[texdoc2001]

WOOHOO, Meemo! You are such a source of inspiration. So many people are. dla--I think I may be the queen of stress-eating. What I'm very slowly learning is to listen to the feelings of stress, then give them voice by setting the limits that I can (not always easy in a work setting) or asking for what I need in order to do what I'm being asked to do. It also helps to think about some other way of giving to myself when others are being given food (i.e., closing my door and closing my eyes for 10 minutes, slipping off my shoes and giving myself a food massage). I don't have all the answers, for sure, but this is such an important issue.

I've had the best weekend ever with my new family. Not100% OP but doing the best I can. Made spaghetti for supper Friday night with very lean beef in the sauce and had sauce and salad without the pasta and bread. That seemed to work. Last night, though, my new daughter asked me to make a Boboli pizza as I'd done before and it was a whole bonding thing of cooking together and talking while we cooked and I ended up having two slices of it with her for supper. Not OP (and, she said, rationalizing--not the worst toppings) but I wouldn't have traded the moments for anything in the world. I'll just have to face the scales later.

But today is a new day and it's going to be good. I have my meals planned and will be ready to rock and roll.

[raven59]

[QUOTE=Rocki;2601409][B][COLOR="DarkRed"]Hey there Viola,
I'm doing good. WI today and down 3.5. I've been strict on plan (except for bacon Thursday night @ dinner and Chinese meat Friday). Those are bad slips, but I was still able to lose the 3.5 lbs since Tuesday that I had hoped for! Keep up the good work! NO MORE DEVILS!! We're almost exactly the same weight. My goal (with MRC) is 120 and MY personal goal is 115. I'm hoping for St. Patrick's Day but think I can do better than that. Let's DO this!

Hi Rocki,

Congratulations on the 3.5 loss. That is awesome and sounds like you are focused. You'll definitely make it by St. Paddy's Day...I'm feeling youir energy

For me, I will need to add 1 more demon to the list for last night...not sure what it is with me and nights...guess I'll just need to exit the kitchen right after dinner and not return.

But that's now behind me and I'm with ya!! Let's hit our goals together. My goal is to start stabilization March 1st.

[maintainforlife]

Hi Everyone...okay...must be a great let down day, cuz I've spent the past two hours reading through the maintenance threads (not there yet...but very optimistic )and then catching up through the past several weeks of threads that I've missed! I've laughed, cried...I mean buckets full of tears...and re-evaluated so much!!! Every single one of you is an inspiration! I've truly missed you and thank you for sooooooo much insight! In some ways the break was okay...cuz returning has helped me put "life" into perspective as I catch up on all of your lives...on the other hand...the 9 lbs I've put on says...not again! One thing is for sure, all of you that have had scary experiences are on the road to recovery...so selfishly, I'm sooo relieved and happy for you...and for me that I don't have to worry for you! Denise, your path is phenominal...I'm sooooo thrilled for you! And you maintainers...I feel like you are my sisters...I've missed you so!! And the rest of you...who know me...know my babbling can be over the top...and those that don't...sorry ...okay...so, as I sit here with my "muffin top" (as Gina refers to it) bugging me cuz it's been rolling over my waistband just killing me for the past two hours...I am ready to begin a new day OP I needed to read all of the post to try and understand what was going on in my head! To find an understanding of why the multitude of food and foo-foo alcohol drinks...and wine that I've been stuffing down my throat have become soooo important again! And truly, I feel a bit serene...more than I've felt in about a month! So, of course what I want to do, is just drink protein drinks for the next week...totally liquid diet...and then start pre-conditioning again...as I share this with my DH he shakes his head...and shares that we both know the "quick fix" is one of the things that got me here. Part of it is simple...winter, comfort food, no time to cook. So, I'm pulling in the troops for support. I'm assigning cooking days for the "re-dos" (fyi for you newbies...my "re-dos" are my three kids who have moved back home) who actually cook healthier than me...and the alcohol is REALLY going by-by! It's a start, right? I was soooooooo better off when the doctor thought the wine was a problem for my liver...why couldn't he just have lied ! Another strange anomity is that fact that I was doing better with the cast and boot on my foot for six months...I guess the inconvenience kept me out of the kitchen! Ha! And the fact that exercising again...tends to make me a bit more hungry! One saving grace Meemo, is your protein powder mixed into my chai tea every morning! I swear it keeps me going 'til lunch! It's the "after" lunch time...that gets a bit scary!! As I look back at all of my "inputs" I remember thinking that I didn't understand why everyone was having such a problem staying on plan...okay, not you Denise but you're a miracle...but...I think, for me, anyway, having mis-steps along the way, helps me to learn better food "life strategies" for the future. I'm hoping, anyway! I also get a little bent thinking that I'm 55 and still feeling like I don't have a clue! Okay...I've pulled out my "grateful" list...and my namaste "freedom" list...and I'm adding all of you to each of them...and the fact that I'm able to have a place to share...even with the 'ol muffin top screaming for me to stand up...and go for a VERY long walk before it hails again...yep...even here in San Diego! Love you guys!! Great to be back...yet once again! xoxoCarrie

[Rocki]

Carrie!!!!! Welcome back! I loved reading your post. You can do this (but you already know that). MOST of us slip up and we get back on track again. It's very hard though once you slip. I did great all week, had a 3.5lb loss yesterday and messed up today and had 3 pieces of birthday cake! NICE! I'm going on MQ tomorrow. My counselor had recommended it for me once I got a solid week OP under my belt, so I'm gonna go for it tomorrow. I don't know if I'll make a whole week, but I could probably do 4 days (that's usually all I can handle). That should stir things up a bit. If not, I'll just go back to green and do what I "gotta" do! Take care!

[Sukimom]

Thanks for the encouragement Rocki! I may just have to have some caffeine tomorrow... It's getting a bit unbearable!!! Worse than when I quit somking!!

[dkmd27]

Carrie .... welcome back. It is hard to get back OP, but many of us are here doing it after a few "set-backs". This is a great place for inspiration and support.

[Rocki]

Don't give up! You've come this far. You don't HAVE to have the caffeine. I was just saying what I did. Sorry, I didn't mean to tell you NOT to stick to the program! I just don't follow directions well. There are a couple things that I've never changed and have still been able to lose weight, so that's how I justify it. That doesn't mean it's the right thing to do!

Originally Posted by Sukimom

Thanks for the encouragement Rocki! I may just have to have some caffeine tomorrow... It's getting a bit unbearable!!! Worse than when I quit somking!!

[dkmd27]

Good morning .... for those of you who order your HNS online due to cost concerns, dietdirect dot com (or bariatricchoice dot com -- same site) have the concentrates on sale this week for 7.99, 6.99 if you order 24, shipping is free over 99 dollars and saveme10 coupon code saves you 10 percent. These are the identical product as the centers sell private labeled under a different company name. Look at the left hand column and click on sale items. They have a new sale every Monday. For those of us who have money concerns or constraints, it's a way to use the maximum HNS.

[dkmd27]

ooops, just read my own post -- slight error. Shipping is free over 79 and the saveme10 coupon code is good over 99.

[raven59]

Hi Rocki,

It will be interesting to see how MQ works for you. I've read that it has worked really well for some people and for others there has been no change or even a slight gain!!

I've been reluctant to try it because I am so carb sensitive and am concerned I'll be one of the ones who gain. Since you and I seem to have similar body types, I bet we would have similar results, so keep me posted!

[raven59]

Well, one full day op, and I'm feeling really focused. I love it when that happens. I wish I could figure out why I can stay so focused sometimes and other times it's just impossible....and it never has to do with being hungry!!

I have set March 1st as the day I start stabilization, so maybe it's because I have a very specific goal and time frame in mind. Anyway...off to the gym for me.

Hope everyone has a great Monday.

[maintainforlife]

Originally Posted by Rocki

Carrie!!!!! Welcome back! I loved reading your post. You can do this (but you already know that). MOST of us slip up and we get back on track again. It's very hard though once you slip. I did great all week, had a 3.5lb loss yesterday and messed up today and had 3 pieces of birthday cake! NICE! I'm going on MQ tomorrow. My counselor had recommended it for me once I got a solid week OP under my belt, so I'm gonna go for it tomorrow. I don't know if I'll make a whole week, but I could probably do 4 days (that's usually all I can handle). That should stir things up a bit. If not, I'll just go back to green and do what I "gotta" do! Take care!

Hi Rocki...great to be back and...seeing you doing so well! It's quite a journey, isn't it? Glad we get to all do it together! xoCarrie

[maintainforlife]

Originally Posted by dkmd27

Carrie .... welcome back. It is hard to get back OP, but many of us are here doing it after a few "set-backs". This is a great place for inspiration and support.

Hi dkmd...thanks for the welcome!! Perfect timing with the HNS info too...I'm soooooooooo ordering today! xoCarrie

[BonnieMcC]

Just checkin in to let you know that I got to sign the 40 pound board today. I also got my measurements today and have lost almost 45 inches! I love MRC

[ford4life69]

congrats to EVERYONE on their successes. i hope to be signing a board sometime soon myself!

i think i might finally be back at it. i lost the two i had gained from i thought drinking after my birthday. i went out of town this weekend to my BF's house and skipped dinner saturday night because we went to his parents house and they had some OUTRAGEOUSLY wonderful looking casserole and i just wasn't that hungry. i stayed over there because my apartment's been taken over by carpenter ants *that's a long damn story i'll spare you all* and went with him and his family to lunch sunday after church. i got a grilled chicken salad but forgot to tell them no carrots so i'm sure i ate some before i realized and started picking them out. it had chicken eggs and cheese so i'm pretty sure that i got enough protein but the small town restaurant didn't have olive oil and vinegar so i used a half packet of fat free ranch. it had lots of sodium and 6 carbs in it but i didn't have any fruit at lunch so i'm hoping that balances out and i drank prolly two extra bottles of water and an extra hns. i cldn't finish my subway salad at dinner either but i had one packet of the crackers. just got tired of chewing but when i weighed at home this morning i was at 208 which is down 4 lbs from where i left on friday. i cldn't finish my breakfast either. stomach's not sitting just exactly right but i only skipped one ounce of cheese so it's not that bad. I'll go to WI tonight and get their results too so we'll see.

when i make another 5 lbs from my home scales i'll have lost a full 30 from when i decided to lose weight back right after thanksgiving. i'm STOKED to get there! Brian doesn't seem to care either way and other than the brownie incident at superbowl *he sat right next to me munching a brownie and saying MMMMMMMM.... i whacked him in the shoulder and his mom said she'd'a hit him harder! LMAO!!* he hasn't tried to torment me with food anymore. guess it lost it's fun when i didn't cave! go me!

being here with y'all really has helped me stay OP a lot. i LOVE the accountability and support that I can tell y'all hey i did this and it wasn't perfect and instead of giving me that you screwed up look i get at the center sometimes i know y'all'll just remind me that no one's perfect so get over it and get back on it! it seems like i'm off plan every weekend since i'm with Brian every weekend but it's not his fault, it's my choices. i know he doesn't like valentines day any more than i do so we probably won't do anything special which will be a relief for the diet.

see y'all again after WI.