Posts from — March 2010

 

Fibromyalgia Survivors Incredible Weight Loss Aid

 Basic Fat-Burning-Soup

 

 

Fibromyalgia Survivors listen up! The following soup recipe has it’s origin at the Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital for patients undergoing heart surgery and needing to lose weight quickly prior to surgery. 

 

This is my updates experience as a Fibromyalgia Survivor while following the diet protocol from Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital.  There are no recommendations or changes to the diet or protocol itself.  The pleasure of soup making is often a joy for others. 

 

For those living Fibromyalgia it can be quite painful if not an impossible chore.   I hope my recent experience will help you lose the weight loss you have not been successful with due to numerous reasons we Fibro sufferer’s understand.  It is also my hope you enjoy your time preparing the soup and the weight loss as much as I have. 

 

My renewed experience and successful results are intertwined within the protocol.   It has been an amazing and successful approach for me.  I hope it will for you too. Expect to lose 10-17 pounds by the end of the seventh day.  I tried this diet three  times.  The first time I lost 11 lbs.  The second time I lost 17 lbs.  The third time I eliminated  15 pounds. Yes, I really did it!

 

  Basic-Fat-Burning-Soup

• 1 or 2 cans of tomatoes      
• 3 packages Lipton Onion Soup Mix
• 2 green peppers        
• 6 large green onions
• 1 bunch celery
• 2 lbs carrots
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 can green beans

 

Certain ingredients can be removed or others added. Due to stomach problems from fibromyalgia I chose to use only 3 large bunches of green onions and deleted the onion soup mix. It’s up to you.  I chose chicken broth with no msg instead of the beef broth.  I added mushrooms.

 

Cut veggies into small to medium pieces.  Place veggie’s, broth and onion soup mix in large pot.  Season with salt, pepper, parsley, curry etc. Even hot sauce if you like.  Cover with water. Boil hard for 10 minutes.  Reduce to simmer and continue cooking until vegetables are tender.

 

That’s it! Or is it?  It sounds easy. But for fibromyalgia sufferers the cutting of veggie’s can be excruciating.   It was for me.  I stood at the counter to cut the veggies.  BAD MOVE!  My neck and lower back, not to mention my legs and feet due to standing and leaning just a tad forward screamed with pain!  The repetitiveness of cutting caused my hand to tighten painfully and ache.  

 

My 1st remedy:  I sat down with an ice pack against my neck and lower back while cutting the veggies.  This relieved some of the neck, back, leg and feet pain. I wore my hand brace to reduce the hand pain while cutting. 

 

Now this may sound drastic for some.  If you find you experience a similar scenario You may want to give my remedy a try before you suffer in vain. 

My 2nd Remedy: Who says the vegetables need to be fresh and cut by hand?  It doesn’t mention this in the diet protocol.  The 2nd time I make this soup all veggie’s were frozen, already cut and ready to toss in the pot!  If I use canned in the future I’ll be sure to run the veggies under water to reduce the sodium. 

 

Moving on…Diet Protocol:

 

Eat as much of the soup as you want. Anytime you’re hungry you can eat this soup.This soup will not add calories. The more you eat the more weight you will lose. Fill a thermos in the morning if you will be away during the day.

 

Warning: If eaten alone for indefinite periods of time, you will suffer malnutrition.

Allowed drinks: un-sweetened juices, tea, black coffee, cranberry juice and water.

Disallowed drinks: alcohol, carbonated drinks, including diet drinks.

Drink plenty of water all day!

 

DAY ONE:  Eat any fruits but Bananas. Cantaloupe and watermelon are lower in calories than most fruits. Eat only the soup and fruits. 

DAY TWO: Eat until you are stuffed with fresh, raw or canned vegetables. Try to eat leafy vegetables and stay away from dry beans, peas and corn. Eat along with the soup. At dinner time on this day, reward yourself with a big baked potato and butter. Do not eat any fruits today.

DAY THREE: Eat all soup, fruits and vegetables you want. Do not have a baked potato. Remember to drink water! If you have eaten for three days, as above, and have not cheated, you will find you have lost 5-7 pounds.

DAY FOUR: Bananas, skim milk and soup. Eat a minimum of 3 bananas today. Drink as much skim milk as you are able today. Bananas are high in calories and carbohydrates and so is the milk, but on this particular day your body will need the potassium and the carbohydrates, proteins and calcium to lessen your craving for sweets.  Remember to keep drinking the required water.

DAY FIVE: Eat Beef, and enjoy tomatoes today! You may have 10-20 ounces of Beef and a can of tomatoes or as many as 6 fresh tomatoes on this day. Eat the soup at least once this day.  Remember to drink water!

DAY SIX: Eat to your heart’s content of the beef and vegetables today. You can have two or three steaks if you like, with green leafy vegetables, but no baked potato. Be sure and eat the soup at least once today.

DAY SEVEN: Brown rice, un-sweetened-fruit juice and vegetables. Stuff yourself! Be sure to have the soup at least once today.  Remember to drink water.

 _____________________________________________________________

By the end of the seventh day, if you have not cheated on the diet, you will have lost 10-17 pounds.  If you have lost more than 15 pounds, stay off the diet for two days before resuming the diet again to begin day one.

This seven-day eating plan can be used as often as you like. In fact, if correctly followed, it will clean your system of impurities and give you a feeling of well-being as ever before. 

After only seven days of this process, you will begin to feel lighter by at least 10 lbs., and possibly 17. Having an abundance of energy continue this plan as long as you wish and feel the difference.

This diet is fast, fat-burning and the secret is that you will burn no more calories than you take in. It will flush your system of impurities and give you a feeling of well being. This diet does not lend itself to drinking alcoholic beverages at any time because of the removal for fat buildup in your system. Go off the diet at least 24 hours before intake of alcohol.  

Because everyone’s digestive system is different, this diet will affect everyone differently. After day three, you will have more energy than when you began, if you did not cheat. After being on the diet for several days, you will find your bowel movements have changed — eat a cup of bran or fiber. Although you can have black coffee with this diet, you may find that you don’t need the caffeine after the third day.

DEFINITE NO-NO’S - BREAD, ALCOHOL, CARBONATED DRINKS INCLUDING DIET DRINKS.

STICK WITH WATER, UN-SWEETENED TEA, BLACK COFFEE, UN-SWEETENED FRUIT JUICES AND CRANBERRY JUICE.

ABSOULUTELY NO FRIED FOODS.

The basic fat-burning soup can be eaten anytime you feel hungry. Eat as much as you wish. Remember, the more you eat, the more you will lose. No fried foods or bread. You can substitute baked or broiled Chicken (absolutely no skin) or broiled fish instead of beef on only one of the beef days. You need high protein in the beef the other day.    

Any prescribed medication will not hurt you on this diet. Continue this plan as long as you wish and feel the difference both mentally and physically.

Fibro Friends: If you follow this diet you can lose weight! I lost 11 lbs on my first attempt and 17 on my 2^nd.

It may help lessen the unbearable pounding on your entire body due to less weight and can reduce toxin’s to help you feel better.  That’swhat it’s all about for us. One helpful aid at a time.  Nutrition and therapy helps fibromyalgia sufferers.  All it takes is action! 

“Care Tip”: To keep the weight off, replace one meal a day with soup and eat more vegetables.  The comfy aroma of soup simmering in the kitchen is soothing and a happy  experience!

Good Spring to You!

Cheryl :)