[losingweightnow]

Originally Posted by Hvnlymzic

Goal4Life - No one here is going to laugh at adding a 2lb weight to your arms while walking. Thats a great exercise. I've done that before and my arms got so tired. It's amazing what just that weight will do.
Jant - I would love to be the same size as my sister...and she's not all that tiny. I think I'll get there soon enough though. I'm into 22/24 stuff now and she's probably a 16/18. I'm gonna get her! (and then I'm going to talk her into getting skinnier with me)
losingweightnow - she had a smoothie that was made with the pudding, not a shake. When you eat the meal replacement shake (pre-made or powder)or bar thats exactly what it is...a meal replacement. You are supposed to go ahead and have a clear HNS with it, but thats it. I've done that for lunch one time and breakbast lots of times and it is very filling. I was kinda scared to do it for lunch actually because I didn't want to be starving around 2pm...turned out ok. Maybe we can get springfieldamy to post that smoothie recipe again for us...otherwise I'm sure someone else has it (I probably have it at home...so I'll look it up if I need to).
Nan - I started at the same time you did and now that I think about it...I haven't been sick either. Hmmm....maybe there is something to this whole taking care of yourself thing, huh?

I WI tonight and am hoping for a good solid number. My pie-in-the-sky goal is to hit 100lbs lost by New Year...thats a BIG loss for me. I would need 4lbs a week from now until then. I average 3 a week, but there are some lower and some higher. We'll see what I can do

I mis-read the post!!! I didn't realize it was with a creamy... SORRY EVERYONE!!! That's what I get for trying to read & post before I have my breakfast! I was told that if I wanted to have the veggie with the meal bar or shake that it was ok, but not to have the fruit because of the sugar in the pre-made stuff. I've never eaten the veggie with though because the pre-made things usually fill me up - or I'm eating them on the go. Once again I'm sorry for getting the items confused in the post! I will be more careful reading and replying in the future... (maybe try to do it on a full stomach! LOL!)

[Raemi13]

Does anyone know (typically) how many ounces frozen veggies turn into once they are cooked? I try to make one portion and either end up way too short on my 4 oz. cooked, or way over.

Thanks!
Rae

[Meemo]

Originally Posted by texdoc2001

WI today and I lost 1.5. That's fine by me. But I've noticed the last few days that, even though I'm doing the same things, I'm HUNGRY. Any ideas?

There was a conversation going on a few days ago about self-sabotage. I noticed as I left MRC today (HUNGRY as it was lunch time), I had the first negative thoughts I've had about the program. Like, "This is just too hard. I want Taco Bell." and even, "I'm not sure I'm any different than I was 16 pounds ago. Maybe I'm supposed to be fat." Does any of this ring a bell or make sense to anyone else? You guys are my reality check about this.

Did you have any cheats during Thanksgiving? If you did, you might be having cravings brought on by the extra carbs. Try drinking extra water, maybe add a HNS mid morning &/or mid-afternoon for a few days.
The good news about your Taco Bell craving - you can have Taco Bell! I used to stop in there a lot when I was in the losing mode - chicken taco salad, no beans, no shell. Yay!
And yes, I had those feelings of "Is this worth it? Why can't I just grow older gracefully (i.e. bigger)?" Heck, I still have them at times. But I try to remind myself how uncomfortable I am with those extra pounds on me - literally, physically uncomfortable - on top of mentally & emotionally. I think we all have to remind ourselves of why we started this from time to time to keep ourselves on track.

[Meemo]

Originally Posted by Raemi13

Does anyone know (typically) how many ounces frozen veggies turn into once they are cooked? I try to make one portion and either end up way too short on my 4 oz. cooked, or way over.

Thanks!
Rae

It depends on the vegetable - some are more watery than others. I'd try starting with about 6 oz frozen & see what you come out with. I'd worry more about coming up short than going over - I figure no one ever got fat from eating too many non-starchy veggies!

[Raemi13]

Thanks Meemo - and I agree! And extra green bean or two probably wouldn't hurt me! Ha ha...

And Texdoc - On your menus, have you been having the same thing to eat at most of your meals? Maybe change it up a bit to a different protein for breakfast and lunch? And you said you've been doing the same things as always, but maybe have you slacked off on your water a little or something like that? Just subtle changes might make a difference.

Also - do you take the liquid minerals between any of your meals, or any of the appetite control supplements?

I'm obviously no expert here since I only started a short time ago, but maybe there is a simple answer to all of it.

No matter what - you have a group here who is pulling for you to keep your eye on the goal and to keep moving forward!

[Hvnlymzic]

Texdoc - the only time I find myself becomming hungry between meals is near TOM's time. And during that time I already aim to bump my water up and take extra HNS as needed. Another thing I do to fight off the hunger pains is chew some gum. I have become a HUGE gum chewer. Sugar free of course, but it is a replacement for snacking for me. Eventually I'll break that too...but for now, it really seems to help.

goal4life - Yeah, I have no desire to be your sister's size either. My over all pie in the sky goal is to lose 200lbs total. That would take me to 153lbs. I'd be ok with 10-15lbs heavier than that, but I'd like to be able to say "I lost 200lbs!" when I go on Oprah spouting the miracle that is MRC.

sunnyglow and goal4life - I don't think we have to worry about me exercising too much...since I don't do much at all now. Believe me, I'll start slow. I wanted to learn to take control one step at a time. I told myself I'd master the eating thing first, and I think I've got that working now...then I'd move on to some cardio...so I'm getting there, then eventually I'll add in strength training too...There might be a method to the madness...maybe

Raemi - don't you hate that with the frozen veggies? I tend to make more than I'll need and then save the rest for lunch the next day. I have measured out what ammount I need for 4 cooked oz before, but I have a horrible memory and always forget to write it down So I just continue to waste time messing around with it.

I was inspired to put fruit in my pudding today at lunch just to see how it would go...so this morning I measured out a serving of frozen raspberries and then added it to my vanilla pudding at lunch time (after it defrosted). I left the water in it that had melted off of the berried and came out with some pinkish colored yummy mess that I happily ate. No one commented on it, mostly because it looked like yogurt I think. It wasn't pretty, but my tastebuds didn't care what it looked like, they liked it anyway.

[RamsWife88]

Can anyone tell me if the HNS that have splenda will be better for you than the aspertane (sp).

Also, I just bought a treadmill to help with the weight loss and I wonder if anyone has seen an increase in weight loss after incorporating the treadmill to the MRC plan and if so how much per week? 20 minutes each day would that be sufficient because thats about all this girl's got right now. I am so winded and out of shape and feeling like the world's slacker right now.

Thanks for everyones input! After reading the posts I feel more and more encouraged each day, I'm addicted to the support group Julie

[texdoc2001]

Thanks for the support, guys. At least I've made it through the day OP and with lots of water. I'll remember the liquid minerals tomorrow and see if that helps.

[Goal4Life]

Ramswife...I started walking about 2 weeks after beginning MRC, and yes, I noticed a huge difference in my energy levels, and I think that helped me get to regular exercising. I walk 5 days a week for around 20 mins which works out to a little over a mile. The first few days I dragged, but then after the full week, I loved it.

[Mary V]

texdoc- The longer I've been on the program, the more those sabotaging thoughts start to sneak into my consciousness. It happens more when I'm hungry, but usually it's triggered by seeing or smelling foods/drinks/advertising. So I make sure to eat every 5 hours, have a HNS if I get hungry in between meals, and drink LOTS of water. I drive a lot during the day, past literally hundreds of fast-food places and I've managed to keep driving. The thoughts do pass and I forget about them. Your thoughts that the program is too hard and maybe you're meant to be fat hopefully will go away as you experience the benefits of getting thinner. You're now at the weight I was when I started, and your goal is 5 lbs from mine. So far, I've done it, and I know you can do it too! A few more things that really helped me: have them do a body comp every time you weigh in so you can see the OTHER numbers, not just the ones on the scale; buy a pair of pants one size smaller than the ones you're wearing now and before you know it, they'll fit; stop wearing baggy/oversized clothes - retire them and wear things that flatter your new body; make sure to get as much variety as possible into your menu - eating the same stuff day after day gets boring; I prepare my lunch the night before, and shop a few times a week so I have no excuses to eat off plan.

I haven't WI this week, have had the flu (am so envious of you who haven't even had a sniffle since being on the program!). Hope to WI tomorrow.

A while back, there was a great discussion in which people talked about the things they'll most look forward to or the things they've appreciated about losing the weight (things like having more energy to play with their kids, fitting into an amusement park ride/airplane seat, etc...). Maybe we can go through those again. It was really inspiring and there are so many new members here...

The things I have appreciated: Having my clothes fit instead of bunching up or binding, or needing to wear to a big top to hide the waistband of my pants, I don't dread getting dressed in the morning, shopping in normal size stores, being able to walk into a store and pick a size medium off the rack knowing it would fit, buying cute underwear (in a regular size store), wearing said cute underwear , feeling comfortable in a swimsuit on the beach/pool on vacation, I found you can pack more size 10 clothes into a carry-on than size 20 clothes, actually liking my body again, and running!

Anyone else have appreciations to share?

[Meemo]

Originally Posted by RamsWife88

Can anyone tell me if the HNS that have splenda will be better for you than the aspertane (sp).

Also, I just bought a treadmill to help with the weight loss and I wonder if anyone has seen an increase in weight loss after incorporating the treadmill to the MRC plan and if so how much per week? 20 minutes each day would that be sufficient because thats about all this girl's got right now. I am so winded and out of shape and feeling like the world's slacker right now.

Thanks for everyones input! After reading the posts I feel more and more encouraged each day, I'm addicted to the support group Julie

If aspartame bothers you (too much makes me feel yucky) then you'd definitely want to go with the splenda. But if it doesn't bother you, go with whichever you like best.

As far as exercise goes - if you haven't been doing any, then yes, adding some will definitely help. As you continue to do it you'll find that you can do more & more. I listen to an ipod when I walk - I found over time that music that used to be "too fast" became just the right pace for my walking, and that music that used to be the perfect beat is now too slow. I walked from the get-go so I don't know how much of a difference it will make for you (and we're all different anyway) but I can pretty much guarantee you it WILL make a difference.
If anyone saw Oprah today & the weight-loss success stories, they were pretty amazing. EVERYONE had started an exercise program as part of their weight loss program. And as Bob Greene pointed out, it's harder for women to lose than men, we have to be pretty much perfect in our eating to lose if we aren't exercising, especially after we lose some weight & need fewer calories to sustain our weight. And heaven knows I've never been perfect in my eating (at least not for more than a day or two!).

[losingweightnow]

One thing I noticed not too long ago:

I was riding as passenger in my van with my husband driving. I dropped something on the floor in front of me. I actually reached to pick it up without first pushing it around with my feet to get it closer! I sat up and literally gasped! DH asked what was wrong - and all I could say was "I picked it up!" It was a teary eyed moment for me. Not sure if my DH could tell what I meant, but it meant a lot to me.

[Raemi13]

losingweightnow - That just brought a tear to my eye...actually choked up. Awesome!

[cargirl]

texdoc I have certainly been there too. For me, it was definitely after a cheat day that I started to question the program. Also, when its TOM I always seem to have a tough day. What brings me out of it is looking in the mirror at how much I've changed, trying on a pair of my "fat pants", and sometimes just telling yourself that this is just a craving and you'll get beyond it. Everybody has different triggers, these are just some examples of mine.

[cargirl]

Desi I started this program 10/13. I was on another program before that and was struggling with it so I switched to MRC. I feel like this program is working best for me because of some other health issues. I have had lots of tests by several different docs to see whats wrong-thyroid, pituitary, and blood sugar-with all the docs saying "it must be stress". Since I've been on program a lot of my symtoms have decreased (or even stopped completely). My weight loss is still a little slower than I would like, but I still feel like it's working for me.