"I decided I am not eating meat today.  Not sure what will happen, but today is today and it is going to be meat free. The dairy would be harder for me to eliminate than the meat I think.  But we'll see how it goes.  If it's just less than what I ate previously that would probably help.  I go plenty of days without eating any plant based foods at all."

 - A brave step! One step at a time, you are doing great.

 "I am sure your event went well last night. That is a very nice thing for you to do for your clients.  If you get a chance, please send me the recipes.  While I am still eating meat, I find that I am eating more and more fruit and veggies, so some new meatless dishes would be very much appreciated."

 Thanks so, so much!!  These recipes look great - I know I have seen them in your newsletters, but to print them all at once is great!"

 - Let me know how you like them. Remember to make them your own.

 Power Bars
Veggie Frittata
Veggie Bowl

 "Thanks for a good tasting, educational, and totally inspiring event! I can't stop thinking about the movie; spending a lot of time on the research and how the two [doctors] came to their conclusions was powerful stuff as well as highlighting individuals' stories. My next goal is to switch out my dairy Greek yogurt for soy Greek yogurt. Thanks for the great dinner; I'll be making the veggie bowl for my week's meals. I am thinking I'll allow myself the chips as well but I'll repackage them when I get the bag from the store."

 - Perfect. Thanks for attending! I agree; powerful stuff.

"Workouts this week have been really hard but seem to have given good results; I do feel stronger. My watch said I had used 610 calories on Wed, but I'm not sure it's correct. I was on the treadmill a fair amount prior to class and my heart rate was in the 150s and 130s during the workout, but even so---that's a lot of calories."

 - That is absolutely correct! Your extra cardio warm up cranked up your calorie burn for class. Good work, keep it up.

"Thank YOU!  I really believe we were [at the showing of Forks Over Knives] for a reason.  Even though I was negligent in my newsletter reading God is faithful and brought me to this information. As you understand the timing could not have been more critical.  We were totally inspired and I'm so grateful. I plan to spend the weekend reading and grocery shopping.  We are ready to go "whole hog"...perhaps that's not a good phrase for a plant based diet! ;-) Anyway, wish us luck and I should have a progress report [next week].  Meanwhile any other help you can give us is much appreciated.  We'll be a good test case for your class.  Fascinating stuff."

 - Fantastic! I am so happy you felt empowered and inspired. I am here for you, anything you need.
 
 "Hey Sue! What an awesome film! I am still processing. Thanks for the recipes!!"

"Thanks for the great workout today! I think [my friend] really enjoyed it. I was glad to introduce her to such a high caliber workout with a personal touch. I don't know what she will end up doing, but at least she knows there is more to offer than just the "urban active" scene. I just want to see her succeed at her goals."

 - You are a good friend. Thank you so much for the referral.
 
"Last year at this time I was wondering what I could do for myself to help me through the winter months. Love to walk, however the ice has not been kind to my wrists! My condo has euchre, knitting and many other activities. They just were not what I was looking for. I needed a fitness class but big gyms are not for me, so what's left? Then I saw an ad in the paper for Clear Rock, sounds good I thought. I will check it out. WOW! I started with core strengthening class 1 day a week. Loved it, although it was difficult since I had never done anything like this before. That class lead to personal training which by summer took me to taking 2 classes, filling in most other days with 3.5 miles of walking. The women in the class are some of the nicest I have ever had the pleasure to be with. We share the same goals and it truly is great. Sue, our trainer is superb! She demands the best and makes you want to do your best. It's not just a class to attend anymore, it's become a huge part of my life. I could go on and on, but enough about me. If you are having the same thoughts as I had last year, give Clear Rock a try. Did I mention this all came to me at 68 while having one of the most difficult years of my life? My Mother passed away, my husband was very ill (doing very well now). There were days I thought I would never make it through ,but I pushed myself to go to class and I credit Sue, the women in class, and the fitness for helping me see that good days were ahead. Will keep working to improve, and who knows how many other goals I can achieve. Thanks for a great year!"

 - You, my lovely friend, are an inspiration to us all. Thank you for walking into Clear Rock a year ago and bringing your light to all of us. You are a joy. On your 70^th birthday, we are going to have a big party and you can show everyone how much weight you can lift!! There are no limits on what you can achieve.
 
 "Thanks for the encouragement!"

"Sue, got the Newsletter and printed it. Wow, being away 25 days is way too long!  This year I'm printing out each of your newsletters and putting them in a 3 ring binder.  I've basically decided to "Just Do It"!!!  READY TO ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!"

 - Welcome back. I love your fire! Keep it lit.
 
"Sue, I am so sorry for my repeated absence.  Over the last 2 months, I have been spending lots of time getting ready for my move to my new home. I am disappointed that I left without getting one more chance to see you and the Circuit girls. There are almost no words that I can write that will really convey how much you have help me, changed me, and inspired me.  My life is so different now than it was a year ago when we met.  I feel so much stronger and more capable, younger and powerful.  Thank you for making such a difference for me.  I will be finding a new trainer tomorrow and will keep up on both my training and running.  I am going to try for a half marathon this year. Please keep me on your weekly list for your newsletter and I will send pics when I can. Thank you again for everything."

 - We are going to miss you so much!! Good luck and many blessings on your move and your new home. I loved working with you. You bring such joy to everyone around you. Go get 'em on your half marathon training! We're rooting for you every step of the way.
 
 "I just have to laugh at myself how can I be so quick to change my mind when I hear "weight loss" even though deep inside I know what they're saying is not true. So glad that I have you to quickly un-brainwash me."

 - Remember the truth. No quick fixes. No secrets to weight loss. Hard work. Dedication. Healthy food. Exercise. Consistency.

 "Thank you Sue!  You are always right on the page that I need to be on...THANK YOU! GOD BLESS YOU!"

"Your best newsletter yet!  I love you woman."

"Good morning, Sue. I read every word of this newsletter. Fantastic. I never saw such a lot of truths brought together into one inspirational place. Here's a new one to add to the motivations: under my almost perfectly vegan diet, and with your exercise regimen, I have recovered (not completely but up from 0%) something I lost probably 30 years ago: my sense of smell! Have you heard of that before as an effect of diet and exercise? Bless you."

 - I have not heard that before, but you are the 2^nd person to mention it this week! I am coming to believe that much of what was lost can be recovered through nutrition and movement. What a miracle!

"Over the weekend, I made the bars, my son loves them."

"Wanted to let you know that we picked up the [Forks Over Knives] book on Friday as well as Dr. Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.  I spent Saturday morning reading recipes and making a grocery list and I'm happy to report after 2 hours in Kroger I came home stocked for some serious changes in the kitchen.  Last night we had "very quick black bean chili" from page 228 and today I made your protein bars after we ate our leftovers for lunch.  I'm thinking veggie stuffed peppers for supper or black bean oatmeal burgers with sweet potato oven baked "fries" for dinner. I think we're off to a good start...stay tuned!"

- Wow!!  Can I come over for dinner?  Way to make a change and try something different. Impressive!
  

 "How'd the movie go? I hope well! I enjoyed my steak and wild boar that night. I gained 30 pounds last year. I figure if I keep going at that rate, in 10 years I'll weigh close to 500 pounds!"
 
 - Stop it you silly woman.