PEERtrainer

The Magic Fridge: The PEERtrainer Guide to Hunger-Free Weight Loss

By Jackie Wicks

Welcome. I’m happy to finally sit down and write this because people have been asking me for this information for a long time. I’ve never had one place where I could refer members to all of the recipes, suggestions, kitchen aids and tips and this is it! The guide....the way to finally make the concepts that we outline in the Cheat System come alive in your kitchen and your life. This guide teaches you how to actually do what you know and live hunger-free and change the way you look at diet food forever.

The GUIDE.

This is my guide to living the ‘diet fusion system’ and making your diet and food choices work for you. How often do you feel like a slave to a particular diet or a way of eating? How often do you find yourself saying to yourself, of course I would eat a healthy meal but who has time to prepare it? Besides, my children won’t eat it so who wants to make 2 dinners? So often the answer becomes the same pasta and butter with Parmesan because it’s easy and you know how to make it. It’s not that you don’t want to eat well with a diet full of vegetables and high nutrient foods: it’s that no one has made it easy for you. No one seems to want to give 2 minute ideas. It’s all so “gourmet” out there.

Quick Definition of Diet Fusion.

Diet fusion materialized when I observed over and over what worked with the people who have been through PEERtrainer.com. What worked for losing weight. What worked for sustaining weight loss. What worked to improve health. What worked within the context of their life. It’s simply means fusing diet approaches together to find what works for you. We recently created a more structured system that people could follow each day.

Here are the three pillars:

- Nutrient Rich: Eating foods with a high density of nutrients, i.e. vegetables and preferably the green leafy kind that are the key to feeling full and improving health.

- Eating for Energy: If you don’t have energy, you really won’t do much of anything. I’ve lost years of my life because of low energy. You have to find the food combinations that make you feel like a rockstar.

- Portion Control: 80% of your day should fall in the first 2 categories of nutrient rich and eating for energy but 20% of the time, for those times when you’re out and celebrating with wine and Triple Creme Cheese, you have to have a sense of how much you’re overdoing it. This works when you’re out at a restaurant, when you’re traveling.

INTRODUCTION: We All Know What To Do:

And we would do it all the time if it was easy, fast and tasted good

I practice diet fusion. PEERtrainers do diet fusion. It works. The Magic Fridge guide does NOT include low fat cheesecake recipes or whole wheat pizza. There are millions of recipes already out there that are easy and taste delicious.. The Magic Fridge focuses on the 80% of your plate, the part where you have to get in the high nutrients for sustainable and hunger free weight loss.

I would still prefer to pick up a slice of pizza any day of the week. A slice of pizza is fast, tastes great and it’s easy. Unfortunately, now that I’m 40, portion control doesn’t work like it did. One slice of pizza leaves me hungry. I want 10 more slices! The cure is high nutrient food that tastes great and doesn’t require an all day slaving in the kitchen.

The purpose is to teach you some basic concepts of diet fusion but most importantly, make it easy, and make it taste good! I’m not going to put in tons of spices that you don’t know the name of because it can be intimidating. For those who love food, love the process and make it the main event in their life, this book is for you as well. I do not sacrifice on taste. If I had to eat bland food, I couldn’t sustain my weight loss of over 60 pounds. When I do make high nutrient dishes, it’s an investment.

What do I mean? If I spend the time making food, it better be the gift that keeps on giving. I want to spend 45 minutes making something that taste great and then be able to have it over time. I’ll make a soup that will last me for a few days in the fridge and I can freeze the rest. I’ll make a staple to a salad that will last for days and I can grab anytime I want to make something. If I’m going to soak beans, I’m going to soak a lot of them so they are in the fridge waiting for me.

When I first mentioned this concept to my husband, he remarked that it reminded him of an Indonesian story he read when he was young of a rice bowl that was always filled with food to help feed hungry villagers. It was a gift from the gods. The book was called ‘The Magic Pot’.

I’m here to give you your "magic fridge". Because I have one and it’s the way I sustain my good habits.

-- You will start to see yourself eat well because it’s easy to do so with these tricks and recipes.

-- You will start to feel full because you’re eating nutrient rich foods.

-- You will have the process of ways to make vegetables taste great de-mystified.

-- You’ll make small steps because it’s easy to and you’ll start to discover flavors and foods that you never thought you’d like. And they become a big part of your life. 

Sample Recipe, (Inspired by Beau at The Food Shack In Jupiter, Florida)

How To Create The Magic Fridge:

...And make it the gift that keeps on giving

I’ll introduce a few kitchen tools that I could not do without: you don’t have to get the fancy stainless steel version and after you have them you’ll wonder how you ever did without it.

The most important thing is that you’ll learn what you like and you’ll understand how to find great tasting nutrient rich foods when you’re out and about in your day.

If you discover that you like tomatoes and onions and avocado, you’ll start to look for these combinations and you’ll find them. One of my favorite “go -to” places is Chipotle. This chain has spread like a weed and you can almost always find one. I order the beans, salsa, extra tomatoes and guacamole and while it’s not full of greens, it’s delicious and it gives me energy.

One important note: I make every effort to eat in a nutrient rich way 80% of the time. 20% of the time, I go with the flow. I don’t want to be one of those annoying people who says I’m on a diet, I can’t have that. So when I’m out at my children’s carnival at school and they only have hamburgers, hotdogs and chips, I don’t have to leave. I make the best choice for me (and I’ll show you what that is) and that falls into the 20% of my day that I practice the portion control part of the equation.

*****If I can leave you with one thing: no one knows your body better than you do. No one knows what gives you energy and makes you feel so excited you can’t stand it better than you do. Just because someone tells you to eat in a certain way (including me!), still question if this is right for you. Try something, see if it works for you and modify it as needed. This has been the only characteristic I have seen from everyone who has lost weight and kept it off and not been starving, or a slave to discipline. They’ve found what works for them and they’ve kept doing it.

Use this as a guide and tell me what works and what doesn’t and feel free to send new things. I’ll include them in the next version.

A final note: All the pictures were taken in my kitchen. I could have gotten a food stylist and made beautiful perfect looking foods, spices and dishes but you already see that everywhere and sometimes that’s what makes you think you can’t do it yourself. I don’t have a nanny or a personal chef. I am married with 2 young children and I run a business and I want to be lean and fit but most importantly eat for health and energy.

Everything you see here is what I make and what I do on a daily basis. It’s for you to do right now, within your constraints and busy schedule so that you can truly have it all.

Your Magic Fridge:

The way to being full and losing weight

I founded PEERtrainer in 2004 after realizing that after the height of my pregnancy weight, 185, I had only lost 20 pounds. After months of being at 165, it was evident that the myth of breastfeeding was only a myth, and I wasn’t going to be one of the lucky ones. I knew what to do. I just wasn’t doing it. A friend and I started emailing our daily food and workout habits back and forth with the hope that this would provide the accountability we needed. Two other friends joined us and the first “PEERtrainer group” was born. Buddy up and slim down worked.

One Final Thing: About PEERtrainer

We’ve helped people over the years and our success stories have been featured all over the press, in PEOPLE and Good Morning America. PEERtrainer has become a weight loss lab of sorts, with the collective sharing what works for them. There is no one person or approach that works. I’m not the end all. No one is. You have to learn the basics and make it work for you. I have finally lost all of the pregnancy weight and a few more. I’m 5’5 and I’m between 120 and 123 pounds and I don’t live in the gym. I don’t have rock hard abs and I’m ok with that. I’m more comfortable with my body than I ever was at 20. In these pages you’ll see who I am and how I did it. This is just part 1 because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, the more you learn when it comes to food and nutrition, the more you realize you don’t know. I love it though. I love figuring it out and learning something, just one little tool that will change how I do things.

-- Jackie Wicks, cofounder, PEERtrainer

How To Purchase "The Magic Fridge."

This guide is priced at $10, and you can click here to purchase and download. When you buy a copy you will be placed on an email list, and you will sent updates to this guide when they are available as long as you stay on the list.

The Magic Fridge is also provided as a free bonus for people who choose to start the PEERtrainer Point Of No Return Program. To watch a video presentation of this program click here. To read a page to learn about the program where you don't need video or audio, click here.

 

 

Differences Between European and American Eating Habits: From The Perspective of An American In Europe

There has been a thread in the PEERtrainer community that asked the question, "Do Europeans Eat Better Than Americans." It was started a few years back. A couple days ago someone posted an excellent response. This person had lived in Europe for a year and a half.

Here are the observations:

I worked in Central Europe for 1.5 years because of my job. I traveled all around the EU and stayed at nemerous places and experienced anything from Scandinavia to Greece to Ireland to Poland and all points in between. The differences that I saw were these:
1. The frozen ready made food section at supermarkets was usually small
2. Most veggies and meats were hormone free and organic.
3. people ate full fat everything (milk, cheese, fatty meats, ect)
4. There are fast food restaurants like McDonalds, KFC, BK but it was kinda "taboo" to go there
5. People eat many more meals a day but they are small.
6. Most everyone cooks at home
7. There is a lot more exercise in the form of using public transit to or from work, biking, ect.
8. The portions are smaller but they taste soooo much better.
9. Alot of people drink and it is socially acceptable to do so (in reasonable qualities)
10. Better/free healthcare.
11. There was a lot less salt/sugar in the food
It is not to say that there aren't fat people in Europe but there is a lot less of them. I lost 15 pounds while I was there just by eating home cooked meals and drinking a lot! On the downside some EU countries have a shorter lifespan than the US but they are catching up. A typical day of eating in Poland went like this:
1. Breakfast at home was a sandwich with tomatoes/cucumbers and tea
2. "Second breakfast" was tea and maybe a small sandwich/pastry
3. Lunch was chicken with cabbage and potatoes
4. Evening snack was a soup or salad, something small
5. Dinner was scrambled eggs, sandwich, soup, small sausage, ect
Yes you est 5 times a day but you never go hungry and the portions are usually enough small enough to fit on a small plate.
Most people brought lunches to work and everything usually tasted great. Lunch usually involves at least a beer or some wine. I know that Poland is not the pinnacle of cusine but it was all very hearty and tasty. When I came back to the states I was disgusted by the bread, meat, dairy products, pastries, the salty/sweet foos, and the ammount of people who not only had a little junk in their trunk but were 100+ pounds overweight!

Before I used to eat frozen pizza for dinner and call it home cooking but now I cook 90% of my meals and I have started shopping at Whole Foods because it is the only place that has decent food. I know that food there is more expensive there but, I feel that the quality of food that you put in makes you feel better and helps you loose weight. It is ok if it is not fat free as long as you don't eat 5 pounds of it a day and moderate alchohol is not bad for you either; a beer or two a day is not going to kill you. 

Interesting insight!

Add to this thread

 

 

What Is Your Exercise Motivation Type?

One thing that we see in the PEERtrainer community is that there are about three different "motivation types." The first type we see are the people who start losing weight and then start running long races. They jump right into it, get involved in the running community. (You guys know who you are!!)

The second motivation type we see are people who are a little less hardcore, but do run from time to time. It seems that their motivation is also internal, and it comes and it goes. Usually these people need to kick themselves in their own butt to get going. But they do.

The third type that we see are people who respond well to external stimulus. We observed this very clearly in our latest PEERtrainer Spotlight, which served as a mini "motivation lab" for the last few months. We have been testing a new "exercise motivation device" from Philips. We were able to see very clearly who responded well to it and who didn't.

If you struggle with motivation to exercise, you'll find the results and analysis interesting. Click the link below to read:

How To Get The Motivation To Exercise

-Jackie

Weight Watchers Points Plus Program

By Jackie Wicks PEERtrainer Founder

December 2011 Update: Weight Watchers has announced some changes to their Points Plus System For 2012. The changes are not all that big. The three most important changes are:

• Added flexibility for daily points ranges
• Greater flexibility to follow their healthy eating plan instead of counting Points
• Bigger focus on activity points which will help you earn points for exercise.

That's about it. To understand what makes Points Plus "tick" keep reading:

What Makes Weight Watchers Points Plus Different From Their Previous Programs:

Weight Watchers has announced that they are coming up with a new version of their Points System. The company has stated that this new points system or new program will better reflect the latest "science."

According to Gail Gedan Spencer, the new Weight Watchers Points System will be called "Points Plus."

Summary Of The New Weight Watchers Points System:

• The Points System will better emphasize the quality of food.
• Fruit and most vegetables will have zero points.
• Addition of 49 "Real Living" bonus points to help people deal with party foods and "snacky" situations.

Why Are These Changes To The Points System Necessary

Hopefully this will address the biggest weakness of their system. Which is simply that people CAN lose weight following their points system by eating food that is really bad for them and bad for long term health. Weight Watchers has helped perpetuate a notion of dieting that almost primarily involves a portion controlled, low fat, high fiber diet. What they have not done over the years is done a good job with their points system of differentiating between high nutrient foods and low nutrient foods.

Last year Weight Watchers made a step in the right direction with the launch of the Weight Watchers Momentum Program. The points system did not change, but their recipes did start to include foods that were higher in plant content and higher in overall "nutrient density."

An Easy System To Help You Eat Better

The company had visited with Dr. Joel Fuhrman before the launch of the Momentum Program, so it is clear that they are going in the right direction. It would appear that the "New Weight Watchers Program Of 2011" is a continuation of the direction that they began with Momentum.

The biggest thing to watch for with Weight Watchers new program is a shift in how points are calculated that properly rewards high nutrient foods like greens, and properly penalizes low nutrient foods. 

What Is The Science That Weight Watchers Is Changing Their Program In Response To?

The most important change in the understanding of the "science of hunger" is that certain foods that contain high nutrients can almost "turn off" hunger. Any green vegetable like broccoli and spinach or green leaf like kale, romaine lettuce are very high in micronutrients. These greens and vegetable are packed with nutrients that cause people to call them superfoods. This is something you have probably heard before, and it is no secret that greens are considered good for you. But what has changed is how these foods are strongly correlated with reducing your hunger. So in addition to reducing your calories and fat, you MUST increase your greens.

Again, this is common sense, but Weight Watchers has such mindshare (and large marketing budget) that they have, for many years, essentially controlled how people think of a diet. What Weight Watchers should be doing with this update is creating an incentive structure where if you eat a huge portion of greens, you should get a very small point "credit." We will see if this new Points Plus system includes that, but it would make a lot of sense to provide people a half point "credit" if they ate 8-16 ounces of greens.

Will This Program Change Improve Weight Watchers Success Rate?

A lot of people look at programs like Weight Watchers and ask "will I succeed on this or not." The short answer to this question is that if you are looking at ANY one company or product as your single solution, your odds of success are going to be low. But if you rethink and redefine how you approach your weight loss efforts, you are going to be a ton more successful.

At PEERtrainer we recently created a presentation that outlines Why Most Weight Loss Programs Set You Up For Failure. One of the key concepts that we have isolated is "magic bullet thinking" which is really a function of weight loss program sales processes. Companies have to make you think that their solution is THE thing that will work for you. In reality, one has to turn this concept on it's head, which is tough because it is more work.

But you can do this. Once you get into the mindset that no one company or idea is going to be "the magic bullet", it frees you up to really focus on what will work. Frankly, a big part of weight loss success involves simply managing your own expectations better. When you make the decision to go easy on yourself, your odds improve. When you commit to a plan BUT give yourself plenty of time, your odds improve.

When you do a simple thing like write down one daily goal in the morning, your odds improve. There is no secret to any of this. But there is a structure component, and often we see that when people choose their correct structure, it helps them a lot. Some people like the in person accountability of a Weight Watchers Meeting. Some people love being motivated by a leader. (<link takes you to a motivational video that you can watch without entering any information!)

Some people feel as if they really know everything about eating less, eating more vegetables and moving more- but they just have a hard time following through. 

Additionally, if you feel as if your weight issues are emotional in nature, you probably need to dig into that a little. PEERtrainer has put together an emotional eating course which may help you a great deal if you are one of those people who struggles with night eating, emotional eating and stress eating.

As we learn more about the details of this program we will make sure to update you on a periodic basis. We will also work to make sure to guide you to good recipe ideas that are based on these new Points values. We find that people love these specific suggestions that they can do on their own. (And For Free!!) If you want to be sent these suggestions, make sure to join the (free) PEERtrainer Tip Of The Day email list.

December 1 Update: Concerns About The New Weight Watchers Program.

We are starting to be sent some feedback from members of the PEERtrainer community who are also longtime Weight Watchers members. These are people who have been helped by both companies. The concerns fall into two general categories:

1. People feel like this system was designed primarily with the profitability of the company in mind. Here is a snippet of something that just showed up in our email:

"I'm thinking the new "system" requires a person to think of all foods they consume in terms of protein, fat, carbs and fiber in the form of extracting that specific information for the purpose of inputting it into one of the new Points Plus calculators they will gladly sell you for that purpose.

This "new" Points Plus program all but requires you to buy an accompanying calculator, introductory price of $5.95, otherwise there is no way a person can figure a points value of the foods they eat. That was a tidy little decision made at a corporate level destined to boost the profit margins."

2. The emphatic emphasis towards Protein and away from Carbs and Fat seems to be taking a page out of the Atkins and South Beach playbook. There have been some serious concerns about high protein, low fat and low carb diets. You can read here about the fundamental differences between Weight Watchers and other approaches which many health professionals consider much healthier and safer.

Whole Foods Market has recently entered into this debate, and has strongly endorsed an alternative view, which we discuss in the following paragraph.

We will be updating this post as we get more information and feedback.

Suggestion For Making The Adjustments On Your Own

The single best thing one can do to improve the quality of their diet is to understand how powerful high nutrient foods like green vegetables are. If you are near a Whole Foods Market, take a stroll into their produce section, and you will see something called "The ANDI Points System." You just need to spend about 15 minutes looking at the scores to get a good sense of what you should be eating. Stick with the Weight Watchers Points system that you know, but FOCUS on as many high nutrient foods from the ANDI points system as you can.

 Discuss the new Weight Watchers Points Plus Program in the PEERtrainer community.

Feb 15th Update:

Click here to read about the new "PEERtrainer Cheat System" which is a new, simple to follow system for eating. The objective is to help guide you towards a way of eating that will make it easier to lose weight, give you more energy and help you feel better.

Related PEERtrainer Weight Loss Articles:

Hit A Plateau On Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers Fruit Points

Does NutriSystem Work?

Are Weight Watchers Meetings Right For Me?

Jillian Michaels "Shred It With Weights" 

The Magic Fridge: PEERtrainer's New Guide To Hunger Free Weight Loss

 

 

Health Information	Nutrition Data
free online weight loss journalDaily journaling or logging of your food, exercise and emotions are an extremely powerful tool to help you lose weight. When you write down high nutrient densityNutrient density is the measurement of the concentration of micronutrients in food. Some foods, like green vegetables have very high nutrient density measurements. Processed foods have very low nutrient density measurements. Foods that are nutrient dense are associated with greater health, increased energy and weight loss. weight watchers log in onlineKeeping a weight loss journal or log each day is a core part of the Weight Watchers program. PEERtrainer provides a free daily weight watchers log how does weight watchers work health communityParties can trigger overeating for several reasons - maybe you like to have your hand on food because you're nervous. Maybe they're serving food you rarely eat because you pick healthy choices or maybe, it's the simplest answer that you didn't get a chance to grab a snack prior and you're very hungry. It's hard when there is lots of food, readily available and sometimes even a waiter that has a large serving platter at eye level with a napkin and a welcoming gesture. Here are a few tips to help you get through the party simple food journal what are acrylamides weight loss support onlineOnline Weight Loss Support how to count fat grams to lose weight beck diet solution reviewThe Beck Diet Solution	coke zero nutrition factsFind Coca Cola Zero (Coke Zero) Calories and Nutrition Facts at PeerTrainer.com hummus calories avacado nutrition calories in scallopsFind Scallops Calories and Nutrition Facts at PeerTrainer.com orange juice caloriesFind Calories in Orange Juice Calories and Nutrition Facts at PeerTrainer.com kraft american cheeseFind Calories in Kraft American cheese slices Calories and Nutrition Facts at PeerTrainer.com squash caloriesFind Butternut Squash Calories and Nutrition Facts at PeerTrainer.com tangerine caloriesFind Tangerine Calories and Nutrition Facts at PeerTrainer.com olive oil calories
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Dr. Andrew Weil's Vitamin Advisor Helps Guide One To The Right Vitamins and Supplements

At PEERtrainer we are big fans of the book, "8 Weeks To Optimum Health" written by Dr. Andrew Weil. He is a graduate of Harvard Medical School, but he also very open to exploring natural healing methods with the objective of helping you develop a great preventative health foundation. We highly recommend that you have a copy of this book in your house. It does take a little work to digest this information.

Throughout the "8 Weeks" Dr. Weil goes into some depth about vitamins and supplements. He starts with a very basic introduction to the value of Vitamin C. From there he progresses and discusses the benefits of a variety of vitamins, minerals and supplements. Many of which people have been using for thousands of years.

Recently, Dr Weil has developed an online tool and service that helps to guide you through some of these supplements. Over the course of 5 minutes you are asked a series of questions about your health, your habits and some basic background. Once you enter in this information you are presented with some interesting recommendations, a free vitamin and supplement recommendation, with the option to purchase.

PEERtrainer finds this valuable because while the objective here is to help his company sell vitamin products, the advice and guidance is very high quality. What sets Dr. Weil apart in the industry is that he really embraces both modern and traditional medicine. The result is advice that represents deep knowledge, but also a fundamentally open mind.

Even if you never buy a supplement from him, you'll most likely learn something. Few consumer items are as mind-boggling as nutritional supplements. Store shelves featuring endless bottles of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids can leave the potential buyer thoroughly confused. In addition, many people don't know where they can find these fundamental nutrients in everyday foods.

Dr Weil's "Vitamin Advisor" may also help you comparison shop and help you become a better educated consumer:

"Vitamins are much like anything else - you generally get what you pay for," says Dr. Weil. "But even very expensive vitamins sometimes miss the mark."

I hope this book recommendation and website recommendation helps you. I have personally owned "8 Weeks To Optimum Health" for over 10 years, and Habib and I have two copies of this book in our house right now. The book is a great resource and I never tire of strongly recommending it.

If you have questions about vitamins, minerals and supplements, I also recommend going to http://www.drweilvitaminadvisor.com  and taking their short survey. You may learn something that can help you!

Additionally Dr. Weil donates all of his after-tax profits from royalties from the sale of Vitamin Advisor products to the Weil Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting integrative medicine through training, education and research.

 

The more open minded doctors, the better off we will all be!

 
Regards,

Jackie

 

PS: If you find something that interests you on his site, the following link will give you

25% off your first order:

 

Custom Vitamin Packs from Dr. Weil - Save 25% OFF First Order

 

 

 

 

 
  

Story Of A Woman Who Cured Hashimoto's Disease (And Lost 15 kg) In A Year!

This is a story of a PEERtrainer member that was sent to us today. It is awesome!!

15 kg in 12 months or how I got a new attitude of life

I’m a 31 years old woman from Germany and today I’d like to share my story with you.

I’m with Peertrainer since October 2009 and this time has been the most inspiring and uplifting time in my life. I don’t exaggerate when I tell you that I have a totally new attitude of life and an absolutely new and great body image.

When I started at Peertrainer in October 2009 I was very desperate and not happy at all. You must know that I suffer from a chronic autoimmune disease in my thyroid (Hashimoto’s disease). I must have had this disease since about 16 years now, but never recognized it until it got really worse – starting 2007 basically. I was tired all the time, totally depressed, low in energy, overweight, losing hair, muscles aching awfully and my whole body basically messed up. It was very difficult to find a doctor who knows about this disease and would treat me properly and without this smug “it’s all in your head” bullshit. I nearly ended up accepting that I would have to live like this forever. So in all my mess I started binge eating. When I felt down, alone at home, didn’t want to deal with my feelings and just wanted to numb me  - I ate whatever was in reach, until I felt really sick. But somehow it never helped, I only felt worse.

On yet another binging day I felt so disgusted about myself, I searched the net for some help on binge eating and I ended up watching videos of Jackie on Youtube. And those videos somehow stroke a chord in me. And I knew I have to change my life, so I signed up for the tip of the day and started looking for some groups and teams. The beginning was all new to me, never have done such a group thing and it took some time to get used to it. But soon enough I got hooked and some days later I couldn’t imagine my life without this support anymore.

Today I’m at 70kg (I started with 85kg) and all my troubles with Hashimoto’s have disappeared. The disease is still there obviously – it’ll always be, it’s chronic – but it doesn’t disturb my life anymore. I’m full of energy, started working out 4 days a week and feel like a different person – from body and soul.

So how did I do this? What are my dos and dont’s that I want you to know? I’ll sum up my top 5 points here for you:

• #1: Get some help!

I tried to lose weight and become fit for a long time, but after coming to PEERtrainer everything fell into the right place all of a sudden. It’s so crucial to have a lot of support on that weight loss journey and to know that you are not alone.

• #2: Take care of your soul and spirit!

While losing more and more weight I learned that I also have to take good care of my soul and spirit to make this journey a successful one. And I learned so much about myself during that time. It’s all about bringing body, mind and spirit in balance. I do that with writing a lot and always starting the day with a little thinking.

• #3: Look for a role model!

I don’t talk about stalking or obsession. But it helped me a lot to have a role model to motivate me. My role model might be a bit unconventional, as he’s male. It’s Dave Gahan the musician. He went through serious drug problems in the 90ies and came out alive on the other side. I can totally relate to his feelings and philosophy of life, when he talks about it in interviews. And you might be surprised how many parallels there are between drug addiction and weight problems.

• #4: Try vegetarian or vegan!

After I learned that a lot of people feel better when going vegetarian or even vegan, I thought it’s worth to give it a try. It’s not as hard as you might think of, and I feel so much better. The book “Eat to live” by Dr. Joel Fuhrman was very eye opening for me.

• #5: Keep your awareness up!

You might come to that “point of no return”, where you think you are stable now and nothing can ever cause you to fall down again. I’ve been there. But I made the experience that I’ll never be there forever. I always have to be watchful not to fall back into old habits. It’s not as present as at the beginning, but for me it’s a lifelong journey.

Did I reach my goal? Not completely yet – my actual goal was to reach 65kg, so that would be another 5kg to lose. But I’m very happy already that I’ve come so far and I’ve figured that those last 5kg will be really hard. So I’ll give it a try the next few months, but I try not to stress myself out on that.

I just started reading “Slow burn” by Stu Mittleman – and it’s very inspiring. So you always learn something new and it’s so nice to be part of life and grow every day. I can’t believe that I nearly threw that life away!

So I hope this is a little inspiration to all of you out there who are still struggling. Don’t give up the fight – it’s really worth it! You deserve to be happy and healthy – so go for it! 

 

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Great Story, Thanks For Sharing!!!

 

How To Get The Motivation To Sign Up For Weight Watchers In 3 Days! (True Story From A PEERtrainer Member)

This email was just sent to us by someone who is on Day 3 of our course to Help Stop Emotional Eating. We are sharing it to show how quickly one can get back on track, EVEN if you have fallen WAY off track and gained a BUNCH of weight back"

"Hi, Peertrainer is helping me immensely. It gave me the motivation to sign up for Weight Watchers Online. I am a lifetime member but gained back 45 lbs now I have lost nine and feel empowered thanks to Peertrainer. WW has always worked for me when I work the plan, and with Peertrainer also, I feel very positive about my ability to lose those 45 lbs.

Peertrainer calls, (I am on call three,) helped me to re-frame how I define myself. I learned the importance of how we think about ourselves, and now I say I am not an emotional eater, I eat at times to avoid an emotion that I don't want to deal with. YAY, that is progress!

The second call stressed this and it is working for me. I stop myself before I eat and examine what I am feeling. I substitute exercise, journaling, or go to my list of activities I keep on my refrigerator and pick one. And, wow! It works!

It hit me when I scrolled down to see all the people in the group, and one member really caught my eye....2fat2lose I think that that person is setting herself up for failure, because she believes she is to fat to lose the weight, and this caused me to really think hard on all areas of my life, as to what I am saying as opposed to what I really want.

Thanks very much, love Peertrainer! 

Great Story Of A Man Who Lost 48 Pounds Following Dr. Joel Furhman's Eat To Live

Just got this comment on one of our YouTube videos about Dr. Joel Fuhrman and Eat To Live:

 

"I wrote the first comment on this video a year ago. I ended up buying the "Eat to Live" book rather than the "Eat for Health." It is my Bible!! I read and reread this book for motivation and to learn everything I can. I've since lost 48 pounds. 198 pounds to 150 pounds. Blood pressure is below 120/80, without any medication, and the blood test for cholesterol, LDL, HDL, etc. were all good. Thank you for suggesting this great resource."  Gary - In a Little Town in Northern NY

 

If you click into the video comments you will see his first comment was a year ago where he says he's going to buy the book.  There's some other great feedback there too.

You can find out all about the book at http://www.drfuhrman.com.