In the feedback from my group who did the last full elimination, you can find details about what they experienced, what changed in their lives, how the elimination went. I’ll leave you alone with their experiences.
S.K.
What was your goal when starting this program?
Since my migraine attacks had started becoming much more severe and long-lasting than usual over the past 2-3 months, and my psoriasis had progressed quite a bit, my only goal was to hold these back at least a little and improve my quality of life.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
From week 2 of the program until now, I haven’t needed migraine medication. Before starting the program, I had to take it at least twice a week. Anyone with nausea/vomiting-type migraines, or kids with it etc., knows what this means. You’re a wreck that day and the next day. Getting rid of this state is a huge blessing. Knowing that even in the worst case you’d recover quickly with a normal painkiller, and not being constantly anxious, is a huge relief. Doing it as a group was a huge source of motivation. I strongly recommend it to everyone!
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
Physically, there’s a 4.5 cm slimming just in the hip area. There’s also 1.5-2 cm of slimming in the waist and belly. The scale only shows a decrease of a bit more than 1 kg, but according to the measurements, all this weight was lost from fat. This is an amazing thing. I have no bloating signs or feeling in my body at all, generally speaking. There’s no post-meal discomfort like gas etc. Behaviorally, I can definitely say I act much, much more patiently and calmly. Insulin’s sudden ups and downs used to affect my behavior a lot; once this situation disappeared, I became generally much calmer. Mentally too, there’s a clearer and more positive feeling.
Who would you recommend this program to?
Honestly, I don’t think there’s anyone I wouldn’t recommend this program to. Because everyone around me faces either physical, behavioral, or mental issues, and there’s no doubt this eating style brings a lightness and clarity of mind to a person from every angle. But speaking from “my own conditions,” I recommend that everyone, absolutely everyone, with migraines or psoriasis try it.
Anything you’d like to add…
No amount of thanks would be enough for presenting us such a detailed and incredibly rich program, at such a reasonable price, and with such patience. May God bring ease to your work and always have you meet good people. Thank you so, so much — for doing such beneficial work for society, I truly hope to see you in even more wonderful places, wonderful projects.. Stay healthy and at peace..
With my love…
This participant shared before-and-after photos of the site on her arm where the psoriasis mentioned in her message had flared up, from before and after the program.
S.E.
What was your goal when starting this program?
To learn and be able to apply healthier eating.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
First of all, doing the program as a group is the most important factor for a person to be able to continue, but what created this and the feeling of togetherness were definitely the daily emails. I’d never been able to complete anything in 21 days before, but this time, even though I struggled, I could see it through to the end.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
Sema Hanım, as I said, I signed up during a period when I wanted to do better for myself, but we started applying it during a period when I was falling heavily into carbs, craving pasta/börek/pastry every single day. So it was a very right time for me.
My expectation from the program, as I said, was to try to learn healthier eating — I was already someone who ate healthily in my own way, so I wasn’t at zero. But its effect on me came from a place I could never, ever have expected. I had bone cancer at age 6, and because I’ve had countless surgeries, the venous return in my left leg isn’t good. So, for example, after long bus journeys, my left ankle in particular swells incredibly and takes at best 2-3 days to go back down. Around the end of week 2, we went from Elazığ to Ankara for my cousin’s engagement party. Our trip took about 10 hours, and when we arrived at the guesthouse, since we’d be on our feet at the engagement party that evening, I thought let me stretch my legs a bit — and what do you know?! No edema. I genuinely couldn’t believe it, it’s a miracle situation for me. Even after we had the engagement party in the evening and came back, the swelling was zero. Thanks a million times over for just this benefit alone.
I want to mention one more thing: as I said, we live in Elazığ. We woke up to an earthquake Monday morning and rushed ourselves to an acquaintance’s house. They served us breakfast there, and even though you said don’t open both at the same time, I said nothing will happen and ate both an egg and a piece of bread. Exactly what you said happened. Normally my digestive system is quite solid, but on the very first day my gut got quite upset, and on Wednesday and Thursday I noticed something strange — an incredible constant taste disturbance in my mouth that wouldn’t go away no matter how much I brushed my teeth. I kept thinking, why, why, what’s the connection? Later I understood it was because of my unbalanced reintroduction.
Who would you recommend this program to?
Everyone.. Everyone..
Anything you’d like to add…
Thank you so, so, so much to both you and Deniz Hanım for everything. So, so much love.
F.D.
It’s a nutrition program I was sad to see end, thank you so much for everything. I love you so much, so glad you exist. I aim to keep eating this way.
What was your goal when starting this program?
I aimed to learn healthy eating.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
It helped a lot. The shopping list, what to eat and not eat, meal quantity, the mindful eating teaching — all of it was wonderful.
What is the biggest physical and behavioral change you notice in yourself as the program ends?
My chronic muscle pain went away in the first week. My gas problem, which had become chronic, and bloating went away. I used to have itching and rashes, they went away. My tired and depressive state went away. 🙂
I recommend this program to those with the following kinds of issues.
I recommend it to everyone who constantly feels tired, unhappy, depressive, and has chronic pain.
Anything you’d like to add…
So glad I got to know you. So glad I joined this program. My perspective on eating changed. Now I feel full thanks to you. 🙂 I learned to eat when hungry — I used to eat whenever the whim struck me. 🙂 I’ll keep eating this way.
M.D.
What was your goal when starting this program?
To adopt a healthier lifestyle. Due to Type 1 Diabetes, Hashimoto’s, and lipedema, I already needed to transition to a healthy eating style — so glad our paths crossed, you contributed a lot to me.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
I learned how I could easily eat healthily; thanks to Sema, I saw the great benefit of healthy eating and awareness without feeling guilty.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
I lost weight, feel fitter, my sleep quality improved. The swelling in my legs went down, my ankles are now like a normal person’s ankle — this is one of the developments that motivates me most (no doctor I went to could find a solution, I used compression stockings, varicose vein medications, then it turned out it wasn’t varicose veins but lipedema; no matter what diet I did, I could never slim my legs, or there was only very minimal change until now). Other positive developments: since I’m diabetic, I was always told I need to eat constantly and frequently, but now I eat with longer intervals, which is a very positive development. I feel better both physically and emotionally, my sleep is higher quality now, the pain in my legs decreased. My shoulders are constantly tense, and I very rarely notice myself letting go — I immediately take calm breaths and try to relax my body. I’d been following you for years. Walking a beautiful path and making progress together was very enjoyable.
Who would you recommend this program to?
To everyone with a chronic illness who wants to age healthily (I have Type 1 diabetes and Hashimoto’s).
Anything you’d like to add…
The most beautiful program you can do for yourself for a healthier life. The daily emails, recipes, weekly Zoom meetings — all of it was very useful and motivating. You never feel alone at all, it’s a very beautiful experience.
E.D.
First of all, thank you so much for your effort with the program. It was an eye-opening nutrition program for me. My actual reason for joining was my mother — she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few years ago. She was aware that what she’d eaten in recent years affected her, but she couldn’t quite figure out what she needed to remove from her diet. Actually, foods she’d coded as “healthy,” like yogurt and milk, affected her too, but she often thought even tomatoes affected her. After this program we understood that everything is interconnected — once the things that needed to be removed were removed, the benefits of the innocent ones became understandable.
My mother and I were together for the first 10 days of the program, then continued in separate cities. Even though neither of us could apply it 100%, I could say we followed the program above 80%. But we grasped the logic of it, and I think that’s the most important thing. 🙂 I’m sure this will be very useful for us going forward.
What was your goal when starting this program?
To apply an eating program that would help my mother’s pain, fatigue, digestive issues, and general low energy, which we thought was linked to fibromyalgia. Also, on my own behalf, to expand my knowledge about healthy eating and personally acquire knowledge I might need in the future, even though I don’t currently have a digestive system issue.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
The program increased my awareness about nutrition. Especially with the last livestream, the part about how substances like gluten and sugar “harm” the body was very informative.
What is the biggest physical and behavioral change you notice in yourself as the program ends?
Personally, I felt my energy rise throughout the program. I felt “lighter” myself. Also, I hope that my cholesterol level, which was quite high relative to my age and weight when starting the program, improved at least a little — I’ll get blood tests done soon.
I recommend this program to those with the following kinds of issues.
I recommend it to those experiencing digestive and allergy issues. Also, I recommend it to those generally experiencing low mood.
G.T.
What was your goal when starting this program?
Due to factors like a change of city and job in my life, I’d drifted away from healthy eating over the past six months and my inclination toward sweets had increased. My aim in joining the program was both to experience elimination and to get my appetite under control with this eating discipline — and by just the third day, my sweet cravings decreased and my fullness duration lengthened.
I’ve been your follower for a long time, and with what you shared in this program, along with the recipes both in your book and on your Instagram account, I’m happily returning to my healthy meals and snacks.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
I extended the elimination a bit and I’m only on the second product reintroduction — I experienced my favorite, cheese; the first, as you’d guess, was coffee. After the meal where I ate cheese, I woke up the next morning with a mild headache as if I’d drunk alcohol the night before, in an unhappy state — just as you’d said it would show itself in a big way, exactly that happened. I’m in astonishment that a piece of cheese could affect my body to this degree relative to my tolerance, as if I’d drunk 3 glasses of wine. I’ll be staying away from the cheese I love so much for 3 months for now.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
Turns out I had edema — I got rid of it in the first three days. My inclination toward sweets decreased and my hunger duration lengthened. I now take care to eat my meals by setting aside time for myself, savoring it, and with pleasure.
Who would you recommend this program to?
I recommend it to those who want not just to fill their stomach but to nourish their cells, and who want to get to know how their body functions. Feeling and being able to identify the effect of a piece of cheese on my body was an amazing experience — you know how they say only those who’ve lived it truly know? Exactly that!
The body is an amazing machine.
Can I use this testimonial anonymously on my website and Instagram page?
Of course you can use it.
Anything you’d like to add…
Thank you for your sharing on alcohol — in the end it’s part of life. It’s wonderful to know I can manage this without feeling guilty. Even while you were explaining, within the framework of the information you gave, I started using my creativity to think about what pairings could go alongside a glass — and it turns out it’s possible.
I’d asked you whether sesame flour and tiger nut (yerbademi) flour are suitable for elimination — my aim was to question their inflammatory effects in the portions used as flour and add them to my diet accordingly; otherwise I read all your documents with pleasure. Thanks also for your sesame flour post.
Stay healthy and at peace. With my love. Your devoted follower, N.A.
What was your goal when starting this program?
For years, especially as I got older and noticed the changes in my body, I was aware that the remedy was to change my eating pattern, but I could never quite get started — even when I did start, I’d revert back within a week, and I’d end up with, along with a sense of guilt, pizzas coming in and kadayıf going out…. My goal was to start, to take action (and secretly, to lose weight too 🙂). Honestly, I already knew, so to speak, how I should be eating. Signing up for EF [Eliminasyondayım Farkındayım] became almost an involuntarily automatic, quick decision I made. But I’m so glad it happened, thank God.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
I spent these 4 weeks so beautifully thanks to your emails, the documents you sent, and especially the details you explained in the livestreams — how our body functions, what each food does, what happens if we eat what — and you covered so many topics I thought I already knew so beautifully and showed me the correct version, that I’m very grateful. I never even managed to do the reintroduction phase — I feel that good. Thanks to details like what happens in the body when you eat sugar, what benefit sprouting legumes has, etc., I kept going, and now I’ll eat healthily with pleasure. Your recipes are also a lifesaver — I keep opening and looking at both what you sent and the ones on your website, and I’m benefiting incredibly. Also, lights truly turned on in my brain regarding mindful eating and eating for emotional reasons. The anchoring exercise also seems like it’ll open different paths in my life on many topics, not just nutrition. Thanks additionally for this too.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
I lost five kg, and I think for the first time in my life I didn’t have a headache during my period, my skin glowed, all my feelings related to hunger changed — I don’t get insanely hungry anymore, my hunger tolerance rose incredibly. I used to be someone who thought I couldn’t feel full without eating rice, pasta, cheese, and right now none of these are in my life — I don’t even miss them at all… Most of the time I eat two meals, sometimes just one, and I gained very serious awareness regarding emotional eating. Slowly I started understanding which emotion sends me to eat spoonful after spoonful of pasta.
Who would you recommend this program to?
I recommend it to everyone.
Anything you’d like to add…
I’m so glad I joined this program, so glad I somehow came across you on Instagram — it’s among the best things I’ve done for myself in my life. Sema Hanım, your energy and motivation are so, so wonderful — so glad you exist, thank you for all your effort. Also thanks so much to Deniz Hanım.
Love. F.D.
What was your goal when starting this program?
I’d gotten tired for a long time of starting things and being unable to continue them. As I failed, I kept eating more, and my appearance, which I wasn’t happy about being in, kept making me even unhappier (my reason for unhappiness wasn’t my weight, but my battle with myself and food). Actually, I didn’t want to heal through elimination (that would of course have been a plus, but I couldn’t manage it :D) — I wanted a change in my eating pattern and to gain a sustainable eating habit.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
I truly couldn’t complete the goal that’s in the program’s name. It turns out there was flour in the chickpeas I ate at the restaurant 😀 — how can chickpeas have flour in them? My husband, not fully knowing how the program works, put butter into the ground meat he sautéed — I couldn’t reach the program’s actual purpose BUT it did me a lot of good. Even though I couldn’t reach my desired weight, I’m making progress — being able to fit into clothes I couldn’t get into before is wonderful. When I met up with friends and stepped outside my eating plan, not saying “in for a penny, in for a pound” afterward, and instead returning to a huge bowl of salad and my normal routine (this is my normal now :D) when I woke up the next morning, made me feel quite good about myself.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
My gut problems, my bathroom vigils where I’d wait for minutes on end, ended 😀 I mentioned the physical changes above. 😀
Who would you recommend this program to?
To everyone who wants a new beginning.
Anything you’d like to add…
I said my aim wasn’t to heal through elimination but to gain a healthy eating habit, but I’m well and I’m sure I’ll be better. Thank you so much. I say bless your effort and your language for this program flow, prepared page by page, easy to follow, and that can serve as a path whenever I want to start again.
Love… C.E.
What was your goal when starting this program?
My goal starting the program was to lose weight.
How did the program help you achieve your goals?
The journey I set out on with the goal of losing weight turned into a completely different journey. It taught me to eat with food groups beneficial to the body, to check in with my desires, to eat mindfully, and to listen to myself both physically and emotionally. Also, as someone who’s one of the many people who want to lose weight, try hard, and get no results, and who knows almost everything but struggles to apply it, I learned through this program that there’s actually a lot I didn’t know. In a program illuminated by scientific studies, where your questions found answers through research done, where there was no smallest question mark left in your mind, most importantly I learned knowledge I can apply for the rest of my life. Right now I’m eating with pleasure and losing weight at the same time. One of the important points is awareness in every sense — the pleasure I get while eating my food, watching the changes in my body while losing weight, and learning to lose weight without putting a time limit on it, because foods are always present in our lives; what matters is the right time, the right amount — once you learn this, your job becomes so much easier… Once again, thank you so much, Sema Hanım.
What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself as the program ends?
Physically, my waist area slimmed 5cm, and over the 3-week elimination + 1-week reintroduction process I lost 3.5 kg. 🙂 While eating, I notice the taste and aroma of the food, and I chew for a long time to better savor the taste of the food. If my attention drifts to other things while eating (phone, TV, etc.), I bring it back to my food. I do breathing exercises. I prepare my plate according to how hungry I am.
Confession: When starting the program, I would always have a huge bowl of salad alongside the main meal — by the end of the program my salad size dropped to a yogurt bowl size 🙂 and decreased by half in main meals — meaning I feel full. 🙂
Who would you recommend this program to?
The program is very suitable for people like me who want to lose weight but want to do it with mindfulness, as well as for people who think they know everything about commonly-believed-wrong (scientifically disproven) nutrition and foods. Thankfully I don’t have this, but it’s suitable for people with autoimmune conditions and inflammation-related issues, because it was shared by people in the program suffering from these issues that they experienced quite a lot of relief.
Anything you’d like to add…
The program was so wonderful… It was like a training I didn’t want to end. I’m surprised at myself right now. The program has ended and I’m still in the elimination and reintroduction process. I’m trying to listen to and understand myself, and this gives incredible pleasure. On the other hand, not being restrictive is very relieving — knowing you can eat what you want, acting according to that measure, adjusting yourself accordingly, is incredibly comfortable. Thank you once again so much to Sema Hanım for these teachings. So glad you touched my life…
