Attention everyone, DOUG needs your input

[Doug Varrieur]

Hi gang, I need your help, advice and input. Our publisher wants me to produce a 1 hour motivational CD to include as a bonus in the revised edition of FAT TO SKINNY being released in 2012. Here's where you come in, I want you guys to help produce it You can do that by giving me the topics you feel are the most important when first starting out and the topics worth "readdressing" down the road.

Imagine yourself just bringing home your new book and inside is a CD,

Q- what topics do you think I should talk about to the "newbie" who's just starting out, what would like to have heard about?

Q- how about the reader who listens to the CD upfront, then reads the book and starts the program. A month later plays the CD again for a reminder lesson. What would you like to hear in this situation.

I look forward to all of your input 

[joagain]

 Doug I think the most important thing is to let people know all the good things that will happen other then just the weight loss & reversal of Type 2 Diabetes!
 
Also that you have this great forum!

The hunger, cravings, indigestion  acid reflux, headaches all going away !! The helping of Type 1 Diabetes . And how great you feel !!!

The only thing that I wished I had heard at the beginning  was there are a lot of people like me that lose 4-10 pounds in 30 days instead of 30 pounds in 30 days .

I know that had I not emailed you and you sent me to this forum I would not have stuck to it because I did not lose a pound a day &
   BOY OH BOY WOULD I HAVE MESSED UP BECAUSE I FEEL BETTER THEN I HAVE IN YEARS !!!!

 

[katary]

wow.....i could post every day on this topic:)     first of all don't lie to yourself,or anybody else.... be truthful about what you're eating & how much of it....next you must commit to the lifestyle,it cant be a part time gig.....when you 1st start don't go crazy buying tons of food & try every recipe that comes down the pike,find a basic meal plan and stick to it...then after you get the hang of it,try new recipes,but in moderation,the more you make,the more you'll eat>>> hey lets face it we all got FAT following the same eating habits and being lazy(or at least i did) and don't kid yourself,if you're too lazy to take a walk or do something that makes your body work a little bit...then well,you're just that,LAZY....and once you get to where you want to be,the game doesn't end there,its just beginning,the game of life i mean....start living again,enjoy life and your loved ones,get your butt out from behind the computer/TV ...whatever and do something>>>> and don't get all bent out of shape if you're not losing as fast as you think you should & if you're not losing you're doing something wrong,reread the book ask the forum questions and honestly assess your situation,and make the proper adjustments.....damn my fingers are getting sore...lol I'm sure i can come up with tons more stuff:) this is a good start though:)
                    thanks again Doug & umpa:)

[mouseissue]

The one thing I see most newbies (and a few oldbies) getting hung up on FAR to much is how fast or slow they are losing weight.
Too much reliance on the scale is the problem.
I blame this on the same culture that gives us the upside down nutrition charts.
I can almost read the tears from some folks and it breaks my heart to think they might give up because of it.

As you know, weight loss is far more complex than a number on a little box we stand on.
Without getting too technical, describe what folks can expect during their FTS journey.
They need to understand that no two people are alike and their experience will be a "personal" one.

[ShihTzuMom1]

I think you should take "Fast & Easy" out of the title, it makes it sound like a fad diet.  I agree with Katary that you should point out that everyone should start with basic food until they understand the program.  Also that there is desserts and sweets but they are a once in a while treat, not an every day thing.  And yes, mention the forum, that it is very helpful to get ideas and support.  Everything seemed to make much more sense to me once I joined the forum. 

[fatrichie]

I know I'm new to this, but.....

First I'd stress more the importance of realizing this is a "Life Style Change".  Not a diet, not difficult and not impossible to do. 

Second thing I would do, is spend a moment on the beginning.  The one thing I looked for in the book, was an answer solidly stated to the question, "where does it say what to do on day one?"  When I didn't find it I went to Adkins induction phase as my first step.  Show on the disc what to do the first day, how you'll feel, what may go through your head.  What could happen on day four or five of sugar detox, you know the day you may feel like crap that only lasts a day.

Third, I would put an emphasis on the portion of the book that relates to the signs of actual hunger.  That has done as much or more for me personally than any other part of the book.  Know when you are REALLY hungry, then eat only what you need for fuel and choose the correct fuel.   

This is a great program, I have never been so excited to make a change in my lifelike this has done or me.  I look forward to every day to seeing how much improvement in my life choices have evolved from the day before! I find my self questioning my hunger pangs, eating far less than I have in years and not being hungry. 

There are my two cents Doug.  Thanks so much for opening my eyes, my wife is even trying this with me now!  If you only knew how amazing that is, you'd be beside yourself!   She's a tough sell!

Rich

[SherriPie]

Everyone has covered so many great ideas from the book. There are two things that I keep going back to from the book. One is portion sizes, that's so important. If you don't stay in the guidelines you aren't going to loose even if you eat only 2 carbs a day. Secondly, eat when you're hungry not because of time or stress. I use this almost daily. I find myself going to eat something and ask is it a craving or am I really hungry. I actually ask myself if I'm full and it's amazing but most times I just walk away and don't eat.

Also, I like the idea of saying it's a lifestyle not a diet.

[Rena]

Like Sherrie -- definitely portion control. Doug said something that totally made sense after I commented on being able to eat a bunch of cheese while fixing dinner. He recommended chewing on a piece of gum while fixing dinner.

Must...buy...more...gum!  Cheese, albeit carb free, is a real staller for me.

I'd also like to see more 'lifestyle change' discussed and how to transition once your goal weight is reached.

[TabyTaby]

Everyone I think has given great ideas the only thing I would add a little is about emotions. I've realized through my weight loss journey that I actually did medicate my feelings and emotions with food...and you hear it all the time but never really think about how so many people do it, well I think it would help to talk about what do you do now that you don't turn to food for comfort...and be aware that it will happen and to watch for it. I would also emphasize again, as someone else said, that every body will respond differently. I expected my body to react as some others have done and when it didn't it threw me (seems obvious but just in case). As I've seen many posters talk about certain ailments going away, like acid reflux, and for me, that hasn't gone away at all...it's just as bad as ever and I'm on prescribed meds for it (due to gastrointestinal diseases and the foods I eat i.e. vinegar and such) and it seems obvious but to focus on how you can't compare to the next person because your body is as unique as you are and to keep hanging in there...it MUST come off.

[Doug Varrieur]

Thanks everyone for your input, it's always great to get the word directly from the front lines  I'm going to leave this thread open a bit longer to give some late comers a chance to chime in. FAT TO SKINNY and all of you wonderful forum members ROCK! 

[Doug Varrieur]

How about discussing....no,  warning the new reader about all the people around he/she that will try to sabotage the eating plan by either tempting the reader with foods.... Statements like "a little apple pie won't hurt you"  or slamming the reader with uneducated statements like "You'll have a heart attack eating that way" or Your cholesterol will go through the roof with all that protein" stuff like that.

Did anyone experience that because I sure did 

[ShihTzuMom1]

Yes I'm sure we have all heard similar statements as well as "you need more carbohydrates than that, how will you function".  I'm sure most of us feel like we have way more energy than before, so we are functioning exceptionally well!!

[TabyTaby]

YES! I totally go through that now...people think I'm being anorexic because I don't eat enough or only eat twice a day or how unhealthy I am...BLAH! I eat healthier than most folks I know warn them about that.

[mouseissue]

How about discussing....no,  warning the new reader about all the people around he/she that will try to sabotage the eating plan by either tempting the reader with foods.... Statements like "a little apple pie won't hurt you"  or slamming the reader with uneducated statements like "You'll have a heart attack eating that way" or Your cholesterol will go through the roof with all that protein" stuff like that.

Did anyone experience that because I sure did 

I would ask if anyone DID NOT experience that.
Any respondents should then be asked; "How long have you been a hermit?".

Newbies should be warned about these upcoming challenges.
They should be given a few tips on what to do when confronted with them when they come from others that they care about.
If the remark came from someone they don't care much about, the remark should be  given it's rightful attention and ignored.

[Rena]

I agree, Doug. We've heard that, too. People need to keep their noses in their own business sometimes. I also hear that low-carb diets fail because they're not sustainable, impossible to stick with, and possibly can cause kidney damage. I have a friend that sells HCG who doesn't like low-carb diets. Like eating <500 calories a day and giving yourself hormone injections is healthy?