Hi Laura,

I'll chime in too. I think we all hit the place where you now are: we have had some success, lost some weight, are feeling pretty good with the success to date and are tired of being on a diet. I also think reality hits that this is really how we need to be all the time. We need to be mindful of what we eat. It's part of the mourning process- Mourning the loss of carefree eating.

What do you mean that you have only lost 40 pounds??? Wow, you've lost 40 pounds!!! Celebrate it. Look what you've accomplished. Please don't throw in the towel. If you do, you'll probably backslide, gain what you have lost, and then feel even worse.

Perhaps another program might be a good idea, but know that you most likely will continue to lose more slowly than you'd like. 1-2 pounds a week is typical with most diets and it looks like you're tracking at about that with MRC. I tried WW several times in the past and only lost 1/4-1/2 pound per week...talk about discouraging!!

Anyway, rather than looking 5 months down the road, just make mini-goals, one day at a time, and if you slip up, big deal, it just means the loss will be slower. The important thing is to keep at it.

Do you get support at your center? Some people call in if they feel they are ready to cheat and get "talked down" by the staff.

It sounds like you are at a cross roads right now. Do some soul searching and I hope you reaffirm your commitment. You can do it!!

FYI: I'm having the same struggle you are right now. I'll go for 2-3 days perfectly on plan and then have an off plan day. Then back OP for 2-3 days and wham another off plan day. I'm not beating myself or even trying to figure out why I keep doing it. I am determined to keep at it, cuz even with off plan days, the habits are changing and while I may be losing really slowly, at least I'm going in the right direction.

Hang it there and keep at it. Remember, this is temporary. You can do anything for 5 months, it's only 5 months.

NSV: Okay, so the stupid scale refuses to budge. I am wearing a size 4 pair of jeans that gave me "muffin top" in January and now the muffin top has disappeared. So something is happening, even if the scale doesn't show it. Who hoo, finally some positive reinforcements!

Hi Laura

I hope you are feeling better today! I know how hard this has been for you, we have all been there. This is a restrictive diet but the thing with a restrictive diet is that it works well and it works pretty fast. You also have a great support system with this board and with your center....which you do not get with all diet plans.

I agree that you need to celebrate your success.....40 lbs is amazing and you should be so proud of yourself!! Instead of thinking that you still have 45 lbs to go for your final goal, take it in smaller increments. Go set mini goals. You could try to lose 10 lbs by Spring Break and reward yourself with a new outfit for spring! I have my eye on a cute swimsuit. I have not bought a swimsuit in years but I saw one I liked, I took a picture of it and now whenever I think about going off plan I look at the picture on my cell phone of my prize....my new swimsuit and how it will look on me when I am finally at goal. Once you reach your mini goal....set another one. 5 lbs by April 1st then 10 lbs by May 1st.....if you reach your mini goals then you will be 25 lbs lighter by May 1st!! Then re-evaluate your ultimate goal....with 25 lbs gone you will now be at 170.....with your height 170 is very good. I am almost as tall as you and currently wearing a 10/12....how would you feel wearing a 10/12???

Good luck and please do not give up on yourself. It is worth it and you are definitely worth it!! I am here for you always!

Mel

Thanks, Judy.

I can't wait to join you on maintenance. Thanks for the words of wisdom regarding slow down at the end. That helps a lot.

Denise...you rock!!

I have been struggling almost the same that Laura has been. I have been working to figure out my mental block. I know that is what it is. This week I am finally back on track after about a month long half-hearted attempt. I am going to force myself to just follow the plan for the next month and maybe my attitude will follow. I'm sure a weight loss would help and I know that will come from following the plan.

THANK YOU EVERYONE for your incouraging words and support!! It helped so much!!! I went to WI today, was up a little bit, but thats only to be expected.. The lady there told me that some of it could be from working out as much as i have been the past few days all of a sudden. Going from nothing to intense workouts can sometimes cause us to hold on to weight for a little bit.
I told her everything ( pretty much) that i was feeling yesterday, and we decided to change my goal weight. She asked how i felt about doing stabilization right now, and i said that i felt like that would be giving up.. SO we changed my goal weight to 20 LBS more. That did it for me. Its much easier for me to see myself loosing the 20 LBS by the time my contract is up, and then going through the stabilization and maintance. Then i think if i still watn to loose more by the time all that has happened, i will... I will just do it on my own with all the tools i've learned from this program and other programs I have been on. I can't believe how much a difference that made. Now i'm just struggling with thinking that I'm giving up by changing my goal weight, but i guess im not giving up, just changing the goal to a more realistic one.. I have no idea why i picked my original goal weight, and have no idea how i will feel at my new goal weight..
ANYWAY thank you everyone for all your support!!

Laura: I don't know you but I just love you for starting a really stimulating discussion that all of us need. So much was said that feeds my heart right now and I guess our hearts are what we've all been trying to feed with food for a long time. Anyway, girl, that's for opening up this conversation that's so enriching and encouraging.

I'm slogging away at this and making headway. Like Raven, one or two perfect OP days then a few days of not exactly cheating (and certainly not bingeing or doing all my old favorite things) but not quite OP either. Better choices, certainly, but not perfection.

The hardest thing for me to let go of is my nightly cocktail or glass of wine. Yes, I know it takes me out of fat-burning, yes, I know the alternatives (HNS in a cocktail glass, etc.). I just seem stymied at letting go of this. I don't by any stretch of the imagination think I'm AA material, but this sure gets my attention. Has anybody else had this issue?

The wedding dress is slipping on more easily now (Sam says it looks just fine right now, but I'm thinking I've got a way to go). Thanks for support, all.

I think the biggest thing I've learned from this recent "meltdown" I just had was that i spend too much time focusing on the BIG PICTURE of things, yes thats important but it often overwhelms me and causes me to give up because it seems so far out of reach. I am like that with everything in my life, not just dieting. Something as simple as cleaning the house gets to be this overwhelming project because i think about EVERYTHING that needs to be done, instead of focusing on one thing at a time.

A good suggestion i heard at a class i went to was that instead of saying, "I'm going to follow this program 100% for x amount of weeks days months etc.." You say, "I'm going to follow my plan perfectly for Breakfast, then when you do it you feel like you have accomplished something, so for lunch you say, "I followed breakfast perfect,and now i'm going to follow Lunch perfectly.... Then pretty soon you are focusing on everything you have done towards the larger goal, verses everything you HAVE TO DO STILL to get there..
I think changing my goal weight did just that..

I have felt like Laura so many times in the past 2 yrs since I started MRC. I started MRC on Monday and could only last till 3 pm, then I blew it at dinner time and today all day. I feel disgusted with myself for not having the will power to do more than a day. My weekness it in between meals. I am sooo hungry that a HNS does not do it for me. I can do good with meals but in between is my problem. I need to have something solid, i get very irritable and cranky by dinner time. I take it out on my family when i get home and prepare meals, I am just raving and end up eating a chip or a cracker because I can't stand the hunger. HELP!!!!!!!!!!

[QUOTE=texdoc2001;2627347]Laura: I don't know you but I just love you for starting a really stimulating discussion that all of us need. So much was said that feeds my heart right now and I guess our hearts are what we've all been trying to feed with food for a long time. Anyway, girl, that's for opening up this conversation that's so enriching and encouraging.

I'm slogging away at this and making headway. Like Raven, one or two perfect OP days then a few days of not exactly cheating (and certainly not bingeing or doing all my old favorite things) but not quite OP either. Better choices, certainly, but not perfection.

The hardest thing for me to let go of is my nightly cocktail or glass of wine. Yes, I know it takes me out of fat-burning, yes, I know the alternatives (HNS in a cocktail glass, etc.). I just seem stymied at letting go of this. I don't by any stretch of the imagination think I'm AA material, but this sure gets my attention. Has anybody else had this issue?

I love an evening drink (or two ), but everytime I say "yes" to a drink, I also find myself saying "yes" to everything else, sharp cheese and crackers, dark chocolate...they just all go together. Alcohol is a real trigger, so, for me, I can't afford to have any alcohol. I guess I'm an all or nothing kind of gal. Seeing myself repeat the pattern everytime, I know it just isn't an option. Again, I just tell myself this isn't forever, but has to be so for now. The last couple of times I've had a drink, I haven't even liked it that much, so that helps with the will power. I think our cravings do go away, but during the cleansing phase it's tough.



You shouldn't be hungry on this program, so something is up. Have you discussed with your center? Maybe you need to have an extra HNS, or switch to jello...something with texture. Or perhaps you are waiting more than 5 hours between meals. You might also want to have bulkier veges like raw broccoli, celery, etc. to help you feel full and also the crunch really helps. You might want to use all your HNS and the fiber teas, I know it costs more, but if it gets rid of the hunger pangs, you'll feel better and be more likely to stay OP.

Another thought....when I've gone off plan and had extra carbs, I'm really hungry the next day. Maybe you need to hunker down for 4 days, pick a time that is the least stressful, like over a weekend and just mentally prepare to stay OP no matter what. I think if you get through 4 or 5 days, the hunger will go away. Good luck

I may not be the best to give suggestions, since i'm having the same problem, but i'm certinaly going to try...
WATER has been a huge life saver for me on this program, i drink it all day long! I have my little 32 oz bottle that i end up filling up 4 times during the day. I'm certian that helps me with being hungry.. I will a lot of times mix my HNS on it and sip on it till the next meal, which i don't know if is "allowed" or not but it helps with the hunger. I find my snacking is more of craving verses hunger... Tea is my love too! It makes me feel so satisfied when i truly am hungry... Another thing that was suggested to me at my center, but i've never tried is having your creamy when you are really hungry between meals. I've never done it because i look forward to my creamy as my reward at the end of the day.. BUT the puddings really do fill me up, especially with a cup of warm tea.. Maybe they would help you since they are a little more solid..

Another thing that i'm sure has been discussed here is hte 90 second rule... I'm sure a lot of heard about it but for those who have not i want to try to explain the best i can..
There are 3 parts of the brain, first being the fight or flight survial part, second the emotinal, third the logical... When you want to eat something the survival part thinks you need it because you are hungry... Then it goes to the emotional part that tells you that eating this or that will make you feel better, or the satisfication of that will make you happy...and then it goes to the logical part, where you can really think about what you are about to do and the effects it will have on your progress... I guess it takes 90 seconds before the thought actually travels through the logical part, so if you think about eating something you are not supposed to, wait 90 seconds and see if you still have as strong as a desire.. when i actually do it it works well for me, and to occupy my time during those long 90 seconds i normally stick a cup of water in the microwave for a cup of tea, and more often than not it works for me ( that is if i actually do this, instead of allow my emotional mind to take over and try to convince myself that i will be happier if i eat that cracker..
Sorry another long blabbing by me!! ha ha

That's soooooo awesome!!!
Happy Dance for you!

Hi all,
Well I made it through today, was not dizzy until dinner time then it hit me- am I getting enough calories? I am on the beige menu and when I calculated my calories today it seemed a bit too low, I think...Can you all tell me how many calories I should be getting in? Let me give you an example of what I ate today--- Breakfast: half tortilla with 2 ounces cheese and an egg Lunch: Salad, cottage cheese and half cup of grapefruit, for dinner I had a tortilla with chicken and brocolli and cauliflower- I had 3 HNS one at each meal. I guess I just want this dizziness to pass, it just worries me a little and when I told them at the center they kind of danced around it. Thanks so much in advance I greatly appreciate it. I am on the 2nd day of the beige menu!

Thanks to all of you! I really needed to take the time to read these posts today! The last month has really been a struggle for me with good days and bad days and way more cheats than I should ever allow! I truly am going to focus and try to see what I can in the next 3 weeks to take off the last 5-8 lbs. I know they are more concerned with my muscle mass but my BMI is in normal range so there really shouldn't be a problem.

Good luck to everyone and thanks for all the encouragement!