[Zeitgeist]

Interesting theory about soy and emotions. I've heard that before, but I've never put much thought into the connection, because it doesn't seem to apply to me. Though, to be truthful, I'm always emotional, with or without soy, so I don't see a difference on this plan.

How are you feeling today, Operator? I hope you are feeling better.

Miriam, welcome! I hope you find success with the program. The first week is a bit challenging, but it gets easier (like any dietary change).

As for me, the week has started off fine. Nothing new or exciting to report, lol. Hope everyone is doing well!

I'm doing OK, Thanks. Just got to make it thru 4 more nights.

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

Hi all! I'm so glad to be back! My little bro got himself graduated and I couldn't be prouder of him! It was really good to see my family too. I don't get to see them as often as I'd like.

Amazing, I can't believe that your day care would do that! Well...I can, but that's just horrible! Let us know how that turns out!

Operator, thanks for the hot-pot suggestion! I actually have a hot pot and didn't even think about it! Oh, well. It was kind of nice to have only the cold stuff. It was pretty warm and I really wasn't in the mood for anything warm.

Well, I fell off the wagon into a big vat of brownies...I'm back on, but yeah...falling off hurt!

It started with seeing all my old friends on Friday night out at the bar. I had four drinks! And a handful of popcorn.

Wait...it gets worse.

So, Saturday I felt guilty. Not super guilty because I told myself it was a special occasion and that I didn't blow the diet too badly. I found a gym and worked out for 45 minutes as penance and told myself I would be super good that day. That lasted until my brother's graduation reception. His gf's mom was doing the cooking and since his gf seems super healthy I figured there would be plenty I could eat there. Bad thought...I should have brought some veggies with me. They had baked brie, steak, potato salad, and a spinach, peas, and pesto salad. Don't get me wrong, it was "healthy" but not really anything was on plan except for the steak. Plus, my mom was in charge of desert. She brought turtle pie, two kinds of brownies, strawberry short cake, and peanut butter cookies. This is actually light deserts for my mom...you can tell how I got to be a sugar-fiend, huh?

OMG! I resisted as well as I could, but I hadn't planned very well and was starting to starve. So, I thought I'd just have a taste of the brie, "Since it's cheese...it's kind of on plan, right? Oh, it's baked in a puff pastry...just a smidgen of the pastry won't hurt...I'll just be super good later." Dinner came around and I tried to pick out the spinach from the salad, but the pesky pesto kept sticking to the spinach and hid the peas...I gave up and just ate the salad thinking a few peas and pesto wouldn't hurt me too badly. "Oh, well...I'm already off plan, a tiny bite of the potato salad can't do too much more harm, can it?" Oh, and a pinch or two of the angel food cake wouldn't hurt...pretty soon I was on to the brownies! Before I knew it I'd eaten three of them!!! UHG! I was so miserably full, it hurt to talk! All I wanted to do was go to bed and wallow in my greasy sugar filled miserableness.

Yesterday was a new day and I stuck to the plan like glue. Today has gone well too. In a few minutes I'm heading to the gym to get in a good workout. I'm going to try to get back into ketosis asap!

I've learned something from this, though...always have a backup plan! Bring your vehicle with you to gathering like this so you can run to a restaurant or grocery to get on-plan food just in case! And watch out for the "gateway" foods! A touch of pesto here, a smidgen of puff pastry there...pretty soon the brownies start calling your name and they don't seem like such a big leap from the touches and smidgens!

[Zeitgeist]

Glad to see you back, Lili!

Your post, while probably not humorous at the time, cracked me up! Such is life, eh? It is so easy to get back on plan, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Lili-Try not to feel guilty. We are all going to go OffPlan every so often. That is now in the past and you got right back up on the horse. That's what takes strength and courage. Plus, you learned from it and next time you'll be ready. When I was a skinny B***h, I would go crazy a few times a year. I didn't get fat until I started doing it all the time.

Amazing-Haven't heard from you since this weekend. Let us know what's happening, even if you have to PM it. I get home about 7:30 am and leave about 5:00 pm.

Jen-I just figured out what is wrong when I walked in the door. Muffy isn't here anymore. The company is screwing with us about the load count on the last hour of the shift, besides taking time off our lunch breaks. At the end of shift our production controller got on the radio and told us that we had a good shift and were over plan by 56 loads, but that "the people above" are watching our last hour #s so we still need to get 50 more loads. MY GOD, what do these *******s want from us. We are exhausted after 12 hours of driving, we are trying to get our trucks clean for the next crew and figure out where to park SAFELY.

Used to be, I came home and my little man was waiting for me. Nothing else mattered except that Mom was home. I could just pet that soft furr and let go of everything. I've tried to let go of him and be strong, but this morning when I walked in, I was looking for him and it was like I just lost him again.

Well anyway, I'm doing something about this S**t at work. I am at least going to run my mouth. I will be damned if I can stand back at let someone get hurt or killed w/o doing something. The worst they can do is fire me, and frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.

Sorry to unload. Hopefully this weekend I'll be back to myself. I do now know that my mini-goal is to get to about 180 so I will look good enough to interview for another job and be taken seriously.

Keep going strong everyone. Love Y'all.

[abovethedin]

Anyone know the total carbs allowed in a day? I can't seem to find it on the website.
Jen

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

Abovethedin, total carbs allowed is 100gm, but the recommended is 80-85gm. I think they have it posted someplace...but I couldn't tell you exactly where! I know I've read it enough on their NS forum though.

Operator, thanks! I'm trying to forgive myself, but it'll be easier to do when the pound I gained comes back off! I'm sorry you're having a hard time at work. Hopefully soon you'll be at your mini-goal and feel comfortable about looking for a new job...one that is 100 times better than the one you have now! I'm sending some good vibes your way!

Jen, yeah, it wasn't funny at the time...but I try to look on the bright side. I could have had the whole pan of brownies! Hehe! Yes, it could have been much, much worse!

Amazing, where are you? I hope everything is getting sorted out with your daycare situation. I've been thinking about you and hoping you're doing well.

I've been on plan for four days now and I think I'm back into ketosis and losing again. I've started having the problem where I don't want to eat a darn thing again. NOTHING is appetizing. I've started making the shakes and pudding into cookie and cake batter by just adding enough water to moisten them and that seems to help a bit. I've also been having a salad at lunch and eating veggie burgers at night. It's so strange to not want to eat that I keep thinking something's wrong with me...like I'm getting sick or something. Sheesh...I used to complain about how hungry I was for everything all the time and now I'm complaining about not wanting anything.

[abovethedin]

Thanks for letting me know about the carbs. Sometimes I desire a snack and found some great soy crisps at TJ's. I wanted to make sure that they aren't too high in carbs or calories before I open them. Someone once told me that the brain needs 150 carbs a day to function properly. Has anyone else heard this?

Jen

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

I've heard something like that but don't remember a specific number of carbs. I hear more about salt content and brain function than carbs, though I don't know the numbers there either. I guess I could go look it up...

....

....

According to this article children and adults should have a minimum of 130gm carbs a day for maximum brain function, but I believe that high carb diets can really bad too, and possibly worse...case in point, diabetes. I'm sure Medifast NS would be able to give a good, healthy reason why we only need between 80-100gm a day. Maybe this is a good question for their NS forum?

And this article says we need a minimum of 500mg and not more than 2400mg of salt.

Edit: On re-reading the first article I noticed the familiar 45% protein/45% carb/<30% fat guidelines for calorie intake, well approximately what they have in the article anyway. Perhaps the reason 100gm is okay on MF is because we are on a lower calorie diet we should go by percentages rather than grams? Just thought I'd throw that out there too.

[Zeitgeist]

I feel awful.

I attended a conference this morning and for a variety of reasons, did not eat on plan today. I tried the best that I could but still ate more carbs and didn't eat every 2-3 hours like I normally do (the conference room we were in FORBID any food or drink in the room..grrr).

Now I have a headache from ****, which is probably due to dehydration as well as an increase in carb/sugars. I've considered using Alli before because I figured stomach upset after eating poor foods would be a good motivator to not eat those foods. I'm wondering if that is what is happening now, because if painful headaches keep resulting from increased sugar and carbs, I could definitely see myself bypassing those in the future.

I'm also annoyed because I was hoping to be under 300 by my birthday, which is in 8 days. There is no way I'm going to lose 6lbs in 8 days. Sigh. Mentally I know and I agree with slow weight loss as being better than fast drops. But my birthday always depresses me and I was hoping to give myself an accomplishment this year. Logically, losing any weight is an accomplishment...emotionally, I still feel like I failed again. I know it is illogical, but I don't know how to change that thought process.

Sorry for being such a downer. I hope others are doing better...its been quiet around here, which is usually not a good sign of success.

[brookelizabeth]

Jen, it's okay! You just give yourself a pat on the back for doing so well and get back. I know you have a goal to make by your bday and look at it this way, you are much lighter this year than last. And, what if you had gained that amount instead?? I am not going to make my goal either so let's just change them. We each have about the same weight to lose to get to the next hundred so maybe we could say July 4th?

Be good to yourself!!