I want to share with you the feedback coming in from our very first program’s wonderful graduates.
B.A.
First of all, I thank myself and you for having joined this program. I joined because I was experiencing high insulin and hunger crises, and because my doctor recommended this type of eating. Its contributions to me were positive. Where I used to eat 6 meals a day, that’s now down to 3. Nighttime hunger and eating have completely ended. I don’t get snack cravings. I even managed a 14-hour intermittent fast. For someone whose eating urge used to start after 3 hours, this is a miracle. I learned, through this eating plan, that things that seemed beneficial were actually harming my body. And I solved, in 2 weeks with you, a problem that so many specialists I’d visited for 2 years couldn’t solve. Also, even though I haven’t weighed or measured myself, I can feel the difference in my body. So many things have fallen into place for me. Thank you.
H.A.
You’ve prepared so well. You’re very knowledgeable about the topic. You explain from basics to complex, adapting your knowledge to different levels. There’s almost no question I have about this program that remains unanswered. On sustainability, a topic that also weighs on my mind a lot, the follow-up meetups that came up at the last minute will be great. The emails you sent were almost always the answer to the question on my mind that very morning. Coincidence, or your mastery, I wonder? I joined the program with my close friend (my “flavor twin”). I think joining the program with a friend is important for sustainability, support, and staying on track. I’d recommend it to other participants too.
Z.A.
What was your goal when starting this program?
To slim down even just one centimeter in my belly area, to not eat 300-500 grams of baklava in one sitting like a Maraş ice-cream vendor, to not eat a whole bowl of chocolate alongside a cup of plain Turkish coffee, and — “wouldn’t it be great if a miracle happened and I lost more than 1 kilo!” — that’s how I joined the program. Because I have numerous autoimmune conditions I struggle with, and whenever I use diets combined with slimming devices, I end up leaving more bloated than before.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
It was like magic — by day 5 it felt like my old self wasn’t even me anymore.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
I don’t crave sweets. I get hungry twice a day and get full immediately. When I go to a place, I politely say “no” to my friends and give healthy orders. I lost nearly 3 kilos, and I think it’ll continue. Since we’re on vacation I don’t have a measuring tape, but I’ve slimmed down — because my pants are loose now 🙂
Who would you recommend this program to?
I think everyone — women, men, children — should come and try it. Is there anyone who doesn’t get a headache on their period, doesn’t crave sweets and chocolate? Well, believe it or not, it happens. Can you lose 3 kilos in 4 weeks despite Hashimoto’s and insulin resistance? You can. Definitely not an ad or a sponsorship 🙂
Anything you’d like to add…
Sema Hanım, I’m sending you huge love and respect. May your energy grow, share even more with us. I’m so glad you exist.
D.Ü.
I first joined your “3’lü Eliminasyon” program in 2022, and after this program I couldn’t believe how my rosacea symptoms decreased and my period cramps completely ended. Afterward, even though I didn’t apply that elimination to the letter, at least the anti-inflammatory eating topic really settled into me. From that day to this, I keep trying to spread the knowledge I got from you to those around me. Lastly, I joined this month’s DKYY program because I’d already seen from your relevant posts that you’d been eating this way for a while, and even without knowing the details, I was curious about this eating style. Besides improving my general health, I had 2 other aims: slimming my waist area and getting rid of my rosacea.
Like most people, I learned through this program of yours how our metabolism works, what it first turns to for energy, etc. I think this knowledge will light my way for a lifetime.
I’m 32 years old, and I plan to generally apply this eating style for the rest of my life. Of course, just as in your own philosophy, in certain exceptional situations (vacation, eating out, etc.) I also plan to consume things I’ve missed, as long as I don’t make it a constant habit. Actually, one of my favorite things about the Sema Özpekmezci philosophy is precisely this attitude that makes sustaining this easier — the fact that you never say “never put this food in your mouth ever again” or “never stray from these rules for the rest of your life.”
Let me get to what benefits I saw from this program: I too had a visible slimming in my waist, and I’ve lost 3 kg so far. Even though my goal isn’t to lower my weight further, I’ll stay faithful to this program until my waist reaches the look I want, then continue afterward by adding, as I mentioned above, one meal I’ve missed once a week.
By the way, let me not forget to mention this: honestly, unlike most people in the program, I couldn’t quite maintain weighing what I eat, and even though I eat 2 meals a day, I didn’t push myself too hard to fully transition to intermittent fasting either, because I don’t currently have a routine where I can really eat at the same times every day. But even applying what you said in broad strokes, not to the letter, and removing certain foods from my life changed A LOT. I’m mentioning this to be an example for anyone who wants to join your future programs but thinks “how will I do all this, I’d better forget it.”
İ.K.T.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
From the first day, I settled the logic in my mind through what Sema Hanım explained. I noticed how I was eating and tried to adjust the amounts. I couldn’t quite settle this in the first days, but it later fell into place. That was a big win for me.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
Since I have a social life, I unfortunately had to step outside the program at times, but Sema Hanım’s philosophy of “in for a penny doesn’t mean in for a pound” was very helpful. Now I try to balance it out the next day. My waist measurement slimmed 3 cm and I lightened by 5 kilos.
Who would you recommend this program to?
I’d actually recommend this program to everyone. It creates awareness about how the body functions and digestion, and you learn to listen to your body. When you eat pastries etc., you don’t end the program — you know how to make it sustainable. You’re not likely to go hungry, and you don’t crave things. I think everyone, even without any health issue, can benefit from this program. Endless thanks to my teacher Sema, for sharing her knowledge with us so enthusiastically and generously, and for the years ahead we’ll spend with health and mindful eating.
D.S.
What was your goal when starting this program?
I wanted to get my eating pattern, which had gone quite far off track, back in order. I’d heard a lot about your programs and wanted to experience it firsthand 🙂
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
First I want to say this program was truly right for me. Diet lists, mandatory shopping lists… since they’d bring extra difficulty to my already busy life, being able to choose the meals I wanted within the framework of principles your program provided, and even having the household eat the same menus, was a huge convenience. Even though I made small exceptions here and there due to business trips, business dinners, birthday celebrations etc., I generally stuck to all the principles and truly had no trouble at all adapting to this eating style. I never experienced fatigue in the first week. With the occasional-slip-up method you explained, you taught me a wonderfully sustainable eating method I could maintain for years, thank you 🙂
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
Physical: In 3 weeks I lost 2 kg, which I believe is permanent. My waist slimmed 3 cm, my hips, arms, legs 1-2 cm. The numbers aren’t very important — thanks to you I’ve transitioned to a healthy, long-lasting eating style, and in just 3 weeks!
Behavioral: I got rid of my post-dinner healthy-snack, 1-2 glasses of wine, cheese etc. habits. I returned to eating without bread. I was already doing intermittent fasting and continued exactly the same. I feel quite energetic — this morning I ran 8 km on an empty stomach after 1 hour of strength and ab training, and I could have run more 🙂
Who would you recommend this program to?
I recommend this program to everyone who doesn’t have time to shop every week with long shopping lists and then cook meal by meal tied to a list. The most beautiful part, as you said, was that it became for me “not a diet, but a program for learning to eat healthily.” That’s why I recommend it 100% to everyone who wants to take control of their own body, health, and eating. I’ve benefited a lot and I believe I’ll keep benefiting.
S.E.Y.
My waist went from 78 to 76 cm and my weight dropped from 69 to 64.5 kg. I still have a way to go, but I truly couldn’t believe my eyes. I know we say “let’s not focus on weight,” and I wasn’t expecting anything on this front either, but believe me my weight is very stubborn 🙂 I still can’t believe this drop without going hungry or struggling much. In fact, I adapted so easily throughout this process that I kept asking myself, “am I doing something wrong somewhere?” 🙂
What was your goal when starting this program?
I’d gained fat recently, and I wanted to break this and speed up my metabolism. Also, I wanted to learn how macros are calculated — I’d struggled a lot trying on my own.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
The information sessions and Q&A sessions held throughout the program made applying it so, so much easier. Sema Hanım always combined scientific explanations with the application for us, which helped me understand what kind of effect what I was doing had and approach the process more consciously.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
Physically, primarily, I feel more balanced during the day, my energy visibly rose. There used to be this buzzing feeling in my head when I woke up in the morning — it’s gone for the past 2 weeks, and I wake up alert 🙂 Also, very noticeably — which still surprises me — I can tell when I’m full. When I get full, a very clear sense of fullness comes. It’s not conscious/learned like “I shouldn’t eat this much, this is enough” — the measured, weighed meal itself just makes you say, “yep, that’s it, I can’t eat any more.” In terms of measurements, when I felt most comfortable and slim (at least for the past 3-4 years), my weight was around 62 kg and my waist was 74 cm. But this year I gained weight, saw 69, and my waist rose to 78. In this short period, and despite my exercise routine being at rock bottom, my weight as of today is 64.5 and my waist came out at 76 cm. My other measurements (hips, legs, arms) each slimmed 3 cm in 3 weeks. I broke the 66 kg mark I’d been unable to break for so long, effortlessly, without even noticing. I truly didn’t expect this level of impact.
Who would you recommend this program to?
Everyone. This is the most delicious and satisfying eating I’ve had in a long time. I wholeheartedly recommend it to those who want to stretch their mindset around nutrition a bit, break their addictions, and most of all, to those who want to feel lighter.
Anything you’d like to add…
I want to mention Sema Hanım’s attitude and its importance in a sentence or two: Sema Hanım never paints a rosy picture — she keeps you grounded in reality, clearly laying out what has what effect and why we do or don’t do something. But while doing this, she creates such a balance that you never feel pressure or obligation. I think her delivery on stress management, relaxation, and sleep supports this a lot. I think this process genuinely gave us a holistic health awareness. Lastly, this eating style we’re doing might look extreme to many people, but it was so easy to apply that even I, who doesn’t enjoy meal prep, could comfortably determine and prepare my meals.
D.U.A.
What was your goal when starting this program?
My goal starting this program was definitely to become more aware. I’d been thinking I ate healthily in my own way for a long time and reading many sources on this topic. I had a lot of knowledge from what I read, but the part about applying this into our lives always stayed up in the air, never settling in. When I first saw the program, I thought, “I’ve been dieting for so long, let me try this too.” To understand whether it was applicable to my own routines, I asked for information about what kind of eating style it was. The answer I got was that this was a nutrition training, that we’d learn many details, essentially doing calculations with pen and paper in hand. And this answer really excited me. On this path I set out on to learn, I had very different experiences.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
Informationally, the program satisfied me even more than I’d imagined. I noticed I’d become someone who eagerly waits for the daily emails from Sema Hanım. She explains information that until now we didn’t know, never thought about, and might seem difficult and complicated to all of us, in such a real, applicable way that it’s impossible not to be impressed. I realized I’d filled up with more knowledge than I expected, and even reached the end of the program with a kind of assimilation as if I’d always known these things.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
Unlike the diets I’ve applied for years, I now notice I feel full after meals and don’t get hungry for a long time. And I’ve become able to do this with such small awareness that I’m still astonished. I now wake up mornings feeling extremely light and energetic. My perspective on nutrition changed completely. Until now I always aimed to reach a certain weight goal and stay there, and while struggling toward that I felt as hungry and eating-wise unsatisfied as possible. I always saw my diets as a temporary process, hoping to return to my old routine at the first opportunity. But at the stage I’ve reached now, I’ve seen that I’m full, my unconscious hunger has ended, that ravenous appetite for everything is now gone, and that eating this way is actually much easier and more sustainable than my diet programs. I’m truly having a revelation right now. Through Sema Hanım’s delivery and what she’s given us, I’ve experienced that healthy eating can be as easy as breathing. No amount of thanks would be enough.
Who would you recommend this program to?
Since day 2 of the program, I’ve been recommending it non-stop to people around me. I’ve practically returned to childhood, like kids who use whatever new knowledge they learned in school everywhere 🙂 There truly is no age limit for learning. Sema Hanım shared years of experience and knowledge with us, without holding back, in the simplest and clearest form possible. It’s such an eating style that it’s actually a system simple enough for everyone from 7 to 70 to both need to and be able to do.
Ö.G.
What was your goal when starting this program?
To transition to an eating style that would make me feel more fit, to lose weight, and to feel energetic.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
Since Sema Hanım explained the logic of eating — and explained it very well — I was able to observe better what I ate and how it affected my body. When Sema Hanım said in the first broadcast, “there’s nothing more absurd than someone else telling you what to eat,” I believed I was in the right place. In the program, we didn’t learn what to eat, but rather how to build our own menu according to our own body and needs. This was enough for me to reach all my goals. Sema Hanım’s positivity and patience were the bonus of the program 🙂
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
Just like in the program’s name, I slimmed exactly 6 cm at my waist. I feel more energetic. When I got home from work, I used to have to nap for half an hour just to get my energy back. Since joining the program, I don’t need this sleep.
Who would you recommend this program to?
To people like me who want to make a change in their eating but don’t know where to start; to those who’ve turned their metabolism into a puzzle-board with countless “diets” and eating styles; to the “in for a penny, in for a pound” crowd; to those who start a diet on Monday and make peace with their weight by Tuesday; to those who love it, to those who don’t 🙂 In short, I recommend it to everyone who wants to be healthier. I think it should be part of the school curriculum — everyone should learn the logic of nutrition!
Anything you’d like to add…
I admire your patience. Thank you for everything.
A.K.
What was your goal when starting this program?
As a pescatarian who actively exercises 6 days a week, I joined this program to correct the inconsistency I experienced in the daily nutrient amounts I need to consume. I’ve followed Mark Hyman and similar doctors and nutrition specialists with similar approaches for years. So actually I knew what I needed to do but kept postponing it. The program you opened felt like medicine on this front 🙂 Throughout the 3 weeks we went through, I never lost motivation — you were with us at every moment. After calculating my macros and trusting the process, I can say everything flowed like water. The information given was simple, purposeful, and easy to understand — I congratulate you on this.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
My goal was to integrate an applicable, realistic, and sustainable eating model into my life. The DKYY-style eating blended with intermittent fasting matches my eating mentality perfectly — I can apply this eating style for the rest of my life without getting bored (I got through 3 birthdays, 1 mevlit, 4 celebration dinners, and 2 bar events over the 3 weeks without incident and without craving anything at all. This is proof of just how sustainable this program really is ☺)
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
By the end of the program, my belly area slimmed 4 cm and my hip area 6 cm. Since I’m not someone who gets weighed, I don’t know if there was a change in my weight. My energy didn’t drop, I didn’t have hunger crises, and my sports and work life weren’t negatively affected. I noticed I could breathe better. The most important gain for me was that the migraine attacks I had a few times a month occurred only once during these 3 weeks (right at the start of the program, at what I’d describe as a much milder intensity).
Who would you recommend this program to?
I especially recommend this program to future nutrition specialists 🙂 So they can stop writing “6 slices of bread a day” for the clients who come to them for help 🙂 As someone who has taught biochemistry to university nutrition and dietetics departments for years, it’s a great joy that the molecular cycles and electron chains I taught, and how magnificent and unique a system our bodies are, are now understood by broader audiences. I recommend this program to everyone who wants to live healthily and functionally and age with quality.
Anything you’d like to add…
Thank you for your valuable time and the unique knowledge you conveyed. Greetings and love from your husband’s hometown, even his city..
A.G.O
What was your goal when starting this program?
I started to get acquainted with a healthier but, most importantly, sustainable eating style, learn its details, and because I thought it, along with exercise, would help me lose the 13 kg I needed to lose for health reasons.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
I’m definitely experiencing a tremendous awakening in my perception and perspective. At an event I attended the other day, among the open-buffet options — all kinds of cookies, cakes, sweets, a fruit plate made with very sugary fruits (pineapple, grapes, etc.), crackers, chips, and a rich cheese platter — I only put a few pieces of cheese on my plate. I didn’t want any of the offered drinks, I drank water. I looked at the cookie plate and asked myself, “be honest with yourself — are you not eating this because you know you shouldn’t, or because you genuinely don’t want it?” Believe me, I realized I genuinely didn’t want it at all. My mind never lingered on it. This is the most important gain of this program for me.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
I’m more conscious and determined. I’m aware my road is very long. The 2 kg I’ve lost motivates me right now. My waist has definitely slimmed. As I said, my road is very long. I need to continue with the first two weeks’ version of the program for a long time, but even if I have an occasional slip-up, I’ve learned how to make a DKYY-focused correction again.
Who would you recommend this program to?
To everyone. How much better would all our lives be if we all ate this way, moved regularly, and definitely meditated…
Anything you’d like to add…
When I prepare my meal plate for myself, I say “aha, Sema would approve of this plate” 🙂 Sometimes I put a square of chocolate next to my Turkish coffee and say inside, “forgive me, dear Sema” 🙂 You’ve become like a family member, even though we’ve never met. Endless thanks for all your sincerity, good intentions, sharing, and trainings.
Ş.K.
What was your goal when starting this program?
The goal was initially to lose weight, but my real goal took shape once the program started — to be able to sustain conscious consumption. Because over the years, losing weight repeatedly, dropping to the 50-53 kg range and then rising back to 73-74 kg, had become a very exhausting cycle for my body.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
I didn’t take measurements with a measuring tape, but I was 73 kg when starting, and today I stepped on the scale at 69 kg on an empty stomach. I also see a decrease in my waist area, of course. I used to be someone who could make a whole pot of pasta at 10:00 PM, dump in kaşar cheese and yogurt, and eat half the pot — now I have no such urge. Sema Hanım, you said in the livestream, “if you’re coming from chocolate waterfalls, it’ll be hard for you at first.” I come from baklava and katmer paradise. The first week was hard for me because of that, but at least right now I’m not thinking “if only I could eat a şöbiyet.” I know there will be times I’ll think it, but I hope I’ll prevent it.
Who would you recommend this program to?
I recommend it to everyone around me who keeps gaining and losing weight with the usual diet programs, who’s been exposed to nonsense weight-loss programs like “let’s make this smoothie, let’s drink it” that eventually give a sense of revulsion.
Anything you’d like to add…
Thank you for your effort and sincerity. I felt that you understood and felt us, and you passed that energy on to me. Because the matter isn’t just “watch what you eat and you’ll lose weight.” Starting from somewhere, and the courage that the starting point gives (of course personal effort is also necessary — the first 3 days I wanted to bury my head in the baklava box), the feeling of “I can do this” is very, very important. Without this feeling, losing weight and the healthy life that comes with it isn’t sustainable. My current goal is to add a bit of movement to this situation, because if I’d been able to add movement during this 3-week process, I’m sure I would have come out 2 kg lighter on the scale. In short, I’m so glad I joined this program 🙂
S.K.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
I understood how wrongly and insufficiently I was eating on the very first day..
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
My most important physical change by the end of the program is that my lower belly slimmed a full 11 cm. The second, and thing that really surprised me — I’m 45 years old, and for the first time in my life my stomach doesn’t scrape when I’m hungry. Before, I’d become very aggressive when hungry, my hands and feet would literally tremble, hypoglycemic symptoms would form. Even my husband would disappear from my sight to protect himself from my wrath, otherwise I’d pick fights over nothing. By week 2 these disappeared. Now I just get hungry, and I’m very happy.
Who would you recommend this program to?
I recommend this program to everyone, especially to those like me with Hashimoto’s and reactive hypoglycemia.
Anything you’d like to add…
Dear Sema Hanım, first of all thank you so, so, so much. You explained so beautifully and sincerely that it’s impossible not to understand. I wish this wonderful nutrition knowledge could be taught to our children in every school. I’m a nurse, and as someone who (supposedly) took nutrition classes in school, I say this. I’m so glad you exist. I’m grateful for your contribution to my life. Love..
H.T.
What was your goal when starting this program?
First of all, thank you so much for everything. My goal starting this program was to grasp how the DKYY eating style — which I’d previously started under a dietitian’s supervision — actually works, learn the reasons and solutions for the difficulties I encountered along the way, and thus make this system sustainable.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
I learned in the program how the process works, how the body adapts to this, why it reacts, and how, through your experience, to overcome this. This way, when I encounter a problem, I can know the reason and continue without panicking. Rather than walking in the dark by feel or following someone else’s directives, I can walk with a lantern and a roadmap in hand. By the end of the program, I find myself relaxed, having gained an idea of what my style could be on this path. Physically too, since I already had a 2.5-month history before this, over 3 months I slimmed 8.5 cm both in my hips and waist and lost 6 kg — and I’m 54 years old and in menopause 🙂
Who would you recommend this program to?
I recommend this program to everyone who wants to do something for themselves, who values their health, whether they have any condition or not. Especially to women and mothers, because they’re the captains of the kitchen ship. If they set the right course, the whole family is saved.
I was very happy throughout the whole program’s course. I genuinely got very valuable knowledge. I even explained the digestive system video to my family at home. You truly make sincere, heartfelt, expectation-free calls to people for their health. This is very valuable. I hope you too have many healthy, peaceful, joyful, beautiful days.
B.G.
Thank you so much for the knowledge you gave in the “6 cm-DKYY” training, your sincere sharing, and your care. The program was very beneficial for me. My lower belly slimmed 3 cm, hips 4 cm, buttocks 2 cm, and waist area 4 cm, and I lost 4.7 kg. Since I’m a banker, I spend more time at a desk during the day and unfortunately have to eat dinner around 7:30-8:00 PM. Given all these circumstances, the result I got made me very happy. I eagerly followed the emails, read each one many times, printed them out and filed them, wrote and drew things, and felt like I was doing something for myself with this program. I had itchy eczema on my body, and the itching decreased, and the eczema started calming down too. I noticed I’m calmer. I started eating by feeling my hunger. I can recommend this program to everyone who wants to get to know their body and make healthy eating a lifestyle.
Endless thanks for sharing your valuable knowledge and experience. I’m so glad you exist.
O.A.
What was your goal when starting this program?
My goal was to discipline myself. I couldn’t manage to make decisions on my own and say “let’s do this,” always sliding straight into “in for a penny, in for a pound.” It was convenient for me, of course. But I knew that running a program with you, learning what I didn’t know, reinforcing what I did know, and applying it disciplinedly would be wonderful. And that’s exactly what happened.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
Of course, it happened easily. You’re one of the rare people I know who’s so well-equipped and shares that expertise with such joy, never hesitating to share knowledge no matter where or how, and finding happiness in doing so. Yes, I reached my goal, I got into the discipline I wanted. Of course, there can be deviations. I traveled, for example, stayed at a teachers’ guesthouse, ate meals I didn’t prepare or plan myself. Even so, I now say “no.” I say “take this away, take this back.” My old self wouldn’t have said that — she would have said “well, what’s done is done” and gone even further. My intention is to sustain this discipline for life. My intention is to always keep following you, benefit from your posts and trainings, and keep refreshing myself. I’m grateful. Thank you so much.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
First of all, my self-confidence increased. My joy increased. I’m slimming, lightening, and consequently my self-confidence and joy are increasing even more. I feel I need to get blood tests done soon. My hormone medication, which I take regularly but could never balance properly, has started feeling like too much again — I notice the discomfort it causes in my body. The same thing happened after the elimination diet too — they lowered the medication dose to almost nothing. Over time, because I was harming myself with what I ate, the dosage had to constantly be adjusted. Now I know it’s not medications that heal us, but our nutrition, what we send into our bodies. I learned how to return to our factory settings with proper food and drink, and what kind of sustainability that involves. After the elimination diet I got from you, my doctor told me, “you might not need to use the hormone medication.” Yet it was a medication I thought I’d be forced to use for life. So it turns out it’s not medication, but what we eat that heals and repairs us. And it does this at any age, at any time — as long as we know the truth, learn it, and apply it. Wherever we turn back from harm is profit.
Who would you recommend this program to?
Yes, wherever you turn back from harm is profit. I recommend it to everyone, every age, every situation. To those who know, those who don’t, those who say “in for a penny, in for a pound,” those who lack courage, those who, like me, are looking for a triggering, pushing force 🙂 To Taurus signs like me who love to eat and feed others, to the other 11 signs, to everyone, every age, every gender 🙂 Yes, every gender — I’ve witnessed so much how pets, fed the same way their owners eat, gain weight and have their health put at risk, needing to go on diets themselves.
Anything you’d like to add…
First of all, thank you so much for your smiling face and joyful sharing, for guiding us correctly and helping us reach our goal, and for all your effort. I’m so glad you exist…
N.T.
This is my 3rd program with Sema Hanım. Every time I’ve had days full of new knowledge. The fear of going hungry I felt at first was replaced, after a few days, by “hooray, I’m not hungry.”
The happiness that comes from the slimming that appears as the body changes its energy sources is priceless. I’d been eating gluten-free for a while, but with DKYY I now feel more fit. I can get out of bed more energetically. Part of what I experienced during this process was things I’d heard piece by piece in alternative sources, sometimes experienced myself, but had brushed aside. Since we learned the logic of the matter through organized and correct guidance, I think this knowledge will accompany us in the long term. Since the recipes are also becoming a resource for the family at home, I think everyone can comfortably do this program.
Thank you so, so much to Sema Hanım for the knowledge, patience, support, and sincerity she gave.
S.S.
What was your goal when starting this program?
To get away from my recent poor eating and lifestyle habits, to regain the routine and daily-life motivation I’d lost. To feel energetic. To get rid of that constant heaviness I felt, the fatigue as if I hadn’t slept for days, and the ravenous craving that made me attack pasta and sweets! And of course, as a result, to lose weight and slim down 🙂
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
By teaching real hunger and real fullness! First of all, it taught me what I needed. I learned what and how I should eat to feel good, to truly feel full. My gastritis burning went away. My hand-and-foot trembling from hunger, my nervous outbursts, my cravings for dough, pasta, chocolate, my mind wandering — all gone 🙂 I became certain once again that I was craving and getting this exhausted precisely because I was eating those things. Just as you always say, it showed how to stay proper and balanced, not forbidden. Do you know it even contributed to my daily life, my work flow?! Eating from the right source, staying away from things that cause a “happiness illusion”… It helped me properly manage my stress at work, my level of being affected by the events we encounter every day, and even my conversations with friends. Everything now feels a little bit easier somehow ☺
No matter how well-versed I was in the knowledge you shared, since this was my first and a different program for me, of course I had a lot of question marks at first. Over time you answered all the questions, and like a graduating student, I completed the process with a cleared mind. And I thought about how right your recurring reminder was — “wait, we’re not there yet, I’ll explain it all.” Thank you for teaching everything piece by piece, in order, and patiently. If I’d learned all of this in 1-2 sittings, I definitely would have gotten it wrong 🙂
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
I’ve actually touched on this while answering the question above. First of all, I feel more energetic. I haven’t measured myself yet. This last week I was a bit extra bloated since I was going through a period that finally started after struggling to begin. I’ll take measurements by the end of this week, but I can tell something’s changed since I’m now wearing my previously extremely tight pants more comfortably 🙂 I don’t want to be fooled by the scale because I’ve only lost 2 kilos. I think the rest will come gradually. I’m aware I’m getting rid of things that felt heavy on my body. I don’t feel that heaviness like before, I don’t work with my eyes closing. There are no more of those easy meals I made out of reluctance toward food — I now prepare them with love. Between work and hunger, my rising stress decreased quite a bit.
Who would you recommend this program to?
Everyone, everyone, everyone!
Anything you’d like to add…
Let me say upfront, I’ll write a bit long — I apologize in advance for taking up your time. But I can’t not share this 🙂 During the pandemic period (January 2021), I joined the elimination diet and had the most energetic, most pain-free 2 months of my life. I still tell anyone with any health complaint about it. As time passed, of course my discipline broke down. But the knowledge always stayed in my pocket. Even though I often tried to apply it, with the instability of work hours and location (long and irregular working hours etc.), social gatherings, an extremely stressful and sleepless work life, and the difficult changes I’ve gone through in my life over the past 2 years, my routine had gotten very disrupted. For the past 5 months I hadn’t been able to go to the gym and couldn’t find the motivation to go. I reached the highest weight of my life. For example, I’m (was) a pasta addict. After a very hard day, sometimes I wouldn’t eat anything all day, then close the laptop at night and say “I’ve earned that pasta” and run to the kitchen at some odd hour to make pasta. Sometimes for days in a row. I’m not even mentioning sweets etc.
Last year in February, on my birthday, I literally gifted myself hospital visits! I went to doctors from stomach specialists to physical therapy, saw the results. The results were clear (from hernia, gastritis, vitamin deficiency, poor posture…) but unfortunately no doctor directed me toward functional treatment. So a while after the treatments (medications, supplements, physical therapy etc.) ended, everything continued exactly the same. For example, the foot and leg pain I’d suffered from since adolescence never eased. And no one even asked, “what do you eat, what do you drink?”… Yet I knew — during the elimination diet I hadn’t had a single ache. When I ate properly, my pain would decrease, my stomach wouldn’t burn. Even though I gave this information, I never heard any guidance about nutrition, digestion, or stress from any of them. Anyway, my aim isn’t to badmouth doctors at all — everyone did their job properly. I just expect, alongside classic treatments, more guidance toward a holistic approach, examining causes, ensuring continuity, for full healing.
In short, I needed motivation and, even though I had some basic knowledge, a revision I could call “my own system.” Then the moment I saw this program, I said “this might be it.” And I turned out to be right 🙂 What I liked most specifically about this program is that it made me notice my own body and needs first. From now on, I know there’s a place I can return to even if I slip up, even if I sink. Even if I can’t cook, even if I have very little time to prepare, I know how to feed myself. I no longer need to work myself crazy all day just to “earn that pasta.” I know that after a whole week of full, comfortable days without cravings, I can eat it if I really want to (I still haven’t eaten any pasta at all).
And I can’t not share this too 🙂 Seeing me and overhearing your broadcasts while living together, my boyfriend got fired up too and joined me with even more discipline than I had. We made our meals together, kept our calculations together (if you saw it — I don’t write things down, he calculates down to the vegetable, gives me directives and everything ☺), we spent our meals together etc. Around week 2-3 of the program, we unfortunately went through a very hard 7-8 days. Our very old cat suddenly took a turn for the worse, and we had a process of daily treatment and eventually saying goodbye. Even during those days when we carried that weight and intense grief, we didn’t compromise our eating pattern. Normally, with the illusion of distracting ourselves or that it might make us feel a bit better, we’d probably have either gone out drinking or eaten those morphine-like comfort foods. We never even craved it at all. My boyfriend lost even more weight than me and started slimming down faster 🙂 I’m jealous of men’s metabolism. We’re still continuing the same way, doing our walks. Our dog also had excess weight, so we’re walking him plenty too. So we got the whole family disciplined ☺
I wrote all this feedback, but of course not everything worked perfectly on my end. Entirely due to me, I still need to be more disciplined and manage myself even better than this. I still have a way to go, and I can say I haven’t fully reached my goal. There were days I stepped outside the program, couldn’t carry food with me, and couldn’t find anything to eat outside. At 2-3 social gatherings, I had a little alcohol, even if very little. But what I mean to say is, I know I can do this. At least I know how I can do it. I never stray from the routine, and I know how I feel better, and I encourage myself toward this.
I’m already a very long-time follower of yours. If I said “I know all the information shared on the page by heart,” I don’t think I’d be exaggerating. Thank you again for constantly building on it and refreshing it with new information each time. Because since I’ve listened closely to everything you’ve explained, I can say very comfortably that anyone without a budget for this kind of support can learn their own proper eating style simply by truly listening to and reading what you share. That’s a valuable thing. That’s what “sharing” truly means. I say this from the heart. And this year on my birthday in February, it’ll just be a beautiful start to a new age that I’ll simply celebrate ☺ Thank you for everything.
A.B.
What was your goal when starting this program?
My goal was primarily to learn DKYY eating and be able to put it into practice. I saw that applying it isn’t too difficult. Along with this, it was also to be able to lose a bit of weight.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
I didn’t struggle much preparing the menus. There were times I couldn’t apply it exactly to the letter. Despite this, there was slimming. Most importantly, I lowered my thyroid medication dose from 100 mg to 75 mg.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
I realized how much carbohydrate I was consuming during the day without realizing it. I can’t go hungry for long — my blood sugar drops (68, 65, sometimes more). Especially in the mornings. I get up every morning at 5:30 AM, take my thyroid medication, and if I don’t have breakfast around 7:00 AM, I go into hypoglycemia. During this program, around 6:00 AM, before leaving home, I took 1 tsp of coconut oil and tried to have breakfast around 10:00-11:00 AM, and I didn’t experience a hypoglycemia attack. Right before starting the program, I fell and broke my right wrist. Two months before that, I’d broken my little toe. My toe’s healing process was a bit long and slow — I almost had to have surgery. I started the DKYY program after breaking my wrist. I followed the eating plan as much as circumstances allowed, because I wasn’t the one cooking — my husband was, and I didn’t want to burden him too much either. But he and my daughter supported me as much as they could. During this time, most mornings I only drank bone marrow broth (with plenty of lemon, turmeric, and black pepper). The day my arm was put in a cast, I was told “it’ll heal in two months at the earliest, and you can go back to work after a few weeks of physical therapy.” As it turned out, the fracture healed in one month, and I went back to work a week after the cast came off (4 weeks in a cast, plus one week we waited because my wrist was very swollen. Meanwhile I did my exercises.) I’m a nurse — I constantly draw blood, insert IV lines, and use my right hand. I have small aches and pains. I’m not very comfortable, I have advanced osteoporosis. This is actually the biggest reason for these fractures happening in such a short period (within 2 months). But I think this clean eating I did, in addition to the bone broths, contributed a lot to the fast healing of the second fracture.
