I am officially on stabalization. I have my week 1 menu, and I get to add a new starch, 3 days a week for lunch. I am a bit nervous for the new menu. But I am totally pre planning everything, so crossing my fingers that this first week goes well. Today starts the new menu.

I totally see how this program walks with you until the end, no others will hold your hand, and teach you how to eat again. Learning how much your body can really eat is essential to long term weightloss.

Donuts...if you are out there lingering....I could use a good vote of your knowledge during this new era of learning. I know you should be going into your maintenance menu now, and I would really like to get some questions anwsered about the next few weeks. My center just keeps telling me to relax and everything will be ok. Ha..me relax!! I am so worried that I am going to mess up this miraculous change that I have undergone.

Are your portion sizes the same? Do you still use the HNS? I think my center said that you still tend to lose on stablization--they said I can start it when I am 7 lbs from my goal weight. I would be a bit nervous, too--we've gotten so used to this one now!

Portions are the same and yes, you still use the HNS for the 6 weeks of stabilization, they just slowly start taking them away, down to 1. Yes my center says that I will lose 6-8 pounds on stabilization. You are right, I have just gotten so comfortable with my menu, that I think it is hard to start adding foods that have been off limits until now. Like for this week, I have a choice of potato/sweet potato, popcorn, dry cereal, pasta, rice, and some other things. But silly me, I looked at the list, and just used a black sharpie, and crossed of the things that I knew were trigger foods for me...ie angel food cake, animal crackers, saltines, pasta, graham crackers. Things that I knew would be hard to stop at just 1 small serving. In my mind, I think there will be certain foods that I just don't even want to incorporate back into my healthy eating. I mean, I have been able to change my lifestyle for the last 8 months, why not for forever. My counselor said it was fine to cross of the trigger foods, but to make sure that I do choose some foods to add back in. I think it will be great to have a baked potato, or a baked sweet potato, so I am safely going to choose 1 of those this week, and I think for the other 2 days, I will have a wrap/pita for lunch with my tuna as a nice change over tuna on salad.

Originally Posted this on 21 - Thought I would move it here since I think 22 was already started.

Rocki - you can do this! The scale has not moved but maybe you are losing inches!
Melanie - Congrats on the 70 lb board. That is awesome.
Welcome - This is a great program and a great forum!
Way to go! Glad you re-signed.
You can have 3 per day on the green menu. They say if you need help going to the bathroom to drink them with food. Otherwise just drink them in between to fill you up. I mix them with about a cup of water.
Sorry about the toothache. Hope you feel better soon! As for the spaghetti squash - it shouldn't be crunchy. When you cook it you should be able to poke a fork in it really easy and scrape the strands with the fork easily.

A little update on me - Started the week .5 from the 30 lb board. I was facing many challenges and winning. Then Monday morning TOM. Started both Mon and Tues on plan - did not end OP. Wed got back in the saddle one more time and stayed OP. Friday WI still .5 form 30lb board. But then I got sick. A stomach virus that I got from my son. So Fri and Sat were way off plan. Trying to get back on today. But still feeling a little off. Maybe that .5 will be mine anyway tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a great week!

My personal preference is baking it - they can be really hard to cut in half when they're raw so I take the easy route! Might cook mine for lunch if the power comes back on!

Try doing cauliflower that way - Steam of boil cauliflower until it is VERY soft (20 - 30 minutes). Put it in a strainer or a sieve and mash as much of the water out as possible. You can add cloves of garlic if you want. Mash them up like potatoes. (This is a low-carb recipe, of course you can use cream & butter when you're low-carbing, but some ICBINB or Molly McButter could substitute.)

You're really smart to leave off your trigger foods - I really never should've started back eating peanut butter - I KNOW what a huge trigger it is for me. You'll do great through stabilization & maintenance!

Hi, everyone-

That squash story cracked me up. If it makes you feel any better, I once started my microwave on fire cooking chicken in it...melted a hole right through the bottom.

Quick question- do any of you have recommendations for caffeine withdrawal? I started the pre-conditioning diet and have been drinking my decaf coffee, but ended up in bed for two hours yesterday with a splitting headache. I've been taking motrin, but it hasn't been doing much.

Thanks!

Are you still on pre conditioning? If so, you can do half regular half decaf for 1 or 2 days, then slowly take away the caffeine. Even if you do this into your first menu week, that should be fine. I was a HUGE coffee drinker, I drank 6-8 cups a day of the hard stuff (starbucks brand..I brewed at home). I slowly took myself off of regular coffee by doing it half and half for the first week, then reduced to 1/4 regular to 3/4 decaf..then so on. I didn't have such a huge caffeine withdrawl because of it. Now, I still enjoy a few cups of coffee (but of course strictly decaf now), but truly I think it is mental as to why I still drink it (cuz it isn't for the caffeine fix), plus I just love the taste of a good cup of coffee. I wasn't a soda drinker before, so that wasn't a problem, sweet tea is my second evil drink Now, I have found Crystal Light lemon flavored Decaf iced tea. I drink that 1 time a day, usually with dinner. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the vote of confidence! I thought I was being silly, but the more I think about it, I think it is best for me to steer clear of my arch enemies (pasta, cake, crackers, etc). LOL

Thanks, Goal4Life- that helps a lot. I thought I had to go cold turkey and it's KILLING me! You'd think I'd given up smoking by how grumpy I am!

You sure look fantastic. What an amazing accomplishment- way to go! The women on this blog are truly an inspiration.

Good morning all, just a quick check in befor lunch as of this morning i am down another pound which puts me at 217! Hope everyone is doing good i will ck back after lunch.

Back from WI. Down 1 lb. Signed the 30 lb board. And actually made the goal weight that we initially set when I signed. But I am not quite ready to say I am done. Went shopping yesterday and bought size 10 pants. Really happy about that. I do not know when the last time was that I could wear a 10.

CONGRATS WORKING MOM!!!! A 10 is awsome i would love to be in a 10 right now that has always been my goal size, i have not been a 10 since i was 18 i think maybe younger ..lol what size were you when you started if you dont mind me asking?