VOILA, I DID IT! SHARE YOUR SUCCESS
Cheryl M
POSTED: Fri, 01/15/2010 - 11:38pm
Introduction
Hi All, I've been reading here and enjoying all the info on this wonderful site. Thanks. My story...I'm 48 years young, was feeling heavy, eating large portions of (very good) food and my pants and skirts were too tight. I re-read FWDGF and decided to begin with the leek soup. The morning of 11/2/2009, weighing in at 146, (I'm only 5 ft. 2 inches tall) I made a large pot of leek soup. On 11/2 and 11/3, I drank broth and gagged down the slimy leeks, urinated lots and had a bit of diarrhea (sorry, TMI)...on the morning of 11/4, I was down to a weight of 140! I was VERY motivated to continue applying the principles of Mirelle's wonderful book. I purchased a scale and began weighing meat portions, measuring veggies and carbs, and discovered how delicious my food is by appreciating every bite . This morning, 1/15/2010, I weighed 131! I've increased my water consumption, decreased my portion sizes, pretty much cut out sugar...except for small desserts on occasion. I read Robert Arbor's "Joie de Vivre" (and loved it!) I'm now reading Mirelle's "French Women for All Seasons" and love it too! My clothes are fitting very differently, my skin and hair looks healthier and I feel awesome! I started making my own yogurt and even purchased some tablecloths and candles (unscented) to dress up our dinner table and then I purchased a beautiful set of Duralex Picardi glasses. I wanted our table setting and appearance as "French" as possible. :) The Christmas holidays were hard as my husband was on vacation most of December and our two college boys were home for mid-semester break...and they were always hungry and wanted lots of dessert. During that time I did eat a bit off and didn't lose any weight, but didn't gain any either. Now that those days are behind me and hubster is back working and the college boys back at their dorms, I can concentrate more on me. This has been a wonderful experience for me and I hope to continue it forever...I've realized I simply do not need the quantity of food I was unconsciously eating and I was not consuming enough water. Thank you, Mirelle! Blessings, Cheryl M.MIREILLE'S CALENDAR
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FRENCH WOMAN'S MANIFESTO
French women eschew extreme temperatures in what they consume, and enjoy fruits and vegetables bursting with flavor at room temperature, at which they prefer their water, too.
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Genevieve Evangeline
POSTED: Mon, 09/05/2011 - 1:01pm
40 pounds later
It has been over one year, and I have kept the weight off. I am hypothryroid and up until now, nothing has worked. It seems I have been on a diet since I was a teen. I am 40 years old, and haven't looked like this since I was 25 when I used to do the Miss America circuit. All together I have lost 60 pounds. I feel like I have gotten my life back, but even better. I don't exercise. I take the stairs, greek dance with friends, and go shopping. I enjoy all the "no-nos" my friends avoid. I am surpised at how my palate has changed. I used to drink a pot of coffee, and never felt satisfied. Now, I have a cup of x-tra bold roast French or Italian coffee, with half & half. I find that I rarely finish the whole cup, however, I no longer like regular coffee as it has no flavor. Bread used to be an addiction of mine. Now I only buy the best, have a little with real butter or garlic & olive oil, and that is enough, it is an nice addition to a meal. Regular bread has no flavor. And chocolate, only the darkest, richest chocolate will do, and after a little bit, when the thrill is over...I'm done. Boxed food, and fast food just seems so...disappointing. I am now willing to wait until I can have a wonderful meal, although if I want something like McDonalds, I get my kids meal, enjoy it without guilt and move on. This has been great!_Anna_
POSTED: Mon, 06/04/2012 - 11:29pm
thank you for your post!
I just wanted to let you know I have come back to this post a few times and am built up by it. My experience exactly! I am off track and trying to get back on, but after reading FWDGF I experienced all those things for about 6-7 months and then slowly slowly let bad foods and bad habits back in. I lost 30 pounds and now am going to try to get back on track and go toward 30 more. But more than losing weight, I want my life back. I want to enrich my palate again and be in it for the 'thrill' again, which usually comes in the first 2 bites, rather than mindlessly eating. I am taking it slow and starting by just drinking a lot of water again. But thank you for your post. It reminds me what I am trying to get to: a life without guilt where i have high standards for my indulgences and am willing to wait until I am able to get them, instead of compromising with something not nearly as good and feeling the need to eat more of it searching for that thrill and getting uncomfortably full and ashamed instead. I want my life back, my personality, delight in life, energy, joie de vivre! And if I lose 30 pounds in pursuing that, why that would be wonderful!_Anna_
POSTED: Fri, 06/08/2012 - 10:09pm
:)))
i'm so glad you guys got something good out my little ramblings. Now if only i could take my own advice...it is not clicking for me this week. But i am so glad guys!KATHYH
POSTED: Sat, 06/09/2012 - 8:53am
Isnt that how it goes :)
We all know that feeling, one week "we've got it" and share our inspiration and the next week we lose it. "Reboot" as I like to call it by eating what will give you peace, taking a walk, and picking up the book and reading a snippet or two. Do this structure until you feel strong again and I sure you will be on another role. You know how it is, if we eat something processed or crappy in some way its like a poison....sets off continued beahvior, watch to see what those "trigger foods" may be and remember where they send us.(note to self) :)_Anna_
POSTED: Mon, 06/11/2012 - 9:48pm
trigger foods...
sooooo true!!! i need to think on that. there definitely are those foods that set off that awful cycle. good to remind myself of that and prevent it from starting.KATHYH
POSTED: Sat, 06/09/2012 - 8:58am
Anna (ps)
That is the good thing about our community here, it seems there is always someone in a "good place" when one of us needs some help getting back on track.JSB
POSTED: Tue, 06/05/2012 - 4:41pm
GoodAfternoon Anna
Your standard for indulgences saved me today.A colleague brought in "doughnut holes"sugar coated ,greasy bits of doughnut.Usually I eat them,feel awful,swearing I won't eat them again.I looked at them and thought "pretty low standard indulgence"and walked away.Thank you.oxoMarilyn
POSTED: Wed, 06/06/2012 - 9:58am
Well done
Well done, Soul Sister. High standard indulgences is a brilliant idea which I must take with me on my short break into Southern Scotland next week.JSB
POSTED: Wed, 06/06/2012 - 10:49am
Marilyn,Kathy and Tina
Dear hearts you are the best.Thanks.Next time someone arrives with a box of those"Timbits"I won't even look inside I know what is in there....rubbish.I think High Standard Indulgences is a motto to live by.Last evening a friend dropped by .She craved pizza.We thought delivery at first and then as it was a gorgeous evening,we decided to go for a walk.We ended in a wonderful pizza restaurant ,about 5 minutes from here.The pizza is sooooooo yummy.All fresh,local,organic ingredients and the crust whisper thin and not grease soaked.I ate half of mine.YAY 50% solution.Had a lovely glass of red wine and a delightful time with my friend.Wish you all could have been there.oxoKATHYH
POSTED: Wed, 06/06/2012 - 8:09pm
"High standard" indulgences......
Our new Sisterhood motto.JSB
POSTED: Wed, 06/06/2012 - 9:01pm
YES!!
I am going to write that several places to remind me.oxoyogamomma
POSTED: Fri, 06/08/2012 - 9:21pm
Me too!
High Standard Indulgences... I am shouting it from the mountaintops! Erinkit
POSTED: Wed, 06/06/2012 - 12:35am
Absolutely,
Only the best, for the best. We are "French Women"!!xoxojas
POSTED: Mon, 06/11/2012 - 10:01pm
I like it too
no more low standard indulgences. JasKATHYH
POSTED: Tue, 06/05/2012 - 7:47pm
Jean
So proud of you. *hugs*vickie2
POSTED: Tue, 06/05/2012 - 11:32am
I agree with Kathy
...I love your statement about having high standards for your indulgences and being willing to wait until you can get them. Great things are always worth the wait :)KATHYH
POSTED: Tue, 06/05/2012 - 6:00am
Anna
I am not sure if you are new but welcome or welcome back. You will suceed, I hear it in your words and perspective. Having weight to lose as you know is all about our head and not about hunger in the stomach. I loved your statement about having high standards for your indulgences and being willing to wait to fill them rather than compromising and not feeling fullfilled. Thats going in my notepad. Keep writing and sharing, we need each other.JSB
POSTED: Tue, 06/05/2012 - 4:44pm
Dear Kathy
What you said about it being in the head,suddenly made complete sense to me.And along with Anna's high Standards and your insight I had a much better day today,food wise.Thank you.oxo_Anna_
POSTED: Tue, 06/05/2012 - 3:12pm
Kathy
Thank you for the welcome! I am new; yesterday was my first post. Thank you for the encouragement! (Also, I like the idea of writing encouraging things to remember and ponder in a notepad! I did that when I first read the book last year but have not in a long while. A great thing to start up again!)Kimberly
POSTED: Sat, 06/09/2012 - 9:08am
I enjoyed your post....
I also like the High Standard Indulgences term. I will remember that.kit
POSTED: Thu, 09/15/2011 - 11:37pm
Wow! Well done...
Thank you for the great post and for sharing so much of your journey. You are so correct, the "only the best" philosophy gives new meaning to "living well". Within the constraints of our budget, I seek out the best, most fragrant sourdough bread I can afford, for example, because if I'm going to have bread it needs to be one piece of something worthwhile. Sometimes, like this past week, I was feeling sad and found myself eating little things here and there when I wasn't even hungry. And as you said, sometimes if I didn't plan well enough in advance, I share McNuggets with my grandson. But most of the time, it is so freeing to eat well only until full and look for every opportunity to walk, walk, walk!Viva la Diva
POSTED: Thu, 09/15/2011 - 11:46am
Congratulations! I loved
Congratulations! I loved reading your post, so inspiring that changes can keep happening. I needed a reminder to stay ahead of my indulgences. Cheers!blondetaz
POSTED: Fri, 09/09/2011 - 4:46pm
Congrats
What a wonderful story. I, too, have found that the French way of living is the only way for me to keep my weight in the proper place. I'm a little over right now because I just came back to this way of being...but very soon I'll fit into those skinny jeans again. I am so happy for you. SherieJSB
POSTED: Fri, 09/09/2011 - 12:20am
Great story
You have done a wonderful job.Congrats and welcome.JeanAva
POSTED: Thu, 09/08/2011 - 5:41am
Well done!
It does take time and is a whole new learning curve, but eventually you do realise that really good, enjoyable food is worth waiting for (and I don't mean junk food!)When you know you'll be satisfied with delicious food (just less of it), you know it's worth holding back on the snacks and junk. In fact you get to a point (as you have), whereby most pre-made food tastes (and is) substandard. I love cooking from scratch and really feel the benefit from doing so; not only in the taste (and healthy content) but in my ever decreasing waistline!
I too used to be disappointed with prepacked food, to the point where I'd spend ages in the supermarket - reading every box and putting it back again, only to go and buy the fresh ingredients to start from scratch. I hate Frankenstein foods with ingredients that read like science experiment lists!
Bon Appétit!
jas
POSTED: Tue, 09/06/2011 - 8:10am
Congratulations
Yeah Genievive....it is great to get your life back.Marilyn
POSTED: Tue, 09/06/2011 - 7:04am
Well done
That is an amazing feat. I must reread the book as I have a few pounds that have crept back on and will not go. I'm 64 and finding it more difficult to keep on track. I should follow the advice I give others!!snorklee
POSTED: Mon, 09/05/2011 - 1:40pm
Brava!
It is an amazing way of life, and you have made it yours. Congratulations!ChristineE
POSTED: Fri, 06/10/2011 - 10:27am
Hello All!
I just found this particular conversation. I like that there's a place to say hello and introduce oneself. I'm in my mid-forties, married to my college sweetheart, two kids (21 and 18 yrs), with a dog. I stumbled onto this website looking for wardrobe tips. That led to looking for tips on looking more put together, which led to looking more European, and voila! I was here. I read both FWDGF and FFAS recently and am working on integrating the principles into our lives. Going very well, I found I already did many of them. Snacking seems to be my downfall and I'm making a great effort to not do it. Also I have been drinking the water before bed and upon waking, and noticing a big difference! I used to wake with a headache and I haven't all week!! I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you! ChristineMarietjie
POSTED: Fri, 03/26/2010 - 5:11am
Hallo, I'm kind of new...
Hi, this morning I finally got enough courage to actually say hi to all of you. I'm 23 years old and from South Africa. I started reading this site about 2 months ago and I literally printed all of Mereille's articles out to read at home. I have not bought any of her books, but plan to as soon as possible. I have been enjoying all your conversations and you have helped me a lot with my thoughts regarding food. I love food, but it has to be really good, I don't just want to eat anything, it has to be worthwhile. I am still learning a lot about living healthy and balanced, I still struggle a bit, always trying to set up rules regarding my eating habits. I tend to be a perfectionist and sometimes I find that I get into habits regarding food. I guess it gets a bit boring after a while, but also I can get a bit restrictive and then it is difficult to relax again. I guess what I am trying to say is that I still need to learn how to enjoy my food without stressing about it the whole time. It's getting better though, thankfully. Nice to finally talk to you...