I am so happy to see people who have been able to adapt healthy eating into their lives through this program and are happy with it. The results from this program are so wonderful that I wanted to share the positive feedback I’ve received with you all.
S.B.
Before starting the FSB program, I had worked with many specialists and experienced weight fluctuations. Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations from this program. I started it to become more aware of my diet.
After meeting FSB and Sema Hanım, my perspective on my diet and myself completely changed. The information and easy recipes she provided showed me that healthy eating isn’t tasteless or boring at all.
I can’t say how much weight I lost by the end of the program, because there’s no scale in my life anymore 🙂 But I can say this: my body is getting smaller and smaller, my clothes and rings are looser now. Also, now I decide what to eat, not someone else. I recommend this program to anyone who, like me, is overwhelmed by unnecessary information and diet lists on social media, wants to take control of their own life, and wants to eat healthily.
Thank you so much again.
Y.A.
What was your goal when you started this program?
To establish healthy routines.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
The program helped me understand where I was stuck and allowed me to gain various experiences such as meditation and movement.
What is the biggest physical and behavioral change you’ve seen in yourself since the program ended?
My awareness of the present moment increased. I discovered the cycle that leads me to unhealthy eating.
1) Not knowing what I’m going to eat that day, that meal, that snack directly leads me to unhealthy choices. With your help, I created a sample template and revised it to suit myself. If I ate pancakes in the morning, what will I eat in the evening? If I ate salad in the morning, I’ll have bean stew and rice in the evening, etc… Once I created a menu template, I understood the math behind it.
2) Also, my awareness of portion sizes increased, such as the amount of grains to be consumed in a day (1 serving, etc.).
3) My weakness for sweets continues, but I try to suppress it with fruity things…
4) The topic of intrareception has deeply affected me, and now I pause throughout the day to reflect on my body and engage in introspection.
5) Weekly preparation and refrigerator use honestly makes things easier, preventing procrastination and distraction.
I would recommend this program to those experiencing the following problems:
It’s suitable for those who want to maintain healthy eating habits for life but don’t know where to start.
Anything you’d like to add…
Sharing digested and internalized information with sincerity from heart to heart was healing. You didn’t speak to us from afar, from a podium; you gave us the feeling of being in the same circle, together, hand in hand, in good health. Thank you…
B.Y.
What was your goal when you started this program?
To eliminate my need to eat something sweet after meals, despite generally eating healthily, and to stop my cravings for sweet and salty snacks around 4-5 pm.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
It offered suggestions and recipes that would keep me feeling full for a long time in a healthy way. It helped end my sweet cravings when I nourished my body well. And this happened within the first week. Sema Hanım made me feel her support throughout with her positive energy, live broadcasts, emails, and easy recipes. Even though I’m participating from America 😊
What’s the biggest physical and behavioral change you’ve noticed in yourself as the program ends?
My skin is definitely more vibrant. The bloating in my stomach is gone. Behaviorally, when I’m about to put something in my mouth, I stop and think, “Do I really need this?” Thanks to this, I’ve also reduced the number of coffees I consume daily.
I would recommend this program to those who experience the following problems:
Those who have cravings for sweets and snacks.
Anything else you’d like to add…
I actually never believed in these kinds of nutrition programs. But I decided to try it to end my sweet cravings. Within the first week, it was as if Ms. Sema had cast a spell, and my sweet cravings stopped. In the first 5 weeks, I only ate sweets once (one!!!). So, if I’m not eating sweets every day, anything is possible. It could even snow red!
I.Y.
What was your goal when you started this program?
I was constantly going through diet cycles and always thinking, “I can’t do it alone, someone needs to tell me what to eat, I can’t find balance on my own.” Honestly, I joined this program to break free from that, and I don’t plan on going back to a specialist. Now I know I can find my own balance, and even if I lose it, I can get back to my routine.
I have complete faith that I can listen to my body and find a way.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
My goal was to break free from the constant diet cycle. This program helped me gain confidence in myself and my body. It made me realize that I actually love vegetables and that I can’t digest meat as well as I used to.
What’s the biggest physical and behavioral change you’ve seen in yourself as the program ends?
I used to have outbursts at social gatherings. I would eat a lot because it was my free day, breaking the diet.
But now I only eat one type of food.
I’ve gotten rid of the perception that they were forbidden to me; I’ve gained the awareness that I can eat them if I want to, and the situation is… Solved 🙂
And exercise doesn’t have to be hardcore. I started thinking that exercise is my way of connecting with my body.
I’ve gotten one step closer to exercise.
I recommend this program to those who have problems like:
Those who can’t break out of a diet cycle, those for whom diets no longer work,
those who have lost touch with their bodies,
those who feel they constantly need guidance on nutrition… in short, everyone 🙂 I feel so much more liberated
because.
Anything you’d like to add…
Honestly, this is the first time I’ve participated in such training, Ms. Sema. For myself and for my health.
When I started, I wasn’t very strong psychologically, but after starting this program,
I also started therapy and realized that doing things for myself made me very happy.
Meditation was already a part of my life, but doing it with the group was wonderful.
I started silent meditations after you; I always used to do guided meditations, but I still do them occasionally.
You completely changed my perspective on nutrition. I’ve made peace with my body, and now I want to add exercise to my life to live healthily and age healthily. I started thinking, why shouldn’t I value myself for these things?
I no longer see food as just calories. I’ve changed the ways I take good care of my body, the way I show love, and my choices. I don’t think I can completely give up sugar, but I realized I don’t want to keep it in my life that much.
I even scheduled my vacation around the live broadcasts. For me, who isn’t a very organized person, this is quite a big deal. I didn’t miss a single broadcast because I truly felt like I belonged to that group.
We’ll continue from the new website anyway. So I’m very, very happy. I think I can incorporate yoga into my life with you too.
Thank you so much! I hope your whole life is very happy, healthy, and full of inspiration :))
S.P.
Your program came to me at a time when I was saying, “I need to give my life a new direction, otherwise I won’t be able to do anything, neither my thesis nor anything else.” I thought, “Aha, the universe has extended a helping hand to me.”
What was your goal when you started this program?
My goal when I started this program was to regain control of my life. Also, this program, along with my breathing exercises which I’d been doing regularly for a long time, would be a very important step towards regaining my health.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
The program helped me achieve my goals to some extent. I readjusted my eating habits according to your rules. There were occasional slip-ups (like popping a bite of freshly baked, warm bread into my mouth), but after that, I didn’t just dive into everything that came my way thinking, “Oh well, the diet is broken anyway, let’s party!” Also, the most critical and successful aspect of this program was the ‘mindfulness’ element. Although I always focused on it, I had never been able to use it in this way in relation to food. Sema Hanım’s detailed explanations, along with practical exercises, put everything into perspective. Now, when I reach for something, I stop, take a deep breath, and question myself. Questions like, “Are you hungry? What’s going on? What are you obsessing over?” stop me in my tracks, as the Americans say.
What was the biggest physical and behavioral change you saw in yourself at the end of the program?
At the end of the program, I saw that I had lost a little (6) kilos (yes, unfortunately I couldn’t resist, I stepped on the scale after 1 month). There wasn’t much change in my body measurements except for my chest. I think I would have a heart attack if I saw my waist get thinner. But in terms of behavioral change, I hope I took the right steps.
I recommend this program to those who have the following problems:
I recommend this program to everyone because generally no one approaches eating with awareness. Generally, our family, our environment, the media teach us how to form an emotional bond with food through their actions, their words, and perhaps even advertisements that are as effective as a mother’s embrace… even program us. Everyone can benefit from this program to break all the taboos and wrong codings.
Anything you’d like to add…
The best thing about your program is its sustainability. We’re practically from the same town; my family is from Kilis, and we know how to both cook and eat delicious food. The number one reason all my previous diet attempts failed, and why I’ve had weight problems since childhood, was self-pity. When we were little, while my brother and cousins were given greasy bread and things like that for afternoon snacks after swimming in the sea, I was told, “You’re fat, don’t eat,” which immediately sent me to the grocery store. By the time I got home, I’d finish a whole tube of Nutella, and then I’d feel better and rejoin the rest of the ‘normal’ people.
But now, every week I go to the Santa Monica Farmers Market to buy my organic fruits and vegetables. Your wonderful recipes appeal to both my eyes and my stomach. For me, the beauty of a meal comes not only from its taste but also from its presentation. Every morning, when I prepare a colorful breakfast plate, I feel like I’m creating art.
Your website is always up and running, I make your wonderful recipes every day and the whole family loves them. Thanks to you, not only do I not feel sorry for myself, but I also feel more special.
D.P.
If I had known that joining FSB would have such an impact on my life, I definitely wouldn’t have waited until now. By the way, I met you all thanks to my doctor. I’m 21 years old and I have PCOS. My healthy living journey began at the start of the pandemic when I saw my insulin levels skyrocketing and I decided I no longer wanted to continue relying on birth control pills. Following my doctor’s advice, I’d been following a gluten-free diet since January, but specifically gluten-free oatmeal for breakfast and buckwheat pilaf for dinner (not always like that, of course, I won’t deny that :)). And of course, the binge eating episodes that my past dieting experiences had started had become a part of my life, reminding me again that I needed to fix this. And so, my mother and I have been here for three weeks now 🙂 My mother was a little prejudiced at the beginning, but yesterday she told me, “I can continue eating like this, my bloating is gone, I feel great,” and you wouldn’t believe how happy that made me. By the way, I also had my first normal period without medication during this time. I don’t think someone without PCOS would understand the happiness in that sentence, but it’s incredibly important to me. My binge eating is over. I can now distinguish between when I’m hungry and when I’m full. I now fill my plates according to my hunger level; autopilot is off :). It’s amazing how we’ve forgotten so much of what’s in our nature, and how beneficial it is. Thank you so much for helping me change and improve. Take good care of yourselves, have pleasant and peaceful days.
What was your goal when you started this program?
To get rid of the binge eating that my long history of dieting left me with. To learn the proper way to follow a gluten-free diet, which I was trying to implement on my own, and to re-establish communication with my body.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
The “awareness” part of the program was actually the foundation of what I wanted to achieve. I learned what hunger and fullness are, and how my body signals them. I learned what it’s like to taste the flavor of 1 kg of grapes from just one grape 🙂. More accurately, I became aware of the taste of my food, and I think most importantly, I took my mind and body off autopilot.
What was the biggest physical and behavioral change you saw in yourself at the end of the program?
Of course, I was aware that this wasn’t a diet and that my goal wasn’t to lose weight. However, I weighed myself and took measurements before starting the program to observe the changes in my body. During the program, I lost 3 kilos, and 5 cm each from my waist and lower abdomen. Greetings to those who say you can’t lose weight without dieting! 🙂 Also, my PCOS symptoms decreased significantly, and during the program, for the first time in over 5 years, I had my period naturally, without medication.
The behavioral changes are too numerous to list. I can tell when I’m full, I can assess my hunger, in short, I can understand what my body wants and give it what it wants in return.
I recommend this program to those experiencing the following problems:
If you’ve been on diets for years and your sense of hunger and fullness has disappeared as a result, if you have binge eating episodes, if you get hungry very often and want to extend your feeling of fullness (which was the most noticeable change my mother experienced), or if you don’t have these complaints but want to learn what healthy eating is, you should definitely participate in this program. Everyone from 7 to 70 can participate. (I completed this program at 21, my mother at 53). You will see for yourself that it eventually becomes a lifestyle.
Can I use your testimonial, with or without your name, on my website and Instagram page?
Of course you can. The more people this information reaches, the happier I will be. 🙂
Anything else you’d like to add…
I feel so lucky to have met you… You touched my life, you were so good for me. I waited for your emails with excitement every morning. Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication, Sema Hanım. I’m so glad you’re here ❤️
U.Ç.
First of all, thank you endlessly for your sweet descriptions, spot-on sharing, recipes, and all the information you’ve shared throughout my FSB journey.
Before FSB, I had started a gluten-free diet on my own for two months. I think I fell into the same trap many people do, making gluten-free bread, cookies, and snacks and consuming them without any balance. I realized something was wrong, but I couldn’t find my way. Then, after about 10 days of trying to avoid gluten, I returned to my old diet. And then I started this journey again with you.
For the past two years, I’ve constantly tried every kind of diet imaginable under the guise of “healthy eating.” I lost weight with all of them, but I kept fluctuating between 59kg and 53kg like a yo-yo. I did calorie-counting diets, diets designed by dieticians, extremely low-calorie diets, and a grueling process where I craved fruit, only to be caught off guard by withdrawal symptoms. Lately, I’ve even started thinking, “Maybe I have an eating disorder.” I felt regret about everything I ate…
Do you know what the most important thing I learned from you all is? Eat if you’re hungry, stop if you’re full. That freed me so much, I can’t even describe it. Then there’s our experience of mindful eating. Becoming aware of and enjoying the taste of what you eat. I had forgotten that so much… To be honest, I can’t always do it. But my inner self is now moving away from blind pleasure in the eating experience. Our last Zoom class also instilled in me, in a meaningful way, the simple principle of eating what we crave, but without losing balance. Thank you again for every minute.
Meanwhile, my weight, which had been fluctuating up and down, has stabilized at 55.5 kg. I’m not hungry, I’m not experiencing deprivation, and I don’t have a weight loss goal. Being able to put that goal out of my mind has been a great joy for me. Eating is no longer a source of stress 🙂
I started a gluten-free diet at age 42, after learning that my back and lower back pain, which I had been experiencing for years as a hernia and spasms, was actually spondylitis arthritis. I don’t fully know how gluten-free eating affected me; it’s too early to understand. I was diagnosed in March, and only for two months of that time was I following an unbalanced gluten-free diet. I use strong painkillers. I’m not against medication because during the 10-day period when I stopped gluten-free, I also stopped taking my medication, and my pain quickly returned; I was devastated. I hope to transition to a less strong medication. Even during the gluten-free period, my pain didn’t disappear completely, but my attacks were much milder. Based on this, I decided to try and see where a proper gluten-free diet would take me.
I could write so much more 🙂 It’s been a very interesting transformation for me. I gradually got used to it, and gradually gave up my old habits 🙂
S.B.
My sugar-free lifestyle journey started a long time ago with you. I didn’t have any health problems, but I was unhappy that my clothes weren’t fitting anymore. Then, by chance, I found you on Instagram. With the help of your recipes, I quit sugar, lost 6 kg, and incorporated regular exercise into my life. This continued for a long time. Then, suddenly, I started having bowel problems. So I decided to try a gluten-free and sugar-free diet. I’ve been following this diet for about 1-1.5 years now. My gut is amazing! 🙂 After establishing a routine, I started eating cravings once or twice a week, as you said, my body can handle that much. It was at this point that my mother became the reason I joined your program. You helped me, and I know you’ll help her too. She has allergic asthma, she’s overweight, she wants to lose weight but has a problem with sustainability. We created an Instagram account for her just so she could follow you; she ate gluten-free and sugar-free for two months but couldn’t continue. She started your program a week after me and has been doing it without fail. She says she’s been feeling great so far, and my only wish is that it continues, because she really needs it.
Before starting your program, I thought I would hear a summary of what I learned from you and was happy to review this information, but Ms. Sema, this was both a summary and a skyscraper built on top of that summary. You made a huge difference to my diet. It turns out I was consuming so much oatmeal and buckwheat! I always had buckwheat bread; I’d make a new batch before it ran out. I was very hesitant about breakfast salad, I forced myself for two days, and now I feel incomplete without it 🙂 I don’t eat meat because I’m vegetarian, but I used to eat grains in the evenings, for example. I didn’t have a goal of losing weight, but I couldn’t resist stepping on the scale. I’ve lost weight! Thank you so much. Everything made sense to me. When my diet is proper, it makes a big difference in my yoga practice. When I increase my vegetable intake, I do yoga with a different kind of energy. Everything is so interconnected!
In short, you touched our lives beautifully. Thank you, both on my own behalf and on behalf of my mother.
G.C.
What was your goal when you started this program?
After recovering from Covid, my appetite increased incredibly; my aim was to stop myself, and I succeeded. It was also a step towards cutting out sugar for me.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
Thanks to the emails I received every day, my awareness increased significantly. I now pay much more attention to what and when I eat.
What is the biggest physical and behavioral change you’ve seen in yourself as the program ends?
I don’t constantly find myself in the kitchen. 🙂 The habit of snacking after a meal is over. I’m so happy that I’m no longer in the “what am I going to eat now?” mode. I also feel lighter.
I would recommend this program to those who have the following problem.
Actually, you don’t need to have a problem. 🙂 If you want to quit sugar and take a healthy step for yourself, you should definitely participate.
S.E.E.
What was your goal when you started this program?
My reason for starting this program was that I couldn’t fully adapt healthy eating into my life and I was constantly complaining about it. I signed up thinking, “This is the only thing I haven’t tried yet.” 🙂
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
First of all, the program showed me what I was doing wrong. When I saw my mistakes, I can say it was like having my eyes opened.
What was the biggest physical and behavioral change you saw in yourself at the end of the program?
Physically, I felt lighter; my belly disappeared (I had tried so hard to get rid of it, but it was always there. After this program, it’s gone now).
Behaviorally, I think my self-confidence increased; I felt like there’s nothing I can’t do. I decided to start meditating.
I would recommend this program to those experiencing the following problems:
I recommend this program to everyone, whether they have problems or not.
Anything else you’d like to add…
Thank you so much for everything you’ve given me. I will first apply what I’ve learned myself, then I will try to share it with my close circle, and then with everyone I know and don’t know. I’m so glad our paths crossed.
Maybe one day we’ll have the chance to meet and have a coffee together.
Until then, take very good care of yourselves. May God protect you.
T.I.
What was your goal when you started this program?
My goal when I started the program was to learn the principles of a gluten-free diet and proper nutrition methods to improve my declining health.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
I can say that the program was successful thanks to Ms. Sema’s sincere approach, her clear and simple presentation of nutritional information that I felt she possessed, and the fact that none of my questions went unanswered, all of which contributed to my trust in her.
What is the biggest physical and behavioral change you’ve seen in yourself since the program ended?
The biggest physical change I felt at the end of the program was feeling much healthier and lighter, and feeling more comfortable in the clothes I wore. The behavioral change was being more aware of what I ate and enjoying the process of eliminating things.
I would recommend this program to those experiencing the following problems:
I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to do something good for themselves, who wants to do something for themselves.
Anything you’d like to add…
Dear Ms. Sema, I’m so glad to have met you. Thank you for the feeling of security and being in capable hands that you made me feel. Thank you so much for your smiling face at our meetings and the wonderful energy you brought through your emails in the mornings. I’m so glad I met you. As you said at our last meeting, it’s wonderful to know you’re there. I’ve been suffering from Sjögren’s Syndrome for years and I take medication constantly. Besides that, I get sick very often and easily, and I have to take care of myself like a baby, which has started to become quite demoralizing. Just as I decided to try a gluten-free diet, I came across your FSB training announcement; it was even the last day, if I remember correctly, and I registered in a hurry. After the training, I felt I could find a way out by regulating my diet. In addition, the recipes you provided have made my life much easier. I’m trying to find the best version of these recipes for myself through trial and error. One compartment of my kitchen cupboard is full of chickpeas, beans, coconut, almond flour, quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, etc. (things I’d never bought before). Every time I look at it, I’m happy, even though my husband and daughter congratulate me for being able to make purple bread (!). Though, they absolutely loved the buckwheat bread I made recently :)) As I wrote in previous emails, you’ve made a wonderful difference in my and my family’s lives.
S.B.
What was your goal when you started this program?
For a long time, I had been trying to eat healthily, but I couldn’t resist my cravings in the evenings. No matter how filling my dinners were, I continued snacking until bedtime, and I woke up feeling weak and bloated in the mornings. My main goal was to change this eating pattern and learn to truly eat healthily.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
First of all, my enlightenment began by seeing the misconceptions I held, realizing that many foods I thought were healthy weren’t actually that healthy, or that even if they were healthy, the quantity mattered. I realized that because I was starving myself all day, I was constantly snacking in the evenings, and sometimes I continued this habit out of habit.
When I started eating the right foods,
the biggest surprise was seeing that when I was truly full, I no longer craved those junk foods. Moreover, I didn’t really struggle; my body adapts very quickly because it already gets what it needs.
What was the biggest physical and behavioral change you saw in yourself at the end of the program?
Even though I never had a goal of losing weight, I experienced a significant reduction in my body size. My shorts, which wouldn’t button up, started to close after a week, and after two weeks they fit very comfortably. The bloating and gas problems I used to have in the mornings completely disappeared. I used to struggle to open my eyes when the alarm went off, but now I wake up before it even rings. Waking up feeling energetic is such a blessing! It’s wonderful to live the whole day without feeling tired or sleepy. 🙂
Aside from the physical changes, I’m very happy because my way of thinking has changed. First of all, I’ve learned to be aware of what I’m eating and to savor the taste. I’ve learned to stop and think before habitually reaching for food in the evenings, to listen to my body. Now I take a few deep breaths and question whether I’m really hungry, whether I really need this food right now. If my routine is disrupted for some reason, I now know how to balance it out in subsequent meals. Because I’m not deprived of anything, I don’t feel pressure or stress. When there’s no stress and no hunger, there’s no urge to eat.
I recommend this program to those who experience the following problems:
Those with apparent health problems should definitely participate. But otherwise, for people like me who don’t have weight problems or specific health issues, I can say this: those who experience hunger pangs, those who know what they should eat but never put it into practice, those who attack food when they are sad or angry, those who constantly want to start but never know where to begin, those who feel stuck in a vicious cycle and can’t break free should definitely participate in this program. You won’t believe how beautifully your life has transformed, both physically and mentally, in such a short time.
Anything else you’d like to add…
Ms. Sema, I’ve officially fallen in love with you! I’m truly fascinated by your smiling face, sincerity, naturalness, energy, the way you present information, and your humility. I’m so glad our paths crossed, and I’m so glad I met you. Please continue to spread your light, illuminating with your knowledge and smile. I hope you reach many people and make their lives as beautiful as mine. Hoping to meet you somewhere someday…
With love,
E.S.
What was your goal when you started this program?
My goal in starting this program was to control what I thought was right, as someone with an autoimmune disorder. My diet was already gluten-free and sugar-free. However, I had been stuck on a list of forbidden foods for a long time. Joining this program taught me that there’s actually no such thing as a forbidden food list and that I could be more free to act.
I even signed up for the upcoming Elimination Diet Program. Because I think it’s full of information that can be used throughout life.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
Sema Hanım’s explanations are excellent and easy to understand. I truly learned a sustainable nutrition model. Everything became clear to me.
What’s the biggest physical and behavioral change you’ve seen in yourself as the program ends?
From a nutritional standpoint, I now know how to be more free. I won’t be stuck on lists of restrictions anymore. Behaviorally, I experienced even more. I can call it a revolution. Thanks to Sema Hanım (and her response to one of my emails), I’ve almost solved my chronic sleep problem. I always tried meditation but gave up, and this program helped me figure out how to incorporate it into my life. And it felt incredibly good.
I recommend this program to those experiencing the following problems:
I highly recommend it to anyone who is hesitant to diet or restrict themselves, who wants to eat clean and healthy but finds it too much trouble, and who has chronic illnesses. Because their lives can change. I also strongly recommend it to anyone who suffers from the problem of being on autopilot, a common issue in our time.
Anything you’d like to add…
I’d also like to mention that when I asked Sema about anything that bothered me during this process, her quick and informative responses made me very happy and motivated. The program wasn’t limited to nutrition; it also introduced meditation and mindfulness into my life. I’ve also registered for the upcoming Elimination Program because, as someone with a chronic illness, I wanted to learn what a real Elimination Diet should be like. Sema’s way of conveying information is excellent. I think she’s become addicted to it! 🙂 I’m also eagerly awaiting her yoga classes…
