Stabilization
 

So, there are a few of us on stabilization right now, and even more with questions about it, so I thought I would start a specific thread. I'm about to go on to week two of stabilization, but I pretty much screwed up week one. I just have too much going on in my life, and made some bad dinner choices. Now, this week, I'm leaving on vacation in a couple of hours, so I'm not sure if week two will go any better :/. But, I have to just keep on keeping on.

Thanks for starting the stabilization thread..it will be great to direct my stabilization questions here. So far so good for me on day 1..I got my "new" starch today :)

I'm on stabilization too. I am on week 5 so I've added back in just about everything. It hasn't been too bad. I was getting confused so I did me a little check list in a note book. It goes something like this:

1b 1b 1b (3 breads)
1f 1f (2 fruits, some days it's 1 fruit)
1v 1v (2 veggies)
1m (1 milk)
1ft (1 fat)
1p 1p 1p 1p 1p 1p 1p 1p 1p (9 proteins)

I just cross them off after each meal. It really helps me keep up with what I've eaten. I'll do this until I get used to it.

Just wanted to share.

This truly is a lifestyle change and I know I can do it. I surely don't want to lose the respect I've gotten from others or all of the cute clothes at a size 8 -10 I've been buying.

This is my first week to I had angel food cake today with strawberries on top. I took a vanilla cream and mix it with half of a diet strawberry soda it made it real creamy it was good. I just hope I don't start craving straches again thats my biggest worry right now. but I know it is part of our stabilzation process. having three starches aweek my mom has already went through it and is on maintance she has maintained her weight for 6 months. She has done pretty good but ever once and awhile I have to remind her she can't have pasta potaoes and beans at one meal. Melanie

I am on week 1 of the first stabilization menu. I too was/am a little worried about the starches..but I am only choosing starches that I can be strong with ;) no animal crackers/angel food/pasta for me. I just don't think I could stop at 1 serving. I am sticking to the english muffins/baked potato/sweet potato/pitas, those are safer for me :)

Thanks for the tip, that does sound confusing. :dizzy:

I know what you mean about gaining respect and the wonderful feeling of trying on clothes now. I love my size 10!

Well, I've almost finished week 2, but, it's been a wash since I've been on vacation. I tried to be good, and the extra choices helped, but we'll see how it ends up.

I have made it through the first week I had my first potaoes in a year this week only a small one but it was good. I sprayed it with ICBINB it was good. I start week 2 tomorrow. Happy 4th of July. Melanie

How are ya'll doing? I went on vacation this week and did not really make good choices. The thing is, I know what I have to do now that I am back home. I don't think it will be difficult. I really did not enjoy eating the way we ate on vacation. I thought the food was too rich and I missed most of my good veggies and fruits. I am looking forward to getting back to eating the way I know I should. Good luck on your 2nd and 3rd weeks.

I gained 2 pounds on my vacation, but I'm with you, Pat. I got home, and got back with it. I've lost a pound of it so far, just from the water I've been drinking. Hopefully by WI on Tuesday, I'll be back where I started.

week 4
 

I'm on week 4 and I had a terrrible 4th of July. My struggle with the whole program has been alcohol. I'm not an excessive drinker, but to have a glass of wine be forbidden makes me want it even more. With lots of family over, we were drinking mimosa's by 11am and it was all down hill from there. I've been really good with the food choices, but I've noticed that I have let down my guard a bit. The only other thing I did off program was a piece of choc raspberry cake. I have gained 2 lbs back since stabilization and I am going to change my ticker this week if I haven't dropped them off, it's so discouraging.

I know what you mean. I think alcohol (wine and martinis) was my down fall on my vacation too. It is probably water weight you gained and you will lose it quickly. I think the scale will fluctuate a little so don't be too discouraged.

You've probably got 2 lbs of water weight - should come off with extra water & a couple of days of eating on program. The problem with alcohol (aside from the water retention) is that it makes it all too easy to eat off program as well. I do like the occasional wine cooler, tho - made with cheap lambrusco or sangria & diet Sprite or 7Up.

I finished stabilization and am now on maintenance. I told the girls how much I would miss them. I also told them how much I have learned doing this program. That is one of the great benefits I believe. I knew how to lose before but it seems this program really gave me the tools I need to keep the weight off and to make good choices.

They gave me a 1200 calorie diet to follow. There are alot of choices. The diet tells me exactly how much to eat of each choice per day. It makes it easy actually. BTW corn, carrots, beets, artichokes and a few other vegetables are added back but you can only have them 2 times a week. Which is fine with me. There are also some free things like coffee, tea, ketchup, pickles, SF gelatin, and other things. It seems like a great variety of foods which should make it easy....portion control is what it is all about!

Pickles!!!


Ugh, I'm on week 3, with the dairy, and I seem to be lactose intolerant. Bleh. They said to try drinking milk instead of eating yogurt, and if that didn't help, to just cut out the dairy altogether.

I am beginning week 3 on Monday, so far so good, I am continuing to lose, when does that slow up. I lost 6 pounds between week 1 and now of stabilization. My center seems to think that is normal?

I remember when I started stabilization that they told me it was common to lose more. I never did though. Cudos to you!!

I never did stabilization properly after a few weeks. It was terribly confusing (I think they didn't explain it well enough to me) and then I ended up going away for quite a while.

This time around, I'm going to make sure that I do it correctly.

After reading through this thread, I'm curious if stabilization has changed since I went thru the program? Someone mentioned a 1200 calorie diet? I recall mine was just adding back in several food options and quantities each week. What seemed confusing to me was that one week something seemed to be in, and the next it was out again. They never fully explained about when and how many of the supplements to delete. One week I went in and they said "you should be off all the supplements now". No? The last person told me to keep drinking them. I don't think they were always together on everything.

I need to drag out my old instruction sheets. I think I'm missing the last week (10th) for some reason. I don't recall if another food was added or if the options just expanded.

Well, each week a new food is added, but none are taken away. And, at the top of the food sheet, it tells you how many HNS to drink. Right now, on week 3, I'm at a maximum of 2 a day, and they are to be used as snacks only, not with meals.

The 1200 calorie thing is for maintenance. Once you are finished with your 6-7 week stabilization period, they run your metabolic numbers to determine whether you get a 1200 or 1500 calorie maintenance diet.

Yes, you are still on a very low cal diet, I think you work up to 1200 calories. But, I haven't lost anything on stabilization. I've bounced between 153 and 155. I haven't been perfect though, either. :)

Ok, that makes sense. I don't remember the # of drinks being at the top of the sheet though. I need to go dig them out. I need to get back to goal weight first :-)

The center I was going to was going thru lots of changes toward the end of my program, new employees in and out all the time, and it got annoying after a while. I was also gone a lot with trips, family illness & such. I never went back after the first five or six week of stabilization.

Ok, that is a relief...I know it sounds weird, but I am ready to actual stabilize my weight...I lost another 2.5 pounds this week also.

Your before and afters are amazing!

Thanks so much. I'm about 18 lbs. heavier now--too far past my 10 lb. comfort zone to feel comfortable. I'll lose the 8 lbs. pretty easily in just a couple of weeks. The last 10 is a struggle. I hit a plateau the first time I lost that much that lasted over a month ;-( I hope it won't be so difficult this time.

You are doing great! Good luck on maintenance.

You look great! I know you can get back to where you want to be.

pbolton1 - all I am say is WOW!! What a transformation!

http://www.3fatchicks.net/img/purpvi...3/140/149/.png

Im kind of jumping the gun here, but
I've been worried about keeping the weight off and am reading through some postings. Encouragement?? Do you feel like it will get easier??

MRC will give you the tools to keep the weight off, you'll have a menu to follow just like when you're in the weight loss phase. Whether or not you follow it - well, that's up to you. If you go back to eating the way you did, you'll go back to weighing what you did. The key is to keep an eye on the scale & if you gain 3-5 lbs, it's time to scale back & get it under control. Much easier to lose 3-5 lbs than 10-15! Just keep up the good habits you've developed while losing and you should be fine. ;)

Thanks Thelish. I am definitely a new person inside & out.

Meemo, you are so right. I really need to teach myself to stay in that 5 lb. range.

Me too ;) I speak from experience, unfortunately.

I joined MRC on 7/2. I love it!!! I have followed everything to a tee. I have lost 10 lbs so far. I do hope it comes off as quickly as they say.

ok, stabilization week 4 is killing me..I feel like they are adding back foods to quickly...my body feels yucky and doesn't want it all. I can't stand having the starch everyday for lunch, and I am not to big on the dairy every day also. Those of you that have experience with this, can I opt out of some of the foods??? I want to wait and talk to my fav counselor, and she isn't in until tomorrow, but I just feel gross and yucky between yesterday and today.

I think you can. I can't have bread AND fruit AND milk for breakfast - too many sugars & I get hungry too quickly. So I usually just skip one - or both - of the additions - I was always happy with the green menu breakfast anyway. You could maybe have a little extra fruit, or a smaller portion of yogurt if you want the calcium. Maybe pick one of the additions instead of the starch AND dairy at lunch. You should probably pick up the additional calories somehow, tho - like with extra fruit or veggies.

Yeah, I was having problems with the dairy as well, and they told me it was fine to skip it. Also, they told me the placement of the foods was a suggestion, it wasn't required. So, you could have your extra starch for breakfast (like a real bowl of oatmeal!) or dinner.

I am on week 2 of Stabilization. I have lost a total of 90.5 lbs and 97.5 inches. I love the extra fruit but the bread is a challenge for me. The other hard thing is my mom is one of my consultants.

I asked if I had to eat everything and they said no I didn't have to. I just couldn't eat everything. It was way too much for me....which I thought was good.

This is my first time to ever post on a forum. I am trying to get my ticker posted on my profile. Do you know how to do this?

Congratulations!!! Great job! :carrot:

oh.... Mom as a consultant! You are going to do great; bet you don't feel any pressure!! ;)

Congrats and Welcome!:hug: