[camaswa]

My current routine:
M and W: alternating full-body strength workouts from "New Rules of Lifting for Women". Keeping records and upping weight when I can do 3x12
T and Th: 1 hour fast walk down and back up very steep hill near my house
F: 1 hr personal training
S: off
Sun: long casual walk with husband

[camaswa]

Forgot to mention- I just got back from a 4-day biz trip at a resort/conf. center. I worked out EVERY DAY! Ate really well and got enough sleep. I'm so proud of myself for that!

[nwcgina]

camaswa-that is awesome. Eating well and getting enough sleep is the hardest thing to do on a trip. I like working out at hotels/resorts. I don't know if it's just the different scenery, but an exercise room is a must for me! That or a nice place to run/walk outside.

I will say that I prefer to strength train at a gym/fitness center. I have the equipment at home as well, but I tend not to train as intensely. Or the laundry starts calling. Or the kids interrupt. Gym time is my time

[patzi]

camaswa..
You should be proud of yourself. You are a great inspiration to others .

Patzi

[patzi]

What a trip I have been on trying to maintain. I have not eaten anything unsusual than what my maintenance program is for me, and last week I gained 2 1/2 pounds.. So, they had me come twice this week to weigh in and I took it off. So darn frustrating, as if I was eating cake, drinking lots of liquor or over indulging, I could see it, but no reason for this gain at all. I did the new green menu , and hoped for the best and it came off, so I am down to 5 under goal. I am soooooo glad I gave myself that buffer of 5 pounds under. My hormones are in tact, and my blood work including thyroid are all good. That is my story. Hope y'all are doing well, and hang in there, as it is really worth it. I did up my protein quite a bit and weight came off, plus went back to the new green menu for a week.

Patzi

[jlpnebraska]

I just posted on the September thread, but thought that I would ask the gals on this thread too. . . . Have any of you experienced hair loss? I've lost 20 pounds and have been losing hair for at least 6 weeks (even though I started on MRC at the beginning of June). My center suggested that I try MSM for hair growth and that it might also help with saggy skin. Can anyone give me any advice on either the hair loss or MSM?

And, are any of you still taking MRC-6, Cortitrim, or Phentratrim? I had hoped to get off of them when I reached my goal, but I can tell a difference without them and just bought another round. The counselor that I see has lost 80 pounds and she still takes Cortitrim. I hadn't planned on buying products for an extended period, but thought that I felt better with them. Any advice here?

[nwcgina]

No advice on the supplements as I've only taken a multi, B complex, and fish oil. My counselor did suggest MSM for for saggy skin (I may start taking it as you can get a glucosamine MSM complex & I have arthritis, so it wouldn't hurt).

Hair loss can be common with too low calorie intake. Or if you body fat % gets too low.

[patzi]

Originally Posted by jlpnebraska

I just posted on the September thread, but thought that I would ask the gals on this thread too. . . . Have any of you experienced hair loss? I've lost 20 pounds and have been losing hair for at least 6 weeks (even though I started on MRC at the beginning of June). My center suggested that I try MSM for hair growth and that it might also help with saggy skin. Can anyone give me any advice on either the hair loss or MSM?

And, are any of you still taking MRC-6, Cortitrim, or Phentratrim? I had hoped to get off of them when I reached my goal, but I can tell a difference without them and just bought another round. The counselor that I see has lost 80 pounds and she still takes Cortitrim. I hadn't planned on buying products for an extended period, but thought that I felt better with them. Any advice here?

Hi..
I did get saggy skin after losing weight, and might try the MSM, as Gina mentioned, as I also have arthritis. As for MRC-6 & Cortitrim, I did take it until I hit goal, and when I hit goal, got off all supplements on a regular basis. Only thing I take now is the Fat & Carb Blocker when I eat out.. Now that I am talking, I did have some thinning of hair a long time ago while in college, before MRC, and it was due to eating not a balanced diet, way too high on protein, I thought, and one of my nurse co-workers was using a product that I ordered onloine by Quality Life Herbs, called Shou Wu Pian. I had my doctor check it out, and gave me the ok.. I would always check with doctor before taking to make sure it has no adverse reactions to whatever else you are taking, but that did help me. I had thinning of hair up by temples, and in 8-9 months it grew back, but as you see it took a long time. Only person I knew on MRC that did lose hair , was one, and she was on the diet we can not talk about here , and that was probably due to the low intake of calories.. Let us know how you make out.
Patzi

[camaswa]

Patzi, I have been thinking about this a lot- it really does seem that sometimes the gains are without cause. We must just hold on to water weight more sometimes than others. I was feeling really happy with myself on my recent 4-day trip but when I weighed I was stunned to be up 2. I ate ZERO starch, lots of beautiful fresh berries, fish, no desserts. What's up with that? I keep telling myself not to get upset but it sure does get tiring to think I am never going to be able to relax much about what I eat. I envy you that buffer, I should have gone to 155, but I stopped at 160. Maybe after my upcoming vacation....

[teacherlady79]

Originally Posted by jlpnebraska

I just posted on the September thread, but thought that I would ask the gals on this thread too. . . . Have any of you experienced hair loss? I've lost 20 pounds and have been losing hair for at least 6 weeks (even though I started on MRC at the beginning of June). My center suggested that I try MSM for hair growth and that it might also help with saggy skin. Can anyone give me any advice on either the hair loss or MSM?

And, are any of you still taking MRC-6, Cortitrim, or Phentratrim? I had hoped to get off of them when I reached my goal, but I can tell a difference without them and just bought another round. The counselor that I see has lost 80 pounds and she still takes Cortitrim. I hadn't planned on buying products for an extended period, but thought that I felt better with them. Any advice here?

I took phentatrim the last month or so of my program, to get those last stubborn pounds off. Once I hit maintenance, though, I came off all the supplements except vitamins and fish oil.

As far as hair loss--I went into maintenance last year in June, and it wasn't until June/July that I started to notice a lot of hair loss (and I've been on prenatal vitamins since January of 2011, so I know I don't have a vitamin deficiency). Even my hairdresser noticed. My hair got extremely thin, which was upsetting to me. I figured it was a delayed reaction to the 9 months I was on the diet, and I upped my fish oil and added biotin to my routine. I also was more conscious about making sure I got enough carbs and fat to support new hair growth. I did get a lot of new growth, which is finally long enough to notice, though my ends got so thin there for a while that I finally had my hairdresser bob my hair (about a 3-4 inch cut--shortest I've ever had it, since my hair was always my "security blanket" when I was heavy) so that the new growth and shorter haircut made my hair look thicker. I still feel like my hair hasn't recovered full thickness, and I'm planning to go see a doctor for blood tests to make sure I don't have something else going on.

HOwever, my yoga instructor told me that when she and her sister changed their eating habits a couple years ago (not necessarily for weight loss, just eating healtheir, less processed foods/more organic) they experienced temporary hair loss. She said she thinks any dramatic change in eating can contribute to that--but that we notice the hair loss so much more than other changes because it takes so long for our hair to grow out.

LIke I said, I'm planning on having bloodwork done to make sure I don't have anything else going on, and I may consider adding another supplement for hair growth/thickness--as long as my doctor okays it. It might also be worth it to talk to a nutritionist, I guess, to make sure I'm getting enough of everything I need.

[jlpnebraska]

Thanks, everyone, for posting about the hair loss. I am going to try MSM to start with and see if the loss slows down. My hairdresser also commented that she sees it frequently with rapid weight loss, however, losing 20 pounds over 2 1/2 months is not rapid in my mind. I read up on hair loss on the internet and many vitamins are also listed in the "cure," so I am going to make certain that I keep taking the variety that I supposedly need. Weight loss usually comes with a price, but I didn't expect this one! I was anticipating the saggy skin and hoped that would be the extent of it. Like I said though, my counselor said that MSM can work on the saggy skin too, so it might just help all of my woes! Here's hoping. . . . .

[Tamikl]

Hello MRC friends!

Well, regarding the discussion on hair loss, I can't say that I have experienced this...thankfully. Some saggy skin, etc..., but not that. I currently take the Total Woman fish oil, MSM, and multi-vitamins.

I am hanging in there...up some days and down others. Having a hard time being consistent. What I have done is add fiber 3 times a day, up my exercise, and increase water. This is helping slow but sure. The fiber really is helping me with the snacky feelings I get...makes me feel full between meals, which helps a lot!! Also being quick to grab protein when I do want a snack, rather than carb type snacks.

It is all such a continued discipline, and I think I had actually began to think that it would get easier...and it hasn't...I had been mentally having a battle with this reality. I know now for sure that to keep it off takes work, too At least for me it does! I am starting to accept that reality and live each day one day at a time....baby steps!!

Here's to staying on the right track!!....

[teacherlady79]

I suppose I could ask my doctor about the MSM, but the main reason I've refused it up until now is because I'm allergic to sulfa-based drugs (and have a tendency to get migraines from the sulfites in red wine). Since MSM contains a lot of sulfur, I worry that I would have an allergic reaction to it.

[bigdog]

Back from vacation. 9 days in St Augustine . Weather was absolutely perfect!
Rode our bikes,walked the beach constantly, when eating out, usually had fish tacos w lots of veggies or seafood salad. Did pretty well but did indulge in margaritas and mich ultra..most of the time I mixed my margaritas using the pink lemonade protein mix, lime slices and sugar free light marg mix. Yum!!!

Well, lots of things going on. I resigned from my job last week and last day was Friday a week ago.....yay!!!!!! Went to HR re my crazy hostile boss and it just made it worse...
So will start my job hunt tomorrow and am actually excited about new beginnings

[camaswa]

Wow, Bigdog, that's a big deal! Congrats on the courage it takes to walk away. Life's too short to let them treat you like dirt. I hope you find exactly what you are looking for at twice the pay! Aent you glad you can go into interviews so confident about your appearance now?

Tami, like I said in an earlier post to Patzi, sometimes the scale just doesn't seem to make sense. You can "get away" with extras sometimes, and other times you can eat really well and still go up. I just wonder if we are not destined to go up and down. The key I think is picking a number that you don't ever want to go above again, and immediately cutting back if you do see it. I am starting to notice more trigger foods than I used to as well. Ice cream, of course. Salty chips or nuts. And believe it or not dried cherries, the tart ones. Omg, I love them and they are 140call per 1/4 cup. I think I should never have those in my house.

Right now I am in a brief denial. I couldn't face the scale after a fun weekend of not much exercise and all the above.... I was already up 2 on Friday, so I am worried. I'm drinking water and eating on MetaBalance today, and tomorrow I gotta face it.