During this last 3 weeks, my blood pressure has been dropping too. I finally made a call to my nurse who freaked - she didn't like 81/55!! So yesterday morning I went in to see the Dr. When I was thin, in my teens, my blood pressure was low. He thinks my body just might be trying to adjust - not as much fat to pump through, so it might be taking it easy until it gets used to the new me. But, they took blood to run a bunch of tests to be sure. Just hope it's not my thyroid. They were most concerned about my heart or a stroke. My dad had a quadrupal bypass in his mid 40's and mom had a heart attack at 59. I was born with a heart murmur, so I'm high risk. Which is exactly why I started on this weight loss & exercise journey. I'm trying not to stress about it - the dizzyness is what is worrying them the most. Luckily, my DH is an EMT, so now he gets to check my bp first thing in the morning for the next 2 weeks to collect "more data". Like 2 bp readings a week isn't enough! All this is a good reminder on why I need to embrace the new me. I can't afford to be heavy. Life is too precious to cut it short.
Oh my goodness--this seems epidemic! Having just experienced this, I'd caution you to be careful with the B6 supplements. I wouldn't take more than one a day, but honestly, I didn't start feeling better until I cut B6 out altogether. I doubt that I'll do another full B6 flush, either...unless I get really desperate! You might also want to look into some of the nuun (think sugar-free Gatorade) Mrs. Phibes recommended earlier. My doctor thought that replacing electrolytes would probably help with my low bp and dizzyness, too. I've ordered the nuun online, but haven't gotten to try it yet. I hope you start feeling better soon!
Okay, I loooove fish . I found the fried fish recipe in the cookbook, and I'd eat it every night, if my husband wouldn't complain . It's so easy, too. Just take your melba toast, and turn it into fine crumbs. I use my blender for this, but if you have a good food processor that might be better. I have on occasion used the meat tenderizer, with mixed results. Into the melba, you add 1 chicken boullion packet. You coat the fish in the crumbs and fry in pam. It's really good. I've used the coating to "shake and bake" chicken and pork as well .
For the plateaus, I would agree with the shaking things up advice. This is a really low calorie diet, and if your timing is off just a bit, it is possible to throw yourself into starvation. Plan a day where you eat only the highest calorie foods on your menu. If that doesn't work, at your own risk, you can try having an off plan day. Many people advise against this, because it can be so hard to go back. Also, it can cause you to have cravings for several days afterwards. But, if you are confident in your ability to get right back to it, and nothing else is breaking your plateau, you can try it.
In other news, stabilization is Tuesday, and I'm a little nervous. They want to take pictures. I'm thinking about wearing my roller derby uniform, because I'd like to update the picture of me on our team website. But, I don't know how they'd feel about me rolling around the center in my skates .
Target has a GF grill in the $19 range. It's a little bigger than the one I've got, but that might not be all bad--sometimes my meat doesn't want to fit on my personal sized grill. Also, I've heard people complain about the clean up on these things, but I just unplug mine, set it in the sink, soap it up and hose it down. I let it dry in the sink overnight. I've done this for years and have never had a GF fire or electrocuted myself.
You know Mrs. Dash has several flavors, right? I wasn't that thrilled with the lemon pepper, but there is a grilled chicken flavor that isn't bad, and there is also a chipotle flavor that is somewhat inspiring. Something else I found that is really cool is the big bag of non-breaded chicken breast tenderloins at Sam's. You can actually cook them from frozen, which is great when you mess up like I did today and forget to thaw out dinner. Sometimes I will season these with the chipotle seasoning and pan fry them like the tilapia, and it adds a little variety to the 49 different ways you can cook a chicken breast.
One final thought on chicken breast: if you stab your meat liberally with a fork on both sides, then marinate in the fridge for atleast 15 minutes, it will be deliciously tender and very flavorful after GF grilling.
One final thought on fish: I also wrap my salmon in foil, drizzle with olive oil and grill.
Stuck in Grad School, What are you marinating the chicken in?
Oh my goodness--this seems epidemic! Having just experienced this, I'd caution you to be careful with the B6 supplements. I wouldn't take more than one a day, but honestly, I didn't start feeling better until I cut B6 out altogether. I doubt that I'll do another full B6 flush, either...unless I get really desperate! You might also want to look into some of the nuun (think sugar-free Gatorade) Mrs. Phibes recommended earlier. My doctor thought that replacing electrolytes would probably help with my low bp and dizzyness, too. I've ordered the nuun online, but haven't gotten to try it yet. I hope you start feeling better soon!
My BP is perfect after being on the program for a few weeks, it used to run a little high. When you speak of a B6 Flush - can you tell me what does that mean? What do you do for a B6 flush?
Stuck in Grad School, What are you marinating the chicken in?
I am not Stuck in Grad School --- but I marinate my chicken in Kraft Light Balsamic Vinegrette (sp) salad dressing. It really makes the chicken moist. My 11 yr old hates any kind of meat but loves the chicken made that way.
For the plateaus, I would agree with the shaking things up advice. This is a really low calorie diet, and if your timing is off just a bit, it is possible to throw yourself into starvation. Plan a day where you eat only the highest calorie foods on your menu. If that doesn't work, at your own risk, you can try having an off plan day. Many people advise against this, because it can be so hard to go back. Also, it can cause you to have cravings for several days afterwards. But, if you are confident in your ability to get right back to it, and nothing else is breaking your plateau, you can try it.
If anyone is familiar with the Body for Life guy, the plan he recommends is that you eat strictly 6 days a week and have 1 day off a week to eat what you want. Some people turn this into 1 meal a week, but same concept. He says that by doing this you throw your body off, it goes from thinking it's on a diet to thinking oh no it's ok we are getting real food again lol. (by REAL I mean BAD). He says that this actually helps with your weight loss. So when you asked about your plateau that was the first thing I thought of but I didn't say anything because it's not in the MRC plan. I'm not advocating it, I'm just passing on the info!
La Tortilla Factory -- we went to do our weekly shopping yesterday at Walmart and I couldn't find them anywhere, I'm really disappointed. But I think Hyvee sells them, just means another thing to put on my to-do list. I am looking forward to making things with them like pizza and fajitas.
HNS creamy tomato supplement -- did you know that MRC is discontinuing these? So many recipes call for it and they aren't going to make them anymore The guy told me to follow the recipe on page 126 to make a tomato puree thingy I can use in recipes. But I got confused when I looked at the recipe, when it says '10 oz. of toato pureed' do they mean I chop up some raw tomatoes and puree them in the blender? Or do they mean to buy a can of pureed tomatoes?
Mixing crystal lite with your HNS -- according to the guy at the center I talked to, this is a no-no also. Something about they don't want us mixing sugars with the protein? I didn't get it but I won't be doing it anymore.
Grilling out today! -- today hubby and I are going to go to a park to grill our food (we live in an apartment and don't have our own grill). I have chicken breasts in the fridge that have been marinating overnight (he has steaks) and I'm going to make a zuchini/yellow squash/eggplant/garlic/olive oil tinfoil thing to grill also.
Angie, Welcome Back. That is fantastic that you hit the 50lb noard. That should keep you motivated this weekend.
Crystal, I struggled for about four weeks stuck in a rut around 174. When I recommitted myself - I stopped having creamies, and started eating most of my vegetables raw and eating more fish. I am down to 168.5.
I'm stuck right around the 168. I'm ok tho...I know it'll pass. It's just disappointing when you start sailing along so well then BAM!!! I'm not giving up for sure. I haven't been eating fish - had gotten burned out on it. But, this week it's all about the fish for me...everyday at least once a day. And, I'm taking lunch off today also. It's my son's birthday. We're going bowling and to Burger King...gonna eat something tasty (no fries tho), last time I did this it shocked my body back into losing again...so I figure I'll give it another shott then eat fish the rest of the week... I'm also planning to kick up the exercise...I really enjoyed the Zumba class I took...
Quote:
Originally Posted by snflrgrl1962
Angie Glad you're back! 50 lbs. is awesome!
Blueyedangel Hang in there!!! It will eventually pay off for you. Try tweaking your diet. Eat a protein you haven't had for a while or try a different fruit. See if that will shock your body into a loss. Just don't give up!!
I really want to thank everyone for the support when I had my big cheat this week! The confession was good for me. This board really helps me be accountable and gives me so much inspiration! I have been back on plan 100% since the cheeseburger incident on Wednesday!!
When I weighed on my home scale this morning it showed I was just over the 50lb mark. We will see if it stays that way when I go WI on Monday!
I did something really scary today and I still can't believe I did it!!!!
My weight has yo-yo'd up and down so much over the last several years. I have worn anywhere from a size 20 up to a tight 26 and every size in between. My closets were so packed with multiple size clothes that I couldn't even get a hanger in or our without an ordeal. I the past when I would lose weight, I just hung on to those clothes just in case I gained it back............Well not this time. I got up this morning and cleared both closets of every piece of clothing I owned. Everything that was too big went into a garbage bag...........I took 13 garbage bags full of clothes to GoodWill! I only have a very, very small section of clothes left.
I don't know if I have lost my mind or if I have just finally decided this is going to be for the rest of my life and I WILL NOT gain it back this time!!!
Way to go on cleaning out that closet...I need to also...just won't have much to wear... !!!
DKRiley I marinate in a store brand light, zesty italian dressing, but I've also used light balsamic vinagrette, and it is tasty, too. I think the key is just to marinate in something, and tenderize with the fork method, and chill after tenderizing. (Not necessarily in this order.)
Also, B6 flush...my center recommended taking 3 B6 a day for four days to pull water out of collapsing fat cells and break my first plateau...they probably gave you a hand-out explaining the water plateau. I don't have a local center, and when they called me several days later, they told me to stay on this routine indefinitely. (I don't think this is normal MRC protocol--just the right hand not talking to the left hand.) Well, I workout outside a lot, it is super hot and humid in this part of Texas, and I started having a lot of dizzyness and near-fainting spells, in addition to overall weakness and fatigue. Oh, and my blood pressure plumetted and the nurse couldn't find my pulse when I went in for a check-up. They also had a very difficult time hitting a vein for my bloodwork. I needed to replace the electrolytes I lost through sweating and the B6 flush, which I've attempted to do by adding a little more salt back into my diet, but I'm also waiting on a shipment of nuun, which I hope will be a good substitute for Gatorade. We think the weakness and fatigue are due to low thyroid levels, though, and not the diet or the B6 flush.
Noah Tall Wish I'd read your post before going to the grocery store! I would have picked up some melba toast to try this "shake & bake" business out. It sounds terrific!
Wear the roller derby uniform! They should consider your wheeling around at your stabilization portrait a success!
Spaghetti Squash I bought one at the farmers market this morning. I googled it to find out how to cook it, but does anyone have a plan-friendly means of serving it? I'm very curious!
Stuck in grad school - I use the spaghetti squash as "noodles" for spaghetti and just serve the ground turkey (or buffalo) on top of it. I think there's a good recipe in the recipe thread for it. I also just use it as a side and will spray it with the Parkay spray (like ICBINB but cheaper) and a little garlic powder.
I jumped on the scale this morning just to see if the big loss from yesterday was still there and I was down another 1.2 lbs to an even 288. I don't know what is going on with my body but I'll take it! I must have been holding on to some serious water weight because there's no other way possible for a 6.2 lb loss in 3 days.
Well this has been a tough weekend in for me. I was so proud of myself on how I resisted temptations on Friday, then Saturday came, and I went to a birthday party. Lots of wonderful foods, etc. I planned ahead, ate my own lunch, and managed to only drink water at this party. I come home, fix dinner for my kids - I had a turkey brat and was very satisfied. Kids had ice cream for dessert, I had my "rootbeer float" ----so far so good right? Well sometime after that I completely lost my mind cause I recall eating a bunch on hot tamales (candy) 4 huge handfuls of BBQ chips, 2 snickers bars, 4 mini powdered donuts, and a spoonful of garlic butter potatoes!! I even had a fiber drink before dinner - so it wasn't really like I was hungry! So I go to bed, and wake of telling myself - whats done is done, just get right back on. So I start off with an OP breakfast - go to church, we had a luncheon after church and I had a piece of chicken (took off the skin ) and then another weak moment , I HAD to have a rice crispie and a small brownie!! We still had yet another "gathering" to go to so I figured what the heck and had 1/2 a margarita. I'm SO dissappointed in myself. I don't know what exactly triggered my nose dive. I've been doing everything right up till last night. I'm determined to stay OP for the remainder of today. If I start right in the morning, I hope I'll be ok as well. I WI on Tues.....how much damage do you suppose I did?
Whatever "damage" you did is probably mostly due to salt. Be sure and up your water for the rest of today and tomorrow. If you don't have low blood pressure problems, maybe even take an extra B6 today and tomorrow as well.
Now the damage the center will tell you you've done is to throw off your "chemical balance". You'll hear this a LOT when you confess to slips. You'll also hear that you're now out of fat burning mode and it will take you 3 days to get back into it. It's part of their speech so try not to let it make you feel too bad.
We are all human and we will all mess up, even when we are aware of what we are doing. I've sat there eating something horrible for me while thinking to myself, "I really shouldn't be eating this..." But I keep right on eating it.
The thing I try to focus on is spending more time on plan than I do off. A lot of "regular" dieters (meaning not on a plan like MRC) follow an 80/20 rule. If they stay on plan 80% of the time, then they are doing well.
The important thing is to know that you messed up and to dust yourself off and get right back on track. The cravings might be a little tougher for the next few days because you've reintroduced those things to your system, just try to fight them off as best you can.
Whatever "damage" you did is probably mostly due to salt. Be sure and up your water for the rest of today and tomorrow. If you don't have low blood pressure problems, maybe even take an extra B6 today and tomorrow as well.
Now the damage the center will tell you you've done is to throw off your "chemical balance". You'll hear this a LOT when you confess to slips. You'll also hear that you're now out of fat burning mode and it will take you 3 days to get back into it. It's part of their speech so try not to let it make you feel too bad.
We are all human and we will all mess up, even when we are aware of what we are doing. I've sat there eating something horrible for me while thinking to myself, "I really shouldn't be eating this..." But I keep right on eating it.
The thing I try to focus on is spending more time on plan than I do off. A lot of "regular" dieters (meaning not on a plan like MRC) follow an 80/20 rule. If they stay on plan 80% of the time, then they are doing well.
The important thing is to know that you messed up and to dust yourself off and get right back on track. The cravings might be a little tougher for the next few days because you've reintroduced those things to your system, just try to fight them off as best you can.
You can do this!
Thanks - I appreciate your take on things. I know for a fact I won't be able to do this plan forever - it's just not my way. However I am hoping to get my weight down more while my husband is gone - then I'll be able to have a day now and then that I can "enjoy" myself hopefully.
What exactly does the B6 do for me again? I already drink well over a 100oz of water a day, but I'm still going to up that till my WI. I dont' think I'm gonna confess my sins to them either.....
B6 is a diuretic so it helps to flush your system out. When I know I'm holding on to a lot of water weight, I will take a couple first thing in the morning, increase my water and flush it out. But you have to be careful because if you take too much on a consistent basis, it can have some neurological effects (but from what I've found, that's over an extended period of time, not occasionally).
Spaghetti Squash I bought one at the farmers market this morning. I googled it to find out how to cook it, but does anyone have a plan-friendly means of serving it? I'm very curious!
Funny, I bought a spaghetti squash this weekend also, for the first time. I am used to cooking acorn squash so I thought I would cook this the same way (split in half, placed upside down in baking dish, add some water, bake or microwave until soft).
Thanks for your tip about the cajun seasoning, I made some orange roughy tonight with it and it was yummy. All of my meat is kept frozen until I cook it, I put it in the pan frozen and spray with pam to let the seasonings stick and then stick in the oven. Fish is left uncovered because I like them to have a little bit of crispiness, but chicken I will cover with tin foil to keep the moisture in. Next I am going to try the parmesan crusted fish recipe I saw somewhere...
Like 2 bp readings a week isn't enough! All this is a good reminder on why I need to embrace the new me. I can't afford to be heavy. Life is too precious to cut it short.
. I found the fried fish recipe in the cookbook, and I'd eat it every night, if my husband wouldn't complain 
.
The guy told me to follow the recipe on page 126 to make a tomato puree thingy I can use in recipes. But I got confused when I looked at the recipe, when it says '10 oz. of toato pureed' do they mean I chop up some raw tomatoes and puree them in the blender? Or do they mean to buy a can of pureed tomatoes?
