TeacherLady, best of luck with your treatments. If you are concerned about the aftermath of having a baby, I'm proof that it can be done. Wasn't easy, and it took me a while before I wanted to take care of myself, but I did it and you will too.

The Florida heat is bad. I heard our heat index was supposed to be 115 today.

So Jen, have you gone it to the center yet? I am betting your possible gain wasn't nearly as bad as you feared, and that you are getting back on track.

For me the dread is always worse than the reality.
Stay cool HNS popsicles, maybe?

Oh, it was bad...real bad. Guess the heat is getting to me because I didn't drink all my water yesterday, maybe 60 ounces and I gained 4 pounds overnight according to my scales at home! My counselor did a Tanita on me and it said my water weight was up 3.5 pounds. She was confident it would come off in a hurry once I started getting all my water back in. Then we will do the Tanita again in a few weeks and hopefully I'll be back under goal. Officially back on the green menu, but I had been doing a combo Green Menu/Maintenance menu since last week, so it's not as much of a shock, thankfully.

Ooooh, that IS bad. But now you know. And water is a lot easier to desal with than actual fat. I think I will go fill my water bottle now! Good luck!

Wow, lots of happenings around here. With everyone retaining water, know that it really is your body's way of protecting itself from dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. There are 2 main hormones responsible for this...one (ADH) retains water, the other (Aldosterone) retains sodium. Upping your water does help, but even with upping water your body works like a thermostat and your body will just adjust hormone levels again. It is frustrating, but normal. I can tell I'm retaining water by how my ring fits. If it gets tight, I know I'm retaining. In the summer this happens especially if I"m outside and active a lot. It easily makes a 2 lb difference with me.

I was up to 159 and got back on metabalance until I hit 154 then I went on the green menu. I lasted 2 days. By the end of the second day I was ready to cause bodily harm to everyone in my path, so back to metabalance...but I was down to 152. Then this weekend with stress (DH extra busy at work, trying to sell/buy a house) I just ate all crazy like. Back at 154. So after a long talk with my counselor I'm sticking with metabalance. Even though it works, the green menu is too restrictive for my activity level and then my body just goes crazy (along with my mind). I may do a day of green here and there if I need to get back on track.

Gina, see my question to you on the main list of threads. Thanks.

Responded. I didn't see it. I often just check in at the maintenance board now or I spend too much time on the computer and not enough time engaged with my kids. So just bring my attention to something I may miss elsewhere.

Yes. I figured that. I don't see you post so much nowadays. Thanks for your help.

Thanks for posting this! It actually made me feel a bit better with the water weight issue.

I appreciate the thoughts on water... I notice that my hunger and mood seems worse when I don't drink enough... and my food choices aren't the greatest when I'm not hydrated... anyone else?

Also, Gina - it's good to see your explanation of the green and maintenance menus... it seems that way to me also. I'm in the final week of stabilization and I'm struggling. I don't know why, but I don't handle the "add this/add that" mentality... or the extra dairy...

Does anyone have any advice for the end of stabilization/beginning of maintenance? I still want to lose some more weight.... but I think if I go on the green menu restrively I get bored and it's just too much.

Rachel, I've noticed the water thing too. I guess it's that old saying about mistaking dehydration for hunger. I ran into that Sunday and it didn't click. I'm trying to just go on auto-pilot with my water and drink, drink, drink. It's helping.

As for the switch from stabilization to maintenance, I kinda kept going on with my last stabilization menu. Every so often, I would add a new thing here or there, but I was so overwhelmed, I had to do what worked for me and I kept losing weight by doing that.

teacherlady...
Best of luck with the treatments.

I said I would report in today on weigh in day.. I lost one pound I gained and am back to 5 pounds under goal.. Did it by doing the Meta Slim 2 meal a day.. I will not try that again, as I was starving in the afternoon around 2. I will stay on green menu one week, and then go back to full maintenance.

Patzi

Glad to hear that Patzi!

Yes, I get overhungry and make bad food choices when I'm not well hydrated, too.

Also, I struggled with the end of maintenance, too--mostly because I was used to a routine--and felt safe with that--and then had too many choices in maintenance. Just stick with what you know/can remember, make routines for yourself, and then continue adding new things back in when you're ready for them. Otherwise, it's totally overwhelming.

I wanted to continue losing even when I started maintenance last summer (just wanted to lose much more gradually, without going back to the green menu), too. They figured out that I needed about 1600 calories a day to maintain, so I asked for the 1400-1500 calorie maintenance menu. I don't even really use the maintenance menu anymore...I track my calorie intake on livestrong.com and pretty much eat the green menu plus whatever additions I want that helps me total up to 1400 calories a day. I also tend to eat 100-300 more calories on the days I exercise, too. I started mainenance last year in June, and I've lost about another 35 lbs since then--so I've managed to average about -3lbs per month (some months I simply maintained, some months I lost more). I didn't obsess about losing, just stuck to my total calories, and it gradually happened. I've been very happy with it. And, frankly, I have some loose skin (not a ton), so I'm glad I did the last 30lbs so slowly, or I would probably have way more loose skin!

Ditto! I mostly stick with what I know (stabilization menu/modified green menu), and add back some of my favorite things (coffee with cream, yogurt, bread at lunch, additional fruit, snacks, etc.) until I hit my total calorie intake for the day. I've found it to be much easier this way!