Oh I finally tried a smoothie with vanilla pudding sup, cottage cheese, frozen strawberries and water. So so good. I actually felt bad for the kids when I made them one without the vanilla supplement. Mine was much much better. I had it for lunch, didn't add a veg. I think I will stop by and wi tomorrow. I will see if that gets a head shake or not. Actually didn't have any extra room for anything else. It was very filling.

Goal4Life ~ I get tired of people making negative comments about MRC when they really don't know anything about it! So just let them talk....while you walk away with a new body! If my friends & family comment on my loss and ask if I'm dieting, I just say "I'm trying to a make a lifestyle change".

And....congrats on the smaller size jeans! :carrot: Isn't it wonderful?

I love the AAAAH moments! My latest AAAAAH moment....getting a pair of my little sister's jeans this past weekend! AAAAAAAh, it's been a long time since we've shared the same size!

Donuts ~ I'm ready for the fish day! Thanks for the recipe....one of the restaurants (?) has a dish that sounds a lot like your recipe! DH doesn't like "baked" fish so I usually put together a version of "shake & bake" to keep from cooking two meals. :p

Today was tough. It is my youngest child's birthday and he wanted a chocolate cake...chocolate is my kryptonite! Every time I started to 'taste' or pick at it, I would say out loud, "It's NOT worth it!" By the end of the evening the kids and I were all laughing about it, and as I settled down with my cinnamon toast & hot cocoa (with peppermint extract, thank you Raemi13 for the brilliant idea! :hug: ) I realized that I was perfectly content without a bit of that cake...of course the kids had better gobble it down quickly this week! :laugh:

Jan, I love your response, "I'm trying to a make a lifestyle change", because it really is a lifestyle change, isn't it? I will say that since I've been on MRC (May 2007), I haven't had ONE head cold, ONE sinus infection or even felt that bad...an occasional headache, but that's usually more work or family stress related than diet related, unless I miss a meal, or am more than an hour late on having a meal. In the past, I would get a sinus infection whenever the seasons changed. It's a nice side effect! BTW, congrats on the smaller jeans!

Let me know what they say. I thought that if you had a shake or meal bar that you don't have the fruit, but could add the veggie if you wanted... but that might be for the meal bar and pre-made shake they make. :?: (not the powdered shake). Let me know if you find out different, as I don't wi until tomorrow. If we can have the fruit in the shake then I know what I'm having for lunch a few days a week!! :D

Springfield...what brand is that tea, and where did you buy it, sounds delicious!

Jant..that is a great response! I think I am just going to stay quiet around those 3 meddling relatives, and if they ask, I am just going to say what you said, that I am changing my lifestyle. GREAT! I love it!
If feels so good to wear those jeans now! I have to go buy another pair, a size smaller, and make that part of my next goal.
I have added some 2lbs (don't laugh) weights to my morning workout (walking) and then some sit ups/floor exercises. I want to work on toning my arms up a bit along with my stomach, that way I might not get to much flab as I lose to my goal. My dh has a mini gym in our spare room, but it is a little intimidating to me, all those functions and all, but I might have him give me a quick lesson on using it, and try to do some of the leg and arm workouts on it 2 times a week. I have to pump myself up for that though. :D LOL

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 :)

Ok, so I could never aim to be as small as my sister, she is like a 2! :) I don't think I wore a size 2 since elementary school :D LOL But I will be super with a 10/12. That is my official pie in the sky goal(love that phase Hvnly). Right now, I am a 20, we shall see.

Hvnly...you and I are very close in short term weight loss goals, I too am shooting for 20lbs but by Christmas. I will keep cheering you on til New Year's. You can do it! :cheer:

Knock on wood, I usually am sick around this time of year also...hhmmm...

So, I'm back from Ohio! There was a lot of catching up to to and a whole new thread!!! Great job to all the losers out there! :hug:

Ohio was interesting. It was a wonderful trip.... my father in law has terminal cancer and we were able to get the whole family together for Thanksgiving. He was so happy and we all had a great time laughing, crying, and being together.

The issue I had was with the feeders! :hun: it like walking into a feeder convention! My Mother in Law (who has had gastric bypass but continues to have an eating disorder) and my Sister in Law went at me from the moment I walked in. They were on full attack mode :sumo::sumo: saying things like "you won't be able to say no to this...." and "one bite won't make a difference" and "why would you do something like this before the holidays" and "you're not going to be able to eat anything". When my father in law asked if I would bring him a brownie from the kitchen my sister in law said "see, I knew you couldn't handle it", then I had to inform her that it wasn't for me, but for her father and when my Mother in law told me to try something and I asked if it had sugar in it she said "well, I didn't put sugar in it" :dizzy:knowing darn well what she used (bbq sauce) had sugar in it so of course, I had to say since we didn't know for sure, I would have to pass.... It was things like that all week..... :blah:

but I took it as a challenge, and I am stubborn as heck.... so I weighed in for the first time in 11 days last night and.........

I lost 9 1/2 pounds! :goodscale:yay:

HA!

I'm at 28 pounds total lost now, and going strong.

You know, I thought that family would be the supportive ones but I've learned a lot this trip. You never know who the enemy is! I've missed you all! I'm so happy to be back, and hear of all your successes and I look forward to losing more with you all! :grouphug:

Have a great day!:sunny:

Namaste...Awesome Job! 9.5 pounds in a little over a week! Keep it up! :cheer:

SpringfieldAmy - For your kids - try adding sugar free/fat free vanilla pudding to the cottage cheese and strawberries smoothie.

That's how I used to make my cottage cheese. I don't like cottage cheese, so I would just blend it until smooth with some sf/ff pudding in different flavors, and it made it very edible.

I love smoothies, I'll have to try one of those you mentioned!

Rae

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?

NAMASTE: WOW!!! Now, that loss is almost as inspiring as your ability to deal with the negative energy from your inlaws! Keep it up:carrot:

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.

Sam, from what I understand, there is a fine line between adequate exercise on this program and too much exercise. I was told at one point that I was exercising too much. I was doing step aerobics 3 to 4 times per week. I started losing less weight per week...they told me that I was spending too many more calories than what I was taking in and my body was holding on to the weight because it was not getting enough. I started exercising 2 -3 days per week and started averaging 5 pounds per week.

Sunny

Sunny, my center told me not to exercise more than 200-300 mins per week right now, that may change as my weight decreases, I am not sure. I walk 5 days a week for 20 mins, and do some strength training for 20 mins 2 days a week, and sit ups also. I seem to fall right in the 200 mins range right now. Step areobics is much more exurting than what I do, so I can see why that would have happened to you. A friend of mine does Curves 3 days a week on MRC, and she is also doing great.

:o 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!)

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

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.

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! ;)

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!

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.

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 :dizzy: Julie

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.

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.

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?

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!).

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.

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

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.

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.

cargirl- 20 lbs in a little over a month is EXCELLENT!! Great job!

Losing Weight Now: It was the vanilla pudding creamy sup not a meal replacement so I just had to give up my evening hot cocoa or cap sup. I highly recommend it. I haven't tried any of the meal replacement things yet. I think I had too much slim fast in my life. Scared to get that ball rolling.

Goal for Life: The brand was Yogi Tea. It was in the organic section of our grocery store. If I find it online I will post the link.

The smoothie I made wasn't really a recipe. I just put 4oz cottage cheese, the vanilla pudding, strawberries, and water to make it the right consistency.

Ok, big big thank you to Donuts. All of your talk about exercise drove me back to the gym today. It felt great. I have been dragging my feet since starting the program and calling my walks with the kids exercise. (Walking with a two year old really isn't exercise.) Once again you are an inspiration and leader, thank you. You must stay here when you are done. We all need your input.

My MIL is letting me barrow her gazelle that she is not using. I got it in the house last night at 8:00 and jumped on prepared to do 30 minutes. Boy did I way over estimate my exercising ability :faint:. I can do 30 min on an elliptical, but I could only go for 15 minutes last night. Tonight, I was able to go 20 minutes. I will keep working on this and maybe get to a point where I am not spazing out on the thing :tantrum:. That is really what I looked like, red face and all. My 3 year-old sat there tonight watching me and giggling the entire time. :rofl:

As far as things I can do now that I could not do before…Fit comfortably in a movie theater seat, feel the muscles in my shoulders, stand quietly watching my daughter swim and actually have people come over to talk to me, clip my toenails without getting winded, dance to an entire song (with no one watching), have the confidence to go to a job interview (I did that today). These are all with only losing 25 pounds, imagine what I will be able to do when I lose the 123 pounds I want to lose. :cloud9:

Sam - You should try the vanilla with blueberries and the chocolate pudding with mixed berries. Those are my favorite ways to eat my fruit. I have to have my fruit frozen when I eat them, I don’t know why. I used to do the same thing with chocolate. May be it is a texture thing.

I almost forgot. I ate fish last night and I loved it! For those of you who don’t know, I don’t do cooked fish, period. Well, now I do! Thank you all for the recipes.

Ok that is what I get for posting on page 9 when we were already at 11. I just have such a hard time remembering everything I want to say when I wait till the end. Sorry you had already worked out the smoothie thing before I caught up.

Ok, I am heading into a big weekend. Luckily my donuts inspired trip to the gym has me feeling a little more prepared. All of my college girlfriends are coming to stay the weekend with me for our annual Christmas party. As I was telling my friend who is also on the program it should be called our annual eatfest. We eat and visit and then eat some more. It is everyones chance to bring their best most decadent recipes. We eat, cook and never leave the house. It is going to be a tricky one. A few of the girls are totally fat free living types and we all roll our eyes at them. Now my past behavior is going to haunt me. This diet is going to make them look like wild crazy girls. It should be interesting. Obviously I decided to host this year before going on this plan. I am going to do my best, but watch for midnight help messages from me.

On to things I am thankful for: Today it was the fact that I walked into the gym with pride. The knowledge that I was headed in the right direction made me feel like I belonged there rather than like an outsider among the healthy. I usually kind of try to stay in corners and stay invisible. I wasn't in any better cardio shape, but I wasn't embarrassed by my red face and huffing and puffing. I had a new found confidence that this is my new lifestyle and I am going to be here and be proud of it.

One last thing, you are all making me want a gazelle. Does it have resistance? I tried one in college and it was so much fun, but seemed more like being on a swingset then exercising. (I loved it!!) I pulled out my mini tramp, but the kids wouldn't give me 2 uninterrupted minutes on it. They love it and expect us to all take turns. Might have the same problem with the gazelle. I will stick to the gym for now, but keep the gazelle posts coming. Can't wait to hear about your results.

Oh and finally best for last, Namaste, you are my hero. Making it past all of those hurdles is amazing. You are officially our rock star of the week or maybe year. That sounds like an unbelievable battle and you won. Enjoy your victory. I will be thinking of you and your victory all weekend.

Take care everyone and keep up the fight. Thank you for being here each day to listen to my rants.

Hi Everyone :wave: I finally got a chance to read the posts - 6 pages!!! We're sitting in the airport waiting for our plane. I did wi yesterday and lost another 1/2 lb.

Donuts: thanks for the book recommendations. I actually went to B&N and bought the 100 day book. It looks awesome and I have already enjoyed reading a little. I'm bringing you all with me on the boat! You will be in my thoughts as I try to make healthy choices. Thank you for that fish recipe too. Sounds delic - can hardly wait to make it.

Wow, so many things I wanted to comment on, but DH is saying hurry! Almost time to board.

I did want to comment on Springfield Amy's post - you are awesome. I love that you analyzed the "why" you ate. That is a great step to change. The why is what got me here in the first place. You really had me thinking about your post for a couple days. My why is first surface - lack of planning and eating out of hunger. But my deep why is the "I deserve it" attitude. I over endulged but I used food as a reward. I work hard, I've been good, I'm celebrating, I deserve this wonderful good. I spent a few days thinking of new mental talks to "I deserve it". I deserve to be thin, I deserve to be healthy, I deserve to live a long life and I deserve to have a body that can move the way it was designed to!!

So as I'm heading off to be good on the floating food fest, I would like to lay out the question. What is your "why?"

See you all when I get back. We'll probably be on post 7 by then!!! Love you all :grouphug:

BTW, as I was lugging around my heavy suitcase this morning I was wondering how much it weighed in comparision to my weight loss. Well, it was 37 lbs!!! I can't believe how much that weighs!!!! No wonder I feel so much better :D

When I get these feelings....I just look back at old pictures of myself and I know I don't want to go back to that weight! Find what motivates you....is it your personal weight loss? If it's money....run a tab on how much you've spent at MRC, if you quit now.... then you've lost that investment! YOU ARE WORTH IT!!! PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP! :hug:

The coworker that got me started at MRC has decided to give-up...I know this will make it harder for me just not having that added support at work. But I have too much invested to give up! Plus, I'm liking my new body!!
WI tomorrow.....and I've had fish 2 days this week so :crossed:

:bravo: Can you believe it! Congrats! Bravo! Amazing! :dancer:

Have a great time on your trip!:sunny:

You are great! You have wonderful suggestions, and I know that everyone appreciates them! I do!

We were talking about things that we were looking forward to a few threads back....! I believe Donuts called them our "freedoms" and I keep a little notepad with me so when I feel tempted I pull it out and remind myself of those things....

Some of freedoms are:
Playing with my son without getting winded!
Being able to wear my wedding ring again (tried it on again last night, almost there!)
Rollerskating, Rollerblading, Riding a bike without being embarrassed!
Sitting in an airplane seat without needing a seatbelt extender!
Going to a concert and being able to fit in the seat!
Tying my shoes the "normal way"
Buying clothes ANYWHERE!

The list goes on and on..... it helps me stay focused and I encourage everyone to make their own list. It really does help.

Have a great day!