Judi’s Optimal Body Balance Story

by sheilaobb | Sep 9, 2011 | Areas of Weight Loss Resistance, Gut Dysbiosis, Natural Weight Loss

Judi before Optimal Body Balance...

Judi 40 pounds lighter!

If we’re looking at weight loss; I’m halfway to my goal. I lost about 40 pounds working with Sheila at OBB (and 34 inches!). I have another 60 to go.

But, if we’re looking at attitude shifts, I’m 100% there!  I finally ‘get it’!

I thought I knew how to lose weight. I’ve certainly done it enough times over the past 40 years. But I didn’t know the relationships formed between food and my body.

It isn’t just eat less, move more.  As a wise woman once said; our body is not a bank account where you need to spend more than you put into it, rather it’s a chemistry  lab.

My body reacts very differently to different nutrients.   I knew little about gut dysbiosis and food sensitivities, but wanted to see what  I was ‘sensitive’ to.   I took a blood test for food sensitivities in April 2011.

I’ve ALWAYS had sore joints, kneeling was impossible and I took MSM and chondratin daily.  My food sensitivity test said to cut out cane sugar. Well guess what? My joints don’t hurt if I stay away from white sugar.  It’s no big loss, I can still enjoy dates, maple syrup and honey.

The test also pointed out a strong reaction to onions. I LOVE onions, truly.  But now that I don’t eat them, I noticed my sinuses clear up and throat clearing is not an issue anymore. I do indulge in scallions and shallots sometimes.  The final food on my sensitivity list was peanuts. I have no idea how they affected me. I still haven’t eaten them to find out.

My huge take away from this program is that I’ve learned to listen to the cues and signals provided by my body.  For example, I no longer need my prescription omeprazole for heartburn. If I eat too much bread, I feel the heartburn coming back. If my joints start hurting, I review my food intake for the past couple of days to see where I might have slipped up.

Thank you Sheila for helping me learn how to eat to live. I don’t count calories, which was a major departure for me. In fact, for at least a month, I was stealth tracking my calories, even though Sheila said it wasn’t necessary.

But now  I focus on the balanced plate and continue to enjoy four meals a day. Six days a week, I have a delicious fruit smoothie for breakfast. (Sunday is a veggie omelet.) The late afternoon meal is a lifesaver to get me through to supper.

I hope to reach my goal weight by next August (2012) and will reward myself with a long weekend in New York City with family and friends.

-Judi