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Suzanne says, "Hi Everyone. Thanks for joining me today. The topic for today's chat is Somersizing. Please don't get mad at me if I don't answer your question. There are hundreds of you and only one of me. I know many of you have questions about SomerSweet and the Chocolate Truffles. I have just updated the information for both of these items on the website. Now... for your Somersize questions!",

rich says, "Suzanne, When will your products be available in grocery stores?".

Suzanne says, "SomerSweet products are in the works. There are many details that need to come together before they will be on the shelves. Sorry...! cant even estimate a date for you at this time; but please post things that you'd like on the discussion boards".

Guest448 says, "Hi Suzanne, I just started your program and really need my caffeine fix in the morning. Is there anyway I can have a little coffee and not mess up my results?".

Suzanne says, "Caffeine is tough to give up, but once you do, you will not miss if.

DesertWendy says, "are de-alcoholized wine and beer allowed?".

Suzanne says, "These products are still filled with sugars and carbohydrates, so...sorry. No".

Guest483 says, "Is your informercial still on? I've never seen it.".

Suzanne says, "The infomercial is not running, but the kit is available on the website".

Guest555 says, "is there any way to print this chat at a later time from your website?".

Suzanne says, "Yes, we will be posting this chat in the webmaster section of the discussion board".

Guest95 says, "Susanne can this diet work as well without all the fat?".

Suzanne says, "You can Somersize without including fats, but why would you want to?".

Betsy says, "Do the truffles have the 1st version of Somersweet or the 2nd version you mentioned in your update on 5/9/01 ?".

Suzanne says, "I never produced any SomerSweet with lo han. The only SomerSweet recipe is made from a blend of fiber, fructose and soy extract.

Guest555 says,"I ate a box of your truffles in 1 day, is that terrible, they were so delicious, help!!!!".

Suzanne says, "No! Do not eat a whole box in one day. I try to keep my limit to two a day".

Betsy says, "Will you be offering iced teas, lemonades, etc. with your Somersweet?".

Suzanne says, "Yes...powdered drinks like decaf iced tea and lemonade are happening as we speak",

rich says, "Suzanne, Will you please develop a product such as slim fast? These are so convenient".

Suzanne says, "Meal in a can is a little tricky, but I'm working on it.

Bree says, "Suzanne, what do you think is the best way to get the whole family somersizing?".

Suzanne says, "Getting the whole family to Somersize is easy when you prepare fabulous tasting food. They wont even know they are getting healthy. They'll just thank you",

sherri says, "can we use soy flour to make pancakes in level 1?".

Suzanne says, "It's best to use whole wheat flour or another type of whole grain flour in Level One",

amy says,"Suzanne, i was wondering where i can send my weight loss success letters".

Suzanne says, "That's a great idea. I will ask the webmaster to start a thread on the discussion forum and good for you!".

sailor says, "Hi Suzanne! Thank you so much for giving me my life back. You and somersizing are great. I have lost 120 Ibs. I have been on a plateau for 4 1/2 months. Is this normal and how do you overcome a plateau? I have not once gone off level one. My only change is that I am doing aerobic weight training. Thank you so much and all the best to you and your family.".

Suzanne says, "Stick with it. Some plateaus last longer than others. I wish you luck".

Guestl 55 says, "Is club soda legal?".

Suzanne says, "Yes. Drink up".

JudyB says, "Suzanne, In light of the current egg white discussion, can you explain why we can use fat free dairy with carbs but not egg whites. Also do you consider eggs to be dairy?".

Suzanne says, "Egg whites are not included in the carbo group because I don't want you eating carbo meals instead of the healthier pro/fat meals. Many people look for tricks so they can justify eating more carbs. You will lose more weight and get all the healthy Omega 3 fatty acids from the egg yolk. Stick to pro/fats and you'll be thinner".

JohnZiglar says, "hello Suzanne i love the truffles they are the best tasting chocolates i have ever tasted, next month will be 2 years for me somersizing".

Suzanne says, "And I love you, John".

Betsy says, "Will you be offering a Whole Wheat Pretzel product? They are soooo hard to find!!!".

Suzanne says, "It's on my list!".

JudyB says, "Is cocoa a carb or is it just caffeine that makes it funky?".

Suzanne says, "Cocoa, even when it is unsweetened, is a funky food because it has caffeine and carbohydrates. However, the imbalance is not too bad, so I created a convenient new category called Almost Level One so we could eat it while we are losing weight."

skipycatsays,"Hi Suzanne - wonderful to chat to you! I am a 39 year old female with Type II Diabetes and several other health issues - is your program suitable for Diabetics - thanks Mona".

Suzanne says, "We have hundreds and hundreds of success stories from type 2 diabetics. As always, you should check with your doctor and read Dr. Schwarzbein's book.".

Guest155 says, "If you end up cheating and eating a candy bar, should you avoid eating any other foods for a few hours?".

Suzanne says, "Absolutely. The candy bar will spike your insulin so you don't want to trap any other foods along with it. I cheat sometimes too".

ktbasket says, "Can we eat soybeans and what are they considered",

Suzanne says, "Soy beans, also called edamame, are a combination of protein, fat and carbohydrates. But they are so good for you, if you are steadily losing weight, you should be able to incorporate them without a problem".

denise says, "please tell us what kind of ice cream we can buy".

Suzanne says, "I don't know of a brand that is suitable for Level One because they all have chemicals and other crap. That's why I have recipes for ice cream in the new book and more recipes coming in my dessert book.",

ktbasket says, "I drink a soy drink (very LOW in carbs) because of my menopause problems, should I consider it a carb or pro/fat.

Suzanne says, "Without reading the ingredients, it's hard for me to say. Drink it alone".

JudyB says, "I find I am quite resistant to whole grains as I understand many women are. Is it okay to only eat them very seldom as long as we are sure to eat enough veggies and fruit?".

Suzanne says, "As long as you are eating fiber in other forms, such as fruit and vegetables you'll be fine and I bet slim as a whistle!".

signs says, "I have Candida and am wondering if it's possible to eliminate fruit from the program?".

Suzanne says, "My son had Candida, too. Yes, you can eliminate fruit. Just make sure you eat plenty of vegetables.".

zel says, "Can you have apple cider vinegar (its made with apples)?".

Suzanne says, "Apple Cider Vinegar does not contain any sugar, so it's fine".

Guest217 says,"I've been checking your website for the Truffles! When can we purchase them DIRECT from you?".

Suzanne says, "June... right here on the website. Yum!".

Guest547 says, "Hi Suzanne, my question is.....l am not Somersizing yet. How do I get started? I am totally addicted to sugar. How do I get passed this?".

Suzanne says, "I understand. I was a sugar junkie, too. Read through the testimonial letters for motivation. I swear you will lose your craving.",

ellen says, "can we have sugar free pudding on level two".

Suzanne says, "Yes; however, sugar free puddings are made with artificial sweeteners; so moderation is the key. And yes, I'm working on sugar free puddings made with Somersweet. I'm going to get into trouble for saying this, but they're supposed to be ready in August'.

amy says, "Suzanne, what is the secret for your port sauces.....mine are always to oily and not thick enough".

Suzanne says, "Try pouring out some of the pan drippings before you add the port. Then de-glaze the pan with butter at the end".

JudyB says, "About the only thing I really miss is an occasional glass of wine. Unless of course we can get you to come up with Somersize wine, is there any type of red wine that causes less of an imbalance?".

Suzanne says, "Once you start losing weight on Level One, you may be able to incorporate the occasional glass of red wine without disrupting your progress. Just don't overdo it.

tpaws1 says, "I have found im lactose intolerate any suggestions?".

Suzanne says, "Many people share this problem. You can substitute non-fat soy milk for non-fat milk, but beyond that you'll just have to eliminate the products that upset your stomach".

Guest67 says, "Hi! Will you be writing another book (preferably a recipe book for Somersizing)?".

Suzanne says, "My next book is a book of Somersize desserts made with Somersweet. It will be out as soon as the Somersweet is available. Just a few kinks to work out guys!".

Beverly says, "I eat a lot of pork skins.... should I worry about my salt intake (they are salty).".

Suzanne says, "We don't have any limits for sodium on Somersizing; but, as always, check with your doctor.".

Guest547 says, "I take a lot of Excederin, is this bad because it contains a lot of caffeine?".

Suzanne says, "Some people slow their weight loss by taking prescription and over-the-counter medications. If you can find out what's causing your pain and eliminate it at the source, you would do your body well.",

jmwoody says, "I love your eggplant parm and have made it twice. I am just so afraid I am going to gain weight with eating all that fat. If feels like I am cheating. How can I be having so much fat and still lose?".

Suzanne says, "Don't be afraid! Fat is your friend. If there is no insulin present, these foods cannot be stored as fat.",

frogger says,"! want to try this program but I worry about my slip ups if I slip up once in awhile am I sabotaging everything I have achieved".

Suzanne says, "In the beginning you must be diligent. You cannot Somersize half-heartedly while you are retraining your metabolism. Once the melt begins and your cells become cleaned out of their sugar, then you can start with little treats here and there.".

piglet2u says, "Does it matter how late you eat dinner if it's a pro/fat meal?".

Suzanne says, "Hi piglet. I'm a piglet too. You can eat as late as you want little piggy.".

cathy20 says, "yes I have high cholesterol how will this somersizing affect it.

Suzanne says, "We have thousands of people who have lowered their cholesterol eating the richest foods of their lives. I know I am not a doctor, but Dr. Schwarzbein has documented these same affects with her patients. Check out her book THE SCHWARZBEIN PRINCIPLE".

Guest30 says, "Am I understanding correctly, it is OK to have cream or milk in coffee (de-caff of course!) at lunch and dinner, but not breakfast?".

Suzanne says, "You may choose either cream or non-fat milk with your coffee at any meal as long as it co-ordinates with your meal".

Guest1067 says, "My husband & daughter are hypoglycemic (low blood sugar). Their levels soar and drop daily (between 100- normal and 40- low!). Can Somersizing help them stabilize their blood sugar levels? I have just bought all your books and we would like your advice on what to eat, avoid, etc. Thank you!".

Suzanne says, "Again, I have nothing but success stories to report when it comes to stabilizing blood sugar.".

Guest5 says, "I drink "diet" (no sugar) tonic water with lemon or lime... is this allowed when you are somersizing????".

Suzanne says, "Diet tonic water should be treated like all other diet sodas... with a skull and crossbones! These types of drinks contain artificial sweeteners which are not only damaging to your health, but may slow your weight loss if they contain Aspartame.".

Guest835 says, "can you substitute sweet n low in your recipes that use Somersweet?".

Suzanne says, "All of my Somersweet recipes have substitution quantities for saccharin, so at least you can have something sweet until my Somersweet is available".

Dawn says, "Suzanne, if i have a steak and put A-1 steak sauce on it. does that blow the whole meal, seeing as it is carbo".

Suzanne says, "A-1 does have some sugar in it, but if you are doing well, you should be able to have a little. Just avoid it in the very beginning when you are cleaning out your cells of their stored sugar",

jmwoody says, "I find I eat a lot more cheese now. Is this a bad thing?".

Suzanne says, "Cheese is the ultimate Somersize food. In the 70s I used to eat celery sticks when I needed to lose weight. Now I eat cheese.".

Katbones says, "Is there a plan for people on the go that don't have time to cook?".

Suzanne says, "I eat 2 to 3 of my meals every day in restaurants. I don't have time to cook either! Somersize works whether you cook or not. Did you know that In 'n Out Burger has a protein burger served in a lettuce cup instead of a bun? I love them.".

Sally says, "What happens if you extend your profat meal over 1-2 hours and pick the whole time!".

Suzanne says, "As long as you stay within the same category, you can graze all day.".

CindyR says, "I have to have a cup of coffee right away upon awakening, do i need to wait a certain period of time after the coffee before breakfast?".

Suzanne says, "If you absolutely must have coffee, wait 1 - 2 hours before you eat anything so that the insulin does not trap any other foods. But know that the caffeine raises your adrenalin which drops your serotonin which will make you crave carbohydrates.".

nel says, "there has been discussion about legal desserts and whether or not they can be eaten every day or should they be limited".

Suzanne says, "Good question, nel. Just because a sugarless cheesecake is Level One, doesn't mean that you should eat the whole thing. The point of Somersizing is to get rid of our food hang-ups and eat like normal people who do not obsess about food. That is why when I created this program, I made sure you didn't have to count or measure anything. It does require, however, that you use some common sense".

Canada_Cas says,"Suzanne...... Love everything you do and I have not yet started on the Somersize program, but need to......l just don't eat a variety of foods.... Are carrots really that terrible? They are just about the only veggie I like.".

Suzanne says, "Carrots are very high in sugar. Sorry, little bunnyL!".

spikesgirl says, "Suzanne, I am just begining to Somerize and I am interested in the Melt. Is it true that the more out of balance your system is the longer it may take to start the Melt?".

Suzanne says, "It took me two months before the melt began. It depends on how much healing your metabolism needs. Some people see results in the first week. For the record, we hate them! For others, we must be patient. My one tip is to follow the guidelines to the letter. My sister was not losing weight and I asked her if she was cheating. She said, well not really, I only had a couple of bites of the cake. YOU CANNOT CHEAT!".

Guest483 says, "does green tea have too much caffeine to be considered somersized?".

Suzanne says, "Green tea does have caffeine, but I have recently found it decaffeinated. It has incredible health benefits.".

Guest293 says, "What do you think of the 40-30-30 bars that claim to not spike the insulin levels because they are a balance of protein, carbs and fat?".

Suzanne says, "These bars were created for The Zone. Although my program has some similarities, these bars are not included in my plan because the combine pro/fats and carbs. I'm working on a very low carb bar for all of you, but it's tricky.".

Guest441 says, "I am a vegan do you have any special tips for those of us who are vegan".

Suzanne says, "Oh you vegans! I have a hard time with you because all of my best recipes contain things that you can't eat. It's difficult when you already adhere to a lifestyle with many restrictions to add Somersizing on top of that. However, you will find some great carbo and veggie recipes and there's always my great fruit smoothies.",

iearnedit says, "Suzanne, Alan's Smoothie recipe... is that ok everyday?".

Suzanne says, "As long as you are having it in the morning, you can have it every day. If for any reason your weight loss is slowed, switch over to a pro/fats breakfast to speed it up".

Guest66 says, "What types of things do you recommend for lunches? I am a "brown bagger" and do not like to have salad EVERY day.".

Suzanne says, "Tupperware is an amazing thing. My granddaughters eat leftovers for lunch just about every day. It's hard to get out of the mindset of having a sandwich, but it can be done.".

Guest1202 says, "I eat a lot of low-carb green vegies between meals and as snaks, sometimes lots of them. Is this ok? (I do get bloated)".

Suzanne says, "I love hearing that you're eating all those veggies. Keep it up.",

poisonedlove says, "Suzanne, can I have cheese cake if it is made without flour? I make mine with cream cheese, butter, eggs, ricotta cheese & sour cream".

Suzanne says, "As long as there's no sugar, this is perfectly fine. A lot of questions have come up about ricotta cheese. Yes, it does have some carbohydrates; but in such small amounts that I allow whole milk ricotta to be used with pro/fats and non-fat ricotta to be used with carbos.".

kristen says, "Is tomato paste a funky food?".

Suzanne says, "Tomato paste that is made without added sugars is a pro/fat. It is just concentrated.".

Guest1202 says, "Is plain, sugar free tomato pasta sauce ok with pro/fats? I sometimes use it as a condiment.".

Suzanne says, "Absolutely. I use a lot of tomato sauce bases with meat, poultry and fish. I'm also creating Somersize ketchup!".

Guest34 says, "Is chili in the restaurant w/o beans ok??".

Suzanne says, "Yes, absolutely... go for it! And put some cheese and sour cream on top".

Raino says, "Hi Suzanne! I've been taking supplemental calcium in the soft chew form, as well as primrose oil, which is an oil in a gelcap. Can I still take these while Somersizing?".

Suzanne says, "I don't think either one of these supplements will disrupt your weight loss. I have a whole line of supplements for you Somersizers in the works".

Guest438 says, "When will you write a book that names legal foods by their "BRAND" names?".

Suzanne says, "That's an interesting idea, guest 438.".

DesertWendy says, "what do you think about wonder cocoa? I have seen it on the chat room discussion?".

Suzanne says, "I hear they have taken out the caffeine from this cocoa. I have to try it. I know you all have been chatting about it. It sounds like they have taken care of the funkiness, but I want to investigate further".

NotSkinnyYet says,"ls it true that somersizing will only work if you eliminate ALL sugars?".

Suzanne says, "Some people cheat all the time and still lose weight. But, like I said, at the beginning even the slightest slip-up can send you back to square one. You MUST turn your body into a fat burning machine by eliminating all other sources of fuel in the form of sugar and carbohydrates",

yo says, "Can funky foods be eaten in moderation? Olives, nuts, and avocados".

Suzanne says, "These combination foods are the first funky foods that can be brought back into your diet in Level Two. Even in Level One if you are steadily losing, you should be able to eat them in moderation".

Beverly says, "Can you substitute another type of cheese for the parmesan chips? Which kind would you use?".

Suzanne says, "Experiment with other hard cheeses like Pecorino, Asagio. I guess it would work with soft cheeses, too. Try it and let me know".

Guest1950 says, "Are wheat thins ok to eat?".

Suzanne says, "Crackers are tough to find already Somersized. Wheat thins have carbs and fats, so they are a no-no".

lauriep says, "How long does an imbalance or insulin spike last? Hours or days or?".

Suzanne says, "Hours, but the actual time is determined by the type and amount of food".

NotSkinnyYet says, "Hi Suzanne, I am confused about fructose - now that it is not on the funky foods list - can I use it sparingly- like on my hot oatmeal? Thanks.".

Suzanne says, "You may use it sparingly. Different kinds of fructose cause varying levels of insulin response. Make sure it is a pure crystalline fructose, not blended with other sweeteners".

Guest188 says, "How do you feel about organic foods ??".

Suzanne says, "I always try to buy organic. Our earth is so polluted I have to wonder how many chemicals we have ingested without even realizing it.".

Guest14 says, "Hi Suzanne, I have been somersizing for almost 2 weeks now and have lost 9 Ibs. Is this typical and can I expect this to continue? Thanks for bringing us this great way of living healthy. Sincerely Diane".

Suzanne says, "Good for you! Results will vary.".

lauriep says, "Your new book is terrific, and I am finally thinking about eating healthily and not just about losing weight. This has made it so much easier for me. Thank you!".

Suzanne says, "I love hearing that.".

Suzanne says, "Good luck to all of you! Thanks for joining me. I'll be back in a couple of weeks for more chatting! Bye, bye!".