Sure I can tell you about it. It's called the "healthy weight for every body" wellness program. To me it seems very similar to the "Biggest Loser" diet.
To begin with, they suggest most females eat about 1200 - 1400 calories on average---this may be more so the doctors/nutritionists talk to you about all that. Men are more, I believe 1600 to about 1800 (again this varies). I strive for about 1200 calories, but if I go over my calories with vegetables or fruits this is ok. They follow something called the Healthy Weight Pyramid They say that the minimum servings of fruits/vegs are 3...but you can eat unlimited amounts (I would assume this COULD become a problem with fruit....I don't know though), 4-8 servings of carbs, 3-7 protein/dairy, 3-5 fats, and 75 calories sweets. They emphasize energy density and feeling full on less calories. They also really recommend at least 30 min physical activity. They set you up with menus and all that stuff, but I don't usually follow them. For one, it costs so much to follow ...and secondly I just don't like a lot of the stuff they put on them. They have a great book, Healthy Weight for Every Body...it's helped me quite a bit.
I think what has helped me the most though thru Mayo Clinic has been the constant support and access to all the latest in healthcare. There are two gyms. The newer gym is amazing---it's called the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center ---named after the guy that invented Slimfast--believe it or not. They offer programs to educate and help the employees/their family. They offer personal trainers, body analysis, weekly meetings with specialists to educate and they really stress behavior modification. The best part though, it's free. You don't need a gym membership to take part in the programs, cooking classes, or analysis. The gym membership is pretty sweet too...25/month---but if you use it a certain amount of times it goes down to 15/month---you can't beat that!!!
I can't post links...so you should definitely google it and see more about it. It's seemed to work so far.
You have an awesome opportunity with the program at work. I'd love to have something like that. You need to learn to say "no thanks " to the food pushers, every office has them.Be prepared with your own healthy snacks.And of course they know about the plan at work, just tell them it is too good of an opportunity to pass up and you want to give it your best shot.By the way Rochester is my home town although I haven't been there in quite a while.
really? I grew up here too...then went off to college, and now I find myself back. I'm sure california is a million times more exciting though!!!
It's so hard with the food pushers. I swear, when I refuse to eat something there are some people that give me so much crap about it. It's like they don't want me to succeed. Quite a few people in my direct unit are also trying to lose weight and attempting to take advantage of the Healthy Living Center... but they just don't go and are definitely not as determined as me. Whenever they ask me about how I'm doing or whatever...and I tell them... they seem to criticize me afterwards. It's just weird.
Protein in the morning - I always "knew" that, but I didn't try it until I heard it in a seminar; at least 15 grams of protein! For me it works wonders, I'm never hungry when I have my lunch! I take my 15 grams from
- ricotta/cottage cheese with 1tsp honey (add some oatmeal or high fiber cereal and you have the PERFECT breakfast),
- 2 slices swiss cheese, - 100 cal,
- boiled egg (I can boil several and keep them in the fridge),
- Luna bar (only 9g protein, but it's great on the go),
- whey powder shake.
These are very small but filling, because I'm also not hungry in the morning and I can't eat much...
Lunch
- veggie stew - we cook a big batch and it's great second (and third) day for lunch; can be packed in a tight plastic box; To thicken the stew I mash the potatoes in it (or let them boil longer - they mash themselves )
- roasted chicken breast with some wild rice cooked in the evening; to roast the chicken I do this: lightly cover it with Dijon mustard (just enough for the breadcrumbs to "stick") and then cover it in breadcrumbs+herb mixture; in the oven at 450 for 25-30 min and it's done!
- whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce - you can make a large portion for dinner and have some to reheat for lunch next day
mxgirl, sounds like you're in a very good program, well, the Mayo clinic is legendary... and your weight loss is awesome!!! When I was your weight , I went to the most famous weight-loss doctor in our country. She presents one of her successful patients every month in a health magazine.
Well, when I got there, they checked my blood work, looked at my stretch marks and told me I'd have them forever, yaay! They told me to rub body milk in after every shower, so my skin can shrink. And then the big bad doctor came in. She took me to a private compartment, next to another one (they were separated by curtains only), where another patient was waiting.
She gave me a 1200 calories diet to follow (very boring, the same thing over and over again, every day), told me I have to attend her kinesiotherapy (work out classes wrapped in a fancy word for movement), and then took her little pulsar and did acupressure on my "hunger points". When she was finished, she went to the other patient, and what I heard was: "Dear lady, what is this? What are you thinking? You lost only two pounds in the last month! I cannot lose your weight! If you have a problem with it, you have to go to a psychotherapist (this was all in a very nasty tone)...pause... why are you looking at me like that? Don't look at me like that!"
The reason the woman was looking at her like that was because I was in the other compartment, getting dressed, and listening to the verbal abuse she was taking.
Now I couldn't follow the plan, because I was too emotionally involved with food, probably like that other woman, so I ate nothing and drank only fresh squeezed orange juice for three days before the next visit with the big bad doctor. And she was quite satisfied with my loss... And then I gave up, and carried the weight around for two more years.
It is so important to have understanding and gentle people around you, before you get the hang of not eating when you're stressed.
A WARNING: do not think that this pace is going to go on forever. After 80 pounds or so I stopped losing, but was maintaining for two years.
Recently I gained 20 pounds again due to depression, but I'm out of it now, and I'm losing the last 60 pounds slowly, but healthily. Because I'm not on a restrictive diet, I do not feel the need for a pizza, but if I do, I will be here, crying to you all about it.
I agree that a banana is not enough for breakfast-they average around 110 calories. That would be considered a snack, not a meal. When you eat too low calories and let yourself get too hungry, it sets you up for a binge-which is what happened to you. Your body gets so hungry physically, that it wants to scrounge up ANYTHING-especially foods that are high in fat and/or sugar.
I also agree that 25 pounds in a month is way too fast. It seems to me that 1200-1400 calories a day might be a little too low for your current body weight. (Although it might be perfect for someone who only needs to lose 20 pounds.)
Your current body weight has a lot to do with the calorie level that you should be on, because the larger you are, the more calories you can eat and still lose weight. This is why I don't really like every woman being on the same level. The calorie needs of a 240 pound woman, and a 140 pound woman are not the same.
I'm sorry that you had that experience. It's horrible. When I was a little girl I saw a nutritionist... and she called me fat to my face. That's hard for a little girl to hear, especially when I didn't think I was really that fat. It made me sort of give up...I don't know. It basically made me want to eat more. Now, I have found a really great nutritionist...she's smart and knowledgeable on all the current research too. She explains why certain foods are better... and has never called me fat. haha in fact she's quite motivational.
)
And now you really can't believe yourself! 
