RFA and what it takes to lose

As you might already know, I have been attending RFA meetings for six months and have lost slightly over 40 pounds. At first the dietary guidelines were difficult for me but I'm glad to say that now it is much simpler for me to do. We eat no sugar, flour or wheat. We also abstain from caffeine, cheese, nuts and avocadoes.

Sample:

Breakfast -- "pancakes" 1/2 cup of dry oats, 3 egg whites, cinnamon to taste, a pinch of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt. Mix well. Use non caloric cooking spray on fry pan; heat up (not to the point of burning) and place the mixture into 3 "patties". Once cooked on one side, turn and cook on the other side. Place pancakes into a dish and top with 1 fruit portion. (some heat the fruit before serving it). A fruit portion is as follows: 1 chopped medium apple or 1 large orange broken into segments or 1 small can of pineapple (in its own juice) slices.

For lunch: 4 ounces of protein such as chicken, 2 hard boiled eggs, tuna, or salmon. One cup of cooked vegetables such as green beans or cooked zucchini. A second cup of raw vegetables is the final lunch component such as raw carrots, raw celery or sliced (1 cup) tomatoes.

Each day we have one tablespoon of mayonnaise (no sugar -- I use XXX from Whole Foods) or 1 tablespoon of margarine, or 1 tablespoon of Newman's Own vinegar and oil dressing (I use the no sugar one). This can be in lunch or dinner but must not be forgotten.

For dinner, 4 ounces of protein: such as beef, lamb, chicken, tuna or salmon. We must keep in mind that we can only have beef (or lamb or pork) three times a week. The second food is a starchy vegetable such as yams or baked potato, or mashed potato. In each of these cases, we are either the cook or have asked about the preparation, to eliminate sugar, flour or wheat.

We also eat 2 vegetables: 1 cooked and 1 raw or 2 raw.

Whoops I forgot that the dinner meal (supper?) can include 1 cup cooked brown rice in place of baked potato or yam.

Robyn asked that I post this sample day's food. Don't be overwhelmed, as I said before it gets easier and easier. I have not had any acid reflux or digestion problems on this regime; I do sometimes have a belch after a meal.

Let me know your reactions.

Poet