There seems to be some desire to have an official support thead for the Sonoma Diet. I know I would find it helpful...it seems so lonely out here in the Sonoma forum!
Let's start with introductions.
My name is Linda, I started the diet in July with wave one. I found it to be more difficult than I thought to detox from the sugar...I had a miserable headache for days! It was worth it though as I lost 11lbs, an encouraging start. I started at 118lbs and hope to reach my goal of 145 at some point.
I am enjoying the recipes. I am new to California and some of the ingredients I had never used before...especially the chilies. I am (and so is the family) enjoying trying these new foods.
I have had a busy and challenging summer...many trips, moving house and several parties have made sticking to plan tougher. I have tried to choose wisely and watch portions, but it is hard! I just got back on Monday and will force myself to step on the scale soon to assess the damage. I may be heading back to Wave One to curb the sugar cravings again.
I'm not on this diet but it sounds similar to my home-made diet so I just ordered the book.
Long story short, after gaining and losing the same 20 - 25 pounds all my life, I find that at age 47 I just don't yo-yo like I used to. Oh sure I can yo-yo UP spendidly, but downward, well the weight just doesn't crash off like it used to. So i found myself 40 pounds in the hole, YIKES!!!
I've relunctantly decided I have no other choice than to be "moderate" today, tomorrow and forever and I find that much more challenging than binging and starving, both of which I excel at.
My relatives (in France and Spain) are always so skinny. They have wine, sauce on everything, they don't even have "diet food" so basically I'm trying to eat more like them.
When I lived in Spain as a teenager that was one time I didn't have a weight problem at all. Walking, walking walking (up five flights of stairs at my apt!) and no fast/processed food! Lots of fish, fruit, salad, olive oil, and much, much smaller portions. So I decided to try and recreate that all these years later (climbing the Hollywood Hills to substitute for my old Spanish staircase!)
So far I've lost 7 lbs in a month being very loose about it -- now logging on to FitDay to try to really keep track of my portions, hoping to pick up some momentum.
I think the integrated exercise that a lot of the europeans get is a key component to their ability to eat all that yummy stuff!
I too have tried to recreate that here, and it isn't too tough once you get your mind around it. I live in a small town, and frankly it is easier to walk or bike than to drive around. Though these past few days it has been hotter than hades and the motivation wanes...lol I also have access to a gym, but still feel a bit self conscious going in to work out. I am trying to get my head around that too.
I also think that the social aspect of the meals helps with portion control, and enjoyment of the food. The slower you eat the better. As a mother to 3 and a midwife, I have a terrible habit of eating my food waaay too fast. I have to remind myself that I need to slow it down. It feels forced at times, but I'm trying.
I enjoyed the book....mostly common sense, but nice to be reminded. The tone is friendly and it is easy to read. I found the recipes, though looking daunting, were very easy to execute and delicious. Let me know what you think after you read it.
Hello people! I'm Ev. I am trying to eat better and being on Sonoma helps remind me of what I should be eating.
This is probably my third go around w/this plan. I tried it last summer and lost 10 lbs. Then, over the winter holidays, I packed it all back on, plus! So, I've lost 5 since the beginning of summer, when I started eating more Sonomaish. However, the past three weeks have been hard. Too much eating out and way too many fattening desserts!
So, today I try again. I've been pretty good the past three days. I've had a slip up or two, but nothing like I was eating before.
I have two kids, 2 and 4. My son is extremely thin and my daughter is average for her age. My husband is also a normal size guy, and the pickest eater ever! He'd never eat what I make on Sonoma... so basically, I have to do this on my own, while still keeping food around for my family. So no purging of sugars, cookies, white breads or pastas for my house. I have to practice will power w/those items.
Since reading Sonoma Diet a year ago, I am much more conscience of what I eat. If I eat something bad, I say, "this is not Sonoma approved". Now, that doesn't stop me from eating it, but I am very aware of when I eat well vs. poorly. I try to stay away from white breads and pastas. My major downfall is dessert. No amount of chocolate is too much for me.
I'm happy to have others here. I need to "talk" about my diet. When I don't, I tend to do ... well, not so good. Hopefully we can support ourselves throught this.
I've been losing weight using calorie counting and slimfast. I'm bored with the slimfast but haven't been doing well without the structure of a plan. I've been stuck at 175 since mid-July. Theoretically I know what I can (and should) be doing but not in practice!
I bought the Sonoma cookbook this summer and have enjoyed their recipes. I just ordered the Sonoma diet book so I think I will use this program when I get it. The cookbook has a quick and dirty (I'm assuming) version of the diet but I think I'll wait the few days until I get the actual book then read it, before starting the plan for real. I don't have all the information that I need, such as what is actually involved with each wave. Plus I have lots of fruit in the fridge that I'd like to use up first!
I did well on South Beach a couple of years ago, which also follows waves, but I found it too restrictive for a family. Since it's hard to get my boys to eat certain foods, it's worse if Mum isn't eating the same as the rest of the family ("you have different food, why can't I have chicken and fries?") and the Sonoma recipes I've used suit us (except for the "I don't eat vegetables" boy, but we're working on that!).
Ev - there will be no purging my house either. DH is happy with eating Sonoma recipes but since he has a physical job and no problem with weight (except a difficulty gaining it ) he insists on his candy bars and baked stuff in work lunches. So it's willpower for me too . Still I've managed to deal with that before!!
Hi, my name is Mary. I'll try to keep this brief. I've flirted with this diet ever since it came out. I've struggled with my weight my entire adult life. I've successfully lost large amounts of weight a couple times-50 lbs on weight watchers and 60 lbs on protein power but have always gotten distracted and away from the program and gained some of the weight back. Within the past year, I sold my house in PA, got a job in Mississippi, packed up and moved. Turns out I hate my job here. Being stressed out all the time hasn't been very good for staying on my eating plan. Now I've been diagnosed with high blood pressure too. I am in the process of finding a new job which hopefully I will like better but I decided I needed to get my eating under control before I did any more damage to my health and since I know this diet has proven health benefits I decided to go with it. I think I should tell you all that I am a physician but if you met me in person, I'm really just a regular person.
HI LADIES ~ my real name is DEE; I just used ROSEBUD for fun; it's from a movie. My plan was made up but I have been lurking around this SONOMA & MEDITERRANEAN site for a while to get recipes cuz it is so similar to what we are already doing.
It seems that I've been dieting my whole life; I was put on my first diet when I was fifteen y/o cuz I was getting chubby. I lost 25 lbs, but promptly gained it all back with interest. That was just the start of my dieting nightmare ...
Eventually, I stopped dieting cuz I was jaded; I went thru some really bad times and gained a huge amount of weight; the heaviest I'd ever been in my life. Finally, around 2005, I got sick and felt desperate to lose weight. I have lost more than 70 lbs over that time. Last winter, I faltered and gained a little back (8 lbs); that's why I came to this site; I have now lost 2 lbs back off in July/2007; working on my next 10 lbs.
Sometimes, I weigh my meat servings and measure the cooked pasta, but I mostly eye-ball it on the plate/bowl thing. I love how simple it is; and I have gotten really used to eating more fruit and veggies. I'm actually becoming a veggie nut, but I still love my meat too (I just pick lean meat that's all).
Like EV, I think I'll just jump into wave two (2) cuz I've been doin' this for a while already; I agree that it's nice to be part of a group workin' on a similar plan. Since I am of European Ancestry, I'm not surprised that I like this style of eating so much.
MARY ~ I have gotten my sugars and my blood pressure back down over the last while; mine was stress related (top numbers). I do music therapy; I have a nice granny rocker that I sit back in with my eyes closed, and listen to calming, serenity music (my faves) every day; it sure has worked for me. Best wishes for your job search ...
Last edited by Justwant2Bhealthy; 08-22-2007 at 11:37 PM.
Hi all, my name is Jennifer. Like others here, I have yo-yo'd all my life...lost 50 lbs on body for life, gained it back. Lost 40 on Atkins, gained it back, tried lots of things (I have a funny article on my weight loss adventures, I'll post it some time). Sonoma is the one diet that I think i can really stick to forever! I'll always go off it for special occasions, but I'm comfortable with that as long as I get back on.
I started the diet back in June. I went off when I moved and then went out of town for 10 days, then back on, then back on for a couple of weeks until I went on the cruise. All told, I lost 10 pounds in only maybe 4 weeks on the diet! I only gained two back on the cruise so I'm happy. We started back on the diet today, going shopping after work!
One of my favorite things about this diet is that it's forced me to slow down a little and enjoy the every day tasks of shopping (go to the farmer's market every sunday), prepping and cooking meals with my husband.
I enjoy ballroom dancing, although I don't do it much anymore (danced every day of the cruise though!), and riding my arabian horse.
Sonoma Supporters
) he insists on his candy bars and baked stuff in work lunches. So it's willpower for me too 
. Still I've managed to deal with that before!!
HI LADIES ~ my real name is DEE; I just used ROSEBUD for fun; it's from a movie. My plan was made up but I have been lurking around this SONOMA & MEDITERRANEAN site for a while to get recipes cuz it is so similar to what we are already doing. 