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Vivian’s SANE Story: Her Approach to Eating in an Informed and Conscious Way


I lost 20lbs and feel better than ever before. I eat whatever I want – no restrictions, except for carbs and sugar, which I will eat in minimal amounts. I noticed that if I indulge one night (like Thanksgiving), I will feel hung over the next day. My body is not used to those foods anymore – it doesn’t want them – and I am happy to oblige.

I was carrying around an extra 20lbs of baby weight for the last 10 years. I always had a big appetite and just thought I was one of those people who liked…, wait, strike that, LOVED to eat, and therefore, would always be a bit over my desired weight.

In April 2013, I came across Jonathan’s SANE Solution and his message completely resonated with me. I immediately bought his book and read it, and later was able to talk with him in person about SANE eating and eccentric training.

vivianaftercI immediately started following Jonathan’s advice and cut 90% of carbs and sugar out of my diet. I was lucky to find a HIT gym right in my neighborhood and I signed up for that as well. While eliminating carbs and sugar certainly required some perseverance for the first couple of weeks, they were easily replaced with delicious alternatives and I was NEVER hungry. In fact, to this day, there is still no way I can eat 10 servings of vegetables per day.

Because my body began to crave sugar less and less, I was able to finally start noticing and paying attention to my internal hunger cues. I rate my hunger on a scale of 1-10 and have learned that it only takes about 4-5 bites to reach the next number on the scale. Sometimes I like eating up to a “5”, but other times, I want to feel full and satisfied, so I will go up to an “8”. Either way, the way I eat now is an informed decision, not something that just happens to me that I feel I have no control over. The compulsion is slowly going away (it’s a long process).

To me, the change has been more emotional than medical or physical. I was never obese and thankfully, never suffered from any health related issues. For me, it was all about breaking the compulsion and realizing that sometimes, 5 bites are enough to make me full. Before, I would’ve never noticed this because of the way my brain was addicted to sugar.

Today, I will tell everyone who cares to listen about my “discovery”.   I lost 20lbs and feel better than ever before. I eat whatever I want – no restrictions, except for carbs and sugar, which I will eat in minimal amounts. I noticed that if I indulge one night (like Thanksgiving), I will feel hung over the next day. My body is not used to those foods anymore – it doesn’t want them – and I am happy to oblige.

Gaining back control of my body and nourishing it when it’s hungry, instead of the compulsive manner in which I ate before, is nothing short of a miracle!