steady, settled and able to function. We want you to learn to listen, to follow instructions, and maybe even trust a tiny bit that someone might know what to do and how to do it. Less drama heals. Real food heals. And most shocking, carbs are part of the healing.
 
There are hundreds of tiny things embedded in step one that have nothing to do with sugar. If we get you focused on your breakfast, chances are high you will stop obsessing about the sugar in your life. Rather than thinking about your next "fix" or your next binge or dessert or stolen sweet, you will be thinking about what kind of protein, and what complex carbs are. You will start paying attention to time rather than be lost in a fog.
 
You will think about eating first thing rather than just sitting down at the computer. You will look forward to your morning breakfast and start the day with energy. It may take a little time, you might kick and scream along the way, you might think we are crazy when you start. But something will happen. One morning, you will have your breakfast, look outside and realize it is a beautiful day. It will be just a moment, but everything is different.
 
See what you think. Does this help at all?
 

You are not alone. Grace is unfolding.
©2022 Kathleen DesMaisons. All rights reserved. You are free to use or transmit this article to your blog or website as long as you leave the content unaltered, use this attribution: "By Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. of Radiant Recovery®, and notify kathleen@radiantrecovery.com of the location. Please visit the Radiant Recovery® website at for additional resources on sugar sensitivity and healing addiction. 

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