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May 27, 2013 Hi {!firstname_fix} Well, ranch was incredible. I hear people reporting in different places on the lists. Of course it is hard to capture the nuances of all that happens, but as I read the posts in different places, I can feel the power of the connection we all make. I am going to ask people if I can compile some of the comments. I think it will help you connect to what we actually do. Santa Fe was a great venue. It is a great little city and fun to be in. The hotel was lovely, the food yummy, and the rooms nice. I was pleased with making the change to develop a whole segment for new people. It was wonderful for all of us - more clarity for brand newbies, and depth for everyone else. Reflecting on what the steps really are ALWAYS helps everyone. And the weight loss material was profound. I had prepared it and then when it was time to present, I just let it flow. I am glad we recorded it (smile)...you will be hearing more as we go. And I introduced a coloring book to go with the material. It so added to the process. Making the material interactive meant people could sort it as we went through it. I will always do this now because it was fun for all of us. Now planning will shift to Euroranch in the fall. For those of you planning to attend, don't forget that early bird special runs through May 31st....next Friday. If you want the savings, reserve your spot. And I think a number of people are coming from the US, so consider that as an option if you have not been yet. Salisbury is a wonderful spot to visit and we ALWAYS have fun. These classes will begin Wednesday, May 29, 2013. Please click on the name of the class and it will take you to the registration page:
This class will begin Wednesday, June 5, 2013. Please click on the name of the class and it will take you to the registration page:
These classes will begin Wednesday, June 12, 2013. Please click on the name of the class and it will take you to the registration page:
The class schedule is online. Click here to see what is planned. A number of you have asked me how the classes work. Check the class list page for more information on this. And please go read the questions and answers before you write to me. If you have trouble getting through the process, write the tech forum. Be sure to visit our Radiant Recovery website and Community Forum regularly. Warmly, Kathleen **********************************************************************
**Quote From Kathleen ** You are not afraid. You are not alone. You are part of a larger miracle. **********************************************************************
**Testimonial of the Week ** Of course I have feelings. I should have clarified what I meant by "negative feelings and thoughts." It's that stuff we sometimes refer to as "negativity" in a person -- the gloom and doom, people do it to me, I hate myself, life sucks, you can't trust anybody, I'm totally fat and stupid, I can't handle life, I hate this whole damn world, life is so unfair -- you get the idea. My sister is dying -- I feel very sad about it. My grandson is blossoming in the theatre -- I feel very happy about it. My life is changing directions -- I feel very excited about it. Lots of feelings. No negative stuff. The anger piece is interesting -- you suggest maybe we have anger to tell us something is not right in our life and to make changes. Maybe we do, but I don't seem to operate that way anymore. I make changes because I notice something new popping up that is more appealing than the present so I move toward it, whether it is more direct communication or finding a new place to live. I live with honesty, integrity and fullness out of a deep appreciation and love for life and people around me, not out of feeling guilty or miserable or judged about bad behavior. This is different than it was before I did the food. As you can imagine, I live with deep gratitude for finding this program that has changed my life in many wonderful ways. Joy S **********************************************************************
**Radiant Ambassadors **  Do you remember what it was like before you discovered Radiant Recovery? The bingeing/crazy mood-swings/depression/hopelessness? The not knowing what was wrong? The constant search for an answer? I can still remember the precise moment I went into a bookstore and saw Potatoes not Prozac for the first time. It was in Waterstone's and it was laid out on a table along with the other new books. I remember picking it up and reading the back and thinking, "Oh my, I think Dr. DesMaisons must know me." I remember the almost tangible feeling of hope. So what's your story? How did you find out about Radiant Recovery and what difference has doing the food made to your life? Let's talk on the Forum or the Ambassadors list! Selena selenas@blueyonder.co.uk Come join us if you are excited about spreading the news. **********************************************************************
**How I Found Radiant Recovery ** Hi, Kathleen said we could introduce ourselves before the class. My name is Marian. I am a recovering alcoholic who has struggled with food my whole life. I just discovered Potatoes not Prozac and Radiant Recovery last week. I have started eating breakfast according to the four parts. I am excited to learn more. **********************************************************************
** Radiant Recovery® Store ** David manages the Radiant Recovery® Store. He is also Kathleen's oldest son. 
We now have the completed 2010 Ranch CD in stock.It starts with a clear discussion of the steps. This will give you a wonderful updated reflection on each step, and then their relationship to one another. Ironically the going off of sugar step is the shortest time. I will let you guess which is the longest (smile). Then Kathleen talks about the Addiction Amoeba...those other pesky things that grab us along the way. If you have heard the term and wondered what we are talking about, this reflection will give you such a sense about how addiction creeps in, lodges in our hearts and sucks the life out. Kathleen said, *I listened to this maybe 20 times as we were editing. And I kept thinking, there is so much comfort here. To realize how much addiction is biochemical is so comforting. And to realize it can be healed gives so much hope. We don't have to do drama, or get scared or overwhelmed, we can just get things settled.* The emotional healing segment is a perfect companion for those of you who use Safe Place to meditate. It explains *why* guided imagery can heal things like nothing else will. Listening over and over was so healing. The words make sense. The words give tenderness and guidance the power behind this core part of what we do for healing. It took a long time to get it done, but is it worth the wait! The emotional healing segment is a perfect companion for those of you who use Safe Place to meditate. It explains *why* guided imagery can heal things like nothing else will. Listening over and over was so healing. The words make sense. The words give me tenderness and guidance. It took a long time to get it done, but goodness, is it worth the wait! Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better. **********************************************************************
**Radiant Kitchen ** Jo's ShakeMy favorite shake these days is double chocolate. I don't make it every day, because it takes a little longer than most shakes. But I like it. It is not at all sweet, so feel free to use my suggestions to make it sweeter. Sugar is fine on Step One.I've tried to make the recipe somewhat international, but I don't do too well on that. Fortunately, for readers from outside the U.S., the amounts are not at all precise. I never make mine the same way twice (smile). Once you get the technique down, it's easy to play with amounts.
Take the pan off the stove. Add the almond milk. I use about a cup. You can vary this, to taste. Stir well. Pour the cocoa/almond milk mixture into a blender. Add banana, vanilla, and protein powder. Blend. Add ice if desired to make the shake cold and thick. Blend well. For more great program-friendly recipes, check out our cookbook in the store and visit our online Radiant Recipes site. **********************************************************************
**Radiant YLD ** The importance of being steady in your program is one of the hot topics of discussion on the YLD list this week. But, did you know you can join YLD at any stage in the steps? We chat about everything from getting your body moving to sharing our favourite ideas on what to do with those veggies! Steph x If you would like to join, come find us here **********************************************************************
**Radiant Conversations ** We have a new portal for the Conversations program. Come check it out here. I hope all the conversations members are reading the chats. They are totally remarkable. Sometimes I go back and reread and think, "Golly, how amazing." Seems like an incredible gift. If you would like to join us, you can do that below. Join YLD Weight Loss Now: click here - $99 Join Conversations 2011 Now: click here - $99 Join Both YLD and Conversations Now: click here - $149 Current YLD members wish to Upgrade to Both, click here - $49 If you are not a member, come and join us if you want to be a part of the latest and greatest or just have some plain ol' fun! **********************************************************************
**Our Online Groups ** On the Radiant Fitness group we talk about how doing the food can support our fitness program and vice versa. Some favorite topics are what to eat when doing intensive exercise when all that's out there commercially are sugar filled products. We also talk about what to eat before and after morning workouts, and what to do for those folks whose training program requires a twice a day workout. We just had a great thread on the necessity of sports drinks and how doing the food is better. We have runners, walkers, bikers, dancers, aerobicizers, yogis, and many more types of exercise enthusiasts on the list. One of the neat things is people who are recovering from exercise addiction who are learning how to work exercise back in their life in a healthy way. If any of this fits you, well, come on over and join in. **********************************************************************
**I Am Gaining Weight ** Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.
We talked about weight loss at Ranch. In the past week I have been reading emails from people who are concerned that they are doing the program and not losing weight. You do NOT have to gain weight on the program. And when it is time, you absolutely can lose weight. Let’s look at these two issues: Here are the reasons you might gain weight when you start.
So, the question is, do you have to gain weight? The answer, of course, is no... you simply get your motivation in gear and move along in the process. Step three has a huge impact on the sugar and white stuff. Now, I know that some people think I am mean or curt or unloving when I say these things, but honestly, all the drama about weight really is not necessary. If you are in a panic about it, you can go and do a diet. You know how to pick one. See if it helps you get settled. See if it heals your sugar addiction. See if you feel better and clear and not frantic. If all that works, you can simply do the diet and then come back. I believe your weight is only the tiny tip of the iceberg. If you chip it off, the rest of the iceberg is just going to surface anyway. What the program will do is take care of the iceberg...melt it...and the weight loss part of it comes after taking care of the iceberg, so when you do it, nothing else surfaces. I got an email from a woman in the First Steps in Losing Weight Class. She said she had been working on the program for a year and had gained 20 pounds. Ok, so that made sense to me. It fit with what I had said above. Then she said... *According to DH I have about 1,000 calories for breakfast alone, which I am comfortable with, because that gives me the protein start I need for my day. The other meals tend not to be so calorie heavy, I think. I try to not keep track of the calories and focus on the protein and whole grain aspect instead.* Now, at first glance, it sounded consistent with what I have been saying over and over for a long time. Except the 1,000 calorie breakfast part. That one just stopped me cold. How could that be? I wrote her and asked her if she would share with me what she has for breakfast. She did. Here is what she wrote: *Here's my usual breakfast. I have it within 20 minutes of waking up. 1 tablespoon butter to grease the pan, mushrooms (usually have them on hand, sometimes not), 3 eggs (21 gr), 2 sl amer cheese (6 gr) or 1 sl harder cheese (4 gr), 1 sl whole grain bread w/ 1 tablespoon natural p.b. (3 gr for pb - no sugar or oil added). Depending on my mood, sometimes I'll add a light sprinkle of cinnamon sugar onto the p.b. (probably about 1/8-1/4 tsp sugar), 16 oz whole milk. Sometimes I will also throw in an ounce of deli meat or leftover meat from the night before into the eggs. If I remember correctly, I don't count the protein from the milk or the bread. Bread counts as my whole grain and milk doesn't hold enough for protein count. Feedback would be great.* I knew that her breakfast was not all that different from what a lot of folks have. But how could it be 1,000 calories? So I went over the the UDSA calculator site and actually counted calories. I think this is the first time I have counted calories since I was 8 years old and I was mimicking my mother who used to count calories every day. Here is what I found.
If you look at the numbers, you can see that the milk is 30% of the total. If you took out the butter, the peanut butter and the milk, you would halve your calories...and if you changed out the cheese to 1 cup of no-fat cottage cheese, you would go from 260 calories to 100 and get 15 grams of protein instead of 10. So that would be about 380 calories instead of 1,000+. I sat there and I was simply dumbfounded. I realized that I have done you all a big disservice. I did not factor this stuff in. It is a difference of 60% of energy intake (yes, that would be calories)... I realized that I don’t think about this because I don’t think about calories. I think I have thrown out a crucial component. So maybe we need to add in how to make some choices around which foods you choose to stack up that protein. A second issue I have seen over and over...people write me and say “Kathleen, I have done the steps. I am on step 7 but I am not losing weight.” I always ask to see the food journal. And I ask to hear about their exercise. Almost always, these two things show not enough food and LOTS of exercise. It is as if when people get to step 7, they revert to diet mind and eat less and stop paying attention to amounts. Weight loss for sugar-sensitive people is complex. Diets actually do not work for us. Our bodies work differently. We need a special package to lose weight. We need to heal the addiction, we need to be fit, we need to eat to match our level of fitness and we need to heal the emotional context behind our weight. If we do those things, we get a life that you cannot imagine. If we don’t we will stay stuck with the anguish about our weight. Everything starts with healing the addiction and creating balance in our bodies. This is what the steps are designed to do. This is why we say focus on the steps, focus on the steps. I will be writing about this lots more over the next months. I am also going to be offering a series of classes about body image and finding the body that suits who we are. It is a process. And we have a solution. Thanks for reading! If you know someone who could benefit from this, feel free to forward it to them. Not a subscriber yet? Like what you have read? Sign up to get future issues delivered straight to you: http://www.radiantrecovery.com Until next time!
Here are the folks who are helping put the newsletter together:
Gretel, our webmaster, puts it all together. David runs the Radiant Recovery® Store. Selena provides the weekly Ambassadors column. Steph provides the Your Last Diet column. ©2013 Kathleen DesMaisons. All rights reserved. You are free to use or transmit this article to your ezine 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 http://www.radiantrecovery.com for additional resources on sugar sensitivity and healing addiction. You are getting the weekly newsletter from Radiant Recovery® in response to your signup. A copy of this newsletter may also be found posted on the web at http://www. radiantrecovery.com/weeklynewsletter |
