Carrie, thirty-three years old, schoolteacher: I just wanted to thank you for your support and expertise. Since signing on to your beliefs, I have lost 15 pounds and now view the last 8 pounds as "no big deal". I know that I can achieve what I want and I feel that it is due to your inspiration.

            Now I have to be honest, when I first read your drafts of the book, I did not believe that I could do what you were asking me to do. I thought that it was a bit crazy to starve yourself and actually, encourage people to do the same thing. So, I read what you had to say and then made some modifications to my diet. I started eating 4 times a day and cut down on the amount. After 2 months of doing that, I realized that I had lost a few pounds, but I still had a lot more to go and it really didn't feel like I was achieving results I was hoping to achieve.

            So I opened up your book and re-read what you recommended and again I made adjustments to what I was eating. This time, I cut down the portions to fit in the "cup" and began playing with what types of food were helping me last until the next "cup". I soon realized that teas and honey lattes were delicious and good fillers for the in between. I also cut out all the fake sweeteners I was eating and I noticed that I began to feel better as well. The pounds began to come off.

            Then, again, when I hit another plateau, I went back to your book and made another adjustment to my exercise routine. I still made it to cycle 3 times a week, but I began to incorporate Pilates and weight classes. Not only did my body respond to the change (I can see muscle in my arms again), but I began to feel my mind respond too. Awesome, I really feel like I can be a lean person and enjoy exercise of the body, mind and soul.

            I want to thank you for what you are doing. I am sure it is a lot of work to keep up with all the current trends and motivate people of all shapes and sizes (and willpower). I still have more to do and continue to modify what I do on a daily basis. Let’s just say that there is always more that one can do. However, it is so great to have a person/place to turn to when I need that little push in the right direction. Your classes, book, website, and soul have changed me for the better. I just wanted you to hear this from someone who appreciates your hard work.

            I look forward to the future.     

 

Wendy, forty-one years old, firefighter: The cup diet isn’t really a diet f or me. In fact I wouldn’t consider myself a dieter, as I haven’t had lasting results with diets per se. When I was introduced to the concept of eating portions from a cup the size of my hand, portion control took on a new meaning.  I laugh now as I reflect on how big my servings were beforehand. I have always been a grazer, but I was grazing from a trough. 

Frankly, when I got a glimpse of the amount of food Julie was eating, I knew I was off track. At first, I experimented a lot. For example, my routine was to scramble three to four eggs with cheese and spinach. That amount overflowed my cup. I discovered two eggs scrambled in butter with a handful of spinach fills my morning cup. I was surprised that my downsized portion was plenty of food. Now it’s my norm.

Next was my coffee. I use to drink this gigantic mug of coffee with cream. I have whittled it too down to my cup size. In every aspect, I have reduced my serving size to fill my cup size. I love to not feel stuffed from eating so much. From this one change, I have more energy, I feel satiated AND I have slimmed down.

The cup is my personal food accountability system.

The cup is a tangible framework I keep on using because it helps me stay in reality about my food choices. It has evolved my attitude and my experience with food. The way I now look is more in synch with my athletic and outdoorsy lifestyle. I like that.

Amy, forty-two years old, attorney: When I think of Fill Your Cup, a few words come to mind - refreshing, simple, clean and logical. It is a beautiful concept that works. I have always had the exercise routine down, and never struggled to make exercise a priority. It is simple - if I do not exercise, I am grumpy, and life is too short to be grumpy. I am a litigation attorney and have two 2-year old daughters. Like you, I had read, and briefly (and I mean very briefly), tried Atkins, South Beach and a few others, but I didn't have the time or patience to make sure I ate the precise amount of the recommended foods at the precise time. The conclusion I reached was that in order for me to succeed on one of those diets, I either needed to quit my job, or hire a personal shopper and personal chef. I knew that would never happen. 

My dad has always said, "To lose weight you need to consume less calories."  While I always knew that was true, I never had the time to pull out a kitchen scale and calorie counter to add up the calories I consumed in a 24-hour period. Again, too time consuming! I have always known that I feel better about myself when I am hungry, but until I read Fill Your Cup, I never consciously recognized that feeling. It is so refreshing to be encouraged by Julie to embrace my hunger - try it on - see what it feels like!  Hunger feels fantastic! 

 At 5'1", I am a little under-tall. As you can imagine, my cup is small. In fact, it is the size of a Gerber baby bowl. I am not discouraged by that one bit - I can fit all sorts of a variety of foods in my cup. After about 8 weeks of filling my cup, I lost 12 pounds and have kept it off. When I’ve been asked how I lost the weight, and then explained Fill Your Cup, I’ve often received the response, "It is just portion control." However, the truth is, Fill Your Cup is so much more than portion control. Until you read Julie's words, you can't understand her beautiful creation. I'm keeping my cup about 80% of the time and it works!

Fill Your Cup is a lifestyle that causes you to embrace every day, every step and every morsel that enters your mouth! I will be filling my cup for the rest of my life. I can't wait to share Fill Your Cup with all the special people in my life. Kudos and heartfelt appreciation to you, Julie!  

Courtney, thirty-three years old, massage therapist/body worker: Skeptical to the core is how I would describe myself as I filled my first cup. With an anatomy and physiology background, all I could think was, “you need more than this to perform,” but in the back of my head I knew I was currently eating enough for a team to perform, so I gave it a shot. Week one was a frantic attempt to get the heaviest foods I could into that bowl, to try to extend the feeling of being full as long as possible. By the second week, I realized I was not getting any fresh foods into my diet and had to make some adjustments. This is when I started reading Julie’s book. As week three arrived, I had more adjustments, and a schedule of when I could eat and, even with the ups ands downs, this suddenly felt kind of natural.

            When it started getting tough, I would check out Julie’s blog for inspiration. I learned that as an active person with an active job, I could fill my cup with really whatever I wanted, usually piled pretty high, but definitely earned, and have enough energy to work hard and play hard. I was not technically “overweight” coming into this but had just come off 2 consecutive injuries and a pretty indulgent 4-week holiday to see the scale tipping about 15 pounds higher than 8 months before. I found Julie inspiring and supportive. I can still hear her asking “What are you saving your energy for?” when I run and when I ride my bike, and that constant buzz telling me “Your body is so much stronger than your mind.” Thank you Julie for the cup (I’ll keep it) and for the inspiration, 30 days in, 8 pounds lost and a whole lot gained!  

 

Mary Sagala Verleur, forty-four years old, retired sales manager/ current poet: I finally got the concept: Fill My CUP. I'd been filling my plate, bowl and bread plate, too. Now, I'm comfortable. I feel better. Thin feels good, light. I'm eating much less than I used to and that gives me more energy (I don't feel stuffed). It simply takes a few days to learn to eat LESS than you're used to. Now, I eat about 3 cups a day, and it's almost entirely healthy food. I take one or two bites of a dessert now and then, but I don't need a whole cup of sugar. I've lost nine pounds with very little effort and plan to lose another five pounds, too. I'm eating more vegetables and less sugar and bread. Consuming just 2-3 HEALTHY cups of food per day is the simple solution. Thank you, Julie Poplawski & Fill My Cup!