Talk to your center about getting a medical extension or hold. That way you will still have the time when you are healed. I don't exercise much on this program and still lose about 2 pounds a week. If you just stay OP as best you can you should be fine.

You might see if you can take your menu in to your dr and have him adjust it in a healthy way to allow you to stay close to plan but give you enough to heal. Then take that back to the center and tell them this is what the dr wants me to do and see what they can tell you about an extension on your program. The dr might let you go back to your menu before the 6 weeks is up or the center may give you a higher menu that'll keep you on plan but just higher cals for the healing. *shrug* Let us know what they say - makes me wonder how willing to work with you they are. :D

Good luck with your surgery!! I'm trying to avoid another knee surgery is why I'm here.

Talk to the folks at the center. They might tell you to go on "medical hold" for those 6 weeks, or you can request it. I think the extra protein, though, might actually help you heal.
Did your dr tell you to stop taking multivitamins, etc? I know the MRC6 has something in it that acts as a blood thinner so be sure you aren't taking that. I had a couple of skin cancers removed in the fall, was told to stop multivitamins, vitamin E, aspirin, etc (only Tylenol was allowed) and one more thing - so I just stopped ALL the pills until both were removed & had started healing.

Pre-conditioning is where you start eliminating things like caffeine & limiting refined carbs from your eating so it isn't such a shock to your system when they're eliminated (caffeine) or greatly reduced (refined sugars & starches) from your diet. Some centers give you a food sheet where you pick one from column A, B, C & D for each meal - others just tell you to cut out/cut back on the bad stuff (we all pretty much know what the bad stuff is, don't we? - we just eat it anyway!)

If it's only one size off, I wouldn't exchange it - and the consultant is right in a sense - it's like predicting failure and giving yourself "permission" to fail. Of course I can't remember exactly when the wedding date is, but if you're really motivated you can probably drop a size or two fairly quickly. If you could get another fairly quickly if you're not quite there and there's not enough seams to let it out, then you could wait & see how things go.

Geez how's that for a non-answer? Not even sure I'M sure what I'm saying!!!:dizzy:

Edit: Just looked back - you're getting married May 30? That should be plenty of time, even though you'll probably be a little stressed with the wedding preparations. Just try to relax and as Finz says, don't fight the program. (I fought it tooth and nail for some reason this time - had some legitimate issues but used them all as excuses not to eat right - what a doofus I am!!!) Heck, with 4 months, you might end up having to take it in!

I agree that you shouldn't exchange and get a different dress. By the end of May you should be there. Especially with that as an extra incentive.

Congratulations on the wedding!!

I know that you should follow doctor's orders, but I think you can also feel good about adjusting caloric intake (i.e., staying on plan) due to reduced mobility and activity. You won't need as many calories as you do in your current daily life. Just a thought, but I'm not a physician.

dla: What's had you feeling bad? Glad to hear it's better, whatever the issue.

I stayed away from the scale last week because after 3 weeks on program (restarted Jan. 3rd from scratch) there was absolutely no movement, so I've just been focusing on staying perfectly on plan. I weighed myself on Monday and finally saw a drop of 4 lbs. Yay!! My body is so stubborn in the first couple of weeks of dieting. Plateaus are soo hard. Glad this one is over for a bit.

Went out with a girlfriend last night, who I hadn't seen in 3 years ,to a wine bar and had planned to just order sparkling water, but it seemed so awkward to just sit there with water while she had 3 tastings, so I decided to join her. Now if I had just left it at that I don't think there would have been much damage, but when I got home the old mind started in..."well since I went off plan anyway...might as well have 1 more glass of wine, a couple of pieces of chocolate, a couple of graham crackers with PB&J...the usual spiral.

Anyway the good news is that I am right back on plan today. Usually it would take me 3-4 days to reset, so this is progress for me. I'm sure I didn't gain any real weight with last night's lapse. Probably some water retention, so I'll wait until Monday to weigh again.

I am planning to stay on plan til I hit my goal weight and then start stabilization. Hopefully, by March 1st I'll be there, but with my stubborn body, it might take a little longer to hit the weight, so I'm trying to get my self prepared.

Hope everyone else had a great day.

Rocki...how are you doing???

Surgery
 

Thanks for all your suggestions.

The Center extended my program for the 2 weeks that I'll be totally immobile (not able to get in for weigh-in). After the second post-op appointment, I'll know whether or not I can drive to get to the Center. If not, I'll ask for another extension until I'm able to get there.

They did suggest that I go on the Meta-Balance three-meal-plan, which apparently provides more calories (my god, I saw orange juice and about flipped--I've missed it soooo much!). It seems like more starch and more calories and it frightens me. I've worked too hard to lose 20 pounds, and my goal is 10 more pounds. I really don't want to badslide. I think that if the meals I'm eating are healthy, as the green menu appears to be, perhaps I'll be OK.

If I need other suggestions and more support, I know I'll get online here and ask for it!

Thanks, everyone!

I would talk to your counselors at the center. They may tell you to up the protein and add a few more drinks to your day. Your body does need the nutrients to heal so talk to them about what would be healthy.

Surgery, PS
 

Thanks for the advice about talking to the doc about pills I'm taking. They had me fill out a pre-op questionnaire, but I didn't list all the MRC things. I'm sure they don't know what's in them. Perhaps I should take the bottles in with me prior to surgery, just to be sure. Good reminder!

On a positive note, I started this diet wearing very tight size 14 pants. Now, 12's are too big. I have one 10 that fits.

A friend who lost 45 pounds on MRC GAVE me five pairs of size 8s!!!! I can't quite get into them, but I've decided that is total incentive! Wow, two pairs of jeans and three really nice slacks. I've hung them all on a long hanger on my bedroom door as a reminder every morning that they are THERE, they were FREE, and they came from a good friend!

Today, I went through my closet and put seven or eight pairs of size 14 pants into a bad, labeled SIZE 14 PANTS. My center said they were thinking of doing a pants exchange, but they seem to be dragging their feet. I would rather give them to someone on MRC than take them to Goodwill, because I'd like to reward someone who is struggling like I did.

If anyone would like them, and if I can find time to get to the post office before next Tuesday (I have a house guest), I'd be happy to send them. I have a couple pairs of shorts, the rest are jeans (one relatively new pair) and dress slacks.

I think we should all reward each other, don't you?

I had pneumonia...it was awful.

I wish that my center would do this. I have a lot of pants that I could give away...most are like new. I have been buying three or four pair of pants and a pair of jeans in each size and it is getting expensive. Some friends and I have done two clothing exchanges and then take the rest to a mission. It has been good incentive to get things out of my closet, but I need to keep going!

I wish I could use your size 14 pants, but the next size I will need is an 18 and size 14 seems really far away!

i'd jump on it if i wasn't so far away. i'm sure the shipping would be insane.

i wonder if they wld do something like that at our center here. ****, they wldn't even have to have it inside... they cld have everyone just bring their stuff up on one of these nice weather days we've been having like a saturday right before lunch or something. that'd be helpful to all their clients you wld think.