Hi Brooke!
I am brand new to Self Coaching Scholars and I’m so excited to be here! I first learned about you this summer when I texted a dear friend and asked her how the hell she lived through menopause. She texted me back your podcast — the episode about joy and creating thoughts/choosing thoughts that are about joy (by imagining you’ve lost all the weight or won a million dollars). I INSTANTLY fell in love with you and your podcast. I started listening to as many as I could and decided about 2 weeks ago that I had to find a way to be in Scholars. I cancelled a few other monthly expenses to make room in my budget and now voila–here I am! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a 50-year-old mom of 2 college-aged students, divorced, and about 50-70 pounds overweight. I am a high school history teacher and I live with my boyfriend and his two daughters (they are with us 1/2 the time) and my dog. I firmly believe that the best part of my life is in the future and I am someone who LOVES to set goals, plan, and achieve crazy things (I got a PhD, I ran 2 marathons, I got divorced–all things I could NOT IMAGINE being able to achieve/live through/survive).

I have chosen to start my journey on the SCS webpage with the Stop Overeating Workshop. I am listening to it during my 1-hour commute each way to /from work. It is AMAZING.

I have three specific questions for today, but I’m pretty sure I may be one of your “frequent flyers” (that’s what I call the kids in class who always have a question).
1. What is your opinion about protein powder if I am able to find one without sugar (or flour)? I use one now that I will have to change. I drink my shake on the way to work. I’d like to start my protocol with 3 meals and then consider going down to 2 meals later. And so, I’d like to find a breakfast option that works for me. I could eliminate the protein powder completely, and then all it would have in it is almond butter (no sugar), coconut milk (no sugar) and fish oil. I’m concerned that without the extra protein I will be very physically hungry by lunch (which I now realize is ok, but is uncomfortable–I know! That’s the point). Teaching takes a lot of energy and so I tell myself I need to be “on” and that food helps that. I may be wrong about that, I now realize, but that’s where I’m coming from in my “beliefs” at the moment.
2. Can you talk at all about the inclusion of potatoes, rice, bananas and other foods with relation to the glycemic index? Do you use the glycemic index at all? I am guessing I should drop that and focus on this.
3. (see I already have a new question). Do you have any aspect of your work about ketosis and that whole crazy world (I think it’s a bit like a cult! LOL but I lose weight when I do it…) I am curious how ketosis relates to insulin, and the two hunger/full hormones.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond! I am so excited to be a part of this group! 🙂

Laura, Chicago