Hi all -- I'm feeling a need for reassurance. I would really like to hear form people who have acheived metabolic healing through Schwarzbein. Any stories out there? What was your experience like? What is it like now?

I sometimes have these dreadful doubts, worrying that I will go through all of this, and gain weight, and still have the same problems.

Can anybody reassure me?

~ tiffany

Tiffany, I have these doubts very often too, esp. when my weight goes up like in the last 3 days. But my Tanita seems to say I only have gained muscle and bone mass so far, so I hope it is true (at least my DH says so).

I would esp. be interested if digestive issues (constipation), sleep problems (waking up frequently) and migraine headaches (weather related) got better for anyone on TSP as I'm still struggling with these issues. But I must admit, something is happening on the constipation front this past week, finally! And I hope it is here to stay, LOL.

Hi Ladies,

It seems the nature of forums that those who are successful eventually leave to lead their own life. (And those who aren't successful leave a lot earlier... )

So we're likely on our own with this.

On another thread Willey shared that she works for a Naturopath who is pro-TSP and uses it with his/her patients. Willey even cited the example of a patient who first gained 15 pounds on the program, then lost it all (and maybe more). So Willey, can you share some encouraging results (no names, of course) from what you've seen at your clinic?

In a society that's always looking for instant results (I'm talking about the US here), it's tough to take on a program like TSP where you're told it will take most likely two years or more to get your system healed and in balance! But that's where this forum comes into play, for us all to encourage one another to not give up, and to strive to make it through those two years. No matter what.

Tiffany, you've only been at this a couple of weeks. If you weren't eating balanced meals before, don't be surprised if your weight goes up. Be prepared for it to continue to go up to some point; it's part of the healing process, and it's all explained well in the books. Hang in there!

And Barbara, you've actually got a meter (!!) that's showing you that healing is steadily taking place in your body. How cool is that?!!

[Rant "ON"]
One of the reasons I like Dr. S so well is that she truly doesn't have a big axe to grind. She doesn't have her own food industry, she isn't selling a lot of items (where can I buy a Schwarzbein Principle T-shirt?), she isn't monetizing TSP at every turn. That tells me she is unaware of what the other "gurus" are doing, or she has more money than she knows what to do with, or she genuinely wants to help people, even though most of the traditional medical world won't give her the time of day. I choose to believe the latter.
[Rant "OFF"]

So, if that's the case, why don't we just decide to believe it's going to work, stick to it for at least two years, and encourage the Living Daylights out of each other?

I've been on the program for only 10 weeks. My weight went down a few pounds (ahem, until the July 4th holiday...). But my thinking has become more clear. I was having challenges with my short term memory, and over just the last couple of weeks, I've noticed a definite improvement! Part of that is diet, but a good part of it is working at stress reduction, which is part of the Program.

The Program just makes incredible sense, whether looking at each piece or TSP as a whole. I just can't believe it's not eventually going to work for me. So I'm going to believe it will work. And if anyone out there thinks that's crazy, think about Dr. S taking the time to write books to try to convince an "instant results" society to try a program that will take years to see results, knowing the only money she'll likely ever see is from the sale of those books!

Sorry for the long post. I hope you're hearing the passion in my "voice", and that it will encourage you to stay with this thing, no matter what you may be experiencing today.

Blessings to you!

-Don

[QUOTE=BoomerGuy]Hi Ladies,

On another thread Willey shared that she works for a Naturopath who is pro-TSP and uses it with his/her patients. Willey even cited the example of a patient who first gained 15 pounds on the program, then lost it all (and maybe more). So Willey, can you share some encouraging results (no names, of course) from what you've seen at your clinic?

-->> That's ecouraging, Don. I hope Wiley chimes in.

In a society that's always looking for instant results (I'm talking about the US here), it's tough to take on a program like TSP where you're told it will take most likely two years or more to get your system healed and in balance! But that's where this forum comes into play, for us all to encourage one another to not give up, and to strive to make it through those two years. No matter what.

Tiffany, you've only been at this a couple of weeks. If you weren't eating balanced meals before, don't be surprised if your weight goes up. Be prepared for it to continue to go up to some point; it's part of the healing process, and it's all explained well in the books. Hang in there!

---->> Yeah, I'm in it for the long haul. And I do trust my body and my instincts, which so far, are telling me this is spot on. I've reconcilled myself to being a little heavier than I'd like while I heal, and that healing might take years. I hope not, and I kind of think not, because while CALP is out of balance, it isn't nearly as out of balance as many other ways of eating or diets. I haven't done a diet-diet for at least about 15 years. I just wanted some reassurance that my hope isn't in vain. I mean, I could believe with all my might that if I just stay on I-95 south from DC I will end up in Maine, but it ain't gonna happen. I want to be sure that I notice if I'm suddenly seeing palm trees!


So, if that's the case, why don't we just decide to believe it's going to work, stick to it for at least two years, and encourage the Living Daylights out of each other?

--->> Works for me! (I like the way you think.)


Sorry for the long post.

--->> LOL! As Barb can attest... I love long posts. I'm not convinced that we should be sorry about that when we have something important to say.


I hope you're hearing the passion in my "voice",

--->> Yes, I do, and I'm grateful for it. Thanks, Don!

May your food be tasty, and your life, satisfying...
~ tiffany

Don, you are the best, many, many thanks for this reply! To me it also makes so much sense and I feel really well on it but sometimes that creepy voice inside of me drives me nuts. I'm very afraid of making mistakes, esp. with my eating because I've mistreated my body so much with all those years of bulimia. Now I finally am nourishing myself in the way I feel is right and which satisfies me and I don't feel like I'm "dieting" at all. Almost too good to be true!

Okay then, I'm a believer too and we'll make it work! I just wish some more people here would become active, but hey, just a few people is good too!

Hi Barbara,


That's exactly right - because TSP isn't a diet - it's an entire Way of Living (WOL) that includes nourishment, exercise, stress reduction and the whole ball of wax (that's a US idiom that I hope will translate!).

As Tiffany said, it's totally logical and "spot on". And I think the reason it seems so logical to me is that it's pretty much what my grandma tried to tell me (over and over) when I was 8 years old...

-Don

yes, yes, and yes. I am gluten free also and this has helped tremendously. I also have fibromyalgia and have only recently had to go on a prescription med to manage my pain. I know many who are on LOTS of them. I still occassionally have sleeping problems but that is part of my condition. I do sleep better than I did before SP. The first time I had 7 straight hours was after I was SP for a while. I'd NEVER slept that way before. Ever. It's helped to stabilize my moods and even my temper. I no longer have panic attacks and my general anxeity is greatly lessened. I manage my goal weight very easily when I don't stray far from plan. It works.

Thanks, it really is good to hear it works! 7 hrs of straight sleep, what a dream!!! I go to bed at 10:30 pm and wake up around 12:30 am, 3:00am, 4:30 am, 6:00 am and then 7:00 am when I have to get up. Mostly I'm awake from 6:30 am though. Sometimes I can sleep 4 hrs straight from 12:30 to 4:30 am, and then I feel like I have slept the whole night already, LOL.

I think if I would be able to sleep 7 hrs straight or even 8 I would be juggling with trees because of all the energy I have then.

I must admit though, I sleep better on the days I haven't run and have been doing the crosstrainer or some other gentler aerobic exercise instead. I still
am sort of overtraining but am trying to taper down on that too.

One step after the other, right? And one good news, my constipation seems to get better, this week my BM's have almost been regular. This would be so great if it would get better too!

I am a success story. And someone else was right when they said we move on and leave the forum. I only check the forum once every 2-3 months. Mostly because TSP is no longer a challenge or a change. It is the way I eat everyday without any extra thought or effort. I lost 30 lbs and have kept it off for years now. I always remind people to that it takes time. It took me 3 years to lose that weight, but the point is that it hasn't come back and I don't have to "plan" my meals anymore. I still take my lunch to work and cook my dinners, but what makes up those meals is second nature to me now. I hope you all stick with it. I just gave my TSP book to a friend today.

Thanks for posting your experience! I can be patient. And I've had a WOE mentality for many years now. Considering that I've been stuck in this place for about 3 years on CALP, and considering that I really only have 10-15 pounds to lose, I don't have much problem focussing on healing, rather than obsessing about "thin." (Actually, I prefer svelte and toned anyway.)

~ tiffany

Thank you for dropping back in and encouraging everyone with the success you've had. Sounds like a "cookbook" experience - right out of the books!

-Don

Arctic cat-
Do you eat cream and butter? Do you eat wheat? I guess I just want reassurance that these things won't add weight if you are healthy. Thanks!

Yes to butter and cream for me. No to wheat and I do endulge in hi carb treats now but then make sure to balance out my calories when I do. It's all give and take. Moderation in all things and excess in nothing. Thus my new found love of martinis, only one per occassion.

Yes, I eat lots of whole grains. Oatmeal for breakfast, whole wheat breads for sandwhichs and whole grain pastas for some dinners. I cut out all processed and bleached wheat/grains.
I eat butter and cream too, but I don't center anything around them. If I have a recipe that calls for butter or cream, then I use it. I use whole milk when I make chai. I often make fresh whip cream sweeten with stevia over fresh berries if I need to something sweet. I don't eat any refined sugars and rarely eat things with made with unrefined sugars. I get my simple sugars from fruit. I don't eat a lot of man made/baked goods either. I think a lot of my success is keeping meals simple and not buying premade stuff. Cook for yourself or in some places you can find people who will come to your house and cook 20 meals and freeze them for you for just a little more than what it would cost you to do it yourself. I also rarely eat out. Mostly because I enjoy my food choices to much and they don't line up with resteraunt options.

I've been on the plan for almost a year. Still no weight loss, but other parts of my body have changed for the better: I don't retain water as much as I used to, and my menstral cramps are less than they used to be.

One year down, two to go, if my experience is similar ArcticCat's.