The ELEM-6 DIET, Part 11: Nitty-Gritty Details

Whether you have already begun to EL and EM or are just contemplating beginning, I want to dish up for you a plate full of juicy details. Today's little post is simply to  let you know that  in the next few weeks--and especially once we are on the other side of Christmas and into the new year--I want to give you what I feel may be some very useful, and perhaps helpful, details of my EL and EM daily routine.

I don't know about you, but it really bugs me when they interview anyone who has accomplished something big and it is made to seem like the person went from situation "A" to accomplishment "Z" seemingly without and details or intermediate steps inbetween. "You know, the mail room was a challenge to me in the beginning, but when I found myself as CEO things were even more challenging still. And that's how I got to whaere  I am today." I want to scream at the interviewer, "Ask him about steps B through Y or I'm going to yank my hair out by the hands-full and toss it at the screen!" I want to know who he met or golfed with or bribed or whatever to catch his rocket-ride to success. Did he subscribe to the Wall Street Journal and study it every morning for two hours? Did he take an on-line course for aspiring CED's?

So, I promice you I will soon be telling you all kinds of details about how I set about to lose 80lbs and all the little steps which played into me reaching my goal ten months later.  But for now, I am off to revell in  the wonder and delight of Christmas worship and celebration. May your Christmas be filled with meaningful moments of joyful contemplation or the coming of our savior.

The ELEM-6 Diet, Part-10: El and Em--Even Thanksgiving Week!

Just wanted to touch base with those of you beginning (or contemplating) El and EM. Well, I survived my second Thanksgiving on the ELEM-6 diet. Last year, 2008, the year I discovered/invented the ELEM-6 Diet and embarked on it in earnest, it was just a few days before Thanksgiving (!). I just couldn't wait until afterwards to get started (although then I was kind of terrified in anticipation of the EL aspect). I was afraid that if I waited until after Thanksgiving day, my fresh new motivation might fade and I'd not get started at all (as had happened so often before). That Thanksgiving--one year ago--I had to, like this year, face meals at the homes of three relatives in the course of two days. Not to mention leftovers (Yum! Thanksgiving leftovers!) in the days after. Nonetheless, I stood my ELEM-6 ground  then, and did so again this year.

Thanks to a year's worth of El and EM, I was able to have a more-or-less normal-sized plate of food this year. Just no seconds. I also even allowed myself a small piece of apple pie for dessert. Even though I didn't eat all I could have--or wanted to eat--I nonetheless had enough and didn't feel deprived. Remember, this is the diet with no "no's"! Simple common-sense portion control means there is nothing--and I mean nothing--which, in itself, is off limits.  That is one of the wonderful and liberating things I love about the ELEM-6 Diet.

Part of the key to the ELEM-6 is not making exceptions for holidays, birthdays, celebrations, etc etc. So, on Thanksgiving Day I got up at o-dark-thirty as usual and walked (on snow!) for a full hour. That keeping of my EM routine (and the same the day before and after) "bought" me a normal/moderate portion of wonderful turkey dinner and trimmings.

As I said in an earlier post, I'm not going to be some hard-nose about you beginning this diet just before Thanksgiving. If you weren't ready to begin last week, no sweat. If  that was the case, I just  hope that now you will be joining me and getting under way (or is it weigh?) any day now.

Keep coming back and checking out this blog space because, as I mentioned, my sister Lauren will soon be contributing her great input about weight loss which, I can assure, you will find very insightful and inspirational.

Above all, don't buy into the voices--yours included--which whisper to you, in one way or another, "you know you can't do it, so don't even try" or, "You've ftried and failed many times before, so no use setting yourself up to fail and be disappointed again." Stick your spiritual fingers in your ears when you hear such things. Instead, be your own best coach and repeat to you heart and mind, "I must. I can. I will!"