Ok this may seem like a stupid question but why can't you eat the same things every day??? I know I pretty much eat the same thing for breakfast every day. I typically don't eat the same lunch or supper every day though.
Also, how are you measuring the fruit???? For example if it is 1/2 cup strawberries are you actually using a normal measuring cup to measure them or are you weighing them on the food scale (ie 1/2 up equals ?oz)??? I have a feeling I am weighing my fruit wrong! UGH!
Thanks in advance!
Sharisse
I don't think it's a problem to eat the same breakfast most every day - but if every meal is the same every day your body is getting the same calories from the same foods, it kinda gets comfortable with that & becomes too efficient at burning it so you burn fewer calories. I think it helps to shake things up, so as long as your lunches & suppers are varied you're okay. I ate the same breakfast most mornings, and did fine. Also I think eating the same thing all the time can result in boredom, and if you start getting bored you're more likely to start making some off-program choices.
Measure your fruit in a measuring cup. I can squeeze a lot of strawberries into 3/4 cup (by cutting them kinda small!).
Last edited by Meemo; 06-20-2008 at 09:26 AM.
Reason: clarity
Ok this may seem like a stupid question but why can't you eat the same things every day??? I know I pretty much eat the same thing for breakfast every day. I typically don't eat the same lunch or supper every day though.
Also, how are you measuring the fruit???? For example if it is 1/2 cup strawberries are you actually using a normal measuring cup to measure them or are you weighing them on the food scale (ie 1/2 up equals ?oz)??? I have a feeling I am weighing my fruit wrong! UGH!
I'm no exper but I think it's ok to eat the same thing every day. Actually I have heard that this is better to lose weight because if you are eating the same boring thing you are less likely to over eat. But I think that if you hit a plateau that it's good to change what you are eating to get over the plateau.
As for measuring fruit, I would measure it exactly like they say to on the menu. Like for me I can have 1/2 of an orange or grapefruit or 1/4 of a small cantaloupe. But for salad it says 8 ounces, so I use the scale to weigh 8 ounces of salad.
Opened up a kitchen cabinet yesterday & remembered another thing that should've been part of my newbie advice. I think I did say to check your menu at every meal (if I didn't I should've!). I actually taped my menu to the inside of my kitchen cabinet. That way I knew exactly where it was all the time - right there in the kitchen so if I had a question on measurements, or if something was legal, all I had to do was open that cabinet. And I opened it a LOT!
Hi everyone! I just signed up today. I am a return MRC client. I was very close to goal weight 6 years ago and couldn't hit the number I got frustrated and left before I hit maintenance. I have a lot of activities planned (including a dreaded 40th birthday party), so they have me on conditioning until July 18 when I can attend my first meeting. I begin my supplements tomorrow! Any advice? Also, is this the only MRC thread or are there others I can get info from? Can't wait to start my next 40 years skinnier!!!
Thank you Meemo for all your help and advise. Great tips for us newbies!
DKriley...I got stuck on a plateau too, I think I am now on another one! Not sure how long it lasted, but if the scale is not moving and is discouraging you, ask them to take you measurements again. That is what I did and boy did I feel better. My weight may have stopped for now, but the inches sure didn't. Try that for a motivator and let me know! I'd love to know if that helps!!!
Really good info here. its my 2nd day just had my lunch and cant wait tell fri. to see if i lost anything. Whats a good number for the 1st weigh in?
How much you lose will depend on many factors. The first time I did the program I was in my late 20's (different co. name back then, but exact same program) and had just had a baby. I lost 14 pounds the first week!! I was thrilled!
The second time around, I was in my mid-40's. I lost 9 the first week. Still great.
You'll probably lose more if you have more to lose (total) as well. And depending upon how well you stick to the program.
Meemo, When I started the program I started with all the supplements they suggested including the 4 drinks per day. I lost 9lbs in 8 days then stopped losing. I have been sitting on the same number since last Wednesday. Can you tell me how long the plateau lasts and is there anything I can do to get over the hump? I did start excercising but here I sit on the same 171 I was at last Wednesday. Any suggestiongs?
Plateaus can last upto 14 days. At my original Food Instruction Class they explain there are typically two body types some lose a little (3-4 lbs) in Pre-conditioning and some lose a lot (5-10 sometimes more). The first type continue to lose for a few weeks before hitting their first plateau where as the latter will lose and then hit a plateau right away!! Plateaus do not mean you are not losing weight they mean you are just not seeing it on the scale. After a true plateau you should see a drop showing the fat you've been burning all along!!! Hope this helps!!! Keep your chin up
Really good info here. its my 2nd day just had my lunch and cant wait tell fri. to see if i lost anything. Whats a good number for the 1st weigh in?
Since you only have about 20 lbs to lose, you probably won't see the big numbers some people see. It really depends on how much water you've been retaining. It also depends on whether you're still "pre-conditioning" or on the first actual menu.
So I've been thinking that with newbies every week, it might be good to have a thread dedicated to advice for them (might serve as a good reminder for us more seasoned veterans as well!).
1. It won't always be easy. No use trying to pretend it will - there will always be temptations, there'll always be stressful situations. Expect them & when possible, come up with a strategy ahead of time to deal with them. On the tough days remind yourself that you're doing a GOOD thing for yourself - keep a positive outlook on this big change you've made in your eating habits!
2. It won't always be difficult either! Some days are a piece of cake. And really, in one way it's crazy easy. They give you a list of foods. They tell you how much of each you're allowed to have, and when. All you have to do is choose wisely.
3. Check your menu every time you eat. It's too easy to forget you aren't supposed to have beef or pork for lunch. Or how much is in a serving of blueberries. So in the beginning, especially, check that menu every meal. I taped a copy of the menu inside one of my kitchen cabinets so it was always handy. (It's still there, in fact!) And that leads to...
4. ALWAYS WEIGH/MEASURE YOUR FOOD!!! It's so easy to cheat yourself out of your full amounts (or to eat too much) - always weigh & measure. Somewhere down the road you'll be able to eyeball it, but weigh & measure!!!
5. Give it time to work for you. It's always easy to get discouraged in the beginning, especially since we almost all experience a plateau early on (in the first 2-3 weeks). It's easy to say "Oh well, this didn't work either." But stick with it. It DOES work - if you give it a chance.
6. Know yourself. Some of us can get away with small cheats from time to time (raising my hand as a chronic cheater here...). Others realize that we can't cheat - one small one leads to more & more & then we're derailed & can't get back on the track. So know yourself. I daresay 99% of us who walk in the door at MRC have been on plenty of other weight loss plans, and we've learned a lot about what we can & can't do. Use that knowledge & experience!
7. Drink your water!!! Besides helping with weight loss, it's great for your skin - and who doesn't want great skin??? Drink up!
8. Exercise! You're spending a lot of money to do this - why wouldn't you maximize your chances for success by adding some type of exercise to your routine? Do a little, do a lot, do what you enjoy - but do some exercise.
9. Don't start with a bunch of supplements at first. Start with the basics - a good multivitamin & flax oil capsules (which you can find anywhere). You'll be making a big change in your eating habits, so you probably won't need to take a bunch of stuff in the beginning. If your loss slows & you're following the plan properly, then you can add some of the extras to see if they'll help (but add them one at time so you can gauge what works & what doesn't - we're all different). In the end, the more you can stick with the basics the better - and the cheaper!
10. Look for less expensive alternatives to the supplements they sell. Vitamin & mineral supplements can be found anywhere. There are online resources for finding reasonable substitutes for most any supplement you can get at MRC. You're required to buy your minimum MRC protein drinks (what we refer to as HNS - high nutrient supplements) from MRC to keep your guarantee intact, anything else you can get elsewhere.
Okay - that's 10 from me - I'll probably think of more but I'll give y'all a shot at it - what's your best advice for newbies?
meemo,
great advice. I will be looking forward to reading your posts...during my browsing thru posts, someone mentioned that you are like this groups "Dear Abby"...you must have alot of advice and wisdom.
tracy
I joined very recently (2 weeks ago). I looked around and found that Target has women's multivitamins (300, 1xday) for under $10. Also, Flax Oil capsules (200, 9xday) for around $8. Just a couple of good alternatives!
