Starting the second half of 2012 with a BANG.

July will bring good things, I just know it! Gearing up for a beach weekend get-away with my husband and daughter. More planning and prepping than usual due to the diet, but so worth it!

Happy July, y'all!!

WI at lunch and am ready to get these few pounds back off. I swear, I LOVE my center. I feel like I get to go to a weight counselor and therapist all in one.

Happy July!!!!

Thanks, BigDog. Feels good to know I'm not alone. I think she'll be MUCH better once we're on the road... she's just a control freak that HAS to plan. I've already had to tell her more than once not to bring the snack cakes or cookies because my kids don't need them. Hopefully she'll listen.

I've packed some lite canned fruit for when we cannot get to the roadside sellers/grocery stores, some low-fat granola bars for the kids, and some lite sausages for the kids... also some air-popped popcorn and some light chips. I know they're not ideal, but I'm trying to pick the lesser of the evils for any snack attacks.

We're also bringing turkey, salad fixin's, spray dressing, and spray butter... along with ground turkey, chicken breasts and some squash and zuccini for grillin'... Also, some Melba toast and 40 calorie bread... Added some HNS, bars, and my supplements...

Any other ideas for some program-friendly camping choices? Want to make sure I think of most things...

Thanks, guys!

Oh this vacation kicked my hiney, and it is still kicking it.

The 18 hour car trip there and back, I could not drink much water, and ate pretty much what everyone else was, becuase trying to negotiate a restaraunt with 7 other people is like pulling teeth. Still I made the best choices I could, and walked 8-10 blocks a day and did not gain, but did not lose.

Now I am back, I have still not lost any weight (it has been almost 2 weeks since we got home) and I am just having a hard time sticking with the program. I will do really really well and all of a sudden out of nowhere *Smack upside the head* "look someone over there has chocolate at their desk, I know I don't need it, but I really want it". We don't have anything at home other than some fat free frozen yogurt, but whenever I am out I just have no willpower what-so-ever. It is like my willpower has not come back from vacation yet. ARGH!!

Any ideas what I can do to get myself back in the saddle, I am getting so frustrated with myself (the hormones from the last week have not helped that at all, and I am retaining water and all bloaty). Plus work is stressing me out like crazy. I would so quit my job right now if I did not need money. Curse you money!!

Happy July everyone!! glad you went in, Jen and faced the music and had a great session :-) when you said you could still get in those tiny clothes i figured you didn't gain too much.

Galad.... i do the same thing...once i go off on the weekend, i'll find myself sneaking a little here and a little there. like i can just do whatever i want. well, hello, i can't and i never really can again. not if i want to fit into my smaller clothes and feel great! my DH and i work so much so do find ourselves eating out more or getting take out. the Berry Salad at Wendys may not be ideal but it's way better than other things i could choose. got one last night and used my ginger dressing and only ate half. actually just remembered the other half is in the frig.
the way i keep on track is start immediately chugging the ice cold water...it sets the mood to eat right...and have the cut up veggies in zip lock bags and all your other stuff on hand.
Rachels...your list of foods for camping sounds great! we use the reduced fat cheese string too and i always pack my Syntrax powder and my mini blender... even when i don't stay exactly on plan, if i drink the HNSs and lots of water, i don't gain. it's kindof like if it's a bad food, i autom. eat less. i'm trained - yay!

I am doing the body in balance plan & getting my hormones checked my cycle is seriously out of whack I'm talking 3 week long periods since at least Jan, last month was the first time I had a 5 day cycle since jan & since I got the saliva kit after the 19-21 day of my cycle I had to wait until after this cycle except that I'm already 6 days late (my tubes are tied, no prego symptoms so its def not that) so obviously Im irregular well it says for irregular people to do the test 5 days before you expect your period, well I expected it 6 days ago so now I don't know what to do, whether to just go ahead & do it or what. can anyone offer any insight?

I had the same thing happen.. she gave me the test and I was a week late (hormone issues, not pg!) and she said to just go ahead and do it if I have a history of irregular cycles.. sure enough mailed the test on Friday and I started today.. oh well.. close enough. She already knows that she will be putting me on the hormone supplements for estrogen dominance and low progesterone (it's why I've had infertility for so long but drs never treated it)

Not sure what I'm thinking, but it's 89 degrees at the moment, heat index of 99, and I'm about to go running. Gotta keep moving. I've already drunk a HNS and about 50 ounces of water. Needless to say, I'm not gonna push it. Definitely not going for speed today.

I never realized until doing MRC that I am not a big fan of veggies - I get sick of them really fast. So far I have burnt myself out on cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, asparagus, brussel sprouts and zuchini. Currently I am eating a lot of salad (romaine, tomato and cucumber - but am getting sick of cucumbers too!) Just wondering if there are any veggie haters out there and what you ate? Anyone have any suggestions for preparing veggies? Maybe I just need more variety (I have roasted & grilled just about everything!)

Thanks!

I love grilled squash and zuccini on the grill with some butter spray,... yummy-o. For my salads, I always do a base of broccoli and cauliflower and green peppers but then, depending on my mood, I add shredded cheese, turkey, even tuna. Now is the time for tomatoes and I LOVE home-grown tomatoes with FF cottage cheese.

You might take a gander at the cookbook - there are some roasted asparagus things in there and I believe some squash chips which are good...

For the hormone things, I too am irregular. I just did it before I expected my period, but my period didn't come that month. My test was just fine and they had enough data to read it... no worries!

BigDog - thanks for the RF string cheese idea! I'll be picking those up on the way home! Also, I may not have enough room for the ol' personal blender... may have to do the shaker bottle

I appreciate your ideas!

I'm frustrated.. I'll admit.. I'm following the diet to the letter and stalled for 5 days now.. I'm only 10 day into the diet..seems a little crazy to me to have this much of a stall so early in the program. I understand plateaus.. I've been around the block a bit with diets, etc.. but man.. this is tough.. I've always lost really well on other diets for at least a month before a stall and then it picked back up within a day or two. My center thinks it's hormones and will start me on progesterone cream the middle of the month.

Happy July! This month has started out well with me. 22 inches gone! Unbelievable. I have my ribbon on my water bottle. Gotta drink up!

anjy-I know it's frustrating but you will start losing again soon. Make sure you are getting plenty of water and protein!

JenB72-You are brave!


Ah the sweet smell of buttery bread is wafting its way to my nose from the break room. Must mean its lunch time....

As far as veggies go, Im getting a little burnt out as well (on broccoli of all things-and I love brocooli!)
Since its been nice out, I do like doing veggie and chicken skewers.

Have any of you tried the mash cauliflower? I was thinking of doing it but adding in 2 oz of mash potatoes to help out the texture.